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Florida Panthers To Sign Logan Hutsko To Entry-Level Contract

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Mar 1: The Panthers had to wait until March to officially announce the deal because the two-year, entry-level contract will begin in the 2021-22 season. Panthers GM Bill Zito released a short statement on him:

Throughout Logan’s collegiate career, he displayed unmatched determination and character. He possesses a dynamic level of skill, coupled with great pace and compete. We are excited for Logan’s future and look forward to his continued development in our organization.

Feb 11: Logan Hutsko’s season came to a surprising end this week after it was reported that a lingering ankle injury would keep him out for the remainder of the campaign. A senior at Boston College, Hutsko had the option to return for a fifth season due to the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility to current athletes. He also could have waited until August to become an unrestricted free agent and sign with any NHL team. Instead, he will do neither. The Panthers prospect has committed to the team that drafted him, as TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that Hutsko has agreed to terms on an entry-level contract with Florida.

Hutsko, a Florida native, is a quality addition to the pipeline for the Panthers. The 22-year-old has been a top contributor at Boston College in each of his four years. In fact, it was Hutsko’s near point-per-game freshman season that got him selected by Florida in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft. Were it not for injuries, he likely would have been selected even higher. While Hutsko has had some durability issues throughout his young career, he has still managed to record 101 points in 114 games as a top scorer for one of the top programs in the nation.

A product of Shattuck St. Mary’s, the U.S. National Team Development Program, and the historic Boston College program, Hutsko has had an elite developmental path and the result is a polished prospect. While his skill and skating may not be first class, his hockey IQ and work ethic certainly are. With a mature game and the versatility to play center or right wing, Hutsko should have the opportunity to push for a role in Florida sooner rather than later. As long as he can stay healthy, Hutsko may even find a permanent place in the Panthers lineup in no time.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/27/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Though today’s list release was delayed, here are the awaited results:

Arizona – John Hayden*
NY Rangers – Kaapo Kakko
Ottawa – Ryan Dzingel
Philadelphia – Travis Konecny
San Jose – Tomas Hertl

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: None

Unfortunately, the new addition to CPRA list today is a familiar name. Coyotes forward Hayden had previously been on the list earlier this season and now makes his return. Hayden was made a healthy scratch last night and Arizona made a roster addition earlier, seemingly without an open spot, so this move explains the situation.

There were no players removed from the list today, but with Dzingel only on the list as a post-trade quarantine formality and Konecny expected to be removed in the next day or two with a negative test following his required two-week absence, the league is still in a good place, especially compared to their status a few short weeks ago.

WHL Notes: NHL Loans, Guenther, Knak

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The Western Hockey League is finally back in action. Nearly a year since the top junior league canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the WHL has returned to play. The league announced a 24-game season back in early January with a to-be-determined late-February start date and that date was Friday, as four Central Division teams matched up. As one might expect, the re-opening of the WHL has a number of previously displaced players rushing back to their respective teams. Below are the signed NHL prospects who had been playing in the AHL that have been officially reassigned to the WHL:

Adam Beckman, Minnesota Wild –> Spokane Chiefs
Gianni Fairbrother, Montreal Canadiens –> Everett Silvertips
Kaiden Guhle, Montreal Canadiens –> Prince Albert Raiders
Ridly Greig, Ottawa Senators –> Brandon Wheat Kings
Ozzy Wiesblatt, San Jose Sharks –> Prince Albert Raiders
Tristen Robins, San Jose Sharks –> Saskatoon Blades

