Hockey Canada Names World Championship Management
We already know that New York Rangers assistant GM Chris Drury will be leading USA Hockey’s preparation for the upcoming World Championships, but now Hockey Canada has announced their own management group. Buffalo Sabres GM Jason Botterill will join two recently fired men, Ron Hextall and Ron Francis as the management team tasked with putting together the roster for the tournament, which begins in May.
It won’t be the first time the name Botterill is seen at the World Championships, as sister Jennifer Botterill medaled eight times at the women’s tournament during her outstanding playing career. The Sabres GM will try to bring another gold back to Canada after the team failed to even win a medal last season. He’ll have a huge number of stars to pick from, as some of the best Canadian players look like they’ll be out of the NHL playoffs this season.
That all starts with Connor McDavid, who captained the team last year and has participated twice already in his young career. Teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is also a candidate to return, and other names like Drew Doughty, Jonathan Toews and Claude Giroux will also likely be asked to attend.
Andrew Ladd Out Four To Five Months With Torn ACL
The New York Islanders will be heading into the playoffs without one of their veteran leaders, as head coach Barry Trotz told reporters including Andrew Gross of Newsday that Andrew Ladd will be out four to five months with a torn ACL. That rules him out for the playoffs, though the team is hoping he’ll be ready for training camp next season.
That hope though may be tested, as Ladd is no longer a young pup able to rebound quickly from injury. Now 33, the former Winnipeg Jets captain has already experienced a knee injury in his other leg and will finish this season with just 26 games played. The veteran forward was once one of the most reliable two-way wingers in the game, bringing a mix of physicality, defense and scoring touch to the ice on a nightly basis. Now, he will end with his lowest point total since his rookie season of 2005-06 and could very well start next year on long-term injured reserve.
Unfortunately for the Islanders, Ladd still has four years left on his current contract and unless he’s going to sit on LTIR and essentially retire, he has to find some modicum of health in order to contribute. The team signed him to a seven-year, $38.5MM deal in the summer of 2016 that included a full no-trade clause through the end of 2019-20. Even after that he’ll still have a 15-team no-trade list, and his contract is almost buyout proof because of the hefty signing bonuses.
The Islanders will try to make a splash this postseason without him, and it appears as though Michael Dal Colle will get the first chance to replace him in the lineup. The former top prospect has seemingly put it all together this year and become a legitimate NHL player, but will have to show he has what it takes to compete in the playoffs.
New York Islanders To Sign Bobo Carpenter
The New York Islanders have agreed to terms with Bobo Carpenter on a two-year entry-level contract that will kick in for the 2019-20 season. Carpenter recently finished his senior season with Boston University, where he served as captain. The 22-year old forward was an undrafted free agent, able to sign with any team in the NHL.
A familiar name in hockey circles, Carpenter is the son of Stanley Cup champion Bobby Carpenter, who played nearly 1,200 regular season games across a long NHL career. The younger Carpenter doesn’t have quite the same hype that his father brought when he was selected third overall in 1981, but still did have an excellent college career and was pursued by more than just the Islanders. In 144 games for BU, the 5’11” forward scored 56 goals and 102 points while being a respected leader even with almost countless top NHL prospects surrounding him.
Carpenter could join the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on an amateur tryout for the rest of the year, but will definitely be battling for a roster spot in New York in the fall. His two-year deal will make him a restricted free agent in the summer of 2021.
Minor Transactions: 03/26/19
After a night of wild outcomes that saw the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks both lose to teams well out of the playoff race, the NHL is back with seven more contests for us to watch. The best among those games will be a pair of Metropolitan Division contests, where four potential playoff teams do battle. The Carolina Hurricanes try to topple the Washington Capitals, while the New York Islanders will attempt to knock the Columbus Blue Jackets just a little further out of the race.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Will Borgen for the first time in his professional career, and are expected to give him a taste at the NHL level. The 22-year old defenseman signed out of St. Cloud State last season and has 12 points in 66 games at the AHL level this year. If you recognize his name from somewhere else, it may be from the 2018 Winter Olympics, where he was named to Team USA.
- The Nashville Predators have reassigned Matt Donovan to the minor leagues, which could leave some room for Dante Fabbro to enter the lineup. The team still has Dan Hamhuis working his way back to full health, and are now carrying just six defensemen on the roster until Fabbro’s deal is officially announced.
