Emerson Etem Signs With Lugano Of Swiss League
Former Arizona Coyotes forward Emerson Etem has chosen to give up on the NHL and head overseas to Switzerland. Etem signed today for the remainder of the season with Lugano of the Swiss National League, according to EliteProspects.com.
The 25-year-old wing signed a one-year deal this offseason to play with the Arizona Coyotes, but didn’t make the squad and instead found himself with the Tucson Roadrunners. He eventually asked to be released and was put on unconditional waivers on Dec. 31.
Etem, a former first-round pick in 2010, struggled to etch out an NHL career as he has never played a full NHL season. His best season was in the 2015-16 season when he played 58 games between the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks. He had seven goals and eight assists, but couldn’t parlay that into further success. He was waived by the Canucks at the start of the 2016-17 season and picked up by Anaheim, the team that originally drafted him, but only got into three Ducks’ games all season.
In 16 AHL games with the Roadrunners this season, Etem had four goals and one assist.
Anaheim Claims J.T. Brown, Places Logan Shaw On Waivers
The Anaheim Ducks claimed J.T. Brown off of waivers Sunday and placed Logan Shaw on waivers to make space for him, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Brown, who was placed on waivers Saturday by the Tampa Bay Lightning, will now join the Ducks in hopes of providing some bottom-six offense for them.
Brown played sparingly in Tampa Bay, who was looking to free up roster space so the team can audition some of its top youngsters from their AHL franchise. They 27-year-old has spent six seasons with Tampa Bay, but has seen his playing time drop to an all-time low of 9:22. He has played in just 24 games for the Lightning this year, often being a healthy scratch. He has a goal and three assists on the year and might be best known this season for raising his fist in protest during the national anthem on Oct. 7. Brown is the second Lightning player to be lost to waivers this season as they lost Gabriel Dumont earlier this year to Ottawa.
The 25-year Shaw, on the other hand, has seen a significant amount of action this year, mostly on the team’s fourth line, as he’s played in 42 of the team’s 44 games. However, with just two goals and six assists this year while averaging 11:29 of ice time, the team hopes he might clear waivers and they can keep him with their AHL affiliate.
Pacific Notes: Cogliano, Martin, Dell, Bellemare
The Department of Player Safety announced they will have a hearing today for Anaheim Ducks forward Andrew Cogliano for his illegal check to the head on Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe during the first period of Saturday night’s game between the two teams.
A possible suspension for the iron man Cogliano in jeopardy. The veteran has not missed a game since 2007 and has played 830 consecutive games, ranking fourth highest in NHL history, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Elliotte Friedman added that he is just 134 games behind Doug Jarvis, who played with Montreal, Washington and Hartford between 1975 to 1988.
- On his Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada, Friedman reports the San Jose Sharks are trying to trade defenseman Paul Martin. The veteran defenseman, in his third season with San Jose, was injured in the second game of the season and has only appeared in one game since then on Dec. 7. He played a four-game stretch of games in the AHL on a conditioning loan, but has been called up and has been a healthy scratch since. With the emergence of defensemen Tim Heed and Joakim Ryan on San Jose’s blueline, there is no place for Martin. With defenseman Dylan DeMelo about ready to be activated off of injured reserve, the team hopes to send Martin elsewhere. Martin played 159 games in his first two seasons with the Sharks. The problem is Martin is owed $4.85MM both this year and next, which might make moving the veteran much more difficult than it looks.
- Paul Gackle of the Mercury News writes that while the Sharks are likely to move goaltender Aaron Dell before he hits unrestricted free agency this summer, the team cannot consider moving their backup goaltender until the last possible moment as the team finds itself fighting for a playoff spot. The Sharks are currently one point out of a playoff spot in a highly competitive race. “We need great goaltending in the second half,” head coach Peter DeBoer said. Due to the recent struggles of starter Martin Jones, the team doesn’t want to lose Dell too quickly in case Martin, who has struggled since the beginning of December, fails to bounce back. Gackle adds that in a perfect world, the team would try to send Dell off as soon as possible to get a fourth-line center or a wing.
