Atlantic Notes: Bruins, Boucher, Ristolainen, Zetterberg, Bertuzzi
There is just one game remaining on the NHL regular season schedule and the league schedulers picked a good one as the Boston Bruins will host the Florida Panthers today in the lone game. While many people thought the game would have significant meaning for the Panthers (Philadelphia’s victory Saturday officially eliminated Florida from the playoffs), it instead has an effect on Boston.
If the Bruins win, they will jump over the Tampa Bay Lightning as the top seed of the Eastern Conference and get home ice advantage in the first three rounds of the playoffs. A win of any kind would give them a matchup with the New Jersey Devils. A loss will pit the Bruins against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team they have struggled with this year. The only known matchup in the Eastern Conference are the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. the Philadelphia Flyers and the Washington Capitals vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“Let’s face it, we were trying to find our own game and get to where we thought we were at the start of the year, which was definitely a playoff team,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy via NBC Sports Joe Haggerty. “We just didn’t know where we would fit, and the way Tampa got out of the gate, and Toronto for that matter, it was going to be an uphill battle. But here we are. We’re in a position to take it, and that’s a credit to the guys. We’ve worked hard to get here. This wasn’t by accident. We didn’t back in.”
- The Ottawa Senators, who ended up finishing in 30th place this season, must make a decision on their coaching situation. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen writes that Guy Boucher is in a strange situation as he did everything right a year ago at this time and has done little right since. The team’s defense and special teams were atrocious this year and need to get fixed. The question is, will it be Boucher or another coach? Garrioch says that even if Boucher survives, expect changes to the staff as last year is considered unacceptable.
- Jon Vogl of the Buffalo News writes that the Buffalo Sabres need to make sweeping changes to avoid another dismal season next year, but unfortunately, the team has a lot of contracts with term which will be hard to move, so the team will need to be creative in trades. The defense has six players already under contract and few top-four players, citing that Rasmus Ristolainen is considered their No. 1 defenseman and he is no where even close to that. He will have four more years on his contract at $5.4MM AAV and has shown little improvement and isn’t the leader they hoped he would be.
- Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press writes that Detroit Red Wings’ Henrik Zetterberg must decide whether he wants to keep playing. The 38-year-old still has three years left of the 12-year contract he signed in 2009 at $6.083MM AAV, but back then it was assumed players wouldn’t play the entire contract out. He’s logged over 1,000 and if he chooses to retire, the Red Wings would save $6MM in cap space if the team is able to place him on long-term injured reserve. St. James adds, however, that the veteran might want to come back for one more year as he is just 42 points away from reaching 1,000 points.
- St. James also tweets that the Red Wings have decided not to send forward Tyler Bertuzzi to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL for their playoff run. They believe Bertuzzi has done enough at the AHL level and want him to hit the gym and get stronger with a full offseason of workouts.
Minor Transactions: 4/7/2018
With a full-slate of 15 games today on the final weekend of the regular season, most teams will wrap up their regular season today and the playoff order should be more clarified by the end of the night. Most prominent will be which team clinches the final playoff spots. A Philadelphia point will give them the Eastern Conference’s final spot over the Florida Panthers, while the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues will play for the right for the final spot in the West. Colorado needs a regulation victory tonight to vault themselves into the playoffs. In the meantime, several teams are making minor changes for the final weekend of the regular season.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled defenseman Joel Hanley on an emergency basis. The 26-year-old has played four games with the Coyotes this year, having spent most of his season with the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL, putting up two goals and 17 assists in 50 games. ArizonaSports Craig Morgan adds the move was made as defenseman Kevin Connaugton is a little banged up.
- The Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled defenseman Andreas Englund from the Belleville Senators of the AHL and is expected to play today as Ben Harpur is injured. Englund was recalled back in December, but didn’t play in a game. The 22-year-old former second-round pick had one goal and nine assists in 66 games for Belleville.
- The New Jersey Devils announced they have recalled defenseman Steven Santini and goaltender Eddie Lack. Both were recalled as the Devils are expected to rest numerous players today, including Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac and Sami Vatanen. With Cory Schneider getting the call to start in goal today, it’s likely the team also intends to rest starter Keith Kinkaid. The 23-year-old Santini has played in 36 games for New Jersey and 27 for Binghampton. Lack will likely serve as backup tonight. He has appeared in eight games this year, four with New Jersey.
