David Gustafsson Loaned To Allsvenskan
Among the players being loaned out to European leagues, it’s no longer only prospects that are years away from making an NHL impact. Now teams are starting to find landing spots for young players who have a good shot at making the roster when the 2020-21 season starts too. David Gustafsson, who played 22 games with the Winnipeg Jets this season, has been loaned to Tingsryds AIF of Sweden’s Allsvenskan (second tier).
Gustafsson, 20, scored his first NHL goal with the Jets but was held scoreless otherwise and managed just seven points in 13 AHL contests. Still, he’s a big part of their future after being selected 60th overall in 2018 and making an impact at the SHL level.
This move is a bit curious, given he’s already competed and succeeded at the highest level in Sweden, but it will certainly give Gustafsson a chance to build on his game and get some confidence coming into NHL training camp. The Jets release specifically states that the young forward will return when the 2020-21 season begins in North America.
Nick Merkley Signs In Finland
One of the players that the New Jersey Devils received in exchange for Taylor Hall was Nick Merkley, a 23-year old forward originally drafted in the first round by the Arizona Coyotes. Merkley ended up playing 28 games for the Devils’ minor league affiliate and four games in the NHL, but will now be playing overseas for the next few months.
Merkley has signed a one-year contract with Assat of the Finnish Liiga, though the deal does have an NHL out-clause that runs through mid-December. The young forward’s entry-level contract is coming to an end in the NHL and he will be a restricted free agent, meaning if he comes to an agreement with the Devils he can be back in time for training camp.
Of course, there’s no guarantee the two sides to come to a deal and even if they do, the uncertainty surrounding the 2020-21 AHL season will be something to consider. If New Jersey wasn’t planning on using Merkley at the NHL level, perhaps they will allow him to play and develop in Finland this season.
The 30th-overall selection in 2015, Merkley has just five NHL games under his belt to this point. He has performed well enough at the AHL level, but still hasn’t quite been that dominant offensive presence that scored 117 points in his draft year or even the one that had 18 goals and 39 points in just 38 games as a minor league rookie.
Minor Transactions: 08/26/20
Things kick off today with some afternoon hockey between the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers, before a pair of later games this evening. For more than half the league though, plans are being formulated for the 2020-21 season instead (whenever that starts). Minor, junior, and European leagues are also planning their next steps and like always we’ll keep track of those minor moves right here.
- Ryan Jones has signed with the Rochester Americans after failing to reach an agreement with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 24-year old defenseman became a free agent earlier this month after four years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and will instead join the AHL organization to start his professional career.
- The San Jose Sharks have loaned Josef Korenar to HC Ocelari to start the season, letting him get some game action in the Czech Republic while they wait for the AHL. Korenar posted an .891 save percentage in 33 games this season for the San Jose Barracuda, his second season in North American pro hockey.
- The OHL’s Oshawa Generals have landed a future NHL prospect in a trade with the Erie Otters. Forward Hayden Fowler, expected to be a mid-round pick in the upcoming 2020 NHL Draft, was acquired by Oshawa for a trio of high picks, the team announced. Fowler, an OHL first-rounder in 2017, recorded 42 points in 52 games this season.
- Former New York Islanders prospect Kirill Petrov won’t be attempting a North American comeback any time soon. Petrov, now 30, was a 2008 selection of the Isles whose stint with the club lasted just 13 AHL games in 2015-16. Yet, in the four seasons since he returned to the KHL, he has put up strong numbers year after year. However, rather than try his hand at the top level, Petrov has signed a two-year extension with Ak Bars Kazan, the team reports.
Brennan Menell Signs In KHL
The Minnesota Wild have lost a promising young prospect, at least for the time being. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Brennan Menell has signed a one-year contract with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL. In a follow-up tweet, Russo explained that Russo is “likely gone for good” even though the Wild can retain his rights temporarily by issuing him a qualifying offer. Menell is scheduled to become a restricted free agent when his three-year entry-level contract expires later this fall.
The 23-year old was an undrafted free agent signing in 2017 and quickly became one of the most dynamic defensemen in the AHL. Menell recorded 47 points in 57 games for the Iowa Wild this season and even made his NHL debut, suiting up five times for Minnesota. Named to the First All-Star Team in the AHL this season, it looked like the young defenseman was on a path directly to the NHL at some point in the future.
Now, he’ll head to the KHL where he could very well find even more success. You can bet you’ll hear his name again in the future as a potential signing, but cross him off the list of potential roster players for Minnesota in 2020-21. Even with Menell’s situation resolved, Wild GM Bill Guerin has a long list of restricted free agents to deal with this summer, including Luke Kunin, Jordan Greenway and AHL Goaltender of the Year Kaapo Kahkonen. We recently examined the upcoming offseason and the biggest needs that Guerin faces.
