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Jimmy Lambert Signs AHL Contract

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April 19: Lambert has now agreed to an AHL contract for 2022-23. Trevor Cosgrove and Koby Bender, who are also with the Islanders on tryout contracts, have also agreed to minor league deals for next season.

April 18: After a successful four-year career at the University of Michigan, Jimmy Lambert has turned pro, signing a tryout contract with the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL. The undrafted forward will be able to test the waters of professional hockey, before finding a full-time contract for next season.

Lambert, 25, already has ties to the organization through his uncle Lane Lambert, who serves as associate coach of the New York Islanders. He’s been the right-hand man of head coach Barry Trotz for years now, going back to their days with the Nashville Predators. Bringing in his nephew is a nice reward for the family, one that will be involved in some more headlines later this summer.

That’s because Jimmy’s cousin (and another Lane nephew) is Brad Lambert, a top prospect for the 2022 draft. The Finnish-born forward was ranked fifth among international skaters by NHL Central Scouting and has been considered a first-round talent for quite some time. The Islanders, who were eliminated last night in a loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, will be in the draft lottery this season as they try to put a disappointing campaign behind them.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Lambert is coming to the Islanders after his best offensive season, though that was still just six goals and 14 points in 39 games. The hard-working forward did wear an “A” as alternate captain and racked up 42 penalty minutes, but doesn’t figure to be an impact player at the next level.

Aatu Raty Assigned To AHL

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The New York Islanders have brought over a very interesting prospect, assigning Aatu Raty to the Bridgeport Islanders of the AHL after his season overseas came to an end.

Raty, 19, was selected with the 52nd pick in 2021, a far fall from where he was once expected to go. As a junior player, some believed he could challenge for the very top of his draft class, but after some poor results in his first taste of Liiga and a development path that appeared stalled, he dropped all the way to the bottom of the second round.

That pick looks brilliant now, as Raty exploded this season in Finland after a move to Jukurit, scoring 13 goals and 40 points in 41 games. Adding in the one point he had for Karpat before the trade has his 41-point season ranked 14th in the entire league, with his point-per-game rate even higher than that. It was a very impressive performance from a player that had so recently been written off–at least somewhat.

The next step will be transitioning that offensive performance to the AHL where things are a lot different, but Raty certainly is back on track to becoming an impact player in North America. Signed to his three-year entry-level deal last August, it will slide this season and keep him under contract through 2024-25.

East Notes: Bruins Injuries, Barzal, Matthews, Kotkaniemi

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The Bruins have had a bit of tough luck on the injury front lately with several key regulars going down.  Today, the team provided a handful of updates on those players.  Winger David Pastrnak and defenseman Hampus Lindholm skated today but won’t be with the team for their two-game road trip.  Head coach Bruce Cassidy indicated he expects both will be back before the end of the season and could play this weekend.  Meanwhile, goaltender Linus Ullmark didn’t skate today but they believe he’ll be able to return over the weekend.  Winger Jesper Froden suffered a lower-body injury on Saturday and won’t be on the road trip either with no word yet on how long he might be out.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • The Department of Player Safety issued a fine of $2.5K to Islanders center Mathew Barzal for unsportsmanlike conduct. The incident occurred late in the third period on Sunday when he grabbed onto Mitch Marner’s jersey from the bench.  No penalty was issued on the play.
  • While Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews is still a couple of years away from hitting the open market, pondering what his next deal could cost has already become a discussion point. In his latest column for the Toronto Star, Chris Johnston opines that the 24-year-old could reach the $15MM mark, one that would significantly surpass Connor McDavid’s record-setting $12.5MM AAV.  Matthews is in the midst of a career year with a league-high 58 goals along with 44 assists in 70 games this season.
  • On top of updating the injury situation for goaltender Frederik Andersen, the Hurricanes also revealed that forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi has been nicked up again and is listed as day-to-day. The 21-year-old had just come back from missing eight games with a lower-body injury so it’s possible this absence is related to that one.  Head coach Rod Brind’Amour stated that he doesn’t expect Kotkaniemi to be out for long.

