Snapshots: Penguins, Clifton, Kerfoot
The Pittsburgh Penguins were in the running to the end on Matt Cullen before he decided to sign with the Minnesota Wild in order to allow his family to put down some roots, and though he wasn’t a perfect fit for their vacant third-line center he certainly would have been an option for a bottom-six role. Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review spoke to Penguins GM Jim Rutherford about the still vacant role, who once again said that he could trade right now for an “adequate” option but isn’t excited about it.
Instead, Bombulie tweets, Rutherford is waiting for a better option to come available or head into the season with some cap space in order to make a move at a later date. While no names are included, there is still a clear understanding of the biggest weak-spot on the Penguins roster. It will be interesting to see if another more “impactful” option shakes loose as training camp opens in September, or if the Penguins are forced to go into the season with Carter Rowney playing third-line minutes.
- A name we mentioned this morning as a possible early signing, Connor Clifton has signed an AHL contract with the Providence Bruins according to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal. The physical but undersized defenseman played with Quinnipiac the last four seasons and is a nice right-handed fit for the P-Bruins. His aggressive style can sometimes take him over the line into penalty trouble, but he could develop into a depth option for the NHL level.
- According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Chicago Blackhawks have not reached out to free agent Alex Kerfoot yet. The Blackhawks have been linked to Hobey Baker award winner Will Butcher, but at this point don’t seem to have any interest in the former New Jersey Devils’ draft pick. Kerfoot met with Vancouver earlier today and has received interest from several other teams.
NCAA Notes: Butcher, Toninato, Clifton
Today is finally the day that graduating NCAA draft picks shed their former teams and become unrestricted free agents, and Will Butcher has already been linked to a half dozen teams. One team he won’t be talking to? Tampa Bay, who according to Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times are “not among the early suitors” for the reigning Hobey Baker award winner.
Butcher is expected to sign within the next week, and all along has said he’s open to starting the year in the AHL if it meant coming aboard with a franchise with recent success or at least trending towards a championship. Whether that holds true in the face of an opening day NHL role in places like New Jersey and Buffalo is still to be seen.
- Dominic Toninato is another name to keep an eye on, after he went unsigned by the Toronto Maple Leafs because of their contract squeeze. Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune reports that the Maple Leafs did in fact offer Toninato an entry-level contract last spring after his junior season, but found themselves without any room this summer. Toninato could be one of the first names off the board, since he was given permission to speak with other teams early. The 6’2″ forward isn’t the usual undersized offering from the college ranks, and has considerable potential in a bottom-six role.
- Among other names to watch from the college ranks is Connor Clifton, who didn’t sign with the Arizona Coyotes after four years at Quinnipiac. The in-your-face defender took a slight step backwards this year on a worse team, but could still provide some depth on the blueline for a club around the league. He’s still just 22, relatively young for a college free agent, and plays about as physical as you can for a 5’11” 175-lbs player.
Matt Greene Joins Los Angeles Scouting Staff
After being bought out in June by the Los Angeles Kings, it wasn’t clear if Matt Greene had a future in the NHL. He was 34, two years removed from his last full healthy season, and the Kings were clearly trying to bring in a younger more mobile group for next season. Now the team has announced that he will retire and join them as a professional scout, working the AHL Pacific region for the time being.
Greene, a second-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2002, played 615 games at the NHL level over 12 seasons. He was part of the Oilers team that took Carolina to game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals, and took the trophy home twice during his time with the Kings. His legacy there will be that of a tough, in your face defenseman who was hard to play against and would put his body on the line every night. He was never an offensive force and didn’t ever log more than 20 minutes a night, but still served as an alternate captain for eight years.
He’ll join a front office that’s seen quite the change in the past few months, as Rob Blake and Luc Robitaille have taken full control and started to change the direction of the team.
Morning Notes: Wingers, Dzierkals, NCAA
NHL.com caused quite a stir among hockey fans by releasing their ranking of the top wingers in the game right now, listing Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov and Brad Marchand in the top three. It’s nearly impossible to defiinitively rank players in this fashion, as each bring very different skill sets to the game.
