Opportunity Coming For Ducks Prospects
The Anaheim Ducks still don’t have a head coach for the 2019-20 season, but we now know whoever it is will be leading a much different group. The Ducks are on the edge of a huge roster overhaul, one which might bring plenty of opportunity with it for their young prospect core.
Ryan Kesler won’t be back on the ice for the Ducks this season, if ever again, after undergoing a major hip surgery in May. The procedure was completed in part to restore some sort of normalcy to Kesler’s daily life and reduce his pain. He had fought through that pain to reach 1,000 games played for his career but was a shell of his former self on the ice and finished 2018-19 with just eight points in 60 games. Despite the three years remaining on his contract, no one should be expecting a contribution from the 34-year old.
Patrick Eaves too is a question mark for the Ducks after playing just nine games over the last two years. The veteran forward was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome in 2017—a diagnosis that has subsequently been changed to post-viral syndrome—and doesn’t appear to be expected to play at all this season. Even if he was to somehow come back, it’s hard to expect much from a 35-year old who hasn’t played a meaningful stretch of games in more than two years. Eaves has just one year remaining on his contract, but like Kesler is likely headed for long-term injured reserve if the Ducks need some cap space.
That brings us to Corey Perry, who the team is apparently ready to move on from after 14 seasons with the organization. Perry was the 28th-overall pick in 2003 and became a superstar in Anaheim, recording a 50-goal season in 2010-11 to win the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player. He and partner in crime Ryan Getzlaf were the faces of Ducks hockey for more than a decade, something that appears to be coming to an end. If Perry’s contract was traded or bought out, it would not only open up cap space and salary for the front office to work with, but also another roster spot to use on the talent they have coming up through the system—that’s where there’s a glimmering silver lining for fans hoping to get back to the playoffs quickly.
All is not lost if the Ducks manage to open up some roster spots. If everyone was healthy and retained, they would have 12 one-way contracts already signed and not much to look forward to next season. But with the above trio potentially out of the mix, opportunity is coming for some of the prospects just outside of the NHL.
For some of those prospects, they’ve already shown a glimpse of what might be possible.
In 32 games last season Troy Terry recorded 13 points, including back-to-back three-point efforts in early March. The late round draft pick developed into a powerhouse offensive player at the University of Denver and proved he can hang in professional hockey with a point-per-game effort in the minor leagues this year. While the NHL is a different beast, Terry showed enough flashes during his short stint with the Ducks to think he can be a regular contributor as soon as this season.
Sam Steel, another highly touted forward that comes with a considerably higher draft pedigree also proved that his junior scoring totals weren’t a mirage. He put up 11 points in 22 games for the Ducks and was a legitimate scoring threat in the minor leagues. His 13 points in 16 playoff games were good enough for third in team scoring, and he should push for a roster spot in camp.
It doesn’t end there however. The team also has the trio of Isac Lundestrom, Max Jones and Max Comtois ready to push for full-time jobs in the NHL. All three received a taste of the action this season and impressed, strengthening their cases for a spot this fall. There is plenty of time to wait for each of them, but any of the three could be on the roster to start the season, especially if the Ducks make moves to remove some of their other veteran options.
There are big changes coming in Anaheim, and for fans of the team it may be hard to watch familiar faces like Perry and Kesler limp out of town. But make no mistake, their struggles are another player’s opportunity and in this case there is more than enough talent ready to seize the chance and continue their development at the highest level. So many in fact that the team could potentially consider other moves to free up space and embrace the youth movement that is coming in California.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Edmonton, Blackhawks, Smith
The Edmonton Oilers have hired Tom Anselmi as President and Chief Operating Officer, while moving Bob Nicholson to a new position as Chairman. Anselmi is the latest change in management for the organization and comes to the Oilers after serving previously with both the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs. The experienced executive was a huge part in getting the Air Canada Centre and surrounding area built in Toronto, and will likely be tasked with similar projects around the new Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Some other notes from around the league:
- The Chicago Blackhawks have plenty of cap space this summer, but Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (subscription required) examines the roster crunch they are in as the draft and free agency approach. The team already has 17 full-time roster players under contract, and three restricted free agents that should be in the mix as well. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for graduating prospects or free agent signings, meaning the team may be active on the trade market over the next few months. Lazerus spoke to GM Stan Bowman, who explained that there are other teams in the situation the Blackhawks used to find themselves in—having to move a talented player out just to fit in someone else. Chicago is now in a position to capitalize on those situations, instead of shedding talent every year like they did for several seasons not too long ago.