Examining A Key Change In The NHL’s Transfer Agreement With Sweden

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Earlier this month, the NHL and the Swedish Hockey Association reached a new Player Transfer Agreement.  SportExpressen’s Gunnar Nordstrom has the details of the agreement, some of the highlights being as follows:

  • A more than 45% increase in the money paid to Swedish teams whose player signs an NHL contract;
  • The signing deadline for previously-drafted and free agent players is June 15th each year;
  • The regular signing deadline for players drafted in the current year is July 15th with a $100K penalty being added if they wait until August 15th;
  • It’s an eight-year agreement with both sides having an option to open it up after four years.

However, there is one significant change that warrants a closer look.  Under the old agreement, players drafted in the second round or later that are also signed in Sweden had to be at least 21 before they could be sent to the AHL.  If they were younger than that, they had to be returned to their Swedish team.  In the new agreement, that threshold has been increased to 24.  Any player from Sweden who signs an NHL contract will now be subject to the new agreement while anyone that signed before the announcement will be under the old rules.

The intention of this provision is to have players stay and play in Sweden until they’re ready to play in the NHL.  It’s one thing for players to make the jump to the NHL and this agreement doesn’t prevent that from happening.  But it has now become a bit more difficult to get those players into the minor leagues.

NHL teams understandably want to get their prospects into their farm system and work with their development coaches so this is something that probably isn’t going to sit well with teams as now, they will effectively be limited to development and rookie camps with the latter likely to be frowned upon as Sweden’s season gets underway at the time that NHL rookie camps are held in mid-September.

Also, as there is a signed transfer agreement in place, NHL teams have four years to sign players to an entry-level contract which hasn’t changed from before.  If the drafted player is 18, that means he’d be 22 at the end of that stretch and signing a two-year contract.  For the duration of that agreement, teams could effectively face an NHL or Sweden situation depending on the players’ contractual situation in Sweden and the deal will count against the 50-contract limit during that time even if they’re returned overseas.

It’s worth noting that there are no changes to the rule for first-round picks.  If a Swedish player is picked in the first round, the NHL team can send the player to the minors without requiring the approval of his team in Sweden.

Now, with the extended restriction for those picked after the opening round, it will be interesting to see if that has any effect on the draft.  Do teams consider slightly reaching for a player at the end of the first round that might be rated a bit lower on their list to the ability to have full control of their development?  And as the draft progresses, might teams be more hesitant to draft players from Sweden knowing it will be more difficult to get them into their farm system?  We’ll find out the answer to those questions three months from now.

Central Notes: Byram, Toews, Wild

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Back in January, Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram contemplated not returning this season or even hanging up his skates altogether, relays Mike Chambers of The Denver Post.  He had recently returned to Colorado’s lineup before his concussion symptoms returned and had to shut things down at that time.  The progress that the 20-year-old made in his recovery nudged him towards trying to come back this season which he did last week and he has gotten into six games since then.  Byram’s playing time since then has been a bit limited relative to his early-season usage which is certainly understandable both in terms of allowing him to ease back into things plus Colorado’s top seed in the Western Conference.  He could be an interesting wild card for the Avs heading into the postseason as he certainly has given their third pairing a lift.

More from the Central:

  • Still with Colorado, defenseman Devon Toews won’t suit up tonight and won’t accompany the team on their upcoming three-game road trip, notes Peter Baugh of The Athletic (Twitter link). The good news for the Avalanche is that head coach Jared Bednar indicated that the injury isn’t cause for concern which means he should be good to go for the playoffs, if not a game or two before then.  The 28-year-old is logging more than 25 minutes a game on the back end this season, second to only Cale Makar for Colorado.
  • Michael Russo of The Athletic outlines (subscription link) the tough decision the Wild are facing this summer.  Their cap situation gets a lot worse with the increased dead cap charges on the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter buyouts and it appears they’ll be facing a situation where either winger Kevin Fiala or defenseman Mathew Dumba get traded.  Minnesota wasn’t able to agree to a long-term deal with Fiala last summer and wound up taking him to salary arbitration.  He has one year of RFA eligibility remaining and with 73 points in 75 games, he’ll be eyeing a big raise on his $5.1MM price tag while making it very difficult to justify moving him.  Dumba is signed through next season at $6MM and would certainly have a strong trade market if they opted to move him to keep Fiala in the fold.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Andersen, Smith