- The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Steve Carp writes the Vegas Golden Knights avoided a possible injury Saturday in their game against Edmonton when forward Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare took a puck to the face off a shot from defenseman Darnell Nurse. The veteran tough-guy took three stitches and only missed one shift.
Andrew Cogliano Signs Three-Year Extension
The Anaheim Ducks have locked up one of their key contributors, signing Andrew Cogliano to a three-year extension through the 2020-21 season at an annual average salary of $3.25MM. Cogliano has suited up for all 43 games for the Ducks this season, extending his incredible streak to 829 games (his entire career in fact) without missing a single contest. The deal includes no signing bonuses, and gives him both no-trade protection for the rest of this season and a partial no-trade clause for the next three years.
Cogliano, 30, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and could have been a much sought-after player. Though his offensive upside is somewhat limited, he’s shown an ability to move up and down a lineup and has long been one of the top penalty killers in the league. Since entering the league in 2007-08, he ranks seventh in the league in shorthanded goals with 17. With the injuries to several key forwards for the Ducks this year, he’s actually recorded the second highest average time on ice of his career, and the most since coming over to Anaheim from the Edmonton Oilers in 2011.
Limited to just five goals this season, there is reason to believe that he’s been more unlucky than ever. His shooting percentage is at a career-low of 5.3%, despite him being on pace to record the second most shots on goal of his career. While no one will crown him a 30-goal player, an expectation of 12-18 goals and 30-35 points is still realistic going forward. Whether his body will eventually betray him is still to be seen, but you can’t get a more consistent player to invest in.
For the Ducks, a $3.25MM cap hit is more than palatable. Cogliano was already earning $3MM this season, and with Kevin Bieksa‘s contract coming off the books at the end of the season there is more than enough to go around. While the team does need to extend Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase, neither should demand a prohibitive cap hit going forward. Brandon Montour will need a new deal, but after just 68 career games so far he certainly could be signed on a smaller bridge deal.
Any problems, if they are to come, would be the summer of 2019 when the Ducks are scheduled to have Jakob Silfverberg (UFA), Adam Henrique (UFA) and John Gibson (RFA) all hitting free agency at the same time. With Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Patrick Eaves and now Cogliano all in their thirties and signed through at least the 2019-20 season, things might get dicey when trying to fill out the rest of the roster.
Still, with the salary cap going up and Eaves’ unclear future coming back from Guillain-Barre Syndrome , Cogliano’s contract was almost must-sign for the club. He may have been able to fetch even more on the open market if a few bounces go his way in the second half, and his impact would have been difficult to replace internally. With the 2018 free agent class getting thinner with every extension, it will be interesting to see where the rental market finally lands at the end of next month.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic was first with the details of the contract, including salary breakdown and trade protection.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
2018 All-Star Rosters
The NHL released the rosters for this year’s All-Star game in Tampa Bay, leading to an inevitable onslaught of discussion over who missed out and who didn’t deserve to go. The event will take place on January 27-28th. The full rosters can be found below:
Atlantic Division:
F Steven Stamkos – Tampa Bay Lightning (captain)
F Nikita Kucherov – Tampa Bay Lightning
F Auston Matthews – Toronto Maple Leafs
F Aleksander Barkov – Florida Panthers
F Brad Marchand – Boston Bruins
F Jack Eichel – Buffalo Sabres
D Victor Hedman – Tampa Bay Lightning
D Erik Karlsson – Ottawa Senators
D Mike Green – Detroit Red Wings
G Andrei Vasilevskiy – Tampa Bay Lightning
G Carey Price – Montreal Canadiens
Head Coach: Jon Cooper
Metropolitan Division:
F Alex Ovechkin – Washington Capitals (captain)
F Taylor Hall – New Jersey Devils
F Sidney Crosby – Pittsburgh Penguins
F Josh Bailey – New York Islanders
F John Tavares – New York Islanders
F Claude Giroux – Philadelphia Flyers
D Seth Jones – Columbus Blue Jackets
D Noah Hanifin – Carolina Hurricanes
D Kris Letang – Pittsburgh Penguins
G Henrik Lundqvist – New York Rangers
G Braden Holtby – Washington Capitals
Head Coach: Barry Trotz
Central Division:
F Patrick Kane – Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon – Colorado Avalanche
F Blake Wheeler – Winnipeg Jets
F Brayden Schenn – St. Louis Blues
F Eric Staal – Minnesota Wild
F Tyler Seguin – Dallas Stars