- Jeremy Smith has signed a two-year contract in the KHL with Kunlun Red Star, taking him out of contention for any minor league jobs. The 30-year old goaltender played this season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL, but will see his one-year deal with the New York Islanders expire on July 1. A veteran minor leaguer who has spent time with the Milwaukee Admirals, Cincinnati Cyclones, Springfield Falcons, Providence Bruins, Iowa Wild, San Antonio Rampage, Charlotte Checkers and Sound Tigers, he’ll now take on a new challenge overseas.
Washington Capitals Re-Sign Liam O’Brien
The Washington Capitals have re-signed minor league forward Liam O’Brien to a one-year, two way contract. The deal will pay O’Brien $700K in the NHL, and allows him to avoid restricted free agency this summer. Because of his age, O’Brien could potentially become a Group VI unrestricted free agent next year should he fail to play in another 63 NHL games this season.
O’Brien, 24, was signed as an undrafted free agent back in 2014 after a long junior career in the QMJHL. The physical forward eventually made his NHL debut that season, earning himself 23 penalty minutes in 13 games as a rookie. Those 13 contests would be more than he has seen in the NHL since, but O’Brien has now worked his way to more of an offensive threat in the minor leagues. For the Hershey Bears this season, he still ended up with his normal 100+ penalty minutes but also added 15 goals and 28 points.
Unless something changes in training camp, O’Brien will likely serve as a depth option for the Capitals again this season. His minimum salary might come in handy, but the Bears will likely see more of him.
New Jersey Devils Sign Jesper Boqvist
As expected, the New Jersey Devils have inked another interesting prospect. Jesper Boqvist has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the team after spending the last several seasons playing in the SHL for Brynas IF.
Boqvist, 20, was the 36th overall pick in 2017 and exploded this season for Brynas, recording 35 points in 51 games to lead all team forwards. Doing that at such a young age is impressive, but that’s nothing new for the talented forward. Boqvist has long been seen as a future NHL player, and was actually ranked tenth among international skaters for the 2017 draft by NHL Central Scouting. Solid play internationally and a World Junior silver medal in 2018 only helped to improve his pedigree, as did his brother Adam Boqvist‘s top-10 selection in 2018.
The Devils are about to look incredibly loaded with young talent after they complete an important draft season. Not only do they hold the first-overall selection, but also five more picks in the top 80 including three in the second round. That kind of talent infusion to a club that already has Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Pavel Zacha, Miles Wood, and others competing in the NHL at such a young age will make for a healthy organization for years to come.
After such a successful season in Sweden, there’s also a chance that Boqvist impresses the Devils enough at camp to step right into an NHL role. If not, he will feature greatly in the AHL and try to take the next step in his development towards being a consistent offensive threat in North America.
Ownership Change Coming In Arizona
June 10: Craig Morgan of The Athletic (subscription required) is reporting that Alex Meruelo is “in the advanced stages” of acquiring a majority stake in the Coyotes. The league’s Board of Governors will vote on the sale on June 19, though Morgan notes that the transfer may not actually happen until later on in the summer.
May 22: The Arizona Coyotes have been rumored to be involved in a potential ownership change for some time, and today John Shannon of Sportsnet received confirmation from a league source. Andrew Barroway, who assumed full control of the Coyotes in June 2017, will have a minority stake in the team going forward. It is not clear who the new owner will be at this time.
