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Nolan Patrick Signs With Vegas Golden Knights

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Late last night, the Vegas Golden Knights finalized terms with newcomer Nolan Patrick on a two-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $1.2MM, paying Patrick $1MM in 2021-22 and $1.4MM in 2022-23. The young forward was a restricted free agent after being acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Selected second overall in 2017, it has been anything but a smooth ride for the 23-year-old Patrick. Even before he was drafted he had dealt with serious injury, taking away a huge chunk of his final year with the Brandon Wheat Kings, and that injury-prone label has followed him to the NHL. It’s not fair, given the most serious ailment Patrick has dealt with is a migraine issue, but nevertheless, he has heard the chorus of “bust” for several years now.

After two seasons in which he recorded 13 goals and around 30 points, Patrick missed the entire 2019-20 campaign due to his migraine issue. It kept him from skating or participating in any team activity, meaning when he returned for 2020-21 there was obviously a gap in his development. This season was an absolute trainwreck, with the young forward registering just four goals and nine points in 52 games while seeing his average ice time drop significantly. That led to an offseason trade as the Flyers looked to shake up their group and go in a different direction.

Despite recent struggles, Patrick is by no means a write-off in Vegas. The 6’2″ 203-lbs forward still has all the physical tools to be an impact player in the NHL, even if his ceiling as a first-line center looks like an impossibility at this point. The Golden Knights will have to rebuild his confidence and his career, but they obviously have a strong belief in him given they gave up Cody Glass in a one-for-one deal.

The reason for that optimism? Kelly McCrimmon, the Golden Knights’ GM knows Patrick better than anyone, having drafted, developed, coached and managed him in the WHL with the Brandon Wheat Kings. That’s where Patrick turned into a star, including an outstanding 102-point campaign in 2015-16 that resulted in a WHL championship (and playoff MVP).

This two-year deal will still leave Patrick a restricted free agent in 2023, but does mean he will be arbitration-eligible. If he can get his career back on track, there will be more than $1.2MM waiting for him through that process, but more importantly, there should be a real opportunity in Vegas. The Golden Knights have long been searching for another center to complement William Karlsson in the top-six, something Patrick could still do if he can find any of the juice that made him a second-overall pick just a few years ago. Then again, perhaps the lost year has removed any chance of him fulfilling that early promise and he’ll have to settle into a depth role on the loaded Golden Knights roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Detroit Red Wings Prospect Jared McIsaac Leaves Game On Stretcher

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A prospect match between the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets has been stopped after defender Jared McIsaac was hit along the boards. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler reports that McIsaac was responsive as he left the game on a stretcher.

The Columbus Dispatch’s Brian Hedger tweets that McIsaac’s head hit the glass on a hit from Columbus Blue Jackets forward James Malatesta and fell to the ice. A report from the Detroit Red Wings says that McIsaac is indeed responsive and has feeling in his extremities. He’ll be observed at a local hospital. The rest of the game will proceed, with the 2:54 that was remaining in the first period added onto the second.

McIsaac has spent much of the last two seasons dealing with injury. He played in just one Liiga game and 10 AHL games with Grand Rapids in 2020-21. Expected to take on a full-time role in Grand Rapids this season, McIsaac’s health and well-being are what’s paramount now.

Everyone at PHR offers their best wishes to McIsaac, his family, and the Red Wings during this time.

Bruins Notes: Coyle, Lysell, Injuries

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To say it’s been an eventful offseason for the Boston Bruins would be an understatement. With the extensions for Taylor Hall and Mike Reilly and the acquisitions of Linus Ullmark and Nick Foligno came some serious departures. Longtime Bruin David Krejci left the team to continue his career at home in the Czech Republic, while netminder Tuukka Rask remains unsigned amid injury uncertainty. While Krejci’s replacement as the second-line center isn’t entirely clear, the frontrunner in the eyes of most is Charlie Coyle. However, as The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa notes, Coyle’s participation could be limited at the start of training camp. While not ordinarily a huge cause for concern, the news comes after it was revealed Coyle suffered through injury for much of last season and underwent knee surgery in July. It was an inordinately rough season for Coyle last year, who scored just six goals and 16 points in 51 games. An elevated role playing with Hall will likely boost those point totals. The team will be relying on Coyle much more next season to produce, meaning his health as the start of the season approaches could be a real storyline in Boston.

