Pacific Division Notes: Rodin, Gryba, Bennett, Coyotes Prospects
In need of additional scoring punch up front, the Vancouver Canucks were hopeful Swedish winger Anton Rodin would earn a big league job and contribute some secondary scoring to the lineup. He has impressed during camp but now it looks as if his NHL debut will be postponed as the 25-year-old winger is experiencing soreness and swelling in his surgically repaired knee. Rodin suffered a severed tendon last year while playing in the Swedish Elite League and as Iain MacIntyre of the Province writes, it’s believed that Rodin has simply aggravated the knee by playing too much hockey in a relatively short period of time this preseason.
GM Jim Benning indicated Rodin will be held out of the lineup for up to a week to allow for rest and rehab.
“The injury got aggravated and so he’s going to have to take a step back. We’re going to give him a few days or week off here to get the swelling down, and from there just rehab so he’s a 100 per cent for us. We’re going to need him at 100 per cent.”
MacIntyre notes that Rodin is averaging a point-per-game through five preseason contests and has demonstrated an ability to protect the puck and to play in traffic against bigger opponents during exhibition games. The 2009 second-round pick has some experience in North America, skating in 111 games with Chicago in the AHL, scoring 14 goals and 41 points. He returned to Sweden in time for the 2014-15 season and would go on to win the Swedish League’s MVP in 2015-16.
Fortunately for Vancouver, the injury doesn’t appear serious and it looks as if Rodin will only be out a short time. It could threaten his availability to play in the season opener and as such, his absence could come into play as the Canucks look to finalize their roster.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:
- After signing Kris Russell to a one-year contract, the Edmonton Oilers have given fellow blue liner Eric Gryba permission to speak with other clubs in an attempt to land a job, tweets Jason Gregor of the Edmonton Journal. This would seem to suggest Gryba, who is in camp with the Oilers on a PTO, will not make the Edmonton roster. If Gryba fails to find a spot in another organization, Gregor believes he could continue to skate with the team, though of course he would be doing so without a contract. Gryba spent the first three years of his NHL career with Ottawa before a 2015 trade sent the defenseman to Edmonton. He appeared in 53 games in 2015-16 with the Oilers and tallied one goal and six points.
- It’s looking more and more likely the Arizona Coyotes will break camp with a few rookies among their ranks, writes Sarah McLellan of AZ Central. Dylan Strome was expected to make the team and fill a scoring line pivot role and has done nothing in camp to change that line of thinking. Recently he’s been skating with Lawson Crouse and Anthony Duclair on the team’s second line. Speaking of Crouse, the Coyotes value his grit and toughness though it’s still likely he doesn’t start the season with Arizona. Laurent Dauphin could force his way into a 4th line role and has evidently earned the trust of his teammates with his hard work. McLellan also notes the team is still giving looks to forwards Christian Dvorak and Christian Fischer along with blue liners Jakob Chychrun and Anthony DeAngelo. Whatever happens it seems quite possible that several rookies will be suiting up for the Coyotes in 2016-17.
- Calgary Flames center Sam Bennett appears poised for a breakout campaign as a sophomore in the NHL, writes Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Herald. Bennett, who scored 18 goals and 36 points in 77 games as a rookie, is already well on his way to earning the trust of new head coach Glen Gulutzan due to his responsible two-way play this preseason. The 20-year-old pivot has also made an impression on veteran winger Troy Brouwer, with whom he has skated with this preseason: “He’s a good player. He sees the ice well and he reads the game well, which is a tough thing and a unique thing to have, especially at 20 years old. I think he’s the type of player, under this coach, who is going to have a lot of responsibility and it’s really going to elevate his game.” Gilbertson notes that with Johnny Gaudreau still unsigned and not playing, Calgary has struggled putting the puck in the net scoring just nine times in seven games. If Gaudreau is out for any extended period of the regular season, Bennett could help fill the scoring void created by his absence.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/8/16
Opening night is just a few days away and teams are quickly finalizing their rosters in advance of the regular season. With announcement likely coming throughout the day in a steady stream, we’ll track all of the day’s cuts here.
