Detroit Red Wings Officially Recall Evgeny Svechnikov
Though there were reports the move was in the work yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings have officially recalled Evgeny Svechnikov from the minor leagues under emergency conditions. Svechnikov will fill in for Frans Nielsen while the veteran deals with an injury suffered at the hands of David Backes on Tuesday night.
Selected 19th-overall in 2015, Svechnikov has just two NHL games under his belt and has struggled through inconsistency for much of this season. After scoring 51 points as a rookie and taking home the Calder Cup as AHL Champion last season, the 21-year old forward has just 22 points in 52 games this year. He has played better of late, and will now get an opportunity to show that his game is NHL ready and prove he deserves a spot on the Red Wings in 2018-19.
Svechnikov of course is the older brother of Andrei Svechnikov, a top prospect in the upcoming draft. The younger forward has dominated the OHL this season and could go as high as second overall in June. Interestingly, Detroit looks like they’ll have a good shot at selecting that high if they keep up their play of late. The Red Wings have lost four straight and sit 24th in the league. If they win one of the lottery spots, it will be very intriguing to see if they reunite the brothers.
Chicago Blackhawks Extend Erik Gustafsson, Sign Tyler Sikura
The Chicago Blackhawks announced a few contracts this morning, giving out a two-year extension to Erik Gustafsson, while signing Tyler Sikura to a one-year contract. Sikura had been playing under an AHL deal with the Rockford IceHogs, while Gustafsson was likely going to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
If the last name rings a bell, it’s important to note that Sikura is not the well-regarded prospect currently playing at Northeastern. That’s his younger brother Dylan Sikura, who should also join the Blackhawks organization after his season is over. No, this is Tyler, the 25-year old minor league veteran who went undrafted before attending (and captaining) Dartmouth College. With 25 points in 57 games for the IceHogs this season, Sikura has earned himself an NHL contract and a chance to potentially play with his brother next season.
Gustafsson on the other hand has played 19 games for the Blackhawks this season, which wasn’t enough to eclipse the 80 (total) he needs to avoid hitting Group VI free agency. The 25-year old defenseman has shown enough ability to contribute to the NHL team, at least in a depth role, and will now be with them through 2019-20. He was making the league minimum this season on a two-way deal, and will see a slight raise as the extension carries a $1.2MM average annual value. According to Scott Powers of The Athletic the breakdown for Gustafsson is as follows:
- 2018-19: $800K salary + $200K signing bonus
- 2019-20: $1.0MM salary + $400K signing bonus
Minor Transactions: 03/07/18
The winning streak continued for the Nashville Predators yesterday, who now have come out on top in nine straight games. The Predators, buyers once again at the trade deadline, now sit just one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the best record in the NHL and look ready to make an impact in the playoffs once again. As they and other teams prepare their lineup on a quiet night in the NHL, we’ll keep track of all the minor transactions around the league.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced Daniel O’Regan‘s recall earlier this morning, bringing up the prospect acquired in the Evander Kane trade. O’Regan has played 19 games in the NHL for the Sharks this season, but won’t get to make his Sabres debut just yet. He stayed out late after practice and will likely be a healthy scratch tonight.
- Montreal has sent Zach Fucale back to the minor leagues for the time being, likely indicating that Antti Niemi should be ready to return tomorrow night. Fucale is still waiting for his first chance in the NHL, but has struggled in his limited time with the AHL’s Laval Rocket. The 22-year old is still a legitimate goaltending prospect, but he’s clearly not ready to make an impact at the highest level.
Undrafted Free Agent Signings Dominating Juniors
Given that each team generally has seven chances to makes a pick in the NHL Draft each year resulting in, until recently, 210 selections, and now 217 moving forward, the bulk of top players in the league come through the draft process. However, no matter the level – Canadian juniors, American juniors and the NCAA, and Europe – there are always players that slip through the crack. Sometimes those particular players don’t slip too far. Case in point: take a look at some of the top players in the CHL this season. A significant proportion of 2017-18’s most valuable players in the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL are not just undrafted, but have also already signed with an NHL team.