Michal Kempny Out “Long Term”, Capitals Recall Siegenthaler
The Washington Capitals lost Michal Kempny to a leg injury recently, and pronounced him out indefinitely while tests were done. Today, while the Capitals were visiting the White House with the Stanley Cup, the defenseman was seen on crutches and head coach Todd Rierden told reporters including Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post that the injury will keep Kempny out “long term.” The team is still determining whether surgery will be necessary, but in the meantime have recalled Jonas Siegenthaler from the minor leagues.
Siegenthaler, 21, was actually just barely too expensive for the Capitals to recall any earlier than today, but will now likely be with the team through the end of the season. Washington will have to decide how to deploy their six defensemen in the playoffs, and whether they can rely on the young Siegenthaler in a full-time role. With impressive talents like John Carlson, Matt Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov they will have plenty of options, but Kempny’s addition seemed to make everything click last season and will certainly be missed.
The Capitals currently sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division but need to keep their foot on the gas pedal down the stretch to stay clear of the other contenders. The New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins and Carolina Hurricanes are all within five points of the Capitals, meaning they could fall right out of the divisional playoff spots if they falter for a few weeks.
Jesper Fast To Miss Rest Of Season
The New York Rangers won’t be making it to the playoffs this season, so there won’t be enough time for Jesper Fast to return from injury. Head coach David Quinn told reporters today that Fast will miss the rest of the year, while Marc Staal and Chris Kreider will miss tonight’s game as well.
Fast, 27, will end this season with just 20 points in 66 games, a disappointing year for a player who had reached new highs in 2017-18. The two-way forward is still an effective option for the Rangers, but hasn’t shown much upside and will be an interesting player to watch this summer. Heading into the final season of his current contract and carrying a $1.85MM cap hit, he could be another player on the move as the Rangers continue their rebuild. That said, he has long been regarded as one of the hardest working players on the team and is routinely praised by teammates and the coaching staff, even winning New York’s “Players’ Player” award for the last four years.
With so much turnover on the roster of late, perhaps the team will want to keep Fast around on another multi-year contract to help guide the young core. With offensive players coming through the pipeline, his defense and versatility can still be quite useful.
Meanwhile, the Rangers have gone on a 2-5-3 run over their last ten games and are now sitting in 27th place in the NHL. It seems unlikely they’ll fall any lower than that and improve their draft lottery chances, but any success could see them skyrocket up the standings. They take on the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight.
Snapshots: Three Stars, College Stars, Presidents
The NHL has released their three stars of the week, with Kyle Connor getting the top honors. The young Winnipeg Jets forward had five goals and eight points in four games, surpassing both of his impressive totals from last season. The 22-year old now has back-to-back 30-goal seasons, and is now a key part of the Jets attack on a nightly basis. While Patrik Laine may hit the headlines more for his upcoming restricted free agency, Connor’s pending negotiation looks to be just as (if not more) important.
Second star this week went to Steven Stamkos, who helped the Tampa Bay Lightning lock up the Presidents Trophy and became the franchise leader in goals with 387 and counting. The Lightning star is just one away from his fifth 40-goal campaign, and has six games remaining to try and crack the 100-point threshold for the first time in his career. Bringing up the rear in third was Philipp Grubauer, who has suddenly found his game and now holds a .914 save percentage on the year. That has allowed the Colorado Avalanche to climb back into the playoffs in the Western Conference.
- Despite Boston University seeing a huge chunk of their team turn pro today—Jake Oettinger, Chad Krys, Joel Farabee and Dante Fabbro all signed contracts—they won’t be without some star power next year. According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, Shane Bowers is likely sticking around after a somewhat disappointing sophomore season. Cole Hults from Penn State is also expected to stay in college according to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider, and the team is supportive of that idea. Hults, a fifth-round pick of the Kings in 2017, had 28 points in 39 games as a sophomore this season.
- The Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators have had a ton of turmoil over the last year, changing coaches and front office members while struggling on the ice. It’s not surprising that both teams may be looking for upper management help according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, who reports each could be set to bring in a team president to run hockey operations above the general manager. Ottawa’s search in particular has apparently already been going on for a while, though it has not apparently put Pierre Dorion’s job as GM in jeopardy.