  • The WHL season may only be one day old, but the league’s leading scorer is a name to know. Dylan Guenther, a consensus top-ten prospect in the 2021 NHL Draft, started his campaign with the Edmonton Oil Kings with a pair of goals and a pair of assists to take the WHL’s top scoring spot. Guenther is one of the greatest beneficiaries of the WHL’s return, however brief, if the NHL does not postpone the 2021 draft. The top prospect was facing the possibility of missing out on his entire draft year, having only played in four games in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. While many CHL players jumped to the USHL this season, Guenther held out hope that the WHL would return and is now rewarded with 24 games to show what he can do. Likely a top-ten pick either way, the lack of certainty in this NHL draft class will now allow Guenther to fight his way into the top-five and potentially even to the top overall spot with an elite performance. A supremely skilled scoring winger, Guenther is the biggest name to watch in the WHL’s shortened season.
  • Another name to watch is Swiss forward Simon Knak. Despite some expectation that he would be selected last year in his first NHL Draft go-round, Knak slipped through the cracks. That was despite finding success in his first season in North America, recording 34 points in 49 games for the Portland Winterhawks. However, the draft dream is still alive. Knak has spent this season back home in Switzerland, suiting up for powerhouse HC Davos at the top level of the Swiss National League. He held his own too, recording eight points in 25 games in his first pro experience. Knack very easily could have stayed in Davos and continued his pro career. However, possibly inspired by his recent success as well as a strong run as captain of Switzerland’s U-20 team, Knak has decided to stay true to his plans and head back to Portland. Davos announced that Knak has been recalled from his loan and is returning to the WHL, hoping to catch the eye of NHL scouts by playing a top role for the Winterhawks. The question is whether he can do enough in a shortened season to earn a selection as an overage pick.

Injury Notes: Blues, Kuznetsov, Larkin

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As the St. Louis Blues embark on a six-game road trip, they are leaving many of their top players behind. While Vladimir Tarasenko appears ready to be activated from the Long-Term Injured Reserve, many other Blues are not as lucky. Alex Steen and Carl Gunnarsson are out for the year, placed on LTIR, while Tyler Bozak, Ivan Barbashev, and Robert Thomas all remain sidelined on standard IR, and you can now add two more to the lengthy list of absences, as Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Colton Parayko and Jaden Schwartz also did not travel with the team. Due to the length of the trip, this implies that both are currently dealing with substantial injuries and will not be recovered within the next two weeks. This aligns with a recent report from The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford that suggest Parayko had been playing through a back injury but simply could not keep going, especially as his performance suffered. Surgery is a potential option for Parayko, but for now he is being given substantial rest and rehab in hopes that it can be avoided. Schwartz remains more unknown, only termed day-to-day thus far, but clearly his injury is more of the “week-to-week” variety. The Blues will have to hope for the best from their top options and trust their depth, as a long bout of the injury bug can be especially debilitating in a shortened season.

  • In some surprising news from earlier, Evgeny Kuznetsov was ruled out for the Washington Capitals’ Saturday matinee match-up. Kuznetsov has been diagnosed with an undisclosed upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day, but it is unknown when and how the injury occurred. According to The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir, Kuznetsov was a full participant in practice on Friday, even getting in some early solo work. There is no word on if he will be available to the Capitals tomorrow for their re-match with the New Jersey Devils.
  • The Detroit Red Wings will be without their captain and leading scorer this weekend, the team announced. Dylan Larkin has been ruled out for Saturday and Sunday meetings with the rival Chicago Blackhawks and is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. With Tyler Bertuzzi still sidelined as well, the league’s second-lowest scoring teams loses another major name from its short list of weapons.

Anaheim, Vancouver Discussing Jake Virtanen Trade

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Normally Pacific Division rivals, the Anaheim Ducks and Vancouver Canucks are nevertheless discussing a trade that would send underperforming young forward Jake Virtanen further down the Pacific coast. According to multiple sources, the two teams continue to negotiate what the exchange of packages may look like. A flurry of information over the past hour or two implies that talks are very much still ongoing and public nature of the trade discussion is often a strong indicator that a deal of some sort will get done. However, The Athletic’s Thomas Drance writes that while the Canucks and Ducks are “grinding away”, a deal is not imminent for now.

Virtanen’s name as the headliner of this trade should come as no surprise. He has been one of the most verified members of the trade block this season, with whispers of Vancouver’s impatience with his lack of production dating back to last season. It’s difficult to blame the Cancucks for being upset with Virtanen to the point of wanting to move on; the 24-year-old was the sixth overall pick in 2014 and plays with the size and skill to be a dynamic power forward. Virtanen was seen as one of the safest bets in his draft class, yet six years later has shown too much floor and not enough ceiling. Although 2019-20 marked a career year for Virtanen with new highs in goals and points, it still only amounted to 18 goals and 36 points whilst his checking game diminished. After earning 55 NHL games as a rookie in 2015-16, the Canucks’ first sign that Virtanen’s effort and reliability may become a question came the following season, when he only played in ten NHL games and spent the rest of the season producing pedestrian numbers in the AHL. At the top level ever since, Virtanen has only managed 20 points, 25 points, and the aforementioned 36 points in his first three full NHL seasons.

