Gavin Lee – Page 204 – Pro Hockey Rumors

Arizona Coyotes Officially Sign Jack McBain

By Gavin Lee | at March 23, 2022 1:40 pm

Though it was clear a deal was coming immediately after they acquired him from the Minnesota Wild, Jack McBain‘s entry-level contract has been officially announced by the Arizona Coyotes. While the team did not release specific information on the deal, CapFriendly reported earlier this week that it will start in 2021-22 and carry an NHL cap hit of $883,750.

That means McBain can join the club immediately, and that his college career is now a thing of the past. The 22-year-old center is one of those select few who played at the Olympics before ever signing a pro contract, suiting up for Canada earlier this year and scoring two points in four games. For Boston College, where he has spent the last four years, the 6’4″ forward added 19 goals and 33 points in a breakout senior season.

While he may never become an elite offensive producer at the next level, McBain brings a mix of size and skill not often found together. He was acquired from the Wild in exchange for a second-round pick when it became clear that a contract with Minnesota wasn’t coming. McBain could have hit unrestricted free agency later this summer, but will chase an opportunity in Arizona instead.

Perhaps they would have rather he join their organization, but the deal actually resulted in a bit of an upgrade for the Wild in the end. They used a third-round pick, 63rd-overall, in 2018 and will now get a pick several slots higher in return. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Arizona’s selection they received though, as they instead landed Vancouver’s second-round pick in 2022.

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AHL Shuffle: 03/23/22

By Gavin Lee | at March 23, 2022 1:10 pm

One thing to remember about the post-deadline NHL season is that teams no longer have to limit their roster to 23 players. If they have the cap space to recall more, they can do so without issue. With that in mind, there could be some additional minor league shuffling as teams bring along extra bodies on road trips or fill in for minor injuries. As always, we’ll keep track of all those moves right here.

Atlantic Division

Justin Barron has been recalled by the Montreal Canadiens, though head coach Martin St. Louis isn’t sure yet if he’ll play right away. The 20-year-old defenseman was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in the Artturi Lehkonen deal and has played just two games at the NHL level so far in his young career.

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Jan Jenik from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners. Jenik, 21, was the 65th overall pick at the 2018 draft and has 37 points in 44 AHL games this year. The Czech winger has also gotten into three NHL games in 2021-2022 and has yet to register a point.

Pacific Division

The San Jose Sharks have recalled Lane Pederson from the AHL, as they continue their Canadian road trip through Edmonton. Timo Meier left last night’s game with an apparent leg injury, though Curtis Pashelka of Mercury News tweets that the team is still hopeful he plays tomorrow.
Speaking of Edmonton, the Oilers have loaned Brad Malone back to the AHL, as Ryan Nugent-Hopkins prepares to return to action. Nugent-Hopkins hasn’t played since February, but had 37 points in his first 45 games this season and will provide a huge boost if he’s able to play tomorrow.
The Anaheim Ducks have recalled two young players from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The first is goaltender Lukas Dostal, 21, who will back up John Gibson tonight as Anthony Stolarz is out with an illness. Dostal has gotten into 29 games this season and boasts a sterling .921 save percentage. He has also played in three NHL games and has a similarly impressive .929 in that smaller sample size as well. After Dostal, the team is also calling up Brendan Guhle. Guhle, 24, originally came to Anaheim in the team’s trade of Brandon Montour to Buffalo in 2019, and he has played in five NHL games this season with zero points.

This page will be updated throughout the day

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Minnesota Wild Sign Vladislav Firstov

By Gavin Lee | at March 23, 2022 11:48 am

The Minnesota Wild have signed prospect Vladislav Firstov to a three-year entry-level contract, which will begin in the 2022-23 season. For the rest of this year, he’ll join the Iowa Wild on an amateur tryout.

Firstov, 20, recently finished his junior season at the University of Connecticut, and has decided to turn pro. Selected 42nd overall in 2019, he registered 23 points in 35 games this season for UConn. While he’s not an elite offensive player, there’s a good chance that with the right development, Firstov can be another NHL piece for the Wild to use in the coming years. The fact that he’ll get in a few games with Iowa to taste the professional level will only help in that goal, as he watches the organization chase down a Stanley Cup in the NHL.

