Prospect Notes: Brown, McKeown, Bear
Logan Brown‘s agent isn’t happy with how his client has been treated by the Ottawa Senators since being drafted. Andy Scott joined TSN radio in Ottawa recently and gave his thoughts on how Brown’s career has gone so far.
I’ve really never seen another player met with such resistance by the team that ends up drafting the player early in the first round. From day one I’ve seen Logan have to grind and claw and work his tail off for every morsel of opportunity that he’s been provided. Whereas with some of these other guys, some of these elite players like Logan, it’s been a little bit easier. They get paired with top lines, top players, put into positions to excel. You look at last season, he shows up to training camp and he’s on the eighth line. He’s the eighth-line center. This is your 11th-overall pick from the 2016 draft. You know he’s played no more than two games in all the years he’s been here, playing with NHL wingers.
Brown, 21, has played six games in the NHL so far in his young career and has a single assist, but did record 42 points in 56 games for the Belleville Senators last season. The 6’6″ center has a ton of upside, but finds himself in the minors once again to start the year.
- Captains have been announced all across the AHL today, but one of the more interesting selections is Carolina Hurricanes prospect Roland McKeown. The 23-year old defenseman was picked 50th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2014 but has already logged more than 200 games for the Charlotte Checkers after a trade brought him east. The young McKeown re-signed with the Hurricanes just last month and is in a tough spot behind the huge amount of depth the Hurricanes have amassed on the blueline. For now, he’ll take over the leadership duties in Charlotte and try to help the Checkers back to the Calder Cup.
- Ethan Bear was officially sent to the minor leagues yesterday in a cap move by the Edmonton Oilers, but he never left the club and is expected to play in the team’s next game. Not only will the 22-year old defenseman get a chance to be a full-time player for the Oilers this season, but with Adam Larsson out for six to eight weeks he very well could be pushed into a leading role. Bear made his NHL debut in 2017-18 and got into 18 games with the Oilers, already showing that he’s much more than just a fifth-round pick. Ryan Rishaug of TSN believes he’ll either suit up with Darnell Nurse or Oscar Klefbom in the team’s next game, a huge opportunity to show he can be a reliable top-four option.
Minor Transactions: 10/04/19
Two days into the NHL season and we’ve already seen a huge number of injuries pile up for teams around the league. With that in mind we’ll likely see some movement between the AHL and NHL in the coming days. As always, we’ll keep track of all the moves around the hockey world right here.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Dennis Gilbert from the AHL, though he was already in Europe with them preparing for today’s action. The Blackhawks take on the Philadelphia Flyers this afternoon from Prague, Czech Republic. Gilbert will be playing in just the second NHL game of his career, filling in for the injured Calvin de Haan.
- Former NHL goaltender Karri Ramo has signed a contract with Djurgardens IF taking him to the SHL for the first time in his career. Ramo has played in nearly every elite league in the world, and will try to continue his playing days in Sweden.
- Stefan Noesen has agreed to an AHL contract with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, after failing to find an NHL job this summer. The 26-year old played in 41 games for the New Jersey Devils last season, recording eight points. Originally a first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators, Noesen has just 159 NHL games under his belt.
- Dalton Prout has been moved to injured reserve, meaning the San Jose Sharks needed another body on the blueline. The team has decided to recall Jacob Middleton for that purpose, though Erik Karlsson did return to practice today after the birth of his daughter kept him out of the team’s season-opener.
- As expected, the Edmonton Oilers have recalled Ethan Bear once again from the minor leagues. Coming up with him from Bakersfield will be William Lagesson, while Evan Bouchard is on his way back down.
AHL, PHPA Ratify New Five-Year CBA
Labor peace, labor peace everywhere. The AHL announced today that they have ratified a new five-year CBA with the Professional Hockey Players’ Association, the union that represents minor league players. David Andrews, AHL President and CEO released a statement:
The American Hockey League remains fortunate to have an extremely positive and open relationship with our players and with the PHPA. This new Collective Bargaining Agreement is the product of a sustained positive and open dialogue between the players and ourselves over the past several months, and continues a longstanding spirit of respect for each other that has allowed the American Hockey League and its players to grow and prosper.
The new deal was ratified unanimously by all parties, and will keep the two sides at peace through August 31st, 2024. Though this doesn’t have a direct impact on the NHL, it does guarantee the health of the primary development league and its teams. Just recently, the AHL announced that Palm Springs would be the home of the league’s 32nd franchise and will serve as the primary affiliate for the Seattle NHL expansion team right from inception.
Minor Transactions: 10/03/19
The NHL regular season is underway, and the stars have already made their mark. Auston Matthews showed why he’s a perfect prop bet in season-openers by scoring his eighth and ninth goals through four opening games, while Connor McDavid showed that his knee is just fine as he cut through the Vancouver Canucks defense for the game-winner late in Edmonton. Eight more games are on the schedule for tonight including Jacob Trouba‘s first test against his former club and a top tier matchup between the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche. As teams prepare, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the moves.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Victor Olofsson and Henri Jokiharju as expected, while sending Jean-Sebastien Dea, Curtis Lazar and Lawrence Pilut back to the Rochester Americans of the AHL. These moves had been done just as some cap gymnastics to get Buffalo the most room possible, and were always expected to be reversed before they start their season in Pittsburgh tonight.
