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Devin Setoguchi Signs With Los Angeles Kings

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The Los Angeles Kings have signed Devin Setoguchi to a one-year, two-way deal worth $575K, reports LA Kings insider Jon Rosen. Both sides were rumored to be close to a deal last night, and finally came to agreement late today. Setoguchi initially signed a PTO with the Kings this offseason to try and re-establish himself in the NHL.

The signing is not necessarily permanent, but rather an extension of Setoguchi’s tryout. With forward Marian Gaborik out for at least eight weeks, the Kings needed an experienced stop-gap at a reduced rate. They have just over $2MM in cap space, and it is unclear whether they will place Gaborik on LTIR.

This signing gives Setoguchi a forum to impress. His last NHL season ended in disappointment as he failed to register a point in 12 games for the Calgary Flames in 2014-15. Setoguchi then signed with HC David of the Swiss League and scored 11G and 13A in 30 games. The forward has overcome battles with alcoholism and depression during his career, and looks to turn a new over a new leaf after being sober for almost two years. Setoguchi’s place with the Kings is similar to Theoren Fleury’s tryout with the Calgary Flames in 2009 before the Flame fan-favorite was released.

2016-17 Season Preview: New Jersey Devils

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With the start of the regular season two days away, we continue to look at each team’s off-season and preview the upcoming year. Today, we focus on the New Jersey Devils.

Last Season: 38-36-8 record (84 points), 7th in the Metropolitan Division.

Remaining Cap Space: $11.4MM per CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: C Vernon Fiddler (UFA, Dallas), LW Taylor Hall (trade, Edmonton), RW Beau Bennett (trade, Pittsburgh), D Kyle Quincey (UFA, Detroit), D Ben Lovejoy (UFA, Pittsburgh).

Key Departures: D Adam Larsson (trade, Edmonton), D David Schlemko (UFA, San Jose), RW Jordin Tootoo (UFA, Chicago), Patrik Elias (UFA, unsigned).

[Related: New Jersey Devils Depth Chart at Roster Resource]

Players To Watch: Taylor Hall. The Devils made waves this summer by trading defenseman Adam Larsson to the Edmonton Oilers for former number one pick Taylor Hall. Hall is an elite talent, scoring 132G and 196A in 381 NHL games for the Oilers, and he looks to continue to do that in New Jersey. The trade reflects more on the Oilers’ need for a team shakeup rather than a comment on Hall’s skill, so the Devils did not purchase damaged goods. In fact, most hockey pundits view this trade as a steal for New Jersey.

Hall was blindsided by the move, but has quickly acclimated himself to his new team, reported Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. He’ll immediately become the Devil’s top line threat alongside Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri. The Devils suffered down the stretch last season after Mike Cammalleri went down with a wrist injury, and went out and acquired more offensive help.

Key Storyline: Scoring. Namely, can the Devils score? The team finished last in goals scored last year (184) in large part because of injuries to aging Patrik Elias and the oft-injured Mike Cammalleri. Kyle Palmieri emerged as the team’s bright spot, potting 30 goals for the first time in his career, and the Devils will need him to continue his newfound offensive prowess if they expect to challenge for a playoff spot. The team also brought in Taylor Hall to boost its anemic offense and his goal-scoring touch should propel the Devils from the bottom of the offensive heap.

 

Ondrej Pavelec Placed On Waivers

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Winnipeg Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec was placed on waivers today, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The move was first rumored by the Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe. The move comes as a surprise, but will open the door for goalies Michael Hutchinson and Connor Hellebuyck to grab the starter’s role. Pavelec will have to report to the Manitoba Moose of the AHL.

Pavelec did not have an impressive year last season, posting a .904SV% and a 2.84GAA. He was outplayed by Hellebuyck and on par with Hutchinson. The Czech goalie has struggled to establish himself as a starter throughout his career. Aside from 2014-15 where he posted a .920SV% and a 2.28GAA, his numbers have consistently been among the worst of the NHL’s top 30 starting goalies. Winnipeg likely got tired of his inconsistency and decided to go with younger talent.

Pavelec is in his final year of a $3.9MM contract. It is unclear whether a team is willing to take on that salary at the moment, but early injuries could force a GMs hand. By sending Pavelec down, the Jets saved around $300K in cap space—not that it matters much, as Winnipeg had $9MM freed up before the move.