Still, it goes to show how good some of the young players in the league are. Patrik Laine was ranked #8 and David Pastrnak #15 despite being just 19 and 21 respectively. Each were revelations for their teams this season, scoring more than 30 goals and proving that they’re ready to take the next step to the absolute elite around the league. Leave your take on the list in the comments below, and explain who you think was snubbed.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs are close to the NHL contract limit, so they’ve inked prospect Martins Dzierkals to an AHL deal. The 20-year old Dzierkals was a third-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2015, and is ready to take the next step from the QMJHL. Born in Latvia, Dzierkals was drafted out of Europe and was under exclusive Maple Leafs control for another two seasons, but had made it clear he did not want to return to the CHL as an overage player. Instead, he’ll join a Marlies team that should be flush with young talent like Adam Brooks and Jeremy Bracco and try to prove he’s worth an entry-level deal when space becomes available.
- Tomorrow marks the final day that teams can negotiate with their NCAA draft picks, after which the players will become unrestricted free agents and allowed to sign anywhere in the league. Will Butcher and Alex Kerfoot lead a group of players who are now less than 48 hours away from controlling their own destiny in terms of where their hockey career will continue.
Status Of 2017 First-Round Picks
By the end of September it will be clear where each of the 2017 first-round picks will be heading to continue their hockey careers, but we already have quite a few that have signed their entry-level contracts. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ticketed for the NHL or even North America, as most will have their deals slide for an additional season. Still, below you can find the current status of each player and their likely destination for the 2017-18 season. While they aren’t final, it will give you an early idea of where to catch them this year.
Nico Hischier – New Jersey Devils – Signed ELC on July 15th. Likely starts the year with New Jersey.
Nolan Patrick – Philadelphia Flyers – Signed ELC on July 17th. Likely starts the year with Philadelphia.
Miro Heiskanen – Dallas Stars – Signed ELC on July 8th. Will play for HIFK this season (Finland).
Cale Makar – Colorado Avalanche – Will play for UMass-Amherst this season (NCAA).
Elias Pettersson – Vancouver Canucks – Will play for Vaxjo this season (Sweden).
Cody Glass – Vegas Golden Knights – Signed ELC on July 15th. Will likely play for Portland this season (WHL).
Lias Andersson – New York Rangers – Signed ELC on July 13th. Will battle for roster spot with New York, but likely play for Frolunda this season (Sweden).
Casey Mittelstadt – Buffalo Sabres – Will play for the University of Minnesota this season (NCAA).
Michael Rasmussen – Detroit Red Wings – Signed ELC on August 5th. Will likely play for Tri-City this season (WHL).
Owen Tippett – Florida Panthers – Signed ELC on July 19th. Will battle for roster spot with Florida; could play for Mississauga this season (OHL).
Gabe Vilardi – Los Angeles Kings – Will likely play for Windsor this season (OHL).
Martin Necas – Carolina Hurricanes – Signed ELC on July 14th. Will likely play for Brno this season (Czech Republic).
Nick Suzuki – Vegas Golden Knights – Signed ELC on July 15th. Will likely play for Owen Sound this season (OHL)
Cal Foote – Tampa Bay Lightning – Will likely play for Kelowna this season (WHL).
Erik Brannstrom – Vegas Golden Knights – Signed ELC on July 15th. Will play for HV71 this season (Sweden).
Juuso Valimaki – Calgary Flames- Signed ELC on July 21th. Will likely play for Tri-City this season (WHL).
Timothy Liljegren – Toronto Maple Leafs – Signed ELC on July 12th. Will likely play for Rogle this season (Sweden).
Urho Vaakanainen – Boston Bruins – Will play for SaiPa this season (Finland)
Josh Norris – San Jose Sharks – Will play for the University of Michigan this season (NCAA).
Robert Thomas – St. Louis Blues – Will play for London this season (OHL).
Filip Chytil – New York Rangers – Signed ELC on July 14th. Will likely play for HC Zlin this season (Czech Republic); could play for Hartford (AHL).