Chad Krys Signs With Chicago Blackhawks
Another Boston University standout has decided to turn pro, as Chad Krys has agreed to a contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Krys will be signing a three-year entry-level deal that starts next season and runs through 2021-22. He will join the Rockford IceHogs on an amateur tryout for the rest of this year.
Krys, 20, hasn’t had quite the development path that many expected since he was selected 45th overall in 2016. At that point he had come off an outstanding season in the US Development program and a somewhat surprising appearance at the World Juniors as a 17-year old. Unfortunately, Krys failed to make the World Junior squad the next two years despite being eligible and didn’t sign with the Blackhawks after either of his first two seasons with BU.
Now though, Krys comes to Chicago with quite a bit of experience in one of the best conferences in college hockey, but still some question marks around how quickly he’ll adjust to the professional ranks. Those questions are very important ones for the Blackhawks, who are hoping to turn around their franchise quickly with the next wave of talent. New teammate Alex DeBrincat will certainly be able to offer some words of advice to his fellow World Junior snub, and maybe help him transition in the highest league.
Chicago will have several young defensemen in the lineup next season, but it’s unclear where Krys will fit in. Henri Jokiharju, Gustav Forsling and Carl Dahlstrom have shown they can compete at the highest level, but Krys and young Adam Boqvist will be pushing for spots before long. With Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Connor Murphy all signed to long-term deals, there won’t be enough space for everyone.
Dante Fabbro To Sign With Nashville Predators
It’s not a very good day to be a Boston University hockey fan. After Jake Oettinger and Joel Farabee both signed earlier today, Chris Johnston of Sportsnet is now reporting that Dante Fabbro will also forego his final season with the Terriers and sign a three-year entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators. Getting Fabbro under contract was extremely important for the Predators, as the highly touted defenseman could have become an unrestricted free agent next summer had he returned to BU.
There was some speculation that Fabbro was interested in waiting and testing the free market due to the depth on the Nashville blue line, but instead he’ll join an organization that has made a habit of developing high-end defensemen over the years. The 20-year old certainly has that pedigree, after being selected 17th overall in 2016 and steadily improving his game over three years at BU. In fact, Fabbro recorded 33 points in 38 games this season as captain for the Terriers and was a nominee for the Hobey Baker award.
Fabbro also brings a wealth of international experience, as he was a key part of the last two world junior tournaments, winning a silver and gold medal as part of the Canadian contingent. Still even with all that success, it’s unclear where he stands in the Nashville pecking order. The Predators already have seven defensemen signed to one-way contracts for next season, including one of the best top-four in all of hockey. Fabbro could certainly slide into the third pairing, but wouldn’t be getting the kind of minutes that Nashville may want for him. That could lead to him at least starting the year in the AHL, where the Milwaukee Admirals would likely use him as an all-situations option including on the powerplay.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Joel Farabee
It won’t only be Jake Oettinger leaving Boston University to turn pro this season, as Joel Farabee has signed his entry-level contract. Farabee, a first-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, will be starting a three-year entry-level contract to begin the 2019-20 season. He could also join the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on an amateur tryout contract in order to recover from a recent injury and get some experience down the stretch.
While Oettinger’s departure may have been expected, Farabee’s certainly wasn’t so. The forward still had three years of college eligibility and is still even young enough to compete in the next World Juniors (where he already secured a silver medal this year). However, after dominating as a freshman—even winning the Hockey East Rookie of the Year award—he very well could feel as though he’s ready to take the next step in his development and even compete for a spot on the Flyers next season.
Selected 14th overall in 2018, there is a lot to like about Farabee’s game. A product of the US National Development Team program, the 6’1″ forward is an outstanding offensive contributor that can also be a game-changing defensive presence even when lining up on the wing. His active stick and incredible edge work results in turnovers and counter-attacks, while his willingness to engage physically when necessary allows his game not to be limited to the perimeter.
While there is no guarantee he can crack the Flyers lineup in 2019-20, recording 36 points in 37 games as a teenager was an very impressive performance for Farabee. Training camp for Philadelphia will be quite interesting, as the team will also have top CHL performer Morgan Frost vying for an opportunity. The pair of forward prospects have battled over the years on the international stage, but could very well be the key to the Flyers offensive attack in the years to come.