- With the New York Rangers’ season over after Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Rangers announced they have assigned forwards Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson and Steven Fogarty to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL for their upcoming playoff run. Chytil and Andersson were both recalled on Mar. 26 with Chytil picking up a goal and two assists in six games. Andersson had a goal and an assist in those six games. Fogarty was recalled last night and didn’t get into a game.
Minor Transactions: 04/06/18
The NHL had some exceptional moments yesterday, as Henrik and Daniel Sedin said goodbye to the Vancouver fans in the only way they know how—an overtime powerplay goal—and Roberto Luongo played his 1,000th game with relatively little fanfare. What else would you expect from one of the most consistent goaltenders of all-time, than 26 saves and a win in the most important game of the season for the Florida Panthers.
As we bask in the romantic finishes from last night, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league right here:
- Carson Soucy has been sent back to the AHL by the Minnesota Wild, as his emergency conditions are up. Gustav Olofsson is back with the team according to Michael Russo of The Athletic, meaning Soucy is down for now. That could open a spot for Louis Belpedio to make his NHL debut, after recently signing and joining the team.
- The Boston Bruins have returned Colby Cave to the minor leagues, after his latest two-game call-up. The 23-year old forward recorded two shots on goal, but is still looking for his first NHL point.
- The New York Rangers have recalled Matt Beleskey and Steven Fogarty from the minor leagues in time for their final game tomorrow. Beleskey hasn’t played in the NHL since coming over at the trade deadline from the Boston Bruins in a salary dump, but might get a chance against the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow. The former 20-goal man is a prime candidate for a buyout if the Rangers need the cap space, though in their rebuild they might be fine with him playing next season in the minor leagues.
- Jonny Brodzinski is on his way back to the AHL, as the Los Angeles Kings prepare for the playoffs. Brodzinski was recalled just yesterday, but will head back without getting into a game.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Nicolas Roy from the AHL, a reward for a solid rookie campaign. Roy recorded 37 points in his first professional season, following two solid years in junior. Selected in the fourth round, the 6’4″ forward has turned himself into a legitimate NHL prospect.
Noah Gregor Signs ELC With San Jose Sharks
Another prospect, another contract for the San Jose Sharks, who today signed Noah Gregor to his three-year entry-level contract. Gregor is currently in the second round of the WHL playoffs with his Victoria Royals, and might not get a chance to sign an amateur tryout in the AHL this season. GM Doug Wilson released this statement on the young forward:
Noah’s taken his game to a whole new level during Victoria’s postseason run, and has shown that he can be a difference maker at both ends of the ice. His combination of talent, hockey sense, speed and hard-working nature make him a player that can be counted on in all facets of the game and we look forward to his continued development.
Indeed, Gregor was a force for the Royals in the first round, recording 10 points in the seven-game series, and showing that he probably deserved to go higher than his fourth-round draft selection. He was ranked #45 among North American skaters pre-draft in 2016, but fell all the way to 111th-overall. The Sharks, who had selected Dylan Gambrell 60th-overall, quickly snapped Gregor up with just their second pick of the day.
That draft looks like it could bear fruit even though the team had so few selections, and Gregor is a big part of that. The two-way forward has experience at center and could make an impact for the San Jose Barracuda next season.
Penguins Sign Anthony Angello To Entry-Level Deal
It may have been a disappointing end to the season for Cornell, a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament upset in their first game, but for one player the year will end on a positive note. Anthony Angello, a junior forward for the Big Red, has signed an entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to a team release. The two-year deal will begin next season, but Angello will join the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on an amateur tryout to close out the season.
It’s hard to argue against the results that the two-time defending Stanley Cup champs have had with bringing in college talent in recent years. Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust, and Zach Aston-Reese have all been successful college free agents who signed in Pittsburgh, while Brian Dumoulin and Jake Guentzel, draft picks who chose the college route, have been even better. Angello, a 2014 fifth-round pick, will gladly take the career trajectory of any of those players as he transitions to the pro game.