In the Ontario League, Aaron Luchuk is the poster boy for the year of undrafted signings. The 20-year-old Barrie Colts center signed an entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators back in December. He’s rewarded them for taking a gamble on him by leading the league with 105 points thus far, including a league-leading 45 goals. This has been a major step up in his production of 60 points in 68 games in 2016-17. The 5’10” forward’s next step will be trying his hand at the AHL next season. Not far behind Luchuk is Sam Miletic, a fellow 20-year-old forward playing for the Niagara Ice Dogs. Miletic is fifth in the OHL with 86 points and also brings a good defensive sense to his game. Miletic signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in September after recording 55 points in 65 games with the London Knights last season; Miletic had 54 points in just 35 games with London prior to being traded mid-season. Undrafted netminders are also making a splash in the OHL. The Detroit Red Wings signed 19-year-old Kaden Fulcher back in October and the Hamilton Bulldogs goalie has since been a top goalie in the league, currently fourth in goals against average and seventh in save percentage among starters. Boston Bruins prospect Kyle Keyser is right there with him, as the Oshawa Generals keeper is sixth in save percentage and seventh in goals against average among starters.
The Western League is littered with undrafted free agent signings among its top scorers. The Moose Jaw Warriors’ Brayden Burke has joined that group, having just signed with the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. Burke, 21, is tied for second in league scoring with 113 points in just 61 games, a pace of nearly two points per game this season. Burke is undersized at 5’10”, 165 lbs., but has done well for himself in the WHL, which is traditionally a heavier league, and will soon turn his sights on the pros. Also in the top ten in scoring are another Penguin, Jordy Bellerive, and the Colorado Avalanche’s Ty Lewis. Both forwards signed prior to the season and have each taken a big step in 2017-18, currently tied for eighth with 89 points. Bellerive, who is only 18, jumped on the opportunity to sign with the defending Cup champs after being passed over in the draft, and the Lethbridge Hurricanes center is now making the Penguins just as excited about the deal. Lewis, 20, has stepped into the top scorer role for the Brandon Wheat Kings left behind by Nolan Patrick and has excelled. Cameron Hebig of the Regina Pats is next in line with 88 points on the year, after signing with the Edmonton Oilers. The WHL also features an impressive undrafted goalie of their own in Cole Kehler, a 20-year-old for the Portland Winterhawks who inked a deal with the Los Angeles Kings in December as well. Kehler has a big frame and a quick glove, which has helped him maintain the best goals against average and fourth-best save percentage among goalies with at least 40 appearances this year.
While the Quebec League doesn’t count as many exciting undrafted prospects among its best, it does feature two consistent torrid scorers who, until recently, had been ignored due to their small stature. Alex Barre-Boulet joined the pro-bound on March 1st, when the Tampa Bay Lightning signed him to an entry-level deal. Barre-Boulet, 20, may stand only 5’10”, 165 lbs., but he is enjoying his third-straight 80+ point campaign. In fact, he is far beyond that in 2017-18, with a league leading 109 points that dwarfs the next-best scorer by 15 points. The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada star has at least earned a shot at the NHL. So too has Maxime Fourtier, the Halifax Mooseheads captain who has at least 70 points the past three years. Fourtier is slightly bigger that Barre-Boulet and has clearly focused on rounding out his game this season, after signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in November.
The 2017-18 season shows that the draft is not the end of the line. These standouts make up only a fraction of the talented undrafted players skating in the CHL, some of whom are soon to be signed, and an even smaller fraction of undrafted players across the globe. Talent is always there to discover, even if it doesn’t fully manifest by the age of 18, and these players are proof. Expect to see many of them at the NHL level some time in the not-to-distant future.
Minor Transactions: 03/05/18
The NHL has just five games on the schedule for tonight, but that doesn’t mean the action ends. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor transactions right here as teams move players up and down in preparation.
- The Dallas Stars have brought up Roope Hintz from the AHL, but under emergency conditions. Hintz has registered 27 points in 55 games during his first professional season in North America, suiting up for the Texas Stars all year. The second-round pick is coming off a big year in Finland, and could get his first chance in the NHL during the next few weeks.