More from the Bruins’ sphere today:

  • General manager Don Sweeney, speaking after the Bruins’ development camp games concluded today, says that 2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell will likely be playing in North American this season. Lysell signed his entry-level contract this summer after spending last season with Luleå HF in Sweden, but the signing offered little clarity over where he could take the ice in 2021-22. A loan back to Sweden was still possible, but it now appears he’ll be playing junior hockey this season with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. It’s important to note that due to his European status and lack of a junior contract, Lysell was indeed eligible to suit up with the Providence Bruins in the AHL this year.
  • Shinzawa also notes that a trio of Bruins prospects — Victor Berglund, Josiah Didier, and J.D. Greenway — are all injured and unavailable for the beginning of training camp. The most exciting of these names to follow is undoubtedly Berglund’s. A seventh-round pick of the squad in 2017, he’s developed extremely well in his native Sweden. Loaned out to Luleå this year, sharing a team with Lysell, the 22-year-old impressed in his first season of SHL action with 21 points in 50 games. Likely a candidate to play serious minutes with Providence this year, Bruins fans may have to wait a little while to see him on the ice again.

Edmonton Oilers’ Dmitri Samorukov Out Six Weeks

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Edmonton Oilers prospect Dmitri Samorukov suffered a broken jaw during last night’s development camp tilt against the Calgary Flames, the team announced Sunday afternoon. The defenseman will be out six weeks, missing the rest of training camp and the beginning of the regular season.

Samorukov, originally a third-round pick of the Oilers in 2017, is returning to North American this season after spending last season on loan with CSKA Moscow in the KHL. He’s shown solid upside at all levels of the game, scoring 45 points in 59 games with the Guelph Storm in his last OHL season in 2018-19. He continued his development with a successful rookie campaign in the AHL, getting into 47 games with the Bakersfield Condors in 2019-20. Last season’s stint in Russia saw him post eight points in 48 games while exhibiting solid two-way skill.

While it was unlikely Samorukov would crack the roster for the Oilers this season, the injury likely hurts those chances even further. However, he’ll be an important part of the defense core in Bakersfield this season as he enters his third professional campaign. Steps forward there this season could very well lead to an NHL opportunity in the future, possibly as soon as a call-up at the end of this season or next. He likely sits as the second defenseman on the depth chart in Bakersfield behind Philip Broberg, a first-round selection of the Oilers in 2019.

New York Islanders Facing Severe Roster Crunch

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After a slow summer, the month of September has belonged to GM Lou Lamoriello and the New York Islanders. On September 1, the team announced new contracts for forwards Anthony Beauvillier, Casey Cizikas, and Kyle Palmieri and goaltender Ilya Sorokin. That same day, they hinted that veteran UFA Zach Parise will also be joining the team and have provided even more evidence of that fact since, despite no formal announcement. This week, the team made a flurry of depth signings, adding forwards Andy Andreoff, Cole Bardreau, Otto Koivula, and Dmytro Timashov and defenseman Paul LaDue, while inviting veteran blue liner Erik Gustafsson to training camp. They then capped off the week with Saturday’s high-profile signing of Zdeno Chara. 

This is all well and good on its face, but the reality is that there are only so many roster spots to go around. Interestingly enough, the Islanders should be okay with the salary cap. CapFriendly currently projects the team to be over the cap, but using only $4.48MM of their $6MM in LTIR relief from Johnny Boychuk’s career-ending injury. While this projection does not include the undisclosed terms for Chara and Parise, it is based on a 23-man roster and those veterans are expected to have minimum base salary, incentive-laden contract. However, therein lies the problem. CapFriendly already has New York roster at the maximum 23 players, but that does not include Chara and Parise, nor does it include unsigned restricted free agent Kieffer Bellows. Something has to give.

