Minnesota Wild Not Shopping Matt Dumba
Trade speculation will always follow Matt Dumba. The Minnesota Wild defenseman has been in the rumor mill for years and after the team signed Jonas Brodin to a seven-year extension in September, things heated up again. Today, speaking with reporters including Tom Gulitti of NHL.com, Minnesota GM Bill Guerin made it clear that he is not shopping Dumba:
I’m prepared to start the season with him, and we really like that. He’s a good young player. He’s got good energy. I love his competitiveness. Our defensive corps, I’ll put them up against anybody’s.
Of course, some will read that quote and see that Guerin didn’t commit to holding Dumba all the way through the season. Even though the team has the cap space to keep all of their high-priced blue liners through the entire 2020-21 campaign—Dumba, Brodin, Ryan Suter, and Jared Spurgeon combine for a $25.3MM cap hit—something waits at the end of the road that may force them to complete a trade.
The Seattle Kraken will join the NHL as the league’s 32nd team in 2021 and they will have an expansion draft after the upcoming season to build the core of their team. The Wild, like every other team in the league (save for the Vegas Golden Knights), have a chance to protect several roster players from selection. The problem for Guerin is that teams are either allowed to protect seven forwards and three defensemen or eight skaters. Going the normal 7/3 route would mean Dumba is left unprotected, given the no-movement clauses that the other three hold (Brodin’s new contract added an NMC onto the final season of his last deal). Protecting eight would leave the team’s forward group a little more vulnerable, though it still may be the better option if a trade isn’t reached before the expansion proceedings.
Expansion concerns shouldn’t be new to Minnesota fans. When the Golden Knights entered the league, the Wild made a deal with them to select Erik Haula, trading them Alex Tuch for a third-round pick in the process. Dumba was the main reason for that move as he was left exposed (along with others like Eric Staal and Marco Scandella) but essentially protected through the deal to select Haula, who was a restricted free agent that the team was going to have trouble signing. It was obviously tough watching Tuch become a strong contributor in Vegas, scoring 20 goals and 52 points in 2018-19—it would be troubling to see the team have to do something similar this time around.
In the same interview, Guerin also explained that the Wild will be naming a new captain before the season begins. Mikko Koivu, who had worn the “C” for more than a decade in Minnesota, was let go this offseason and signed a one-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Canadiens Notes: Churla, Kotkaniemi, WJC
The Montreal Canadiens have lost one of the key members of their scouting department as Shane Churla was hired today by the Florida Panthers. Churla will serve as director of amateur scouting for the Panthers, after serving in a similar role with Montreal.
As Eric Engels of Sportsnet points out, Churla will likely have more autonomy in Florida than he did in Montreal, where Trevor Timmins still runs most of the scouting operations from his role as assistant GM. Engels also tweets that he does not believe the Canadiens will rush to find a replacement for Churla, because of the presence of Timmins.
- Jesperi Kotkaniemi‘s loan has been terminated and Arpon Basu of The Athletic reports it is to be ready for a potential training camp should the NHL actually achieve its goal of a January 1 start. Kotkaniemi would need to serve out a quarantine when he returns to Montreal. The young forward scored eight points in ten games for Assat Pori in Finland during his time overseas, turning on the production after a slow start. The 20-year-old center played very well in the NHL postseason after an up-and-down season and should be a regular in the lineup this year. The Canadiens moved on from Max Domi, opening up more minutes for young players like Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki.
- While Montreal draft pick Kaiden Guhle works to make the Canadian World Junior team, a few of their other prospects will be soon battling for their own spots at the tournament. Mike Morreale of NHL.com reports that USA Hockey will hold their selection camp from December 10-13, where several Canadiens prospects will likely be taking part. Cole Caufield obviously leads that group as one of the returning players, but Jayden Struble, Sean Farrell, and Luke Tuch were all also on the WJC Summer Showcase roster before it was canceled.
