Philip Broberg Will Join Oilers In Bubble
The Edmonton Oilers have changed course after seeing one of their top prospects compete at training camp. GM Ken Holland told reporters today including Mark Spector of Sportsnet that the team will be taking Philip Broberg into the Phase 4 bubble with them instead of returning him to his Swedish club. The initial plan was for Broberg to only participate in Phase 3, before joining Skelleftea in the SHL for their own training camp.
Part of the reason for the switch is the fact that Mike Green opted out of the tournament, but it also has to do with how well Broberg has performed over the last few weeks. The 19-year old defenseman was selected eighth overall in 2019 and has an enticing mix of speed and size. Just coming to the bubble however does not mean he’ll get to play, as the Oilers will be taking ten defensemen.
The question now becomes whether Broberg has fought his way into the mix for a roster spot in 2020-21. The Oilers signed the young defenseman to his entry-level contract a year ago, meaning even if the team is eliminated quickly in these playoffs they could loan him to the SHL until training camps open for the 2020-21 NHL season. Getting him playing time right now is obviously important, but the Oilers also have a Stanley Cup on their mind right now and need to take the best players available to them.
Importantly, Broberg is one of the players who could see the first year of his entry-level deal burned if he plays ten games in this postseason. If he plays in fewer than that, his contract would slide forward a year (and not even necessarily kick in for 2020-21).
Oskar Lindblom Signs Three-Year Extension
The Philadelphia Flyers aren’t going to quit on Oskar Lindblom. The Masterton Trophy finalist has inked a new three-year contract extension, keeping him in Philadelphia through the 2022-23 season. The deal will carry a $3MM average annual value. Lindblom released a heartfelt message to his fans:
I am very excited to be a part of the Flyers for the next three seasons. The support that the organization, the fans, and the entire NHL has given me has been quite overwhelming. I can’t wait to get back skating with the boys and being the professional hockey player I know I can be. I want to thank the Flyers for giving me this opportunity and I look forward to the day I’m back and contributing to the team’s success.
Lindblom, 23, was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma in December, a rare form of bone cancer that ended his season prematurely. After inspiring endless support from the Philadelphia community and hockey world at large, he was later able to ring the bell at Abramson Cancer Center, indicating his treatment had completed.
While he will not play this summer for the Flyers, Lindblom’s extension means he can get right back to where he left off as an up-and-coming star in the league. The fifth-round pick had already scored 11 goals in the first 30 games this season after putting up 17 in his first full year, creating plenty of hype that he could be a big threat for the Flyers for years to come.
If he does grow into that top-six 30-goal scoring threat, the Flyers will be getting a lot more than just $3MM in value. The deal gives Lindblom some financial security, while also taking him dangerously close to unrestricted free agency. He’ll still be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal, but with arbitration rights that could get him to the open market at 27 should he decide to forego a long-term deal.
In terms of what it means for the Flyers next season, a $3MM cap hit won’t bankrupt them but does mean they have even less maneuverability going forward. The team now has more than $72.5MM committed to just 15 players and still need to sign names like Nolan Patrick and Robert Hagg, while also finding a capable backup goaltender for young Carter Hart. There is work to be done, but they’ll at least know Lindblom is going to be a part of it.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Morning Notes: Romanov, UBS Arena, Bruins
The Montreal Canadiens have announced a change in plans for young prospect Alexander Romanov, who was previously on his way to Toronto to serve his quarantine. Instead, Romanov will serve it in Montreal before hopefully joining the Canadiens in the bubble city.
Though he will not be allowed to play in the playoffs, Romanov is expected to stay with the Canadiens to get accustomed to the team and organization before battling for a roster spot next season. The 20-year old defenseman has generated incredible hype thanks to his outstanding performances at the World Juniors and regular playing time in the KHL.
- When the New York Islanders take the ice at their new arena in Belmont Park, it will be named UBS Arena. The $1.5 billion redevelopment is set to be ready for play in the 2021-22 season, giving the Islanders a permanent and exciting new home.
- According to Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports, Boston Bruins president Cam Neely doesn’t expect David Pastrnak or Ondrej Kase to be with the team until they get to the bubble city, as they still deal with their individual quarantines. In Neely’s estimation that is especially disappointing for Kase, who didn’t have much of a chance to solidify a role on the team after arriving at the trade deadline. Kase played just six games with the Bruins before the season was put on pause, recording a single point.
