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Injury Notes: Crawford, Kesler, Roussel

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Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford finally admitted that it was a concussion that ended his season last year and has been causing him so many problems over the last few months. On the ice working his way back to playing shape today but not taking part in normal training camp activities, Crawford told reporters that is now “really close” despite still experiencing some concussion symptoms.

The Blackhawks are desperately trying to bounce back from their disappointing 2017-18 campaign, and probably the most important player on the entire roster is Crawford. Without him the team will have to go with a tandem of Cam Ward and Anton Forsberg, a duo that while upgraded from last season is still underwhelming at the very best. Ward does have experience as a starter of course, but hasn’t shown much over the last few seasons to prove that he can handle carrying a team to the postseason. Crawford getting back into the net at full strength would be a huge boost for the Blackhawks, but we’ll have to wait and see if he can get there.

  • The Anaheim Ducks were pleased to have both Ryan Kesler and Patrick Eaves on the ice today when the team opened training camp, though it’s still not clear what their status is for the start of the season. There had been some rumors about Kesler perhaps missing the entire 2018-19 campaign with his ongoing hip troubles, but having him out on the ice even just skating is a step in the right direction. Eaves of course is coming back from his Guillain-Barre Syndrome diagnosis but would be an incredible boost to the Ducks’ secondary scoring group if he can return to full strength this season. In his 22 regular season games with the Ducks since being acquired in 2017, Eaves has scored 12 goals including 10 at even strength.
  • The Vancouver Canucks added some size and toughness to the lineup this summer when they signed Tim Schaller, Jay Beagle and Antoine Roussel, but have already lost one of them to injury. Roussel will not be participating in training camp at this point after suffering a concussion in pre-camp scrimmages. Still skating, Roussel’s timeline hasn’t been made public and at this point is likely still undecided. It’s a tough start for a player who was signed to a four-year contract in July, despite never scoring 15 goals or 30 points in a single season.

Training Camp Notes: Kings, Gionta, Tryouts

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When the Los Angeles Kings begin training camp tomorrow, they will be without three notable players. The team announced today that starting defenseman Derek Forbort, top prospect Gabriel Vilardi, and first-year pro Austin Strand will not be full participants when camp opens. Forbort, who is entering his fourth season as a Kings regular, is the least concern. A back injury will keep Forbort from taking part in team drills, but he is well enough to skate and is considered day-to-day. Regardless, Forbort has his top-six role locked in to begin this year and will likely resume playing with Dion Phaneuf after the two found chemistry late last year. The same can’t be said for Vilardi and Strand, who are fighting for roster spots in camp but at this point are considered week-to-week. Vilardi, the eleventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, is also suffering from a back injury and is completely sidelined for now. The young center could play a major role for L.A. this year, but has to first get on the ice this month and prove he is ready for the NHL. Strand, an undrafted free agent inked by the Kings last season, is hoping to get a shot on the blue line at some point this season. However, the standout from the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds must first get over the concussion symptoms that are currently keeping him from practice and game action. In the meantime, the Kings revealed their camp roster with some extra bodies invited to perhaps make up for these injuries. Junior players Nathan Dunkley, Mark Rassel, and Michal Ivan – one from each of the three CHL leagues – are set to join the team on tryouts.

  • The New York Islanders weren’t willing to give Stephen Gionta a contract extension last summer, but the team ended up re-signing the veteran forward in December. This time around they are still unwilling to give Gionta a guaranteed contract, but they are willing to give him a shot at earning a spot in camp. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports that Gionta will join the team on a PTO in camp as he works to play a 13th pro season. Gionta, the younger brother of Brian Gionta, played for the New Jersey Devils organization for parts of eleven seasons, but has suited up for the Islanders and their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, for the past two years.
  • Gionta and the Kings’ junior tryouts are far from the only camp invitees across the league. As teams have announced their camp rosters, many previously unannounced PTO’s have been revealed. The defending champion Washington Capitals have invited Canadian collegiate forward Mark Simpson and WHL goalie Logan Thompson to camp. Their Stanley Cup competitors, the Vegas Golden Knights, will have junior forwards Raphael Harvey-Pinard and Ryan Chyzowski among their participants. The Anaheim Ducks will take a look at QMJHLers Justin Ducharme and Simon Benoit. The Edmonton Oilers add yet another PTO in former Detroit Red Wings prospect forward Luke Esposito. The Nashville Predators have just one additional skater in camp in WHL center Alex Overhardt. The Montreal Canadiens bring in some nearby QMJHL talent with keeper Samuel Harvey and forward Joel Teasdale. The New Jersey Devils will give ECHL goaltender Colton Phinney a shot, as well as junior blue liner Jeremy Groleau. The Detroit Red Wings host six junior players, as well as two of their ECHL affiliate’s players: defensemen Mackenze Stewart and Brenden Kotyk. The Minnesota Wild will also have a large group of tryouts, including twin forwards Drake and Darian Pilon. Finally, the Calgary Flames have invited surprise undrafted OHL defenseman Merrick Rippon to camp, while the Chicago Blackhawks will evaluate his Ottawa 67’s team mate, forward Shaw Boomhower. 

