Washington Capitals Sign Clay Stevenson
March 28: Stevenson has now officially signed his two-year entry-level deal, though it will begin in 2022-23, not this season. The contract carries an average annual value of $885K.
March 24: The Washington Capitals are expected to add some goaltending depth to the organization, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweets that Clay Stevenson will join the organization now that his college season at Dartmouth is over. Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV adds that Stevenson met with both the Capitals and New York Rangers, while drawing interest from the Vancouver Canucks and Seattle Kraken.
Stevenson, 22, would normally have been in his sophomore season, but missed all of 2020-21 when the Ivy League schools decided to cancel men’s hockey. Instead, this was his first season of college hockey, and he ended up posting a .922 save percentage in 23 games. Even more impressive is that Dartmouth was not a strong team, leading to a 6-14-2 record on the year despite his solid numbers. Two of those six wins (the team had seven total) were even shutouts, likely instances that impressed scouts even more.
Notably, the Capitals went from having two young potential starters to lots of question marks in net over the past year, with Ilya Samsonov‘s struggles the most surprising turn of events. Both Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek are restricted free agents at the end of the year (arbitration-eligible), meaning there could eventually be a path to the NHL in Washington for a player like Stevenson. Undrafted, the 6’4″ netminder became a star in the BCHL–recording a 30-2-2 record with a .936 in his final season–before heading to college.
As he is already 23, he’ll be signing a two-year entry-level contract.
Anton Slepyshev Re-Signs In KHL
If you wondered whether Anton Slepyshev would attempt an NHL comeback after his strong performance in the KHL and at the Olympics this year, think again. The 27-year-old forward has signed a new contract with CSKA Moscow that will keep him in Russia through the 2024-25 season.
Slepyshev was originally selected 88th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2013, and eventually made it over to North America for the 2015-16 season. After making his NHL debut that season, he was a regular in the Oilers lineup for the next two years, including during the team’s 2017 playoff run, the last time they have made it out of the first round.
After the 2017-18 season and his entry-level contract came to an end, though, he ended up returning to Russia to join the powerhouse CSKA program, and has not returned. His NHL rights, which were temporarily held by the Oilers, expired last year and he could have returned to sign with any North American organization had he wanted to. Instead, his prime years will all be spent in Russia, suggesting that his NHL career could come to an end with just over 100 games played. This season for CSKA, he registered ten goals and 25 points in 35 games, and helped his country take home the silver medal at the Olympics with a strong performance.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
AHL Shuffle: 03/28/22
Before you know it, the NHL regular season is going to be over. The Vegas Golden Knights have already played 68 of 82, and several others will join them at that number this evening. One of those is the Washington Capitals, who will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in a potential playoff preview. If the playoffs started today it would be the Florida Panthers facing that second wild card spot, but things are awfully tight at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, meaning games like tonight’s could have serious implications on seeding. As they and others prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have sent Chase Pearson back to the AHL, even though he wasn’t actually a part of that 11-2 debacle last night. Pearson played his only NHL game a few days ago, seeing just under eight minutes of ice time against the New York Islanders. The 24-year-old will now return to the AHL, where he has seven goals and 17 points in 47 games.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Kyle Clifford and Carl Dahlstrom from Toronto of the AHL on an emergency basis. Clifford has played in 13 games with the Maple Leafs (plus two more with St. Louis) so far this season while Dahlstrom made his Toronto debut back in January. There’s no word on which players were injured to trigger the emergency recall.
Metropolitan Division
- With several days off, the New Jersey Devils have sent Kevin Bahl and A.J. Greer back to the AHL for the time being. The team doesn’t play again until Thursday in Boston, before returning for another four-game homestand to begin April.
Central Division
- The Arizona Coyotes have once again recalled Jan Jenik from the minor leagues, after sending him down a few days ago. The 21-year-old forward has played three games for the Coyotes this season but is still looking for his first point of the year. In 46 games with the Tucson Roadrunners, he has 39 points.
Pacific Division
- The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Pavel Dorofeyev once again, adding the young forward ahead of their game Wednesday. In an interesting quirk of the schedule, the Golden Knights will actually play two consecutive games in Seattle this week, before continuing their road trip to Vancouver. Dorofeyev gives them another healthy forward to put in the lineup, should they need it.
- The Anaheim Ducks have sent Lukas Dostal back to the AHL, this time after making a start on Saturday night against the San Jose Sharks. The young netminder is now 1-2 in his four NHL appearances, though does still hold a .907 save percentage.
This page will be updated throughout the day
AHL Shuffle: 03/25/22
Five games hit the NHL schedule this evening, including an important match between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers. In fact, it could very well be a preview of the first round of the playoffs, given those two sit second and third in the Metropolitan Division at the moment. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Red Wings have recalled goaltender Calvin Pickard under emergency conditions from the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 29-year-old has played in two games with Detroit this season but has spent most of the year in the minors, posting a save percentage of .918 in 43 games. Pickard will take the place of Thomas Greiss on the roster with Greiss being ruled out for the weekend.