Minor Transactions: 07/21/20
As the NHL gets ready for their upcoming postseason, minor league clubs are preparing for next season. As some minor signings come in we’ll keep track of them right here.
- The Manitoba Moose have signed Trent Bourque to an AHL contract for the 2020-21 season. Bourque, 22, spent the vast majority of last season in the ECHL with the Brampton Beast after finishing his OHL career, recording 20 points in 42 games with the minor league club. A sixth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues in 2017, he became an unrestricted free agent in 2019 when the team decided not to sign him to an entry-level contract.
- Ryan Strome‘s name came across the KHL newswire today, but that doesn’t mean the New York Rangers forward is heading to Russia. His KHL rights were dealt in a trade involving Alexander Polunin, a two-time World Junior medalist who spent last season with Yaroslavl. Should Strome ever decide to head overseas to the KHL, that’s who would have exclusive rights to sign him.
- After three years with the Cardiff Devils of the EIHL, Bryce Reddick is coming back stateside. He has signed with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL along with Cody Sylvester, who has been playing in Germany for the last several seasons. Sylvester, 28, was actually a star for the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL before performing quite well at the ECHL level in 2014.
Ivan Barbashev To Leave Blue Bubble During Round-Robin
The St. Louis Blues will have Ivan Barbashev in the lineup when they start their round-robin games in Edmonton, but will be losing him soon after. Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Barbashev will be leaving after one or two games for the birth of his child. Barbashev will have to test negative for COVID-19 four times in four days upon returning to the bubble, meaning he could potentially miss the start of the first round depending on timing.
Barbashev, 24, recorded six points in 25 playoff games for the Blues last season en route to the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. He played a key role physically for the team, recording 87 hits as St. Louis pounded teams into submission with a grueling, grinding playstyle. This season he picked up right where he left off, punishing defenders with 144 hits in 69 games, but also was producing offensively at the highest rate of his young career. In 69 games he put up 11 goals and 26 points while averaging just over 13 minutes a game.
Head coach Craig Berube was clear that when Barbashev returns he will re-enter the lineup, but he’s also preparing MacKenzie MacEachern for playing time.
The Blues, as one of the top teams in the Western Conference, get the advantage of playing this round-robin to determine playoff seeding. Had they been one of the teams in the qualification round, Barbashev could be missing the team’s chance to advance. Instead, like Lars Eller who will also be leaving the bubble at some point to attend the birth of a child, Barbashev may only end up missing a few tune-up games.
2020 Hart Trophy Finalists Announced
It’s time for the big one. The NHL has announced the finalists for the Hart Trophy, given annually to the “player judged most valuable to his team.” Last year’s winner, Nikita Kucherov, took home the Ted Lindsay and Art Ross as well in an impressive trifecta after scoring 128 points.
This year’s finalists are Leon Draisaitl from the Edmonton Oilers, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, and Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers, the same three that were nominated by their peers for the Lindsay earlier this month.
Like with the Lindsay, Draisaitl seems to be the odds-on favorite after his incredible offensive season. The Oilers forward led all players with 110 points in just 71 games, including a league-leading ten game-winning goals. He even eclipsed teammate Connor McDavid in the scoring race and proved he can carry a line away from his fellow superstar. It’s hard to really discount anything he did, though some voters may feel as though he wasn’t quite as “valuable” to the Oilers because of McDavid’s presence.
MacKinnon, on the other hand, had to carry the Avalanche all by himself for stretches this season. His 93 points were 43 more than the second-highest player on the Colorado roster—rookie defenseman Cale Makar—thanks to major injuries to his normal running mates like Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen. Add that to the fact that MacKinnon has received Hart votes in each of the last two seasons (finishing 2nd in 2018 and 6th in 2019) and you could understand why he’s still a candidate to snatch the award from Draisaitl.
In Panarin’s case, you may not have even considered him in the running halfway through the season. Though he was still obviously one of the most skilled players in the league, his 34 points in 28 games weren’t enough to make the Rangers anything special. From that point in December on however, he put up 61 points in his last 41 games and formed a dynamic duo with Mika Zibanejad that made New York one of the most dangerous clubs in the Eastern Conference. At any point, they might put up a huge number of goals even if their overall team was still not quite polished enough to be a real Stanley Cup contender. With the expanded playoffs this summer they’re in, and Panarin’s game-breaking talent could change that contender assumption in an instant. There’s no question he is one of the most valuable players in the league, but will it be enough to take home the crown?