So who could be on the chopping block? It isn’t a long list. Many of the Islanders’ core players are returning from a run to the semifinals last season and are locked into a roster spot. In fact, the team may have its full group of 12 starting forwards already in place. Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Josh Bailey, Oliver Wahlstrom, Palmieri, Beauvillier, and Parise expect to be in top-nine roles, while one of the league’s best fourth lines of Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Martin, and Cizikas will stick together as well. On the blue line, Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock will man the top pair and Scott Mayfield will be back on the second pair. Young righty Noah Dobson and the veteran lefties, Chara and Andy Greene, are at least locks for a roster spot, if not a starting role. In net, there is no question that Semyon Varlamov and Sorokin will be the NHL tandem.

This leaves three roster spots up for grabs and CapFriendly has five names currently projected for the roster: forwards Ross Johnston, Leo Komarov, and Richard Panik and defensemen Sebastian Aho and the recently-signed LaDue. They don’t expect veteran defenseman Thomas Hickey to crack the roster, but the oft-buried blue liner will have a chance to battle for a spot as well. There is also the unsigned Bellows to consider, as well as the potential for Gustafsson’s PTO to be successful. A top prospect like forward Simon Holmstrom or defensemen Robin Salo, Bode Wilde, or Samuel Bolduc may also force the Isles’ hand. While excellent depth is a good problem to have, the issue for the Islanders is that all of these players (minus the prospects) are not waivers-exempt. They have seven or eight good veteran players to evaluate for three roster spots and no guarantee that the four or five that do not make the cut will not be lost on waiver.

Bellows, especially, is a risk. Assuming the 23-year-old is eventually signed, the Islanders will be tempting fate if they try to sneak him through waivers. A 2016 first-round pick, Bellows NHL action has been limited, but the noted sniper does have five goals in his 22 games. A number of teams would be willing to take a shot on his scoring potential. Johnston and Komarov have cleared waivers in the past, but both are now in the final years of their current contracts making them more attractive on waivers. Johnston is a strong defensive forward and physical presence and Komarov is a streaky, but effective two-way presence; both of which have value. Komarov’s $3MM cap hit could make him the most likely to clear waivers though. Panik, who was just acquired by the Islanders this summer, has more recent scoring results than any of the other names competing for a forward spot and has half of his salary retained, making him another dangerous waiver exposure even with two years on his current contract. Of the three available roster spots, no more than two are likely to go to the forward position, so at least two of these forwards will either need to be tested on waivers – and potentially lost for free – or otherwise traded.

The situation on defense is slightly easier to manage. Aho, LaDue, and Hickey have all cleared waivers recently. In fact, LaDue spent all of last season in the AHL and is not much of a risk to be claimed on waivers. There is some more concern with Aho, 25, and Hickey, whose $2.5MM salary is more palatable to other teams in his final year. Both spent all of last season with the Islanders, but for both to do so again it would mean sacrificing one of the aforementioned forwards who are on the chopping block. If Gustafsson does earn a contract with New York from his PTO, that would likely mean that he is earning a roster spot, as the power play specialist would draw interest from a number of teams at a minimum salary, especially with a strong preseason performance.

While it has seemed like the Islanders have been loading up in recent weeks, Lamoriello still has some work to do. Lamoriello may need to explore the trade market for Bellows if he cannot re-sign him or cannot commit to a roster spot for the high-ceiling forward. He may then need to test the trade waters for several of his other players as well, lest he lose them on waivers for nothing. One way or another, as strong as the Islanders’ depth looks right now, it is highly unlikely that all of these players will still be with the organization when the season begins. Which are retained and which are lost could come back to play a big role in the team’s success this season.

Latest On Vladimir Tarasenko

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September 18: Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that general manager Doug Armstrong expects Tarasenko to be a member of the team when the puck drops on the NHL regular season. Trade options will continue to be explored to honor Tarasenko’s original request, but he’ll be expected to be a contributing member of the squad for now.