Metropolitan Division
Central Division
Pacific Division
- Though it still hasn’t come through the AHL transactions portal, the Vancouver Canucks confirmed to Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV that Will Lockwood has been recalled to the NHL. The 23-year-old Lockwood has just two appearances at the NHL level, both coming last season.
- With Max Pacioretty suffering a setback and Brett Howden still dealing with the effects from last night, the Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Pavel Dorofeyev from the AHL. The 21-year-old forward has been great for the Henderson Silver Knights, registering 23 goals and 40 points in 51 games. Later in the day, Dorofeyev and defenseman Zack Hayes were sent back to Henderson.
Montreal Canadiens Expected To Sign Jordan Harris
After a hard-fought but ultimately unsuccessful game against Western Michigan today, Jordan Harris and the rest of Northeastern’s season is over. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Harris is now expected to sign with the Montreal Canadiens, a two-year entry-level contract that will start this season, allowing him to enter the lineup down the stretch.
Harris, 21, was picked by the Canadiens in 2018, 71st overall, and could potentially become an unrestricted free agent should he fail to sign with them by August 15. That seemed unlikely even before Kent Hughes became general manager, but especially now given his long history with the young defenseman. Riley Hughes, Kent’s son, has played with Harris for many years, including for the last three at Northeastern, where they were also joined this season by his other son Jack Hughes, a top prospect for the 2022 draft.
There was actually a lot of chatter about Harris last year, but he eventually decided to return for his senior season, where he was once again outstanding. The slightly undersized defenseman had five goals and 20 points in 38 games and served as captain of the Huskies. He was named Hockey East’s Best Defensive Defenseman and to the conference First All-Star Team. A Hobey Baker nominee once again, he should step almost directly into the Montreal lineup, if even for a handful of games after the contract is over.
He’s not the only top prospect on Northeastern who could sign soon. Devon Levi also put the finishing touches on one of the greatest goaltending seasons in NCAA history, and will now have to choose whether or not to turn pro and join the Buffalo Sabres organization. Levi, 20, had a .952 save percentage in 31 appearances, tying Connor Hellebuyck for the second-best number since 2000 at the college level (Jimmy Howard‘s .956 for the University of Maine is first).
Others, like Vancouver Canucks prospect Aidan Mcdonough and Anaheim Ducks prospect Sam Colangelo will also have to make a decision on whether or not to turn pro.
Max Pacioretty Suffers Setback; Brett Howden Avoids Serious Injury
The Vegas Golden Knights have been ravaged by injury this season and now find themselves at risk of missing the playoffs entirely. One hope they had for the near future was Max Pacioretty, who appeared to be closing in on a return from his latest issue. Not anymore, as Pacioretty has suffered a setback according to head coach Peter DeBoer, who spoke with reporters including Jesse Granger of The Athletic.
Pacioretty, 33, left yesterday’s morning skate and will now not be available for the “near future” according to DeBoer. It’s been a brutal year for the veteran forward, who has appeared in just 29 games–though he has recorded 15 goals and 29 points in those contests.
The Golden Knights head coach also gave an update on Brett Howden, who was stretchered off last night. Howden is out of the hospital and was actually at the practice facility today, with DeBoer confirming nothing is broken.
While an injury is obviously never a good thing, Pacioretty’s absence may actually have something of a silver lining for the Golden Knights, who were going to be in a tough salary cap situation after Evgenii Dadonov‘s trade was canceled. Pacioretty is currently only on regular injured reserve, meaning if he’s going to miss an extensive period of time, he could be moved to long-term injured reserve, essentially swapping places with someone like Alec Martinez.
If the Golden Knights were in a better position, one might wonder if this was just a case of resting a veteran player while providing some cap benefit. But even after last night’s win, Vegas is far from a lock for the postseason. In fact, the team currently sits outside of the playoff picture, one point behind Dallas despite having played four more games.
Morning Notes: Monahan, Maple Leafs, Gallagher
Sean Monahan appears to be headed for the press box. The Calgary Flames center was skating as an extra at yesterday’s practice according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet and might end up a healthy scratch for tonight’s matchup against the Arizona Coyotes. Monahan, 27, had played in all 63 games this season but has seen his ice time continually drop, to the point where he was used for fewer than ten minutes earlier this week.
Under contract through the 2022-23 season and carrying a cap hit of $6.375MM, Monahan has basically seen his role with the Flames completely disappear. Whether an offseason trade (or buyout) takes him out of Calgary still remains to be seen, but unless something drastic changes down the stretch, it appears as though he is on the outside looking in following the additions of Tyler Toffoli, Calle Jarnkrok, and Ryan Carpenter.