Kailer Yamamoto – Edmonton Oilers – Signed ELC on August 10th. Will likely play for Spokane this year (WHL).
Pierre-Olivier Joseph – Arizona Coyotes – Will likely play for Charlottetown this season (QMJHL).
Kristian Vesalainen – Winnipeg Jets – Will play for HPK this season (Finland).
Ryan Poehling – Montreal Canadiens – Will play for St. Cloud State University this season (NCAA).
Jake Oettinger – Dallas Stars – Will play for Boston University this season (NCAA).
Morgan Frost – Philadelphia Flyers – Signed ELC on August 3rd. Will play for Sault Ste. Marie this season (OHL).
Shane Bowers – Ottawa Senators – Will play for Boston University this season (NCAA).
Henri Jokiharju – Chicago Blackhawks – Will likely play for Portland this season (WHL).
Eeli Tolvanen – Nashville Predators – Will battle for a roster spot with Nashville, but will likely play for Jokerit this season (KHL).
Klim Kostin – St. Louis Blues – Signed ELC on July 5th. Will battle for roster spot with St. Louis; could play in AHL (St. Louis doesn’t have an AHL affiliate for this season, but will be providing players for Chicago and other teams).
Minor Transactions: 8/10/17
It may be August, but hockey transactions are still ongoing. While the major names on the NHL free agent market appear to still be in a holding pattern, AHL teams have begun to fill out their rosters with minor leagues deals. The result has been a recent influx of minor news, both of AHL signings and those with less luck finding a contract in North America signing overseas. Here’s a rundown of today’s minor moves:
- NHL veteran Jeremy Morin is headed to the KHL, but not to one of the league’s more well-known clubs. Morin has instead signed on with HC Yugra, a relatively new team to the KHL based in the small ski town of Khanty-Mansiysk. Yugra entered the KHL in 2010 and, after qualifying for the postseason in its first two seasons, has not been back to the playoffs since. Part of Yugra’s struggle may be related to a lack of a diverse lineup. Yugra was one of only three KHL teams in 2016-17 to field a roster of players entirely of Russian decent. By bringing in Morin, the team is finally branching out and may have a foreigner even be its best player next season. Morin, 26, is a 2009 second-round pick of the Atlanta Thrashers, but is most well-known as a Chicago Blackhawks prospect after being dealt to the team as part of the return for Dustin Byfuglien back in 2010. Morin skated in 54 games for Chicago between 2010 and 2014, registering 16 points, while also suiting up for over 200 games with their AHL affiliate, the Rockford Ice Hogs. In 2014, Morin was traded away to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Tim Erixon. That kicked off a chain of events wherein Morin was dealt four more times in the last three years, including as part of the package back to Chicago for Brandon Saad, notoriously as the return to Toronto for Richard Panik, and alongside James Reimer to the San Jose Sharks. Unable to find a long-term home, Morin signed on with the Tampa Bay Lightning last summer, looking for a fresh start. Instead, the Lightning also traded him, as he was moved to the Arizona Coyotes in February. Likely sick of the uncertainty that the NHL has showed him in his career, Morin is on the move to Russia, where the ability that has made him a valuable trade chip may finally get a chance to shine for a full season.
- Recent Chicago Wolves defenseman Kevin Tansey is also on the move. The former Clarkson University standout drew immediate attention in the AHL upon graduating in 2016, jumping right into 11 games with the Binghamton Senators, Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, at the tail end of the 2015-16 season. He expected similar excitement when he joined Chicago for this past campaign, but instead he was buried on the depth chart, skating in only 19 games. The rest of the year, Tansey played for the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks, where he was clearly out of place among inferior talent. Tansey, not known for his offensive ability, managed to record 31 points in 44 ECHL games, showing that he really should be in the AHL. The Grand Rapids Griffins, fresh off a Calder Cup championship, will now give Tansey that chance. The Detroit Red Wings’ affiliate announced today that they have inked the blue liner to a one-year deal. Tansey should be eager to show what he can do in a full season of AHL action.
