Maxim Shalunov Re-Signs In KHL
If you’re a Chicago Blackhawks fan waiting to hear that Max Shalunov has finally decided to come to North America, you’re going to have to wait a while longer. The Russian forward has re-signed with CSKA Moscow for another season.
Shalunov, 27, was originally drafted by the Blackhawks back in 2011 but has never signed an NHL contract. He did play one season in the minor leagues, mostly with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL, but has been back in Russia ever since. The Blackhawks own his exclusive NHL rights indefinitely, which could mean that he never ends up seeing a North American rink.
In a bizarre story from Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required), Shalunov’s agent Shumi Babaev explains that he hasn’t heard back from Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman since the end of the KHL season. He put into words what so many of us are feeling these days, telling Powers “everything is so strange right now.” If Shalunov did sign, he’d have to wait until the 2020-21 season to begin, something that his agent doesn’t recommend.
The fourth-round pick has had plenty of success in the KHL, scoring at least 25 points in each of the last five seasons. But the Blackhawks obviously don’t seem to be in any rush to sign him, instead bringing over other European players like Dominik Kubalik. For the moment, Shalunov remains a Blackhawks draft pick. Whether we’ll ever get to see him play for the team is another story.
Snapshots: Lehner, Gilbert, Sekac
One of the more interesting storylines in the NHL’s return to play playoff tournament is the extra chance it gives to players who were acquired at the trade deadline. Those that switched residence at the end of February were only given two weeks—usually just a handful of games—to show their new teams what they could do before the entire league shut down. One of those players was Robin Lehner, who went from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Vegas Golden Knights (via Toronto) and ended up playing in just three games before the season ended.
Lehner, who stopped 78 of 83 saves (a .940 save percentage) in those three games, also happens to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The playoffs then represent his last chance to show the Golden Knights why he deserves to be re-signed, something he hopes will happen according to Danny Webster of NHL.com. Lehner pointed directly to the dedication he has seen out of his new teammates as they prepare for the upcoming playoffs as a reason he’d like to stay longer. While the Golden Knights have a complex cap situation to deal with next season, there’s no doubt that Lehner will be one of the most sought-after goaltenders on the market should the team let him walk into free agency.
- One of Lehner’s old teammates in Chicago won’t get the chance to show what he can do, as Dennis Gilbert has announced he requires surgery on his wrist and will not play again this season. The 23-year old defenseman was just getting his NHL career underway, playing in 21 games with the Blackhawks this season. That’s all he’ll get for 2019-20 as he’ll now have to look forward to next year.
- Another former Blackhawk is looking for a new job, after CSKA Moscow released Jiri Sekac today. The veteran of 115 NHL games has played in the KHL for the last four seasons, putting up excellent numbers and winning the Gagarin Cup in 2018. He may not be waiting for a job long, as recently a report surfaced in the Czech Republic that Sekac would be joining Avangard Omsk for the 2020-21 season.
Jack Dugan Signs Entry-Level Contract
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed a top prospect, inking Jack Dugan to a two-year entry-level contract. The deal will not burn his first year this summer and instead starts with the 2020-21 season. He will not be eligible for the Golden Knights’ playoff run this season.
Dugan, 22, will forego his last two years at Providence College and join the professional ranks after an outstanding college career. The fifth-round pick recorded 91 points in 75 NCAA games, including leading the entire nation in scoring this season with 52. While sometimes huge offensive numbers like that come from players too small to succeed at the NHL level, Dugan is also a 6’2″ forward that uses his frame and reach effectively to protect the puck before finding an open teammate.
Getting him to join the organization now means the Golden Knights will have full control over the development of the Hobey Baker finalist, though that may include some time in the minor leagues. There is a lot to be excited about when it comes to Dugan’s future, but like any player making the jump from college there is no guarantee he can find that kind of sustained success at the NHL level right away.
