Gary Bettman On Video Review: “A Blessing And A Curse”
Before game one of the Stanley Cup Final kicked off tonight, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daley gave their annual “State of the NHL” press conference. One of the biggest questions on hockey minds around the world right now is video review and the possible expansion of the process in the future. Speaking to reporters including Frank Seravalli of TSN, Bettman called video review “both a blessing and a curse,” admitting that the Competition Committee would discuss the issue again when they meet in the near future. The league wants to avoid “destroying the essential fabric of the game” with too many reviews.
Expanding video review is not what everyone wants, but when asked about the possibility of a reduction—specifically in regards to the offside review process—Bettman indicated that it would not be possible at this point, using the phrase “that ship has sailed.”
Given the way things have gone in the playoffs, especially with regards to the San Jose Sharks, there was always going to have to be a longer discussion on video reviews. The Sharks were involved in two key incidents that drove public outcry for expanded review rules. First, Vegas Golden Knights forward Cody Eakin was given a five-minute major for cross-checking Joe Pavelski which the league eventually apologized for. Pavelski suffered a serious injury, but the Sharks were able to score four times during the ensuing powerplay to pull ahead in a deciding game seven. Next, a hand pass was missed completely in overtime of game three of the Western Conference Final, leading to the game-winner by Erik Karlsson. The league once again admitted that the call was missed, but nothing could be done.
Those may have been the most notable incidents given their game-changing nature, but they were obviously not the only missed calls throughout the playoffs. The question for the league to answer is when will does review expansion stop, if not now. The game isn’t yet riddled with stoppages and called to Toronto’s war room, but it also is still missing or making the incorrect call at key times.
Josh Norris Signs With Ottawa Senators
After just two years with the University of Michigan, Josh Norris has decided to turn pro. The Ottawa Senators today announced a three-year entry-level contract for Norris, who was acquired as part of the package for Erik Karlsson last summer. Senators GM Pierre Dorion released a statement on his newest forward:
Josh is one of the organization’s top prospects, a fast, skilled, competitive center who we project to play an important role with our team in the future. In speaking with Josh and his family, we were all in agreement that it is in the best interests of his development to make the step to turn professional after two great seasons at Michigan. We are very happy to have Josh signed and look forward to having him here at development camp in June.
Norris, 20, unfortunately missed a good chunk of the 2018-19 season due to injury and played just 17 games for the Michigan Wolverines. He was still able to make a big impact however, recording 10 goals and 19 points in those games while also helping Team USA to a silver medal at the World Juniors. The 19th overall pick in 2017, Norris is considered a polished two-way center that should be able to contribute at the professional level right away. Whether that comes in the NHL or AHL this year will be determined in camp, but there’s little doubt that he will get to Ottawa eventually.
While many pointed to Rudolfs Balcers at the time of the trade as one of the biggest keys, given his proximity to the NHL—Balcers would score 14 points in 36 games as a rookie in 2018-19—Norris was a huge part of the deal. His development will always be tied to Karlsson’s departure, putting even more pressure on him moving forward. That kind of pressure hasn’t seemed to distract him so far in his young hockey career, as Norris has routinely been among the best players at every level of competition including internationally and in college.
Interestingly, there may be an opportunity in the NHL right away for a player of his talents. While there is obviously a case to be made for some more seasoning in the minor leagues, the Senators currently have just five forwards signed to one-way contracts for 2019-20 (not including the injured Marian Gaborik or Clarke MacArthur). That leaves a lot of room for competition among the team’s prospect pool, and Norris should have every chance to earn a spot on opening day.
Harri Sateri Signs In KHL
The Detroit Red Wings won’t be bringing back Harri Sateri next season. The 29-year old goaltender has signed a one-year contract with Sibir Novosibirsk in the KHL for the 2019-20 season. Sateri was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer after his one-year contract with the Red Wings expired.
