Atlantic Notes: Copp, Subban, Bruins
Rosters for the upcoming World Championships are likely to be revealed in the coming days but Red Wings center Andrew Copp won’t on the one for Team USA, notes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Copp decided to decline the offer to let his body heal up, allowing him to be fully healthy heading into training camp. Although the 28-year-old played in every game this season, he missed training camp due to his recovery from offseason surgery which resulted in a slow start and a quieter-than-expected campaign that saw him score just nine goals. Clearly, Copp is hoping that a more traditional offseason and a full camp will result in him being more productive in 2023-24.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- If the Sabres intend to go with a young goalie tandem next season in Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, veteran Eric Comrie would likely be the odd one out. With that in mind, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News suggests that Buffalo would be wise to re-sign Malcolm Subban this offseason to hedge as insurance in case Comrie is either traded or cleared off waivers. While there is definitely an upside to carrying two promising youngsters in goal, it stands to reason that they should have at least one veteran in the fold. Subban had a 2.94 GAA with a .903 SV% in 39 regular season games with Rochester.
- After a tough showing last night against Florida, some have wondered if Boston might opt to make a goalie change heading into Sunday’s series-deciding game. Speaking with reporters today including Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic (Twitter link), head coach Jim Montgomery declined to say who will get the nod. Linus Ullmark, the expected Vezina Trophy winner, has allowed 10 goals on 57 shots over the last two games but while they have a more than capable backup in Jeremy Swayman, the 24-year-old has just three minutes of game action since the regular season ended two-and-a-half weeks ago.
Central Notes: Fleury, Girard, Namestnikov
After serving as the backup for most of the playoffs, Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury indicated to reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link) after Friday’s series-ending loss to Dallas that he intends to fulfill the final year of his contract and not retire this summer. Russo notes (subscription link) that the veteran had indicated that he’d be open to hanging up his skates if he showed this season that he couldn’t play up to his standards. While Fleury didn’t have his best campaign, he still posted an above-average .908 SV% along with a 2.85 GAA in 46 games, clearly showing he can still compete at the top level. He’ll enter next season seven wins away from tying Patrick Roy for the second-most regular season victories in NHL history.
More from the Central:
- While Colorado is still alive in their first-round series, some are already looking ahead to what their offseason might look like. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli is one of those, suggesting that defenseman Samuel Girard could be the odd one out on the back end for the Avalanche with the team needing to fill as many as nine roster spots with not a ton of cap space to work with. The 24-year-old should be highly sought after if that happens as he’ll have four years left on his deal after this one at a $5MM AAV which is good value for someone consistently logging more than 21 minutes a night on the back end while chipping in offensively; he had a career-high 37 points this season.
- Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov has certainly bounced around lately, playing for seven different teams since 2019. With that in mind, Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe wonders if Winnipeg offering the 30-year-old a multi-year extension would be enough to get the pending UFA to become a longer-term piece for the team instead of just being another rental. Namestnikov had 10 points in 20 games during the regular season after being acquired at the trade deadline while chipping in with a pair of assists in their five-game loss to Vegas.
Penguins Re-Sign Alex Nylander To One-Year Deal
Alex Nylander acquitted himself well in some late-season appearances with Pittsburgh and he was rewarded for his efforts on Saturday. The team announced that they’ve signed the forward to a one-year, one-way contract extension worth $775K. He was set to become a restricted free agent in July.
The 25-year-old played his first full season with the Penguins organization this season after being acquired from Chicago in exchange for Sam Lafferty back in January 2022. Nylander spent the bulk of the year with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL and did quite well offensively, setting career highs with 25 goals and 25 assists in 55 games. He got into nine games with Pittsburgh down the stretch, collecting a goal and an assist while averaging a little over 12 minutes a night.
Nylander is only three seasons removed from being pretty much an NHL regular as he had 26 points in 65 games with Chicago back in 2019-20 but hasn’t been able to lock down a full-time spot at the top level since then. His stock fell far enough to the point where he cleared waivers back in October this season, something that would have seemed unthinkable a few years ago.