Training Camp Cuts And Waiver Wire Placements: 10/10/16

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Keeping track of all the training camp cuts and waiver placements today before tomorrow’s NHL 23-man roster deadline.

Anaheim Ducks
F Michael Sgarbossa (waivers -> San Diego Gulls, AHL)

Arizona Coyotes
D Zbynek Michalek (waivers -> Tuscon Roadrunners, AHL)
 D Klas Dahlbeck (waivers -> Tuscon Roadrunners, AHL)

Boston Bruins
RW Tyler Randell (waivers -> Providence Bruins, AHL)
RW Seth Griffith (waivers -> Providence Bruins, AHL)
C Tim Schaller (waivers -> Providence Bruins, AHL)
D Christian Ehrhoff (released from PTO)

Buffalo Sabres
D Justin Falk (waivers -> Rochester Americans, AHL)

Calgary Flames
F Brandon Bollig (waivers -> Stockton Heat, AHL)
F Chris Higgins (released from PTO)

Chicago Blackhawks
F Alexandre Fortin (returned to Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL)
F Brandon Mashinter (waivers -> Rockford Ice Hogs, AHL)
F Mark McNeill (waivers -> Rockford Ice Hogs, AHL)
G Ivan Nalimov (returned to Vladivostok Admiral, KHL)

Colorado Avalanche
D Duncan Siemens (assigned to San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
F Gabriel Bourque (waivers -> San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
F Michael Sislo (waivers -> San Antonio Rampage, AHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets
C Gregory Campbell (waivers -> Cleveland Monsters, AHL)

Dallas Stars
D Mattias Backman (waivers -> Texas Stars, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings
F Teemu Pulkkinen (waivers -> Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL)
F Ben Street (waivers -> Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL)

Edmonton Oilers
F Anton Lander (waivers -> Bakersfield Condors, AHL)

Florida Panthers
F Paul Thompson (waivers -> Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL)

Los Angeles Kings
D Rob Scuderi (waivers -> Ontario Reign, AHL)
C Michael Latta (waivers -> Ontario Reign, AHL)

Minnesota Wild
G Alex Stalock (waivers -> Iowa Wild, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens
F Michael McCarron (assigned to St. John’s Ice Caps, AHL)
G Mike Condon (waivers -> St. John’s Ice Caps, AHL)

New York Islanders
F P.A. Parenteau (waivers -> Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL)

New Jersey Devils
G Scott Wedgewood (waivers -> Albany Devils, AHL)

Ottawa Senators
F Fredrik Claesson (waivers -> Binghamton Senators, AHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning
RW Erik Condra (waivers -> Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
LW Cory Conacher (waivers -> Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
RW Joel Vermin (waivers -> Syracuse Crunch, AHL)

Washington Capitals
D Aaron Ness (waivers -> Hershey Bears, AHL)
F Zach Sill (waivers -> Hershey Bears, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets
F Andrew Copp (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Marko Dano (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Chase De Leo (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Anthony Peluso (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Nic Petan (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
D Julian Melchiori (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
D Brian Strait (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
G Ondrej Pavelec (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)

Lauri Korpikoski Signs With Dallas Stars

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The Dallas Stars signed forward Lauri Korpikoski to a one-year, $1MM deal. The signing was first rumored by reports from the Dallas Morning New’s Mike Heika. Korpikoski signed a PTO with the Calgary Flames earlier this pre-season, but was released yesterday to pursue other professional opportunities.

Korpikoski spent most of his NHL career with the Arizona Coyotes, scoring 78G and 103A in 540 NHL games. Last season he played with the Edmonton Oilers where he racked up 10G and 12A in 71 games. It was a disappointing campaign for the speedy winger and former first round draft pick.

Dallas has just under $5MM in cap space after signing Korpikoski, and will probably fit him in on third-line duties with the potential to jump up in case of injury. He’s a speedy forward brought in to a speedy team, and could provide valuable depth for an aging top-6 forward corps. Jason Spezza, Jiri Hudler, Ales Hemsky, and Patrick Sharp are all over 32 years old and would be expected to miss games for various ailments. The Stars are already feeling the injury crunch from the World Cup of Hockey as Hemsky is nursing a groin injury and Tyler Seguin recovers from a hairline fracture in his heel.

