Snapshots: Team Canada, Kings, Carolina Injuries, Fabbri
Team Canada’s U20 roster has announced that Alan Letang will serve as the team’s head coach, while Pete Anholt and Brent Seabrook will serve in management roles.
TSN’s Gord Miller quips that Letang has been a “gold medal magnet” in recent years, leading Canada to gold at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup this August and serving as an assistant coach for the championship-winning Canadians at the 2020 and 2023 World Junior Championship. Pete Anholt has served as the Lethbridge Hurricanes’ general manager since 2015. He also served as a head coach in the WHL for 15 seasons between 1989 and 2007.
This will be Brent Seabrook’s first involvement with the Canada U20 team since he played for them in 2004 and 2005, appearing at the World Junior Championship in both years. Since his NHL career ended in 2019-20, Seabrook has served as an assistant and development coach with the Vancouver Giants.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Los Angeles Kings have sent Alex Turcotte and Brandt Clarke to the AHL and recalled Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Arthur Kaliyev, Alex Laferriere, and Jordan Spence. The Kings previously swapped Turcotte and Clarke for Kaliyev and Laferriere, in an effort to make cap space for Turcotte and Clarke’s performance bonuses. Along with this news, Spence has shared that he will be changing his number from 53 to 21.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have shared an update on Vasily Ponomarev and Ryan Suzuki‘s injuries, with head coach Rod Brind’Amour saying that both players are, “still a ways away.” Suzuki is recovering from a shoulder injury, while Ponomarev is nursing a knee injury.
- Robby Fabbri has been announced as day-to-day and won’t play in the Red Wings’ Saturday game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Detroit will need to recall a player in the wake of Fabbri’s absence, although if they’ll opt to ice 12 forwards and six defensemen versus 11 forwards and seven defensemen is yet to be seen.
Daniel Alfredsson Returns To Ottawa In Coaching Role
Daniel Alfredsson has returned to the Ottawa Senators organization, this time in a key development and coaching role, per the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. Alfredsson took the ice with the Senators during their Friday morning practice – fans’ first look at Alfredsson in his new role. The exact details of Alfredsson’s role, or his job title, aren’t known yet, although President of Senators Hockey Operations Steve Staios said, “He’s going to be with our players, our coaches, he’s going to be around the room and he’s going to help them out. It’s player development, but also coaching Certainly D.J. was thrilled with the possibility of Alfie being part of this.”
All but 68 games of Alfredsson’s Hall-of-Fame career were spent with the Senators, who drafted the forward in the sixth round of the 1994 NHL Draft. He made his debut with the club during the 1995-96 season, scoring 26 goals and 61 points. This earned him the Calder Trophy, given to the Rookie of the Year, beating out runner-ups Éric Dazé and Ed Jovanovski. Alfredsson would go on to become an integral piece of the Senators organization for 17 seasons, netting a 100-point season in 2005-06, winning the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2011-12, and the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2012-13.
Garrioch points out that new Senators owner Michael Andlauer was a piece of returning Guy Lafleur to the Montreal Canadiens organization when he was a part-owner of the team. Alfredsson’s eyes apparently “lit up” when he was offered this new coaching and development role. On bringing him back, Staios said, “Never mind that he’s Daniel Alfredsson, I look at his character and his acumen, I was eager to get him in wherever he wanted… His role will grow, as we discussed, but he’s got a great deal of passion for the game. We wanted to get him on the ice and get him started.”
Snapshots: Studnicka, Formenton, Lundell
The Vancouver Canucks have used an emergency recall on forward Jack Studnicka. The team played down a forward in their season opener against the Edmonton Oilers, making them eligible to bring up Studnicka without a cap hit. Studnicka will be exempt from waivers if he plays in fewer than 10 games, or is on the roster for fewer than 30 days.
Studnicka appeared in 47 games with Vancouver last season after the team acquired him via trade, sending Michael DiPietro and Jonathan Myrenberg to the Boston Bruins. Studnicka recorded a mere eight points in those 47 games – setting career highs in both categories. The 24-year-old forward was a second-round draft pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and has yet to find consistent NHL playing time, spending most of his early career in either the AHL or an NHL press box. He did have a serviceable 35 points in 41 AHL games during the 2021-22 season, speaking hope to his scoring upside. He’s likely to slot into a Canucks lineup that is still missing Ilya Mikheyev, who is continuing to rehab an ACL injury suffered last season.
Other notes from around the league:
- Former Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton has signed a contract with HC Ambrì-Piotta of the National League (NL), the top league in Switzerland. This deal carries through the end of the calendar year, with the option to extend it to last the whole season.