But the 2016 eighth-overall selection continues to show flashes of top-six skill and that has earned him at least one more look from a Penguins team that is currently operating without a general manager. Clearly, the group of individuals helping run things for now – including head coach Mike Sullivan – have seen enough to deem Nylander worthy of another opportunity when training camps open up in September.
Jets Assign Two Players To AHL
While Winnipeg’s season came to an end on Thursday, a pair of players that were up with the Jets will see their campaign continue a little while longer. The team announced (Twitter link) that goaltenders Oskari Salminen and Arvid Holm were returned to Manitoba of the AHL.
Salminen is in the first year of an entry-level deal signed last May. The 23-year-old was recalled to Winnipeg at the beginning of the playoffs but didn’t see any game action while up with the big club. Salminen had a decent first season in North America, posting a 3.06 GAA along with a .896 SV% in 39 games, leading the Moose in appearances by a goaltender.
As for Holm, the pending RFA served as the backup for the Jets at the end of their series against Vegas after being brought up last weekend. The 24-year-old was the better of the two netminders in the minors this season, posting a 2.67 GAA and a .911 SV% in 35 appearances, a strong improvement from his rookie campaign in 2021-22.
The assignments are a welcome one for Manitoba with their best-of-five second-round series getting underway yesterday. Having their regular goalie tandem intact instead of emergency options can only help their chances of advancing this postseason.
Offseason Checklist: Columbus Blue Jackets
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs. It’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Columbus.
Last season, the Blue Jackets were more competitive than a lot of people expected and GM Jarmo Kekalainen responded by making a big splash on the free agent market, inking Johnny Gaudreau to a seven-year deal. In doing so, expectations shifted. However, things certainly didn’t go according to plan as they finished last in the Eastern Conference so changes are on the horizon for them in the coming months.
Find A New Coach
Not surprisingly, after the summer they had and how things went this season, Brad Larsen’s tenure as head coach came to an end as he was let go after two years as the bench boss. The team posted a 62-86-16 record with him at the helm. At the time he was promoted after serving as an assistant to John Tortorella, Larsen felt like a logical choice in the sense that the team was beginning a rebuild. Are they going to take a step back again now?
That’s a question that Kekalainen is going to have to ponder. This team has ample cap space (nearly $20MM per CapFriendly) this summer which could give them some key additions to try to win now. If that’s the direction they’re going to go, then a veteran bench boss with a track record of short-term success is likely what they’re going to want to look for. After all, adding Gaudreau on the richest free agent deal in franchise history only to turn around and rebuild again a year later would be a bit of a surprising turnaround.
On the other hand, with how they struggled this season, it would be surprising to see Columbus push for playoff contention in 2023-24. Accordingly, another first-time coach with an eye on prospect development might be the better way to go. While this number is certainly exacerbated by injuries and late-season recalls, Columbus used 30 players that are 25 or younger this season. Most of them will still be in the organization next year and with a lot of future core pieces in the group, a longer-term build might be the better long-term play. Who they hire as their next head coach might signal which way they’re leaning on the roster front. Whichever way they go, it’s likely they won’t make a move right away as they’ll likely want to speak to some assistants that are on teams still in the playoffs.
Bring In New Goalie Coach
Generally, a team needing a goalie coach wouldn’t typically get much more than a passing mention here. However, with how poorly Elvis Merzlikins played this season, finding the right hire to replace Manny Legace is going to be quite critical.
To put into context how much Merzlikins struggled, there were 62 goalies that played 20 games or more in 2022-23. He was 62nd in GAA (4.23) and 61st in SV% (.876). The good news is that he can really go up from there but he has a long way to go to even get back to being league average.
The 29-year-old has four years left on his contract which carries a $5.4MM AAV. Right now, that deal would be difficult to trade with how he performed this season and Daniil Tarasov isn’t ready to take over as the full-fledged starter just yet; he has just 21 career NHL appearances under his belt. Accordingly, the new goalie coach will be a key addition as if he can help Merzlikins turn things around, it would go a long way toward helping them get back in the playoff picture sooner than later.
Add Center Help
Locking down a true top center has been a challenge for Columbus in recent years with their best candidate, Pierre-Luc Dubois, eventually being traded to Winnipeg for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. The end result is that Columbus was using Boone Jenner as their top middleman this season. Jenner is a quality player, no doubt, but he is not a true top-liner. Roslovic, meanwhile, was inconsistent throughout the season and he is likely to be in trade speculation this summer.
