Winnipeg Inks Brandon Tanev To A One-Year Deal
The Winnipeg Jets have announced the re-signing of left wing Brandon Tanev to a one-year, $700K deal. Tanev spent 51 games with the Jets last season.
The 25-year-old split time between the Jets and AHL affiliate Manitoba, potting four points (2-2) in the NHL while posting nine points (2-7) in 23 games with the Moose. An undrafted free agent, Tanev averaged close to eleven minutes per game (10:41) while in Winnipeg.
Tanev found himself called up near the end of the year after already contributing in 43 games prior to that call up. A two-way forward, Tanev should compete for bottom six minutes this season, and seeing an uptick in ice time with his responsible play in his own end of the ice.
Garrett Mitchell Returns To Hershey Bears
One of the feel-good stories of the 2016-17 NHL season is making rounds once again. Garrett Mitchell, the captain of the AHL’s Hersey Bears, will return to the team in 2017-18. The team announced a new one-year deal with their locker room leader today.
Mitchell, 25, has been an alternate captain or captain for the Bears over the past four years and has been with the team for the past six, playing all but three of his 356 pro games with Hershey. One of those three outliers came in April, when the Washington Capitals rewarded Mitchell with his first career call-up and NHL game, much to the excitement of his teammates in Hersey.
A 2009 sixth-round pick, Mitchell has only produced modest offense in the AHL, but has been invaluable to the team for his leadership and responsible play. The Capitals, in appreciation of his role in helping to develop and protect their other AHL prospects, gave Mitchell, an impending free agent, the thrill of what was likely his first and only NHL experience. His new contract keeps him in Hersey, but as a minor league contract he is no longer property of the Capitals. Mitchell will continue to be the captain of the Bears and will help to make up for some the offense lost due to the departures of Paul Carey and Stanislav Galiev, so even though his NHL aspirations may be over, Mitchell will continue to be a well-regarded player and teammate and a fan favorite in Hershey.
Leafs Notes: Bracco, Woll, Dzierkals
As the Toronto Sun’s Lance Horby reports, highly-regarded Toronto prospect Jeremy Bracco is curiously absent from Leafs’ development camp for the second day in a row with an undisclosed illness. Bracco reported for camp, but has not seen the ice and the team has yet to make an announcement regarding his whereabouts or condition. Bracco, the team’s second-round pick in 2o15, is a candidate to make the Leafs roster for the 2017-18 season, but a development camp appearance would go a long way to securing that spot. After scoring 83 points in 57 games in the OHL last season, Bracco has shown that he can score at a high level. Nevertheless, the undersized winger has a long way to go to prove that he’s NHL-ready and missing valuable time with the Toronto coaches could hinder his chances of making the team.
- Development camp lost another big name today, as goaltender Joseph Woll left with a leg injury. The Leafs’ third-round selection in 2016, the 18-year-old Woll just finished his freshman year at Boston College and is years away from NHL enlistment. However, there will surely be concern over the extent of the injury and the loss of valuable ice time at camp for Toronto’s goalie of the future.
- One player looking to take advantage of some more attention with other big name sidelined is Martins Dzierkals. The 20-year-old winger told Michael Augello that his goal this off-season is to earn a spot in the organization, rather than return to the QMJHL for his overage season. Dzierkals was selected in the third round in 2015 and has been better than a point-per-game scorer for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies ever since, but still may not be a shoo-in for a roster spot with the AHL’s Marlies. Toronto has 48 players signed out of a possible 50 already and that roster crunch, perhaps even more than Dzierkals’ ability, could keep him in juniors for another year.
Anton Lander Signs With KHL Club Ak Bars Kazan
After six up and down seasons with the Oilers, Anton Lander has finally moved on from Edmonton and from the NHL altogether. KHL club Ak Bars Kazan reports this morning that they have signed the 26-year-old forward to a two-year deal. A deal that has been rumored for months finally becomes official and this likely closes the door on Lander’s NHL career, unless he is able to take major developmental steps in Russia over the next few years.
A skilled center, the question was never whether Lander was talented or not, but whether he could put that talent together for a well-rounded NHL-caliber game. A 2009 second-round pick of the Oilers out of Timra of the Swedish Elite League, the swift Swede gained attention with impressive World Junior performances before making the jump across the Atlantic in 2011, at the age of 20. Edmonton was excited to have the young star and gave him every chance to be an NHL regular. Lander played in 56 games with Oilers as a first year pro, but recorded just six points. He nearly matched that total in just 14 games with the AHL’s Oklahoma City Barons. So, in the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, Lander spent more time in the minors, where he put up big numbers, than with the Oilers, as he seemed ill prepared for the NHL level. Lander scored 72 points in 93 games in the AHL in those two seasons and helped to lead the team to back-to-back playoff appearances, but played in just 38 games for a struggling Oilers squad during that span, recording only two points. Nevertheless, Lander worked his way back into the NHL lineup in 2014-15 and took major steps toward reaching his potential, scoring a career-high 20 points in just 38 games in Edmonton, while adding 31 points in 29 games with Oklahoma City. Expectations were high entering the 2015-16, but again Lander faltered, scoring just three points in 61 games with the Oilers. Lander had the best pro season of his career this past year…in the AHL. He posted 55 points in 42 games with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and earned an AHL All-Star selection, but scored only one goal and three assists in 22 games with Edmonton. It was clear by the end of the season that both parties were tired of the back-and-forth; Edmonton was frustrated with Lander’s streaky play and inability to score at the same clip in the NHL, while Lander was tired of putting up major numbers in the minor leagues without being rewarded with more big league opportunity. A mutual split has been a long time coming.
