Ian Mitchell Will Return To College For Junior Season
The Chicago Blackhawks won’t get to sign one of their top prospects just yet, as Ian Mitchell has informed the University of Denver that he will be back for his junior season. Mitchell explained his decision:
In the past few days since our season ended, I have had the chance to reflect on the year and the season our team had. It became clear to me during that time that I did not feel ready mentally or physically to leave Denver. I believe this is the best place for me to become a better hockey player and as a team we have an opportunity to do something very special next year. I would like to thank the Chicago Blackhawks organization for being so supportive and respectful of my decision to remain in school and continue my development. I am looking forward to next season.
Chicago will get another chance to sign Mitchell next spring, and he is not scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent until the summer of 2021. Though his decision today may worry Blackhawks fans that he will go that route and try to hit the open market after four years in college, he told Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) that the plan is still to sign with Chicago down the road:
I really want to stress that I want to play for the Blackhawks, and by no way is this is my intention to go through that free agency loophole. They put a lot of faith in me and developed me a ton, the Blackhawks have. I want to honor that, and it’s a fantastic organization and I want to play for them for a long time.
While reassuring, it still means the team will not be able to directly control his development next season or have him at their disposal. The Blackhawks turned things around somewhat in the second half of the season and showed that they might be able to contend for a playoff spot in 2019-20, but will need some of their young defensemen to take big steps forward and contribute even more than they have. Mitchell may or may not have not been able to do that in the NHL right away, but he certainly won’t now—at least during the regular season.
The 20-year old defenseman will instead try to dominate the college ranks and take Denver back to another Frozen Four appearance. In 39 games this season he recorded 27 points, but could improve on that next year and even potentially contend for the Hobey Baker. He was a nominee this season but failed to make the final ten names, as the award eventually went to Cale Makar.
2018-19 King Clancy Memorial Trophy Nominees Announced
The NHL has released their list of nominees for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The award is given to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Last season was the first time it was awarded to a pair of players, as the Vancouver Canucks’ Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin took home the trophy for their long history of helping the Vancouver community.
Each team nominates one player for the award. The nominees are:
Anaheim Ducks: Cam Fowler
Arizona Coyotes: Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Boston Bruins: Zdeno Chara
Buffalo Sabres: Jack Eichel
Calgary Flames: Mark Giordano
Carolina Hurricanes: Justin Faulk
Chicago Blackhawks: Corey Crawford
Colorado Avalanche: Gabriel Landeskog
Columbus Blue Jackets: Nick Foligno
Dallas Stars: John Klingberg
Detroit Red Wings: Jimmy Howard
Edmonton Oilers: Leon Draisaitl
Florida Panthers: Roberto Luongo
Los Angeles Kings: Tyler Toffoli
Minnesota Wild: Jason Zucker
Montreal Canadiens: Max Domi
Nashville Predators: Pekka Rinne
New Jersey Devils: Kyle Palmieri
New York Islanders: Anders Lee
New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist
Ottawa Senators: Mark Borowiecki
Philadelphia Flyers: Claude Giroux
Pittsburgh Penguins: Matt Murray
San Jose Sharks: Brenden Dillon
St. Louis Blues: Ryan O’Reilly
Tampa Bay Lightning: Ryan Callahan
Toronto Maple Leafs: Zach Hyman
Vancouver Canucks: Alexander Edler
Vegas Golden Knights: Deryk Engelland
Washington Capitals: Tom Wilson
Winnipeg Jets: Bryan Little
Dallas Stars Sign Riley Tufte
Another top NCAA forward will be leaving the college ranks, as Riley Tufte has decided to leave the University of Minnesota-Duluth and sign with the Dallas Stars. The big winger recently recorded an assist in the NCAA championship game as UMD downed UMass 3-0 to win their second consecutive title. He’ll give up his senior season to start his professional career, signing a three-year entry-level contract.
Tufte, 21, is a player who has been on the radar of NHL teams for quite some time, going back to his days as a dominant high school player in Minnesota. The 6’6″ winger was named Minnesota Mr. Hockey in 2016 after scoring 78 points in 25 games as the captain of Blaine High, and took that success to the college level by joining one of the best programs in the country at UMD. Though his offense would waver at times during his collegiate career, Tufte still leaves with 64 points in 121 games and a whole bunch of wins under his belt. During his time there he also took home a World Juniors bronze medal.
It’s hard to know if his offensive game will ever really be good enough to justify the 25th-overall selection that Dallas used on Tufte in 2016, but there are certainly other attributes he brings to the table that could get him into the NHL. In fact, professional hockey may actually suit his game well as his size, reach and skating ability are all good enough to survive in the tighter checking atmosphere.