Sateri was originally a fourth-round pick by the San Jose Sharks in 2008, but failed to ever make it to the NHL with them during his time in the organization. In 2014 he left for the KHL and played three seasons with Podolsk Vityaz, before returning to try again in North America. Signing this time with the Florida Panthers, Sateri would make his NHL debut in early 2018 and would end up going 4-4 with a .911 save percentage in nine appearances. He signed a one-year deal with the Red Wings last summer, but only suited up for their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. Appearing in 40 games with the Griffins, Sateri posted just an .899 save percentage.
The last time that the Finnish goaltender played in the KHL he was among the best in the league, and could very well find some more success this time around. The one-year deal will allow him to return to North America once again in 2020-21 if he so chooses, but for now he’ll be removed from the list of potential depth signings this summer.
Morning Notes: Zucker, Zaripov, Dunn
Twice now in the span of a few months the Minnesota Wild have come close to trading away Jason Zucker. Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) examines the recent trade talks between Minnesota and the Pittsburgh Penguins which were focused on a Zucker-Phil Kessel swap, and details the situation that the Wild forward now finds himself in. Zucker is obviously on the block as GM Paul Fenton continues to shake things up in Minnesota, and Russo reports that the Vancouver Canucks, Arizona Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames have all expressed interest of late, while last year the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes had discussed him.
The recent trade proposal from Pittsburgh seems to have been shut down by Kessel himself, but that could change at any minute if he decides to waive his no-trade clause. Either way, it seems like Zucker is destined to play for another team in 2019-20. The 27-year old forward has four years remaining on his current deal which carries a $5.5MM cap hit, and is coming off a 21-goal, 42-point season.
- Danis Zaripov was once on the radar of NHL teams after receiving a two-year doping ban from the KHL in 2017. That ban was eventually reduced to just six months and Zaripov stayed in Russia, something he’ll be doing once again in 2019-20. The 38-year old forward has signed a one-year extension with Ak Bars Kazan, giving him a chance to add to his outstanding history in the KHL. Zaripov is a legend in Russian hockey, with five Gagarin Cup championships, five World Championship medals, and even a league title from before the KHL formed a decade ago.
- Vince Dunn took part in the morning skate for the St. Louis Blues today, wearing a regular visor instead of the full cage that he has donned the last few days to protect his injured jaw. Still, he won’t play tonight in game one of the Stanley Cup Final according to head coach Craig Berube. Dunn has developed into a key part of the Blues’ defense corps over the last two seasons, and has an impressive seven points in 16 playoff games so far. Robert Thomas, another young player making an impact for the Blues these playoffs will be in the lineup tonight, Berube confirmed.
Montreal Canadiens Re-Sign Xavier Ouellet
The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed Xavier Ouellet to a one-year, two-way contract that pays him $700K at the NHL level. Ouellet was set to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Now 25, Ouellet has had quite the odd start to his NHL career. After being selected in the second round by the Detroit Red Wings in 2011, he quickly made his way through their system and debuted in the NHL during the 2013-14 season. By 2017, he signed a two-year $2.5MM extension with the Red Wings after spending the entire year in the NHL, but saw that contract bought out just a year later. It’s rare you see a player that young bought out, and it actually comes with different rules. The Red Wings were forced to pay out just one third of the remaining salary, ~$433K spread over two years.
Ouellet, then an unrestricted free agent, signed a one-year two-way contract with the Canadiens to continue his career. While he played 19 games for Montreal, his real impact came at the minor league level where the Laval Rocket named him captain in February after a trade took Byron Froese out of town. Oullet ended up with 28 points in 47 games for the Rocket as their primary puck-mover on the blue line, and now heads into next season as the young captain of a squad trying to make their way in the AHL.
He also represents some important depth for the Canadiens, given that he does have 160 games under his belt at the NHL level. Ouellet will be waiver eligible, meaning he’ll have to clear after training camp if the team wants him to reclaim his position with the Rocket to start the year.