- The Winnipeg Jets announced that Steve Mason‘s conditioning stint is over, after playing in just a single game with the Manitoba Moose. Mason allowed four goals on 22 shots, but will get the chance to help the Jets down the stretch and into the playoffs. While Connor Hellebuyck has staked his claim to the starting role, and Michael Hutchinson has shown well in his infrequent opportunities, the Jets need Mason to find his game after handing him a two-year, $8.2MM contract last summer. Hutchinson is on his way back to the AHL to make room for activating Mason.
- With Carey Price out indefinitely, and Antti Niemi battling a minor injury, the Montreal Canadiens have recalled Zach Fucale under emergency conditions. Fucale will join Charlie Lindgren in the Montreal net for the time being, after spending time in the AHL and ECHL this season.
- The Colorado Avalanche have returned goaltender Spencer Martin to the San Antonio Rampage. The 22-year old did not appear in a game during this call-up. It could mean the return of Jonathan Bernier is right around the corner, as he is travelling with the team on their current road trip through Chicago and Columbus.
Minor Transactions: 3/4/18
The NHL continues its busy schedule Sunday with seven games after an eight-game showcase on Saturday, including a rare outdoors game in which the Washington Capitals defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 in the Stadium Series at the U.S. Naval Academy. With so many games, teams will continue to make roster moves throughout the day, so check back to see what teams are doing.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled defenseman Andrew Campbell from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. The 30-year-old veteran has been recalled several times this year by the Coyotes as an emergency defenseman, but has not made it into a game this season. He has played 42 career NHL games and has two goals and four assists in 47 games for the Roadrunners. AZ Sports Craig Morgan writes that Campbell was recalled as defenseman Alex Goligoski is expected to miss Monday’s game as he and his wife are expecting the birth of their second child.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced they have recalled forward Kyle Criscuolo and defenseman Brendan Guhle from the Rochester Americans of the AHL. Criscuolo, who signed a two-year, $1.3MM contract with the Sabres this offseason has put up solid numbers with Rochester as he’s put up 15 goals and 34 points in 50 AHL games. The 25-year-old out of Harvard University has appeared in eight games with Buffalo, but hasn’t gotten on the scoreboard yet. Guhle, the team’s second-round pick in 2015, is having a solid season in Rochester as well as he’s scored eight goals and 16 assists in 48 games. He has one assist in two NHL games he played in January. The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington showed surprise at the transaction as the team indicated that they were not going to make any recalls. As reported earlier, defenseman Marco Scandella looked ready to go in practice Sunday despite suffering an upper-body injury on Friday. Evan Rodrigues is still suffering from an upper-body injury he sustained Wednesday, but the team was using Benoit Pouliot at center out of position. No word if another injury has altered the team’s plans.
Western Notes: Yeo, Bouwmeester, Nugent-Hopkins, Tolvanen, Kamenev, Bernier
While they’ve hardly been eliminated from the playoffs, the St. Louis Blues are definitely having a disappointing season. With that in mind, the St. Louis Blues are likely to make some changes this offseason. The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes in a mailbag column that one change that shouldn’t happen is a coaching change. While the coach always must be held accountable for his actions, the scribe writes that it’s too early to push all the team’s failings on head coach Mike Yeo, who has only been with the team a little more than a year. Many of the leadership and chemistry issues that the team has were already there before Yeo got there.
While Rutherford does admit it’s disturbing that Yeo’s last coaching stint with the Minnesota Wild had many of the same issues, Yeo deserves more time to right the ship, which might require some personnel changes on the ice as many players are not pulling their weight.
One other issue is the team has struggled with key injuries to key players. The team failed to find an offensive replacement when Robby Fabbri or Jaden Schwartz were injured. In fact in 20 games without Schwartz, the team was 9-10-1.