The final straw for GM Jim Benning and company has been Virtanen’s play so far this season. The obviously talented forward has failed to meet expectations before, but this time the disparity is too great. Virtanen has just one point in 19 games despite ample opportunity early on in the campaign. As a result, Virtanen has now been relegated to a fourth line role, a poor fit for a player of his offensive ability but who also too frequently plays without energy. Unable to motivate their young forward and without a fit in the lineup, Vancouver is looking to move on.

The Ducks make sense as a partner in a Virtanen trade for many reason. Anaheim’s roster, though it includes a number of established veterans, is largely in a rebuild. The team has acquired a large group of young pro options and are in the process of evaluating who they do and do not want to build around as their new core. Unfortunately, veterans and youngsters alike have been underperforming in Anaheim, last year and early this season. The Ducks are understandably willing to take on a high-upside risk in Virtanen given that they have scoring opportunity to spare in their ever-changing lineup and are looking for top talent to build around.

There are a number of potential underachieving young forwards who could be off to Vancouver in exchange, but it seems that one name in particular has emerged as a definite inclusion. Both The Athletic’s Rick Dhaliwal (link) and Sportsnet’s Nick Alberga (link) report that forward Danton Heinen is expected to be moving to Vancouver in the potential trade. A fellow member of the 2014 draft class, though as an unheralded fourth-rounder of the Boston Bruins, Heinen has nonetheless found slightly more success than Virtanen. However, his numbers are trending in the wrong direction. After a 47-point rookie season in 2017-18, Heinen fell to 34 points the next year and ultimately fell out of favor in Boston last season, dealt to Anaheim for Nick Ritchie at the trade deadline. Heinen has recorded 10 points in 26 games across two seasons so far for Anaheim – a 32-point full-season pace – indicating that his scoring may not jump back up to near-50 and beyond with the Ducks either. Vancouver appears willing to take the chance on the British Columbia native though, perhaps with some added insight from former Bruins executive Benning. Whether or not he fits the description of the “young forward” that the club has been hunting for depends on your definition of the word.

Of course, if this was a simple one-for-one deal, it would be done by now. According to multiple sources, both players seem to be aware that they are included in the potential trade, but work still needs to be done on the additional pieces. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that balancing the books may be part of the problem, though Virtanen carries a $2.55MM cap hit this year (and next) while Heinen sits at $2.8MM, so there is not much an impactful discrepancy, even for two cap-strapped clubs. Drance notes that Vancouver was insistent on getting current value back for Virtanen, rather than just a pick or prospect to dump his salary, but Anaheim may be looking for more as a result of giving up a roster asset and taking on an additional contract year. Regardless of the reason for the deal not being completed, the two sides appear close and continue to talk. Stay tuned for more.

AHL Announces Full 2020-21 Schedule For Canadian Clubs

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Over a month since the AHL released the regular season schedules for its American teams and more than three weeks since those same teams started playing, the league has finally announced a full season schedule for its Canadian contingent. Of course, the clubs already began play over the course of the past week, but were operating on a limited schedule of just a few games. They now have a full slate to look forward to.

Like their American counterparts, the Canadian teams will all wrap up their regular seasons in mid-May. While the previously-released schedule ended on May 14, this new schedule has games up through May 16. Unlike the American teams, the Canadian clubs will all play the same amount of games. Though home and away splits differ, the Belleville Senators, Laval Rocket, Manitoba Moose, and Toronto Marlies will each play 36 games apiece.

The exception to all of this is the odd duck team of this AHL season: the Stockton Heat, an American team displaced for this year by a move to Calgary, the home of their parent club. The Heat, who were the final Canadian team to get started this season, will play a much different slate than any other team in the league due to their location away from American competition but also far from their fellow Canadian teams. “Stockton” will only play 30 games, broken up into long road trips and home stands. Their regular season schedule will also come to an end on April 29, more than two weeks before the rest of the league. The Calgary Flames knew there would be negative repercussions for relocating their farm team just before the season started, but felt the transactional benefits for the NHL club outweighed the limitations to their AHL club.