- Anton Lundell will be a game-time decision for the Florida Panthers’ season opener against the Minnesota Wild. Lundell missed one practice this week but made it back to the team’s Thursday skate. Head coach Paul Maurice also shared that Sam Bennett didn’t travel with the team for their three-game road trip, although Maurice shared it wouldn’t be long until he returns.
Minnesota Wild Recall Dakota Mermis
The Minnesota Wild have recalled defenseman Dakota Mermis from the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Head coach Dean Evason hinted that the team would need to recall a player to serve as insurance for any injury or illness that comes up as Minnesota embarks on a two-game road trip this weekend. Bringing up a defender like Mermis makes sense, as the Wild are still grappling with captain Jared Spurgeon‘s injury.
Mermis has strung together 27 NHL games since making his debut in the 2017-18 season, though he’s failed to appear in more than 10 NHL games in one single season. The bulk of his career has instead been played in the AHL, where he’s amassed 426 career games. This includes 63 games with the Iowa Wild last season, where Mermis recorded a career-high 26 points. He also tallied 73 penalty minutes – an exciting succession to the 86 penalty minutes he recorded in 59 games during the 2021-22 season. Mermis currently has the cheapest cap hit of any defender in the Wild organization, signed to a league-minimum $775K salary through the end of this season. He’s also one of the older blue-liners in the system, with only five defenders
While Mermis has been recalled for the road trip, it doesn’t seem there is currently a plan for him to start. He’ll instead serve as the team’s seventh defender, as young players like Calen Addison and Brock Faber slot into the lineup ahead of him. If Mermis finds his way into the lineup on this road trip and how Minnesota utilizes the price-controlled defender throughout the season will be worth monitoring, as Mermis looks to fight his way into a consistent NHL role.
Snapshots: Demko, Haula, Hintz
Thatcher Demko was mysteriously pulled from the team’s season opener after just over 48 minutes of play. After the game, Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet shared that Demko was battling the flu before the game and tried to play through it but was pulled after getting sick. Despite the bug, Demko recorded 21 saves on 22 shots – a big piece of the staggering 8-1 win Vancouver would go on to notch. Recent trade acquisition Casey DeSmith relieved Demko and saved all five shots that he faced.
Vancouver hasn’t shared that they’re expecting Demko to miss any more time with this flu. They visit the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, October 14 to kick off a five-game road trip. The gap between games will likely be plenty for Demko, although his status will be one to monitor over the coming days. While DeSmith was suitable in relief, the Canucks will certainly still want as much of Demko as they can get this season. The 27-year-old goalie played in 64 games during the 2021-22 season, recording a .915 save percentage, but was held to only 32 games and a .901 save percentage last year as he battled with a groin injury.
Other notes from around the league:
- Erik Haula is looking good to go for New Jersey’s home opener against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. He’s been dealing with an undisclosed, “nagging” injury for part of training camp and was recently considered day-to-day.
- Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz has officially been ruled out for the team’s season opener against the St. Louis Blues. Hintz has been dealing with an upper-body injury and was recently announced as a game-time decision for the team’s first tilt. But head coach Pete DeBoer shared that playing Hintz wasn’t worth the risk, as the team has five days off after their Thursday night game against St. Louis.
Columbus Signs Justin Danforth To One-Year Extension
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed Justin Danforth to a one-year, $1.1MM contract extension, carrying him through the 2024-25 season. Danforth played in his first NHL season in 2021-22 but missed all but six games of the 2022-23 season with a shoulder injury that required surgery.
Danforth, now 30, took roughly a year to rebound fully from the injury. But he made a strong enough impression at the team’s training camp to earn an NHL roster spot once more. He’s had a winding road to the NHL, originally going undrafted and pursuing collegiate hockey with Sacred Heart University. After four years of college, Danforth transitioned into the minor leagues – although he struggled to maintain a presence in the AHL. Rather than continuing to work his way up through the ECHL and AHL, Danforth instead signed with Lukko in the Liiga, Finland’s top league. He played in 59 games for their 2018-19 squad, recording a team-high 52 points. Danforth built his comfortability up enough to take on an alternate captain role with the club in 2019-20. He led Lukko in scoring again that year, tallying 60 points through 56 games.
After two years in Finland, Danforth then appeared in one season with Vityaz Podolsk of the KHL, Russia’s top league. He played in 58 games and, once again, led his team in scoring with 55 points. This burgeoning trend of scoring upside earned Danforth a spot on Canada’s 2021 World Championship roster. He appeared in nine of the team’s 10 games but only recorded one point playing alongside NHL talent.