Yet, the Oilers still issued a qualifying offer to Lander, a restricted free agent, last month, so they will retain the rights to the talented forward while he plays overseas. Although it is unlikely that Lander will make a return to the NHL, especially any time soon, it’s always a possibility. Edmonton could be rewarded for their years of dedication to developing the young scorer if he flourishes in the KHL the next few seasons and decides to come back.
Wild Re-Sign Kurtis Gabriel
The Minnesota Wild have reportedly come to terms on a new deal with gritty forward Kurtis Gabriel. While the team has yet to make the contract official, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie believes that the ink has dried on a one-year, two-way contract worth $715K at the NHL level for the restricted free agent. With several frequent fourth liners in 2016-17 now gone – Tyler Graovac (traded to Washington), Erik Haula (selected by Vegas), Jordan Schroeder (traded to Columbus), Ryan White (will not be re-signed) – Gabriel will be given every chance to earn a regular spot in the lineup next season.
A 2013 third-round pick, Gabriel has not been able to come close to the offense he showed with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack in his three years of pro experience. Gabriel has just one point in 16 NHL games over two seasons and 40 points in 190 career AHL games. The value that Gabriel does bring to the table is his toughness and two-way ability. Gabriel averaged two hits per game in his brief NHL stints in 2016-17 and racked up more than two penalty minutes per game. That was in just about 5 minutes of ice time per game too. At 6’4″, 211-lbs., the big winger is a force to reckon and, given the proper amount of ice time, could be one of the most ferocious checkers in the NHL. He also wins battles along the boards and is an above-average shot blocker. Increasing his offensive output or at least working on a horrendous possession game would help Gabriel’s chances of sticking with the Wild next season, but fourth-line opportunity and physical domination often go hand-in-hand regardless.
Gabriel is locked up for next year, but the off-season is far from over for GM Chuck Fletcher and the Minnesota front office. They still have major restricted free agents to sign in Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, and Marcus Foligno, as well as competition for Gabriel on the checking line in Zack Mitchell, not to mention an ongoing search for a reliable back-up goalie behind Devan Dubnyk. It’s nice to have one box checked off, but the Wild brass have their work cut out for them this summer.
Vancouver Canucks Re-Sign Joseph LaBate
Fresh off of his rookie season, checking forward Joseph LaBate has re-signed with the Vancouver Canucks. The team announced today that the 24-year-old has signed a one-year, two-way deal worth the league minimum of $650K. The two sides came to terms below the value of LaBate’s qualifying offer, $660K, which was made last week.
Standing 6’5″ and weighing over 200 lbs., LaBate is a noticeable presence on the ice. A two-way forward who can play both center and wing, he is a good fit for a versatile, energy-line job when called upon by Vancouver. While he provides only meager offense – no points in 13 NHL games and just 16 points in 38 AHL games last year – he makes up for it with consistent defensive play. In the team’s press release, GM Jim Benning praised LaBate’s ability to be a physical presence for both the Canucks and AHL’s Utica Comets. Without many big checking forwards on the roster, Vancouver likely hopes that LaBate can carve out a role for himself on their bottom line as a two-way threat and work towards exhibiting some of the offensive touch he showed as a four-year starter at the University of Wisconsin.
While Benning and the Canucks are happy to have one of their young players back under contract, the team still has their work cut out for them with extending restricted free agents, with Bo Horvat, Brendan Gaunce, Reid Boucher, Michael Chaput and Evan McEneny in need of new deals. LaBate is just the beginning of several expected contracts this off-season for Vancouver.
AHL Announces Expansion For 2018-19 Season
The AHL Board of Governors meetings concluded today in South Carolina and among the number of things discussed, the expansion of the league for the 2018-19 season headlined the conclusion of the four day meeting.
The AHL will expand to 31 teams in time for the 2018-19 season, meaning that each NHL team will have a primary farm club in the AHL. The Vegas Golden Knights agreed to a five-year deal with the Chicago Wolves, formerly the minor league affiliate with the St. Louis Blues. With this change, it leaves the Blues without a primary affiliate as reported back in March. The Blues will still send players to the Wolves.