The Coyotes have a long and varied history of ownership, including former Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo, Wayne Gretzky and the NHL themselves at different times. Barroway purchased a majority stake in the team in 2014, after a failing bid to get into ownership with the New York Islanders. He bought out the remaining investors in 2017, a move that was quickly followed by a change in leadership for the team, with Gary Drummond and Dave Tippett both leaving the organization entirely. There were also some hard on-ice decisions made, including leaving Shane Doan unsigned and trading Mike Smith to the Calgary Flames.
In 2017 there was also a real push from the league to find a way to move Arizona to a new arena, as commissioner Gary Bettman penned a letter explaining to legislators that “the Coyotes cannot and will not remain in Glendale.” The battle for a move out of Glendale will now fall to the new ownership.
Obviously, this transfer of ownership will also bring up the long standing issue of franchise relocation. Not just finding a new arena for the Coyotes in Phoenix, but the chance that the team could move to another city and state entirely. With the announcement that the team will be moving into the Central Division once the Seattle expansion franchise is operational, many had speculated on a potential move to Houston. When the NBA’s Houston Rockets were sold to Tilman Fertitta in October of 2017, he immediately expressed interest in bringing the NHL to the city.
The NHL however, for all the strong language about not remaining in Glendale, has always strongly supported the Coyotes staying in the Arizona market. Relocation is a last resort for the league, and hopefully new ownership will be able to finally find some financial and organizational stability for the franchise.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Johan Sodergran
The Los Angeles Kings have signed Johan Sodergran to a three-year entry-level contract. The 19-year old played last season in the SHL, suiting up for Linkopings HC. Sodergran is expected to attend the team’s development camp later this month.
Sodergran, 19, was a sixth-round pick of the Kings in 2018 but impressed mightily in his first development camp last year. The 6’3″ forward is an excellent skater and finished with 13 points in 42 games this season in the SHL, while also suiting up for Sweden at the World Juniors. He’s expected to return to Linkopings for the 2019-20 season, though an NHL contract was well deserved.
The Kings are attempting to rebuild their club with a new wave of talent, and players like Sodergran have an opportunity to really push it along quickly. While first-round picks like Gabe Vilardi and Rasmus Kupari are important, late-round selections can really turn a team’s fortunes around. If Sodergran can take another positive step this season it wouldn’t be surprising to see him join the Ontario Reign for a few games down the stretch, and jump right into the North American circuit in 2020-21.
Flyers, Hayes “Moving Forward” With Preliminary Conversations
The Philadelphia Flyers jumped into the unrestricted free agent market a little early this season, trading a fifth-round pick to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a chance to speak with Kevin Hayes before his contract expires in a few weeks. The hope is that the team can convince Hayes to forego free agency entirely and sign an extension in Philadelphia, giving them another solid option down the middle without having to fight off other bidding teams. Today GM Chuck Fletcher met with the media and gave an update on the Hayes negotiations:
Nothing to announce at this point. We’ve had good preliminary conversations with Kevin and his camp. We anticipate moving forward with those conversations this week…Obviously, we have strong interest in him.
It’s now less than two weeks until the interview process opens and pending free agents are allowed to start speaking with potential teams, meaning the Flyers are running out of time to get something worked out with Hayes. Even the very best available free agents are starting to wait until the interview period to speak with teams, making sure they aren’t missing out on any interesting opportunities. If Hayes does sign with the Flyers, it would remove one of the top options at center this summer and potentially increase the market of other names like Matt Duchene.
The Flyers meanwhile are trying to lock up another core forward to add to their group of veterans. Hayes would give the team a fifth player up front signed for at least $4.3MM per season, joining Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, James van Riemsdyk and Sean Couturier as a more than capable top-six group. That doesn’t even include young burgeoning stars like Nolan Patrick and Travis Konecny who look ready to really come into their own as difference makers in the NHL. Fletcher explained exactly why he is after Hayes’ services:
He plays a full 200-foot game. He kills penalties, which is an area we need to improve at. He understands the game and has great hockey sense.
Philadelphia has plenty of cap space for next season, currently sitting at a projection of more than $33.4MM under the expected $83MM cap ceiling. That isn’t even including any potential buyout savings from the likes of Andrew MacDonald, who currently carries a $5MM cap hit for next season but recorded just nine points in 47 games last season and has seen his play rapidly decline in recent years. Even a long-term deal for the 27-year old Hayes would be easy enough to fit into their salary structure at this point.
