Sharks Agree To Terms With Daniil Gushchin
May 21: The Sharks have officially announced the three-year, entry-level contract for Gushchin.
May 17: The San Jose Sharks have worked out a deal with one of their prospects as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that they’ve signed winger Daniil Gushchin to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal, which carries a $925K AAV, breaks down as follows:
2021-22: $842.5K salary (including signing bonus, $82.5K performance bonuses, $80K AHL salary
2022-23: $867.5K salary (including signing bonus, $57.5K performance bonuses, $80K AHL salary
2023-24: $867.5K salary (including signing bonus, $57.5K performance bonuses, $80K AHL salary
The 19-year-old was a third-round pick of San Jose (76th overall) back in 2020 after a strong second season with Muskegon of the USHL. He followed that up with an even better showing this season, notching 32 goals and 32 assists in just 46 games to lead the Lumberjacks in scoring. However, Gushchin wasn’t supposed to play there this season as he had committed to playing with Niagara of the OHL. When that season didn’t start on time, he was loaned back and with the OHL not playing at all, he was able to stay there for the entire season.
Gushchin won’t be expected to push for a roster spot with San Jose right away. He will be eligible to go to the AHL next season but he will still be young enough to play junior hockey for the IceDogs and could see his contract slide a year unless he plays in more than nine NHL games in 2021-22, a scenario that seems unlikely at this point.
Nazem Kadri Offered In-Person Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
May 21: The hearing has been scheduled for this afternoon.
May 20: It has happened again, Nazem Kadri will be suspended in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche forward was given a match penalty and a five-minute major for his hit on St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk last night and today was offered an in-person hearing with the Department of Player Safety. The in-person hearing gives the league the option to suspend Kadri for more than five games, a likely situation given his history.
Kadri, 30, has been suspended five times in his career, including twice in the playoffs when he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 2019, he was banned for the remaining five games of the Maple Leafs first-round series against the Boston Bruins for a cross-check on Jake Debrusk.
The incident occurred in the third period of last night’s game. As Faulk received a drop pass in the high slot and tried to release a shot, Kadri came across the middle and delivered a hard check. The blow appeared to catch Faulk’s head, as he spun and stayed down on the ice. Faulk would leave the game and the Blues did not yet update his status.
This kind of incident is a big part of the reason why the Maple Leafs traded Kadri, despite him being a very impressive player at both ends of the ice. In 56 games this season he scored 11 goals and 32 points, giving the team some strong depth scoring and physicality. The Avalanche will likely have to navigate the rest of the first round without him.
Buffalo Sabres To Interview Rick Tocchet, Bruce Boudreau
The Buffalo Sabres need to get this one right. Since firing Lindy Ruff in 2013, the team has gone through six different head coaches and now must find another leader for their bench. Ron Rolston, Ted Nolan, Dan Bylsma, Phil Housley, and Ralph Krueger have all come and gone, with Don Granato being the latest interim bench boss. Granato is being considered in the search for a new head coach, but all indications are that GM Kevyn Adams will search far and wide before making a decision. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports today that Rick Tocchet and Bruce Boudreau have interviews lined up with the team.
Tocchet has also been linked to the Seattle Kraken and New York Rangers positions, following his departure from the Arizona Coyotes earlier this month. The team and coach decided to part ways after his contract came to an end, allowing him to pursue other opportunities elsewhere. It appears as though Tocchet is in high demand, at least at the interview stage, and that he will be able to secure a position somewhere before next season begins.
Boudreau is a bit of a different story, given that he didn’t coach at all this season after being fired by the Minnesota Wild last year. The 66-year-old has one of the highest winning percentages in league history with a .635 career record and won the Jack Adams Award in 2008 as the NHL’s best coach, but Boudreau has classically been unable to find any success in the postseason. Perhaps the Sabres don’t need to be picky when it comes to regular season versus playoff success at this point, but Boudreau’s name has not seemed as in-demand as it once was.
LeBrun also notes that the Sabres coaching search will include interviews with members of the college ranks and that there is no rush to fill the position. Though there are several college coaches that could be up for NHL opportunities, Nate Leaman is the one that is most often brought up. The Providence College bench boss has been a top coaching prospect for several years and recently took the U.S. Word Junior squad to a gold medal. Leaman is currently in Latvia with the World Championship team, serving as an assistant.
Toronto’s John Tavares Stretchered Off Ice In Game One
May 21: Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Chris Johnston of Sportsnet after the game that Tavares is “conscious and communicating well” but will spend the night in hospital for further testing. An update came from the team in the morning when the veteran forward was discharged from hospital:
Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares has been discharged from the hospital this morning. He was thoroughly examined and assessed by the neursurgical team at St. Michael’s Hospital and the club’s medical director. He was kept overnight for observation and is now resting at home under the care and supervision of team physicians. Tavares will be out indefinitely.