It wasn’t until after his sole season in the KHL that Danforth finally received his first NHL contract – a one-year, league-minimum $775K deal with the Blue Jackets signed in May of 2021. Danforth appeared in his first NHL games during the 2021-22 campaign, scoring 10 goals and 14 points in 45 appearances. In response, Columbus signed Danforth to a two-year, one-way, $1.95MM contract that carries him through the end of the 2022-23 season. And while he hasn’t yet played more than 10 games on this contract, Columbus is clearly confident in what they have – extending Danforth through next season and providing him his first salary north of $1MM.
New Jersey Signs Lindy Ruff To Multi-Year Extension
The New Jersey Devils have announced a multi-year extension for head coach Lindy Ruff. The details of this extension haven’t been revealed yet, although this deal will lock in Ruff for the foreseeable future. Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said, “We’re incredibly fortunate as an organization to have Lindy Ruff behind the bench to guide this group, who’ve made significant strides under his leadership”
Lindy Ruff has been behind the New Jersey bench since 2020-21 when he took over for interim head coach Alain Nasreddine. Ruff failed to lead the Devils to the postseason in his first two years with the team but last season charged the Devils to only their third playoff berth since 2010. The team would go on to lose to the Carolina Hurricanes in a five-game series but the spring hockey was an exciting sign of things to come for a Devils team that’s built out their depth in recent years. Looking at the Devils’ opening night roster for this season, only nine players from Ruff’s first year with the club – speaking to how much change the club has seen over the last few seasons.
Ruff is an absolute veteran of the NHL, playing 13 seasons as a player and going on his 30th year of coaching. A majority of his playing and coaching career has been spent with the Buffalo Sabres. He appeared in 608 games with the Sabres – all but 83 of his total career games – recording 285 points and 1128 penalty minutes with the club. When he took the helm behind their bench, Ruff led the Sabres to eight different postseasons through 14 seasons, including making the playoffs in each of his first four years as the club’s head coach. He’s since coached with the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers, before landing with the Devils in 2020.
This extension locks in the leader of what seems to be an up-and-coming Devils roster. Ruff will now look to earn his deal with a strong season ahead.
Capitals Assign Two, Recall McMichael And Protas
The Washington Capitals have loaned Ivan Miroshnichenko and Riley Sutter to the Hershey Bears of the AHL and recalled Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas to the NHL roster. These moves don’t come as a surprise, as Washington needed to first place Max Pacioretty onto long-term injured reserve before they could finalize their opening night roster.
Of note, Hardy Haman Aktell did not get recalled in this transaction; likely a result of Joel Edmundson not being placed on LTIR to start the season. This is a good sign that Edmundson may not be out for much longer, but Washington will be starting the season with 13 forwards and seven defensemen as a result.
These roster moves are headlined by a pair of former First Round picks – McMichael the 25th selection in 2019 and Miroshnichenko the 20th choice in 2022. McMichael joined the Capitals organization a year after his draft day, playing his rookie season in the AHL during the 2020-21 campaign and scoring 27 points in 33 games. Those were impressive enough numbers to earn McMichael a full-time spot on the NHL roster in 2021-22, although he only managed 18 points in 68 games and ultimately earned a demotion to the AHL for last season. On the other hand, Miroshnichenko is brand new to North American pros, coming over from Russia for Washington’s training camp this year. The 19-year-old has been the focus of a lot of scrutiny when it comes to how he was deployed in Russia – finding himself constantly moving back and forth between the country’s second-tier league and their U21 league, the VHL, and MHL respectively, over the last three seasons. His assignment to Hershey will not only represent his first taste of professional hockey overseas, but it should also provide much-needed roster stability. Miroshnichenko was a highly-regarded prospect in his draft year, so attention will undoubtedly be on him as he begins working toward an NHL role.
Summer Synopsis: Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals had a quiet summer, entering the 2023-24 season with only a few key departures and a handful of additions to fill the gaps. They will have to rely on their veterans, but it will be their depth pieces that will likely determine Washington’s playoff hopes.
Draft
1-8: F Ryan Leonard, USNTDP (NTDP)
2-40: F Andrew Cristall, Kelowna (WHL)
4-104: F Patrick Thomas, Hamilton (OHL)
5-136: D Cameron Allen, Guelph (OHL)
7-200: F Brett Hyland, Brandon (WHL)
7-206: G Antoine Keller, Genève-Servette (Swiss U20)
The Capitals’ biggest splash of the summer undoubtedly came in the draft, where they brought in standout names in Leonard, Cristall, and Allen. Leonard headlines the group – a heavy-framed winger with phenomenal play-driving abilities and one of the better shots in the 2023 NHL Draft. He’s a promising forward headed to Boston College for the 2023-24 season, where he’ll stick with his linemates of the past two seasons: Will Smith and Gabriel Perreault.
