Tom Pyatt Signs In SHL
The San Jose Sharks decided not to re-sign Tom Pyatt after acquiring his rights last month and the veteran forward is now going to take his talents overseas. Pyatt has signed a one-year contract with Skelleftea AIK of the Swedish Hockey League.
Pyatt, 32, was only included in the trade of Francis Perron because the Canucks needed to clear a contract slot, and was never expected to be retained by the Sharks. After playing 37 games with the Ottawa Senators last season he ended up in the minor leagues with the Utica Comets following a trade to Vancouver, and obviously didn’t make enough of an impact there either. Pyatt has actually been a full-time member of the Senators for the last three seasons after a two-year stint in Switzerland rebuilt his value.
Originally a fourth-round pick by the New York Rangers in 2005, the two-way forward played 485 total games in the NHL and recorded 107 points. His history overseas is much more productive however, something he’ll try to emulate again in the highest Swedish league. A two-time gold medalist at the World Juniors, Pyatt has carved out a nice professional career for himself despite never being much of an offensive threat at the NHL level. He’ll potentially be an option for another two-way deal in the summer of 2020.
World Junior Summer Showcase Schedule
While the hockey world waits for NHL training camps in a few months, draft gurus and prospect evaluators everywhere are getting ready to tune in to the World Junior Summer Showcase that starts this evening in Plymouth, Michigan. The two Team USA squads will take on each other and teams from Sweden and Finland before joining forces and taking on the rival Canadians. The full schedule is as follows:
All times central
July 26:
USA Blue vs USA White – 4:30pm
July 27:
USA White vs Finland – 12:00pm
USA Blue vs Sweden – 3:00pm
July 28:
USA Blue vs Finland – 12:00pm
USA White vs Sweden – 3:00pm
July 30:
Canada vs USA – 3:00pm
July 31:
Canada vs Finland – 12:00pm
USA vs Sweden – 3:00pm
August 2:
Sweden vs Canada – 12:00pm
Finland vs USA – 3:00pm
August 3:
Sweden vs Finland – 12:00pm
USA vs Canada – 3:00pm
This tournament will help the respective programs prepare for the next IIHF World Junior Championship which will be held in the Czech Republic starting on December 26th. It is also a great chance for players who were just drafted or aren’t eligible until next year to show off their skills to NHL fans that might have missed them so far. Several first round selections like Cole Caufield, John Beecher, Alex Turcotte and Cam York will be suiting up for the Blue squad, while the White team has Matthew Boldy, Trevor Zegras and returning players like Oliver Wahlstrom and K’Andre Miller.
There will also be plenty of attention placed on Canada’s roster, as potential 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere is set to suit up. The 17-year old had 105 points for the Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL last season and is one of the players that you never want to take your eyes off of. If you want to know more about the future of Swedish hockey pay close attention to Lucas Raymond, who played ten games in the SHL last season despite only turning 17 in March. Raymond and teammate Alexander Holtz are both in early contention for the second overall pick, though there is still a long way to go before any decisions are made.
Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire John Marino
The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired the draft rights to John Marino from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a conditional 2021 sixth-round pick. The Oilers will only receive the pick if the Penguins are able to get Marino signed or subsequently trade his rights before the 2021 draft. Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford explained why he made the deal:
John is a mobile defenseman who excels at moving the puck while also playing with an edge to his game. We are excited to acquire him as we continue to add defensive depth to the organization. The next step is to work on getting a contract done with him.
Marino was set to return to Harvard for his senior season and captain the team in 2019-20, but the Penguins are obviously trying to sign him right away. The 22-year old would be eligible for a two-year entry-level contract if he decides to turn pro. If he does go back, Pittsburgh would maintain his draft rights through August 15, 2020.
Selected in the sixth round back in 2015, Marino has developed into a nice two-way defenseman at Harvard that could potentially step right into a big role at the professional level. In 101 NCAA games he has 42 points and brings a physical presence in his own end, giving the Penguins a potential all-around talent to plug in down the line. While there’s no guarantee at this point he signs for the 2019-20 season, Marino would have an outside shot at playing in the NHL right away given his polish as a prospect.
The Penguins have plenty of talent on the blue line at the NHL level, but several of those names will likely be on their way out over the next few seasons. Justin Schultz, Erik Gudbranson, Zach Trotman and Chad Ruhwedel will all hit unrestricted free agency either next summer or the following one, leaving room for some prospects to take their place. Pittsburgh has been known to love the NCAA market, adding players that are much further along their development path than those straight out of junior. Marino is just the latest in that trend.
For Edmonton, this likely means that the young defenseman had indicated he wouldn’t sign with them—at least not this summer. If they had waited for him to complete his senior season they risked the allure of unrestricted free agency taking him away for nothing. Recouping a pick at least gives them another lottery ticket down the road.
New Jersey Devils Still “Wheeling And Dealing”
The New Jersey Devils have made some real improvements to the roster this offseason, drafting Jack Hughes first overall, trading for P.K. Subban and signing Wayne Simmonds in the span of just a few days. It certainly sounds like more is coming though as at a press conference to introduce Subban, Devils’ owner Josh Harris told the media that the team is “not done” and that GM Ray Shero is “wheeling and dealing.”
