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Archives for September 2021

Training Camp Cuts: 09/27/21

September 27, 2021 at 10:29 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Training camp is still just a few days old, but teams continue to pare down their rosters. The waiver process doesn’t open until later this week, but junior and minor league players are already being sent away from the main group. As always, we’ll keep track of all of the cuts right here.

Buffalo Sabres (via press release)

F Josh Bloom (to Saginaw, OHL)
F Viljami Marjala (to Quebec, QMJHL)
F Olivier Nadeau (to Shawinigan, QMJHL)

Colorado Avalanche (via press release)

F Matej Kaslik (released from ATO to Chicoutimi, QMJHL)
F Jack O’Brien (released from ATO to Portland, WHL)
D Miles Gendron (released from PTO to AHL training camp)
D Rob Hamilton (released from PTO to AHL training camp)
F Benjamin Tardif (released from PTO to AHL training camp)

Nashville Predators (via press release)

F Zachary L’Heureux (to Halifax, QMJHL)
D Jack Matier (to Ottawa, OHL)
D Luke Prokop (to Calgary, WHL)

New York Rangers (via team Twitter)

F Matt Rempe (to Seattle, WHL)
F Karl Henriksson (to Frolunda, SHL)

Ottawa Senators (via team Twitter)

G Leevi Merilainen (to Kingston, OHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (via team Twitter)

F Connor McClennon (to Winnipeg, WHL)
F Jon-Randall Avon (to Peterborough, OHL)
D Ethan Samson (to Prince George, WHL)

San Jose Sharks (via press release)

F Ethan Cardwell (to Barrie, OHL)
F Brandon Coe (to North Bay, OHL)
F Liam Gilmartin (to London, OHL)
F Danil Gushchin (to Niagara, OHL)
F Max McCue (to London, OHL)
D Gannon Laroque (to Victoria, OHL)
G Benjamin Gaudreau (to Sarnia, OHL)
F Zach Gallant (to AHL training camp)
F Dillon Hamaliuk (to AHL training camp)
F Timur Ibragimov (to AHL training camp)
F Jacob McGrew (to AHL training camp)
F Kyle Topping (to AHL training camp)
F Evan Weinger (to AHL training camp)
D Nick Cicek (to AHL training camp)
D Cole Moberg (to AHL training camp)
G Zachary Emond (to AHL training camp)
F Macauley Carson (released from ATO, to University of New Brunswick, USports)
D Jeremie Biakabutuka (released from ATO, to Rimouski, QMJHL)

Vancouver Canucks (via Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic)

D Viktor Persson (to Kamloops, WHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (via press release)

F Marcus Kallionkieli (to Brandon, WHL)
F Jakub Brabenec (to Charlottetown, QMJHL)
F Jakub Demek (to Edmonton, WHL)
D Daniil Chayka (to Guelph, OHL)
D Artur Cholach (to Barrie, OHL)
D Lukas Cormier (to Charlottetown, QMJHL)
G Jesper Vikman (to Vancouver, WHL)
F Kaleb Pearson (released from ATO to University of PEI, USports)

This page will be updated throughout the day

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Ridly Greig, Dylan McIlrath To Have Hearings With Department Of Player Safety

September 27, 2021 at 9:53 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 5 Comments

The surest sign that NHL hockey is back is that the Department of Player Safety is hard at work. After the league saw preseason open this weekend, two players are already expected to receive suspensions. Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig and Washington Capitals defenseman Dylan McIlrath will both receive hearings today for their plays over the weekend.

Greig’s incident happened partway through the second period of Ottawa’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, when he got his stick up in the face of Pierre-Luc Dubois. The result was a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct, ending the prospect’s night a little early. Dubois had been skating toward him to attempt a hit, when Greig extended the shaft of his stick forcefully up and into the Jets’ forward’s head. With the new focus on cross-checking, the league is obviously not going to look the other way this season.

The 19-year-old Greig has received several stick-related suspensions in the WHL. In fact, twice previously he has been suspended in the first game of the junior season. A first-round pick in 2020 he also scored in Ottawa’s game, showing just how effective he can be if he manages to play on the right side of the line.

