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Metropolitan Notes: Rangers, Ersson, Penguins Defensemen, Edstrom

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With a looming cap crunch for the Rangers, they will be hard-pressed to re-sign their pending restricted free agents to market-value contracts and round out the rest of their roster.  To that end, Arthur Staple of The Athletic suggests (subscription link) that they may need to focus on bridge deals with defenseman K’Andre Miller and Alexis Lafreniere or even consider the possibility of moving Lafreniere this offseason.  New York has more than $71MM in commitments to 14 players for next season per CapFriendly and a long-term deal for Miller would eat up a bulk of their cap space alone.  It’s a problem they can ignore for now with the team aiming for a long postseason run but GM Chris Drury is going to have his work cut out for him to keep his core intact this summer.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • The Flyers have returned goaltender Samuel Ersson to AHL Lehigh Valley, notes Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). He had served as the backup for Philadelphia for the past two games with Carter Hart dealing with an illness.  Ersson’s first taste of NHL action has gone relatively well this season as he has a 3.03 GAA and a .898 SV% in ten games while winning six of his eight starts.
  • A pair of injured Penguins defensemen have returned to the ice. Justin Guerriero of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes that Marcus Pettersson skated on his own before practice today with head coach Mike Sullivan indicating that the 26-year-old is making progress.  He’s currently on LTIR and isn’t eligible to return until April 13th.  Meanwhile, Jan Rutta returned to practice in a non-contact jersey.  He has been out with an undisclosed injury for the last two weeks.  Pittsburgh is down three blueliners at the moment (Dmitry Kulikov is also out) and just narrowly holding onto the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
  • The Rangers have re-assigned prospect Adam Edstrom to the minors, per an announcement from AHL Hartford. The 22-year-old forward more than doubled his point output from a year ago, collecting nine goals and ten assists in 42 games with SHL Rogle.  With their playoff run now over, Edstrom will now get his first taste of playing in North America.

Canucks Shutting Filip Hronek Down For The Rest Of The Season

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Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek returned to the lineup last week from a shoulder injury but that return was short-lived.  Speaking with reporters today at his pregame press conference (video link), head coach Rick Tocchet indicated that they’ve decided to shut the blueliner down for the rest of the season:

There’s really no reason for him to come back. If this were a playoff game, he’d be in the game, but it’s not a playoff game. Every game is important to us obviously, but not at the expense of… he’s going to have a long time to get his shoulder perfect.

The 25-year-old was somewhat surprisingly acquired from Detroit just before the trade deadline earlier this month with Vancouver opting to add to their back end despite not being in a playoff position.  Of course, Hronek isn’t a rental player with another year left on his deal plus one more season of RFA eligibility after that.  GM Patrik Allvin made the move with the hopes that Hronek could benefit from a bigger role on a new team to help solidify his back end.

Unfortunately, the early results on that front are basically inconclusive.  Hronek will wind up playing in just four games with Vancouver and while he logged more than 24 minutes a night, that’s far too small of a sample size to derive any meaningful conclusions from.  Overall, his point output this season winds up nearly identical to that of 2021-22; he finishes with nine goals and 29 assists in 60 games compared to nine goals and 30 helpers in 64 contests a season ago.

Tocchet indicated that Hronek is fine with the decision to sit him for the final couple of weeks of the season to give him ample time to fully heal up his shoulder for 2023-24.  If he’s able to log upwards of 24 minutes a night for the Canucks next season, he’ll certainly give their back end a significant boost.

Atlantic Notes: Harvey-Pinard, Armia, Acciari, Foligno

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Canadiens rookie winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard leads all NHL rookies in goals since being recalled a little over two months ago which is something that should definitely help this summer in restricted free agency.  However, it will be a new agency representing him as Quartexx announced (Twitter link) that the 24-year-old is now one of their clients.  He had previously been represented by CEM Hockey.  Harvey-Pinard has 14 goals and five assists in 32 games since being recalled and is already tied for fourth on Montreal in goals.  Even though he’s just finishing his entry-level contract, he will be eligible for salary arbitration this summer.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Canadiens winger Joel Armia participated in practice today with a regular jersey, relays TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The 29-year-old has missed more than a month with an upper respiratory infection.  It has been a tough year for Armia who has been limited to just 37 games this season and has just seven points but it appears he’ll have a chance to at least get into a few more contests before their 2022-23 campaign comes to an end.
  • While Maple Leafs forward Noel Acciari returned to practice today, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link) that Acciari won’t play this weekend. The veteran missed Wednesday’s game against Florida with an undisclosed injury but Keefe clarified that it is a neck/whiplash injury.  The 31-year-old has three goals and 57 hits in 17 games since being acquired from St. Louis back in mid-February.
  • There is some optimism that Bruins winger Nick Foligno should be ready to return for the playoffs, notes Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch (Twitter link). The 35-year-old has missed the last month due to a lower-body injury and is currently on injured reserve but not LTIR.  Foligno has had a bit of a bounce-back campaign, notching 10 goals and 16 assists in 60 games after recording just two goals and 11 helpers in 64 contests in 2021-22.