Obviously what exactly they’re planning remains unclear, but the Devils are certainly in a position to do a lot of things this summer. The team still has to re-sign restricted free agents Pavel Zacha and Will Butcher, but even after taking on Subban’s huge contract the team still has nearly $17MM in cap space. That’s even more impressive when you realize that they have several young players like Michael McLeod, Jesper Boqvist and Ty Smith who may end up making the club while still on their entry-level contracts. If New Jersey is looking to spend up to the cap ceiling this year they could still add several substantial pieces.
The question is do they want to sacrifice some of their future to get better right now. Star forward Taylor Hall is only signed for the upcoming season, and the team actually has just a single player—Damon Severson—signed past 2021-22. While Hughes, Nico Hischier and others represent a great core to build around, there may not be a need to spend right now if they aren’t going to also keep some of their more veteran assets. In fact, considering that a Hall and Hischier will both need new contracts next summer the risk of taking on too much salary in any trade is a real one.
Still, you have to think that Shero is checking in on ways to improve in the short-term even if only to convince Hall to stick around. There are obvious fits for names like Nikita Gusev, Jason Zucker and Chris Kreider who have all been included in trade speculation over the last few months, but whether the Devils will actually go after any of them is still not clear.
At the very least, Harris’ confidence that the team will make a move of some sort gives the hockey world another team to watch over the coming weeks. As arbitration dates come and go, the dog days of summer are just around the corner where hockey news is difficult to come by.
Evan Rodrigues Receives Arbitration Award
Another player has received an arbitration award, as Evan Rodrigues signs a one-year, $2MM contract with the Buffalo Sabres. Rodrigues had filed for a $2.65MM salary while the Sabres filed for just $1.5MM. The Sabres still have hearings scheduled with Remi Elie and Linus Ullmark for early next month.
Rodrigues, 25, is coming off his first full season in the NHL and recorded 29 points last season in 74 games. A former teammate of Jack Eichel at Boston University, Rodrigues was an undrafted free agent when he decided to sign with the Sabres in 2015. After showing he could hang at the NHL level in the 2017-18 season, he has now established himself as a full-time roster option for them moving forward.
No, the 5’10” center is not going to be mistaken for a star offensive player anytime soon, but giving the Sabres strong minutes down the middle is still valuable. Rodrigues has been moved around the lineup through his young career and also contributed last season on the powerplay and penalty kill, giving him a huge amount of versatility as they try to build the roster up. With new additions like Marcus Johansson and Jimmy Vesey figuring into the top-six it’s unlikely that Rodrigues will find a ton of minutes in that group, but he may have the most upside in that next group including players like Johan Larsson and Zemgus Girgensons.
The real test for Buffalo this season will be trying to get enough production out of that bottom-six to really compete, something that is far from decided at this point. The team obviously has some elite talent at the top of the lineup with Eichel, Sam Reinhart and Jeff Skinner, but will need more competitiveness on a nightly basis from the rest. New head coach Ralph Krueger is certainly known for his ability to motivate players, something that the Sabres will hopefully experience this year as they try to compete for a playoff spot in the difficult Atlantic Division.
Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Jordan Schmaltz
The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Jordan Schmaltz from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Andreas Borgman. The deal does not include any other assets. Schmaltz is in the final season of a two-year contract signed in 2018, while Borgman was just signed to a one-year two-way deal in March.
Basically, this is a fresh start for two players who were buried on their respective depth charts. Despite including a first-round pick and an SHL Rookie of the Year, neither club might actually be getting any actual NHL games out of the deal. In Schmaltz’ case, the 25-year old has never lived up to his draft billing as the 25th overall pick in 2012 and has just 42 NHL games under his belt with the Blues. He has been a solid contributor at the minor leagues, but has been passed over time and again by other players in the Blues system including most recently by Mitch Reinke, who was outstanding in his first season of professional hockey.
In Toronto though, Schmaltz represents some much-needed depth on defense simply because he is right-handed. Toronto previously had just Tyson Barrie, Cody Ceci and Justin Holl as right-handed options with NHL experience in the entire organization, meaning they needed to find someone else just in case they face injury. Head coach Mike Babcock has been clear in the past that his preference is playing defensemen on their strong side—except perhaps in the case of Ron Hainsey, who played the right side of Morgan Rielly the last two seasons. Schmaltz may actually have a shot at making the NHL roster out of camp because of this lack of depth, especially because Travis Dermott is expected to start on injured reserve thanks to shoulder surgery.
For Borgman, this could also represent a better opportunity to make it to the NHL, though he shouldn’t hold his breath. More likely the Blues wanted a player who was still waiver-exempt and on a two-way deal, in order to fill out their depth in the minor leagues. Borgman could potentially be an injury replacement at some point this season, but given the Blues retained their entire Stanley Cup-winning blue line while also adding Derrick Pouliot, it will be tough sledding to find much ice time.
