Colorado Avalanche Sign Adam Werner
The Colorado Avalanche have signed goaltender Adam Werner to a two-year entry-level contract. The Swedish netminder played in the SHL this season, but won’t be completely unfamiliar with the Avalanche organization. Werner played four games for the San Antonio Rampage in 2018—then the Colorado AHL affiliate—on an amateur tryout contract before returning to Sweden.
Werner, 22, was originally selected by the Avalanche in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. The 6’5″ goaltender performed extremely well in his first full year in the SHL, posting a .926 save percentage through 26 starts for Farjestad. That was good enough for third in the entire league among goaltenders who made more than ten appearances, while his 2.02 goals against average ranked fourth.
That kind of production is exactly what the Avalanche hoped to see this season, as they obviously were interested in bringing Werner into the organization. The two-year deal doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be coming to North America right away, but there isn’t a ton of depth standing in his way if he does. Minor league goaltenders Joe Cannata and Pavel Francouz are both unrestricted free agents come July, while prospect Spencer Martin will become a restricted free agent once again. The team may also lose UFA Semyon Varlamov off the NHL roster if he chooses not to re-sign, leaving Philipp Grubauer as the only other goaltender in the organization with a contract for 2019-20 at the moment.
Ryan Kesler Undergoes Hip Surgery
Ryan Kesler has undergone successful right hip resurfacing surgery, likely meaning he will not play in 2019-20—if ever again. Kesler has been dealing with pain for a long time, and this surgery will help relieve that and give him some help in his daily life. GM Bob Murray explained the decision to have the procedure:
As we all know, Ryan has been fiercely battling his condition for quite some time. I’ve been extremely impressed by his determination to play despite being significantly injured. At this point, Ryan needs to think about his life and family. The pain he felt was significant and we agree with his decision to have this surgery. While it’s unlikely he will play in 2019-20, we will support any decision he makes about his future playing career. He deserves the utmost respect, which he will receive from the entire Ducks organization as he contemplates his future.
Kesler, 35, fought desperately through 60 games this season in order to cross the 1,000-game threshold for his career, but was obviously a shadow of his former self on the ice. Recording just eight points in those 60 matches, the former annual Selke Trophy nominee (and winner in 2011) posted the worst +/- and possession statistics of his career. He still has three seasons remaining on his contract that carries a $6.875MM cap hit, but will likely be moved to long-term injured reserve if the Ducks need the cap space.
If this is the end of the line for Kesler, he’ll go down as one of the best two-way forwards we’ve seen in recent NHL history. Peaking with a 75-point campaign in 2009-10 for the Vancouver Canucks, he routinely posted at least 20 goals while being tasked with shutting down—and getting under the skin of—the opponent’s best players. In 2019-11 he set a career-high with 41 goals before recording another 19 points in the Canucks’ Stanley Cup Final run, and overall put up 65 points in 101 career playoff games.
For the Ducks, having Kesler officially out with an injury may actually be a blessing in disguise at this point. While the team could obviously use a player of his caliber when fully healthy, he was probably a detriment to them last season. Anaheim has a young core group of forwards about to come to the NHL and demand more ice time, and the minutes designated to Kesler in 2018-19 can now be divided among them.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Nikolai Prokhorkin
Though it has been expected for quite some time, the Los Angeles Kings officially announced the signing of Nikolai Prokhorkin today. The deal is a one-year entry-level contract that will bring Prokhorkin over to North America for the 2019-20 season.
Prokhorkin, 25, will make the jump from the KHL after registering the most productive season of his career. The 6’1″ forward recorded 20 goals and 41 points in 41 games, taking over some of the offensive responsibility from Ilya Kovalchuk after the latter returned to the NHL. They’ll join forces once again in Los Angeles, where Prokhorkin tried to play several years ago as well. The young Russian actually signed a contract with the team in 2012 but it was ruled invalid after he suited up eight times with the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL. He had already signed on in the KHL and was forced to return there, where he played the next seven seasons.
Now his return comes at a time when the Kings are searching for answers in their rebuild. The team has committed quite a bit of money to aging stars—including Kovalchuk who has two years left on his $18.75MM deal—but ended this season in 30th place with a 31-42-9 record and just 199 goals scored. With the trades of Jake Muzzin, Tanner Pearson and Oscar Fantenberg the team has started to reshape their group, but could use some offense if they’re going to contend for a playoff spot.
Prokhorkin can certainly bring that in the KHL, but the question will be whether he can produce in the NHL going forward. His one-year contract will keep him a restricted free agent in the summer of 2020, meaning he’ll have an opportunity to show he is worthy of a multi-year deal. It will be interesting to see how new head coach Todd McLellan deploys his Russian wingers, and whether or not GM Rob Blake makes any other big changes this offseason.
