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Cale Makar Named 2020 Calder Trophy Winner

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The NHL Awards kicked off with the presentation of the Calder Memorial Trophy, awarded each year to the first-year player judged to be the best of the rookie class. This year, the award went to Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, as voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association. Makar beat out fellow defenseman Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks forward Dominik Kubalik.

While Kubalik was indeed a finalist for the Calder, this was a two-horse race between Makar and Hughes as expected. The PHWA voting revealed that only the New York Rangers’ Adam Fox received a first-place vote besides Makar and Hughes (and he received only one) while just five second-place votes were cast outside of the duo. At the end of the day, Makar did not receive any votes that were not first- or second-place and earned more than double the number of first-place votes as his Canucks counterpart. That was more than enough for the Colorado wunderkind to take home the Calder.

Makar, 21, has received a major hockey award for the second year in a row after he was named the Hobey Baker Award winner last year as the best player in NCAA college hockey. Just as Makar took the University of Massachusetts to the NCAA Championship game last year, he helped the Avalanche to a top-five record in the regular season and to the semifinals in the Western Conference. A dynamic puck-moving defenseman who recorded 50 points in 57 games as a first-year pro, all while logging big minutes for a rookie, Makar has the makings of a superstar in the NHL and could be back in awards contention sooner rather than later as a Norris Trophy candidate.

Coyotes Listening To Offers For Oliver Ekman-Larsson

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With the NHL off-season right around the corner and several notable trades having already occurred in recent weeks, the trade winds are blowing around the league. One of the more intriguing players who may be available is Arizona Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that there is interest in the star defenseman, naming the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, and Edmonton Oilers as three teams that have checked in. However, he adds that there are undoubtedly more interested teams.

Ekman-Larsson, who comes in at No. 2 on The Athletic’s list of top trade targets, has been an elite defenseman in the NHL since he broke into the league full-time in 2011-12. A true two-way blue liner who is good for 40+ points and 150+ hits nearly every year, Ekman-Larsson plays big minutes and in every situation. He would be an asset to any team in the NHL.

However, Ekman-Larsson also comes with the price tag of an $8.25MM cap hit over seven more years. For that reason, The Athletic accurately states that there is some substantial risk in acquiring the Swedish star. TSN’s Travis Yost also warns that most defensemen begin to decline after the age of 27 and Ekman-Larsson, 29, has already shown some signs of slipping.

With that said, any team interested in Ekman-Larsson also knows that they hold all the leverage in trade talks. While the Coyotes don’t necessarily have to trade Ekman-Larsson, they need to move a player, or likely several, this off-season. Arizona is in the worst salary cap position in the league with only about $1MM in cap space and only 17 regulars signed. While the team can get $5.275MM in relief from placing Marian Hossa on the injured reserve, they are still only left with about $6.5MM and six roster spots to fill, including three key restricted free agents to sign. If the ’Yotes choose to move Ekman-Larsson, it would do wonders for their salary cap situation. Yet, they also stand very little chance of getting fair value back for him due to their desperate situation. For that reason, new GM Bill Armstrong may not want his first major move to be dealing away a franchise icon for pennies on the dollar.

For now, it seems teams are only kicking the tires and the Coyotes have not made a decision on whether Ekman-Larsson is actually available. However, in the difficult flat-cap environment facing many teams this off-season, there is no way of knowing what could happen. Ekman-Larsson could very well start next season on a new team and it might not even take a blockbuster to get him.

Pittsburgh Penguins Extend Jared McCann

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have come to terms on a new contract with one of their pending restricted free agents. The team has announced that forward Jared McCann has signed a two-year extension with a $2.94MM AAV. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman adds that the contract carries a $2.5MM salary in year one and a $3.38MM salary in year two. McCann will be a restricted free agent again when the deal expires after the 2021-22 season.

McCann, 24, is coming off of a career year and appears to have finally found a long-term NHL home. A 2014 first-round pick, McCann was traded first by the Vancouver Canucks after his first pro season and then again by the Florida Panthers midway through his fourth pro season. While those teams felt McCann was falling short of high expectations, the Penguins have gotten the most out of him. Since arriving in Pittsburgh in February 2019, McCann has recorded 52 points in 98 games, including 35 points this season, a career-high in points per game. McCann also ranks sixth among Penguins skaters in points during that span. If he continues to improve offensively and scores at a top-six level for the club, McCann’s extension will prove to be a major bargain for the Penguins.