The good news for the Blue Jackets is that they have young centers in the system in Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson. They’re certainly hoping that one of them will be able to emerge as a top-liner down the road. And, who knows, they could land one in the draft as they’re able to hold down a top-three spot. But any of those players are still likely a couple of years away from really emerging as reliable top-six options. If they intend to try to get back into the playoff picture before then, they’re going to have to add a center or two.
It will be interesting to see if the Blue Jackets decide to continue their late-season experiment with playing Laine down the middle next year. If he can hold his own in that role, that would take some pressure off Jenner and at least get them a short-term stopgap. They’re also likely to add Dmitry Voronkov for next season although he won’t be ready to play in the top six right away either. But even with those, more help is needed, especially if Laine isn’t able to play there full-time.
Landing a true number one pivot will be difficult for Columbus this summer as frankly, there aren’t likely to be any available. Instead, Kekalainen will have to settle for adding a second-line option. They’ve been speculatively linked to Philadelphia’s Kevin Hayes and perhaps that’s the type of move they should be targeting, adding a player that can help but whose cap hit is high enough that the other team can’t command a significant return. Depending on the player, Columbus could be compensated for taking on the deal. If they want to use their cap space this summer, that’s one creative way to try to fill a need without losing much of consequence.
Creative Spending
Speaking of that cap space, the Blue Jackets will be one of only a handful of teams with significant room under the cap this summer. They currently project to have around $18MM per CapFriendly with only a handful of roster spots to fill. Notably, there aren’t any free agents of note to deal with either that will cut into that amount by a significant amount.
Granted, Columbus is typically a budget team, not a cap team so it remains to be seen how much of that roughly $18MM will actually be at their disposal. But at a minimum, a good chunk of it should be spendable for Kekalainen.
If they want to try to make another splash in free agency, the money should be there. But that might not be the best move for them, especially with the market not being as strong as last year and the center options not exactly being top-notch. Instead, if they can pick up an unwanted short-term contract or two and pick up draft picks or prospects for doing so, that’s a scenario that would be the best of both worlds, helping them build for the future while helping them now as well. Cap space is an asset that few teams will have so it’s important that the Blue Jackets use it wisely and get creative if they need to.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: Flames Arena, Mangiapane, Bussi, Senators
The long wait is over for an announcement of a new arena for the Flames as the City of Calgary announced that they have come to an agreement on a new arena and events center. The agreement will be funded between the city ($537MM), the Province of Alberta ($300MM towards supportive infrastructure), and Flames ownership ($356MM) over the next three years. Don Braid of the Calgary Herald notes that this agreement also covers the demolition of the Saddledome, the oldest arena in the NHL which turns 40 in October. There is no projected timeline yet for when the new arena will be operational. Given the scope of the project, it will almost certainly take a while.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Still with the Flames, the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Andrew Mangiapane has undergone successful shoulder surgery and will be ready for training camp. The 27-year-old wasn’t able to repeat his 35-goal performance from last season, slipping down to 17 tallies while chipping in with 26 assists to finish eighth on the team in scoring. He has two years left on his deal which carries a $5.8MM AAV so Calgary will certainly be hoping that the surgery will help Mangiapane reclaim his scoring touch.
- The Bruins announced that they’ve re-assigned goaltender Brandon Bussi to AHL Providence. The 24-year-old was recalled last week on an emergency basis but didn’t see any game action, instead serving as their emergency netminder. However, with Providence’s playoff series getting underway on Friday, Boston has sent him back down to get him ready for that series. Bussi had a 2.40 GAA and a .924 SV% in 32 AHL contests this season.
- Things have largely been quiet lately when it comes to the sale of the Senators but Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that it looks like final offers will be required by mid-May. At that time, the seven groups will have had to submit paperwork outlining proof of financing. Expectations are that the club will sell for at least $800MM based on the strong interest in the franchise.
Red Wings Prospect Pontus Andreasson Signs In Sweden
It will be one and done in North America for Red Wings prospect Pontus Andreasson. Lulea of the SHL announced that they’ve signed the forward to a four-year contract that runs through the 2026-27 campaign.