- In the same piece, Rutherford writes that while many people would like the team to buyout players who are struggling in St. Louis like Patrik Berglund, Jake Allen and Alex Steen, that won’t happen this offseason. All of their contracts would be too expensive to buyout. Berglund’s buyout cost would be $9.7MM, Allen’s would be $9MM and Steen’s contract would cost them $10.6MM. The most likely buyout candidate might be defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who would only cost the team $3.6MM and would count just $1.8MM against the cap for the next two years.
- The Edmonton Oilers announced they have activated center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins off of injured reserve Saturday. The 24-year-old has been out since Jan. 13 with a rib injury. While the former first overall pick will not be rejoining a team headed for the playoffs, he might bring up his own value with a good end of the season. Nugent-Hopkins could be a legitimate trade candidate this offseason. He was having a solid season in which he had 16 goals and 31 points in 46 games. With teams being desperate for centers and the Oilers having quite a few of them, they might find a taker for him.
- The Eeli Tolvanen countdown continues as the Nashville Predators are awaiting their top prospect after his KHL team wraps up their season. The Tennessean’s Adam Vingan writes that Tolvanen’s team, Jokerit, opened their first-round playoff series Saturday with a double-overtime loss. The earliest possible day for Jokerit to be eliminated would be this Wednesday. If so, Tolvanen could join Nashville for their remainder of the season and the playoffs if they feel he can contribute. Of course, the Predators are loaded with depth since the trade deadline after acquiring Ryan Hartman and signing Mike Fisher.
- Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said that Vladislav Kamenev, who has been out with a broken arm since November after being injured in his first game for the Avalanche, has been cleared and might be assigned to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL in the next couple of days for a conditioning assignment, according to Denver Post’s Mike Chambers. Kamenev, who was acquired on Nov. 6 in the three-team trade between Colorado, Ottawa and Nashville involving Kyle Turris and Matt Duchene, was injured while playing in his first game with Colorado. A key prospect included in the Avalanche’s haul for moving Duchene, Kamenev has played just 14 AHL games this year, having totaled three goals and nine assists. His return is just another talented player ready to step into the Avalanche’s lineup.
- Chambers also mentioned in the same tweet that goalie Jonathan Bernier has also been cleared after suffering a concussion on Feb. 16. The Avalanche added that he was a full participant in practice Saturday and is expected to be activated soon.
Minor Transactions: 3/3/18
With an eight-game schedule set up for Saturday and another seven games scheduled for Sunday, teams might need to make some moves to fix their roster as teams are fighting for playoff spots.
- With defenseman Victor Mete (hand) and winger Max Pacioretty (lower body injury) both returning to Montreal for further evaluation, the Montreal Canadiens recalled defenseman Rinat Valiev from the Toronto Marlies Saturday, according to CapFriendly. The 22-year-old defenseman was acquired last week from Toronto in the Tomas Plekanec deal. Stuck in Toronto behind a crowded depth chart, Valiev has a better chance to break into the NHL with the Canadiens. In 40 games with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, he had five goals and 10 assists. He’s played just one game for the Laval Rocket, picking up an assist in that lone game. He is not expected to play today.
Red Wings Notes: Bertuzzi, Frk, Mrazek, Howard, Nielsen
After the Detroit Red Wings traded away winger Tomas Tatar last week at the trade deadline, the team has split his minutes in two directions. Prospect Tyler Bertuzzi has replaced Tatar’s spot in the lineup alongside Andreas Athanasiou and Dylan Larkin, while veteran Martin Frk has taken the departed forward’s power play minutes in hopes of proving worthy of returning to a top line in the future. So far, Bertuzzi has fared well in the two games he’s played in Tatar’s even-strength role, picking up two assists, while averaging more that 14 minutes of ice time. However, don’t expect that to stay that way next year, writes the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James.
While the team does want to get an extended look at Bertuzzi, what it’s really waiting for is next season. Then they will take long looks at winger Evgeny Svechnikov, the team’s first-rounder in 2015, and 2017 first-rounder Michael Rasmussen, who is expected to be the center of the future in Detroit. Rasmussen, is coming off a solid season in the WHL and might be ready to join the Red Wings next season. As for Svechnikov, the hope is that he is ready for a spot in Detroit next season, but has struggled at times in his first year in the AHL.
