Michael Stone Sent To AHL On Conditioning Stint
After the Calgary Flames were embarrassed on home ice by the Toronto Maple Leafs last night, they got a bit of good news this morning. Michael Stone, who hasn’t played for the team since November, has been assigned to the minor leagues for a conditioning stint, the last step before he returns to the NHL lineup. Stone has suited up just 11 times this season.
The Flames are still in first place in the Pacific Division and second in the entire NHL, but have now lost two games in a row by a combined score of 10-4. While obviously an excellent team, their goaltender has been questions all season including last night when David Rittich was beat by a long, slow shot from Maple Leafs forward Tyler Ennis. Though there isn’t really anything the team can do now to address their goaltending situation, they can improve the defense by bringing Stone back into the mix.
While he’s not a game-changing option for them, Stone does provide another right-handed option and brings more experience than some of the team’s young options. Today at practice the team had Dalton Prout back on the right side of T.J. Brodie, a spot that Stone could potentially take over if he proves healthy at the minor league level. At the very least he will give the team more depth for what should be a long playoff run.
Toronto Maple Leafs Extend Garret Sparks
The Toronto Maple Leafs made a decision at the beginning of this season to make Garret Sparks their backup goaltender, and it appears as though that won’t change for now. The Maple Leafs have signed Sparks on a one-year extension that carries a salary of $750K. Sparks was set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility this summer after his current two-year $1.35MM contract expires.
Sparks, 25, was handed the full-time backup role when the Maple Leafs decided to put both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard on waivers at the beginning of the season. Both goaltenders were claimed leaving the team bereft of any depth at the position, and just a Frederik Andersen injury away from seeing Sparks in net on a regular basis. While Andersen did deal with a minor injury at one point, the Maple Leafs starting goaltender has been brilliant and is now tied with Marc Andre-Fleury for the league lead in wins with 32. Sparks meanwhile has played in just 14 games and carries a .902 save percentage.
That number has upset many fans, who point to Michael Hutchinson or the other available goaltenders as better options. Hutchinson was acquired during the year to give them some more experience in the minor leagues, but actually performed better than Sparks in his short stint in the NHL.
Still, the organization obviously believes that Sparks can be a positive for the organization. It certainly doesn’t hurt that when Kyle Dubas was still GM of the Toronto Marlies last season, Sparks was named Goaltender of the Year en route to a Calder Cup championship. He had an incredible .936 save percentage on the year in the AHL, not the first time he has shown outstanding ability in the minor leagues.
There is something different about being a backup in the NHL though, and Sparks has yet to really find his groove as a goaltender who only plays once every few weeks. Head coach Mike Babcock is notorious for only giving his second goaltender a start on the back half of a back-to-back situation, games that are already more difficult for the team to win because of fatigue.
This extension keeps Sparks in the organization for another year, but also sets him up to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020. At that point he could try to find another opportunity where he can fight for a starting role, one that he’s certainly not going to get in Toronto while Andersen remains at the top of his game. This also doesn’t preclude the Maple Leafs from going out and adding another backup option to battle in training camp, though Sparks would need to clear waivers to be sent to the minor leagues.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report the contract on Twitter.
Minor Transactions: 03/05/19
It’s a busy night in the NHL with ten games on the schedule including an epic matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Winnipeg Jets. The two teams are considered top contenders from each conference and very well may end up battling for the Stanley Cup down the road. As teams prepare for action tonight we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Justin Bailey from the minor leagues, his second call-up since being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in mid-January. Bailey, 23, played five games for the Flyers during that first recall but failed to score a single point.
- Joshua Ho-Sang and Michael Dal Colle are back up for the New York Islanders under emergency conditions, likely meaning a pair of New York Islanders forwards are dealing with injury or illness. The pair of youngsters have been playing together in the minor leagues and still have plenty of potential.
- Goaltender Collin Delia has been recalled under emergency conditions by the Chicago Blackhawks, and announced later on that Cam Ward will be out 7-10 days with a knee injury. Delia has played quite a bit for the Blackhawks this season and could potentially be a candidate to take over an NHL role next year.
- The Ducks announced the recalls of center Sam Steel and defenseman Jacob Larsson from San Diego of the AHL. Steel has had a productive rookie season with the Gulls while Larsson has seen action in 38 games with Anaheim this year while logging over 16 minutes per night of ice time.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Rule Changes, Percy
The NHL has released their three stars for last week, and familiar names occupy each spot. Marc-Andre Fleury is in the top spot after going 3-0 with two shutouts for the Vegas Golden Knights. Fleury allowed just one goal on 77 shots and is now carrying a .911 save percentage on the year. While that number is down from last season, Fleury leads the league with 32 wins and eight shutouts while also having played the most minutes of any goaltender. The Golden Knights are leaning heavily on their starter, a strategy that will be tested when the playoffs roll around.