Arizona Coyotes Stripped Of Two Draft Picks
The Arizona Coyotes have been hammered with a stiff penalty for violating the NHL’s Combine Testing Policy. The team will forfeit their 2020 second-round pick along with their 2021 first-round pick. The sanctions were handed out because the Coyotes violated the policy by conducting physical testing on 2020 draft-eligible players prior to the combine. The team will not face any financial penalties and the staff members involved will not receive individual discipline. Commissioner Gary Bettman released a decision, which included the following explanation:
As for the Club personnel who participated in, or may have contributed to, the Club’s violation of the Policy, I have decided that no discipline shall be imposed on these individuals. While I conclude that certain Club personnel acted in a grossly negligent manner at best, which was conceded by the Club, I ultimately conclude that the record does not establish—to a standard with which I am comfortable—that those individuals engaged in intentional wrongdoing, as opposed to grossly negligent behavior.
The Coyotes already didn’t have their 2020 first-round pick or 2021 third-round because of the Taylor Hall trade or their 2020 third-round pick because of the Carl Soderberg trade. Add those moves to this penalty and the Coyotes won’t be walking up to the podium very often over the next two seasons. For a team that is still trying to build its reputation and market after another recent ownership change, this is brutal news.
Arizona released the following statement in response to the punishment:
We were advised today of the NHL’s ruling regarding the allegations of physical fitness testing of draft prospects and respect the League’s ruling. Under new leadership, we have added thorough internal controls and compliance measures to prevent this type of occurrence from happening again in the future. We will have no further comment.
Claude Julien Recovering, Will Return As Montreal Head Coach
Though the Montreal Canadiens weren’t able to make it past the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the playoffs, some good news has still come out today. Claude Julien, who was taken to hospital a few weeks ago with chest pains and underwent a procedure to stent his coronary artery, has recovered and indicated he would have returned to Toronto’s bubble had the team won game six. Julien confirmed that he will be back as head coach of the Canadiens next season.
It is good news for a legendary coach who is approaching 700 regular season wins in his career. Julien won the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins in 2011 and has an all-time record of 658-440-10-148 in the regular season. That’s good enough for 13th on the all-time wins list.
The Canadiens have work to do this offseason to get their roster ready for another playoff run, but it appears that head coach will not be one of the spots to fill. Julien is under contract through the 2021-22 season with Montreal.
Morning Notes: Maple Leafs, Minnesota, McDonagh
The Toronto Maple Leafs cleared some cap room yesterday when they moved Kasperi Kapanen to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they aren’t done yet. James Mirtle of The Athletic reports that several other Maple Leafs players are “being dangled to varying degrees” including starting goaltender Frederik Andersen. Andersen would apparently only cost a single “low-cost” asset, as the cap room would be the big addition for a Toronto team looking to improve in other areas. The 30-year old Andersen is only signed through 2020-21 and carries a $5MM cap hit, but just experienced his worst season in the NHL.
Alexander Kerfoot, Andreas Johnsson and Pierre Engvall are the other names mentioned, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given the forward core the Maple Leafs still employ. If the top-four names—Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and William Nylander—aren’t going anywhere, the team will have to move on from those second-tier players if they are to shed any more salary.
- The Minnesota Wild have added Frederic Chabot and Brett McLean to their coaching staff, while extending the contracts of Darby Hendrickson, Bob Woods and Jonas Plumb. Chabot will take over duties as the team’s goaltender coach, while McLean will join the club as an assistant, the same role he filled for the AHL’s Iowa Wild. The pair join Dean Evason‘s team after the interim tag was removed from him last month. Evason signed a two-year contract after taking over from Bruce Boudreau midseason.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning still won’t have Ryan McDonagh in the lineup tonight as they take on the Boston Bruins in the second half of a back-to-back. The veteran defenseman has already been ruled out, meaning the rest of the Lightning defense corps will need to carry a little more responsibility this evening. McDonagh played just 15 minutes in a game one loss and missed yesterday’s thrilling overtime victory.
Mike Green Announces Retirement
Though there were rumblings about it a few weeks ago, today it became official. Mike Green has announced he will retire from a long professional playing career, telling Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic that he is set to hang up his skates and focus on other parts of his life. Green, who spent 15 years in the NHL, is focused still providing a positive impact on those around him:
A lot of people are hurting, and I want to help. I want to use my voice in a different way. I want to focus my energy differently, ground myself in the community, in family. But I also want to become a change agent for good.
A veteran of 880 regular season games, Green was once one of the finest offensive defensemen in the entire NHL. During the 2008-09 season, he tallied 31 goals in just 68 games, a threshold that not many defensemen have ever reached. In fact, only four defensemen have ever scored more goals in a single season—Paul Coffey, Bobby Orr, Doug Wilson, and Kevin Hatcher. Green was the first to complete the feat since Hatcher in 1993, and no one else has done it in the decade since.