McIlrath meanwhile was ejected from the Capitals’ game against the Boston Bruins at the start of the third period for a head shot on Steven Fogarty. The match penalty results in an automatic review from the DoPS and will certainly result in a suspension. Given he hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2019-20 season there’s no guarantee he ever truly “misses time” in the NHL, but this isn’t totally unexpected from McIlrath. The 6’5″ defenseman was a high draft pick because of his physical style, but has struggled to fill anything other than a sort of pseudo-enforcer role at the NHL level. In his 66-game career, he has five points and 121 penalty minutes.

Ottawa Senators| Suspensions| Washington Capitals Dylan McIlrath

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Five Key Stories: 9/20/21 – 9/26/21

September 26, 2021 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

The start of training camp often brings about a small flurry of transactions and this time was no exception as several notable moves highlight the top stories of the week.

Goalie Extensions: With Columbus set to have both Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo entering the final year of their contracts before being eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer, it felt like only a matter of time before one of them was extended.  That’s what happened as Merzlikins inked a five-year, $27MM extension, his $5.4MM AAV representing a small raise on his current $4MM deal.  Merzlikins has played in just 61 career regular season games but he has played well for the Blue Jackets over his two NHL campaigns.  With his deal now done, Korpisalo is likely to be involved in plenty of trade speculation over the next few months unless he’s able to agree to a new deal of his own as well.

Meanwhile, the Kings also signed netminder Cal Petersen to a three-year, $15MM extension, ensuring he’ll be sticking around beyond the upcoming year.  The 26-year-old has just 54 career appearances in the NHL, the bulk of which came last season.  It’s a high price tag for someone that isn’t all that proven but with Jonathan Quick now 35 and not a true starter anymore, this move allows Los Angeles to keep their goalie tandem intact a little longer while being short enough to not cripple their cap situation if they have to go in a different direction later on.

Calling It A Career: Veteran center Travis Zajac has decided to retire but wanted to do so as a member of the Devils.  He did just that, signing a one-day contract before officially hanging up his skates.  Zajac played in over 1,000 games with New Jersey over his 15-year career with his only time away from them coming near the 2021 trade deadline when he was moved to the Islanders to help in their playoff run.  Overall, he sits third in Devils history in games played and points while making more than $60MM in career earnings.

Kaprizov Signs: It took a lot longer than the Wild had hoped for but they eventually were able to sign top winger Kirill Kaprizov to a five-year, $45MM contract.  It’s a significant sum for someone with just one NHL season under his belt – a pandemic-shortened one at that.  However, Minnesota is clearly banking on the hope that the 24-year-old, who led the team in scoring last season, still has some room to improve and that he’ll be the focal point of their attack for the next five seasons.  Kaprizov received a full no-move clause in the final two seasons of the deal; those were the only ones he was eligible to receive trade protection for as those were the UFA-eligible years.

Two Months For Malkin: When Penguins center Evgeni Malkin underwent knee surgery this summer, there was no firm timeline for his return, only an indication that an update would be coming at training camp.  That update has arrived and the news isn’t great for Pittsburgh as it was revealed that Malkin will miss the first two months of the season as he continues his recovery.  This comes on the heels of Sidney Crosby having wrist surgery that will see him missing some time to start the season as well.  The Penguins will turn to veteran Jeff Carter in the top center role for the time being.

Bridge For Dahlin: While the Sabres weren’t able to sign Rasmus Dahlin to a long-term contract, they did manage to get a bridge deal in place, signing the 2018 top pick to a three-year, $18MM pact.  Dahlin struggled considerably last season which certainly didn’t help his bargaining power in negotiations but over his first three NHL campaigns, he has shown flashes of a strong offensive game.  The term of the deal means that the 21-year-old will be a restricted free agent at its expiration, giving the two sides another shot at working out a long-term agreement.  His qualifying offer at that time will be $7.2MM.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Uncategorized Week In Review

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Injury Notes: Varlamov, Allison, Scott, Jarvis