D P.K. Subban – Nashville Predators (captain)
D Alex Pietrangelo – St. Louis Blues
D John Klingberg – Dallas Stars
G Pekka Rinne – Nashville Predators
G Connor Hellebuyck – Winnipeg Jets
Head Coach: Peter Laviolette
Pacific Division:
F Connor McDavid – Edmonton Oilers (captain)
F Johnny Gaudreau – Calgary Flames
F Brock Boeser – Vancouver Canucks
F James Neal – Vegas Golden Knights
F Rickard Rakell – Anaheim Ducks
F Anze Kopitar – Los Angeles Kings
D Drew Doughty – Los Angeles Kings
D Brent Burns – San Jose Sharks
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Arizona Coyotes
G Jonathan Quick – Los Angeles Kings
G Marc-Andre Fleury – Vegas Golden Knights
Head Coach: Gerard Gallant
Perry Expected To Return Tonight
- Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register writes that Anaheim Ducks winger Corey Perry is set to return to the Ducks lineup tonight after missing 11 straight games with a knee injury. This will be the first time this year that Perry will get an opportunity to play with Ryan Kesler and Ryan Getzlaf. Kesler came back on Dec. 11, the same day that Perry went down, while Getzlaf hadn’t returned at that point. The three made one of the top lines in hockey in recent years. In 31 games before the injury, Perry has six goals and 16 assists.
Who Is On Pace To Score 60 Points In 2017-18?
In 2016-17, only 42 NHLers hit the 60-point benchmark for the season. It was the lowest total since the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season (obviously), when only Martin St. Louis notched sixty, and down eleven from the 53 players who hit the mark two years earlier in 2014-15. However, with scoring up this season in the NHL, will the league increase it’s number of top scorers? Or will a greater depth and distribution of talent continue to limit players from reaching the high numbers of yesteryear?
As of now, with the 2017 segment of the season about to close, here are the players on pace for 60 points in 2017-18:
- Nikita Kucherov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 54 points in 37 games, Projection: 120 points
- Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 48 points in 37 games, Projection: 107 points
- John Tavares, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
- Josh Bailey, New York Islanders – Currently: 49 points in 38 games, Projection: 106 points
- Jakub Voracek, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
- Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 46 points in 38 games, Projection: 99 points
- Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 45 points in 38 games, Projection: 97 points
- Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 43 points in 37 games, Projection: 95 points
- Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 44 points in 39 games, Projection: 93 points
- Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames – Currently: 41 points in 38 games, Projection: 89 points
- Phil Kessel, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 41 points in 39 games, Projection: 86 points
- Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals – Currently: 41 points in 40 games, Projection: 84 points
- Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 40 points in 39 games, Projection: 84 points
- Anders Lee, New York Islanders – Currently: 39 points in 38 games, Projection: 84 points
- Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks – Currently: 38 points in 37 games, Projection: 84 points
- Brock Boeser*, Vancouver Canucks – Currently: 38 points in 36 games, Projection: 84 points
- Brayden Schenn, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 41 points in 41 games, Projection: 82 points
- Brad Marchand, Boston Bruins – Currently: 32 points in 29 games, Projection: 82 points
- Jon Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 34 points in 33 games, Projection: 81 points
- Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals – Currently: 39 points in 40 games, Projection: 80 points
- Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils – Currently: 36 points in 36 games, Projection: 80 points
- Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Vincent Trocheck, Florida Panthers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Mathew Barzal*, New York Islanders – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Sean Couturier, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 36 points in 38 games, Projection: 78 points
- Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 35 games, Projection: 78 points
- Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis Blues – Currently: 38 points in 41 games, Projection: 76 points
- Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 35 points in 38 games, Projection: 75 points
- David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
- Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
- Brayden Point, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 34 points in 37 games, Projection: 75 points
- Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
- Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars – Currently: 35 points in 39 games, Projection: 74 points
- David Perron, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 30 games, Projection: 74 points
- Evander Kane, Buffalo Sabres – Currently: 34 points in 38 games, Projection: 73 points
- Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
- Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 33 points in 37 games, Projection: 73 points
- Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 32 points in 34 games, Projection: 73 points
- Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 29 games, Projection: 72 points
- Artemi Panarin, Columbus Blue Jackets – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
- Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars – Currently: 34 points in 39 games, Projection: 71 points
- Vlad Namestnikov, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 32 points in 37 games, Projection: 71 points
- Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild – Currently: 33 points in 39 games, Projection: 70 points
- Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 18 points in 15 games, Projection: 70 points
- Sean Monahan, Calgary Flames – Currently: 32 points in 38 games, Projection: 69 points
- Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings – Currently: 31 points in 37 games, Projection: 69 points
- John Klingberg, Dallas Stars – Currently: 32 points in 39 games, Projection: 67 points
- William Karlsson, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 29 points in 36 games, Projection: 66 points
- Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado Avalanche – Currently: 28 points in 33 games, Projection: 66 points
- Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers – Currently: 29 points in 35 games, Projection: 66 points
- Nicklas Backstrom, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
- Alexander Radulov, Dallas Stars – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
- Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 31 points in 39 games, Projection: 65 points
- Clayton Keller*, Arizona Coyotes – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
- John Carlson, Washington Capitals – Currently: 31 points in 40 games, Projection: 64 points
- Reilly Smith, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 28 points in 36 games, Projection: 64 points
- Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets – Currently: 30 points in 39 games, Projection: 63 points
- P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Mats Zuccarello, New York Rangers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Teuvo Teravainen, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes – Currently: 29 points in 38 games, Projection: 62 points
- James Neal, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 62 points
- Kyle Turris, Nashville Predators – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 62 points
- Danton Heinen*, Boston Bruins – Currently: 26 points in 33 games, Projection: 62 points
- Drew Doughty, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
- Dustin Brown, Los Angeles Kings – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
- Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs – Currently: 29 points in 39 games, Projection: 61 points
- Jordan Eberle, New York Islanders – Currently: 28 points in 38 games, Projection: 61 points
- Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks – Currently: 26 points in 35 games, Projection: 61 points
- Mikael Granlund, Minnesota Wild – 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
- Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks – Currently: 27 points in 34 games, Projection: 61 points
- Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 36 games, Projection: 61 points
- Erik Haula, Vegas Golden Knights – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 61 points
- Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning – Currently: 27 points in 37 games, Projection: 60 points
- Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins- Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points
- Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators – Currently: 25 points in 32 games, Projection: 60 points
Minor Transactions: 12/30/17
While much of the hockey world’s focus has been on the World Juniors in Buffalo this week, the NHL is still rolling along with the 2017 segment of the season about to end. With six games tonight and another nine tomorrow on New Year’s Eve, teams are still making moves even with a day off for all but the Rangers and Sabres coming on Monday:
- The Winnipeg Jets announced today that young forward Brandon Tanev has been placed on injured reserve. Coach Paul Maurice told the media that it is a lower-body injury and that Tanev is expected to be out two to three weeks. While Tanev has only ten points thus far, he is enjoying his best NHL season to date, now in his third year with the Jets. His absence only compiles the loss of Mark Scheifele, as another possible depth player who could step up is now out of the picture.