Chris Bourque Signs In Germany
It was a dream come true when veteran minor league forward Chris Bourque was named to Team USA for the Olympics in 2018. He just so happened to not be on an NHL contract at the time and was allowed to participate, a reward for a life spent in hockey battling for opportunity wherever it presented itself. That opportunity has now taken the forward to Germany, where he will play for EHC Munchen next season in the DEL.
Bourque, 33, has played in the AHL, NHL, KHL and NLA prior to this trip to Germany, and found great success at almost every level. While his professional career may not be as well-known as his father Ray’s, he is among the most productive scorers in AHL history with 746 regular season points in 794 career games. His 118 postseason points are also among the best ever, and has hasn’t lost a step even as he heads into the back half of his career. The dream of a real shot at the NHL may be long gone however, as Bourque last suited up for the Boston Bruins in 2012-13.
With three Calder Cup championships under his belt to go along with multiple individual awards, Bourque will go down as one of the best players the AHL has ever seen. If this journey to Germany ends that minor league career, he’ll have gone out on another great season. In his lone year for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, Bourque recorded 54 points in 72 games.
Jonne Tammela, Filip Pyrochta Clear Unconditional Waivers
Saturday: Both Pyrochta and Tammela have cleared waivers, per CapFriendly (Twitter links), paving the way for them to be released.
Friday: Two players find themselves on unconditional waivers today according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. The Nashville Predators have placed Filip Pyrochta and the Tampa Bay Lightning have placed Jonne Tammela on waivers, indicating that contract terminations are coming for both players.
Pyrochta, 22, was signed by the Predators in 2018 out of the Czech Republic but failed to even contribute much even with their AHL affiliate the Milwaukee Admirals this season. Splitting his time between Milwaukee and Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL, Pyrochta recorded 13 points in 51 games and failed to earn a call-up to the NHL. He will likely be headed back overseas to continue what was a solid start to his professional career back home.
Tammela, 21, meanwhile was actually a fourth-round pick of the Lightning in 2015, but hasn’t played a ton even in the minor leagues. Suiting up just 51 times for the Syracuse Crunch over parts of three seasons, he found almost no offensive success and recorded just 11 points. He did however play quite well for the Orlando Solar Bears this season, but spending the year in the ECHL likely isn’t what the Finnish forward was hoping for. He too had a strong start to his career in Europe, and could return there to continue his development.
Both players had just a single year remaining on their entry-level contracts, but will sacrifice those deals in order to get some more freedom to play where they have a bigger role. The terminations will also free up a contract slot for both clubs.
Poll: Where Will Erik Karlsson Play In 2019-20?
The San Jose Sharks’ season has come to an end, and with it all eyes now turn to their stable of unrestricted free agents. Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton have both indicated that they would like to return to the team if possible, while Gustav Nyquist could also be retained if he made a strong enough impact on GM Doug Wilson. But the name everyone is talking about is Erik Karlsson, who is poised to be one of the very top free agents in the class if he decides to take his talents to the open market on July 1. Today, Karlsson tweeted a thank you to the San Jose organization and city, which immediately threw hockey fans all over the world into a frenzy speculating on what it means.
As fans try to decipher what Karlsson meant, Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription required) takes a more level-headed approach to his speculation and examines how the Tampa Bay Lightning could potentially fit the superstar into their locker room. Most notably, Karlsson is good friends with Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman and has expressed an interest in playing with his old junior teammate in the past. That of course would require plenty of salary cap surgery from the Lightning, who have their own financial issues coming with the pending contract for RFA Brayden Point.
So if not San Jose or Tampa Bay, where? The New York Rangers have been suggested, given their ample cap space and Karlsson’s relationship with goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers are starting to turn the corner on their rebuild and are about to add another top talent with the second-overall pick. A player like Karlsson could perhaps turn them into playoff contenders as early as 2019-20 if they chose to pursue him.
It’s not like his next contract won’t come with risk however. Karlsson has battled several lower-body injuries over the last few seasons and was forced out of the playoffs recently, which some believe will have an impact on his earning potential this summer. He’ll turn 29 in a week’s time, and has a lot of miles on his body already from a career that has seen him log more than 23 minutes a night in all but his rookie season. He played just 53 games for the Sharks during the regular season, though he still recorded 45 points in that time and was a possession monster.