Anaheim Ducks (via Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports)
G Dustin Tokarski (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to San Diego, AHL)
Arizona Coyotes (via Craig Morgan)
D Anthony DeAngelo (Assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
C Christian Fischer (Assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
RW Stefan Fournier (Assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
D Dakota Mermis (Assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
G Justin Peters (Assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (via team release)
G Linus Ullmark (Assigned to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (via team release)
RW Garnet Hathaway (Assigned to Stockton, AHL)
G David Rittich (Assigned to Stockton, AHL)
C Hunter Shinkaruk (Assigned to Stockton, AHL)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (Assigned to Stockton, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)
C Patrick Brown (Assigned to Charlotte, AHL)
LW Brock McGinn (Assigned to Charlotte, AHL)
C Derek Ryan (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to Charlotte, AHL)
Colorado Avalanche (via Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports)
D Duncan Siemens (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to San Antonio, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings (via Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports)
D Brian Lashoff (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to Grand Rapids, AHL)
C Eric Tangradi (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to Grand Rapids, AHL)
RW Martin Frk (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Nick Jensen (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to Grand Rapids, AHL)
RW Mitch Callahan (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to Grand Rapids, AHL)
St. Louis Blues (via Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports and team release)
C Landon Ferraro (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to Chicago, AHL)
D Petteri Lindbohm (Assigned to Chicago, AHL)
Washington Capitals (via team release)
C Paul Carey (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to Hersehy, AHL)
RW Stanislav Galiev (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to Hershey, AHL)
C/LW Brad Malone (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to Hershey, AHL)
RW Christian Thomas (Placed on waivers for purpose of assignment to Hershey, AHL)
Western Conference Snapshots: Seguin, Hemsky, Birgas, Setoguchi, Kempe
One concern with allowing NHLers to participate in international tournaments such as the Winter Olympics and World Cup is the prospect of losing key players to injury either during the season or just prior. The Dallas Stars, for example, saw star center Tyler Seguin suffer a hairline fracture to his foot which has prevented him from playing in any exhibition games. Top-nine winger Ales Hemsky injured a groin during the recent World Cup and has also been held out of preseason action with the Stars.
Mike Heika of The Dallas Morning News has the latest updates on the health of the two forwards and the roster shuffling the team has undergone in their absence. The news on Seguin is optimistic even though he has yet to see any game action. Heika reports Seguin is a full participant during practice and according to head coach Lindy Ruff, should “in all likelihood,” be available to play opening night.
On the flip side, Hemsky’s rehab is not going well. He experienced a setback recently and is expected to be re-evaluated early next week.
Dallas recently added Justin Fontaine via PTO to add depth. Fontaine netted 16 points in 60 games with the Minnesota Wild this past season and was recently released from his PTO with Florida.
In addition to being without Seguin and Hemsky, the Stars are also missing Cody Eakin – out until November – and Mattias Janmark – out until April – both due to knee injuries. With nearly $6MM in available cap space, it’s possible the Stars could look to the trade market or waiver wire to bring in additional depth up front or they could simply try to weather the storm with what they already have on the roster.
More from the Western Conference:
- The Colorado Avalanche recently sent defense prospect Chris Bigras to their AHL affiliate in San Antonio but as Terry Frei of the Denver Post writes, the demotion had little to do with his play in training camp and more to do with ensuring the 21-year-old blue liner gets plenty of quality ice time. The Avalanche have plenty of quality players to fully staff the big league blue line and Bigras likely would have spent much of his time in the press box had he remained in Colorado. Bigras made his Avalanche debut last year, recording his first NHL goal and adding two assists in 31 games. With offseason free agent acquisition Fedor Tyutin set to hit the open market again next summer, and with three other defensmen – Eric Gelinas, Nikita Zadorov and Patrick Wiercioch – scheduled for restricted free agency, Birgas’ chances of making the team and earning a key role next year should be much better.
