Paul Cotter Signs Entry-Level Contract With Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights have inked another prospect, signing Paul Cotter to a three-year entry-level contract. Cotter currently plays with the London Knights of the OHL, and will remain there for the rest of the season.
Cotter, 19, made a huge impact during the Golden Knights development camp but looked like he wouldn’t be joining the organization for some time. That’s because Cotter was set to head to Western Michigan University, where he would be unable to sign a professional contract. After just eight games with the college though, the feisty forward decided to leave and play junior hockey, where his rights were owned by London. The Knights have an incredible chance at the Memorial Cup this year—especially after adding another top defenseman in Joey Keane today—and Cotter could be a real part of it.
Registering eight points in 12 games for the Knights, the biggest part of leaving Western Michigan is that Cotter will be able to start his professional career even sooner. Selected in the fourth round of the 2018 draft, he looks to have a legitimate path to the NHL through his hard work filling an energy role. Though he very well may never make it there, he’s at least taken the first step towards it today by signing his entry-level deal.
Jake Dotchin, Valentin Zykov Placed On Waivers
The roster freeze is over, and teams can use waivers once again to try and move players to the minor leagues. The Anaheim Ducks and Edmonton Oilers have done so, placing defenseman Jake Dotchin and forward Valentin Zykov there. Both players found themselves on waivers earlier this year, with Dotchin seeing his contract terminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning and Zykov claimed from the Carolina Hurricanes. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Michal Cajkovsky and Joonas Lyytinen have also been placed on unconditional waivers by the Hurricanes and Nashville Predators respectively.
Dotchin, 24, is still in a grievance over how his deal was terminated earlier this year when the Lightning found him in “material breach of contract” when he showed up to camp out of shape. Though he was cut loose from the Tampa Bay organization, the young defenseman found a new team in Anaheim and worked hard to get back to the NHL level. He has played 16 games for the Ducks, though saw the end of the bench for much of his last one, playing fewer than seven minutes in a loss to San Jose.
The physical—and sometimes dangerous—Dotchin looked like a promising asset for Tampa Bay just a few years ago, when he recorded 11 points in 35 games down the stretch in 2017. Right-handed, he seemed like a perfect complement to some of the more skilled defenders on the Lightning blue line and was extremely inexpensive. Even the draft capital invested in him was minuscule, as the Lightning had found Dotchin in the 2012 sixth round after just a single year of junior hockey. He could be claimed by another team, but after inconsistent play and the recent trouble, some organizations may look the other way.
Zykov on the other hand just can’t seem to make good on his limited opportunities in the NHL. Claimed by the Oilers to give them some more offense on the wing, the 23-year old forward didn’t score a single point during his five-game stint and now finds himself in limbo. The Hurricanes could reclaim the second round pick, and if they are the only team that tries they would be allowed to immediately move him to the minor leagues. If not, Edmonton might try to build up his confidence and performance at the minor league level before giving him another opportunity.
Arizona Coyotes Trade Trevor Murphy To Anaheim Ducks
The Arizona Coyotes have completed a minor trade, sending Trevor Murphy to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Giovanni Fiore. Both players were playing in the AHL and will likely remain in the minor leagues for the time being.
Murphy, a 23-year old defenseman, made his NHL debut last season and recorded three points in eight games for the Coyotes. Undrafted, Murphy signed out of the OHL in 2015 with the Nashville Predators and quickly became a reliable offensive threat at the minor league level. The undersized blue liner was included in a deadline day deal last season that sent him to Arizona, where he has continued to put up points in the AHL. With the Ducks also putting Jake Dotchin on waivers today, the San Diego Gulls could get a big improvement on the back end.
Fiore has even less experience under his belt, and is used to being traded. The 22-year old winger played for four different teams in the QMJHL over his junior career, before signing his entry-level contract in the spring of 2017. He made his NHL debut last season as well, but didn’t see the ice again after his first and only game. Fiore has 11 points in 23 games for the Gulls this season, and will give a little more minor league depth up front for the Tucson Roadrunners.
Murphy is scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer, while Fiore still has another year on that three-year entry-level contract.
Minor Transactions: 12/28/18
We’re back to regular roster rules in the NHL, and with that teams will be making several moves to address their needs. A pair of teams, Boston and Dallas, used the holiday freeze to go over the 23 man roster limit and will need to come back down, while others were just waiting to send some underperforming forwards down to the minor leagues. As always, we’ll keep track of all the movement around the league right here.
- Rourke Chartier is on his way back up to the San Jose Sharks, recalled by the team after their win over Anaheim last night. Chartier has played 13 games for the Sharks this season, but is looking to make a bit more of an offensive impact if he gets back into the lineup. The 22-year old has just a single point—his first NHL goal—in those 13 contests.
- Though the Los Angeles Kings have normally been moving trios of players up and down to save cap space, that may not be the plan with Daniel Brickley who today was assigned to the AHL by himself. Dion Phaneuf resumed skating yesterday, meaning Brickley’s opportunity at the NHL level could be over for the time being.