Chicago Blackhawks Add To Hockey Operations
The Chicago Blackhawks have made three hires to their hockey operations department, adding Kendall Coyne Schofield, Erik Condra, and Juan Gonzalez.
Coyne Schofield, an Olympic gold medalist and one of the most decorated players in U.S. women’s hockey, will join the Blackhawks as a player development coach and youth hockey growth specialist. The 28-year-old is from the Chicago area and is perhaps best known to NHL fans for her outstanding fastest skater performance at the 2019 All-Star game. Coyne Schofield will continue to train and compete with the U.S. Women’s National Team while working with Chicago.
Condra, who is apparently announcing his retirement with this news, joins the organization as a player development coach after a long professional career. Condra played last season with the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, scoring 35 points in 53 games. The 34-year-old has played over 400 games at the NHL level, including six in the 2018-19 season for the Dallas Stars.
Gonzalez will become the Rockford IceHogs strength and conditioning coach after previously working with USA Hockey as an advisor, designing off-ice programs for the U17 and U18 teams.
The team has also promoted Meghan Hunter to the director of hockey administration and amateur scout. Hunter had previously served as a senior executive assistant to the general manager. The 39-year-old was a dominant player in her own right, scoring 42 goals and 78 points as a freshman for the University of Wisconsin in 2000-01.
Winnipeg Jets Hire Dave Lowry
No more staying out late, Adam. The Winnipeg Jets have hired Dave Lowry as an assistant coach for the upcoming season, adding him to the staff of head coach Paul Maurice. Lowry is the father of Jets forward Adam Lowry, who has played six seasons in Winnipeg already.
Dave Lowry meanwhile has been around NHL rinks for a very long time, in one capacity or another. A sixth-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 1983, Lowry played more than 1,000 games in the NHL, scoring 351 points and racking up nearly 1,200 penalty minutes. When his playing career was finished, Lowry quickly joined the coaching staff of the Calgary Hitmen before becoming an assistant with the Calgary Flames in 2009.
With experience as an assistant in both Calgary and Los Angeles, plus many years as a head coach in the WHL (Calgary, Victoria, Brandon), Lowry brings a wealth of experience to the Jets organization. He also obviously brings a special connection with the 27-year-old Adam Lowry, though how that dynamic plays out is still to be seen.
William Lagesson Signs With Edmonton Oilers
Nov 23: Lagesson has been reassigned from HC Vita Hasten to Kristianstads IK, another team in the Swedish second league. He is still expected to return at the start of NHL training camp.
Nov 4: The Edmonton Oilers have signed William Lagesson to a new two-year contract, which will be two-way in the 2020-21 season and one-way in 2021-22. The contract carries an average annual value of $725K at the NHL level. Lagesson had been playing with HC Vita Hasten in Sweden while he waited for a new deal with the Oilers and will remain there until the start of 2020-21.
It’s been a long and winding road for Lagesson, who was a fourth-round pick of the Oilers back in 2014. Selected out of Sweden, he immediately came to North America but not to sign with Edmonton. Instead, Lagesson played a season in the USHL for the Dubuque Fighting Saints, before heading to college at UMass Amherst.
After two seasons at the NCAA level and a pair of appearances at the World Junior Championship, Lagesson signed with the Oilers but still didn’t enter their development system. Instead, he went back to Sweden and played a season on loan with Djurgardens of the SHL. It was only 2018 when he finally came back to North America to play for the Oilers organization, suiting up for an entire season with the Bakersfield Condors. Last year, he was back with the Condors but also made his NHL debut, playing eight games with the Oilers.
Currently dominating the competition in Sweden’s second-tier—with nine points in eleven games—Lagesson seems poised and ready to compete for a full-time NHL roster spot when things resume for the upcoming season. Remember, the Oilers could be without Oscar Klefbom for a good chunk of, if not the whole season and don’t have a ton of experienced depth at the minor league level. In fact, with this move Lagesson becomes just the 13th defenseman in the entire organization signed to an NHL deal, and that includes several still on their entry-level contracts.