September 26, 2021 at 7:54 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

The start of training camps usually results in a fairly long list of injuries as teams are extra cautious with their players early on.  Not surprisingly, this is the case once again this season.  Here’s a rundown of some of the recent injury news around the league:

  • Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov hasn’t skated yet in training camp due to an undisclosed injury, relays Arthur Staple of The Athletic (Twitter link). The veteran is expected to split starts with Ilya Sorokin this season but there is no timetable for when he’ll be able to hit the ice.
  • Earlier this week, the Flyers announced several injuries including one for winger Wade Allison and he was ruled out for the start of the season. It appears as if he’ll be out considerably longer than that as Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the high-ankle sprain is believed to be quite serious and that it could be months before he was able to return.  The 23-year-old had four goals and three assists in 14 games with Philadelphia last season – his first NHL action – and looked to be a candidate to push for a regular spot in training camp.  Now it appears that it’ll be a while before he gets that next opportunity.
  • Maple Leafs goalie prospect Ian Scott suffered a groin injury early in the third period in Saturday’s victory over Montreal, notes TSN’s Kristen Shilton (Twitter link). He had hip surgery two years ago and while he’s in the third and final year of his entry-level contract, Scott has played in just seven career professional contests.  Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that the netminder is expected to miss some time.
  • Hurricanes winger prospect Seth Jarvis is day-to-day with a tweak, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal. The 19-year-old had 11 points in nine games with AHL Chicago and 27 more in 24 contests with WHL Portland last season and has a legitimate chance to break camp with the big club.  If that doesn’t happen, he will have to return to the junior level.

Carolina Hurricanes| Injury| New York Islanders| Philadelphia Flyers| Toronto Maple Leafs Semyon Varlamov| Wade Allison

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Ottawa Senators

September 26, 2021 at 6:48 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid 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 2021-22 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.

Ottawa Senators

Current Cap Hit: $59,048,333 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit and minimum cap threshold)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Erik Brannstrom (one year, $863K)
F Alex Formenton (one year, $748K)
F Joshua Norris (one year, $925K)
F Shane Pinto (two years, $925K)
F Tim Stutzle (two years, $925K)

Potential Bonuses
Brannstrom: $450K
Formenton: $107.5K
Norris: $850K
Pinto: $600K
Stutzle: $2.5MM
Total: $4.508MM

Norris is going to be the next big contract on the horizon for the Senators.  He was one of the top rookies in the league last season and should spend all of the upcoming season in a top-six role at the very least.  Impact centers get paid quickly and if they move to sign him to a long-term deal, he could jump into the $7MM range assuming he has a strong sophomore season.  Stutzle, another long-term building block, had some ups and downs in his rookie campaign but the high-end potential is certainly there.  If he progresses as expected, he could also be looking at a similar price tag on his next deal.  Pinto certainly didn’t look out of place late in the season and should see extended NHL action this year.  How he fares in that should determine if he’s heading for a long-term deal of his own or something shorter.  As for Formenton, the speedster split last season between Ottawa and AHL Belleville.  He should be able to lock down more of a regular spot in 2021-22 but is likely heading for a short-term second contract.

Brannstrom was the centerpiece of the Mark Stone trade back in 2019 although he hasn’t yet been able to lock down a full-time NHL role let alone show signs of the offensive upside he has displayed in the minors.  He should push for a regular spot this season but he’s also waiver-exempt which could make him the odd one out in training camp.  In either scenario, a bridge deal makes more sense for him.  Considering the bigger contracts they have on the horizon for Norris and Stutzle, they’ll need some shorter-term deals to balance those out anyway.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

D Josh Brown ($1.2MM, UFA)
G Anton Forsberg ($900K, UFA)
D Nick Holden ($1.7MM, UFA)
D Victor Mete ($1.2MM, RFA)
F Nick Paul ($1.35MM, UFA)
F Zach Sanford ($2MM, UFA)
F Chris Tierney ($3.5MM, UFA)

Tierney has been in trade speculation dating back to last season and that won’t change anytime soon as he’s unlikely to be in Ottawa’s long-term plans.  He’s a serviceable middle-six center who is probably better off on the third line but players like that have landed similar contracts to the one he has recently.  A big raise is unlikely but neither is a big dip this summer.  Sanford, acquired in the Logan Brown trade, has been a capable bottom-six winger but unless he has an uptick in production with his new team, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to get much more than his current price tag on the open market.  Paul hasn’t been able to make the most of his increased playing time the last couple of years but as a physical player that can play both the wing and down the middle, he’s someone that’s probably going to garner a fair bit of interest which could push his next AAV past the $2MM range.

