Snapshots: Hall Of Fame, Point, Greene
The American Hockey League has announced their 2020 Hall of Fame class, which includes Robbie Ftorek, Denis Hamel, Darren Haydar and Fred Thurier. The induction ceremony is scheduled for January 27th. Thurier, one of the first real stars of the AHL, will be honored more than 20 years after he died at the age of 82. When he retired in 1952 he had the most points of any professional hockey player and then subsequently served as a linesman for nearly a decade.
More notes from around the league:
- Not only will Brayden Point be back on the ice tonight for the Tampa Bay Lightning, but he’ll be centering what should be one of the most talented lines in the NHL. According to Mark Masters of TSN, Point will skate between Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov on the team’s top line, a trio that totaled 318 points last season. That will be quite the task for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are trying to bounce back after losing consecutive games to the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues.
- The New Jersey Devils won’t have captain Andy Greene in the lineup as they try to bounce back against the Edmonotn Oilers tonight. Greene is being evaluated for an upper-body injury and has already been ruled out. The 36-year old defenseman has already been asked to do a little less this season, averaging fewer than 19 minutes a night through the first three games. If that number continued, it would be the lowest number Greene has averaged since 2008-09.
Minor Transactions: 10/10/19
Thursday night hockey is set to be explosive in the NHL, with 11 different games on tap. Even after escaping Toronto, Nazem Kadri can’t seem to get away from the Boston Bruins as the new Colorado Avalanche center will welcome in Jake Debrusk and the rest tonight. The Maple Leafs will have their own issues as they try to contain the Tampa Bay Lightning who welcome back Brayden Point to the lineup tonight, while the San Jose Sharks try to finally get on the board in Chicago and record their first win of the season. As we wait for that action to start, all the minor moves will be kept track of right here.
- Another former top prospect is headed overseas, as Adam Tambellini has signed with MODO in Sweden. Tambellini was picked in the third round by the New York Rangers in 2013 but never got a chance to suit up in an NHL game. The 24-year old scored 32 points in 72 games last season with the Belleville Senators, but will try to re-establish himself in Sweden this season.
- Mark Arcobello has signed a three-year contract with Lugano of the Swiss NLA, after taking home the league championship in two of the last three seasons. Arcobello played 139 games in the NHL before heading overseas in 2016, and has been a force in Switzerland ever since. Interestingly though, Arcobello won’t actually start this deal with Lugano until the 2020-21 season.
- While Michael McCarron was assigned to the minor leagues immediately after clearing waivers, it took the Sharks a little while longer to send Jonny Brodzinski down. Still, the young forward will spend the next little while in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda after being reassigned today.
Jonny Brodzinski, Michael McCarron Placed On Waivers
Thursday: Both players have cleared waivers. McCarron was immediately sent to the minor leagues.
Wednesday: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the San Jose Sharks have placed Jonny Brodzinski on waivers today and he’ll be joined by Montreal Canadiens forward Michael McCarron. The Sharks needed to make room for Patrick Marleau, who is coming in on a one-year deal, while McCarron must be healthy enough to get back into game action after starting the year on season-opening injured reserve.
Brodzinski, 26, was brought in on a one-year, two-way contract after he became a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer and allowed to compete for a job with the Sharks. He ended up landing one and played in the team’s last two games, but rarely saw the ice and is now likely headed for the minor leagues. Brodzinski has dominated the minor leagues throughout his young career, but can’t seem to find much opportunity at the NHL level. Through 56 career games, he has 11 points.
McCarron meanwhile has been down this road before with the Canadiens, as he cleared waivers at the end of the 2018 training camp as well. The 2013 first-round pick has suited up in 70 games for Montreal over the years, but has just eight points and has had a tough time even securing a fourth-line role. Standing 6’6″ he would provide the diminutive Canadiens group with some size down the middle if he could ever figure things out, but at 24 years old time is running out for McCarron to become an impact player.
Jordan Martinook To Undergo Core Muscle Surgery
The Carolina Hurricanes will be without veteran leader Jordan Martinook for the next while, as the forward is scheduled for surgery on Friday. The procedure will repair a core muscle injury and comes with an estimated recovery timeline of six to eight weeks.