- However, Winnipeg has responded by calling up highly-touted prospect Jack Roslovic from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. Last season, Roslovic led the Moose in scoring as a rookie and in 2017-18 is the third-leading scorer in the entire AHL with 35 points. With Scheifele out, now is the time for Roslovic to jump in and show that he can be an offensive force in the NHL as well and is deserving of a roster spot for the remainder of the season.
- The St. Louis Blues have activated Jay Bouwmeester from his second stint on the injured reserve this season and expect him to suit up tonight for their game against the visiting Carolina Hurricanes. In turn, the Blues have demoted rookie blue liner Jordan Schmaltz to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. Schmaltz, 24, has been held scoreless in four games so far this season, but has 19 points to his credit in 24 AHL games.
- Andy Welinski has been returned to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks announced. The move comes after a call-up in which Welinski made his NHL debut and recorded his first NHL point and ended a four-game stint with two assists and a +1 rating. The long-time Minnesota-Duluth star may have to wait awhile for another chance in Anaheim, but he made a good first impression.
- The Vancouver Canucks have brought Michael Chaput back up, according to a team release. Chaput was a frequent contributor in Vancouver last season, playing in 68 games, but has only three to date in 2017-18. While Chaput is having a good year down in the AHL with the Utica Comets, he would undoubtedly rather stick with the ‘Nucks on this recall.
- CapFriendly reports that the Nashville Predators have recalled forward Frederick Gaudreau from the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, but also notes that this move would put the NHL roster at 24. With the placement of Filip Forsberg on IR, the roster returned to 23.
- In an on-paper move, the Washington Capitals recalled both forward Jakub Vrana and defenseman Madison Bowey from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Even though neither player moved anywhere, both were sent down Friday to help ease the team’s tight salary cap situation.
- The Boston Bruins activated center David Krejci off injured reserve today after having missed the past six games, according to Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald. The 31-year-old Krejci has only played in 18 games this year, having put up five goals and nine assists this year. He scored 23 goals a year ago.
Philadelphia Flyers Place Mark Alt On Waivers
The Philadelphia Flyers have placed Mark Alt on waivers today, likely in hopes of sending the defenseman back to the minor leagues. Dalton Prout and Dennis Rasmussen, who were both waived yesterday, have cleared and can now be assigned to the AHL for their respective teams.
Alt has played eight games for the Flyers this year, but is likely the odd man out if Brandon Manning is nearing a return. The 26-year old has shown some ability to play at the NHL level, but has never grabbed a full-time spot and held onto it. Selected in the second round in 2010, his career has been almost exclusively spent in the minor leagues.
There is a chance someone puts in a claim if they’ve seen something in Alt’s game that warrants a longer look, but it’s more likely he’ll return to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms tomorrow. They’ll welcome him back as they continue their Calder Cup chase, which is going well so far this season. The Phantoms currently have the most points in the Atlantic Division and sit at 20-9-4 on the season. A healthy Alt will only strengthen their defensive unit, and push them closer to the playoffs.
Dennis Rasmussen, Dalton Prout Placed On Waivers
As the holiday roster freeze comes to an end, two players have ended up on the waivers. Dennis Rasmussen of the Anaheim Ducks and Dalton Prout of the New Jersey Devils have both been waived, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.
With Ryan Kessler coming off injured reserve yesterday to make his season debut, someone had to go for the Ducks. With only Kevin Roy, Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase waiver-exempt up front, Rasmussen was the odd man out. In 27 games this season, the former Chicago Blackhawks forward had just four points and hadn’t shown much offensive potential. The 27-year old could be claimed as a depth center around the league, as he earns just over the NHL minimum this year.
Prout was in a similar situation after Marcus Johansson came off injured reserve, but the Devils were already carrying nine defensemen and needed to make a move. Will Butcher and Steven Santini are waiver-exempt, but are too important to send down to the minor league at this point. Instead Prout, who comes with a cap hit of nearly $1.6MM, will be sent to the AHL if he clears. It’s unlikely that anyone would claim the 27-year old defenseman because of that salary, meaning New Jersey will get a prorated $1.025MM in cap space by burying Prout.