Morning Notes: Datsyuk, Worlds, Fix-Wolansky
Pavel Datsyuk‘s contract has come to an end with SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, but he’s not yet a completely unrestricted free agent. Datsyuk’s NHL rights still belong to the Arizona Coyotes until July 1st after they took on his contract in a cap relief deal. Still, Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News reports that the veteran forward is on his way to Michigan soon to discuss options with his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey, and that he would only return to the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings.
That by no means guarantees a return for Datsyuk, who according to Kulfan would also consider playing for his hometown team in Russia. That would be Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, who actually had an outstanding 2018-19 season but were upset in the second round of the Gagarin Cup playoffs. That option still does seem the most likely, given that Datsyuk will turn 41 in July.
- Auston Matthews won’t be heading to the IIHF World Championship later this month, but the next potential American-born first-overall pick will be there instead. John Shannon of Sportsnet reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs star would not take part in the tournament, but Jack Hughes will join his brother on the USA squad. Hughes has just finished smashing nearly every record possible over the last year in the USNDTP and U-18 tournament, and will now try to show off his skills for the New Jersey Devils who hold the top pick in June’s draft.
- Team Canada has also added another player to their roster, bringing in Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jared McCann. The Canadians have a few spots left for late additions, but will rely on the likes of John Tavares, Sean Couturier and Mark Stone to form the veteran core up front.
- The Cleveland Monsters have added Trey Fix-Wolansky on an amateur tryout for the rest of the season, after his Edmonton Oil Kings were eliminated from WHL playoff contention. Fix-Wolansky was a seventh-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018 but put up 102 points in 65 games as the captain of the Oil Kings this season, and has already signed his entry-level contract that will kick in next season.
Kirill Ustimenko Signs Entry-Level Contract
The Philadelphia Flyers have signed goaltending prospect Kirill Ustimenko to his three-year entry-level contract according to agent Dan Milstein.
It’s been a long time since the Flyers could claim to have some of the best goaltending depth in the league, but amazingly that statement may become true in the next few years. 20-year old Carter Hart has already staked his claim to the starting role in the NHL, while 22-year old Felix Sandstrom posted another great season in the SHL. Ustimenko, another 20-year old this time from Russia, has been one of the MHL’s best goaltenders for several years.
Originally selected in the third round in 2017, Ustimenko has posted three consecutive dominant years with the MHL Dynamo St. Petersburg team in Russia. With save percentages of .938, .929 and .927, he has developed into a legitimate goaltending prospect that is ready to make the leap to North America. While he may not be ready to compete at the NHL level just yet, there’s good reason to believe he and Sandstrom could form an excellent duo in the AHL.
The question will be where they each land however, as the Flyers still have Alex Lyon under contract for another season. Perhaps he’ll move up to the NHL with Brian Elliott and Cam Talbot both on expiring deals, but the team may want to bring in a veteran option to help out Hart and take some of the pressure off the young goaltender. In that case, there may simply be too many talented goaltenders to go around for the Flyers in the minor leagues, something they haven’t been able to say for quite some time.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Egor Korshkov
The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially announced a two-year entry-level contract for Egor Korshkov, finally bringing the Russian prospect into the organization. The contract is set to begin next season, but Korshkov will join the Toronto Marlies on a professional tryout for the rest of the Calder Cup playoffs.
Originally selected 31st overall in 2016, the 22-year old Korshkov has become something of a disappointment for Maple Leafs fans even before he appeared in North America. While players like Jordan Kyrou (35th overall), Alex DeBrincat (39th) and Samuel Girard (47th) have taken great strides to become some of the top young players and prospects in the game, Korshkov struggled overseas where few could view him. The 6’4″ winger has dealt with multiple injuries since his draft, including this season when he suited up just 19 times for Yaroslavl during the regular season.
Still, if Korshkov could shake the comparison to some of his draft contemporaries he may bring plenty of excitement to Toronto. The winger will provide a big body—something that Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock referenced at his year-end media availability—and a different style than the smaller, skilled forwards that are littered throughout the Toronto organization. Korshkov can be a physical presence in front of the net and has shown flashes of high-end skill with the puck.
He’ll have to stay healthy of course, but this deal represents a chance for him to turn his professional hockey career around. The Maple Leafs are dying for a player to provide some size and strength for their forward group, and if he can hit the next few steps in his development path perhaps Korshkov could be the answer.
Snapshots: Francis, Maple Leafs, Pavelski
If you’re looking for someone to credit for the success that the Carolina Hurricanes are having right now, it’s easy to name head coach Rod Brind’Amour, GM Don Waddell or even new owner Tom Dundon. One person who may be deserving of a good chunk of that credit though is former GM Ron Francis, who was let go before this season even started.