Chicago Blackhawks Extend Slater Koekkoek
The Chicago Blackhawks have finished some offseason business early, signing Slater Koekkoek to a one-year extension worth $925K according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. Koekkoek was scheduled to become a restricted free agent on July 1.
Koekkoek, 25, is looking for a fresh start with Chicago after years of being the “extra guy” with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Selected 10th overall in 2012 because of his size and offensive upside, Koekkoek played just 85 games for the Lightning over parts of five different seasons, never playing more than 35 in a single year. The team decided to flip him to the Blackhawks in January this year in exchange for Jan Rutta, who Tampa Bay has since extended as well.
It seems like Koekkoek might get that fresh start under Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton, who used the young defender regularly down the stretch. In 22 games for the Blackhawks he averaged more than 16 minutes a night, including cracking the 20-minute threshold three times. If he receives that opportunity regularly we’ll get to see what he can do at the NHL level, but he will also set himself up for a bigger payday next summer. Koekkoek will be a restricted free agent once again, but will be arbitration eligible.
Lawrence Pilut Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
The Buffalo Sabres have a lot to look forward to in young defenseman Lawrence Pilut, but will have to wait a little bit longer to see his full potential. The team announced today that Pilut has undergone shoulder surgery and will be out for five to six months. That means Pilut will miss training camp and likely the start of the 2019-20 regular season.
Pilut, 23, showed extremely well in his first season in North America, splitting time between the Sabres and Rochester Americans of the AHL. During his time in the minor leagues the undrafted Swedish defenseman absolutely dominated the competition, recording 26 points in 30 games while finishing a +22 on one of the league’s best squads. His transition to the NHL didn’t result in as many points—just six in 33 games—but he showed that he was more than capable of performing at the top level.
Signed out of the SHL in 2018 but has just one year remaining on his entry-level contract. That year could very well be cut short, but there’s good reason to believe he will join the Sabres full-time when his recovery is over. Buffalo is also going to be without Zach Bogosian for the start of the season thanks to another hip surgery, leaving their current group shorthanded. Still, there may be changes coming for the Sabres blue line which simply hasn’t been good enough in recent years. While Rasmus Dahlin is obviously a star in the making, his supporting cast needs an upgrade if the team is really expecting to make the playoffs and contend for the Stanley Cup next season.
Fabian Zetterlund, Mikhail Maltsev Sign With New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils have signed prospects Fabian Zetterlund and Mikhail Maltsev to three-year entry-level contracts. Both deals will kick in next season.
Zetterlund, 19, was selected 63rd overall by the Devils in 2017 and has long been on the radar of NHL teams. The Swedish forward has an unstoppable work ethic that can track down defenders and create turnovers, while preventing much from happening in his own end. The offensive skills he showed in the lower leagues didn’t come to the surface in the SHL, but Zetterlund still has a bright future in professional hockey. Twice he has represented Sweden at the World Juniors, winning the silver medal in 2018. Unfortunately this year was cut short when he suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Maltsev meanwhile is a bit more of a wild card. The 21-year old forward spent this season playing for both the KHL and VHL St. Petersburgh teams, but ended up as a full-time member for the top club in the playoffs. The 6’3″ winger had just three points in 17 postseason games for SKA, but has shown more offensive upside in the past. Still, the fourth-round pick from 2016 will have to adapt to a different style of play in the AHL next season if he wants to continue on his current development path.
Snapshots: Guelph, Karlsson, Hurricanes
The Guelph Storm are your 2019 OHL champions, defeating the Ottawa 67’s in six games after falling behind in the series 0-2. The Storm came back in three different playoff rounds to punch their ticket to the Memorial Cup, where they’ll take on the QMJHL winner Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, host team (and QMJHL runner-up) Halifax Mooseheads and either the Prince Albert Raiders or Vancouver Giants out of the WHL.
Guelph had a huge number of future NHL players on the team, but perhaps none more impressive than Nick Suzuki who took home MVP honors. The 19-year old forward recorded an incredible 42 points in 24 playoff games, while also finishing a +22. Suzuki was the main piece acquired by the Montreal Canadiens in last summer’s Max Pacioretty trade and will try to take another step in his development path next season when he starts his professional career.
- Erik Karlsson is “not at 100%” according to Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet, who noted yesterday that the San Jose Sharks defenseman may find his earning potential limited by his injury history as he heads towards unrestricted free agency this summer. While Kypreos explained that the Sharks do have interest in re-signing their star, he imagines that there may not even be a team willing to give Karlsson a seven-year contract given the injury risk he poses. The 28-year old has dealt with a groin injury for much of this season and previously had major surgery on his ankle. Karlsson has 13 points in 15 games this postseason, but has yet to score a goal.