- St. James also adds that don’t expect too many call-ups this year as the Grand Rapids Griffins are still fighting for a playoff spot in AHL, so players like Svechnikov, Filip Hronek and Matt Puempel might not see a lot of time in Detroit as they are needed in Grand Rapids.
- In the same article, St. James writes that the team will have to also take a long look at backup goalie Jared Coreau, who was recalled from the Grand Rapids Griffins after the team traded away Petr Mrazek. She writes that the team has doubts he can be a quality NHL backup and with one year left on Jimmy Howard‘s contract, the team will be hard-pressed to find their future starter in one year. One possibility could be signing Mrazek back again in the offseason. With Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth already signed for next season, it seems unlikely that the Philadelphia Flyers will retain Mrazek, especially when he has a $4MM qualifying offer. Could Detroit make him their future No. 1?
- Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the team might consider extending Howard’s deal for one more year to give the team more time to find their goalie of the future. However, with the Red Wings looking to get as many picks as possible for their future, it would also make a lot of sense for the team to move him before the draft as team’s wouldn’t mind acquiring a veteran with just one year left on his deal.
- In the same story, Custance also takes a look at the way-too early protected list if there is an expansion draft in 2020 for the Seattle franchise, which seems inevitable. Sadly, the top two players the Red Wings would be forced to protect will be veterans Henrik Zetterberg and Frans Nielsen. The hope is that Zetterberg, who will be 39 by then, will have retired, which would free up a spot, however, Nielsen has a no-movement clause and then, at age 35, should not be on that list. However, the veteran, who would still have two years left on his deal at $5.25MM AAV at that point, is likely going to cost Detroit a quality player down the road.
Injury Notes: Bortuzzo, Mason, Matthews
The St. Louis Blues are getting some reinforcements on the blue line, as they have activated Robert Bortuzzo from the injured reserve. Bortuzzo has been sidelined for more than two weeks with a knee injury suffered against the Dallas Stars back in mid-February. The big defenseman had played in 55 games with the Blues up to that point and should jump back into the starting lineup sooner rather than later. According to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, that could even be tonight in a re-match with the Stars with crucial divisional points on the line. The Blues then take four days off ahead of a season-defining road trip against Western wild card contenders: San Jose, Los Angeles, Anaheim, and Colorado. If St. Louis is still alive in the playoff race after these next five games, they could look forward to another addition on defense in the return of Joel Edmundson. In the meantime, Bortuzzo will be looked upon to step up in his return.
- Another Central Division squad is getting deeper at a key position. After nearly two months of dealing with concussions symptoms, Steve Mason is on his way back to the Winnipeg net and just in time for the stretch run. The Jets announced today that they have assigned Mason to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, on a conditioning stint. The Moose in turn announced that Mason will get the start tonight against the Iowa Wild. With just 11 appearances and two head injuries to his name this season, Mason may need some time in the minors to get back in the swing of things and a week plus in the AHL would not be a surprise, but he will eventually make his return to Winnipeg. However, his role has changed dramatically over the course of this season. Signed to a two-year, $8.2MM starter-value contract this summer to presumably bridge the gap to Connor Hellebuyck, Mason instead has performed poorly and missed considerable time, while Hellebuyck has flourished. Mason will settle for a backup role down the stretch, supplanting Michael Hutchinson, and likely next year as well.
- Auston Matthews isn’t quite ready to return to the Toronto lineup, but he is getting closer. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, in speaking with Leafs head coach Mike Babcock, says that Matthews has been skating regularly. Johnston adds that the fortunate part of an upper-body injury, in this case a separated shoulder, is that it doesn’t stop one from skating and keeping up with his conditioning. Matthews is known for his work ethic and has surely been skating hard while on the sidelines. Whenever the Leafs’ doctors give his shoulder the okay, he should be back at full force for Toronto. Sadly, that approval won’t be coming ahead of today’s outdoor game between the Leafs and Washington Capitals at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Matthews will miss his fourth straight game and fourteenth game due to injury in 2017-18.