Blake Wheeler and Sidney Crosby were awarded second and third respectively, each scoring eight points in three games. Wheeler’s performance was capped by a four-goal game against the Columbus Blue Jackets yesterday, giving him 80 points on the season. Crosby, who has 83 this year is actually on pace to record his best offensive season since 2009-10 and crack the 100-point mark for the sixth time in his career.
- The GM meetings began this week in Florida, and Frank Seravalli of TSN examines ten potential rule changes that the group will be discussing. These include things like changing standings tiebreaker rules, changing how much a player can be fined for certain incidents, and perhaps even forcing players to wear helmets during warm-ups. It doesn’t sound like any huge changes will come out of this week’s discussions, but there might be a few tweaks.
- The AHL trade deadline passed today with very little fanfare, but not for Stuart Percy. The former top prospect was traded from the Belleville Senators to the Providence Bruins in exchange for Austin Fyten. Percy, originally selected in the first round eight years ago, has just 12 NHL games under his belt and is currently on a minor league contract.
Jesse Puljujarvi To Undergo Hip Surgery
March 4: Puljujarvi underwent the surgery today according to John Shannon of Sportsnet, who adds that it was on both hips.
February 28: After receiving some bad news from the Edmonton Oilers medical staff, young forward Jesse Puljujarvi had visited a specialist for a second opinion. Unfortunately that opinion seems to have agreed with the first, as Jason Gregor of TSN is reporting that Puljujarvi will undergo hip surgery next week. Puljujarvi will not play again this season.
The fact that Puljujarvi has been playing through this injury certainly may explain some of his struggles, but it will end what has been an extremely disappointing season nonetheless. In 46 games with the Oilers the 20-year old forward recorded just nine points, a step backwards from the already underwhelming total he posted in 2017-18. Selected fourth overall in 2016, Puljujarvi was expected to step quickly into the NHL and become a potential winger for Edmonton centers like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but now has just 37 points through the first 139 games of his career.
Importantly, this also caps his earning potential. Since the Oilers gave Puljujarvi more than nine games in his first season after being drafted, his three-year entry-level contract will come to an end this year. He’ll finish without earning any of his big performance bonuses, and now heads into restricted free agency as something of an enigma. Top draft choices are often signing expensive long-term deals after their original contract expires, but Puljujarvi will certainly not want to lock himself into an underpaid contract after his disappointing start. It’s unclear where exactly the Oilers will sit in negotiations.
Unfortunately this is just the latest bad chapter in a terrible book for the Oilers. The team has struggled through coaching and management changes this season and find themselves fighting for draft lottery positions instead of the playoffs. The team was embarrassed last night in McDavid’s return to the lineup, and will take on the Ottawa Senators tonight in a battle of Canada’s worst teams.
Puljujarvi is expected to be back to 100% in time for training camp in September, and given that he will be waiver eligible destined for a spot on the NHL squad almost regardless of his play. The team will have to hope his performance improves along with his health.
Brett Connolly Hopes To Stay With Washington Capitals
It’s been a winding road during Brett Connolly‘s NHL career, but he’s finally arrived somewhere he hopes to stay. The Washington Capitals forward spoke with Chris Kuc of The Athletic (subscription required) and indicated that he hopes to re-sign with the team and avoid becoming an unrestricted free agent. Connolly will turn 27 in early May and is the final season of a two-year deal he signed with Washington in 2017.
Arriving in Washington has been great for Connolly’s career, and this season has been his best so far. With 16 goals and 35 points in 66 games he has already set new career-highs and is seeing more ice time than ever before. That comes after a Stanley Cup run with the team in just his second trip to the playoffs, one that saw him record nine points in 24 postseason contests.
Originally selected sixth overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Connolly played just 134 games for that organization before ending up with the Boston Bruins. After failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Bruins he landed in Washington as a player many saw as a bust given his high draft pedigree. Connolly had just 59 points through his first 210 NHL games and hadn’t suited up for a single playoff game. With the Capitals that has all changed.
Unfortunately though, success comes at a price in the NHL. The Capitals are pushed right up against the salary cap ceiling this season and will have to make tough decisions this summer on how to move forward with this core. Players like Andre Burakovsky, Jakub Vrana and Christian Djoos are all restricted free agents that need new contracts, while the only money really coming off the books is a few million owed to Brooks Orpik and Carl Hagelin. If Connolly is looking for a raise after his career season there may just not be enough room to fit everyone in.