This is not the first time Martinook has been out with a core muscle injury. At the end of the Eastern Conference Finals in May, the then-26 year old Martinook had a similar surgery that was expected to keep him out four to six weeks. He obviously recovered in time for the season and played in Carolina’s first four games, recording a single point. His new injury explains why the team recalled Julien Gauthier yesterday.
Martinook isn’t a key offensive piece for the Hurricanes, recording just 15 goals and 25 points last season, but is a big part of the leadership group. Notably, he took young forward Andrei Svechnikov under his wing and helped him navigate the NHL after stepping into it at such a young age, and was named an alternate captain last month. His absence will be noticed, though the team does look strong enough this season to handle injuries like this.
Julius Honka Signs In Finland
The final unsigned restricted free agent has found a home, at least for now. Julius Honka has signed a contract with JYP in Finland, though the deal includes an NHL out clause that could bring him back to North America if there is a team that wants to take a chance. The Dallas Stars have been looking for a trade partner all summer to unload Honka, but haven’t been able to find the right return. Because they issued him a qualifying offer however, the Stars continue to retain his rights.
Honka, 23, needs to get playing again if he’s to prove that he can still be a puck-moving force on the blueline, and returning to Finland was one of his only options at this point. Unable to find a fit with the Stars over the last several years, the 14th overall pick from 2014 has just 87 games played at the NHL level. That includes sitting out a huge number of matches last season even while healthy, stunting his development and career.
There have been reports that the Stars are looking for a second- or third-round pick for the young defenseman, though it’s not clear at this point what discussions have taken place. An offensive juggernaut in the minor leagues, Honka has only recorded 13 points in the NHL and there is no guarantee that he can handle a full-time roster spot at this point. Still, his potential must be intriguing to some teams around the league.
Julien Gauthier Recalled By Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes look ready to give one of their top prospects a chance at the NHL level. Julien Gauthier has been recalled and could potentially make his debut on Friday against the New York Islanders.
Gauthier, 21, was selected 21st overall in 2016 by the Hurricanes and has slowly developed into the goal-scoring power forward they envisioned. Standing 6’4″ the former QMJHL standout was impressive in the preseason with Carolina and has already scored twice in two games for the Charlotte Checkers. That’s picking up just where he left off last season when he potted 27 goals for the AHL club.
Interestingly, Gauthier’s name has come up a few times in the summer as a potential trade target, likely because of the Hurricanes’ healthy prospect depth. Most notably he was apparently included in Jesse Puljujarvi talks with the Edmonton Oilers, though obviously nothing materialized yet on that front. Carolina is off to a perfect 4-0 start this season and have had no trouble scoring goals, meaning Gauthier will have to pull his weight if he does get into any game action.
Alex Galchenyuk Placed On Injured Reserve
The Pittsburgh Penguins have made it official, placing Alex Galchenyuk on injured reserve and recalling Adam Johnson. Galchenyuk and Patric Hornqvist both missed practice today and were listed as day-to-day. Johnson will come up after recording two points in his AHL debut this season.
Johnson will be given quite the opportunity in Pittsburgh in the meantime, as not only are Galchenyuk and Hornqvist banged up but Evgeni Malkin, Nick Bjugstad and Bryan Rust are out long-term. The 25-year old forward was another one of the Penguins’ undrafted college signings, joining the organization in 2017 after two years at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Johnson has been a solid minor league player the last two seasons, scoring 43 points in 67 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last season and even getting into six games in the NHL.
Still, this is a dreadful start to the season for Pittsburgh, who had their eye on a Metropolitan Division title. The team’s depth up front is being tested and all the while GM Jim Rutherford appears to be searching for a trading partner to unload one of his defensemen. Taking on the Anaheim Ducks tomorrow, you can bet there will be substantial changes if things don’t turn around quickly in Pittsburgh.
2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Twenty-Third Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now. Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?
Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:
1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)
7th Overall: Ryan McDonagh, Columbus Blue Jackets (12)
8th Overall: James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins (2)
9th Overall: Wayne Simmonds, San Jose Sharks (61)
10th Overall: Kevin Shattenkirk, Florida Panthers (14)
11th Overall: Jake Muzzin, Carolina Hurricanes (141)
12th Overall: Kyle Turris, Montreal Canadiens (3)
13th Overall: David Perron, St. Louis Blues (26)
14th Overall: Mikael Backlund, Colorado Avalanche (24)
15th Overall: Evgenii Dadonov, Edmonton Oilers (71)
16th Overall: Alec Martinez, Minnesota Wild (95)
17th Overall: Carl Hagelin, New York Rangers (168)
18th Overall: Lars Eller, St. Louis Blues (13)
19th Overall: Alex Killorn, Anaheim Ducks (77)
20th Overall: Nick Bonino, Pittsburgh Penguins (173)
21st Overall: Pat Maroon, Edmonton Oilers (161)
22nd Overall: Paul Byron, Montreal Canadiens (179)
Now our biggest riser of the exercise, Paul Byron finding his way to Montreal seems inevitable. The third sixth-round pick in a row to be selected by our community, Byron didn’t always look like he’d be an impact player at the NHL level. In fact, if the game hadn’t turned considerably towards speed and skill over size, there’s a good chance he never would have.
Back in 2007, Byron was coming off his rookie season in the QMJHL where he had scored 21 goals and 44 points in 68 games for the Gatineau Olympiques. That just wasn’t impressive enough for a player that was listed at 5’8″ 135-lbs at the time. That led Byron to not even be ranked among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, overlooked completely as a draft prospect. The thing was, even at that tiny size, Byron didn’t play like a small, perimeter offensive talent. He was always willing to drive hard to the net and get underneath defenders on the forecheck, even if he wasn’t big enough to be all that effective at the time. The Buffalo Sabres decided to take a chance on him late in the draft, and it would pay off.
After growing a bit, Byron really showed what he could do at the junior level. In 2007-08 he scored 37 goals in the regular season before leading all QMJHL players with 21 playoff goals. His Gatineau Olympiques took home the league title that season and suddenly there was a glimmer of hope that Byron could become a professional after all. It would take until 2009—on the day his rights would have expired—for him to sign an entry-level contract with the Sabres, but it was worth it.
Byron would bounce between the NHL and AHL for several years until really catching on with the Calgary Flames during the 2013-14 season. His speed was a real difference-maker in the new NHL, and by the time he ended up in Montreal there was a real role for him. Over the last three seasons Byron has been one of the most efficient even-strength goal scorers in the league, lighting the lamp 51 times in 219 games even though he averages just over 15 minutes a game. That recent success is exactly why he finds himself in the first round of the redraft, given that he has climbed up to 23rd among all 2007 draftees in career points.
After the Canadiens made their pick, the Nashville Predators were on the clock back in 2007. Sitting there on the board was a player they were very familiar with from their scouting of another top prospect. Jonathon Blum was the 17th ranked skater by NHL Central Scouting, and happened to play for the Vancouver Giants alongside Predators prospect Cody Franson. The team had spent a third-round pick on Franson two years earlier and watched the two offensive defensemen lead their team to a Memorial Cup in 2007, combining for more than 100 regular season points.
Blum spent two more years in junior, winning WHL and CHL Defenseman of the Year in 2009 while also captaining Team USA at the World Juniors. The somewhat undersized defenseman seemed destined for a long NHL career, but that would never really come to pass. Instead, Blum spent most of the next several years in the minor leagues with the Milwaukee Admirals and Iowa Wild, playing just 110 games at the NHL level. He left for the KHL in 2015 and is playing this season in Sweden after ending up on the Olympic team in 2018 when the NHL chose not to go.
For some players it just doesn’t work out at the highest level, and that was the case for Blum. If they got another shot the Predators would likely pick someone else, but who? With the twenty-third pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Nashville Predators select? Cast your vote below!
[Mobile users click here to vote]
*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL. He has not been included in this vote.
San Jose Sharks Sign Patrick Marleau
Wednesday: The team has officially filed the Marleau contract, meaning his iron man streak was not broken last night. Marleau was at practice today for the Sharks alongside Logan Couture and Timo Meier, indicating he’ll be asked to play a big role right from the start with the struggling club.