May 20: The long-awaited postseason reunion of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens got off to a start that no one hoped to see. Maple Leafs captain John Tavares was forced from Game One on Thursday night just over ten minutes into the game following a serious head injury. Tavares required the use of a stretcher to leave the ice. He has been taken to a local hospital. There has been no further update as to his condition.
Tavares’ injury, while horrific, was completely unintentional. The Leafs star was checked by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot while in transition. Montreal’s Corey Perry, following the play at full speed, skated by Tavares just as he fell to the ice. Perry’s knee struck Tavares directly in the head, launching the Hab into the air and knocking the Leaf to the ice. Toronto’s medical staff attempted to help Tavares from his prone position up to his knees, but he could not maintain his balance and fell back to the ice in a scary display of the immediate aftermath of a violent collision. The decision was made to bring the stretcher out in order to get Tavares off the ice. The captain was able to signal with a thumbs up as he exited, but this will not eliminate the fear and concern surrounding his condition.
Tavares, 30, is unlikely to return to the ice any time soon for the Maple Leafs, if at all this postseason following what was obviously a major head injury. It is a huge loss for the team, both on the ice and in the locker room. Tavares played in all 56 games for the Leafs this season, recording 50 points along the way. The anchor of the Leafs’ second line and a key piece of the top power play unit, Tavares was third on the team in scoring and second in assists. He is also Toronto’s top face-off man, enjoying a second consecutive season with career-best success at the dot with a 55.3% FOW. Tavares, of course, is also a locker room presence and an important part of the Leafs’ leadership group. Toronto will have to regroup and refocus in order to make sure that they don’t let Tavares’ loss, no matter how shocking it was to watch, cost them their first-round series.
Everyone at PHR wishes Tavares and his family the best during this frightening time.
Minors Notes: Heartlanders, McKinnon, Senn
One of the ECHL’s 2021-22 expansion teams is now official. The team slated to play in Coralville, Iowa beginning next season will officially be called the Iowa Heartlanders, the league announced today. The team debuted a buck logo that also implies a gold, black, and gray color scheme. The Heartlanders, on obvious nod to their Iowa locale, will also use the local wild prairie rose as a secondary logo. While Iowa finally has a name and logo, their yet-to-be-named expansion companions in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec have the all-important NHL affiliation, having linked up with the Montreal Canadiens. Iowa has yet to strike a deal of their own, however the obvious link would be to the Minnesota Wild, whose AHL affiliate also plays in the state. The Wild were affiliated with the Allen Americans this past season, but there has been no word on whether that relationship will continue or if Minnesota will instead recruit the newfound Heartlanders.
- Ian McKinnon made quite a name for himself in just a short time in the AHL this season and has now been rewarded. On loan from the Jacksonville Ice Men to the Providence Bruins for ten games this year, McKinnon racked up a whopping 81 penalty minutes. It was enough to finish third in the league in total PIM while obviously taking the PIM per game crown. McKinnon was a physical force and unafraid to drop the gloves, but also contributed three points in those ten games as well, including his first AHL goal in the Bruins’ division title-clinching season finale win. It was enough to earn him an AHL deal for next year, as the Providence Bruins have announced a one-year pact. The junior-level journeyman has finally found his stride in the pros and the Bruins are looking forward to seeing what he can do moving forward with some experience now under his belt.
- One player who may not be as thrilled about playing in the minors is New Jersey Devils goaltender Gilles Senn. A restricted free agent this summer, the 25-year-old played exclusively with AHL Binghamton this season – and poorly at that – after seeing NHL action last year and doesn’t seem to be happy with that career progression. Word out of Senn’s native Switzerland is that the netminder is “on the market.” The GM of National League squad HC Davos, Marc Gianola, claims that his off-season plans to make a change in goal shifted when he heard that Senn could be available. Senn played six seasons with Davos prior to making the jump to North America and could be eyeing a return, especially with the GM publicly acknowledging his interest. However, if Senn does choose to return to Switzerland, there will be no shortage of interest. Is that enough to convince him to abandon his NHL pursuits? A decision will be made one way or another shortly with the off-season coming up quickly.
Jonathan Quick To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
After another disappointing season, both personally and for his team, Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick is wasting no time with getting a start on his preparation for next year. According to The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman, Quick is scheduled for shoulder surgery on Wednesday. GM Rob Blake states that Quick will be ready for training camp and the start of the regular season.
Ironically, Quick’s shoulder is a separate ailment from the one that kept him out the final weeks of the Kings’ season. Quick suffered a rib injury on May 3 and this is the issue that prevented him from returning to action at the end of the year. Instead, Blake notes that the shoulder surgery is to fix “wear and tear over the years.” This is potentially good news for Kings fans, as Quick’s underwhelming performance has spanned the past three years, not just 2020-21. Correctly a lingering injury as opposed to a recent issue is more of a proactive move to improve rather than a reactive move merely to keep playing. Perhaps a refreshed shoulder could lead to return to form for the 35-year-old, a multi-time Jennings Trophy winner, All-Star, and Stanley Cup-winning starter.
