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PTO Checkup

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During the offseason NHL teams extended a total of 194 professional tryouts (PTOs) to players trying to earn a professional contract for the upcoming season. Of those 194 players, only eleven earned a permanent NHL/AHL contract. Those lucky 5% have had varied success this season, and this article looks at how those players have fared so far.

Steve Bernier: New York Islanders
Steve Bernier failed to garner a contract on his PTO right away, but the New York Islanders signed him to a one-year, two-way deal on October 24, 2016. The contract pays him $600K (NHL) / $200K (AHL). Bernier has remained with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers—the Islanders’ AHL affiliate—all season, posting 8G and 5A in 15 games.

Gabriel Bourque: Colorado Avalanche
Gabriel Bourque signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Colorado Avalance worth $800K (NHL) / $200K (AHL). The 26 year-old forward has split time with the Avalanche and its AHL affiliate San Antonio Rampage this season. Bourque has failed to register a point with Colorado, but has 3G and 5A in 16 games for San Antonio

Rene Bourque: Colorado Avalanche
Rene Bourque signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Colorado Avalanche worth $650K. Bourque has impressed so far, scoring 8G and 3A in 11 games for the Avalanche. He’s already surpasses last years totals (3G and 5A in 49 games) and could come closer to regaining his prior form.

Justin Fontaine: New York Rangers
Justin Fontaine signed a one-year, two-way deal with the New York Rangers worth $600K (NHL) / $300K (AHL) after failing to earn a contract with the Minnesota Wild. The 29 year-old forward remains in the AHL so far this season and has racked up 3G and 8A in 21 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack.

Nicklas Grossmann: Orebro HK (SHL)
Nicklas Grossmann initially signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Calgary Flames for $575K. The Swedish defenseman lasted three games before the Flames attempted to demote him to the AHL Stockton Heat. Grossmann, however, did not report to Stockton, so Calgary terminated his contract. Grossman failed to register a point in those three games with the Flames.

Eric Gryba: Edmonton Oilers
Eric Gryba signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Edmonton Oilers worth $950K (NHL) / $250K (AHL). The move has not yet panned out as Gryba remains pointless through 14 games. The Oilers placed Gryba on IR on November 30th, and the defenseman is reportly nearing a return. While Gryba was never an offensive defenseman, the Oilers do expect more from him and could send him down if he doesn’t improve when he returns.

Lauri Korpikoski: Dallas Stars
Lauri Korpikoski signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Dallas Stars worth $1MM after failing to sign with the Calgary Flames—the team that initially offered Korpikoski a PTO. In 29 games for the Stars, Korpikoski has 4G and 5A, which is respectable but nothing noteworthy. He’ll have to improve if he wants to stay in the lineup after all the Stars’ injured players return.

Tom McCollum: Calgary Flames
Tom McCollum signed a two-year, two-way deal with the Calgary Flames worth $575K and $650K in the NHL and $175K and $200K in the AHL. Despite the two-year deal, however, McCollum has seen little action. The former first rounder has played 1 game in the AHL with the Stockton Heat and 3 games in the ECHL with the Adirondack Thunder.

Devin Setoguchi: Los Angeles Kings
Devin Setoguchi returned to the NHL this year with the Los Angeles Kings on a one-year, two-way deal worth $575K (NHL) / $45K (AHL). The former eighth overall pick has 3G and 4A in 24 games. Setoguci returns after playing in Switzerland for a year, and is still looking to regain his scoring touch with the Kings.

Jack Skille: Vancouver Canucks
Jack Skille signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Vancouver Canucks worth $700K. In 22 games this season Skille has 3G and 1A and plays less than nine minutes a night. Skille has never lived up to his draft position—7th overall in 2005—and has bounced around the league ever since.

Kris Versteeg: Calgary Flames
Kris Versteeg signed a one-year deal with the Calgary Flames worth $950K after failing to maintain a contract with both SC Bern (Swiss) and the Edmonton Oilers. Versteeg’s SC Bern contract was voided when Versteeg failed his medical exam. In 19 games with the Flames, however, Versteeg has 4G and 7A. So far the signing seems to have paid off for Calgary.

Coyotes Place Max Domi On IR

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usatsi_9733523_168380616_lowresThe Arizona Coyotes have placed sophomore forward Max Domi on Injured Reserved, reported first by AZSports Craig Morgan. The move is retroactive to last Thursday when Domi exited the Coyotes game against the Flames after fighting Flames forward Garnet Hathaway.

The Coyotes called Domi week-to-week, and the earliest he can return is next Saturday against the Minnesota Wild. Domi will be missed—he’s second in team scoring with 5G and 11A. Domi is on pace to match last year’s surprising rookie production of 18G and 34A in 81 games. The team is 28th in scoring right now, and Domi’s absence will not help matters.