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The NHL has released its Three Stars for last week, with the top spot belonging to Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues. It’s been an incredible return to form for Tarasenko this season, after multiple shoulder surgeries had clouded his NHL future. After requesting a trade and going unclaimed by the expansion Seattle Kraken, he returned to the Blues with a renewed vigor and has posted the best offensive season of his career, with 76 points in 69 games. That includes 11 points just last week, as he continued what is now a six-game point streak.

Second and third went to Kevin Fiala and Mike Smith respectively, another two players whose futures with their current organizations looked murky not too long ago. The Minnesota Wild forward still might end up pricing himself out of the market given how well his season has gone since Matt Boldy’s arrival. In his last 46 games, Fiala has 25 goals and 55 points, including ten last week. Smith meanwhile looked at one point like he would be out of the league entirely, but the 40-year-old netminder has turned things around of late, posting consecutive shutouts in his last two games to lengthen a personal win streak to six and raise his season save percentage to .911.

  • Just as one veteran netminder turns things around, another may be out for a little while. Frederik Andersen has suffered an injury and will be re-evaluated in a week, according to Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who spoke to reporters including Sara Civian of The Athletic. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that Andersen’s MRI did come back negative and there is hope he’ll be ready for the playoffs, but a timeline is not clear at this point. Andersen has been one of the league’s very best this season, posting 35 wins and a .922 through 52 appearances.
  • Speaking of being back in the playoffs, Vegas Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer told reporters including Jesse Granger of The Athletic that if they make the postseason, he would expect Reilly Smith to return at some point. The 31-year-old Smith hasn’t played since early March and was moved to long-term injured reserve a few weeks ago. The Golden Knights, however, are no sure thing to make the playoffs at this point, as they currently sit four points behind the Nashville Predators for the final wild card spot (but only three behind Los Angeles for a divisional position).

Claude Julien To Lead Team Canada At World Championship

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4:30pm: The coaching staff has now been officially announced by Hockey Canada, along with the management staff consisting of Shane Doan, Rick Nash, and Scott Salmond. Doan and Nash won gold together at the event as players in 2007 and competed several other times together over the years.

10:40am: One way to get your name back into NHL coaching circles is to lead at an international tournament, and that appears to be the plan for Claude Julien. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Julien will be named head coach of Team Canada for the upcoming IIHF World Championship, while Claire Hanna of TSN adds that D.J. Smith will be an assistant. The staff will be rounded out by Andre Tourigny, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

Julien, 61, was also the head coach of the recent Olympic squad for Hockey Canada, though he did miss part of the tournament due to an injury of his own. The veteran coach has been the bench boss of three different NHL organizations, leading the Montreal Canadiens on multiple occasions, most recently in the 2020-21 season. He was fired partway through that year, and has been on the sidelines since, waiting for another opportunity.

He’ll be joined by Smith, the head coach of the Ottawa Senators, and Tourigny, the head coach of the Arizona Coyotes. Both have some experience coaching at international events, with Tourigny assisting at last year’s World Championship that saw Canada win gold.

You can expect several players from the Coyotes and Senators to be involved, when the tournament gets underway next month. Connor Brown led last year’s event in scoring with 16 points in 10 games and would be a lock if he chooses to attend. Jack McBain of the Coyotes played at the recent Olympics under Julien and could be another option, while Drake Batherson could be a lead figure.

The event begins for Team Canada on May 13 with a preliminary round game against Germany.

Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli Highlight Canada U18 Roster

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Hockey Canada has announced the roster for this month’s U18 World Championship, and it includes several high-profile talents that should be of interest to NHL fans. Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli, two of the top prospects for the 2023 draft, will both take part in the tournament that kicks off Saturday.