The challenge though is where to place McCann in the lineup. While he has the versatility to play both wing and center, the Penguins have been unhappy with his performance when slotted down the middle. McCann’s record at the face-off dot leaves much to be desired, as does his ability to drive offense down the middle of the ice. If McCann is not a fit as the Penguins’ third line center, that position remains a major hole in their lineup while McCann becomes yet another of the team’s numerous wingers. Pittsburgh is unlikely to have re-signed McCann if they also planned to move him, but this deal makes it even more likely that the team could look to move another winger in order to improve elsewhere.

With McCann signed, the Penguins have just over $6MM in cap space with their situation in net still to resolve – Matt Murray and Tristan Jarry are both unsigned RFA’s – and two other RFA forwards in Dominik Simon and Sam Lafferty in need of new deals. This doesn’t leave GM Jim Rutherford much room to explore the free agent market unless another trade is still on the way.

Sharks’ Joel Kellman Loaned To Kristianstads IK

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Joel Kellman finally made the jump to North America this season, but now he’s headed back to Sweden. Well, at least for the time being. The San Jose Sharks’ rookie forward has officially been loaned to Kristianstads IK of the Allsvenskan, the team reports, but he will return to San Jose when NHL training camp opens. Kristianstads is the farm team of the SHL’s Karlskrona HK, Kellman’s hometown team who he played parts of five seasons for earlier in his career.

Kellman, 26, just signed a two-year extension with the Sharks late last month after a promising first season. He played the majority of his games with the Sharks, recording seven points in 31 games, but when he did play for the AHL Barracuda produced 16 points in 25 games. A perennial 30+ point scorer in the SHL, Kellman does have room to improve, and at a $750K AAV the Sharks have every reason to give him the opportunity to do so.

Whether Kellman does in fact play for Kristianstads or instead plays up with Karlskrona, he should be well-prepared to battle for a regular role with San Jose next season. Playing in the Allsvenskan, Kellman would have a major leg up on his teammates and competition. In the SHL, Kellman would have the added advantage of tough competition and would also enjoy playing with top 2020 NHL Draft prospects Ridly Greig and Connor McClennon. Either way, the former Swedish standout will fit in well back home and will be ready to go for the Sharks when the new league year begins.

League Notes: NHL Awards, 2020-21, USHL

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While the NHL has already revealed several of their end-of-the-year awards prior to recent playoff games, they will save the remaining awards for one special presentation. The league has announced today that the five remaining awards –  the Hart, Lindsay, Vezina, Norris, and Calder – will be presented virtually in a 30-minute special at 5:30pm CT on Monday, September 21. Since the event is technically being hosted from inside the Edmonton bubble, the awards will also have an “Oilers twist” to them. Wayne Gretzky is set to present the Hart and Calder trophies, with Mark Messier announcing the Lindsay, Grant Fuhr announcing the Vezina, and Paul Coffey announcing the Norris. The winners will then be made available to the media via Zoom for interviews following the awards presentations.

  • As the Stanley Cup Final gets underway in the Edmonton bubble, it is remarkable to look back at hat the NHL has been able to accomplish this postseason in Edmonton and Toronto. However, they face a much more difficult task right around the corner with trying to implement the 2020-21. While the league has held firm on their desire to begin the new season before the end of the calendar year and to play a full 82-game schedule, doubts are starting to creep in about how this can be arranged as COVID-19 continues to be prevalent in North America. Even Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly recently stated that he does not know for sure when and how the league will return to regular season play, though he did that a start date prior to December 1 is more unlikely than not. Speaking with others around the league, The Athletic’s Scott Burnside gets a growing sense of skepticism across all corners of the NHL . While most believe the season will still occur in some form or fashion, his sources believe that a likely start date is not until January at the earliest, which could rule out an 82-game season. Some believe that the league could wait until it is safe for fans to attend games before returning to play, while others believe that early-season schedules could be geographically-influenced to play a more compact schedule and to reduce travel risks. Burnside notes that continued outbreaks of Coronavirus in U.S. cities and the closed border between the U.S. and Canada will make a typical season impossible until they are resolved. In other words, there is still a lot to figure out before teams can return to play for the regular season, so a delayed start beyond what had previously been anticipated is an ever-growing possibility.
  • Two USHL teams have now decided to scrap their seasons altogether in response to the continuing COVID pandemic. The league announced today that the Cedar Rapids Roughriders and Madison Capitols will suspend operations for the 2020-21 season. On top of troubles related to Coronavirus, the Roughriders sustained damage to their arena in a recent storm and are finding it impossible to be prepared for a new season, while the Capitols, who are owned by Minnesota Wild star Ryan Suter, are so overly restricted by local health regulations that they cannot operate this year. The league stated that a dispersal draft will be held to give the teams’ players a new home for the coming season. However, the rights of those players who wish to continue in the USHL beyond this season will revert back to their teams next year.