Minor Transactions: 03/31/23

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It’s been a busy day across the hockey world, despite just four NHL games on the schedule. Today’s news cycle featured major headlines such as a season-ending surgery for William Eklund and the announcement of Jonathan Toews’ return to the Chicago Blackhawks lineup. Over in Europe, some big games have been played, including two contests in the DEL Semifinals in Germany, and the first game of the SHL semifinals: a 6-2 win for Vaxjo over Frolunda. Two thrilling overtime contests were completed in Finland’s Liiga semifinals, including a double-overtime victory by Champions Hockey League winners Tappara Tampere.

As fans across the hockey world enjoy all the action on offer this Friday, teams in both minor leagues and foreign leagues are completing transactions and either making changes for this season or preparing for 2023-24. We’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • Earlier this month, we covered reports that former NHL defenseman Juuso Riikola would be headed to Switzerland for next season. Today, those reports were made official as Swiss club SCL Tigers have announced that they have signed Riikola to a one-year contract for 2023-24. Riikola, 29, has 80 career NHL games on his resume and last played in North America last season, when he scored 35 points in 53 games for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. This season Riikola scored 19 points in 42 games as an alternate captain for the SHL’s IK Oskarshamn, helping them reach the first round of the SHL’s playoffs. Now, he’ll continue his pro career with the Tigers, hoping to keep them in Switzerland’s top league after the team just barely avoided relegation this season.
  • The Coachella Valley Firebirds, the AHL affiliate of the Seattle Kraken, have signed NCAA free agent Max Andreev to an ATO agreement, one that will become a standard AHL player contract next season. The Cornell University product, 23, has scored 65 points in 77 games over the last three seasons he’s played. He made the ECAC’s Third All-Star team last season and served as an alternate captain this season, helping lead Cornell to an upset victory over the defending national champions the University of Denver. He’ll now join one of the AHL’s top teams with the hope of fashioning a professional career for himself and potentially even earning an NHL contract down the line.
  • The AHL’s Iowa Wild have signed CHL free agent defenseman Landon Kosior to an ATO agreement for the rest of this season. Kosior, 20, is an undrafted blueliner who spent his major junior career with the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. Kosior served as an alternate captain for the team this season and scored 63 points in 60 games, his first WHL campaign above the point-per-game threshold. As is generally expected for junior players who gain more experience, Kosior’s numbers took major jumps as he got older, and he went from 23 points in his first season with Prince Albert to the aforementioned 63 this season. With this ATO, Kosior will get his first taste of pro hockey with Iowa, and will likely get to follow along as the team prepares for the Calder Cup playoffs.
  • 2022 Anaheim Ducks fifth-round pick Connor Hvidston has been signed to an ATO agreement by the Ducks’ AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. The deal allows Hvidston to dip his toes into the waters of professional hockey now that his WHL season with the Swift Current Broncos is over. Hvidston was one of the youngest prospects available at the 2022 draft, just days from being in the 2023 class. He’s scored 21 goals and 65 points in 59 games this season, which ranks him third in team scoring. Seeing as he’ll have to wait until next September to turn 19, he’s still a ways away from turning pro full-time, but with this ATO agreement, he’ll at least get a firsthand look at what it takes to play professional hockey in the Ducks organization.
  • Another Cornell University player has signed his first pro contract: defenseman Sebastien Dirven. The 24-year-old teammate of Andreev signed with the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers after playing three seasons with the Big Red. The big six-foot-three, 200-pound blueliner doesn’t have much of an offensive game (just 15 points in 93 career NCAA games) but will add some size and snarl to the Nailers’ blueline as they conclude what has been a difficult 2022-23 season.
  • 2016 Carolina Hurricanes draft pick Noah Carroll has signed his first professional contract, landing with the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates. Carroll has spent the last four years with the University of New Brunswick on the Canadian university circuit, playing 59 games there. Before that point, the six-foot-one defenseman played for the Soo Greyhounds and Guelph Storm in the OHL, a major junior career highlighted by a 37-point final season during which he was an alternate captain.