- John Stevens has been on season-opening injured reserve for the first part of the year, but today was assigned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. That likely means that Stevens is ready to resume his playing career, one that will likely keep him in the New York Islanders minor league system for the rest of the season.
- The St. Louis Blues have assigned Zach Sanford to the AHL, giving them room on the roster to activate Robby Fabbri from injured reserve. Sanford has already set a career high with nine points in 23 games this season, but will have to continue to hone his skills at the minor league level for now. The 6’4″ forward hasn’t quite established himself as a full-time NHL player, but there is certainly still potential to grow into a reliable middle-six winger.
- Chad Ruhwedel has been sent to the AHL on a conditioning stint, but he’ll remain on the Pittsburgh Penguins 23-man roster. The 28-year old defenseman has played in just 11 games this season, and with Jamie Oleksiak returning to practice in full there wasn’t room to get him into the lineup.
- Lias Andersson hasn’t adapted to life in the NHL quite as well as some had hoped, and today the New York Rangers sent the top prospect back to the AHL. The 20-year old center has just four points in 21 games this season, but is such a huge part of the Rangers future they must put him in the best situation to succeed. Andersson did have 12 points in 14 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack earlier this year, a pace he’ll hopefully return to now that he’s back in the minor leagues.
- With John Gibson dealing with an injury, the Anaheim Ducks have recalled goaltender Kevin Boyle from the minor leagues to fill in for now. The team is already without Ryan Miller, meaning Chad Johnson will have to hold the crease for the time being.
- Alan Quine has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Calgary Flames, ending a three week run with the team. Quine has played nine games for the Flames this season, recording four points. He cleared waivers before the season began, and would have had to again if he played another game with the team.
Joel Eriksson Ek Assigned To Iowa Wild
The Minnesota Wild haven’t received the expected contributions from their young players this year, and again have given one the opportunity to find his game in the minor leagues. Earlier this year the team sent Jordan Greenway to the Iowa Wild to spark his confidence, and this time it’s Joel Eriksson Ek headed to the AHL. Eriksson Ek has played just nine minor league games in his short career, spending most of his time in North America in Minnesota with the NHL squad.
It’s hard to know exactly what the 21-year old forward is at this point, after 125 mostly disappointing performances for Minnesota. Given every opportunity to take the third line center role and run with it, Eriksson Ek has just 28 points over those 125 games (playoffs included) and has been a no-show for long stretches. Selected 20th overall in 2015 there were big plans for the Swedish forward, but he hasn’t been able to fulfill any of his promise.
Now the Wild have a decision to make on how to best develop their young talent, given he is clearly not progressing while in the NHL. Hopefully a short stint in the minor leagues will kick-start his game, but if it doesn’t what comes next? Minnesota finds themselves slipping out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference after a five-game losing streak has dropped them to 17-16-3 on the season and there have been rumors all year about changes coming up front. Perhaps the best course for Eriksson Ek is to spend the rest of the year, or at least a substantial part of it in the minor leagues to really refine his game. It’s clearly not working for him or the team at the NHL level right now.
David Backes To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety
The Department of Player Safety is back on the job after the holiday season, and have some work to do today. The league announced that Boston Bruins forward David Backes will have a hearing today with the DoPS regarding his illegal check to the head of New Jersey Devils forward Blake Coleman last night. As Coleman was moving the puck out of the slot, Backes tried to deliver a clean check but appeared to catch the head of the New Jersey player. A similar play resulted in a two-game suspension recently for San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson, and could lead to some more time off for Backes.
Backes was suspended just last March for three games following his hit on Frans Nielsen of the Detroit Red Wings, making him a repeat offender in the eyes of the league and open to additional punishment. The physical veteran forward hasn’t been able to add much offensively this season, but still provides some stability in the Boston bottom-six and a respected leader on the bench.
The Bruins already have to make a decision today on who to send down, given they are currently over the roster limit of 23 players. That was allowed during the holiday freeze, but not any longer. A suspension for Backes doesn’t remove him from that number, meaning the team will have to play a man down for the next few games depending on how long the ban is.
PHR Live Chat Transcript: 12/27/18
Click here to join in this week’s live chat with PHR’s Gavin Lee.
Jake Guentzel Signs Five-Year Extension With Pittsburgh Penguins
Christmas has come just a couple of days late for Jake Guentzel, but he isn’t complaining. The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed the forward to a five-year extension worth $30MM. Guentzel was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer, but will now be with the team at least through the 2023-24 season at a cap hit of $6MM. He will become the team’s fourth highest-paid forward behind only Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel.
CapFriendly reports the breakdown of the contract is as follows:
2019-20: $7MM
2020-21: $5MM
2021-22: $7MM
2022-23: $5MM, 12-team no-trade clause
2023-24: $6MM, 12-team no-trade clause
At first blush the contract may seem steep because it vaults Guentzel into the upper echelon of salaries in the league—only 61 forwards in the entire NHL carry a $6MM cap hit this season—but there is certainly reason to believe that the third-round pick deserves every penny. Selected 77th overall in 2013 out of the USHL, Guentzel then attended the University of Nebraska-Omaha for three seasons where he refined his game and started showing his innate ability to perform in the most important moments. Leaving school after three seasons to join the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Guentzel led the AHL team in scoring during the playoffs with 14 points in 10 games.