The full roster is as follows:

F Tanner Howe
F Nick Moldenhauer
F Josh Davies
F Josh Filmon
F Kocha Delic
F Mathew Ward
F Connor Bedard
F Pano Fimis
F David Goyette
F Brayden Schuurman
F Adam Fantilli
F Connor Hvidston
F Rieger Lorenz
F Matthew Wood
D Nolan Collins
D Lukas Dragicevic
D Michael Mastrodomenico
D Kalem Parker
D Grayden Siepmann
D Spencer Sova
D Owen Pickering
D Matthew Morden
G Nolan Lalonde
G Ethan Buenaventura
G Reid Dyck

While there will be a scout from every NHL team there to watch the group of 2022-eligible players, it is likely Bedard will draw much of the fan attention. The 16-year-old Regina Pats superstar was the first WHL player ever granted exceptional status, allowing him to enter the CHL a year early, and has lived up to the high expectations. In his first full season, he scored 51 goals and 100 points in 62 appearances, while also starring for Canada at the World Juniors. Despite the tournament being shut down after two games, he already had recorded four goals and five points.

Fantilli and other 2023-eligible players should also draw plenty of attention, as next year’s draft class continues to be hyped as a very deep group. The Toronto-born forward skipped out on the OHL to play in the USHL instead, maintaining his NCAA eligibility and joining the powerhouse Chicago Steel program in 2020. The 6’3″ Fantilli scored 37 goals and 74 points in 54 games this season, while also racking up 93 penalty minutes.

Dryden McKay Accepts Six-Month Sanction For Anti-Doping Rule Violation

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In a very unexpected turn of events, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has announced that undrafted free agent goaltender and recent Hobey Baker winner Dryden McKay has accepted a six-month period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation. McKay tested positive for Ostarine, a non-specified substance in the class of anabolic agents that is prohibited.

Normally, it could have resulted in a ban of up to four years, but as the press release indicates, McKay was found to have ingested it from a supplement that did not list Ostarine on the label. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet spoke with McKay’s representative Paul Greene, who explained:

The only reason we got the reduction is because we figured out where it came from, and his degree of fault was very low. He’d been very careful about looking at the label.

Friedman goes on to explain that though there was immediate NHL interest in the free agent goaltender as soon as his college season ended, word had started to spread that “something was up.” He reports that McKay will be able to resume practicing with a team on August 25 and play on October 11. There is still interest, though notes McKay will have to start in the AHL and “work his way up.”

The 24-year-old goaltender had an incredible college career at Minnesota State-Mankato, culminating in a national championship appearance this season. Through 140 NCAA appearances, he posted a 113-20-4 record and a .932 save percentage, earning a shutout in 26 different games. In a lengthy statement released on Twitter addressing his situation, McKay indicated that he is looking forward to starting his professional career in the fall.  He does not currently have a contract for the 2022-23 season.

Michael Pezzetta Suspended Two Games

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The Montreal Canadiens will be without depth forward Michael Pezzetta for a while after he was given a two-game suspension by the Department of Player Safety for his hit on Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie this weekend. As the accompanying video explains:

On this play, both elements of the illegal check to the head rule are satisfied. First, Oshie’s head is the main point of contact on this hit. Pezzetta hits forcefully through Oshie’s head with his right shoulder, making no meaningful contact with any other part of Oshie’s body. Second, the head contact on this play is avoidable. While Oshie does make a play on the puck, he does not change the position of his head or body just prior to contact in a way which significantly contributes to the head being the main point of contact. 

Notably, Oshie did not suffer a serious injury on the play, even scoring on the subsequent powerplay, when Pezzetta was given a two-minute minor on the play. The Canadiens forward also does not have a history of supplementary discipline, though his NHL career to this point spans just 47 games.

That 47-game sample does include a huge amount of physicality though, as Pezzetta has racked up 143 hits and 74 penalty minutes during his rookie season. That bang-and-crash style will undoubtedly lead to some situations like this in the future, but he will now face increasing penalties for any further suspension-worthy incidents. He’ll also miss games against the Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers this week.

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