Holden was acquired as a salary offset in the Evgenii Dadonov trade this summer and is likely to have a similarly limited role with the Senators as he did with the Golden Knights.  Barring a surprisingly strong season, he’s someone that is more of a candidate to land a PTO than a raise.  Brown also is expected to play a depth role which doesn’t bode well for his first chance in unrestricted free agency.  That said, he’ll only be 28 next summer so he should be able to land a guaranteed deal but at this point, it probably won’t be more than this one.  Mete impressed after coming over from Montreal on waivers and will be looking to earn a top-four role for the first time since his rookie season.  That will determine if he can potentially double his AAV in that situation or whether he’ll be a non-tender candidate with him having arbitration eligibility again.

Forsberg was claimed off waivers three times last season but held his own when called upon down the stretch with Ottawa, earning this new deal.  If he can establish himself as a quality backup, he could double his price tag or more but having been more of a third-stringer in his career, the likelier scenario is that he winds up in a similar spot next season which would come with a bit of a dip in pay.

Two Years Remaining

F Connor Brown ($3.6MM, UFA)
D Michael Del Zotto ($2MM, UFA)
F Austin Watson ($1.5MM, UFA)
D Artem Zub ($2.5MM, UFA)

Brown’s offensive output has increased with Ottawa as he has been used in a bigger role than he was with Toronto but it hasn’t come at the expense of his defensive play.  All of a sudden, he has become a strong two-way player.  His ice time may dip as younger players move up the depth chart but for the time being, his deal is a nice bargain and the longer he plays at that level, the more expensive he’s going to be two summers from now.  Watson makes perhaps a bit much for someone that’s primarily on the fourth line but it certainly isn’t a big overpayment and with the cap space they have, it’s one that they can certainly afford.  It’s hard to see him getting more on his next deal, however.

Zub had to wait a bit to get into the lineup but when he did, he quickly became an important part of their back end which earned him this two-year extension.  Given that he only has 47 career NHL games under his belt, pegging his value on his next contract will be tough; it’ll go up if he can stay in the top four but if he winds up settling in as more of a third-pairing option, he might be in tough to land a raise.  Del Zotto’s contract came as a surprise to many for someone that has had to settle for discount deals the last two seasons but the Sens believe he can be a capable veteran to hold down a spot while their prospects develop.  He’ll be 33 when his next deal gets signed and it’s hard to imagine he’ll get more than this.

Three Years Remaining

G Matt Murray ($6.25MM, UFA)

When Ottawa acquired Murray early on the second day of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, they were hoping that they found not only their goalie of the present but also potentially their goalie of the future.  But things didn’t go swimmingly for him as he followed up the lowest save percentage of his career with an even lower one in his first year with Ottawa.  Yes, the Senators weren’t a great team but his struggles certainly contributed to that.  In terms of AAV, only five goalies have a higher one than Murray but so far, he hasn’t provided an adequate level of goaltending let alone a high-end showing for someone making more than most starters do.

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Four Or More Years Remaining

F Drake Batherson ($4.975MM through 2026-27)
D Thomas Chabot ($8MM through 2027-28)
F Colin White ($4.75MM through 2024-25)

Batherson only has one full NHL season under his belt (and it was a pandemic-shortened one) so his deal does carry some risk.  However, if he can become even a capable second-line winger long term, the contract should hold up well.  Similar logic was applied to White’s deal when it was signed in a similar situation to Batherson’s but his contract has not held up well so far as he has been limited to a depth role without much production.  There’s still time for that to change but with Norris and Pinto also in the mix, he’ll need to produce soon or run the risk of being buried down the depth chart.