- As teams continue to trim down their rosters in advance of the start of the regular season, Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider writes about two players facing very different challenges as they try to survive final cuts. Devin Setoguchi, who is in camp on a PTO, realizes this could be his final chance to make an NHL club and is aware his performance in the team’s final two exhibition contests is vital: “I think it comes down to these last two games, and obviously I’m still here and have done something to this point to maybe keep them a little intrigued. Definitely I feel like there’s a lot riding on these next two games that I have to play.” Meanwhile, Adrian Kempe, the 20-year-old selected by the Kings in the 2014 draft, is just beginning his pro career and should he fail to make the Kings team this year, he’ll likely have many more opportunities to do so: “I came over really wanting to take a spot and that’s my goal. That’s been my goal the whole last year. It’s going to keep being my goal till I make it. I made a good camp, I think I played good in the games too and I’m still up, so I don’t know what’s going to happen after this weekend, but we’ve got two games left here and we’ll see what happens, but I feel good out there, so that’s good.” While not necessarily in direct competition for a roster spot, Rosen notes that Kempe’s versatility – he can play both wing and center – could prove to be an advantage. On the flip side, if the Kings like what they see from Setoguchi and feel he can again resemble the player who once netted 31 goals in a season, he could help fill the void created by Marian Gaborik‘s foot injury.
New Jersey Devils Sign Michael McLeod To ELC
According to a team release, the New Jersey Devils have signed first-round pick Michael McLeod to a three-year, entry-level contract. The Devils took the center 12th overall in this year’s entry draft.
McLeod, 18, was drafted out of the OHL where he played for the Mississauga Steelheads. He was assigned back to the team the other day, but will now be under a professional contract during the year. In 57 games, McLeod scored 61 points including 21 goals, and is seen as a future top-six center with some grit and physical play.
While McLeod is still at least a year away from sniffing the NHL, his maturity and leadership have long been talked about as one of his best attributes. He’ll wear the ‘C’ for Mississauga this season, as he plays for his hometown team. If fellow top draftee Alex Nylander (Buffalo) heads back to Mississauga as well, they’ll form one of the top duos in the league once again. Nylander however could head straight to the AHL due to a rule quirk discussed earlier this summer.
Clayton Stoner Clears Waivers; Stays With Ducks
After placing Clayton Stoner on waivers this week, the Anaheim Ducks were hoping a team would take a shot at the veteran defender and take the entirety of his cap hit off their hands. Instead, the 31-year old has cleared and will remain in camp according to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register.
Stoner has become the odd man out in Anaheim after the development of their young defense corps, and is dead cap space for a team trying desperately to re-sign Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell. The two young stars are still both without contracts as opening day approaches, with some believing that the team doesn’t have enough room to sign both to long-term deals.
The Anaheim blueline is very crowded even without Lindholm in camp however, as the team sent down two blue-chip prospects in Brandon Montour and Shea Theodore today. As discussed previously, the team will have to sort out the situation before next year’s expansion draft, or risk losing one of them for nothing.
Stoner for now will continue to skate in camp, and may perhaps find a spot on the team if Lindholm is not signed in time. More likely however, the veteran of 346 career NHL games will be buried in the AHL to save as much money as possible.
Training Camp Cuts: 10.07.16
It’s the final week of training camp, and teams are close to naming their opening night rosters. In order to do that, there are still a handful of cuts to be made.
Here are the cuts made on Friday, October 7, 2016:
Anaheim Ducks (via team release):
C Kalle Kossila (assigned to San Diego, AHL)
D Brandon Montour (assigned to San Diego, AHL)
D Shea Theodore (assigned to San Diego, AHL)
Boston Bruins (via Chris Johnston):
C Zac Rinaldo (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Providence, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (via Bill Hoppe):
D Tyson Strachan (to Rochester, AHL)
C Cal O’Reilly (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Rochester, AHL)
D Taylor Fedun (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (via Chris Johnston):
C Linden Vey (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Stockton, AHL)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Stockton, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via Mike Morreale):
G Anton Forsberg (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)
LW Markus Hännikäinen (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)
LW Sonny Milano (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)
Edmonton Oilers (via Frank Seravalli):
D Griffin Reinhart (assigned to Bakersfield, AHL)
Nashville Predators (via Chris Johnston):
LW Austin Watson (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Milwaukee, AHL)
New York Rangers (via Steve Zipay):
C Gabriel Fontaine (assigned to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
LW Nathan Gerbe (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Hartford, AHL)
LW Tanner Glass (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Hartford, AHL)
C Cristoval “Boo” Nieves (assigned to Hartford, AHL)
G Magnus Hellberg (assigned to Hartford, AHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (via team Twitter):
C Jake Guentzel (assigned to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)
RW Carter Rowney (assigned to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)
St. Louis Blues (via team release):
F Kenny Agostino (to Chicago, AHL)
F Ivan Barbashev (to Chicago, AHL)
F Samuel Blais (to Chicago, AHL)
D Jordan Schmaltz (to Chicago, AHL)
G Jordan Binnington (to Chicago, AHL)
D Mike Weber (released)
More to come…
Justin Fontaine Signs PTO With Dallas Stars
According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, former Minnesota winger Justin Fontaine has signed a professional try-out with the Dallas Stars. Fontaine had previously been signed to a PTO with the Florida Panthers, but he was released from it on Saturday.