That number should increase by at least one in the coming week, as the Oilers still have Ethan Bear to sign. He is the final restricted free agent that needs a contract before the season starts and is coming off a breakout year in which he proved himself to be a top-four option for the team.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Urho Vaakanainen, Cooper Zech Loaned Overseas
Two young Boston Bruins defensemen have been loaned overseas this morning, with Urho Vaakanainen heading to SaiPa in Finland’s top league and Cooper Zech heading to HK Nitra in Slovakia. Both players are expected back in North America when NHL training camps open.
Vaakanainen will grab the headlines here, especially after his name was included in trade speculation recently. The 21-year-old defenseman was a first-round pick in 2017 but has played just seven NHL games to this point. That doesn’t mean his potential has diminished, but the clock is ticking on his opportunity to show he can be a legitimate top-four option for the Bruins.
For now, Vaakanainen will return to the club he played for during the 2017-18 season, the last before he came to North America. The 6’1″ defenseman scored 11 points in 43 games as a teenager for SaiPa that year, while also suiting up for the Finns at the World Juniors. The shine that surrounded his prospect status then has dulled a bit in the meantime, so this is a great opportunity to get back on the ice and prove his development has not stalled.
For Zech, simply getting into some more games is the most important part of his loan. The 21-year-old signed a two-year with the Providence Bruins of the AHL in the spring of 2019, leaving Ferris State after just one season of college hockey. He scored 14 points in 45 games for Providence this season but needs to produce at an even higher rate if he is to ever be considered for an NHL spot.
Poll: Who Would Win An All-Canadian Division?
Earlier today, the Toronto Raptors announced that they will begin the upcoming NBA season in Tampa after their request to play at their home arena was denied by the Canadian government. Because of the travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada, it always seemed impossible for the Raptors—the league’s lone Canadian franchise—to be hosting American-based teams in Toronto. A long quarantine is still required when you enter the country, meaning the logistics of holding NBA games was going to be incredibly difficult.
In the NHL, however, there may be a way around those difficulties. The league includes seven Canadian-based teams, meaning they could play each other in a realigned divisional structure to start the regular season. The seven teams are based all across the country, but would theoretically not need to quarantine between cities—though this is certainly not a guarantee, especially given Toronto’s increased restrictions today.
The idea of an All-Canadian division has been speculated about since the beginning of the offseason, with the general consensus being it would be necessary to get through the 2020-21 season. Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver would be battling it out to be “King in the North.”
If that division does happen this season, who does it benefit? Which team would be the ultimate winner, and who would face an even more difficult task?
The Canucks, Oilers, and Flames all already play each other in the normal Pacific Division, but none of them were able to top the Vegas Golden Knights this year for the first seed. Perhaps if they get away from the expansion powerhouse, they would be even more successful.
The Maple Leafs, Senators, and Canadiens are in the same boat, battling in a tough Atlantic Division that also included two of the league’s best teams. The Boston Bruins had the best record in the NHL when the season was put on pause, while the Tampa Bay Lightning won it all in the bubble. Getting away from the Bruins especially might be a blessing for the Maple Leafs as they try to finally get over the first-round hump.
Or perhaps it’s the lone Central Division team in Winnipeg who would get the biggest boost. The Jets have been an excellent squad for the last several years, but are in a powerhouse of a division with the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars all finishing ahead of them in the standings this year. Sure, the other Canadian teams may not be pushovers, but all seven Central teams were included in the 24-team postseason bubble, with the last-place Blackhawks even upsetting the Oilers in the qualification round.
Perhaps who gets the biggest boost is too tough to answer, given the changing rosters all around the league. But if an All-Canadian division does happen, who will come out on top? Make your prediction below and jump into the comment section to explain your thoughts!