Interestingly, especially given that Quick receiving fewer starts than Calvin Petersen even before his late-season injury, the veteran was recently named by franchise icon Drew Doughty as still being part of L.A.’s aging “core”, who Doughty believes deserve to be surrounded by superior talent. Quick may have had a better record than Petersen this season at 11-9-2 and even had a slightly better goals against average, but the younger member of the tandem had a substantially better save percentage and simply passed the eye test more often. While to the outside observer it may seem like Quick’s play over the past few years and Petersen’s presence no longer make him a key player for the Kings, there at least seems to be some internal belief that the long-time netminder is still a top option in net and a key member of the roster. A healthy Quick to begin the 2021-22 campaign could be on a mission to prove his teammates right and to return himself and his team to relevance.
Detroit Red Wings Agree To Terms With Jonatan Berggren
The Detroit Red Wings are getting another top prospect under contract, agreeing to terms with Jonatan Berggren on a three-year entry-level contract. The young forward recently completed a breakout season with Skelleftea AIK in the SHL and will now begin his journey to the NHL.
Berggren, 20, was the 33rd overall pick in 2018, just a few picks after Joe Veleno. He stayed in Sweden after being selected and ended up scoring 45 points in 49 games this season, his first spent fully at the SHL level. Impressively, that was good enough to lead the powerful club and actually tied him for sixth in league scoring. As the release from the Red Wings includes, he became just the 13th player in SHL history to record 40 points in a season at age 20 or younger.
It’s that offensive potential that the Red Wings saw in the 5’8″ forward, and what will help him succeed at the next level. He has put up huge numbers at pretty much every step and will now be joining a program in Detroit that is filled to the brim with other talented youngsters. It’s not clear exactly where Berggren fits into the depth chart, but that’s certainly not a bad thing for a rebuilding club like the Red Wings.
Though sometimes with players like this, the first year of the entry-level contract is spent overseas, Berggren’s team indicated that his time there was finished after this season ended. It seems more likely that he’ll be suiting up for the Grand Rapids Griffins next season, or even the Red Wings should he make an impression in camp.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Eemil Viro
May 20: The Red Wings have officially announced the three-year entry-level deal with Viro.
May 19: The Red Wings have signed one of their 2020 draft picks as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve inked defenseman Eemil Viro to a three-year, entry-level contract. The deal, which carries an AAV of $925K, breaks down as follows:
2021-22: $750K base salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $82.5K games played bonus
2022-23: $750K base salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $82.5K games played bonus
2023-24: $775K base salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $57.5K games played bonus
The 19-year-old was a third-round pick (70th overall) last fall after splitting last season between Finland’s top level and their junior league. This season, Viro made the jump to the SM-liiga on a full-time basis, getting into 53 games with TPS Turku where he recorded four goals and ten assists. He picked up four more points in 13 postseason contests along with 31 PIMS, good for the second-most in the league.
It’s worth noting that Viro has another year left on his deal in Finland and at this point, it seems likely that Detroit will opt to loan him back there for next season over having him play junior hockey or with AHL Grand Rapids. He should have another opportunity to suit up at the World Juniors after playing an important role on their bronze medal-winning team earlier this year where he logged more than 18 minutes a night on their back end.
St. Louis Blues Recall Tyler Tucker
After losing both Justin Faulk and Robert Bortuzzo to injury last night, the St. Louis Blues are in a tricky situation. Jake Walman, who would normally be one of the injury replacements, is still in the COVID protocol after testing positive earlier this month. Without a ton of reinforcements, the team has recalled Tyler Tucker from the AHL’s Utica Comets.
Utica’s season ended a few days ago, but it’s not like Tucker was really knocking on the NHL door before the injuries. The 21-year-old seventh-round pick recorded seven points in 27 AHL games this season, his first professional campaign. In 2019-20, the young defenseman split his season between the Barrie Colts and Flint Firebirds of the OHL and actually did attend training camp with the Blues this year.
Still, if he was ever forced into action, it would be a tough test for a player with such little professional experience. More likely he is just there as insurance and to help at practice like a normal “Black Ace,” with other more veteran names stepping into the lineup. Head coach Craig Berube told reporters that Vince Dunn was a possibility for game three, while Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweeted that Steven Santini is the other likely replacement, should they need both.
The problem will emerge if anyone else gets injured, as Tucker is literally the last defenseman in the organization that could be called up. The Blues do not have anyone else, save for Scott Perunovich who has been dealing with injury all season, signed to an NHL contract.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 05/20/21
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:
St. Louis – David Perron, Jake Walman, Nathan Walker
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 Blues are still without their trio of players as they now head back to St. Louis to try and stay alive. The Avalanche have defeated them in both of the first two games and now both Justin Faulk and Robert Bortuzzo are dealing with injuries. It’s a tough situation for the Blues, but at least no other players have been added since the positive test results.