A hulking 6’5″ center who anchored the Cornell squad, Angello was also among the team’s top scorers this season. Angello finished the year tied in points and goals with linemate Trevor Yates, a recent signing of the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, due in no small part to his ability in front of the net. Angello’s checking game and two-way intelligence also contributed to an impressive +16 rating. The Penguins don’t have a forward with Angello’s size and skill set anywhere in the pipeline and have to be excited to bring in the big 22-year-old. The Big Red scorer could be donning Pittsburgh black and yellow sooner rather than later.
Minor Transactions: 4/5/18
It’s been a slow day for player movement as the regular season winds down, but some intriguing late action serves as a reminder that teams are still tweaking their rosters even this late in the season. 13 teams have been eliminated from postseason contention, but seven out West and five in the East have clinched spots and the remaining six are still fighting. For those lucky enough to still have eyes on the playoffs, there are important transactions to be made:
- As has been commonplace through this season – and will finally come to an end soon – the San Jose Sharks have reassigned defenseman Tim Heed to their in-house AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda themselves announced. Heed will suit up for the Barracuda tonight, just his sixth game in the minors this season. However, Heed has only skated in 29 games with the Sharks as well, as the 27-year-old rearguard has been passed back and forth continually but under-utilized overall.
- The St. Louis Blues have recalled goalie Ville Husso, the recently-named AHL All-Rookie Team keeper, from the San Antonio Rampage. There has been no indication that this is an emergency call-up by the Blues, meaning Jake Allen and Carter Hutton are likely fine and the team will simply ride with three goalies to close out the season. St. Louis trails the Colorado Avalanche by one point with two games remaining, including a head-to-head match-up on Saturday.
- The flood of young talent in Boston isn’t ending any time soon and fans can get another glimpse into the future by watching the remainder of the AHL’s Providence Bruins’ season. Boston assigned junior players Jack Studnicka and Kyle Keyser to their minor league affiliate, per The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont, and the pair of Oshawa General teammates reported to the team today. Studnicka, the Bruins’ second-round pick last season, led the Generals in scoring this season with 72 points and did so on a team that featured two potential first-round forwards this June in Serron Noel and Allan McShane. Like fellow Boston prospects Trent Frederic and Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Studnicka is an intelligent, two-way center who the Bruins hope could grow into a Patrice Bergeron clone. Perhaps more impressive though has been the play of Keyser, an undrafted free agent signing, who has been one of the best goalies in the OHL this season and was recently named the General’s Most Valuable Player. Both Studnicka and Keyser had previosuly signed ELC’s, but will more than likely still return to junior to begin next season; for now they will get a taste of the pro game in anticipation of NHL futures on the way.
AHL Announces First, Second All-Star Teams
After announcing their All-Rookie team earlier this week, the AHL have now given us their choices for the first and second All-Star Teams for 2017-18. These players were voted in by coaches, players and media all across the league.
First All-Star Team:
Goaltender: Garret Sparks, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Defenseman: Jacob MacDonald, Binghamton Devils (New Jersey Devils)
Defenseman: Sami Niku, Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)*
Left Wing: Chris Terry, Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens)
Center: Phil Varone, Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)
Right Wing: Mason Appleton, Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)*
*Niku and Appleton were also named as part of the All-Rookie team.
Second All-Star Team:
Goaltender: Michael Hutchinson, Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Defenseman: T.J. Brennan, Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers)
Defenseman: Zach Redmond, Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)
Left Wing: Andreas Johnsson, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Center: Austin Czarnik, Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)
Right Wing: Ben Smith, Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Of course, much of the fanfare will go to Niku and Appleton who were not only rookies but late-round draft choices. Their appearance on the list is so impressive, especially given the success of the Jets already graduated young core. With a pipeline of talent, Winnipeg should have a wide open window of contention.
Probably the most interesting name though is Hutchinson, as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. One has to wonder if he’ll get a crack at an NHL job, given his outstanding minor league season and reliatively successful experience at the highest level. He’s making $1.3MM this season, but could look for a larger opportunity elsewhere while Connor Hellebuyck, Steve Mason and Eric Comrie man the crease in Winnipeg.