Contract Discussions With Nick Ritchie Classified As Tough

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  • Ducks winger Nick Ritchie has somewhat flown under the radar compared to some of the more notable remaining restricted free agents. In an interview on Sportsnet 650 (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that it has been a “tough negotiation” between him and Anaheim thus far.  Ritchie was the tenth overall pick back in 2014 but has yet to make a significant impact offensively.  Last season, he had just 10 goals and 17 assists in 76 games while averaging just over 13 minutes of playing time per night.  Unlike some of the more prominent remaining RFAs, the 22-year-old is almost certainly heading for a bridge contract.

Kevin Bieksa A Fit For Vegas Golden Knights?

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Respected veteran defenseman Kevin Bieksa isn’t quite ready to hang up his skates. The long-time Vancouver Canuck is no longer the elite defender that he was in his younger days, but at 37 years old he showed during the past few seasons with the Anaheim Ducks that he can still be a serviceable asset on the blue line. He continues to train as if he is playing this season and could sign soon. However, Bieksa tells Sportsnet’s Dan Murphy that he’s hoping he can land with a “perfect fit”. Bieksa’s family is remaining in California regardless of where he signs and Bieksa would prefer to stay nearby. In fact, Bieksa claims that he has received multiple offers this off-season, but has not pulled the trigger in hopes of staying closer to his family.

A “relatively close” NHL location to Anaheim, California would of course be the Ducks, but also Pacific Division rivals like the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Arizona Coyotes, and Vegas Golden Knights. Bieksa left the Ducks on poor terms after being underutilized in the postseason, so a return seems very unlikely. Meanwhile, the Kings, Sharks, and Coyotes are very deep on the blue line.

The Golden Knights are an intriguing option, though. The team was recently dealt a blow in the form of a 20-game suspension for top pair defender Nate Schmidt. Vegas is also still at odds with Shea Theodore over a new contract and the restricted free agent remains unsigned as training camp nears. This currently leaves just six proven NHL defenseman on the active roster, including 36-year-old Deryk Engelland and journeyman Brad Hunt. The Knights aren’t without some interesting prospect options, such as Griffin Reinhart and Zach Whitecloud, but the team has already been linked to interest in a veteran PTO or two. Bieksa could step in – either on a tryout or affordable one-year deal – and provide some depth and leadership this season for Vegas. It seems like a natural fit for both sides; will it happen?

 

Minor Transactions: 9/5/18

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September is upon us, but the hockey futures of many players are still up in the air. While high-profile NHL unrestricted and restricted free agents still remain in the hunt for a big league contract, others are sorting out minor league deals and tryout agreements:

  • The Boston Bruins inked veteran defenseman Mark Fayne and German import Marcel Noebels to PTO’s yesterday, but they’ve added another tryout to the camp roster as well. Appearing with the group slated to begin the preseason in Boston, rather than on the road in China, is defenseman Joel Messner. Messner, a recent graduate of the University of Nebraska-Omaha, was a four year starter for the Mavericks and captained the team last season. The 24-year-old blue liner scored more points last year, 23, than he did in his previous three campaigns combined, showing some remaining potential to his game. Given the Bruins dramatic defensive depth, both at the NHL and AHL level, Messner may be only be trying out for a two-way minor league deal to perhaps headline the Bruins’ ECHL defensive unit with the Atlanta Gladiators. Nonetheless, he could make for an intriguing player to watch for in camp.
  • Tyler Soy, an unsigned 2016 seventh-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks, has stuck with the organization. Soy signed a one-year deal with the San Diego Gulls today, the Ducks’ AHL affiliate announced. The 21-year-old center played two games with the Gulls at the tail end of the 2016-17 season and must have made a good impression. He also finished second in scoring for the WHL’s Victoria Royals last year, registering 92 points in 66 games. Soy has the ability to be a difference-maker in the AHL and could soon re-establish himself as an NHL prospect.
  • The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers, have re-signed forward David Gust to a one-year deal, the team announced. Gust, a first-year pro last season, led all Condors rookies with 13 goals and 24 points. The 24-year-old right wing is a former Ohio State standout, recording 41 points in 39 games as a senior. Bakersfield hopes to see some of that upside in the coming season.
  • Gasper Kopitar, brother of L.A.’s Anze Kopitar, is staying in the system. The ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs have announced a one-year extension for their Slovenian superstar. Kopitar was under contract, but did not play for the Monarchs last season due to injury. Healthy and re-committed, he is back to work with Manchester. With this deal, the Kings organization has now kept the younger Kopitar employed in North America for more than five years, even though he has never played above the ECHL level. Although New Hampshire is quite a ways from California, it is surely a gesture that the Kings’ captain appreciates.