Still, there are definitely ways to keep Connolly in the picture and at his relatively young age the Capitals will likely explore every opportunity. Those discussions will be up to GM Brian MacLellan to start, as Connolly and agent Gerry Johannson have decided to wait for the Capitals to approach them—something that does not appear to have happened yet.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Noah Juulsen Will Not Play Again This Season
While he is still expected to make an eventual recovery from the “vision-related issue” that has kept him out for much of the season, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Juulsen will not play again this year according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.
Juulsen, 21, has had a rough start to his professional career since being selected 26th overall in 2015. In 2017 as he was preparing for his first pro season he broke his foot in training camp, and was limited to just 54 games across two levels in the 2017-18 season. This year he’s played even fewer, suiting up just 24 times between the NHL and AHL. In November Juulsen was hit in the face twice by errant pucks and suffered facial fractures, taking him out of the lineup for a long stretch. He actually returned to play a few games but will now be shut down for the rest of the year.
Vision related issues are often quite serious and there was some worry that Juulsen’s career would be in jeopardy. That doesn’t appear to be the case right now, but we’ll have to keep a close watch on him as he recovers through the offseason. Hopefully he can return at full strength for the Canadiens and be a key part of their blue line for a long time.
Minor Transactions: 03/04/19
The NHL is almost entirely quiet today, with just two games on the schedule for this evening. Those include Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers travelling to Buffalo to take on the Sabres, while the Toronto Maple Leafs head to Alberta to take on the Calgary Flames. As teams take a day off there will surely be some roster movement, and we’ll be here to keep track of it all.
- Matt Read was returned to the minor leagues by the Minnesota Wild last night after playing one game with the team, but is already back up today. Read scored in Saturday’s matchup against the Flames, his first goal in the NHL this season. The 32-year old has played just six games for Minnesota this season, instead spending most of the year in the AHL with the Iowa Wild.
- Matt Luff has been recalled once again by the Los Angeles Kings, after being sent down just two days ago. Luff has been bouncing up and down for much of the year, but has played just one NHL game since the middle of January. The Kings will welcome the Montreal Canadiens into town tomorrow.
Jake McCabe Out Five To Six Weeks
The Buffalo Sabres announced today that defenseman Jake McCabe will be out five to six weeks with an upper-body injury, basically ending his season early. With the Sabres slipping out of the playoff race entirely, there won’t be enough time left for McCabe to return this year.
Unless the Sabres go on an incredible run or McCabe returns much more quickly than expected, it means he will finish with just 55 games played this season. That’s just two more than last year when he finished with 53, making it a disappointing run for a player who is supposed to be a key member of the Sabres defense. The 25-year old was selected 44th overall in 2012 and quickly made his way through the Sabres system, but still hasn’t been able to establish himself as a real presence on the blue line. Averaging just under 19 minutes a game this season he recorded 14 points, and now finds himself in an interesting situation as the offseason nears.
McCabe is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer and has arbitration rights, meaning the Sabres will need to make a decision on whether or not they want to extend a qualifying offer. The team already has seven defensemen penciled into the NHL roster for next year with only Rasmus Dahlin among them with a two-way contract, and have other names like Lawrence Pilut waiting for an opportunity. McCabe is worth a contract of some sort obviously, but it’s not clear if his long-term future is in Buffalo. A one-year contract would keep him under team control as a restricted free agent again in 2020.
Joey Keane Signs With New York Rangers
March 4: The Rangers have officially announced the contract.
March 1: The New York Rangers have signed prospect Joey Keane to his entry-level contract according to his agent Keith McKittrick of Gold Star Hockey. Keane is currently playing with the London Knights of the OHL. This contract will be a three-year entry-level deal that kicks in for the 2019-20 season. CapFriendly reports that the deal will carry a cap hit of just over $809K with games played performance bonuses that could bring the total as high as $925K per year.
Selected with the 88th overall pick of the 2018 draft, Keane has made quite a name for himself over the last eight months. The mobile defender returned to junior after a taste of NHL life in Rangers training camp, and was selected to the preliminary roster for the American World Junior team. He’d gotten off to another excellent start with the Barrie Colts, following up on his Third All-Star selection in 2017-18. Unfortunately, Keane was one of the final cuts and didn’t participate in the international tournament. Instead, he returned to a new OHL organization after the London Knights acquired him just after Christmas.
As part of a crowded (and talented) blue line in London, Keane has recorded 16 points in 29 games and could very well be competing for an OHL Championship in the near future. The two-way defenseman impressed at Rangers camp and could potentially end up with the Hartford Wolf Pack next season. That’s because Keane wasn’t drafted in his first year of eligibility and will turn 20 in July.