- Another rearguard coming off of a big ECHL season has inked an AHL deal, but for Tim Daly it is his first foray into the next level. The former St. Cloud State shutdown defender has played the last two seasons in the ECHL, but after a lack of production in 2015-16, Daly’s numbers took off in 2016-17, as he finished with 38 points in 59 games for the Utah Grizzlies. Historically a more stay-at-home style defenseman, Daly showed his two-way ability last year and caught the eye of the Manitoba Moose, who brought him via loan for a couple of games. Apparently the Winnipeg Jets’ affiliate saw enough in that short sample to sign Daly to a one-year deal. The Moose also announced one-year extensions for forwards Kale Kessy and Elgin Pearce in addition to bringing in Daly.
Snapshots: Wennberg, Pastrnak, Army, Butler
Alexander Wennberg isn’t worried. Despite being one of the final 19 restricted free agents left to sign this summer, the Columbus centerman knows the two sides will get a deal done before long. That’s what he told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, who profiled Wennberg’s summer goals to get bigger and stronger for next season. Wennberg is a key part of the Columbus offense, recording 59 points last season and growing into the top line center spot that was vacated when the Blue Jackets traded away Ryan Johansen.
Wennberg was part of the reason that trade was possible, as Columbus knew they had something special ready to break out. The 22-year old now has 99 points over his past two seasons and could see even more offensive opportunity with Artemi Panarin now in the fold, and Cam Atkinson established as a top goal scorer. An absolutely deadly playmaker on the powerplay, the next step is getting Wennberg to shoot more at even strength and create his own opportunities. If he does, a long-term deal could look especially valuable in a year or two.
- Similarly, David Pastrnak doesn’t seem fazed by the fact that he remains unsigned now into August. He told Tim Campbell of NHL.com that contract negotiations are entirely in agent J.P. Barry’s hands, and that he’s just focused on taking another step forward next season. It’s hard to believe more improvement is coming for Pastrnak, who scored 34 goals and 70 points as a 20-year old last season. Climbing any higher would put him among the absolute best in the league, if he’s not there already. For Boston fans worried about a potential deal, he had this to say: “The guys are great. The city is great. The fans are great. I like the arena. The city is full of good restaurants and young people.” Sure doesn’t sound like a player that wants to leave anytime soon.
- The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have hired Tim Army as an assistant coach for next season, after he was fired by the Colorado Avalanche earlier this offseason. The long-time NHL coach will work alongside head coach Clark Donatelli in a reversal of roles for the pair, after working together at Providence College in the past.
- Bobby Butler is coming back to North America after a few years abroad, as he signed a one-year AHL contract with the Milwuakee Admirals. Butler was signed by the Ottawa Senators out of the University of New Hampshire back in 2010, and played 130 NHL games before finding himself stuck in the minors for 2014-15. Success was hard to come by in the SHL and KHL, so he’s back to try and show off his AHL All-Star talent once again. This contract will maintain his eligibility for the USA Olympic team, but at this point in his career he’d be a long-shot over some of the young college players.
Morning Notes: Jagr, Morin, Samsonov
Jaromir Jagr didn’t think he’d be left out in the cold this summer, waiting for an NHL contract long into the offseason. The 45-year old spoke with NHL.com correspondent Micheal Langr and discussed the challenges he’s faced so far and what he wants to do going forward. Joking that he could play for Kladno in the Czech Republic, a team that he owns, he still has his sights set on 2,000 points in the NHL.
Jagr is actually coming off another fine season even though his goal total dropped to 16. His possession play is still elite, and despite his lack of foot speed and reputation doesn’t hurt you defensively. He could still be an extremely effective option for teams looking to round out their top six and get some help on the powerplay.
- According to our friends at Roster Resource, Jeremy Morin has signed in the KHL for this season, leaving the North American system after several unsuccessful years. Morin was drafted 45th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in 2009, but has found little success in the professional ranks. Heading to the KHL will allow him to re-invent his game and potentially compete for a chance on the US Olympic team if he gets off to a fast start.