Cristall was the only player who could challenge Connor Bedard’s scoring in the WHL this year, finishing with a staggering 95 points through only 54 games. He added another six points in seven games at the World U18 Championship, flexing that his scoring prowess isn’t limited to league play. However, many scouts had concerns with Cristall’s skating posture and ability to gel with teammates, leading to questions about his ability to translate to the next level. He’s a dominant winger with a strong shot and a great ability to work into the slot from the boards, but maintaining that dominance in the NHL will be a heavy ask. Cristall was considered a lock for the first round by many public scouting services but fell considerably when draft day came around. He’ll represent a boom-or-bust pick for the Capitals – exactly the thing that could help out the aging organization.
The same ‘boom-or-bust’ prescription can be applied to Cameron Allen, who was arguably the most impressive defender at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup but very quickly lost his steam as the 2022-23 season rolled around. Allen is a tall defender who uses clean strides and good agility to keep up with his forwards and get involved in plays. But as the year went on, his quickness and ability to jump in and out of offensive attacks wore down – leading to disappointing results as Allen only recorded 25 points through 62 games. This was a step down from his rookie season in the OHL, where Allen netted 37 points in 65 games. Once lauded as a potential first-round pick, Allen fell considerably – speaking to the concerns surrounding him. The Capitals may have a long road ahead of them in developing Allen, but his upside could make it worthwhile.
Trade Acquisitions
D Joel Edmundson (trade with Montreal)
The Capitals sent a third and seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to Montreal in exchange for Joel Edmundson, adding veteran support behind a blueline that doesn’t jump off of the page. While Edmundson has never been dominant, he remains a favorite of NHL execs thanks to his physical presence on the ice and leadership presence in the locker room. Unfortunately, he’ll start the 2023-24 campaign on injured reserve, nursing a fractured hand that required surgery in late September. He was given a timetable of four to six weeks for his return.
UFA Signings
F Matthew Phillips (one year, $775K)
F Alex Limoges (one year, $775K)*
D Chase Priskie (one year, $775K)*
F Max Pacioretty (one year, $2MM)
D Dylan McIlrath (two years, $1.55MM)*
G Hunter Shepard (two years, $1.55MM)*
The Capitals only gave out two one-way contracts to UFAs this summer. Luckily, they were given to two high-impact forwards. Pacioretty joins Washington after missing nearly the entire 2022-23 season with Carolina. Given he missed nearly the entirety of last season thanks to back-to-back Achilles injuries, Pacioretty’s $2MM contract can double in value if he hits all the games-played performance bonuses in his deal. For Washington, it’s a solid bet on a player who was on pace for 40 goals in each of his final two seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020-21 and 2021-22. The 34-year-old seemed to still have his scoring touch in limited appearances last season with the Hurricanes, too, notching three markers in five contests. If he can slide into a top-six role upon his return, expect him to maintain some semblance of previous form.
The other major player of interest here is Phillips, who’s now made the roster out of training camp after spending years toiling in the minors for the Flames. He’s been one of the more explosive scorers in the AHL over the past two seasons, notching well over a point per game, but only has three NHL appearances to his name. He will increase significantly on that total this season, as he would require waivers to be assigned to AHL Hershey. The 25-year-old is projected to begin the season in a top-nine role.
RFA Re-Signings
D Martin Fehervary (three years, $8MM)
F Riley Sutter (one year, $775K)*
Washington’s lone major RFA signing was Fehervary, a 2018 second-round pick who’s well on his way to a consistent top-four role in the nation’s capital. He spent most of last season stapled to John Carlson on the team’s top pairing (when Carlson was healthy), but that spot is now in jeopardy with the trade acquisition of Rasmus Sandin at the tail end of last season. Still, the 24-year-old averaged 20 minutes per game on the nose last season and should provide dependable play over the next three seasons. He recorded 16 points in 67 contests last year.