Considering their cap situation starting next season, with huge buyout penalties for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the Wild will need players on entry-level contracts to contribute. There will be an opportunity for names like Firstov to jump into bottom-six spots, something that John Bucigross of ESPN believes he could handle. Still, there he’ll have to battle a lot of other prospects, as Minnesota’s system overall is filled with talent. Firstov ranked 18th in Scott Wheeler’s recent prospect pool list for The Athletic, which had the Wild as the No. 3 system in the NHL.

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Linus Karlsson Hoping To Sign With Vancouver Canucks

By Gavin Lee | at March 23, 2022 11:02 am

It was another impressive performance from Linus Karlsson last night, who scored his 25th and 26th goals of the season for Skelleftea AIK, breaking the SHL’s rookie goal-scoring record in the process. The 22-year-old forward could soon follow the footsteps of the player who previously held that record, as he told Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV that he hopes to sign with the Vancouver Canucks following the SHL season.

Elias Pettersson was the previous record holder, having scored 24 during the 2017-18 season, his only campaign in the SHL. He followed it up with an incredible ten-goal performance in the playoffs, something Karlsson will have to try to replicate with his powerhouse club. Skelleftea AIK is in first place in the SHL after last night, with just one match to come before the playoffs begin.

Karlsson, 22, was originally drafted by the San Jose Sharks in the third round of the 2018 draft, but was flipped to Vancouver in a trade for Jonathan Dahlen in 2019. Importantly, Karlsson could actually become an unrestricted free agent on June 1 if the team can’t work out an entry-level contract, something that the rest of the league is likely keeping an eye on.

The young forward has dominated at every level as he moves through the Swedish hockey system, and now has 45 points in 51 games as a rookie in the SHL. While he will turn 23 in November, much older than Pettersson was when he was setting the records, he is still an important piece for Canucks’ general manager Patrik Allvin to get under contract, even just to see how he will fare in North America.

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PHR Live Chat Transcript: Post-Deadline Special

By Gavin Lee | at March 22, 2022 5:00 pm

Click here to read a transcript of the post-deadline special live chat with PHR’s Gavin Lee.

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Trade Deadline Notes: Dadonov, DeBrusk, Motte

By Gavin Lee | at March 22, 2022 4:12 pm

There is still no official decision on the trade between the Anaheim Duck and Vegas Golden Knights, though some sources have indicated to Jesse Granger of The Athletic that they believe it will be voided. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweeted a bit of an explanation, noting that not only did the Golden Knights not receive Evgenii Dadonov‘s no-trade list, but they and the NHL were also “led to believe” that the list had not been filed properly and thus expired.

That is not the case, however, as evidence has emerged to show that Dadonov properly filed his no-trade list, which includes the Ducks, on June 30, the day before the clause would have expired had it not been given to the Senators. Important to note in this situation, and something that is often misunderstood is that though Dadonov could still technically be traded after the “deadline” should this deal be voided, he no longer would be eligible to play at all in 2021-22, regular season or playoffs.

When Jake DeBrusk inked a two-year extension yesterday, some believed it would lead to a fresh start somewhere else later in the day, given that his agent immediately told members of the media that a trade request was still valid. In fact, agent Rick Valette told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that he was “hoping Jake would have a change of scenery” at the deadline. He also wanted to be clear that DeBrusk still loves the city of Boston and will be completely focused on the Bruins’ Stanley Cup run for the rest of this season.
When Tyler Motte was moved at the deadline for a 2023 fourth-round pick, some wondered why the Vancouver Canucks would bother, given how well he has fit into the team’s bottom-six. Motte is a pending free agent and according to Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV, he didn’t want to leave the organization at all but was asking for a contract with an average salary over $2MM. The 27-year-old has seven goals and 15 points in 49 games this season.