Daniil Tarasov To Play In Finland
When the Columbus Blue Jackets signed Veini Vehvilainen earlier this spring, it made for quite a crowded goaltending position within the organization. Even with Sergei Bobrovsky and Keith Kinkaid scheduled to leave in free agency, the team had four goaltenders under contract for next season with another—Joonas Korpisalo—expecting a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent. Out of those five, there isn’t a ton of NHL experience, making it unclear how the minor league playing time would be sorted out. Today an answer has been revealed, with Daniil Tarasov being loaned to Porin Ässät of Finland’s Liiga.
Tarasov, 20, only signed his own entry-level contract in May, ending his career in Russia after debuting in the KHL this season. Originally selected in the third round two years ago, the young netminder has plenty of development left before he can make a real impact on the Blue Jackets organization despite his impressive year. With so many minor league goaltenders in the system, Tarasov may have been forced to sit and watch more often than not, meaning a placement in Finland will get him much more playing time.
The Finnish team has announced it will be just a one-year deal, meaning the Blue Jackets will once again face this problem next spring. At least at that point they’ll have a better grasp on their goaltending situation, as there is no guarantee they even have their 2019-20 starter in the organization right now.
Edmonton Oilers Extend ECHL Affiliation
The Edmonton Oilers have extended their ECHL affiliation with the Wichita Thunder through the 2019-20 season, allowing them to keep their two-tiered development system under their new management team. Front office executive Bill Scott released a statement on the extension:
On behalf of Ken Holland and the Edmonton Oilers, we’re very excited to extend our affiliation agreement with the Wichita Thunder. We believe in new Head Coach Bruce Ramsay to develop our prospects in a positive, winning environment that will lead to success for the Thunder and Oilers. Wichita has been a terrific partner and we are pleased to continue our relationship together.
The Oilers have been affiliated with the Thunder since 2017-18, when they parted ways with the Norfolk Admirals. The Thunder made the playoffs in year one of that affiliation, but missed them this season after putting up a 29-31-12 record. In April, the team fired head coach Malcolm Cameron and subsequently hired former Grand Rapids Griffins assistant and Calder Cup champion Bruce Ramsay.
While the ECHL may not be the primary development league, it is still an important part of the Oilers organization as they look to maximize the potential of their prospects. Especially in net, where Stuart Skinner and Dylan Wells split this season, the Thunder will be responsible for getting raw or overlooked prospects off to a good start in their professional careers.
Chicago, Columbus Discussed Ryan Murray Trade
The Chicago Blackhawks are on the hunt for a defensive upgrade, and Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) reports on at least one name they have inquired about. In a new column on all things Blackhawks, Powers notes that the team recently spoke with the Columbus Blue Jackets about Ryan Murray though it “doesn’t appear a deal is getting done.”
While they may not end up with Murray, the talks are just another indication that Chicago will be trying to find a solution to their blue line problems this summer. The team allowed the second most goals in the NHL last season with 291—only behind the Ottawa Senators’ 301—and failed to get a ton of offensive production from anyone other than Erik Gustafsson and Duncan Keith. While Gustafsson’s 60-point season was obviously a huge and welcome surprise, the team obviously needed an upgrade if they want to get back to playoff contention.
Some of that will come from within, but there also may be some effective defensemen on the market this summer. The team is finally in a position where they aren’t squeezed too tightly by the salary cap, and can add some skill on the back end to help take some pressure off the aging Keith and Brent Seabrook.
Murray, 25, might be exactly what the Blackhawks are after. Originally selected second overall in 2012, Murray has shown a strong ability at both ends of the rink but hasn’t been able to stay healthy the last several seasons. In 2018-19 he recorded 29 points in 56 games, which would have put him third on the Blackhawks blue line even with the shortened year. Powers suggests that draft picks and prospects might be enough to get a deal done with Columbus given their lack of future assets after going all-in this season, but nothing seems imminent at this point.