He may take some time in the minor leagues to develop, but the Stars hope they have another signature big two-way player to add to their group. GM Jim Nill seems to be building a brand of hockey that Tufte fits right into, but he’ll need to find a way to put the puck in the net to really thrive at the next level.
Jesse Gabrielle Placed On Unconditional Waivers
Wednesday: Gabrielle has cleared waivers.
Tuesday: The Boston Bruins have placed forward Jesse Gabrielle on unconditional waivers according to CapFriendly, for the purpose of a contract termination. Gabrielle’s season ended early after suffering another concussion in March, his third head injury since training camp. The 21-year old had another year left on his entry-level contract, but he will become an unrestricted free agent instead.
Gabrielle, 21, played this entire season in the ECHL and was even loaned to the Wichita Thunder—affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers—partway through the year. It seems as though the relationship between him and the Bruins has frayed at some point, and he’ll now need to find another opportunity if he wants to continue his hockey career.
The Bruins meanwhile will save a contract spot for next season and no longer have to pay his minor league salary. Originally selected in the fourth round, the team will just have to move on from the missed opportunity and look elsewhere for contributions. This is just another unfortunate outcome from what has turned out to be a frustrating 2015 draft class for the Bruins. The team had six picks in the first two rounds and ten total, but only have Jake Debrusk and Brandon Carlo to show for it as full-time NHL players.
Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars Recall “Black Aces”
In sports, there is a nickname for everything. Today one of those names is being used in both Dallas and Winnipeg, as the Stars and Jets have recalled their “Black Aces.” This is a group of players from the minor and junior leagues that will come up to practice during and experience the NHL playoffs, without much of a chance to actually get into game action. It gives them a perspective on life at the highest level, while also allowing for time with NHL skills coaches. This time is often be called invaluable for young players, who get a taste of what it will take to get to and succeed at the NHL level.
Since the Texas Stars and Manitoba Moose both failed to qualify for the AHL playoffs, Dallas and Winnipeg have called up a large group of players. For Dallas, that group is as follows:
F Denis Gurianov
F Joel L’Esperance
F Nick Caamano
F Adam Mascherin
D Gavin Bayreuther
D Dillon Heatherington
D Joel Hanley
Among the group are several familiar names that have spent time at the NHL level, but Mascherin may be the most interesting member. Originally selected by the Florida Panthers in the second round (38th overall) of the 2016 draft, the scoring winger decided not to sign. He was subsequently drafted by the Stars in the fourth round (100th) last June, and started his professional career this season. It went pretty well, as Mascherin recorded 18 goals and 44 points in 75 games for Texas and actually tied for the team lead in +/- with a +10 rating.
For the Jets, the group will be made up of:
F Kristian Vesalainen
F Logan Shaw
F Marko Dano
F Mason Appleton
D Cameron Schilling
D Logan Stanley
Again there are several names that have already made their NHL debuts, including Vesalainen who notably forced a short recall before exercising his European Assignment Clause to play in the KHL this season. The 19-year old is a big part of the future for the Jets but will need to find some stability in his development moving forward.
There is always a chance that a few of these players could be forced into action due to injury or poor play from someone on the NHL roster, but more likely they’ll spend the next few weeks soaking in a playoff run from the outside.
New Jersey Devils Sign Gilles Senn
The New Jersey Devils have added some more goaltending depth, signing Swiss netminder Gilles Senn. The team signed the 23-year old to a two-year entry-level contract that begins in 2019-20 and likely means Senn is ready to come over to North America after a successful European career.
Senn is a fifth-round pick of the Devils from 2017, and has spent his entire career to this point in Switzerland playing for Davoc HC. He recorded just a .901 save percentage there this season but that was at least partially due to the team’s overall struggles. The 6’5″ goaltender has shown plenty of promise, even performing extremely well in his two appearances at the most recent Spengler Cup.
There’s no doubt that this is a project for the Devils and not a goaltender that can step into an NHL role anytime soon, but it will give them another minor league option should MacKenzie Blackwood graduate to New Jersey. The team also has a strong Swiss presence already with Nico Hischier and Mirco Mueller, giving Senn some people to reach out to as he transitions to life in North America.