Minor Transactions: 02/23/21

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During a year in which there is a unique and unprecedented mix of leagues at different points in their respective seasons, there are always moves to be made. While the NHL has seen internal transactions made at a newfound rapid pace this season, there continue to be other notable moves made across the hockey world every day. Keep up with those transactions here:

  • While most European leagues are nearing the ends of their regular seasons, Germany’s DEL started up around the same time as the NHL and are less than 20 games into their campaign. With plenty of hockey left to play, teams are still scouring for talent. This has allowed former NHLer Simon Despres to find a home this season. Despres, 29, had a promising NHL career derailed by injury and, other than a brief AHL comeback attempt early in the 2018-19 season, has spent the past three seasons in Europe. He has found moderate success overseas and had his best season last year with Sweden’s IK Oskarshamn. Now, he is returning to Germany for a second stint, as Eisbaren Berlin has announced a contract with Despres for the remainder of the season. Despres has a great chance to play a key role in a long season for Berlin, who currently sit in second place in the DEL and have the scoring depth and goaltending to contend for a title. The team has not received much production from its defense thus far, but that is where Despres can step in and be a difference-maker.
  • It has been a whirlwind couple of days for former RIT standout Adam Brubacher. The defenseman was released from his AHL contract with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, only to immediately land a PTO with the Manitoba Moose, per a team release. While RIT nor their conference, Atlantic Hockey, are among the elite in the NCAA, Brubacher’s accomplishments over the past four years remain impressive. A member of an all-conference team in three of his four seasons and Atlantic Hockey’s Rookie of the Year in 2016-17, Brubacher was among the most productive defensemen in the NCAA over his collegiate career with 106 point in 148 games. While he was released by Bridgeport before ever playing a game, if he is given an opportunity by Manitoba to show that his ability translates to the pros, he could become a nice piece on the back end for the club.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Wyatt Schingoethe has made his college commitment. The 18-year-old center has announced that he will join Western Michigan University next season. A seventh-round pick in 2020, Schingoethe has excelled down the middle for the USHL’s Waterloo Blackhawks over the past few years, playing a fast and aggressive high-energy style that produces points, turnovers, and defensive support. While draft rankings differ greatly further into the draft, there were at least some sources that expected Schingoethe to go a round or two earlier than he did. He hopes to begin showing that he is a legitimate prospect for the Leafs when he arrives at WMU next year. The Broncos are a strong program, but currently count Philadelphia’s Ronnie Attard as their only NHL prospect. Schingoethe will be a major boost.

Vegas Owner Bill Foley: Marc-Andre Fleury Trade “Never Close”

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Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury was the topic of many trade rumors this off-season. The veteran was coming off a disappointing season and a second straight year of decline in his third season with Vegas, which at 36 years old was cause for alarm. Not only that, but his $7MM cap hit was also causing problems for a team right up against the salary cap who had just re-signed Robin Lehner to a $25MM extension with the intent that he was to be the starter. It was easy to understand why the Knights might have considered moving Fleury this off-season, but it seems a deal was always unlikely to occur. Speaking with Fox Sports’ Andy Strickland and former NHLer Cam Janssen on their “Cam and Strick Podcast”, Vegas owner Bill Foley stated that Fleury “never came really close to being part of a deal”, and for a number of reasons.

While Foley himself admitted that Fleury’s contract was part of the reason that Vegas’ salary cap was “fouled up”, eventually forcing the likes of Paul Stastny and Nate Schmidt to be traded for pennies on the dollar, he accounts for Fleury remaining with the Golden Knights as being about much more than an immovable contract. Foley does note that there were trade talks including Fleury, but the offers “didn’t make sense.” This is likely referring to any interesting teams also wanting the Knights to add additional sweeteners to any deal in which they acquired an aging goaltender with poor numbers and two years and $14MM remaining on his contract. However, Vegas still valued Fleury as a number one goalie according to Foley, which explains why they didn’t agree with the idea of losing additional assets to move him. At the end of the day, Foley claims that he and the team always wanted two number one goalies and were happy to stick with Fleury and Lehner rather than trade the former in a deal they didn’t like, even if it meant losing valuable players elsewhere in the lineup.

While it seemed like a strange decision in many ways at the time, Vegas is now reaping the benefits. With Lehner slowed by injuries, Fleury had to reclaim the starter’s job and has excelled in the role. He has seen a resurgence of epic proportions this season, currently leading the NHL with a .942 save percentage and 1.55 GAA while picking up eight wins in eleven starts. Without Fleury, the West Division-leading Golden Knights may be having a very different season thus far. His formerly frustrating cap hit is now well worth it as the team looks like a Cup contender even with their intended starter still limited.