September 8: The St. Louis Blues are still one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason. Despite a public trade request and a hot stove that was on fire earlier this summer, Vladimir Tarasenko still hasn’t been dealt. Training camp opens in just a few weeks and members of the team, including head coach Craig Berube, are now starting to have to explain how they’ll treat him like any other player should the season open with him on the roster. This isn’t how it was expected to go, but a trade involving the oft-injured sniper was always going to be difficult.

One of the biggest hurdles in any transaction is Tarasenko’s contract, which carries a cap hit of $7.5MM this season and next. It also includes a full no-trade clause, and though the 29-year-old winger is obviously willing to waive that for the right situation, contending teams would be hard-pressed to find enough cap space to fit him in. That’s where a middle man comes in, as reports had previously surfaced about teams–including the Seattle Kraken, up to the expansion draft–that would be willing to retain some of the salary as a go-between for a Tarasenko trade. We saw plenty of transactions like that at the deadline this season as teams struggled to deal with the flat salary cap.

At least one team is still willing to do just that for the Blues and whoever is interested in Tarasenko, according to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest. He believes that a third team would be involved if a Tarasenko deal does eventually happen, though gives no indication of which teams would be involved.

There are already 15 teams that have at least $80MM committed to this season, and though some of them will have more flexibility than that implies thanks to long-term injured reserve, none of them really could add Tarasenko at his full $7.5MM cap hit without moving out some other salary. Without a third team taking on some of the cap hit, that doesn’t leave a huge market for a player that has played just 34 games over the last two seasons.

At this point, Tarasenko is a member of the Blues, and unless something changes in the next few weeks, it will be on him to report to camp and prepare for a tenth season in St. Louis.

East Notes: Eichel, Chara, Hallander

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It was a busy news day in the Eastern Conference. It was highlighted by the New York Islanders signing Zdeno Chara and the Ottawa Senators signing Logan Brown, both to one-year deals. But those weren’t the only items of note from around the East today as things begin to heat up prior to training camps. The Associated Press’s John Wawrow reports that Jack Eichel will indeed report to the Buffalo Sabres for his physical next week. Considering the importance that Eichel’s health status plays in any potential trade from Buffalo, the results of this appointment will likely be of especially high interest to Buffalo and teams interested in acquiring the star center. It could provide some additional clarity about paths forward for Eichel, as well as a potential return date from his neck injury.

Elsewhere from around the East:

  • Assuming Chara actually suits up for game action with the Islanders this year, he’ll be setting an NHL record in the process. According to Sportradar, Chara will have gone the longest amount of time between games with a singular franchise of anyone in the league. His last game with the Islanders was in April of 2001, making it roughly 20 years and six months since he last suited up for the Isles. It smashes the previous record held by Brendan Shanahan, who went 17 years and nine months between games with the New Jersey Devils.
  • After being dealt from and back to the Pittsburgh Penguins organization via trades with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Filip Hallander remains committed to making an NHL career for himself with the team. Participating in this year’s development camp with the team, he notes to Penguins writer James Leo that he’s “here to take a spot.” It’s not something that’s entirely out of the realm of possibility. Neither Sidney Crosby nor Evgeni Malkin will be ready for the start of the season, stretching the team’s center depth extremely thin. The 21-year-old had 24 points in 51 games last year with Luleå in the Swedish Hockey League, and could at least earn a few games out of camp in a bottom-six role while the team heals up.

Latest On Brady Tkachuk

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September 18: The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch relays a quote from Ottawa’s Pierre McGuire, who states that the team’s had five discussions with Tkachuk up until this point. McGuire notes that more talks are scheduled in the near future, and that previous discussions between player and team have been on good terms.

September 17: With training camps starting next week, many Ottawa Senators fans remain anxious about the status of restricted free agent winger Brady Tkachuk. The fourth-overall pick in 2018 has become the centerpiece of a young, developing offense that’s looking to potentially make noise in the playoff conversation next year.

There was some hope last week after a report from the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch had reported that talks were “positive” and progress was being made. It was also reported in the piece that Ottawa had tabled an eight-year, $64MM offer to Tkachuk, matching Thomas Chabot’s extension from two seasons ago.