But Green was more than just a goal-scorer for the Washington Capitals. He recorded back-to-back seasons of at least 73 points and routinely averaged more than 25 minutes of ice time a night. He finished second in Norris Trophy voting twice, losing to Zdeno Chara and Duncan Keith, while also receiving votes for the Hart. In the second part of his career, he transitioned to the Detroit Red Wings, where he was still an excellent puck-mover and actually improved the defensive side of his game. By the time he ended up in Edmonton at this year’s trade deadline, however, he wasn’t anywhere near the high-flying Green from the Capitals.
Green likely won’t go into the Hall of Fame, but he’s certainly in the mix for the Hall-of-Very-Good. The 34-year-old will retired with 501 points, putting him 69th on the all-time list among defensemen.
Minor Transactions: 08/25/20
The playoffs resume with two more games this evening, as the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights look to take commanding 2-0 series leads. For more than half the league though, plans are being formulated for the 2020-21 season instead (whenever that starts). Minor, junior, and European leagues are also planning their next steps and like always we’ll keep track of those minor moves right here.
- Filip Hallander, the Toronto Maple Leafs newest prospect, had already been loaned to Lulea HF for the 2020-21 season. Toronto GM Kyle Dubas told reporters today that the team will honor that agreement, though Hallander will be back to take part in NHL training camp. Should he fail to make the NHL roster, he’ll be on his way back to spend another season developing in Sweden. Hallander suffered a broken leg in the second game of the 2019-20 SHL season, but still managed to put up 14 points in 27 games by the end of the year.
- Jan Bednar, a top goaltending prospect for the 2020 draft, has committed to playing in North America this season, signing with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL. Bednar was the 2nd overall pick in the 2020 CHL Import Draft behind only Matvei Petrov and was ranked second among international goaltenders for the upcoming draft.
- Ryan Bourque, a long-time AHL veteran, has decided to hang up his skates. The 29-year old son of NHL legend Ray Bourque has retired, finishing with just one game at the NHL level. Originally selected in the third round by the New York Rangers, Bourque scored 203 points in 585 career AHL games and represented Canada several times on the international stage, winning gold at both the U18 and U20 World Junior Championships.
More On The Kasperi Kapanen Trade
The instant reaction from many fans and media members upon hearing the news this morning that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins had completed a trade revolving around Kasperi Kapanen was not exactly one of shock. The two teams had both made it clear that changes needed to come after qualification-round exits, though this may have been a little sooner than even most people expected. Kapanen was sent to Pittsburgh for a package that included the Penguins first-round pick this season and prospect Filip Hallander, a deal that earned Toronto GM Kyle Dubas plenty of praise online.
Now that the dust has settled a bit, it’s easy to see why this deal can be regarded as a positive for Toronto. The team is basically recouping an asset that had been lost while gaining some cap flexibility and an interesting prospect to boot. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Maple Leafs had been working the phones hard to try and get a first-round pick for this year—something they’d given away last summer in order to get Patrick Marleau‘s contract off the books. LeBrun reports that Dubas and the Maple Leafs front office had spoken with the New Jersey Devils, Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks and Carolina Hurricanes about Kapanen, trying to get a first-round pick from almost all of them.
The Maple Leafs now sit with the 15th overall pick in a draft that is expected to be deep with NHL talent, especially at the center ice position. That’s a spot where the Toronto pipeline is thin, despite having two bonafide stars in the middle on the NHL roster. Beyond Auston Matthews, John Tavares and Alexander Kerfoot, who currently slots into the third-line center role, there aren’t any obvious choices in the organization that could play top-nine minutes. The team used a mix of Frederik Gauthier, Jason Spezza and Pierre Engvall in the middle during the season but none are exceptional options at this point in their respective careers.
Pittsburgh meanwhile, is going for it once again with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin another year older. In the press release announcing the trade, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford specifically said that Kapanen could improve the team’s top-six, something that he repeated when speaking to Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
We’ll have to see how it goes in camp and what (coach Mike Sullivan) decides. (Bryan) Rust and Kapanen are top-six guys. It will be a matter of what works for everybody. Kapanen could go with Malkin. Or Rust could go with Malkin and the other guy with Sid. We’ll see how it plays out.
Rutherford explained that he “wasn’t going to wait” when he learned that Kapanen was available and thinks the speedy forward can be in Pittsburgh “for a long time.” Of note, Kapanen is under contract for two more seasons but will still be a restricted free agent at the end of 2021-22, able to be re-signed to a longer deal.
As for Hallander, the prospect that has Maple Leafs fans excited? Rutherford admitted that the Penguins liked him but didn’t project he could have the same kind of top-six impact. That’s obviously the key to the deal for Pittsburgh as they look to directly surround Crosby and Malkin with talent and push for another Stanley Cup.
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