The 24-year-old signed a one-year deal with Detroit last May after a strong showing with Lulea, hoping that he’d be able to get an NHL opportunity. However, that chance never materialized aside from his five preseason appearances as Andreasson spent the entire regular season at the AHL level with Grand Rapids. He wound up finishing tied for sixth on the Griffins in scoring, picking up 12 goals and 13 assists in 63 games, numbers that weren’t exactly showing that he was ready for a look with the Red Wings.
Now, rather than see if he’d be offered a deal to return, Andreasson decided the best move for him was to lock in a long-term contract back home, certainly an understandable move. He had 18 goals and 20 assists in 52 games with Lulea in 2021-22 and should get an opportunity to play a bigger role there than he would have had in North America. Detroit can still issue Andreasson a qualifying offer this summer to retain his NHL rights but since he’ll be eligible for NHL unrestricted free agency by the time this deal expires, it’s quite likely they’ll simply non-tender him in June.
Five Key Stories: 4/17/23 – 4/23/23
The playoffs are well underway and while there has been some notable news from on the ice, there has also been some key news off it. We recap the most prominent ones in our key stories.
More Changes In Calgary: Last summer, the Flames were quite busy reshaping their roster following the departures of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. However, they came up short of reaching the playoffs and now, it’ll be up to a new GM to reshape their roster this summer following the departure of GM Brad Treliving. Officially, it’s being termed as a mutual departure although there has been speculation that it was Treliving’s choice to go. He had been at the helm in Calgary for the past nine seasons with the team making five trips to the playoffs although they were never able to get past the second round. Don Maloney will serve as Calgary’s interim GM until a permanent replacement is found.
Three For Bunting: It didn’t take long for there to be a suspension in the playoffs as Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting received a three-game ban for his hit on Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak in the opening game of the series. It’s the first suspension of his career and it certainly didn’t come at an opportune time as the 27-year-old has been part of Toronto’s top six all season long. Bunting also happens to be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will be hoping for some positive playoff moments before testing the open market.
Stone Activated: The Golden Knights welcomed back a key part of their attack prior to their series opener against Winnipeg when they activated winger Mark Stone off LTIR. The veteran had missed more than three months with a back injury that required surgery. Vegas wasn’t in a financial position to be able to activate him late in the season as they used his LTIR-created cap space to add Ivan Barbashev, Teddy Blueger, and Jonathan Quick at the trade deadline but since there’s no salary cap in the playoffs, they were able to activate Stone without having to do any roster juggling. The captain has certainly made an early impact in the series, picking up two goals and two assists through the first three games.
Texier Returns: After missing the entire 2022-23 campaign citing personal issues and a desire to be closer to his family, Blue Jackets winger Alexandre Texier will return to the NHL next season. The 23-year-old has 123 career NHL games under his belt over parts of four years and has shown flashes of being a potential top-six forward down the road. He had a productive season with Zurich of the Swiss NLA, picking up 13 goals and 22 assists in 46 games to finish third on the Lions in scoring. Texier had one year left on his deal heading into this season and that will still be the case next year as the contract, which carries a $1.525MM AAV, will toll and roll over to 2023-24.
Playoff Injuries: A pair of key players are already out for the rest of their respective first-round series, if not longer. Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen suffered a broken hand and has already undergone surgery. There’s no word for how long he’ll be out but Carolina will likely need a long postseason run for him to be able to return. Teravainen was a key part of their playoff run last year, picking up 11 points to tie for the team lead in scoring. Meanwhile, the Jets will have to try to come back against the Golden Knights without their top defenseman as Josh Morrissey suffered a lower-body injury and has been ruled out for the rest of the series. The 28-year-old had a breakout year, picking up 76 points in 78 games to finish tied for second in the NHL for points by a defenseman.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
PHR Mailbag: Kuznetsov, Sabres, Predators, Maple Leafs, Coaches
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include Evgeny Kuznetsov’s future with Washington, Toronto’s recent history of first-round exits, and much more. If your question doesn’t appear here, watch for it in next weekend’s mailbag.
2012orioles: Do the Capitals look to shop Kuznetsov?