Domi’s injury gives struggling forward—and fellow sophomore prospect—Anthony Duclair an opportunity to turn his fate around. Duclair has struggled mightily this season with only 1G and 3A in 25 games. A midseason improvement could spark interest in the forward after rumors circulated that the Coyotes would entertain offers for the young forward.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Milestones: Chris Neil and Jarome Iginla

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Ottawa Senators forward Chris Neil and Colorado Avalanche forward Jarome Iginla will hit major milestones tonight when they hit the ice for their respective teams. Neil is set to play his 1,000th game while Iginla will play his 1,500th.

Chris Neil has played all of his 999 games for the Ottawa Senators. He was drafted in the 6th round (161st overall) in 1998—one pick before Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov and ten picks before former Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk. In his 999 games Neil racked up 112 goals, 136 assists, and a whopping 2,492 penalty minutes. Known more as an enforcer than a scorer, Neil has dropped the gloves at least 172 times in his NHL regular season career, according to HockeyFights.com.

Jarome Iginla has split his 1,499 games between the Calgary Flames (1219 games), Pittsburgh Penguins (13 games), Boston Bruins (78 games), and Colorado Avalanche (189 games). He’s amassed 614 goals and 665 assists in those games alongside an additional 37 goals and 31 assists in 81 playoff games. Iginla was the centerpiece of the Flames from his first season in 1996-97 to when he was traded at the 2012-13 trade deadline to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite being 39 years old, Iginla has remained productive, scoring 30, 29, and 22 goals in his last three seasons.

The veteran forward is in the final year of his contract with the Avalanche that pays him $5.33MM a year, and it is unclear whether Iginla steps away from the game in the offseason. He is off to a slow start this season with only 3G and 3A in 25 games, which could be signs of decline or just a product of Colorado’s anemic offense—the team ranks 29th in goals for. There will be suitors for Iginla this offseason if he decides to continue playing, and the wily veteran could be a worthy addition to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.

New York Rangers Place Josh Jooris On Waivers

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The New York Rangers have placed forward Josh Jooris on waivers today, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Jooris was an undrafted free agent initially signed by the Calgary Flames in 2014, and most recently by the New York Rangers last offseason.

Jooris has struggled with the Rangers so far this season, collecting only 1G and 1A in 12 games. He has been a non-factor in New York’s last five games and averaging less than ten minutes of playing time. In 137 career NHL games, Jooris has 17G and 22A.

There was a rumor early this season that Jooris would join Geneve-Servette HC of the Swiss League. Jooris’s dad Mark Jooris played for the team, and Josh has Swiss documentation allowing him to play in the country. The move ended up not panning out, but Jooris’s demotion could renew interest in the overseas club.

Snapshots: Bruins, Lightning, Senators

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News and notes from around the NHL this morning:

  • The Boston Bruins have called up two players from the AHL Providence Bruins this morning—forwards Noel Acciari and Danton Heinen—and sent down forward Anton Blidh, reports Mark Divver of the Providence Journal. Acciari has struggled so far with the big club, but was placed on IR after suffering a lower body injury. His demotion may have been a conditioning stint for the young forward to regain his legs before re-joining the Bruins. Heinen, however, had been sent down after failing to register a point with Boston this year. He turned it around in the AHL and racked up 13p (7G, 6A) in 13 games. Heinen skated with David Krejci and David Backes on the second line this morning while Acciari was on the fourth line with Dominic Moore and Tim Schaller.
  • Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will start tonight for the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Pittsburgh Penguins, reports Bryan Burns of Tampabaylightning.com. This will be Vasilevskiy’s 11th start this season, and the Russian netminder has made the most of his opportunities. His 2.27 GAA and .929 SV% are significantly better than starter Ben Bishop’s numbers, and Vasilevskiy could supplant Bishop in the starting role if things remain the same. More likely, however, is that the Lightning will platoon Bishop and Vasilevskiy until they find a trading partner for Bishop, who is a UFA at season’s end.
  • The Ottawa Senators are hoping that injured forward Curtis Lazar returns Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks. Lazar suffered a concussion last Monday against the Pittsburgh Penguins when Penguins forward Brian Dumoulin hit Lazar from behind. Lazar is skating with the Senators and the Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren expects him back in time for the Sens’ tilt with the Sharks. Lazar will have to work hard to overcome his early season slump, however, as he has failed to register a point so far this season.

Snapshots: Drouin, Fehr, Spengler Cup

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin is expected back in the lineup tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, reports Erik Eriendsson of LightningInsider.com. Drouin has been out since December 4th with an undisclosed injury. The young forward has had decent success this year, scoring 3G and 7A in 19 NHL games.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have scratched forward Eric Fehr for tonight’s game against the Florida Panthers, reports Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Fehr—a former 2003 first round draft pick—is off to a slow start this season with only 3G and 2A in 26 games for the Penguins. He has seen his ice time decrease in the past two games so his scratch should not come as a total surprise.
  • Canada’s Spengler Cup Entry—an invitational hockey tournament hosted by the Swiss HC Davos—will have former NHLer Luke Richardson behind the bench, reports TSN’s Lance Hornby. Richardson will be the head coach for the team featuring Canadian players currently playing in Europe. Canada will enter the tournament as the defending champions, so Richardson has a tall task ahead of him.