New Jersey Loans Janne Kuokkanen To Karpat

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When Janne Kuokkanen arrives at New Jersey Devils training camp later this year looking to earn a full-time NHL role for the first time in his career, he will have the advantage of being in game shape. The Devils have announced that Kuokkanen has been loaned to Karpat of the Finnish Liiga for the time being and will be recalled from the loan when New Jersey opens training camp.

Kuokkanen, 22, has just a dozen NHL games under his belt to this point in his career, but did make his Devils debut in one game following the deadline deal that brought him to New Jersey in February and prior to league’s pause in March, which served as the end of the Devils’ season. Kuokkanen was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes alongside Fredrik Claesson and a conditional draft pick at the trade deadline in exchange for veteran defenseman Sami Vatanen. Kuokkanen, a second-round pick in 2016, was undoubtedly the prize of the return for the Devils, as the young forward has racked up points in the AHL over the past few years and appears ready to take the next step. Kuokkanen recorded 48 points in 56 games this year, including six in four with AHL Binghamton, and has totaled 126 points in 164 AHL games in his career. A player with two-way ability and positional versatility. Kukkanen should be a useful piece for New Jersey as he breaks into the NHL.

There is no better place for Kuokkanen to prepare for the 2020-21 season than with Karpat. The team plays in his hometown of Oulu and rosters several former and current NHLers. Karpat notably also owns a number of top 2020 and 2021 draft prospects, as well as some previously drafted prospects. Perhaps the Devils will turn to Kuokkanen for some advice ahead of the draft next month or as they evaluate trade offers this summer (Jesse Puljujarvi perhaps?). Regardless, Karpat is a great place for Kuokkanen to play, as he will have a major role to begin the Liiga season, which he hopes will give him a leg up when it comes to securing a meaningful role with New Jersey down the road as well.

Snapshots: Galchenyuk, Shinkaruk, Costantini

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While it should not come as much of a surprise, seeing as he was viewed as a throw-in rental in the trade that brought him to Minnesota rather than a core, long-term piece of the return, Alex Galchenyuk is not expected to return to the Wild next season. GM Bill Guerin told the media this evening, including the Star Tribune’s Sarah McClellan, that the impending free agent forward is unlikely to return to Minnesota this off-season. Galchenyuk was acquired by the Wild from the Pittsburgh Penguins in February – his third trade in two years – alongside prospect defenseman Calen Addison and a first-round pick in exchange for veteran forward Jason Zucker. Although Galchenyuk, a 26-year-old with two 50+ point seasons on his resume, was far from a useless addition for the Wild, it was Addison and the first-rounder that were the real prizes for the club. Given Galchenyuk’s expiring contract and the downward trajectory of his career, few expected Galchenyuk to stick long-term in Minnesota. Galchenyuk seemingly peaked early in his career, setting career highs in goals and points in 2015-16 and points per game in 2016-17, at the ages of 21 and 22 respectively, with the Montreal Canadiens. In each year since,  his final season in Montreal and stops with the Arizona Coyotes and Penguins, his per-game scoring has dropped off, reaching a career-low this year. Although his seven points in 14 games with the Wild was better than his overall rate for the year, it wasn’t enough to convince the club that he was worthy of an extension. Galchenyuk will hit the open market as an intriguing player, one of the younger UFA’s and certainly the most accomplished for his age, but also stuck in a downward spiral for the past few seasons. He needs a fresh start and would benefit from some long-term security, if he can find it. If Galchenyk can return to 50-point form, he could be one of the best bargains available this off-season.