First, GM Brian MacLellan needs to sit down with Kuznetsov’s new agents at Newport to see what the center’s preference is. It’s no secret that they were listening to offers on him a couple of years ago although nothing came to fruition in terms of a deal. Since then, the 30-year-old has had one strong season (78 points in 79 games in 2021-22) and one underwhelming campaign (55 points in 81 games this season).
Kuznetsov only has two years left on his deal after this one which actually helps Washington a bit if they do look to move him. Yes, his price tag of $7.8MM is on the high end, especially if he keeps hovering in the 50-60-point range but a team that’s looking for a short-term stopgap until a prospect is ready for that role could find him more desirable than someone who’s signed long-term, even if that player has a lesser AAV. I’m not saying they’d get a premium return or anything but I think there would be a decent trade market.
But at the end of the day, the answer to this question is likely dictated by MacLellan’s intentions for next season. If they’re rebuilding, he probably goes. If they’re looking for a quick retool and to get back in the playoff picture next season, I think Kuznetsov stays, barring a public trade request that might force their hand. With Nicklas Backstrom no longer the player he once was and their young middlemen (Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre) not ready for tough NHL minutes yet, they need Kuznetsov if they’re aiming for a Wild Card spot or better next season.
joebad34: Do the Sabres move on from Okposo and Girgensons? What defenseman would they potentially look to pursue in a trade or free agency to fill a top-four spot? Is Dumba a fit?
Let’s start with the forwards. If Kyle Okposo wants to come back, I think Buffalo will have a spot for him. It might not be particularly high on the depth chart but I suspect they’d like to keep their captain in the fold as this is still a pretty young roster overall. This is a group that will have playoff aspirations next season so having a veteran that has the respect of the team wouldn’t hurt. Plus, Okposo can still be effective in a limited role.
I don’t expect Zemgus Girgensons to be back though. If they want to make a push for a postseason spot, they’ll need to upgrade their roster this summer and that’s one roster spot they can upgrade on. Girgensons is a capable fourth-line pivot but after nine years with Buffalo, a change of scenery wouldn’t hurt.
As for the defensemen, Mathew Dumba is a logical target on the free agent market. He’s capable of logging big minutes and plays on the right side which is where their depth is a bit weak. I also think there’s a bit of an upside play in signing him if he can get back to his old form. The one question I have though is how much does Buffalo want to spend long-term on the back end? Rasmus Dahlin is going to be very expensive in 2024-25 as will Owen Power. Mattias Samuelsson is already on a long-term deal. You’re probably looking at well over $20MM for those three at that time; can they afford another bigger-ticket deal in their salary structure and if they can, do they want to?
As for other free agent targets, Damon Severson is also in Dumba’s tier but the same questions exist. If they want to go for a shorter-term pickup, Kevin Shattenkirk and John Klingberg are veteran right-shot players that could give them an offensive boost, take a regular shift, and balance out the lineup without being a long-term commitment on the books. If they’re shopping in the short-term tier, Anthony DeAngelo could be a trade target and if Nashville sticks with the rebuild, Tyson Barrie should be available as well. They’re both on expiring deals which might be appealing.
Gbear: Does new Preds GM Barry Trotz keep John Hynes behind the bench or move on from him?
Jakeattack: Do you think Trotz will try to move either Ryan Johansen or Matt Duchene this summer?
Let’s combine the Nashville queries. Two months ago, I would have leaned toward a coaching change. The fire sale was on and if a new era was beginning, why not do so with a new coach? But then the Predators had quite a run down the stretch with the team coming to life. If Trotz thinks there’s any chance of that being sustainable, it’d be hard to move on from Hynes.
He has one year left on his deal which gives Trotz an easy option to kick the can down the road. Let him start on an expiring contract and if things go sideways early on, make an in-season change for an interim option and at that point, it’s probably heading toward a rebuild. If things go well, let the season play out and re-assess 12 months from now. I think he stays but I will say this, I am not doing well at predicting what happens in Nashville this season and if recent history repeats itself, this prediction might not hold up for long.