Still, the flat salary cap will make for some tough decisions in Vegas just like everywhere else around the league. The team already has over $75MM committed to 17 roster players for 2020-21, meaning there isn’t a lot left over for those last few spots. A player like Dugan may be able to force his way onto the roster because of his relative cost, though David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the deal will be worth the entry-level maximum ($925K) and will include Schedule A performance bonuses.
CapFriendly clarifies that the deal, which carries a $1.5625MM AAV with bonuses, breaks down as follows:
2020-21: $925K salary including signing bonus, $425K in Class A performance bonuses
2021-22: $925K salary including signing bonus, $850K in Class A performance bonuses
Snapshots: Stingrays, Beaudin, Koivu
The Washington Capitals and South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL have renewed their affiliation, signing a three-year extension that will keep them together moving forward. The Stingrays were first affiliated with the Capitals between 2004-2012, and were reunited in 2014. The two teams, along with the Hershey Bears of the AHL, have experienced plenty of success as one of the strongest three-tiered development system in professional hockey.
Perhaps the best-known success story is Braden Holtby, who spent time with the Stingrays in 2009-10 before eventually moving up the depth chart. The ECHL is routinely used to give raw goalie prospects a chance to hone their talents in game situations and will continue to be a valuable development path for the Capitals.
- With the shortened season the league had to institute a pro-rating system for things like the entry-level slide rule in the new CBA. Previously, players had to eclipse ten games for their entry-level contract to kick in. That changed slightly with the new rules, but according to CapFriendly the new formula will only actually affect one player—Nicolas Beaudin. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect could see his first year burned if he is to play in eight more games, even though he only played one in the regular season. There are still many players who could see their first year kick in should they play enough games in the playoffs, but those thresholds remain at 10 games. CapFriendly has the entire list right here.
- Mikko Koivu is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, but he hasn’t made a decision yet on whether he’ll continue to play. The 37-year old Minnesota Wild captain told Michael Russo of The Athletic that he would make that decision after his season is over. After several major injuries and the slow march of time Koivu isn’t the same two-way monster he was for so many years, but he did still contribute 21 points in 55 games for the Wild this season. He’ll get a chance to strengthen his legacy with a playoff run, but the Wild will have to dispatch the Vancouver Canucks in their qualification round first.
2020 Lady Byng Trophy Finalists Announced
The NHL continues to release the finalists for the major regular season awards, this time announcing the nominees for the Lady Byng Trophy. The award is given out to “the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly play and conduct” and is often given to those players who perform at a high level without taking many penalties. Last year’s winner was Aleksander Barkov of the Florida Panthers, who took just eight penalty minutes all season.
This year’s finalists are Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Ryan O’Reilly of the St. Louis Blues.
MacKinnon, who is also one of the finalists for the Ted Lindsey, saw his penalty minutes plummet this season even as he took on an even larger role for the Avalanche. The 24-year old center was left without many of his talented running mates for long stretches but managed to still score 93 points and take only 12 PIM. That continued a downward trend since he set his career-high with 55 minutes in 2017-18. MacKinnon has received votes for the Lady Byng on just one occasion previously and has not won an individual award since the Calder Trophy in 2014.
Matthews meanwhile also set a career-low in penalty minutes, but his total of eight isn’t surprising given how few he’s taken in his career so far. Through four seasons and 282 games, the Toronto superstar has amassed just 46 PIM and has finished in the top-8 for Lady Byng voting in each. He too has only taken home a Calder Trophy among individual awards, though he trailed David Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin by just a single tally for this year’s Rocket Richard.
O’Reilly represents the only past winner of the Lady Byng among the finalists. He took it home in 2014 when he took just a single minor penalty all season. That’s a feat he repeated in 2018, but he ended up losing the award to William Karlsson of the Vegas Golden Knights. Though such a strong defensive center, O’Reilly has been one of the best players in the entire league at staying out of the penalty box. He has just 106 PIM over an 11-year, 804-game career and hasn’t taken more than 12 in a season since he was a teenager. In addition to the Lady Byng he won in 2014, O’Reilly also won the Selke and Conn Smythe trophies last season with the St. Louis Blues.