  • One young player who won’t be returning to the NHL altogether next season is Hunter Shinkaruk. Another former Canadien, although best remembered as a long-time prospect of the Calgary Flames, Shinkaruk has opted to re-sign with the KHL’s Kunlun Red Star for another year, the league announced. After he was not qualified by Montreal last summer, Shinkaruk did not find another NHL home and eventually signed with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. However, he left the team mid-season to join Kunlun. He recorded nine points in 19 games, which was among the team leaders in per-game production. Playing on a Red Star roster that is loaded with NHL and AHL veterans, Shinkaruk can play a greater role than he would likely find in North America, while continuing to play a familiar style with peers from whom he can learn. While Shinkaruk, 25, can no longer qualify as an NHL prospect, he has a better chance than most to find his way back to the league one day given his age and ability.
  • One legitimate NHL prospect who is headed to a new home is forward Matteo Costantini. A 2020 NHL Draft prospect gearing up to hear his name called in a few weeks, Costantini has also revealed where he will be headed in 2021-22 and beyond. Costantini, who is committed to the BCHL’s Penticton Vees for the coming season, will then take his talents to the University of North Dakota, the Vees announced Tuesday. Constantini, who hails from Ontario but has been playing with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres for the past few years, has appeared on a number of draft boards this year. Most notably, Constantini was given a third-round draft grade by TSN’s Craig Button, who has him ranked No. 77 in his final draft board. The goal-scoring center will be a nice addition for North Dakota, a top NCAA program with several current and future NHL prospects on their roster right now and committed for next year.

Qualifying Offer Deadline Set For October 7

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Given the added pressure applied by the flat salary cap, restricted free agent negotiations will take on even greater importance this off-season. That process is set to begin in just over four weeks, as TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the deadline for teams to submit qualifying offers to their restricted free agents has been set for 4pm CT on Wednesday, October 7.

In order for any team to retain their rights to a restricted free agent, the team must submit a qualifying offer. This value is based on the RFA’s expiring contract; a base salary greater than or equal to $1MM is only owed a matching offer, while a base salary less than $1MM is owed a qualifying offer of 105% of the base (a base salary less than $660K is owed 110%). New this year is also a rule pertaining to those contracts signed after July 10 for the purpose of burning an entry-level contract. Those players may receive a qualifying offer up to 120% of their base salary.  A qualifying offer must also be a one-way contract if the player has played in at least 171 NHL games over the past three seasons combined and at least 51 NHL games in 2019-20, and did not clear waivers this season.

Those RFA’s who do receive qualifying offers are then able to sign those offers when the new league year begins at 11am CT on Friday, October 9. Those offers expire on Sunday, October 18 at 4pm CT. Even if a player does not sign their QO, the issuing team maintains the player’s rights simply by making the offer. A restricted free agent can only be signed to a new team by way of an offer sheet.

As for those RFA’s who do not receive qualifying offers, they become unrestricted free agents and join the open market on October 9. Given the cap crunch that many teams are facing, this has a chance to be an unprecedented year when it comes to the RFA market. Teams will have to seriously think about the opportunity cost of extending or in some cases increasing the salaries of some of their current young players. It will be interesting to see what happens when the deadline approaches on October 7.

U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame Announces 2020 Class

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The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame has announced their newest class of inductees, as revealed by NBC Sports’ Eddie Olczyk, a U.S. Hall of Famer himself, before this evening’s Western Conference Final Game. The 2020 group is comprised of former NHL player and coach Tony Granato, decorated women’s player Jenny Potter, and a pair of historic college coaches in Jerry York and Dean Blais.

Granato, 56, is the current head coach at the University of Wisconsin. A former Badgers star himself, Granato’s collegiate career vaulted him to the NHL where he played 13 seasons with the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks. Granato recorded four 60+ point seasons, including an 82-point campaign in 1992-93, and was an All-Star and Masterton Trophy recipient in 1996-97. After retiring in 2001, it wasn’t long before Granato joined the coaching ranks as an assistant with the Colorado Avalanche in 2002-03 and by the end of the season he had been named head coach. Granato spent six years with the Avalanche, five seasons as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and two seasons as an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings before returning to Madison to become head coach of the Badgers in 2016. Granato has also coached with Team USA at the Olympics twice and played for the Olympic team himself in 1988. An experienced player and coach at the college, pro, and international levels, Granato is a jack of all trades who has enjoyed a long, well-rounded career.