An alumni of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Fontaine has spent the last three seasons as a bottom-six winger on the Wild and is trying to catch on somewhere for this season. An effective checker, Fontaine saw his offensive production fall off last year, scoring only five goals and sixteen points. If he were to his career high of 31, recorded just two years ago, he’d be a sought after asset for teams looking to fill our their forward group.
The Stars will kick the tires on the 28-year old, and see if he can contribute to their team this year. Look for Fontaine to sign an AHL deal somewhere if the Stars don’t bite, as it would be the second team to pass on the diminutive winger.
Flyers Lose Laughton, Manning To Injury
According to Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post, the Philadelphia Flyers have lost two players to injury today. Scott Laughton will be out 3-4 weeks with a lower-body injury, while Brandon Manning is week-to-week with an injury to his upper-body.
Laughton, a former first-round pick of the Flyers, had his first full NHL season last year, contributing 21 points in 71 games. The 22-year old was hoping to improve on those numbers as he headed into this season, but will now have to wait for a few weeks to join the club. With the season starting in less than a week, his timeline should keep him out for the first 10 games or so.
Manning, 26, was an option for the Flyers on the back end after spending 56 games with them last season. The undrafted blueliner has built quite a career since his days with the Chilliwack Bruins, making his NHL debut as a 22-year old and finding a ton of success at the AHL level. In 2014-15 he put up 43 points in 60 games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms while also racking up 150 penalty minutes (he had 31 and 231 the year before).
The Flyers had some tough decisions coming in camp, especially around youngsters Travis Konecny and Ivan Provorov, both of whom should benefit from these injuries. The two 19-year olds are trying to make the jump from the CHL to NHL and have turned heads at camp this year. Each was a first-round pick in the past and look ready to contribute at a professional level.
Training Camp Cuts: 10.06.2016
We’re now less than a week from the regular season and teams are starting to make the final cuts from their squads. Here is where we’ll keep track of all the day’s cuts.
Anaheim Ducks (via team release and General Fanager):
LW Ondrej Kase (to San Diego, AHL)
C Julius Nattinen (to San Diego, AHL)
D Clayton Stoner (on waivers for purposes of AHL assignment)
F Sean Bergenheim (released from PTO)
Buffalo Sabres (via John Vogl):
G Linus Ullmark (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (via team release):
D Jake Bean (to Calgary, WHL)
F Julien Gauthier (to Val d’Or, QMJHL)
F Aleksi Saarela (to Lukko, FEL)
G Alex Nedeljkovic (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Dennis Robertson (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Jake Chelios (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Andrew Poturalski (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Valentin Zykov (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Raffi Torres (released)
Capitals Reach Four-Year Extension With Hershey
According to a team release, the Washington Capitals have reached a four-year extension with the Hershey Bears, to keep the team’s AHL affiliate in the chocolate capital. The team will play through the 2019-20 season.
In Hershey, the Capitals have one of the best organizations in the AHL. The Bears have reached the post-season in 10 of their 11 seasons as the Washington affiliate, including Calder Cup championships in 2006, 2009 and 2010. They also went to the finals just last season where they would eventually lose to the Lake Erie (now Cleveland) Monsters.
With the stability, the Capitals can continue their pipeline of talent, one remeniscint of past Red Wings teams. Many of the Caps’ players have spent time in the AHL, including Vezina trophy winner Braden Holtby and defensive stud John Carlson.
Led by Chris Bourque, who scored 80 points to lead the team last season, the Bears were first in AHL attendance once again (their 10th consecutive season as such), drawing close to 400,000 fans in 2015-16. Once again they will be a powerhouse in the league and continue to develop young players for the Capitals for the next few years.