In addition to expansion news, the Charlotte Checkers (Carolina) moved from the Central Division in the Western Conference to the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference.
Aside from those changes, playoff format remained the same as well as the home team wearing light jerseys at home until the Christmas break. Following the break, teams will wear their dark uniforms at home.
Snapshots: Kane, Mazanec, Dineen
In one of the latest examples of using analytics to suss out extra information about the NHL’s top players, Travis Yost of TSN tries to determine who the league’s best overall shooter. Combining both volume and shooting percentage, Yost comes to a conclusion of Chicago’s Patrick Kane as the top sniper.
Interestingly, seeing names like Jannik Hansen on the bottom of the list underlines why analytics are such a divisive subject around the hockey world. While some teams may see that as an opportunity for an under-utilized scorer, others may point to his inclusion as evidence that the “eye-test” is more reliable. Whatever you believe, the article is an interesting look into what makes an elite shooting threat in today’s NHL.
- Marek Mazanec finds himself on waivers today according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, just a day after filing for arbitration with the team. The Predators were expected to part ways with Mazanec after signing Anders Lindback and Matt O’Connor, making his arbitration filing odd in the first place. Though Lavoie did not expand on the transaction, the waivers could precede a release from the organization though why the team extended him a qualifying offer in the first place is still unclear.
- The Rochester Americans have hired an assistant coach to work with Chris Taylor this season, bringing Gord Dineen in from the Toronto Marlies. Dineen has been in the AHL as an assistant or head coach for the past 15 years, and will join his eighth different club. The Amerks will try to turn things around under new leadership, as recently Randy Sexton was lured from the Pittsburgh Penguins to be the club’s new GM.
Bruins Re-Sign Tim Schaller
The Boston Bruins have re-signed depth forward Tim Schaller to a one-way contract worth $775,000, per the team’s beat writer Ty Anderson of WEEI. This move will avoid arbitration, which the player filed for earlier today. Schaller is only 26 years old, but has shown little flair at the NHL level. He potted 7 goals and 7 assists through 59 games last year in Boston. For Buffalo’s AHL affiliate Rochester Americans, he never broke 15 goals, and he never bested that total at Providence College either.
Despite his meager offensive touch, he’s a solid defensive forward who has a decent frame at 6’2 and 219 pounds. He even used to skate as a defenseman earlier in his career, so he is naturally relentless in his own zone. He doesn’t earn a ton of ice time, at just over 12 minutes a night last season, but has become a useful cog that earned trust under head coach Bruce Cassidy. He even added a goal in last year’s series against Ottawa. His overall improvement from his Buffalo days should inspire some hope, even as his advanced stats don’t inspire a ton of confidence. He actually performed far worse in Corsi Relative (-7.2%) than his previous year (+1.6), but this is a player where the analytics aren’t telling the whole picture. The larger sample size likely brought those numbers down as well.
Schaller will get a chance to further prove himself with defensive consistency, and the ability to chip in the odd goal, next season. He may still find himself a healthy scratch on occasion, but he’s being given every opportunity to claim his roster spot. For Boston, this agreement avoids the overall hassle and uncertainty that an arbitration can bring, without breaking the bank. They also needed some help on the defensive side of the puck as a team after losing Dominic Moore to free-agency. Schaller will also look to assume a larger role on the penalty kill, barring any further player movement.
Minor Moves: Boyd, Aho, Driedger, Payne
While the league reels from the whopping Connor McDavid extension, that will see the reigning MVP earn a league-high $12.5MM per season, other teams have made some much more minor moves to improve their team. Here are some smaller transactions that took place today:
- The Washington Capitals have avoided arbitration with one of their restricted free agents, signing Travis Boyd to a one-year two-way contract that will pay him $650K in the NHL. Boyd scored 63 points at the AHL level and could have a chance to make his NHL debut this season. That leaves the Capitals with just Philipp Grubauer as an arbitration eligible RFA.
- The New York Islanders have signed Sebastian Aho—no not that Sebastian Aho—to a three-year entry-level contract. This 21-year old defenseman was selected in the fifth round of this year’s draft after being passed over several times. Aho broke out in Sweden last season, and will compete for a job at the AHL level this season.
- Ottawa has signed Chris Driedger to a one-year two-way deal that will pay him $735K in the NHL. Driedger was a restricted free agent, and with the departure of Matt O’Connor (who signed with the Nashville Predators after not receiving a qualifying offer) will likely be joined by Andrew Hammond in the AHL next season.
- The Buffalo Sabres have hired Davis Payne as an associate coach, coming aboard to join Phil Housley on a revamped staff. Payne is the former head coach of the St. Louis Blues and most recently an assistant with the LA Kings. He was let go along with Darryl Sutter and the rest of the Kings’ coaching staff, but will join Housley in trying to turn around the Sabres next season.