So where will Karlsson end up? Will the Sharks decide he’s too good to let walk into free agency and offer him the Drew Doughty-like long-term contract he was looking for last summer? Or does he take his talents to the east coast and play with one of his national team friends? Does another team—perhaps the Vegas Golden Knights, who have pursued him heavily in the past—knock on his door when the interview period opens in a month’s time? Cast your vote below and make sure to leave a comment!
Where will Erik Karlsson play in 2019-20?
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Other (leave in comments) 29% (685)
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New York Rangers 27% (646)
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Tampa Bay Lightning 17% (396)
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Vegas Golden Knights 16% (388)
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San Jose Sharks 11% (257)
Total votes: 2,372
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Edmonton Oilers Sign Joakim Nygard
Back in March, a report surfaced from Darren Dreger of TSN that several teams around the NHL were pursuing SHL forward Joakim Nygard. At the time, the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators were listed as two of the potential destinations for the speedy winger. Now that the SHL season is over, Nygard is free to sign with whoever he chooses and both of those teams are out of the running. The free agent has signed a one-year entry-level deal with the Edmonton Oilers instead.
Nygard, 26, put up another excellent season with Farjestads in the SHL, posting 21 goals and 35 points. In fact, those 21 goals were good enough for second in the entire league behind only Columbus Blue Jackets top prospect Emil Bemstrom‘s 23. That kind of offensive production is nothing new for Nygard, who has posted at least 29 points—a solid total in the 52-game SHL season—in three consecutive years.
If there is one thing that stands out in Nygard’s game, it is his incredible skating ability. Easily one of, if not the, best skaters in the SHL, he has drawn countless comparisons to Washington Capitals forward Carl Hagelin. While Hagelin is also scheduled to become a UFA this summer and is available to the whole league, he’s also going to turn 31 this summer and will likely come at a relatively higher price tag. Nygard however may be able to jump right into an NHL lineup on a cheap contract and provide some forward depth next season.
While Calgary was involved the whole way with Nygard, there is an obvious fit with the Oilers. Edmonton has been trying desperately to increase their team speed in order to keep up with Connor McDavid, and have a distinct lack of scoring options on the wing. Perhaps a chance to play with a back-to-back (and potential three-peat) Ted Lindsay Award winner was enough to turn the scales in Edmonton’s favor.
Nashville Predators Ink New ECHL Affiliation
The Nashville Predators have entered into an affiliation agreement with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. The partnership is only for the 2019-20 season, but will give the Predators another minor league affiliate to send their prospects for development purposes. Everblades GM Craig Brush released a statement on the agreement:
We are thrilled to have the Nashville Predators as our new NHL affiliate. Nashville’s President of Hockey Operations and General Manager David Poile has done a remarkable job developing an expansion franchise into one of the most prominent teams in the NHL. We are looking forward to becoming an integral part of the development of players for the Predators and Milwaukee Admirals.
The Everblades were previously the ECHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, given they shared at least partial ownership with the NHL franchise in the form of Peter Karmanos. The Predators meanwhile last had an ECHL affiliation in 2017 but ended the partnership with the Norfolk Admirals in mid-November. Before that, they had worked with the Cincinnati Cyclones for a decade.
Florida will represent a new opportunity for the Predators to send their raw or unpolished prospects, so that they can get large amounts of ice time without the pressure of the higher leagues. The ECHL is most notable for the goaltending alumni it has produced, which includes names like Jordan Binnington, James Reimer, Aaron Dell, Collin Delia and MacKenzie Blackwood. Former Nashville goaltender Dan Ellis even spent some time in the ECHL before making his NHL debut.
The Everblades finished second in the entire ECHL during this season with a 50-16-6 record but were unfortunately eliminated in the Kelly Cup semi-final by the Newfoundland Growlers.