- After keeping Timothy Liljegren on the opening night roster, the Toronto Maple Leafs have sent the top prospect back to the minor leagues. Liljegren was kept up for salary cap purposes, but will switch spots with the recently-waived Nic Petan today. Petan should serve as one of the extra forwards for the Maple Leafs that might rotate in, alongside Jason Spezza who was a healthy scratch last night.
- Manuel Wiederer has been assigned to the San Jose Barracuda, where he is expected to spend the season. The 22-year old forward suffered an upper-body injury earlier in the preseason, but is likely recovered enough to rejoin his teammates now that he has officially been sent down.
- With Sam Steel and Ondrej Kase being cleared ahead of tonight’s home opener, the Anaheim Ducks have opened up space on the roster by reassigning Isac Lundestrom and Max Comtois to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Lundestrom and Comtois, as well as Steel, a part of a large group of impressive young NHL-ready forwards pushing for ice time this season. This is certainly not the last you’ll hear of them this year.
Simon Holmstrom Assigned To AHL
The New York Islanders appear to have decided what to do with their most recent first-round pick. Simon Holmstrom has been assigned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL, an impressive assignment for the 18-year old forward. There was debate over whether Holmstrom should start in the AHL right away or return to Sweden, but it appears as though he’ll be staying stateside for the time being.
Selected 23rd overall in June, the young winger never did see much of the highest level of hockey in Sweden like some other top prospects, but still comes with a huge ceiling. Not only does Holmstrom possess high-end offensive ability, but his overall game has been complimented for years as he competes hard at both ends of the rink. Though he played mostly right wing in Sweden, his left-handedness may put him on the other side of the ice in North America. That’s something the Islanders organization will have to decide, while getting him acclimated to the smaller rink and AHL physicality.
There’s still lots of development to go with Holmstrom, but he’ll join a Bridgeport team that is suddenly flush with top prospects. Oliver Wahlstrom, Kieffer Bellows and Otto Koivula lead the young group of forwards up front, which is also set to get Joshua Ho-Sang back after he cleared waivers and was assigned to the AHL. The Islanders have found a lot of success in the NHL of late, but should be excited about the wave of talent coming through. Hopefully Holmstrom can take another step forward and show that he can compete at the AHL level this season.
Minor Transactions: 10/02/19
Now that the compliance deadline has passed, teams all around the league will likely tweak their rosters before tonight’s action gets underway. As always, we’ll be here keeping track of all those moves throughout the day.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled John Marino from the minor leagues, placing Bryan Rust on long-term injured reserve. Rust will have to miss at least ten games and is expected to be out “longer-term” according to his head coach yesterday. Marino, 22, was convinced to leave Harvard and sign a two-year deal after the Penguins acquired his rights from the Edmonton Oilers in July.
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Urho Vaakanainen from the minor leagues, while sending Connor Clifton and Karson Kuhlman down to the AHL. These moves are simply cap maneuvering to maximize the space the Bruins can work with this season.
- As expected, Christian Fischer and Kyle Capobianco have been recalled by the Arizona Coyotes to fill out their NHL roster. Fischer had been sent down on a paper transaction to become cap compliant, but is back up with the team and looking to make an impact at some point this season.
Minor Transactions: 10/01/19
Teams all around the league are setting their opening day rosters to get cap compliant, while minor league clubs are still out finalizing their groups for the upcoming season. We’ll be right here to keep track of all those moves like always:
- The Buffalo Sabres have done some cap gymnastics today, sending Henri Jokiharju and Victor Olofsson to the minor leagues and recalling Curtis Lazar, Jean-Sebastien Dea and Lawrence Pilut. The team also placed Zach Bogosian, Matt Hunwick, Brandon Montour and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen on injured reserve as expected. The moves are just salary-based, as Olofsson and Jokiharju are both still expected to be in the Sabres’ opening night lineup.
- The Laval Rocket have signed Kevin Lynch to a one-year AHL contract after he stood out as a potential option in training camp. Lynch, 28, missed all of last season due to injury but had 26 points in 57 games with the Syracuse Crunch in 2017-18.
- Former NHL goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis has left Dynamo Riga of the KHL after a mutual contract termination, leaving him free to sign with another team. The 27-year old goaltender had posted just an .863 save percentage through nine games this season.
Eric Comrie, Carl Dahlstrom Claimed Off Waivers
A huge number of talented players were on waivers yesterday, but it appears that just two have been claimed. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Arizona Coyotes have claimed goaltender Eric Comrie from the Winnipeg Jets, while Winnipeg themselves have picked up defenseman Carl Dahlstrom from the Chicago Blackhawks.
Comrie, 24, wasn’t the most accomplished goaltender on waivers yesterday, but does perhaps offer the most upside. Originally selected in the second round of the 2013 draft, the former WHL star has steadily improved his game in the minor leagues and posted a .917 save percentage in 47 games with the Manitoba Moose last season. The World Junior gold medalist can help the Coyotes deal with their early goaltending injuries, but it will be interesting to see if he lasts in the NHL long-term on a team that already has Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper locked into the top two spots. Because of that, Winnipeg may get a chance to reclaim him at some point.