Potter, 41, was a college superstar as well, playing at both the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota-Duluth. However, many will remember her for a long international career with Team USA that actually began when she was a senior in high school in Edina, Minnesota. In 15 years with Team USA, Potter played in four Olympics and ten World Championships, racking up impressive scoring totals and a total of 14 medals. Potter additionally played professionally for five seasons, returning from retirement in 2014-15 to play for the CWHL’s Boston Blades. While continuing to compete, Potter also coached for many years at the high school level, before coaching in the NCAA for three years, including one season with Ohio State University, and most recently as the head coach of the Slovakian Women’s National Team in 2017-18. One of the most well-known names in U.S. Women’s hockey history, who has made her mark across the women’s game, Potter is a great addition to the Hall.

York, 75, is entering his 27th season as the head coach at Boston College and owns more than 1,000 wins as an NCAA head coach. A captain of the Eagles during his playing days, York worked his way up from a graduate assistant with BC to become head coach at Clarkson University for seven years, head coach at Bowling Green State University for 15 years, and now head coach of the Eagles for the past 26 years. York has amazingly been a head coach in the NCAA continuously since 1972. A legend in the college ranks, York has coached four BC teams to National Championships and has made a total of 12 Frozen Fours, picking up the NCAA record in tournament wins along the way. An inductee into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019, its surprising that York wasn’t added to the U.S. Hall years ago.

Blais, 69, also coached for many years in the NCAA, but additionally made an appearance as an NHL assistant and coached in the high school and junior ranks. A standout player at the University of Minnesota, Blais returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach after a few years playing in the minors. In 1980, Blais was hired as an assistant at the University of North Dakota and spent nine years in that position. After four years off coaching high school in Minnesota, Blais returned to North Dakota as the head coach in 1994 and spent another ten years with Fighting Sioux in his second stint. During this time, he led the program to two National Championships. Blais then left to join the Columbus Blue Jackets as an assistant for three years and served as the head coach and GM of the USHL’s Fargo Force for a pair of seasons. However, he was drawn back to the college game in 2009, becoming the head coach of the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Blais spent eight years with the UNO program before retiring in 2017.

Canadiens Acquire Negotiating Rights To UFA Joel Edmundson

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The Montreal Canadiens had a free agent target in mind for this off-season, but rather than wait until October 9th they have decided to pull the trigger now. The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that they have traded impending unrestricted free agent defenseman Joel Edmundson to the Canadiens. The return for Carolina is a 2020 fifth-round pick.

The Canadiens now have nearly a month to negotiate exclusively with Edmundson on a new contract. A relatively young UFA at 27, Edmundson would be a great addition for the Habs. Edmundson showed this season that he is more than just his 6’4”, 215-lb. frame, posting both a career high 20 points and showing he is reliable defender with a career-best 55% defensive zone starts. Edmundson was less a rugged stay-at-home defender and more of a refined, two-way contributor for Carolina and the Canadiens hope that he can continue to grow in that role. Edmundson has also shown back in his days with the St. Louis Blues that he is capable of playing big minutes, which would provide even more value to Montreal moving forward. Given the lack of high-end talent on the Montreal blue line behind aging Shea Weber and 2021 free agent Jeff Petry, Edmundson could land a long-term deal with the Canadiens to lead a new generation of defenders, such as Victor Mete and Alexander Romanov.

On the other side, the Hurricanes have to be happy with landing a decent pick (No. 140 overall) for a player they seemed unlikely to re-sign anyhow. Edmundson was acquired by Carolina just last summer as part of a package from the St. Louis for Justin Faulk. While Edmundson was a valuable member of a very good ‘Canes team this year, prospect Dominik Bokk was always seen as the true prize in the return for Faulk. Edmundson was on an expiring contract and was joining the deepest defense core in the league, making him a likely rental candidate. The Hurricanes’ impressive blue line depth only improved this season as well, as the team acquired Brady Skjei and saw flashes of brilliance from young Haydn Fleury, who will join Jaccob Slavin, Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Jake Gardiner as the likely starters next year.

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