Chris Kelly Hired By Ottawa Senators

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Chris Kelly’s playing career has come to an end after playing in the Olympics and then suiting up 12 times with the Anaheim Ducks last season, and he will re-join the Ottawa Senators organization as a development coach. Kelly started his career and played several years with the Senators between 2005-2010.

Kelly, 37, served as captain of the 2018 Canadian Olympic hockey team after the NHL banned their players from attending. The long-time professional player ended up with three points in six games en route to a bronze medal, but will always be able to say he competed at the very highest level of international competition. After also competing in the Spengler Cup, Kelly signed on with the Ducks in late February and registered two points down the stretch. Always a defensively responsible player, it was clear that his days of contributing much offense at the NHL level were long gone.

In Ottawa, a coach like Kelly who has been seen as a model professional and leader throughout his playing career can help to try and turn the tides. The Senators locker room has been divided for the last while if reports are to be true, and now have huge decisions to make with pending free agents. Mark Stone, Matt Duchene and captain Erik Karlsson are all heading into the final year of their contracts and need to be shown that the ship is heading in the right direction. Kelly will be a good influence on the young players hoping to help take over the team in the coming seasons.

Ducks Discussed A Long-Term Deal With Brandon Montour Before Committing To Bridge Contract

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  • While the Ducks and defenseman Brandon Montour ultimately settled on a two-year bridge contract, they did discuss a long-term pact, Montour acknowledged to John Matisz of theScore. However, they weren’t able to find something that worked for both sides which isn’t particularly surprising as the 24-year-old only has one full NHL season under his belt so a short-term pact was the likeliest outcome.  That will likely be the case as well for their last RFA in winger Nick Ritchie.

NHL Rookie Tournaments Set For Early September

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8/31: The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders have joined to fray, as their rookie camps will clash in prospects game on September 12th at the Isles’ practice facility, the teams announced. This leaves only the Florida Panthers without a competition for their rookies in the coming weeks.

8/24: Before team training camps open up for veterans, the rookies get some work in each year with various rookie tournaments and exhibition games taking place around the continent. This is where you can catch your favorite team:

  • The most well-known preseason rookie tournament is obviously the Traverse City NHL Prospect Tournament. The annual tournament hosted by the Detroit Red Wings is in its 20th year of existence. The format consists of two four-team “divisions” who play a round-robin tournament with the winner of each group earning a berth in the championship game. Featured this year are the Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. The games run from September 7th to September 11th.
  • Buffalo is again set to host the Sabres’ Prospect Challenge Tournament. Running from September 7th to 10th, it is a single group round robin tournament with the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, and Pittsburgh Penguins joining the Sabres on their home ice. This will be the first game action for top overall pick and preseason Calder Trophy favorite Rasmus Dahlin.
  • Across the border, the three eastern Canadian teams are set to square off in Laval, Quebec, the home of the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. The Habs announced a set of three games featuring themselves, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Ottawa Senators on September 7th, 8th, and 9th.
  • On the other side of the country, a previous rookie tournament has been split in half. The NHL Young Stars Tournament, held in Penticton, British Columbia, will now contain only the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks, as well as a pair of collegiate teams in a three-day series of games from September 7th to 9th. The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames chose not to participate this year and will instead face-off in one singular game in Red Deer, Alberta on September 12th.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights are set to host the first of a revolving tournament among U.S.-based Western Conference teams. Nicknamed the Vegas Rookie Faceoff, Sin City will be the location of this year’s tournament which also features the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks. It will be a three-day, nine-game series taking place on September 8th, 9th, and 11th. The tournament is expected to head to Anaheim next year.
  • Finally, the NHL’s southeastern squads will square off in Estero, Florida at the home of the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. The Prospect Showcase will be four days of games between the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, and defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, taking place from September 8th to 11th.

For all updates on rookie tournament rosters, check in with Roster Resource and their running tracker of roster announcements.

Poll: Who Will Win The Pacific Division In 2018-19?

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We’re just over a month away from the 2018-19 NHL season, and players are hitting the ice with teammates to start forming chemistry. All over the league there are individual workouts underway, and rookie tournament rosters being announced. The excitement for the upcoming season is starting to bubble up to the surface, and even the smallest NHL news has fans in a frenzy.