No, Francis wasn’t the man to pull the trigger on the Dougie Hamilton or Nino Niederreiter trades, but his fingerprints are still all over the roster. He was the GM who signed captain Justin Williams to a two-year, $9MM contract despite the forward being over 35. He orchestrated contract extensions for Brett Pesce ($4.025MM AAV) and Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM) that look like absolute steals right now, and he was the one who selected Sebastian Aho with the 35th pick in 2015. On Sportsnet radio today Francis admitted that he is interested in returning to management, and John Shannon notes that his contract expires on June 30th. It will be interesting to see where Francis lands, and in what role.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs are expecting to add a Russian on Wednesday according to Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star, though it is not exactly clear who that would be. McGran suggests it is likely either Yegor Korshkov, a draft pick of the Maple Leafs who is expected to sign his entry-level contract this summer, or Ilya Mikheyev, who has been linked to the team in recent weeks. With the KHL season officially ending today and contracts expiring, many names will be signing over the next several days.
- The San Jose Sharks will still be without captain Joe Pavelski when they take on the Colorado Avalanche today, as he did not travel with the team to Denver. The Sharks haven’t listed exactly what Pavelski is dealing with, but he hasn’t played since suffering the scary head injury against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. Gustav Nyquist, who flew home for the birth of his child, is expected to play for the Sharks.
Canucks’ Owner Shoots Down Mike Gillis Speculation
The Vancouver Canucks fired Mike Gillis as president and general manager in 2014, but in recent days speculation had bubbled up that the team may be interested in bringing him back. In fact, reports had surfaced that owner Francesco Aquilini had contacted Gillis to gauge his interest in returning to a role with the club. That report was firmly denied by Aquilini this afternoon, when he took to Twitter to explain that he has not contacted Gillis and has no plans to do so.
This isn’t the first time that Aquilini has had to correct the record, as earlier this month he tweeted in response to a report that Dean Lombardi had been offered the job of team president.
Vancouver has been operating without a president of hockey operations since Trevor Linden left the organization last summer. GM Jim Benning has been running things, and seemingly has the franchise on track given the superb performances from young players like Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat this season.
Markus Phillips Signs Entry-Level Contract
The Los Angeles Kings have signed Markus Phillips to a three-year entry-level contract, a nice reward for a player who has helped the Guelph Storm reach the OHL Final. Phillips is set to take on the Ottawa 67’s starting Thursday evening for a chance to attend the 2019 Memorial Cup.
Phillips, 20, has been an excellent contributor to the Storm after a midseason trade from the Owen Sound Attack, and could potentially jump to the professional ranks next season. While still eligible for another year in the OHL, his development may warrant a place on the Ontario Reign of the AHL instead.
Selected in the fourth round in 2017, Phillips has routinely outperformed some of the players drafted ahead of him and even forced himself onto Team Canada at the recent World Juniors. A solid puck-mover, he actually seemed to give up some of that offensive ability for a more well-rounded approach this season, something that will carry over well to the next step of his career. He may still be a few years from contributing at the NHL level, but Kings fans should be excited about getting anything from a player drafted in the middle rounds. That’s the exact type of player they’ll need as they attempt a rebuild.
CapFriendly reports that the breakdown of the deal is as follows:
2018-19: $700k base salary, $77.5K signing bonus
2019-20: $700k base salary, $77.5K signing bonus
2020-21: $750k base salary, $85K signing bonus, $15K in performance bonuses
Carolina Hurricanes Trade Adam Fox
After finding out that they weren’t going to be able to sign top prospect Adam Fox, the Carolina Hurricanes have traded his rights to the New York Rangers. In return, the Hurricanes will receive the Rangers’ 2019 second-round pick and a conditional 2020 third. That third-round selection will bump up a round if Fox plays 30 games next season.
The Rangers were always the expected destination for a trade, given the belief that he would leave college early and sign with them. Fox has completed three seasons at Harvard and could become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but instead is expected to start his professional career in 2019-20.
This was the exact scenario that the Calgary Flames did not want to take part in when they decided to include Fox in last summer’s blockbuster trade with the Hurricanes. It was clear to them that he had no intention on signing in Calgary, but the Hurricanes did believe that they could get him under contract. For whatever reason, that wasn’t to be and the Rangers seemed like the eventual destination. The Hurricanes front office made it clear that they would seek out a trade this summer, and they did well to secure at least some sort of return for the college star.
Fox, originally selected in the third round back in 2016, developed into one of the best defensemen in college hockey and put up 116 points in 97 regular season games for Harvard over his three years. A natural powerplay quarterback, he routinely carried the puck up the ice and gained the zone himself before setting up teammates for high danger chances. While not a physical presence, his defensive ability also improved to the point where many expect him to step right into the NHL next season. Right-handed offensive options are difficult to find, and the Rangers have now secured one with a ton of potential.