2020 Masterton Trophy Finalists Announced
The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is given out annually to the NHL player who exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. The award has been voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association since 1968, and today they announced their nominees for 2020.
Past winners of the award include Robin Lehner (2019), Brian Boyle (2018), Craig Anderson (2017), Jaromir Jagr (2016), Devan Dubnyk (2015), Dominic Moore (2014) and Josh Harding (2013).
Each team provided a nominee for the award. The finalists this season are Stephen Johns from the Dallas Stars, Oskar Lindblom from the Philadelphia Flyers and Bobby Ryan from the Ottawa Senators.
Johns’ story of perseverance may not be as well known across the hockey landscape, but it is an inspiring one nonetheless. His career was cut short in 2018 due to concussion symptoms and for a very long time, it looked like he may never hit the ice in an NHL game again. 22 months later he made a triumphant return to the Dallas Stars lineup, playing 17 games for the team and even scoring two goals. Johns himself admits that at one point he lost hope. In Sean Shapiro’s beautiful telling of the story for The Athletic, the defenseman explained that he experienced suicidal thoughts while dealing with post-traumatic headaches and associated symptoms. Johns found his way back.
Lindblom’s ordeal was much more publicized, after a cancer diagnosis in December. His battle and cause were taken up by players and fans in Philadelphia and across the hockey world, with #OskarStrong bringing people together to support the young forward. In early July, Lindblom completed his radiation treatments and was able to ring the bell at Abramson Cancer Center. He will not be taking part in the Flyers’ postseason but is expected to make a full recovery and continue his career.
Ryan, the oldest of the three finalists, went through a battle with alcoholism that ended in a three-month leave from the Senators. During that time he underwent treatment and eventually returned in one of the most emotional moments of the season. Ryan scored a hat trick in his first game back in Ottawa, bringing the fans in attendance to their feet for a long standing ovation. Not only did Ryan show perseverance to return to the NHL, but it is his willingness to share his story that has touched so many people. The 33-year old veteran continues to answer questions about his experiences in order to try and help younger players who may be dealing with the same thing.
Chicago Blackhawks Officially Announce Three Signings
Though news had broke about each of them in recent days, the Chicago Blackhawks have officially announced three signings. Ian Mitchell has signed a three-year entry-level contract, Wyatt Kalynuk has signed a two-year entry-level contract and Pius Suter has signed a one-year entry-level contract. All three deals will start in 2020-21.
Mitchell is the most recognizable name of the bunch after being a second-round pick in 2017 and quickly becoming one of the best defensemen in college hockey. The expectations are sky-high for the 21-year old, who recorded 32 points in 36 games this season for the University of Denver. Mitchell joins a talented defensive crop that is pushing to change the look of the Blackhawks blueline in the coming years.
Kalynuk will also join that group, even if his story is a little different. The 23-year old was a seventh-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017 but decided not to sign with them after three years at the University of Wisconsin. He may be an option for the Blackhawks next season, but doesn’t have quite the same upside found in Mitchell.
Suter meanwhile is coming over from Europe after dominating the Swiss league for years. In 2019-20 he scored 30 goals and 53 points in 50 games for Zurich and took home the NLA MVP. Already 24, he’ll try to follow in the footsteps of Dominik Kubalik, who came to the Blackhawks after several successful years in Europe and is now a finalist for the Calder Trophy. Suter has played against top competition before, suiting up many times for Switzerland on the international stage including at the 2018 Olympics.
Nikita Tryamkin Re-Signs In KHL
The idea that Nikita Tryamkin could come back to North America for the 2020-21 season has been scrapped, with the big Russian defender signing a new one-year contract with Yekaterinburg of the KHL. Tryamkin had been in contact with the Canucks about a return, but according to Thomas Drance of The Athletic felt there was “too much risk” in waiting given he hasn’t played since February.