Recently, Bovada released their over/under numbers for each team’s point totals and there are some interesting results. Though these aren’t to be taken exactly as predictions for the upcoming season—since betting odds also take into account popularity trends and other factors—fans of the Tampa Bay Lightning should still be extremely satisfied to see their club at the very top with an over/under of 107.5 points. The Lightning are expected to be Stanley Cup contenders once again in 2018-19, and have brought back nearly their entire roster.

We ran a poll asking the PHR community to decide who will win the Atlantic Division last week, and the Lightning came out on top with nearly 37% of the vote. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished in second place, but the big surprise was the Detroit Red Wings in third with 15% of all voters. While our readers have more confidence in the Red Wings than the odds makers, we’ve seen stranger things in the past.

The odds though tell an interesting story in the Pacific Division.

The Vegas Golden Knights won the division easily last season with 109 points, finishing at 51-24-7 in their inaugural season. They rode that dominance all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, and yet aren’t the clear leader this time around. Vegas is tied with the Anaheim Ducks at a 96.5 point over/under, but actually a point behind the San Jose Sharks who come in at 97.5. Los Angeles, Calgary and Edmonton don’t lag far behind, making this one of the most interesting divisions in hockey to watch this season.

Who do you think will come out on top of the Pacific Division this year? Can Edmonton bounce back from a disastrous 2017-18? Will Marc-Andre Fleury lead the Golden Knights back to the top? Can the Coyotes go from worst to first in one season? Cast your vote below and explain how you think the season will play out in the comments!

Who will win the Pacific Division in 2018-19?
San Jose Sharks 26.83% (338 votes)
Los Angeles Kings 16.43% (207 votes)
Vegas Golden Knights 14.60% (184 votes)
Calgary Flames 13.10% (165 votes)
Anaheim Ducks 11.19% (141 votes)
Edmonton Oilers 10.71% (135 votes)
Arizona Coyotes 3.73% (47 votes)
Vancouver Canucks 3.41% (43 votes)
Total Votes: 1,260

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Snapshots: Gulls, Hiller, Sbisa

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The San Diego Gulls, AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, are bringing in some fresh faces behind the bench. The team announced that they have hired Sylvain Lefebvre and David Urquhart as assistant coaches for the coming season. The pair will join the staff of former Edmonton Oilers head coach Dallas Eakins in San Diego. Lefebvre, a well-known name in hockey, has been the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliates – in Hamilton, St. John’s, and Laval – for the past six years, but was not retained by the organization this off-season. He also served as an assistant coach at the NHL and AHL level for the Colorado Avalanche. Lefebvre enjoyed a long NHL career, suiting up for 945 games over 14 seasons with four organizations, including a Stanley Cup-winning campaign with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. Urquhart is a more outside-the-box hire, but could help with the development of the Ducks’ young prospects. An assistant coach at McGill University in Montreal for the past six years, Urquhart was also a standout player for McGill in the mid-2000’s. He also got a taste of the AHL, playing in 130 games before joining the coaching ranks. The Gulls missed the playoffs last season for the first time since joining the AHL and are hoping that some new voices behind the bench could make the difference in getting back to postseason and continuing to provide Anaheim with pro-ready talent.

  • A former Duck is not looking to return to the NHL. Jonas Hiller, now 36, has not played an NHL game since the 2015-16 season, when he struggled greatly as the backup for the Calgary Flames. However, prior to that unfortunate campaign, Hiller spent seven years as one of the best and most consistent goalies in the league for Anaheim and even found success in his first season in Calgary. Since he left the league, he has also done well for himself, playing for EHC Biel-Bienne of the NLA in his native Switzerland. Last year in particular, Hiller was one of the best goalies in the league. Given that recent success and his impending free agency, some speculated that he might eye an opportunity to return to the NHL next summer. However, that thought was put to rest today when Biel-Bienne announced a one-year extension for their star keeper. Barring an otherworldly performance over the next two seasons, it seems unlikely that Hiller would want or be able to return to the NHL at age 38 when his current contract expires.
  • Another former Duck, and former teammate of Hiller’s, defenseman Luca Sbisa is still weighing his options for the coming season. No sooner did a report come out yesterday claiming Sbisa could receive a PTO from the Vegas Golden Knights that agent Andre Rufener now tells the Swiss Hockey News that Sbisa has already received a PTO offer from an “unnamed team”. Rufener also states that there is considerable interest in his client and that several teams are weighing a contract offer. It seems that Sbisa is inclined to hold out for that solid offer rather than accept a PTO at this point in time. With so much noise surrounding the 28-year-old blue liner, it seems likely that he will find a new NHL home before the puck drops on the new season.

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