Chabot was another player who signed a long-term deal quickly, with a year left on his entry-level deal, in fact.  This one has worked out quite well so far as he has established himself as a legitimate top-pairing defenseman and at 24, there’s still room for improvement, especially as the Sens improve.  With how much contracts for top blueliners have gone up lately, this one already appears to be a below-market deal with a chance for it to become more team-friendly as he improves.

Buyouts

D Dion Phaneuf ($354K through 2022-23)
F Bobby Ryan ($3.583MM in 2021-22, $1.583MM in 2022-23 and 2023-24)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Still To Sign

F Brady Tkachuk

Tkachuk is another part of Ottawa’s long-term core and is viewed by some to be their next captain, possibly as soon as this deal gets done.  There have been suggestions that the same deal that Chabot has is on the table which would immediately make him Ottawa’s top-paid forward by a significant margin.  The deal will eventually get done with a soft pressure point being the start of the season; not only do they want him on opening night but they’ll need to get compliant with the salary floor and Tkachuk’s deal will easily put them over.  Otherwise, they’ll need to add some payroll.

Best Value: C. Brown
Worst Value: Murray

Looking Ahead

From a cap space perspective, it’s smooth sailing for the next couple of years as Ottawa will be comfortably below the Upper Limit.  Once new deals for Norris and Stutzle are done though, those pacts plus Chabot’s and Tkachuk’s will represent a sizable chunk of their payroll.  It’s at that time that their spending will need to pick up and get closer to the cap in order to build and maintain a strong core around them.  Until then, GM Pierre Dorion has all sorts of flexibility to work with.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ottawa Senators| Salary Cap Deep Dive 2021 Pro Hockey Rumors Originals

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Daniil Chayka Signs Entry-Level Contract With Vegas Golden Knights

September 26, 2021 at 5:32 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

Daniil Chayka, a second-round draft pick of the Vegas Golden Knights this year, has signed his entry-level contract with the team. Per the team’s press release, it’s a three-year deal. Per PuckPedia, the details of the $925,000 average annual value deal are as follows:

2021-22: $750,000 base, $92,500 SB, $80,000 AHL (82 GP perf. bonus included)
2022-23: $750,000 base, $92,500 SB, $80,000 AHL (82 GP perf. bonus included)
2023-24: $832,500 base, $92,500 SB, $80,000 AHL

Chayka, entering the 2020-21 season, was regarded as one of the better defense prospects in the 2021 NHL Draft. He had tallied 34 points in just 56 games with the OHL’s Guelph Storm in 2019-20, suggesting that the large defensive defenseman had some offensive ceiling as well. While that may still be true, Chayka had a bit of a rough year back home in Russia in 2020-21 after the OHL’s shutdown. Bouncing between the KHL, VHL, and MHL, Chayka never played more than 11 games at any level and had some uncharacteristically concerning defensive struggles.

With Chayka returning to Guelph this season, Vegas will gain a better idea of how the 6′ 3″ defender can perform back in North America. He’s at least three or four years away from challenging for a roster spot in Vegas. But if Chayka can return to his 2019-20 level of play or even improve on it this season, his stock could rise post-draft within an already defensively sound organization.

Vegas Golden Knights

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Cole Caufield Listed As Day-To-Day

September 26, 2021 at 2:59 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

The Montreal Canadiens today announced that forward Cole Caufield is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Caufield played in last night’s preseason game against the Toronto Maple Leafs but was pulled after warmups prior to today’s intrasquad scrimmage.

Head coach Dominique Ducharme confirmed today that Caufield’s injury isn’t serious, and his absence remains mainly precautionary. That’s good news for Canadiens fans, as Caufield still projects to slot in with Nick Suzuki on Montreal’s top line to begin the season.

Caufield netted a combined 17 points in 30 games between his regular season and playoff contests in 2020-21 and will improve on those totals this year, in all likelihood. He’ll undoubtedly see more than the 13:58 average ice time he saw last year.