 

Yakupov Traded to St. Louis Blues

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Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos and John Shannon confirm that Nail Yakupov has been traded to the St. Louis Blues for prospect Zach Pochiro and a conditional 2017 3rd round pick. Both Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson and Blues beatwriter Jeremy Rutherford reported earlier this evening that the St. Louis Blues were the front-runners for Edmonton Oilers’ much-maligned prospect.

The former first overall pick has not lived up to expectations in Edmonton, scoring only 50G and 61A in 252 career games. Last season was his worst statistically as he scored only 8G and 15A in 60 games. Yakupov is a RFA next summer as he plays out the final year of his $2.5MM a year contract. The move gives Edmonton over $11MM in cap space. Conversely, the Blues will only have just under $1.5MM in cap space after this trade.

The conditional 3rd rounder will become a 2nd in 2018 if Yakupov scored at least 15 goals, reports John Shannon. Forward Zach Pochiro, the prospect acquired by Edmonton, spent most of last season in the ECHL. He scored 9G and 17A in 44 games for the Quad City Mallards.

Yakupov was linked to the Chicago Blackhawks yesterday, and TSN’s Bob MacKenzie reported that Yakupov requested a trade. The Blues were not publically tied to Yakupov trade talks this offseason.

 

Snapshots: Sergachev, Key NHL Dates, Blackhawks

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News and notes from around the NHL this afternoom:

  • The Montreal Canadiens are keeping 2016 1st round pick Mikhail Sergachev around for at least nine games, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie. Sergachev was drafted 9th overall this summer and has become a defensive prospect to watch over the course of the pre-season. He spent last year with the OHL Windsor Spitfires and scored 17G and 40A in 67 games—and an additional 2G and 3A in five playoff games. While it is likely that the Canadiens send Sergachev back to Windsor after nine games, an impressive performance could garner a longer look. The Canadiens have also decided to keep F Artturi Lehkonen. Last season Lehkonen scored 16G and 17A in 49 games for Frolunda HC of the SHL.
  • Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot outlines some key dates to pay attention to during the NHL season. General Managers will meet in Toronto on November 15th. December 1st is the signing deadline for Group 2 Free Agents (most but not all RFAs). The NHL trade deadline is set for March 1st. Finally, the NHL GMs will meet again in Boca Raton from March 6-8.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have called up both D Viktor Svedberg and D Ville Pokka for its final preseason game tonight. Both did not make the big club out of camp, so this move is to either provide rest to Chicago’s starters, or as a trade showcase. Svedberg is a towering defensemen, measuring 6’8″ and weighing 238lbs. He scored 1G and 14A in 40 games for the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs last year. Pokka had more success in Rockford last year, scoring 10G and 35A in 76 games. He played on Finland’s World Cup team this year but failed register a point. Chicago is rumored to be asking about Edmonton Oilers’ Nail Yakupov, and any unexpected call-ups could point to a potential trade situation.

2016-17 Season Preview: Buffalo Sabres

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With the start of the regular season less than a week away, we continue to look at each team’s offseason and preview the upcoming year. Today, we focus on the Buffalo Sabres.

Last Season: 35-36-11 record (81 points), 7th in the Atlantic Division.

Remaining Cap Space: $7.6MM per CapFriendly

Key Newcomers: RW Kyle Okposo (UFA, NY Islanders), D Dmitry Kulikov (trade, Florida), G Anders Nilsson (trade, St. Louis)

Key Departures: C David Legwand (UFA), Carlo Colaiacovo (UFA), G Chad Johnson (UFA, Calgary)

[Related: Sabres Depth Chart from Roster Resource]

Players To Watch: C Jack Eichel – Last year’s 2nd overall draft pick lived up to expectations by potting 24G and 32A in 81 games. The Sabres are hoping that Eichel does not suffer from the dreaded sophomore jinx, but the young center’s World Cup performance has to make Buffalo nervous. While he managed 1G and 1A in three games, he did not display the elite playmaking he was known for last year. He’ll be expected to carry a bigger load this season, and those expectations could have a detrimental effect on a young player.

Buffalo will need Eichel to improve upon his rookie season if they hope to challenge for a playoff spot this season. He’ll most likely center the second line as Ryan O’Reilly will take first line duties. As the 2nd overall pick, Eichel will also be constantly compared to Connor McDavid, the same way former Sabres David Legwand was compared to Vincent Lecavalier throughout his career. He’ll have to handle more scrutiny than any other Sabre, despite his young age.