Departures
D Bobby Nardella, (HV71, SHL)
F Carl Hagelin, (retirement from NHL)
F Connor Brown, (Edmonton, one year, $775K)
F Conor Sheary, (Tampa, three years, $6MM)
F Craig Smith, (Dallas, one year, $1MM)
D Gabriel Carlsson, (Växjö, SHL)
F Garrett Pilon, (Ottawa, one year, $775K)*
F Kody Clark, (unsigned UFA)
D Matt Irwin, (Vancouver, one year, $775K)*
F Mike Vecchione, (Hershey, AHL)
G Zachary Fucale, (Trakor, KHL)
F Henrik Borgstrom, (Hv71, SHL)
At the beginning of 2022-23, someone looking at this list would have called Brown the biggest departure. However, the winger sustained an ACL injury early in the season that ended his time in D.C. after just four games. It stands to reason, then, that Sheary will leave the biggest hole in the lineup, one that quickly looks to be replaced by a combination of Phillips and the Capitals’ other NHL-ready young talent. He’d been a solid middle-six contributor for the Caps over the past three seasons, solidifying himself as a solid bet for around 15 goals and 40 points.
Hagelin did not play last season as he attempted to rehab eye and hip injuries that eventually forced his retirement from the league. Smith disappointed mightily with the Boston Bruins last season, and he was dealt to Washington in the blockbuster Dmitry Orlov deadline deal. He fared a bit better in Washington, recording five goals in 22 contests, and he’ll now try and add value to the Stars’ fourth line.
Salary Cap Outlook
At the time of publication, the Capitals are in the midst of making paper transactions to maximize the LTIR relief of Pacioretty and Edmundson to begin the season. Because of that, they technically have $0 in cap space at the time of writing, per CapFriendly, but will have $1.75MM in flexibility to play with after placing Edmundson on LTIR (likely later today). That will last until he’s ready to return to the lineup.
Key Questions
Is Sandin The Real Deal?: The 23-year-old defenseman was electric after coming over via trade from Toronto last season, notching 15 points in just 19 games as a Cap while averaging nearly 23 minutes per game. If he can stay anywhere close to that pace next season, he’ll solidify himself as a suitable replacement for Orlov, who flew under the radar for a decade as one of the most underrated complementary players in the league behind Carlson. It’ll also force his value up in contract talks – Sandin is making just $1.4MM against the cap this season but is a restricted free agent next summer. A true breakout campaign could convince Washington to sign him to a long-term extension.
Can The Youth Movement Help Now?: Connor McMichael, Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko are all names under 23 looking to log NHL minutes for Washington this season. Can their campaigns be promising enough to convince the Caps’ brass that they’ll be enough to replace the aging core around Alex Ovechkin over the next few seasons as he chases the all-time goals record? If so, the team could look to rebound from an expected mediocre season in 2023-24 and remain closer to playoff contention in their captain’s twilight years.
What’s The Deal In The Crease?: Darcy Kuemper is still an undisputed NHL starter, but injuries remain a concern for the netminder as he enters his age 33 season. Backup Charlie Lindgren had a nice start to last season but flamed out near the end, recording a below-average save percentage of .899 on the year. Kuemper, meanwhile, posted a solid .907 but has also notched over a .920 in three of the last five seasons. He’s due for a bit of positive regression and, if that’s the case, could help keep Washington in the Wild Card conversation later into the season.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Boston Not Decided On Heinen Despite Cuts
The Boston Bruins have trimmed their roster down to a final lineup, featuring Danton Heinen as the extra forward. They also sent Mason Lohrei to the AHL, opening enough space to sign Heinen (or another forward) to a cheap contract. However, general manager Don Sweeney said Boston is still weighing their options with Heinen, who will continue to practice with the team.
This is surprising news, as all signs pointed towards Heinen being the final feature of Boston’s opening-day lineup. The 28-year-old forward was originally drafted by Boston in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He made his debut with the Providence Bruins at the end of the 2015-16 season and made his debut with the Bruins in the following year, but it wasn’t until 2017-18 that Heinen received his full rookie season. He played in 77 games that year, recording 16 goals and 47 points and adding one more goal in nine playoff games. And while a strong rookie year, Heinen took a step back in his sophomore year – recording 11 goals and 34 points in another 77 games.
Heinen would go on to play a third year in Boston, before being traded to the Anaheim Ducks for Nick Ritchie. He would play in one full season with the Ducks before they failed to extend him a qualifying offer and made him an unrestricted free agent. Heinen signed with Pittsburgh out of free agency, appearing with them in each of the last two seasons and totaling 55 points in 141 games. But, facing free agency again this off-season, Heinen couldn’t find a new contract elsewhere; ultimately settling for a PTO with his original club.
Heinen’s pending contract is the final uncertainty facing Boston’s opening day lineup. The Bruins open their season on October 11th against the Chicago Blackhawks. Even if he does sign, it’s unlikely that Heinen suits up for this game, giving the Bruins a bit more breathing room with making a final decision.