Tuesday: It was inevitable after all. Patrick Marleau has signed with the San Jose Sharks, returning after a two-year absence to the city where he spent most of his career. A deal was hinted at earlier today by Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, who noted that several teams had recently reached out to the veteran forward. The deal will be a one-year contract that pays a league-minimum salary of $700K.
Marleau, 40, left the Sharks as an unrestricted free agent in 2017 to sign a lucrative three-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but didn’t finish it. Instead, after two seasons with in Toronto, Marleau was shipped off to the Carolina Hurricanes in order to facilitate a buyout of the final year of his contract. The Hurricanes were happy to eat the $6.25MM cap hit in exchange for a first-round pick, meaning Marleau could decide exactly where he wanted to play this season. There seemed to be an obvious fit in San Jose, but things didn’t materialize through the summer as the Sharks dealt with a cap crunch thanks to their hefty defensive contracts and restricted free agent deals.
Now, with the Sharks suffering multiple injuries (however minor) up front, the time was right for Marleau to rejoin his old squad. Originally selected second overall in 1997, Marleau jumped into the NHL right away and played 74 games with the team in 1997-98. That would turn out to be the fewest games of his career in a single non-lockout-shortened season, as he proved to be a pinnacle of health. In fact, Marleau has played in at least 81 games in 14 different seasons and hasn’t missed a single game in ten years.
Even though his iron man streak is something to behold, there are questions about how effective Marleau can be at this point in his career. His play dropped off last season for the Maple Leafs as he scored just 16 goals and 37 points—both the lowest totals he’s had in a full season since his rookie year—while even his previously elite skating ability seemed to slow somewhat. While Sharks’ teammate Joe Thornton still believes Marleau can skate well enough for the NHL, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be an effective option for the Sharks on a nightly basis.
Still, for a team like San Jose that has struggled out of the gate and is looking for reinforcements up front, you could do worse than a player who has scored 551 goals in his NHL career. Marleau currently sits fifth on the all-time games played list, and needs 77 to pass both Ron Francis and Jaromir Jagr. With 79 games left in the Sharks season it is certainly possible, especially for a player who hasn’t sat one out in a decade.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Boyle, Penguins, Stuetzle
After Patrick Marleau ended up signing with the San Jose Sharks after an offseason of uncertainty, heads are now turning to other still unsigned veteran forwards as potential options. Bob McKenzie of TSN reported last night on Insider Trading that Brian Boyle is drawing interest from several teams, and could be signed soon. McKenzie points out that the interested clubs may need to clear roster spots or cap space in order to fit Boyle in.
The 34-year old Boyle actually scored 18 goals last season and has been an extremely versatile player over the years. Able to play both center and left wing, he could give a boost to a club dealing with injuries or one needing a little punch of playoff experience in the lineup. Boyle has played in 114 playoff games over his career, getting to the postseason in each of the last nine years.
- While there has been no indication that the Pittsburgh Penguins would be a club interested in Boyle, they certainly fit into the category of a team needing some more depth at forward. Not only are Evgeni Malkin, Nick Bjugstad and Bryan Rust out long-term, but today both Alex Galchenyuk and Patric Hornqvist missed practice with injuries and are listed as day-to-day. The Penguins lost to the Winnipeg Jets last night and are already six points behind the 4-0 Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division. Though there is obviously tons of hockey left to be played, Pittsburgh may not be able to afford such a slow start in a division that should be much more competitive than last year.
- Tim Stuetzle is a name you’ll be hearing plenty over the next several months according to Gord Miller of TSN, who points out the 17-year old forward already has eight points in nine games playing in Germany’s top league this season. Miller suggests he could be a top-10 pick in the 2020 draft, and there’s little doubt that he will be in that conversation next spring. The young forward has effortless speed and offensive skill, but as with so many players around the world there will be questions about his size and ability to hold up in the North American game. One thing to note about Stuetzle’s future is that he was selected 19th overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2019 CHL Import Draft, a team he could potentially end up with if whichever NHL team drafts him wants him over right away.