But more fuel was added to the rumor mill tonight, as evidenced by a preview of brother Matthew Tkachuk’s interview on an upcoming episode of Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts podcast. While Tkachuk doesn’t comment on the tonal nature of the talks, he does go so far to say that Brady and the team, to his knowledge, aren’t close on an extension. He also talks about himself and his family’s participation in the negotiations:

I’m in the mix. I’m always there. It’s a family business, nobody wants to deal with the Tkachuks in this. We do it by committee, yeah… Brady might be pulling a classic Tkachuk right now. I mean, [Keith Tkachuk] held out, Matthew held out, and Brady looks like he’s on his way right now.

For any Senators fan, it’s troubling to hear about the increasing possibility that Brady Tkachuk won’t be participating at the start of training camp considering the possibility for an increased absence that it brings. Aside from his standout play-driving ability, Tkachuk’s energizing grit is highly valued on and off the ice for a Senators team that looked to really gel together at the end of last season.

Ottawa’s shown this offseason, in a departure from recent procedure, that they’re willing to give out term and commitment to this young core. They made Drake Batherson the longest-signed forward on their roster, inking him to a six-year $29.9MM deal earlier this month. It signaled to many that a Tkachuk extension could be imminent as well, but that point of view is changing. It’s important to note that, per CapFriendly, the Senators still have $24.5MM in projected cap space for the upcoming season.

Senators Re-Sign Logan Brown

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The Senators have taken care of one of their remaining restricted free agents, announcing the signing of center Logan Brown to a one-year, two-way deal.  The contract pays the league minimum of $750K in the NHL and $100K in the AHL.  GM Pierre Dorion released the following statement about the move:

Logan is among the most talented prospects in our organization. He possesses many of the tools that could ultimately help him find success in the NHL. We’re hopeful that a productive summer translates into a good training camp for him here beginning next week.

The 23-year-old has shown flashes of upside since being the 11th-overall pick in 2016 but it hasn’t translated to any consistent success in the NHL.  While he has been productive in the minors (including nine points in 13 games in 2020-21), he has just a goal and eight assists in 30 career NHL contests; just one of those NHL appearances came last season.  Brown’s camp hasn’t hidden a desire for a trade and Ottawa has made him available but clearly, the right return hasn’t come around yet which has led to this deal.

Brown is eligible for waivers this season which makes the fact that he took less than his $874K qualifying offer a bit interesting.  While it guaranteed him a bit more money if he cleared and was sent to the minors but at the league minimum price tag, he will be easier for other teams to fit in should a trade or waiver placement materialize.  In the meantime, Brown should get a long look at camp where he’ll battle for a spot at the end of the roster.  Knowing the waiver eligibility is there now, he’ll be one to keep an eye on in the preseason.

Snapshots: Canucks, Brown, Warner

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The Canucks remain a team to watch for with training camp fast approaching with their two prominent unsigned players in defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward Elias Pettersson.  Speaking with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, GM Jim Benning indicated that “there’s no angry sides” as they continue to talk either every day or every second day.  Vancouver has enough cap room to potentially sign one of the two to a long-term contract and the other a bridge deal but MacIntyre reports that at this point, short-term contracts for both are the current focus.  With both being represented by CAA, the discussions are basically intertwined.  Benning expressed a desire to have both stars signed before training camp starts so agreements will need to be in place soon for that to happen.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Senators Logan Brown is one of 11 remaining restricted free agents in the NHL but that shouldn’t be the case much longer. While both sides wouldn’t mind a change of scenery, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the expectation is that Brown will soon accept his qualifying offer and be at the start of training camp.  The offer, which technically has expired although players can still sign for that amount, is a two-way deal worth just over $874K.  Brown will require waivers to be sent back to the AHL this season and if he doesn’t make Ottawa’s roster in training camp, a waiver claim could wind up being how he goes elsewhere.
  • Former Wild defensive prospect Hunter Warner retired late last month at the age of 25 but as it turns out, he’s not leaving sports entirely. Instead, he has taken up boxing, notes Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press.  Warner was undrafted but signed with Minnesota in 2014 and played in parts of six professional seasons with AHL Iowa before hanging up his skates.

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