- Ilya Samsonov is one of the best goaltending prospects in the world, and Washington Capitals fans will be happy to hear that he’s willing to play in the AHL if he comes across to North America next year. In a new interview with Daria Tuboltseva of Championat, Samsonov speaks about the constant communication he has with the Washington front office, and how it would be a dream to eventually play with Russian superstars like Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov. Samsonov is still only 20, but has an outside chance at going to the Olympics with Team Russia because of his outstanding first two seasons in the KHL. Last year he posted a .936 save percentage and was nearly unbeatable.
New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues Announce ECHL Affiliates
After two years of an “informal working agreement”, the Adirondack Thunder are the official ECHL affiliate of the New Jersey Devils. The two sides signed a one-year agreement to work with each other and the new Binghamton Devils of the AHL.
Adirondack had been the ECHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames after completing a market swap with their AHL team—the AHL Adirondack Flames became the Stockton Heat, while the ECHL Stockton Thunder became the Adirondack Thunder—but had housed several Devils’ prospects as well. Scott Wedgewood is perhaps the most notable example, as he played one game for Adirondack in 2015, the same season he would make his NHL debut.
The team also announced that Brad Tapper would take over as head coach and director of hockey operations for the Thunder. Tapper was most recently an assistant coach with the Rochester Americans of the AHL, but with a new regime in Buffalo installing their own coaching staff was free to pursue other options. This will be Tapper’s first professional head coaching position after a playing career that saw him suit up for 71 NHL contests with the Atlanta Thrashers.
In other minor league news, the St. Louis Blues have officially announced their affiliation with the Tulsa Oilers, giving the team an ECHL affiliate even though they won’t have on in the AHL next season. The Chicago Wolves, St. Louis’ most recent AHL partnership agreed to an affiliation with the Vegas Golden Knights. Expansion is expected in the AHL for the 2018-19 season to account for this, but for now St. Louis will send their prospects to several different teams (including the Wolves). Tulsa will give them a home for their ECHL players.
Snapshots: Red Wings, Hainsey, Goodrow
The Detroit Red Wings’ upcoming cap troubles have been examined at length here at PHR, but they’ll worry about the most immediate one in training camp. That’s according to Ansar Khan of MLive, who talked to GM Ken Holland about the fact that the Red Wings are projected to be over the cap when opening day rolls around. From the GM himself:
If everybody is healthy when we get to opening day, we’ll probably have to make a move. I’m anticipating we’ll be over by a little bit.
That little bit is because of Andreas Athanasiou‘s still unsettled contract situation. The ultra-fast forward will require a raise after scoring 18 goals last season, which will push the Red Wings even further over the cap than they already are. Johan Franzen will hit long-term injured reserve but a decision will likely come from the defense, where they have nine players including Luke Witkowski, who may end up playing more forward this year anyway.
- The Maple Leafs brought in Ron Hainsey to work with their young defense group this season, and according to Dave McCarthy of NHL.com Mike Babcock expects to play him alongside Morgan Rielly to start the season. Babcock is usually strict about playing defensemen on their strong side (meaning left-handed players play the left and visa versa) but one of Rielly or Hainsey will have to flip. Both have plenty of experience on the right side, with Hainsey most recently playing there for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs. Rielly spent much of 2014-15 on the right side under former coaches Randy Carlyle and Peter Horacek. Regardless of who moves over, it’s a big ask for the 36-year old Hainsey as Rielly was used in a very defensive deployment by Babcock last year, skating against the opponent’s top line almost every night.
- The San Jose Sharks have signed Barclay Goodrow to a two-year contract, inking the restricted free agent after another outstanding AHL season. Signed as a CHL free agent in 2014, Goodrow actually broke into the league immediately and played 60 games for the Sharks. Since then he’s spent most of his time in the AHL, registering back-to-back 20+ goal seasons. This year he put up 25 goals and 45 points, but got into just three games with the Sharks at the highest level. The team expects him to battle for a full-time NHL role at training camp next month.