Montreal has already struggled mightily with injuries to core pieces heading into training camp. Aside from captain Shea Weber being expected to miss the entire season, Carey Price and Mike Hoffman are both dealing with shorter-term injuries but could be out for the start of the season.

Caufield projects to be one of the favorites to take home the Calder Trophy this year along with a strong class of rookies. Last season, Caufield also scored 52 points in just 31 games while at the University of Wisconsin, along with five points in seven games for the United States at the World Junior Championships.

Injury| Montreal Canadiens Cole Caufield

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Snapshots: Vrana, Voracek, Augustana

September 26, 2021 at 1:27 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

Hockey is back as the preseason enters its second day. While teams continue to announce roster moves and training camp cuts, there’s a variety of news and notes from around the league and sport that have come through the wire. The most notable takes us to the Detroit Red Wings, where head coach Jeff Blashill reports that forward Jakub Vrana will see a specialist on Monday for a shoulder injury suffered this week. After yesterday’s report from Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen that Vrana would be reevaluated later, this is a quick turnaround from such an uncertain timeline. Any absence would be a huge blow to Detroit, for whom Vrana scored at a point-per-game pace last season.

Some other news from around the hockey world:

  • The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline notes the discrepancy in the role that Jakub Voracek will carry during his second tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Voracek’s last season in Columbus came in 2010-11 at the age of 21, playing 10 seasons and 727 games in Philadelphia after a trade. Dealt back to Columbus this offseason in exchange for Cam Atkinson, Voracek now returns as the oldest player on the Columbus roster. He’ll be tasked with being a strong voice in terms of leadership to help gel a rebuilding squad. It’s something that Voracek says he’s “ready to fill” due to his experience in Philadelphia.
  • After announcing a move to create a Division I hockey program back in June, South Dakota’s Augustana University will announce the program officially on October 5. Including the groundbreaking of the team’s new arena, the event will mark history for hockey in South Dakota. It continues a recent tradition of lesser-known schools breaking into the Division I scene.

Columbus Blue Jackets| Detroit Red Wings| Injury| Jeff Blashill| Snapshots Cam Atkinson| Jakub Voracek| Jakub Vrana

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Metropolitan Notes: Zibanejad, Lee, Malkin

September 26, 2021 at 11:59 am CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments

The New York Rangers began extension talks with top center Mika Zibanejad earlier this month, but the two sides have not yet reached a resolution on a new contact. However, don’t expect that to bother Zibanejad this season. The New York Post’s Mollie Walker reports that Zibanejad is unfazed by his impending free agent status. He has been candid with comments stating that he will leave negotiations to his agent and the Rangers’ front office while he remains focused on the upcoming season. “Right now, they’re taking care of business — so I’m taking care of mine,” Zibanejad stated. While many players state us much while actually posturing, Zibanejad really does have nothing to worry about. Sure, the skilled center has stated that he enjoys playing in New York and would like to sign long-term with the Rangers. However, the 28-year-old could also be the top name on the open market if he cannot come to terms with the team on a new deal. Walker reports that Zibanejad’s side is seeking upwards of $10MM per year on a seven- or eight-year term, while the Rangers would prefer to keep that cap number between $7-9MM. While Zibanejad would lose the possibility of that eighth year should he test the market, competition would also certainly drive that AAV up toward his asking price. As a result, Zibanejad has all the leverage in talks with New York, especially if he performs this season, so it makes sense that he can calmly focus solely on his play and let negotiations unfold behind the scenes.