Ryan Murray Out Indefinitely

By Gavin Lee | at March 22, 2022 1:52 pm

The Colorado Avalanche added Josh Manson ahead of the deadline, but weren’t able to secure any more defensive additions yesterday. Unfortunately, just a few hours later, one of their regulars went down and is now out indefinitely. Ryan Murray, who blocked a shot just 31 seconds into his first shift, is out “weeks not days” according to head coach Jared Bednar, who confirmed it was a fracture but did not specify if it was a hand or an arm injury, according to Peter Baugh of The Athletic.

The Avalanche were playing with seven defensemen last night, though one of those was Kurtis MacDermid, who is a hybrid for them usually lining up at forward when the entire group is healthy. In Murray’s absence, and with Manson still just getting started with the team, Cale Makar went over 30 minutes and Devon Toews racked up 27:38–the only two defensemen to even crack the 20-minute mark.

While the Avalanche do have quite a bit of defensive depth, Samuel Girard is also out with an injury and Bowen Byram is still a question mark because of his ongoing concussion issues. The young Byram is back on the ice with the team–in a regular jersey even–but it’s not clear when he will actually re-enter the Avalanche lineup.

Of note, Justin Barron, who has played two games for the team this season, was traded to the Montreal Canadiens as part of the Artturi Lehkonen deal.

Murray, 28, has dealt with injuries his entire career, only once completing a full season unscathed. Through 37 appearances this year, he had just four points, but was still a useful depth piece for a team looking to go on a long playoff run. Now sidelined for the next while, it will be interesting to see if Murray ends up losing his spot in the lineup, should Colorado get comfortable with a new deployment of defensemen.

4 comments Colorado Avalanche Injury Ryan Murray

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Curtis Douglas

By Gavin Lee | at March 22, 2022 12:38 pm

One of the things Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas was asked about yesterday was whether he considered signing some of his standout AHL players to NHL contracts before the deadline, which would have made them eligible for the playoffs. While he explained that they needed to leave slots open for some college signings, the team has now worked out a future deal with one of those minor league players.

Curtis Douglas has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Maple Leafs that will begin in the 2022-23 season. Douglas is currently playing for the Toronto Marlies on an AHL contract.

Standing 6’8″, the 22-year-old Douglas is an intriguing forward prospect. Originally selected by the Dallas Stars in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, he ended up an unrestricted free agent when the two sides failed to work out a contract. After spending part of last season playing for the Linz Steel Wings in Austria, he joined the Belleville Senators and played 11 games in the AHL.

This season, with the Marlies, he has eight goals and 27 points in 49 games, good enough to earn himself an entry-level deal. Douglas only turned 22 a few months ago and is still very raw, but at least is showing signs that he is starting to harness his size effectively.

Because it is a future deal, it does not take up one of the Maple Leafs’ remaining contract slots, which could potentially go to college standouts–and U.S. Olympians–Matthew Knies and Nick Abruzzese in the coming weeks.

2 comments AHL Toronto Maple Leafs Curtis Douglas

AHL Shuffle: 03/22/22

By Gavin Lee | at March 22, 2022 12:27 pm

Now that the trade deadline is over, and teams are relatively fixed for the rest of the season–save for some college additions as NCAA seasons wrap up–the only way to really change the makeup of your roster is minor league moves. As always, we’ll continue to track that minor shuffling right here.

Atlantic Division

Taro Hirose has been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings, after going down yesterday to make sure he was eligible for the AHL playoffs. The 25-year-old has been outstanding for the Grand Rapids Griffins and does have three points in four games for the Red Wings.

Metropolitan Division

After sending him down yesterday, Radim Zohorna is back with the Pittsburgh Penguins today. Unfortunately, someone took his jersey number in the meantime. Rickard Rakell will now wear No. 67 for the Penguins, with Zohorna switching to No. 63.