Unlike that coaching prediction, I’m actually confident in this next one. Yes, Trotz will try to move those two, Johansen especially. At $8MM apiece for at least two more years (Johansen is signed through 2024-25, Duchene 2025-26), they’re not getting a great return on those deals. Neither has emerged as a capable top center and while Duchene’s a capable number two, that’s a big price tag for someone in that role. That money could likely be more efficiently spent elsewhere.
Of course, 31 other teams around the league know that. The time to move Duchene was probably a year ago when he had 43 goals and 86 points. His performance this season only dipped his value. Johansen, meanwhile, is coming off a 28-point campaign, albeit one that saw him miss 27 games due to injuries. Unless they’re swapping a bad contract for another bad contract (and in a market where so many teams are capped out, that can’t entirely be ruled out), I don’t expect there to be any interest in him. Trotz I’m sure will try to move these contracts but it’ll be much easier said than done.
W H Twittle: Is there a rational explanation for the Leafs’ playoff successes?
Assuming you mean their lack of playoff success, I think there is. In those series, they lost the goaltending battle. In 2017, it was Braden Holtby allowing two goals or fewer in three games, all Toronto losses. In 2018, Tuukka Rask wasn’t great in that series but he outplayed Frederik Andersen. The next year, Rask was much better.
In the bubble, Columbus’ goalies picked two shutouts in five games. A year later, Carey Price did just enough to outduel Jack Campbell to kickstart Montreal’s improbable run to the Final. And last season, Andrei Vasilevskiy was between the pipes. All in all, three future Hall of Famers, another goalie who led his team to the Stanley Cup, and Columbus’ netminders shining.
One can discuss the coaching and the underachieving stars and that’s fine. But if you’re looking for a quick, simple, rational explanation, Toronto got ‘goalied’ in several of their recent quick playoff exits.
Gmm8811: Who do you see as up-and-coming AHL coaches? Have you heard of any recent former players that want to make the jump to coaching?
If you’re asking about up-and-coming AHL coaches that could soon make the jump to the NHL, Mitch Love (Calgary) should be the first to come to mind. He just won Coach of the Year there for the second season in a row and had a good run with WHL Saskatoon before that. Just 38, he’s the type of young coach that someone should take a chance on. I’d also put Marco Sturm in that mix. He’s the coach of the Kings’ affiliate in Ontario. With his experience there plus internationally as a coach, I think he’ll get a chance at some point.
As for recent former players, those that want to coach somewhere typically are able to do so, either at the junior or minor league level. Accordingly, I don’t really have a list of former players that are looking to join those ranks; if they want to, they’re probably already there. I’ll give you one name to keep an eye on though in Marc Savard, head coach with OHL Windsor. While they were a surprisingly quick exit in the playoffs this year, that franchise has done pretty well in his limited time there and it wouldn’t surprise me if someone offers him an AHL head coaching job or an assistant spot on an NHL bench for next season.
Kings Recall Tobias Bjornfot And Cal Petersen
With their AHL affiliate in Ontario being eliminated on Friday, Los Angeles has elected to bring a couple of extra players up. They announced that defenseman Tobias Bjornfot and goaltender Cal Petersen were recalled from the Reign while also loaning goaltender David Hrenak to Greenville of the ECHL with the Swamp Rabbits still playing at that level.
Bjornfot is no stranger to being recalled this season as this is the ninth (and final) time that he is getting promoted. The 22-year-old played in ten games with the Kings during the regular season, the fewest appearances at the top level he has had in the last three seasons. In those contests, Bjornfot picked up an assist along with 11 hits and 12 blocks while logging a little over 14 minutes a night.
At the minor league level, Bjornfot was a bit more productive but certainly didn’t light up the scoresheet either, collecting five goals and seven helpers in 50 games. It should be his final season in the minors as he’ll be waiver-eligible next season and it’s unlikely that Los Angeles will want to risk losing him for free by trying to send him down again.
As for Petersen, it has been a year to forget for the 28-year-old. After a rough start to the year that saw him post a save percentage of just .868 in 10 appearances, he cleared waivers at the beginning of December and was sent down to the minors. He fared a bit better down there, putting up a .904 SV% in 40 regular season contests but that type of performance won’t be enough to see him pushing for playing time in the postseason. Instead, he’ll likely serve as the third-string option, allowing Hrenak to go back to the ECHL where he spent the majority of his season.