For the Hurricanes, this trade will certainly bring back some interesting franchise memories. In September 2006, the Hurricanes traded third-overall pick Jack Johnson to the Los Angeles Kings after he turned down their offers to sign out of college. That was just a few months after Carolina had secured their first Stanley Cup, something the current team is trying to replicate this spring. If they are somehow able to, it would be an odd quirk of history to have failed to sign another top college defenseman in the same year.
Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer was first to report that Fox has been traded, while Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed it was to the Rangers.
Florida Panthers Extend Chris Driedger
The Florida Panthers have agreed to terms with goaltender Chris Driedger on a two-year two-way extension, keeping him in the organization through the 2020-21 season. Driedger was set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer after failing to get much NHL opportunity in his career so far.
Driedger, 24, was a third-round pick by the Ottawa Senators in 2012 but received just three NHL appearances with them over the years. The rest of his time was spent in the minor leagues—both the ECHL and AHL levels—until they eventually decided not to issue him a qualifying offer in 2018. After signing an AHL deal to play with the Springfield Thunderbirds, Driedger earned himself a two-way NHL contract at the most recent trade deadline to give the team some extra goaltending depth down the stretch. He still never played for the Panthers, but after they moved Michael Hutchinson they needed an extra body in case of injury.
That’s the same role he’ll likely fill going forward, as the team has several other goaltenders in the system already. Roberto Luongo and James Reimer are both under contract still, while Sam Montembeault is deserving of a new deal. There is also the chance that the Panthers go after someone like Sergei Bobrovsky in free agency, pushing everyone even further down the ladder.
Still, this is obviously a nice bit of stability for Driedger who played extremely well for the Thunderbirds this year. In 32 appearances he recorded a .924 save percentage, the highest mark of his career at any level. If he can continue that performance he’s still young enough to perhaps earn an NHL role at some point down the line.
KHL Notes: Andrighetto, Mamin, Ozhiganov
Despite still being in the NHL playoffs with the Colorado Avalanche, Sven Andrighetto has been linked to a different team for the 2019-20 season. A report from Sport-Express has Andrighetto expected to join Avangard Omsk next season in the KHL, after his current contract with the Avalanche expires this summer. Obviously nothing is official yet given that he won’t become a restricted free agent until July 1st, meaning there’s no guarantee he ends up overseas. In fact, AJ Haefele of BSN Denver asked the forward about it and he said he hasn’t had any conversations about next year with his agent yet.
Andrighetto hasn’t played since the first round against Calgary, but actually might draw back into the lineup tonight given his early departure from the morning skate. Still the 26-year old Andrighetto has seen his role with the Avalanche diminish greatly, averaging fewer than ten minutes of ice time since the beginning of March. He played 64 games this season for the Avalanche and is scheduled to be an arbitration-eligible RFA this summer for the final time. His current contract carries a $1.4MM cap hit.
- Igor Eronko of Sport-Express is reporting that Maxim Mamin has signed a two-year extension with CSKA Moscow, where he spent the second half of this season. Mamin was loaned to the KHL club in late November and played 25 games with them during the regular season. The 24-year old forward is a restricted free agent this summer and can sign anywhere, though the Florida Panthers will retain his exclusive rights if they issue him a qualifying offer. Mamin has four points in 33 career NHL games.
- There has been speculation that Igor Ozhiganov could return to the KHL this season after seeing his role on the Toronto Maple Leafs effectively terminated this season after the arrival of Jake Muzzin, and Sport-Express is now reporting that the defenseman’s KHL rights have been transferred to Ak Bars in exchange for former NHL player Jiri Sekac. That lends some credence to the idea that Ozhiganov is on his way home, but like Mamin the Maple Leafs could retain his rights (at least temporarily) by issuing him a qualifying offer.
Washington Capitals Place Maximilian Kammerer On Unconditional Waivers
The Washington Capitals have placed Maximilian Kammerer on unconditional waivers, according to Chris Kuc of The Athletic. Kammerer was signed to a three-year entry-level deal last spring, but will likely see his contract terminated if he clears waivers. If that happens, Kammerer would be an unrestricted free agent and able to return to Germany.
Kammerer, 22, had 13 points in 33 games for the Hershey Bears this season but has yet to suit up for them in the playoffs. The Bears are set to start their second round against the Charlotte Checkers on Friday, but are apparently ready to cut ties with the German forward.
For many international free agents that believe they can compete in the NHL, waiting around in the minor leagues just doesn’t work out. It’s not clear what exactly happened between the Capitals and Kammerer, but it appears as though he is no longer in their plans.