Bettman Clarifies NHL Position On Olympics

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NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke to media today following a Board of Governor’s meeting in Palm Beach, Florida. The Commissioner touched on Olympic participation, escrow payments, and the salary cap, but emphasized that no vote on Olympic participation was taken.

Concerning NHL participation at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, Bettman stated that the sentiment was increasing negative. Ever the lawyer, Bettman does not indicate whether the increasingly negative feelings towards participating represents a majority of owners, or only a (growing) minority. Olympic participation is a complex issue for NHL owners as they have to weigh increasing exposure to the sport at the expense of potentially losing one of their star players for the year.

Bettman also indicated that it is “ambiguous” whether skipping 2018 forecloses NHL participation in 2022. The 2022 Winter Games are in China, and the NHL would love to gain a foothold in the Chinese sports market. Participation in 2022 may tip the scales and give NHL owners a reason to send players to the 2018 Olympics if owners are sufficiently worried that they would not otherwise be able to do so.

Turning to the CBA and the salary cap, Bettman clarified that the NHL did not offer to send players to the 2018 Winter Olympics in exchange for the NHLPA to agree to a three-year CBA extension. Rather, CBA extension talk was tethered to a larger conversation about international play and included a potential 2020 World Cup. Bettman did address the NHLPA’s concern over high escrow payments, stating simply that lowering the cap would lower escrow payments. Relatedly, he also announced that while there is no official decision on any salary cap movement, he expects that it may rise by “a couple of million.“

Flyers Send Scott Laughton To Minors

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The Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have loaned center Scott Laughton to its AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The team recalled forward Taylor Leier from Lehigh Valley as a replacement.

Laughton played two games for the Flyers this season but failed to record a point in his short time with the team. The former first round draft pick—20th overall in 2012—made some progress last year with the team but could not find his game so far this season. In his eight AHL games, however, Laughton has 2G and 6P. Consider this a temporary loan and expect to see Laughton back in a Flyers’ jersey sooner rather than later.

His replacement Taylor Leier was also drafted by the Flyers in 2012 (117th overall) and is lighting up the AHL so far this season. His 6G and 14A in 22 games are good for 12th in AHL scoring. With Matt Read injured for the next few weeks, Leier will have ample opportunity to prove himself at the NHL level.

 

 

Snapshots: Coyotes, Penguins, Sabres, Chara

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Arizona Coyotes will give Brendan Perlini his first NHL start tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, reports Sarah McLellan of the AZCentral. The Coyotes selected Perlini 12th overall in the 2014 draft and the pick immediately paid dividends. Perlini is tearing up the AHL, scoring 11G and 5A in 16 games while tied for the league lead in goals. The Coyotes are struggling in the goal department—they are 28th in goals for—and hope that the young forward can spark the struggling offense.  To make room for Perlini both Anthony Duclair and Kevin Connauton are relegated to the pressbox.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have scratched forwards Tom Kuhnhackl, Jake Guentzel, and defenseman Steven Oleksy, reports Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Kuhnhackl has struggled this season, scoring only 1G and 3A in 18 games for the Penguins. His ice-time has decreased considerably and this is his second scratch in two games. Jake Guentzel has missed the past two games as a healthy scratch, and the team has cooled on him considerably since his electric debut on November 21st. The rookie scored two goals in his NHL debut, but has only posted 1G and 1A since.
  • The Buffalo Sabres are getting creative on their backend during a long injury drought. The team has Erik Burgdoerfer making his NHL debut after 480 minor league games, and Brendan Guhle on an emergency recall, reports the NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. Injuries are taking its toll on the basement-dwelling Sabres as they are missing Dmitry Kulikov (back), Zach Bogosian (knee), Josh Gorges (foot) and Taylor Fedun (shoulder).
  • Boston Bruins defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara returns to the team tonight after missing the last six games with a lower-body injury, reports Joe Haggerty of CSNNE. The Bruins went 3-2-1 without their veteran defenseman, and only surrendered 10 goals during that timeframe. There is worry within the fanbase that Chara is slowing down, and while he is still leading the team in playing time, that time is down almost three minutes from his 25+ minute average with Boston.

Coyotes Could Deal Anthony Duclair

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TSN’s Darren Dreger reported today that the Arizona Coyotes are open to dealing forward Anthony Duclair. The Coyotes are not shopping Duclair, says Dreger, but they would listen and consider the right offer.

Duclair burst onto the scene as a rookie last year, scoring 20G and 24A in 81 games. He has failed to pick up where he left off, however, and has only 1G and 3A in 20 games this season. Duclair is shooting at a drastically low 4% success rate—which should improve as time goes on—but this slow start is concerning for both the Coyotes and the potential trade market.

Despite Duclair’s struggles, the Coyotes will not sell low at the moment. Dreger stated that the Coyotes want a centerman in return, but a good centerman is a hot commodity in the NHL. If a team does move a centerman for Duclair, there’s a good chance that it is a team who will have trouble protecting all their most valuable players in the expansion draft.

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