- Jake Muzzin was at Toronto Maple Leafs practice in a red no-contact jersey, but Ondrej Kase was nowhere to be found, after the forward suffered another head injury a few days ago. As Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star writes, Muzzin–who is also working his way back from a concussion–may end up out until Jack Campbell, dealing with a rib injury, is ready to return. That’s because of a tricky cap situation in Toronto, though the team has found creative ways around their obstacles in the past. With Rasmus Sandin now out and Travis Dermott traded to Vancouver, the Maple Leafs could certainly use Muzzin’s help, even after acquiring Mark Giordano at the deadline.
- More bad news for the Montreal Canadiens, as Brendan Gallagher is out for a week with a lower-body injury. Like most Montreal players, this season has been a dreadful one for the 29-year-old Gallagher, who has just five goals and 14 points in 43 games. Those are both easily career-lows, and numbers that certainly aren’t good enough for a player carrying a $6.5MM cap hit. Gallagher is signed through 2026-27 and will hopefully bounce back in 2022-23.
Owen Sillinger Signs AHL Contract
If you’re the Columbus Blue Jackets, why not take a chance on another player named Sillinger? The Cleveland Monsters, Columbus’ AHL affiliate, have signed undrafted college free agent Owen Sillinger to a professional tryout contract for the rest of this season and an AHL deal for 2022-23.
Sillinger, 24, recently finished his senior season at Bemidji State University, where he dominated with 17 goals and 47 points in 39 games. He also happens to be the older brother of Blue Jackets’ rookie phenom Cole Sillinger, and son of long-time NHL forward Mike Sillinger, who also spent time in the Columbus organization.
While Owen doesn’t have quite the same profile as Cole, he’s still a talented forward that will help the Monsters next season. He served as captain of Bemjidi State this season, playing with their other brother–Lukas Sillinger–another undrafted talent.
An AHL contract means he can’t be recalled to the Blue Jackets, but does at least bring him into the organization and gets them an even closer look at his skill. The team–or some other team–could potentially turn that contract into an entry-level deal if they feel he could contribute at the next level.
The Monsters have also signed Robbie Payne to another AHL contract for 2022-23. Payne has six goals and 11 points in 19 games for Cleveland this season.
Victor Rask Recalled From AHL
One of the last trades to come through NHL Central Registry before Monday’s deadline was a curious one between the Minnesota Wild and Seattle Kraken. The Kraken would receive Victor Rask, while the Wild would essentially receive nothing in return, listing only future considerations. Minnesota was also retaining half of Rask’s contract, which made it seem more like trying to give the veteran forward a fresh start with another NHL franchise than anything else.
Then, Rask was quickly assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, throwing some more confusion at the deal. Perhaps this was the plan all along though, as Rask has now been recalled to the Kraken.
While he may still serve as an extra forward to start, this is an opportunity that Rask shouldn’t overlook. The 29-year-old forward has completely fallen off the map when it comes to being an effective NHL forward and has just 23 goals since the start of the 2018-19 season.
What was once a burgeoning young career has turned into one that may have trouble finding a contract in the summer, when Rask becomes an unrestricted free agent. A chance with Seattle down the stretch could mean the difference between an NHL future and some other avenue of professional hockey in 2022-23.
Tyler Bozak Out At Least A Month
March 24: Bozak has officially been moved to injured reserve, the team announced today. The move created roster space for the team to recall defenseman Calle Rosen from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, giving them an extra defenseman on the roster while Torey Krug is out with injury. Rosen has two assists in six games with the Blues already this season.
March 16: The St. Louis Blues will be without center Tyler Bozak for at least four weeks after he suffered a lower-body injury. The veteran forward will be re-evaluated in a month, suggesting he could miss even more time.
Bozak, 35, hasn’t been very effective this season in his limited role, recording just three goals and 11 points in 47 games. While he was never expected to drive a ton of offense at this point in his career, the Blues are being absolutely caved in with him on the ice, allowing 23 goals against to just nine for at even strength. Those struggles mean that an injury–as tough as it is to hear–could actually be a positive thing for the team at this point, as a change at the bottom of the lineup may be long overdue.
If Bozak is out through the end of the regular season–about six weeks from now–it would actually give the team a tiny bit more cap flexibility, with his $750K hit going on long-term injured reserve. He could then come back for the playoffs when the cap doesn’t matter to bring his experience, leadership, and versatility to the room.
Whether it changes St. Louis’ deadline strategy isn’t really clear, though adding a right-handed center could be in order. The team has Robert Thomas for that when he’s healthy, but the rest of their regular centers (or even those players who regularly take draws) are lefties.