RW Kyle Okposo – Kyle Okposo was the Sabres’ prize free agent signing this summer, inking a seven-year, $6MM a year contract. This is an opportunity for Okposo to escape John Tavares’s shadow, and silence critics who consider him solely a beneficiary of Tavares’s skill. Last year Okposo racked up 22G and 42A in 79 games, and another 2G and 6A in 11 playoff games. He’s scored more than 50 points in each of the last three years, so he should produce even if he doesn’t wow. Playing with Eichel, O’Reilly, and Evander Kane, however, may be enough to treat fans to some world-class highlights.

Key Storyline: The Buffalo Sabres are poised to break free from their rebuild and reap the benefits of prospect development. Last season saw a 27 point jump in the standings, a welcome sign after years of bottom-dwelling. Despite the improvement, however, the Sabres face the toughest part of any rebuild: the shift to a competitive team. This next step stymies rebuilding teams all the time because drafting elite talent with lottery picks is easy—constructing a competitive cap-compliant team and surrounding them with skilled veterans is much more difficult.

A playoff spot may not be attainable yet, but they have to be in the mix until the end for this upcoming season to feel like progress. Anything less would be a setback. Luckily, the Sabres have made strides to improve. They brought in the hottest free agent this year in Kyle Okposo, and traded for an above-average defenseman in Dmitry Kulikov. Couple that with a healthy Robin Lehner and you should see an improved Sabres squad. It may not be enough to challenge in the Atlantic Division, but it will makes things a lot closer than last season.

 

Snapshots: Korpisalo, Russell, Downie

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo will be out for at least four weeks after suffering a groin injury Tuesday, reports the Columbus Dispatch’s Tom Reed. Korpisalo was favored by many to backup Sergei Bobrovsky this season, but the preseason injury opens up that spot to Anton Forsberg or Curtis McElhinney. Korpisalo had a terrific debut last season, earning a 2.60GAA and .920Sv% in 31 games for the Blue Jackets. He’ll likely have the backup job when he returns.
  • The Ottawa Senators are reportedly out of the Kris Russell sweepstakes. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reported that Sens GM Pierre Dorian is set with his eight defenseman and implied that they will not seek additional help via free agency. Russell still remains a free agent after failing to find a deal in the off-season. Time is ticking for the shot-blocking defenseman to find a home before the regular season begins. Russell is arguably the best UFA remaining, but with rosters all but finalized it will be hard for him to find a team willing to come close to his demands. Four teams are reportedly still in the mix, according to TheScore’s Cory Wilkins, but it is not known what offers are on the table.
  • Steve Downie, another unsigned UFA, is mulling over an offer to play in the KHL, per his agent (via SportsNet). Downie last played with the Arizona Coyotes, scoring 3G and 3A in 26 games. He had some success two seasons ago with the Pittsburgh Penguins—scoring 14G and 14A in 72 games—but could never duplicate his 2009-10 season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. That year he scored 22G and 24P in 79 games while racking up over 200 penalty minutes. Discipline issues have dogged Downie his entire career, however, which may explain NHL GMs’ reluctance to sign him.

Gaborik Formally Moved To Injured Reserve

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The Los Angeles Kings formally put injured forward Marian Gaborik on injured reserve today. Gaborik broke his right foot during the World Cup of Hockey after taking a shot from teammate Mats Zuccarello.

Initial reports say that Gaborik will miss at least eight weeks, putting his return to sometime in late November. Despite the loss, however, the Kings are still poised to be competitive in the Pacific. Gaborik did score 12G and 10A in 54 games, but the offense was carried by Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, and Tyler Toffoli. Gaborik ended up averaging less than 15 minutes a night during the regular season.

Gaborik is quickly becoming an injury concern for the Kings, deservedly or not. He finished the regular season last year in the press box recovering from a knee sprain that sidelined him for 28 games. He made a quick appearance in the playoffs before the Kings bowed out in the first round. More alarming, however, is that Gaborik has only played a full 82 games once in his 15 year career. The Kings will have to learn to live with Gaborik’s injury history as he still has five year remaining on his contract worth $4.875MM a year.

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