- Perhaps the Carolina Hurricanes needed to find a way to get Patrick Brown and Jake Bean into the lineup today, but both were technically reassigned to the AHL before the game. The Hurricanes were picked apart by the Boston Bruins in Game Two, and will need to find a way to stop the bleeding as the series transitions back to Raleigh. Brown and Bean had been up on emergency recalls, meaning they have to go back down if the rest of the roster is healthy enough to play. The Charlotte Checkers don’t start their third-round series until Friday, meaning the Brown-Bean shuffle will probably continue all week.
Overseas Notes: Holm, Ramage, Lindgren
Just as NHL teams have started to snap up European free agents to join them for next season, some North American players will also start heading overseas despite not technically being free agents yet. Many fringe players who are heading towards free agency will have spoken to their team and know whether or not they have a chance to re-sign, giving them some advance notice in order to find a job for 2019-20. There’s also the case of NHL prospects re-upping with their international clubs, instead of coming to North America just yet. Here are some notes from overseas:
- John Ramage is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent this season after spending 2018-19 with the Binghamton Devils, but instead of re-signing with the New Jersey organization he’s headed to Germany to play in the DEL. Ramage signed a two-year deal with Berlin, ending his run in North America for the time being. The 28-year old defenseman has won at nearly every level, taking home gold medals at the U18 and U20 World Juniors and championships in both the ECHL and AHL levels.
- Arvid Holm was selected in the sixth round by the Winnipeg Jets in 2017, but isn’t yet ready to make the trip overseas. Holm has signed a one-year deal with Farjestad in the SHL in order to continue his development in Sweden. The 6’4″ goaltender put up a .907 save percentage in the Swedish second league last season, but may get a chance at the highest level in 2019-20.
- Jesper Lindgren has done the opposite, coming to North America now that his season has ended in Finland. The Toronto Maple Leafs have assigned Lindgren to the AHL after he took home the Liiga championship with HPK. The right-handed defenseman is just 21, but already signed his entry-level contract last spring. The right-handed defenseman is another prospect they hope can develop and help out the NHL defense down the road, but he needs some more development time in the minor leagues.
Armstrong On Blues Coaching Candidates: “A List Of One”
In the span of just a few months, Craig Berube has completely turned around the St. Louis Blues and has them through to the Western Conference Final. He’s done all of that under the title of interim head coach, without any declaration from the front office that tag would be removed at the end of the year. Today, speaking with reporters including Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic ahead of the third round, GM Doug Armstrong made it clear where the Blues’ coaching search is headed. Sitting next to Berube, Armstrong said the candidate list is now “a list of one” but that they will talk about the future after the season is over.
It comes as very little surprise that Berube will be the man to lead the Blues into the future. When the team decided to move on from Mike Yeo in November, they were 7-9-3 and floundering at both ends of the ice. That didn’t switch immediately when they installed Berube, quite the opposite. The team proceeded to lose ten of their next 18 games and when the calendar turned over to January they were tied with the Ottawa Senators for last place in the entire NHL with just 34 points. Then, the turnaround began.
The Blues would go 30-10-5 in 2019, pulling themselves out of the basement and into a secure playoff position. The recall of Jordan Binnington and his incredible run was a huge part of this, but Berube put the players in the right places and things started to click. In the playoffs, the team walked through a Stanley Cup favorite in Winnipeg, and then needed the hometown hero Pat Maroon to poke home a loose puck in order to dispatch Ben Bishop and the Dallas Stars.
It was always going to be Berube once he got the team to the playoffs, but there is still the question of how long his contract will be and how much it will cost the Blues. Those two things may well be determined by how they do in the next two rounds.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
We’re almost two rounds deep in the NHL playoffs and most of the league is now focused on the 2019 offseason. Already we’ve had some long tenured executives and coaches change teams and are sure to see top players follow them as soon as trading season really kicks off. The draft next month is sure to bring about plenty of fireworks given the overhaul expected in several markets, and July 1st still has plenty of talent scheduled for unrestricted free agency.
Will Erik Karlsson re-sign in San Jose? What about the trio of forwards in New York? Can the Oilers crawl back into the playoffs? There should be countless questions on the minds of hockey fans everywhere, and with that in mind we’ll be running another edition of the mailbag this weekend. You can submit your query by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below.
If you miss the last mailbag it was split into two parts because of the volume of questions. First, our Brian La Rose tackled questions like Nazem Kadri‘s future in Toronto and the Philadelphia offseason, and then took a look at some of the league’s worst contracts and the future for Petr Mrazek. Make sure to submit a question early so we can include it in this edition.