The undersized but fearless forward would eventually make his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season and score on his first shift (and his first shot), and end up as a key contributor down the stretch. Once again Guentzel would come through in the playoffs, leading the team with 13 goals en route to a Stanley Cup. That performance was improved upon the following spring, when he recorded 21 points in 12 games only to be knocked out in the second round. The young forward had certainly cemented himself as one of the most important players on the Penguins, if only for his postseason performances.
Still, there was obviously still some work to do in the regular season. Guentzel had struggled at times during his first full year, registering only 48 points in 82 games last season despite seeing time with future Hall of Fame players. Any doubts the team had in him have been put to rest this year, as the 24-year old has 33 points through 36 games and is averaging more ice time than even Kessel. GM Jim Rutherford explained exactly how the young forward has developed over the last few years:
Jake established himself as an impact player for our team from the beginning, especially during 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs. He has become a core player on the team and we are thrilled to get Jake signed long-term with the Penguins.
Despite only just coming off his entry-level contract, Guentzel was going to be eligible for salary arbitration this summer and would have had a good case for a huge raise. He also is much closer to unrestricted free agency than most players signing their second contract, meaning this deal will actually buy out two UFA seasons. At the pace he’s going, those unrestricted free agent years would have been worth much more than $6MM, explaining how the Penguins came to the $30MM number.
In fact, with the salary cap expected to rise again next season and recent contracts like the one William Nylander signed setting the market, $6MM actually may be a bit of a bargain for the Penguins. Even so, it will almost surely force them to make some tough decisions at other spots on the roster given that they have nearly $80MM tied up in 15 players for next year including Justin Schultz‘ $5.5MM cap hit that is currently sitting on long-term injured reserve. With Zach-Aston Reese, Juuso Riikola and Marcus Pettersson all still scheduled for restricted free agency, there may not be any room to re-sign names like Derick Brassard or Casey DeSmith.
Regardless, the team now has a core player locked up long-term in Guentzel and will continue to find ways to build around him. If his playoff performance continues, there’s no telling how valuable he could really become.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
2020 All-Star Game To Be Held In St. Louis
Earlier today the NHL announced the captains for the upcoming 2019 NHL All-Star Game in San Jose, and now Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic has discovered where the event will be held next season. The 2020 game is expected to be held at the Enterprise Center, home of the St. Louis Blues.
It had been rumored for quite some time that St. Louis was trying to secure an All-Star game in one of the next two seasons, and this way will be in no danger of missing out to a work stoppage. Next year is the final guaranteed season under the current CBA, given the opt-out dates in September 2019 that could cause a problem for the 2020-21 season. That’s a long way away still, and right now Blues fans should be focused on the league’s brightest stars coming to town to celebrate the NHL.
While it’s obviously a great achievement for any NHL city to host the All-Star game, it does put even more pressure on the Blues to be competitive next season. They’ll want to be well represented by players from their roster, something that may not necessarily happen this season. Ryan O’Reilly has a good shot at being selected up front, but with the down year from Vladimir Tarasenko and recent injury to Alex Pietrangelo, O’Reilly could be the lone representative.
The St. Louis area is a hotbed for hockey in the United States, and has continued to produce NHL players throughout the years. It will be interesting to see if Matthew and Brady Tkachuk are able to put together seasons deserving of selection next year, given their ties to and popularity in St. Louis.
Michal Cajkovsky Expected To Return To KHL
Though he played in the Charlotte Checkers most recent game, Michal Cajkovsky may be leaving the Carolina Hurricanes organization. Today Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that Cajkovsky is set to sign a contract with Dynamo Moscow for the remainder of the season. It’s not clear if the Hurricanes will loan him there or agree to terminate his contract, but either way it would likely mean an exit from the organization by the end of the season given that he is a pending unrestricted free agent. If they are terminating his contract, they would have to wait until tomorrow to place him on unconditional waivers given the current NHL roster freeze that will end tonight.
Cajkovsky, 26, signed a one-year contract with the Hurricanes in September after impressing on a professional tryout, but has spent the entire year in the minor leagues with the Checkers. Though the 6’4″ 239-lbs defenseman offers size and physicality, he’s stuck in an organization that has incredible depth at the NHL level and rarely presents an opportunity to get any real ice time at that level. In 26 games with the Checkers he has registered four points.
It wasn’t the first North American attempt for the big Slovakian defender, as Cajkovsky actually played three years in the OHL and then spent two seasons in the minor leagues split between the ECHL and AHL. He competed last year in the Olympics for Slovakia, and suited up for his second consecutive World Championship. If he does return to the KHL, he’ll be going back to a league where he found quite a bit of success, registering 36 points over 67 games.