  • Across town, the New York Islanders are looking forward to the return of one of their own core players in Anders Lee. Lee missed the final 29 games of the regular season and the entirety of the postseason after undergoing ACL surgery in March, but is now back to full strength. Yet, his comeback is still on hold for the time being. Though Lee has not been limited in training camp, NYI Hockey Now’s Christian Arnold relays word from head coach Barry Trotz that Lee will not be rushed into preseason action. The star forward is expected to be held out of at least the first few Islanders preseason games, if not more. While the team wants Lee to be up to game speed by the start of the regular season, they are being cautious with his workload on a surgically repaired knee. A hard-working veteran, Lee will be ready to go for New York’s season debut regardless of how much work he puts in prior.
  • As for Evgeni Malkin, Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now reports that it is status quo for the star center’s return from off-season knee surgery. While Sidney Crosby is only expected to miss a few games to start the year following his own wrist surgery, the expectation remains that Malkin will miss the first two months of the season. The Penguins surely had hoped that Malkin could fast-forward his return to action, especially since the team’s limited cap space handicapped their ability to find a suitable replacement down the middle. The focus so far in training camp has been on veteran Evan Rodrigues and youngster Radim Zohorna battling for a starting center role, though neither will be able to bring even replacement-level offense to the lineup. Jeff Carter, Teddy Blueger, and eventually Crosby will likely be the Penguins top-nine centers until Malkin returns and the lines are re-shuffled.

Barry Trotz| New York Islanders| New York Rangers| Pittsburgh Penguins Anders Lee| Evan Rodrigues| Evgeni Malkin| Mika Zibanejad| Sidney Crosby

5 comments

Training Camp Cuts: 09/26/21

September 26, 2021 at 10:20 am CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

Training camp means training camp cuts. Even though the preseason only kicked off last night and waivers does not begin until later this week, teams are already making moves to trim their rosters of junior and waiver-exempt talent and failed tryouts. Keep up with all of those moves here:

Boston Bruins (via team Twitter)

D Ryan Mast (to Sarnia, OHL)
D Noah Dorey (released from ATO to Kelowna, WHL)

Los Angeles Kings (via team Twitter)

F Lorenzo Canonica (released from ATO to Shawinigan, QMJHL)
F Brett Hyland (released from ATO to Brandon, WHL)
F Logan Morrison (released from ATO to Hamilton, OHL)
F Tye McSorley (released from ATO to Oshawa, OHL)
D Cameron Supryka (released from ATO to Hamilton, OHL)
D Landon Kosior (released from ATO to Prince Albert, WHL)
D Dylan Robinson (released from ATO to Windsor, OHL)

Minnesota Wild (via team release)

F Caedan Bankier (to Kamloops, WHL)
D Daemon Hunt (to Moose Jaw, WHL)
D Carson Lambos (to Winnipeg, WHL)
D Kyle Masters (to Red Deer, WHL)
F Pavel Novak (to Kelowna, WHL)
D Ryan O’Rourke (to Sault Ste. Marie, OHL)
G Trevin Kozlowski (released from PTO to Iowa, AHL)
F Bryce Misley (released from PTO to Iowa, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (via team Twitter)

F Joshua Roy (to Sherbrooke, QMJHL)
F Xavier Simoneau (to Charlottetown, QMJHL)
G Joe Vrbetic (to North Bay, OHL)

New York Rangers (via team release)

G Talyn Boyko (to Tri-City, WHL)
F Jake Elmer (to Hartford, AHL)
G Dylan Garand (to Kamloops, WHL)
F Patrick Khodorenko (to Hartford, AHL)
F Ryder Korczak (to Moose Jaw, WHL)
D Hunter Skinner (to Hartford, AHL)
F Evan Vierling (to Barrie, OHL)
D Zach Berzolla (released from PTO to Hartford, AHL)
D Zach Giuttari (released from PTO to Hartford, AHL)
F Michael O’Leary (released from PTO to Hartford, AHL)
F James Sanchez (released from PTO to Hartford, AHL)
F Alex Whalen (released from PTO to Hartford, AHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)

F Sam Houde (to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)
D Chris Bigras (to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)
D Chris Merisier-Ortiz (to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)
D Josh Maniscalco (to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)
G Alex D’Orio (to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)
G Tommy Nappier (to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)
F Lukas Svejkovsky (to Medicine Hat, WHL)
F Josh Williams (to Edmonton, WHL)
D Isaac Belliveau (to Gatineau, QMJHL)
D Ryan McCleary (to Portland, WHL)

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Boston Bruins| Los Angeles Kings| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| New York Rangers| Pittsburgh Penguins| Transactions

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