Snapshots: Makar, Minnesota, Turcotte
Cale Makar scored his first NHL goal in his first NHL game last night for the Colorado Avalanche, with it eventually becoming the game-winning tally in a 6-2 victory. While the fans in Colorado may feel like giving him the Conn Smythe already, the accountants of the team may have something to say about that. CapFriendly tweets out the interesting performance bonus structure of Makar’s deal, which includes a $25,000 bonus for playing in five playoff games, a $107,500 bonus for playing in his tenth playoff game, and a $787,500 bonus for winning the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP.
Obviously Makar winning a trophy like that is incredibly far-fetched, but it does just add another layer to his outstanding debut. The young defenseman is expected to take on a substantial role with the team next season and doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything. Nathan MacKinnon even told reporters today (video via Altitude Sports Radio) that the 20-year old was calling for the puck on the play that resulted in his first career goal.
- The Minnesota Wild have announced a new 10-year extension on their lease of the Xcel Energy Center, which will now extend through 2035. The team did not find much success on the ice this season, but is still a thriving organization in one of the best hockey markets in the world and will now have some extra stability moving forward. The arena opened back in 2000 when NHL hockey returned to Minnesota in the form of the expansion Wild, and has housed them ever since.
- Alex Turcotte has been added to Team USA for the upcoming U18 World Championship, set to kick off later this week in Sweden. The 18-year old forward is expected to be a top draft selection this June, ranking fourth on the final Central Scouting rankings among North American players. Turcotte was dealing with an injury recently but looks like he’ll be able to take part in the tournament that is often a final showcase for draft-eligible prospects.
Victor Hedman Still Out For Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the brink of elimination. After a season that saw them lose just 16 games in regulation, the team is down 3-0 in their series against the Columbus Blue Jackets and will need to win four straight to avoid a historic collapse. Unfortunately, they won’t have their best defenseman in the lineup to help out. Victor Hedman has been ruled out again by head coach Jon Cooper, who also notes that Anton Stralman will not play and Alex Killorn is a game-time decision.
Hedman was injured against the Washington Capitals on March 30th and missed the final few games of the regular season, but suited up in the first two games of the series. Even though he was on the ice the Norris-caliber defenseman was clearly not up to his lofty standards, and now could potentially watch his team get swept out of the first round without being able to help. The Blue Jackets have a chance to make history by knocking the Presidents Trophy winners out in four games, and will do it on home ice.
Luckily, if you can call it that, the Lightning will get some help back in the form of Nikita Kucherov. The potential Hart Trophy winner will be back after missing game three due to suspension, and will try to get his first points of the season and help Tampa Bay stave of elimination. Kucherov has been a solid playoff performer in the past, recording 58 points in his first 58 postseason games but now has just a single assist in his last six going back to last season.
Andrei Svechnikov In Concussion Protocol
The Carolina Hurricanes could very well be without one of their young stars for the next game in their opening round series against the Washington Capitals. Andrei Svechnikov is in the concussion protocol after going to the hospital following his fight with Alex Ovechkin last night. Svechnikov was hit hard by a punch from Ovechkin and appeared to hit his head on the ice as he went down. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters today including Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post that he doesn’t expect Svechnikov to play in game four on Thursday night.
The 19-year old Svechnikov had taken his game to another level in the second half of the season and playoffs, and actually had three points in the first two games of the series. It’s a big blow for a Carolina team that has gotten themselves back into the series with a convincing win, and one that certainly will shake up their forward group. Micheal Ferland also left the game with an injury but his status was not updated today.
Carolina trail in the series 2-1 and have a big hill to climb, but have exposed some weaknesses on the Capitals blue line and will try to exploit that again in Thursday’s matchup. Even if Svechnikov feels up to it, he’s unlikely to get back into the lineup as the team will not risk the future health of the second-overall pick.
Minor Transactions: 04/16/19
As NHL teams continue to journey closer to the Stanley Cup, the AHL will kick off their own playoff push in a few days. The minor league playoffs are nearly as grueling and can see key players disappear at a moment’s notice if their NHL club needs them. Organizations will also be making some final moves to recall those who didn’t qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs, giving them some extra depth for the next few weeks. As they do, we’ll be right here to keep track.
- Jared Coreau will serve as third goaltender for the St. Louis Blues after being recalled today. Coreau spent the season in the minor leagues playing for two different teams, but failed to find much success on either one. He won’t be needed unless injury occurs.
- With Andrei Svechnikov and Micheal Ferland both dealing with injuries, the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Patrick Brown under emergency conditions. Brown was set to start his AHL playoff series with the Charlotte Checkers on Saturday, but may have to help the Hurricanes instead as they deal with injuries. Svechnikov is in the concussion protocol, while Ferland’s status has not yet been updated.