  • Cade Borchardt, the captain of one of college hockey’s better programs at Minnesota State, has signed with the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks. The 24-year-old’s production took a hit this season, going from 41 points to 20. But despite that decline in numbers, Borchardt earned the honor of captaining his team and finishes his collegiate career with a respectable 85 points in 121 games. In signing Borchardt, the Mavericks, who currently rank second in the ECHL’s Mountain Division, infuse some energetic young talent to their roster as they continue to grapple for playoff position.
  • The ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings have signed two players out of St. Cloud State University: Aidan Spellacy and Brendan Bushy. Spellacy, 24, is a forward who scored 12 points in 35 games this season. He’s served as an alternate captain for St. Cloud State and Robert Morris University, and he also captained his high school team, meaning he could bring some off-ice value to the Wings beyond his on-ice utility. Bushy, 24, is a six-foot-two blueliner who scored 11 points in 41 games this season playing in a top-four role.
  • Former Owen Sound Attack star and OHL Champion Cameron Brace is transferring to Germany, per an announcement from his new team, the DEL’s Frankfurt Lions. The 29-year-old has spent the last two seasons in the SHL with IK Oskarshamn, scoring 52 points in 99 games there. Brace earned his shot at the SHL level after a proving himself as a professional in Denmark’s top league, where he scored 110 points in 78 games for Herning Blue Fox. Brace has fashioned himself a solid overseas professional career in the last few years, and now that career will continue in Germany.
  • Longtime DEL veteran Max Renner has signed a contract for next season with the Augsburg Panthers. The 31-year-old has nearly 300 DEL games on his resume with most coming with the Straubing Tigers, save for the last two seasons spent with the Bietigheim Steelers. Renner scored nine points in 56 games last season and brings an established veteran presence to the Panthers’ defense corps.
  • The ICEHL’s Black Wings Linz have signed forward Nico Feldner to a two-year contract, per a team announcement. Feldner has played the past two seasons entirely with HC Innsbruck, save for a six-game stretch with the EIHL’s Sheffield Steelers in England. Feldner scored 17 points in 43 games for Innsbruck this season and should be counted on to bolster Linz’s forward corps for the next two years as they look to return to the ICEHL’s playoffs next season.
  • Matus Spodniak, a top scorer at the NCAA Division-III level with Adrian College, has signed an amateur tryout agreement with the ECHL’s Indy Fuel. The 25-year-old native of Kosice, Slovakia scored 94 points in 60 games across two seasons with Adrian College, and now the Fuel are looking to roll the dice on him to see if he can translate his game to professional hockey. This tryout will represent a significant jump in competition level for Spodniak, and he’ll have a relatively short period of time to make an impression with one of the East Coast league’s top teams.
  • Spodniak’s teammate, Ty Enns, also signed an amateur tryout agreement with an ECHL club: the Toledo Walleye. Enns, 24, scored 50 points in 31 games this season and scored a total of 140 points in 106 games at the Division-III level. As mentioned with Spodniak, this jump to the ECHL will be a significant increase in difficulty for Enns, but at the very least it should be encouraging that the ECHL’s third-best team is willing to give him a tryout opportunity.
  • The ECHL’s Maine Mariners are another club to dip into the pool of college free agents, signing University of Windsor forward Sean Olson. The 24-year-old scored 40 points in his 54-game career for Windsor, and standing six-foot-three 203 pounds as some size down the middle to the Mariners’ group of pivots.

Ottawa Senators Recall Jacob Bernard-Docker

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The Ottawa Senators have recalled defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker from their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators, per a team announcement. The 2018 first-round pick last played in the NHL in January, and in total has played in 13 games for Ottawa this season.

Bernard-Docker’s last stretch of NHL action came between January 16th and 21st, when he played in four games and got between 21 and 14 and a half minutes per game.

He’s registered just one point in his 13 games this year, but it’s important to note with Bernard-Docker that offense isn’t the priority. He’s more of a stay-at-home defender who earns his keep by playing a positionally sound crease-clearing game.

He’s done that to this point in the AHL, playing as a top-pairing defenseman for Belleville. What he hasn’t been able to do, though, is find a way to stick in the NHL consistently.

He was afforded an extended developmental runway at the University of North Dakota and performed well there, but as the Senators have been in need of capable NHL defensemen Bernard-Docker has been passed over in favor of other options in the past.

Eligible for restricted free agency in the offseason, this recall is an important opportunity for Bernard-Docker to leave a lasting, positive impression on the Senators organization.