Central Division

The St. Louis Blues have recalled Nathan Walker under emergency conditions, meaning, for now, he’ll continue his excellent season in the NHL. Walker has 44 points in 47 minor league games, but has also scored four goals and five points in nine appearances with the Blues. Quite the campaign for the 28-year-old forward.
Ville Heinola is back with the Winnipeg Jets, recalled under emergency conditions once again. The young defenseman has been bounced up and down all season, though he is still expected to only serve as insurance in case one of the team’s defenders isn’t able to go tonight.
The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Cam Dineen, who popped down to the AHL just to become eligible for the Calder Cup playoffs. Dineen played two games for the Coyotes over the weekend, taking his career total to 16 in this his rookie season.

Pacific Division

This page will be updated throughout the day

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2022 Trade Deadline Day Broken Down By Team

By Gavin Lee | at March 22, 2022 10:42 am

The 2022 trade deadline was extremely busy, with more than 30 transactions taking place before the bell rung. It’s hard to keep track of everything as it is happening, so we’ll break it down by team. Note that these are only the deals that happened on deadline day itself, meaning acquisitions like Claude Giroux and Ben Chiarot will not be listed.

Anaheim Ducks

Added:

Zach Aston-Reese (PIT)
Dominik Simon (PIT)
Calle Clang (PIT)
2022 2nd-round pick (PIT)
Evgenii Dadonov (VGK)*
Conditional 2023 2nd-round pick (VGK)*

Removed:

Rickard Rakell (PIT)
John Moore (VGK)*
Ryan Kesler (VGK)*

*This trade is still pending approval from the NHL Central Registry

Arizona Coyotes

Added:

Jack McBain (MIN)
Bryan Little (WPG)
Nathan Smith (WPG)
2023 3rd-round pick (WSH)
Future considerations (TBL)

Removed:

Johan Larsson (WSH)
Riley Nash (TBL)
2022 2nd-round pick (MIN)
2022 4th-round pick (WPG)

Boston Bruins

Added:

Josh Brown (OTT)
2022 conditional 7th-round pick (OTT)

Added:

2023 4th-round pick (NYR)

Removed:

Tyler Motte (NYR)

Vegas Golden Knights

Added:

John Moore (ANA)*
Ryan Kesler (ANA)*

Removed:

Evgenii Dadonov (ANA)*
Conditional 2023 2nd-round pick (ANA)*

*This trade is still pending approval from the NHL Central Registry

Washington Capitals

Added:

Johan Larsson (ARI)
Marcus Johansson (SEA)

Removed:

Daniel Sprong (SEA)
2022 4th-round pick (SEA)
2023 3rd-round pick (ARI)
2023 6th-round pick (SEA)

Winnipeg Jets

Added:

Markus Phillips (LAK)
Zach Sanford (OTT)
Morgan Barron (NYR)
Conditional 2022 2nd-round pick (NYR)
Conditional 2022 2nd-round pick (NYR)
Conditional 2022 7th-round pick (PIT)
2022 4th-round pick (ARI)
2023 5th-round pick (NYR)

Removed:

Nelson Nogier (LAK)
Bryan Little (ARI)
Nathan Smith (ARI)
Nathan Beaulieu (PIT)
Andrew Copp (NYR)
2022 5th-round pick (OTT)
2023 6th-round pick (NYR)

Note that the teams in parenthesis are the ones involved in the trade, not necessarily the original owners of the associated draft picks.

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Headlines

Author: Gavin Lee

Anaheim Ducks

Arizona Coyotes

Boston Bruins

Buffalo Sabres

Calgary Flames

Carolina Hurricanes

Chicago Blackhawks

Colorado Avalanche

Columbus Blue Jackets

Dallas Stars

Detroit Red Wings

Edmonton Oilers

Florida Panthers

Los Angeles Kings

Minnesota Wild

Montreal Canadiens

Nashville Predators

New Jersey Devils

New York Islanders

New York Rangers

Ottawa Senators

Philadelphia Flyers

Pittsburgh Penguins

San Jose Sharks

Seattle Kraken

St. Louis Blues

Tampa Bay Lightning

Toronto Maple Leafs

Vancouver Canucks

Vegas Golden Knights

Washington Capitals

Winnipeg Jets