Interestingly, both players will qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency next summer if they don’t get some time in the NHL this year. Borgman needs 32 games to keep him a restricted free agent, while Schmaltz would need 38.
Sheldon Dries Re-Signs With Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche have avoided arbitration with Sheldon Dries, signing the forward to a one-year contract. Dries was scheduled for a hearing on August 4th, but obviously won’t need that now. Dries was the only arbitration case left on the books for the Avalanche. According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, the deal is a two-way contract worth $735K at the NHL level.
Dries, 25, was an undrafted free agent coming out of Western Michigan University in 2017 and latched on with the Texas Stars on an AHL contract. That season he impressed the entire hockey world by scoring ten goals in the Calder Cup playoffs, helping the Stars reach the finals (which they would ultimately lose). He earned himself a one-year entry-level deal with the Avalanche and a chance to suit up for 40 games in the NHL during the 2018-19 season. Though he had just six points during those games, he established himself as a legitimate depth option that was deserving of another deal.
Whether Dries will see any more time in the NHL this season is still unclear. The Avalanche have improved their forward group tremendously with additions like Nazem Kadri, Joonas Donskoi and Andre Burakovsky, not leaving a lot of room for players like Dries to compete. Still he could very easily see some games as an injury replacement, especially given he is waiver-exempt and can be moved up and down without an issue.
Arizona Coyotes Announce ECHL Affiliate
What’s old is new in terms of ECHL affiliates for the Arizona Coyotes, as they have reached a new two-year agreement with the Rapid City Rush. The Rush served as the Coyotes ECHL affiliate from 2015-17. Arizona assistant GM Steve Sullivan released a statement on the renewed partnership:
We are excited to once again partner with the Rapid City Rush as our ECHL affiliate. The Rush are a first class organization with a passionate fan base. We look forward to working with owners Jeff Dickerson and TJ Puchyr (Spire Sports and Entertainment) as well as owner Scott Mueller and Head Coach Daniel Tetrault.
The Coyotes were affiliated with the Norfolk Admirals last season and the Fort Wayne Komets the year prior, but will now get at least a little bit of stability with the two-year deal. Like any ECHL affiliation, the Coyotes can use the Rush for their raw or long-shot prospects as well as house their young goaltenders to give them some stable playing time.
West Notes: Engelland, Hutton, Eriksson
The bonus structure for Deryk Engelland‘s new contract has been reported by PuckPedia, and there are certainly some achievable milestones for the veteran defenseman. Engelland will receive a $300K bonus for playing in ten games, and an additional $100K at the 20 and 30 game thresholds. He’ll also get an additional $100K if he finishes the season in the top-five on the Vegas Golden Knights in ice time, an $100K for making the playoffs, and $25K for each successful round.
The relatively easy bonuses are another reason why the Golden Knights didn’t want to be using long-term injured reserve if they can avoid it, hence the trade of David Clarkson‘s contract earlier this week. If they were using LTIR and Engelland reached the bonuses, they would be applied as a cap overage in 2020-21 giving the team even less room for additional spending. Obviously $800K in overages isn’t the end of the world, but for a team like Vegas who is expected to be cap-strapped for some time they can make a difference.
- Ben Hutton‘s agent Andy Scott of Octagon Hockey spoke to Rick Dhaliwal on Sportsnet radio, and explained that he has no doubt the free agent defenseman will be signed before the year starts. Hutton has “plenty of offers” according to Scott, though nothing has been worked out so far. Scott also gave his take on the Brock Boeser situation (who is represented by fellow Octagon agent Ben Hankinson) explaining that “everyone is taking it slow” in the market right now. Boeser is one of a huge number of star restricted free agents still without contracts as August nears.
- The conversation around Vancouver Canucks forward Loui Eriksson continues, this time with Harman Dayal of The Athletic (subscription required) exploring potential trade options in the form of LTIR contracts coming back. The most eye-popping suggestion is one that revolves around Ryan Kesler, who is a polarizing figure in Vancouver. The veteran center heard boos for his entire career with the Anaheim Ducks whenever they traveled to Vancouver after forcing his way out of the Canucks organization in 2014, but is not expected to ever play again after debilitating hip injuries and multiple surgeries. Eriksson still has three years remaining on his contract which carries a $6MM cap hit.
Minor Transactions: 07/25/19
As July marches on and we get into arbitration hearings and contract holdouts, teams continue to fill our their organizational depth charts. Here are some minor moves from around the league. We’ll keep updating as more come in:
- Michael Brodzinski has signed a one-year two-way AHL contract with the Belleville Senators, leaving the San Jose Sharks organization after three years bouncing between their AHL and ECHL affiliates. Interestingly his older brother Jonny Brodzinski just signed with the Sharks this offseason, though he likely has a real shot at playing some NHL games this season.
- The Colorado Eagles have added another young goaltender to the mix, signing former Calgary Flames prospect Mason McDonald on an AHL contract. The 23-year old was selected 34th overall in 2014 but has spent most of his professional career in the ECHL to this point. McDonald will join Hunter Miska as another former top prospect with Colorado this season, an interesting pair to keep an eye on throughout the year.