Tryamkin will turn 26 at the end of August and is now three years removed from playing in the NHL. He left in 2017 after 79 relatively unsuccessful games with the Canucks and has played for his hometown team in the interim. There was still hope from fans and the Canucks front office that he would one day return and take up residence on the team’s blueline once again, but that hope does seem to be slipping away at this point.
While the Canucks will be able to retain his rights until next summer, Tryamkin will become an unrestricted free agent on his 27th birthday—August 30, 2021. That doesn’t leave a huge window of negotiation given the 2020-21 season will likely end later than normal, and could mean the end of any potential return.
Edmonton Oilers Loan Dmitri Samorukov To KHL
After reports surfaced last month that the Edmonton Oilers had approved of a plan for Dmitri Samorukov to seek out a contract in the KHL, the team has officially loaned him to CSKA Moscow for the 2020-21 season. Samorukov will play for the Russian powerhouse and try to continue his development before the Oilers make a decision on future seasons. Mark Spector of Sportsnet reports that Edmonton GM “fully expects” the prospect back in North America “if he is deemed ready.”
Samorukov, 21, had a very up-and-down start to his professional career, recording 10 points in 47 games for the Bakersfield Condors. Last month when the talk of heading to the KHL came up, his agent Pat Morris explained why they were going down that route:
He wants to play. He doesn’t want to lay dormant for 8-10 months in this current situation. And he, unlike some other players, has this option. We’re exploring it long and hard.
For players that won’t be included in the upcoming playoff tournament, there could be a very long layoff before they see game action again. For a 21-year old prospect trying to make a name for himself, that development time is crucial.
The 6’3″ defenseman was the 84th overall pick in the 2017 draft and had an outstanding 2018-19 season with the Guelph Storm, showing his offensive upside. That upside didn’t get a chance to shine for Bakersfield, but it may for CSKA who are always among the top teams in the KHL.
Samorukov’s entry-level contract is scheduled to expire after the 2021-22 season.
Ian Mitchell Signs With Chicago Blackhawks
July 15: Three months later and the contract has officially been signed and submitted, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required). The three-year pact will not kick in for the 2019-20 season, instead starting in 2020-21 allowing Mitchell to collect his full signing bonus. CapFriendly tweets out the expected details of the contract (which has still not been announced by the Blackhawks) which will include up to $850K in Schedule A performance bonuses in each season.
April 13: The Chicago Blackhawks have convinced one of their top prospects to finally turn pro. Ian Mitchell has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Blackhawks, foregoing his senior season at the University of Denver. Details of Mitchell’s deal haven’t been announced, as the start date has “yet to be determined.” That likely means that Mitchell’s contract will either begin in the 2019-20 season should it resume at any point, or alternatively 2020-21.
Should the season return this summer and Mitchell signs for 2019-20, he would be immediately eligible to suit up for the Blackhawks. Either way, you can bet he’ll be challenging for a full-time spot on the roster to begin next season.
Now 21, Mitchell has been an absolutely dominating offensive presence during his three seasons at DU. Through 116 games he recorded 18 goals and 89 points, impressive totals for a forward, let alone a defenseman. Those totals may have been even higher had he not left during the 2018-19 season to serve as an alternate captain with Team Canada at the World Juniors, or this season when he was part of the gold medal-winning Spengler Cup team.
That sort of international success is exactly why so many Chicago fans are excited about the premise of Mitchell joining the Blackhawks. Originally selected 57th overall in 2017, he is a natural puck-mover that is more often than not the best skater on the ice. Not only does that skating ability allow him to carry the puck up the ice himself, but his quick weight transfer and lateral movement open passing lanes to teammates that might not otherwise present themselves. It also allows Mitchell to close the gap on defense quickly, though his small stature—5’11” 173-lbs—still leads him to get outmuscled at times.
In all though, the package that Mitchell brings will be well received in Chicago after they lost Erik Gustafsson at the trade deadline and will see Duncan Keith turn 37 in July. He’ll join a group of young defenseman including Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin that have tremendous upside and could turn Chicago’s back end into a puck-moving machine over the next few years.