Dahlstrom meanwhile may be in a much different situation. The Jets have lost a huge chunk of their defense corps this summer through trade (Jacob Trouba), free agency (Tyler Myers, Ben Chiarot) and potential retirement (Dustin Byfuglien), leaving Josh Morrissey and a relatively new cast of characters. Dahlstrom will offer another young option to try out after he played 38 games for the Blackhawks last season. The second-round pick stands 6’4″ 231-lbs, size that many of the Jets’ current defensemen are lacking.
With just the two claims, it means that players like Daniel Sprong, Casey DeSmith, Joshua Ho-Sang, Thomas Hickey and Sven Baertschi can all be assigned to the minor leagues. A setback for all of them as they try to continue their NHL careers.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/01/19
Even with the season starting tomorrow, teams still have some final cuts to make today. Rosters have to be cap compliant by the end of the day. though with so much talent on waivers there might still be some last-minute moves. We’ll keep track of those right here. Keep checking back throughout the day for updates.
Arizona Coyotes (per team release)
D Ilya Lyubushkin (to Tucson, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (per team release)
F Remi Elie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Curtis Lazar (to Rochester, AHL)
F Scott Wilson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Nelson (to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (per team release)
F Alan Quine (to Stockton, AHL)
F Zac Rinaldo (to Stockton, AHL)
F Dillon Dube (to Stockton, AHL)
D Andrew MacDonald (released from PTO)
Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)
F Clark Bishop (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Julien Gauthier (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Brian Gibbons (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Gustav Forsling (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Roland McKeown (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Anton Forsberg (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Max McCormick (placed on injured/non-roster)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk (placed on injured/non-roster)
Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)
G Collin Delia (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kirby Dach (placed on injured/non-roster)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)
F Marko Dano (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Andrew Peeke (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Liam Foudy (placed on injured/non-roster)
Colorado Avalanche (per team release)
F Jayson Megna (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kevin Connauton (to Colorado, AHL)
D Calle Rosen (to Colorado, AHL)
D Ian Cole (placed on injured/non-roster)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
D Jared McIsaac (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Chase Pearson (placed on injured/non-roster)
Edmonton Oilers (per team release)
F Sam Gagner (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
F J.T. Brown (to Iowa, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens (per team release)
F Ryan Poehling (to Laval, AHL)
Nashville Predators (per team release)
F Miikka Salomaki (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Milwaukee, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (per team release)
D Matt Tennyson (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Spokane, WHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)
D John Marino (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Casey DeSmith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)
F Nicolas Roy (to Chicago, AHL)
D Nicolas Hague (to Chicago, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
F Liam O’Brien (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
D Christian Djoos (to Hershey, AHL)
D Michal Kempny (placed on injured/non-roster)
Winnipeg Jets (per team release)
D Sami Niku (to Manitoba, AHL)
Minor Transactions: 09/30/19
It’s been the busiest day of training camp from a transactions standpoint, with countless cuts and a waiver wire chock full of talent. NHL teams are making the difficult decisions in preparation for Opening Day. However, some of those moves have repercussions on the rosters of AHL teams as well. On a day that’s not lacking in noteworthy news, don’t forget to keep up with the smaller moves as well:
- Former Colorado Avalanche prospect Mason Geertsen has found a new home in the AHL. The 24-year-old defenseman was not extended a qualifying offer by the Avs this summer, despite coming off a career-high 16-point minor league campaign, but Geertsen managed to impress in camp with the Hartford Wolf Pack. The team announced that Geertsen has signed a one-year AHL contract. At 6’4” and 220 lbs., Geertsen is a dominant force in the defensive end. While he saw an uptick in offensive production last year, the hallmarks of his game will always be solid defense and a heavy, aggressive checking game. The Wolf Pack hope that he can offer peace of mind to both their goalkeepers and young, offensive prospects this season.
- One player who surprising will not suit up for Hartford this season is NHL veteran Connor Brickley. Brickley, who started 14 games for the New York Rangers down the stretch last season, was hoping to stay with the organization. He took a tryout offer with the Wolf Pack, but the team revealed today that he has been released from camp. A reliable two-way option, Brickely has played in 81 NHL games over his five-year pro career and has recorded 21 points. That would seemingly imply that, if handed a full-time role, Brickley could have 20+ point upside. Yet, he remains unemployed even at the AHL level, at least for the time being.
- One player still on an AHL tryout – and could be for a while longer – is Lance Bouma. The experienced NHL forward initially joined the Los Angeles Kings on a PTO in camp, but was reassigned to AHL camp with the Ontario Reign. Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen reports that Bouma is expected to stay in Ontario on a tryout basis for potentially the maximum 25-game stretch. Bouma is still not fully recovered from a major injury that cost him his season in Europe last year, but he seems willing to keep working in hopes of landing a deal with either the Reign or perhaps even the Kings. Bouma is a proven two-way contributor who could be a leader for Ontario in all three zones and in the locker room this season.