Bernard-Docker will be eligible for waivers next season, meaning the time when the Senators need to make a choice as to whether he’s in their NHL plans is rapidly approaching. However many NHL games this recall earns Bernard-Docker will be his chance to make that choice a lot easier.

Colorado Avalanche Recall Ben Meyers

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After spending most of this month with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles, center Ben Meyers is getting another chance in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche. The 24-year-old has been recalled to the NHL roster, per a team announcement.

As mentioned, Myers has been with the Eagles since March 6th, when he was reassigned from the Avalanche’s roster. Meyers has been extraordinarily productive in this recent stretch of AHL games, with a total of 14 points in 11 contests, a run that includes a nine-game point streak.

It’s this prolific run of production that has likely earned him this additional chance with the Avalanche, as his first stretch with the team this year did not go as planned.

From a December 7th game against the Boston Bruins until he was sent down on January 28th, Meyers played in 25 NHL games for the Avalanche and did not register a single point.

His ice time declined from a high of 18:32 on December 9th to a stretch of 11 games in January where he got above 10 minutes of ice time just once, including a game against the Seattle Kraken that despite stretching into a shootout saw Meyers play only four minutes and five seconds.

A college hockey star and coveted NCAA free agent, Meyers’ young NHL career has been underwhelming to this point. He was a Hobey Baker Award finalist, Big 10 Player of the Year, and above-point-per-game scorer as a Minnesota Gopher.

But as an Avalanche, he has faded into the background of most games he’s played.  His recent run of strong production in the AHL serves as a reminder of just how impactful he can be, though, and now he’ll get another chance to show what he can do against NHL competition.

Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Josh Dunne On Emergency Basis

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled center Josh Dunne from their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.

The move is on an emergency basis, and is meant to reward someone who Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said, per team reporter Jeff Svoboda, deserves a look in NHL games during what remains of this 2022-23 season.

Dunne, 24, is a rangy six-foot-four center who signed with Columbus two seasons ago as an undrafted college free agent. Dunne played three seasons at Clarkson University, captaining the squad in his final season there.

Dunne was an impact player for the program, tallying 55 points in 78 games. His solid freshman performance (14 goals, 23 points in 32 games) helped Clarkson win the ECAC championship in 2018-19, and the following season he was named to the ECAC’s Third All-Star team and named the conference’s best defensive forward.

As a professional, Dunne quickly acclimated himself to the AHL game by scoring eight goals and 10 points in his first 15 games in the league.

Last season was more of a struggle as he posted just 11 points in 29 games, but this season he has taken some positive strides.

Dunne has been a consistent force down the middle of Cleveland’s lineup this season, providing steady production as the team faced the fallout of their parent club’s significant injury losses.

He has tallied 20 goals and 36 points in 59 games this season, and that career-high production has earned Dunne this call-up. With Columbus in the NHL’s basement, the remaining games of this season don’t serve any major purpose from a wins-and-losses perspective.

Instead, these games can hold the most value from an evaluation perspective, giving their front office the chance to see what they have in certain players against NHL competition. With this recall, the organization will get a chance to look at Dunne, and Dunne will get the opportunity to impress just as he did in college and as he has this year in the AHL.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

New Jersey Devils Reassign Nolan Foote

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Nolan Foote’s most recent NHL run with the New Jersey Devils will end at three games, as the team has reassigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. Foote registered one goal in that three-game stretch, playing under 10 minutes in each contest.

Foote, 22, is a 2019 first-round pick who was acquired by the Devils in the 2020 trade of Blake Coleman to the Tampa Bay Lightning. At that point, Foote was serving as captain of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, and he would make his professional debut the next season with the then-Binghamton Devils. Foote has always been a difference-maker at the AHL level, and this season is no different as he has posted 18 goals and 30 points in 48 games.

His career total is a healthy 79 points in 128 career AHL games, but despite that AHL production NHL success has eluded Foote.

He has just 19 NHL games on his resume, and has scored seven points. A lack of foot speed has hurt Foote’s ability to separate himself in an NHL that is getting quicker and quicker.

Foote’s return to the AHL will certainly help the Comets, who are currently second in the AHL’s North Division and looking to lock up their spot in the Calder Cup playoffs.

But heading back to the AHL after again failing to latch on in the NHL for an extended period has to come as a disappointment for Foote.

As numerous other 2019 draft picks are breaking out and establishing themselves as NHL options, Foote is getting closer to a crucial point in his development. He’ll be waivers-eligible next season, so the Devils will have to make the choice next fall whether to finally include Foote in their NHL plans or risk losing him to another NHL team.