Minnesota Wild Sign Louis Belpedio To Entry-Level Contract
Louis Belpedio had already been playing on an amateur tryout in the AHL, but has now officially signed his two-year entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild and will join the team right away. That means he’ll burn the first year of the deal in 2017-18, but could make an impact for a team struggling to replace an injured Ryan Suter. Despite being only 21 currently, Belpedio was only able to sign a two-year contract because he’ll turn 22 before September 15th of this year.
Interestingly, even though Belpedio was already playing in the Minnesota system he still could have waited for free agency this summer. After playing four years for the Miami University (Ohio), the third-round pick would have been highly sought after had he waited. Instead, he’ll sign with his draft team and get through the first year of his entry-level contract right away, and could even help them down the stretch and into the playoffs. The Wild are expected to welcome back Jared Spurgeon in time for the first round, but even with his return there is a hole on the Minnesota blue line.
Belpedio is a strong right-handed puck-moving defenseman that put up 30 points in 37 games this season in the NCAA. Though obviously stepping into a playoff picture is still a long-shot, he’s done nothing but impress during his time in the AHL and should compete for an NHL job in short order. Regardless of whether he gets into a game this season, the added experience of being around the Wild for the next few weeks will be a great development tool as he enters the professional ranks.
AHL Names 2017-18 All-Rookie Team
The votes have been cast, and this year’s AHL All-Rookie Team has been released. The AHL rookie teams are always a mix of top draft picks and surprising prospects, and this year is no different. The team is as follows:
Goaltender: Ville Husso, San Antonio Rampage (St. Louis Blues)
Defense: Filip Hronek, Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)
Defense: Sami Niku, Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Forward: Mason Appleton, Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Forward: Daniel Sprong, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Forward: Dylan Strome, Tucson Roadrunners (Arizona Coyotes)
Obviously winning this award doesn’t guarantee NHL success, but it is a strong sign for players who will experience a long and successful professional career. The past All-Rookie teams have included many eventual NHL All-Stars, and could again in this group.
Strome is obviously the most recognizable name, selected third overall in 2015. He hasn’t been able to find a ton of success at the NHL level, but dominated the AHL in his first season. Scoring 50 points in 47 games he leads all (qualified) rookies in points-per-game, and likely won’t be in the minor leagues again next season.
Of note is two Winnipeg Jets prospects, both selected late in the 2015 draft. Appleton and Niku were picked 168th and 198th respectively, but both had outstanding rookie seasons with Manitoba and are more names to look for in the Jets lineup over the next few years. Niku made his NHL debut last night and scored on his first shot, just the latest accomplishment in his first season in North America.
Owen Tippett Assigned To Springfield Thunderbirds
Like his teammates Nic Hague and Micheal McLeod yesterday, Mississauga Steelheads forward Owen Tippett has been assigned to the AHL after his OHL playoff run came to an end. Tippett, who spent the start of the season playing seven games for the Florida Panthers, will ply his trade at the minor league level for the time being.
Tippett was selected 10th-overall last June after he had exploded for a 44-goal season and was routinely showing off his elite shot in the junior ranks. While that shot hasn’t deteriorated, the rest of Tippett’s game hasn’t taken the step forward many had hoped. He did reach 75 points in just 51 games this season, finding teammates more often in the offensive zone, but there were times that he looked uninterested or lacking the same desperation that he showed in his draft year.
While this wasn’t an outstanding development year for Tippett, he still should bring some huge excitement to Florida fans. In a league where goal scoring is extremely difficult, he has all the tools to be a dangerous offensive weapon. The 19-year old forward can skate well, has enough size to protect the puck and can seemingly beat goaltenders from anywhere in the zone. His release is noticeably quicker than his contemporaries, and he can create room for himself to use it.
Interestingly, the Panthers are still not eliminated from playoff contention after winning again last night. The team sits four points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for the final wild card spot, but has a game in hand and three total remaining. Technically they could even still catch the Blue Jackets and Devils, who sit at 96 and 95 points respectively.
Though it doesn’t seem like Tippett is on his way to Florida right now, there’s no telling what a long playoff run could bring. Regardless, look for him to try and make the team next fall.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images