Edmonton Oilers Loan Theodor Lennstrom To SHL
The Edmonton Oilers have already made a decision on another prospect, loaning Theodor Lennstrom to the SHL for the 2020-21 season. Lennstrom will return to Frolunda, one of the league’s top programs, where he played last season.
Notably, the 25-year old defenseman is only signed for one season after inking a one-year entry-level contract in April. Should he spend the whole year with Frolunda, he would be a restricted free agent able to sign a new deal with Edmonton. That fact, however, may suggest that the Oilers will recall him from the SHL at some pint to re-join the team in preparation for the 2020-21 NHL season which is expected to begin in December. A move like this would just give him a chance to play games in the interim.
If not, and he spends the whole season there, the Oilers will be in a situation where they can extend him a qualifying offer or work out a longer-term deal. Undrafted, Lennstrom has slowly worked his way through the Swedish professional system and this year took home the Champions League title with Frolunda. An excellent skater, he was expected to push for an NHL depth role to give the Oilers a little more speed on the back end.
Morning Notes: Hall, KHL, Romanov
The Arizona Coyotes and Taylor Hall have re-engaged in contract talks, according to Craig Custance of The Athletic, but with an interesting twist. Coyotes CEO Xavier Gutierrez is “running point” on the talks instead of GM John Chayka, and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Chayka was not even present at a recent dinner meeting between the team and their star forward.
Hall’s agent Darren Ferris told Friedman that the plan is still to wait until the end of the season to begin any negotiations. The 28-year old former Hart Trophy winner had 52 points in 65 games when the season was ended early and will be one of the biggest names in free agency should he reach it in October.
- Avangard Omsk has withdrawn from a KHL preseason tournament after 20 positive COVID-19 tests from players and staff. According to an Associated Press report, GM Alexei Volkov explained that most are not experiencing “obvious symptoms.” Omsk is coached by former NHL bench boss Bob Hartley and has several former NHL names on the roster including Reid Boucher, Corban Knight, Jiri Sekac, and Alexei Emelin. The identity of the players who have tested positive was not revealed.
- Alexander Romanov, who will burn the first season of his entry-level contract without playing for the Montreal Canadiens, will also not be getting a chance to take part in the Phase 3 training camp. The Russian defenseman will report directly to Toronto and serve his quarantine there before joining the team. The Canadiens hope to get Romanov acclimated to teammates and the organization this summer before he competes for a roster spot next season.
Minor Transactions: 07/20/20
As the NHL gets ready for their upcoming postseason, minor league clubs are preparing for next season. As some minor signings come in we’ll keep track of them right here.
- The Iowa Wild have re-signed forward Mitch McLain to a one-year AHL deal, keeping him in the organization for another season. McLain, 26, played four years at Bowling Green State University after going undrafted and has been part of the Iowa roster for parts of three seasons. This year he recorded just four points in 28 games, while also spending some time in the ECHL.
- The Ontario Reign will bring back captain Brett Sutter for another year, re-signing him to an AHL contract. Sutter will be close to 1,000 AHL games played after next season and has been the captain of two different minor league organizations. He recorded 26 points in 57 games for the Reign in 2019-20.
Brendan Lemieux Suspended Two Games
Though it is hard to remember this far back, when the NHL season hit pause, the playing status of New York Rangers forward Brendan Lemieux was still up in the air. The Department of Player Safety was reviewing a hit he threw on Joonas Donskoi of the Colorado Avalanche, and decided to suspend him indefinitely until a decision was made on the return to play. Today, a decision has been made on what to do with him.
The DoPS has suspended Lemieux for the first two of the Rangers qualification round games. As the accompanying video explains:
What causes this hit to raise to the level of supplemental discipline, is the lateness of the hit, the substantial head contact and the force of the impact.
The fact that Donskoi suffered an injury on the play and Lemieux is a repeat offender both played a role in the decision to keep him out of two games.
Losing Lemieux isn’t a death sentence for the Rangers, but it does take an effective weapon out of their lineup for their matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. Lemieux has found a full-time role as a pest in the team’s bottom-six, contributing a little offense and a lot of physical play. He had six goals and 18 points through 59 games this season but racked up 111 penalty minutes.