Foote could see the possibility of being exposed to and potentially claimed off of waivers next fall as an opportunity rather than a risk, though, as he could be in line to receive more NHL opportunities in an organization without the type of embarrassment of riches along the wings that the Devils can boast.

Regardless, with this reassignment Foote can’t focus on the possibility of waivers next fall. The priority has to be putting together a strong finish to his regular season and helping Utica go on a long Calder Cup playoff run. Doing those two things would likely improve Foote’s standing within the Devils organizational plans, and perhaps inspire more confidence in the team that he’ll be ready to earn a spot on the 23-man roster next season.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Montreal Canadiens Sign Jakub Dobes

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The Montreal Canadiens have announced the signing of NCAA netminder Jakub Dobes to a two-year, $925k AAV entry-level deal, set to begin next season. Dobes has also signed an AHL contract allowing him to be with the AHL’s Laval Rocket for the rest of this season.

By signing with Montreal, the 21-year-old Dobes leaves Ohio State University after just two years there. The 2020 fifth-round pick has seen his stock rise rapidly since being drafted, going from a .908 save percentage in his final season in the USHL to a .934 save percentage in his first season as a Buckeye.

In total, Dobes’ 35-game freshman season was a resounding success. He took home a multitude of conference honors, including winning Big 10 Goalie of the Year, All-Rookie Team, and First All-Star team honors.

His 21-12-2 record, .934 save percentage, and 2.26 goals-against-average were each major improvements from his numbers in the USHL, and provided hope for Canadiens fans that they might have something in Dobes to lead a relatively thin set of goalies in their prospect pool.

This past season, Dobes’ numbers took a step back, but remained strong overall. He posted a 21-16-3 record, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.31 goals-against-average. While it wasn’t quite as good as the elite performance he posted as a freshman, Dobes’ sophomore season reinforced his status as a legitimate NHL prospect.

With the backing of those solid numbers the kind of six-foot-five, 200-pound frame NHL teams covet in their netminders, Dobes earns his entry-level deal and a chance to play professional hockey.

With Jake Allen and Samuel Montembeault entrenched in the Canadiens’ crease in the NHL and Cayden Primeau holding down the fort as Laval’s starting goalie, Dobes will likely either see time with the Canadiens’ ECHL affiliate next season or split time in the AHL in a tandem with Primeau.

After seeing his save percentage decline from .920 last season to .888 this season, veteran minor league netminder Kevin Poulin’s spot behind Primeau is likely there for Dobes to seize, and this entry-level deal puts him in a prime position to do so.

And while Primeau is penciled in as Laval’s number-one for next season, his uneven performances this year (3.13 goals-against-average, .906 save percentage) leave the door open for Dobes to grab a greater role than expected if he can hit the ground running as a professional just like he did to start his collegiate career.

William Eklund Undergoes Surgery To Repair Torn Labrum

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The San Jose Sharks have announced that 2021 seventh-overall pick and team top prospect William Eklund underwent successful shoulder surgery yesterday to repair a torn labrum.

No other details, such as a recovery timeline, were included in the announcement, but since the timeline for torn labrums in the past has been in the four-to-six-month range, Eklund’s season is unfortunately over. The Athletic’s Corey Masisiak does note, though, that the Sharks expect Eklund to be ready for training camp in the fall.

This injury ends what has been an important season for Eklund. As mentioned in our piece covering his recall earlier this month, Eklund has taken significant strides in his development this season.

Last season playing in Sweden Eklund often looked deferential with the puck on his stick, and finished with just one goal to his name. This season, though, he has revamped his toolkit as a shooting threat and made himself a one-timer option on the San Jose Barracuda’s powerplay.

In his debut season on North American ice Eklund finishes with 17 goals and 41 points in 54 games, as well as three points in eight NHL games, including an impressive first NHL goal.

Eklund’s abilities as an attacker in transition have made him the Sharks’ top prospect, and his development is crucially important to the future of the Sharks organization.

While this injury is certainly a setback, at the very least the Sharks can be thankful that the bulk of Eklund’s recovery process will take place in the offseason, meaning his 2022-23 season has been left largely unaffected.

The loss of Eklund for the rest of the season comes as a major blow to the Barracuda, who need to win most of their remaining games to make the Calder Cup Playoffs. While it’s not impossible that they find a way to get those wins, the loss of their second-highest scorer will make winning most of their final set of games a significantly taller task.

But for the Sharks organization as a whole, getting Eklund back to full health is likely a far more pressing priority than the rest of what has been a disappointing AHL campaign.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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