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Ottawa Senators Sign Egor Sokolov
The Ottawa Senators have inked one of their 2020 draft picks, signing Egor Sokolov to a three-year, entry-level contract. Senators GM Pierre Dorion explained why the team chose to pick Sokolov in the second round despite being passed over in his first two years of eligibility:
To Egor’s credit, he’s worked especially hard for this. Despite initially being undrafted, he applied himself to improve many facets of his game to the point where he led the Quebec league in goals last season. We were pleased to be able to select him where we did last month and look forward to seeing his career progress.
Now 20, Sokolov is eligible to play in the AHL this season should the team feel it is in his best interest. The 6’4″ behemoth is still not a strong skater, but scored 46 goals and 92 points in just 52 games for the Cape Breton Eagles last season, showing he could set up his teammates just as well as he could release his heavy shot.
Even though he was selected 61st overall, it’s hard to know if Sokolov will ever be an impact player in the NHL. If he can improve his skating enough and continue developing his puck protection skills, he could be a legitimate top-six weapon, but there’s also a chance he won’t be able to keep up with the play at the next level.
Minor Transactions: 11/20/20
It’s the dog days of…November? The NHL offseason is moving like molasses these days, with no one-way UFA contracts handed out for the last two weeks. While things may be ramping up again at the end of the month, minor leagues and those in Europe have still continued to finesse their rosters recently. We’ll keep track of the notable moves right here:
- Philip Holm has signed a contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk for the 2020-21 season, bringing him back to the KHL. Holm has tried multiple times to start a career in North America, but ended up playing just a single NHL game with the Vancouver Canucks in 2017-18. His latest NHL deal, signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019, was terminated in January in order for him to play in Switzerland. He’ll now be in Russia, trying to find some stability.
- Lawton Courtnall, son of former NHL forward Russ Courtnall and nephew of Geoff Courtnall, will start his professional career with the Wheeling Nailers this season. The 24-year-old forward spent the last four years at Western Michigan University but has now signed a one-year ECHL deal.
- Top draft prospect Mason McTavish is trying to go to Switzerland to play for the upcoming season, according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. McTavish, 17, is eligible for selection in 2021 and scored 29 goals in his rookie OHL season. Switzerland may seem like an outside the box choice, but McTavish was actually born there when his father, Dale McTavish, played in the NLA. The young forward’s plans have “hit some snags” according to Wheeler, meaning he is currently skating in Ottawa while his representatives try to work through the issue.
- Former Blue Jackets prospect Maxime Fortier has signed a one-year contract with Wichita of the ECHL. The 22-year-old signed with Columbus as an undrafted free agent back in 2017 but didn’t progress past the minor league level in his first two professional seasons which resulted in him not receiving a qualifying offer last month.
Florida Panthers Announce ECHL Affiliation
The Florida Panthers have not only adopted the Charlotte Checkers as their new AHL affiliate but will be bringing along the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL as well. Greenville had previously been affiliated with the Carolina Hurricanes but will stay joined with the Checkers as they move to a new NHL partnership. Swamp Rabbits head coach and director of hockey operations Andrew Lord released a statement on the new affiliation:
In a season already filled with change and transition, we are proud to establish an affiliation with the Florida Panthers. Having Charlotte close by as our AHL affiliate makes perfect sense geographically, it is one of the closest AHL/ECHL affiliation distance wise in the leagues. Geordie Kinnear is a great coach and Charlotte as an organization won the Calder Cup in 2019, so there are a ton of positives to this affiliation. We are keen to be a great partner and are determined to develop players to the AHL and ultimately onto the NHL.
As Lord makes clear, the connection to the Checkers is the important part here for Greenville, which is just down the road from Charlotte. The two organizations can use the short distance to their benefit with player transactions, something that may be even more important in a year like this one.
Greenville is one of 13 ECHL teams still scheduled to open their season in mid-December, with a game against the South Carolina Stingrays kicking things off on December 11. The league recently lost an entire division of teams that opted to suspend operations due to COVID-19 situations but are trying to push on with a reduced schedule.