As for the future, Foley’s comments imply that if Fleury was ever even truly available, he certainly isn’t now. Discussing this past off-season, Foley stated that any trade involving Fleury would have required the owner’s approval and he would not have taken it lightly. He also recalled a story from early in Vegas’ inaugural season, in which he promised Fleury that he would retire a Golden Knight. Now that Fleury has rewarded his owner’s faith in him this season, it seems more likely than not that the veteran will play out the final year of his contract in Vegas next season rather than being traded away while his stock is high. (Barring yet another Expansion selection, that is.) It’s fair to assume that any potential Fleury trades would still need to be approved by Foley moving forward, and it’s very doubtful now more than ever that the owner would move the player he calls the “face of the franchise.”

Bruce Boudreau Expresses Interest In Seattle’s Head Coach Vacancy

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It should be assumed that any free agent head coach with NHL experience will have interest in taking over the reigns of the league’s newest team next season. The Seattle Kraken have yet to name their inaugural head coach, but the team has surely begun the process of vetting candidates. However, there have been no potential names made public, at least until now. Long-time NHL coach Bruce Boudreau has officially thrown his hat in the ring, telling The Athletic’s Ryan Clark that he is “extremely interested” in the position:

The thing about that job is it would be great to start with a team that is starting fresh and to be the builder of something. I think that is a real exciting thing… It is not like an expansion team in 1967. You knew then you were not going to be very good or have the dregs of every team. The way they have gone about it now, Seattle is going to start off with a pretty good team.

Who knows if the call will ever come? I don’t want to get the call and say I am not ready and I don’t know what I would do and I don’t want to feel that way. This is the only thing I have ever known my whole life… If someone offers you a job, it is an amazing thing.

As Boudreau notes, he has not formally contacted Seattle yet, nor has anyone formally reached out to him. GM Ron Francis has previously stated that the club will not rush to name a head coach and by all accounts have not interviewed any candidates to this point. However, the odds are that Boudreau has at least had some contact with the team. The veteran coach has previously worked with Kraken owner Tod Leiweke, as well as other members of the front office. He also stands out as one of the top available names and is likely a seriously candidate for the position, even if only being discussed behind closed doors.

Boudreau, 66, was most recently in the NHL just last season, fired mid-season by the Minnesota Wild in his fourth year with the franchise. Boudreau has more than a decade of experience as an NHL head coach, previously leading the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks as well. Prior to that, he coached for many years and found great success in the minors. Among his career accolades are a Jack Adams Award, a number of NHL playoff appearances, and championships in the AHL and ECHL. If the Kraken decide to go for the most experienced candidate as their inaugural head coach, few can rival Boudreau.

Jacob Markstrom, Frederik Andersen Scratched Late Due To Injury

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Monday night’s match-up between the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs has not one but two unexpected twists, both revealed in the hour leading up to puck-drop. The Flames first announced that starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom would not dress tonight and is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Minutes later, the Maple Leafs announced that their own starter, Frederik Andersen, also would not dress due to an undisclosed lower-body injury. It is not clear at this time how or when either injury was sustained.

In the long-term, the loss of Markstrom, possibly for multiple games, is the bigger story. A talented Flames roster has underachieved so far this season and are currently outside of the playoff picture. In a competitive North Division, Calgary is relying on major free agent acquisition Markstrom to help them battle back into postseason position. For the time being though, they will have to lean on incumbent David Rittich who has been serviceable in the past but is a notable downgrade from Markstrom. The team also used an emergency recall to add Artyom Zagidulin to the roster to dress as the backup tonight and possibly longer. The former KHL standout has a chance to make his NHL debut if his stay in Calgary is extended.

In the short-term though, the loss of yet another goalie in the Toronto organization is a major concern, especially if Andersen misses multiple games. The Leafs sit comfortably atop the division and can rely on the experienced Michael Hutchinson for a while. However, Hutchinson began the season as the Leafs’ fourth-string goalie. It has taken the waiver departure of Aaron Dell and injuries to Jack Campbell and now Andersen to boost Hutchison to the interim starter role. Behind him, untested Joseph Woll has been recalled to dress as backup and was the only choice, as the only other pro goalie under contract – Ian Scott – is also injured. The Leafs are an extended absence for Andersen or another injury in goal away from having to acquire another net minder.

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