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Brett Harrison Sent Back To OHL

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We’re just one day away from the official start of the NHL’s preseason calendar, with a unique slate of games scheduled for tomorrow. In addition to the Boston Bruins paying a visit to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Arizona Coyotes and St. Louis Blues will face-off against one another from Wichita, Kansas in a neutral-site contest. Perhaps most interesting are the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, who seem to have pulled a page right out of the baseball playbook with the team’s playing a split-squad, day-night doubleheader including a 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm puck drop in Toronto. With all that action, there are several notes from around the league worth mentioning, primarily related to the opening of camp and the beginning of games, which we will keep track of here:

  • Also sent back to juniors was Boston Bruins prospect Brett Harrison (link). A third-round pick in 2021, Harrison may have had the opportunity to raise eyes in training camp with Boston, however the forward projects to be a standout with the Oshawa Generals this season after tallying 61 points in 65 games last season. Oshawa kicks off its 2022-23 regular season in Barrie this Thursday.

Boston Bruins Sign Anton Stralman To PTO

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Saturday: The Bruins have made the PTO official with a release on their site this morning. Boston visits the Philadelphia Flyers this evening for their first preseason contest, but it doesn’t appear Stralman will draw in, as he wasn’t skating at practice this morning, details The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa.

Friday: The Bruins have made a late addition to their training camp roster, signing veteran defenseman Anton Stralman to a professional tryout agreement, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.

Stralman had been lingering on the market as an unrestricted free agent to this point, and while some speculated that retirement could be a possibility for the 36-year-old Stralman communicated a clear desire to continue his career.

In Boston, Stralman will vie for a chance to reinforce a blueline that will be without two crucial players at the start of the regular season. Both Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk are expected to remain unavailable by the time the Bruins take on the Capitals on October 12th. This could give Stralman a leg up as he competes for a role on the Bruins’ defense, as the team could prefer to have Stralman, who has nearly 1,000 games of NHL experience, in their lineup rather than less experienced in-house options such as Jakub Zboril or Jack Ahcan.

Stralman isn’t the quality top-four blueliner he once was, but on a talent-poor Arizona Coyotes team last season Stralman scored a healthy 23 points in 74 games and played more than 21 minutes per night. In a more limited role in Boston, he could find success.

For Stralman, this PTO signing leaves him less secure in his future than a regular NHL contract would, but he nonetheless has a strong opportunity in front of him to earn NHL time.

The Bruins are a good team who also, at least on paper, look to have room for him to win a spot on their blueline. If Stralman can have a good camp and show up well in the preseason, he could see himself wearing Bruins colors for longer than just the preseason.

Snapshots: Hague, Pastrnak, Jets

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When Vegas Golden Knights training camp opens tomorrow morning, defenseman Nicolas Hague won’t be there as he awaits a new contract. The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that he isn’t expected to be on the ice with his teammates Thursday morning at City National Arena, the team’s practice facility.

Hague is one of the few remaining restricted free agents in the NHL, alongside Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin and Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson as the marquee names. Granger expertly notes that Hague missing camp is more detrimental than in previous seasons, as new head coach Bruce Cassidy will be installing a completely foreign defensive system from what the Knights have been used to in past seasons. Hague, the 34th overall pick in 2017, had 14 points in 52 games last season.

  • Speaking today during preseason media availability, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney says it’s a priority for him to get pending free agent winger David Pastrnak signed as soon as possible. Pastrnak, while he’s expressed a strong desire to stay in Boston, hasn’t shared the same urgency in negotiations in previous reporting. Pastrnak, who’s notched 40 or more goals in his last two full seasons, will be in line for a substantial raise, and it may behoove Sweeney to get a deal done before his value rises even further.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have made three scouting hires, including the first woman scout in team history, Sydney Daniels. Daniels joins the team as an NCAA scout, having previously served as the assistant coach for the women’s team at Harvard. The team also brought on Jari Kekalainen, brother of Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen, as a European scout, and former Toronto Maple Leafs scout Tony Martino as a USHL scout.

Zdeno Chara Signs One-Day Contract With Boston Bruins; Announces Retirement

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One of the most legendary players in NHL history has officially called it quits today. Zdeno Chara has announced that he will be retiring from professional hockey, signing a one-day contract this afternoon with the Boston Bruins to do it as a member of the team he is connected to most.

In a post on Instagram, “Big Zee” released the following:

After 25 seasons of professional hockey 1,680 NHL regular season games, 200 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and hundreds of international games I am proud to announce my decision to retire from the National Hockey League. In doing so, I am honored to return to TD Garden today to sign a one-day contract with the Boston Bruins and officially finish my career with the team that has meant so much to me and my family.

There are so many people that have helped contribute to my success, including all of you, and I look forward to properly thanking everyone this afternoon.

Starting his career with the New York Islanders back in 1997 after being selected in the third round, Chara would eventually find his way to the Ottawa Senators where he became a true star. After four years patrolling the blueline of Canada’s capital, he would join the Boston Bruins where he would spend the next 14 seasons and 1,023 games.

In total, his 1,680 regular season games put him seventh all-time in NHL history, first among defensemen. Even as he entered his mid-forties, he was still playing regularly for the Washington Capitals and, finally, the Islanders once again, as a bookend for his career.

The winner of the 2009 Norris Trophy, and a finalist on five other occasions, Chara should not have to wait long to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He got close to the Stanley Cup several times, but only lifted it once, in 2011 with the Bruins.

There are few players that have ever been more imposing, more dominant, or more recognizable than Chara, whose 6’9″ frame will be missed by many on NHL rinks moving forward. With 209 goals, 680 points, and 2,085 penalty minutes, there was something unique about the gigantic defender.

Brad Marchand Resumes Skating

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  • Bruins winger Brad Marchand skated today for the first time since undergoing double hip surgery back in May, relays Matt Porter of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). However, his timeline for a return isn’t likely to be escalated at this point as his expected return date continues to be around late November.  The 34-year-old put up his sixth straight season of over a point per game in 2021-22 and Boston’s attack will certainly be weakened over the first six weeks with him unavailable.

Preseason Notes: Pastrnak, Eklund, Canucks Centers

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One of the biggest stories that could play out this upcoming season is the contract situation between the Boston Bruins and their star goal-scoring winger, David Pastrnak. Pastrnak, a Rocket Richard trophy winner, will play the 2022-23 season on the final year of his $6.66MM AAV deal, and is undoubtedly in line to receive a significant raise on his next contract. He will be eligible for  unrestricted free agency at the end of this season, which has led many to speculate that he could leave Boston in a similar fashion to the way other star wingers, such as Johnny Gaudreau and Artemi Panarin, have left their teams as free agents.

According to Pastrnak, though, that’s not the ideal way for things to turn out. When asked today whether he was optimistic about an extension being finalized with the Bruins, Pastrnak answered yes, and added that he is “extremely happy” in Boston and that it’s an “honor” to wear the Bruins’ sweater. For the Bruins, getting Pastrnak signed to an extension has to be their number-one off-ice priority for next season. Pastrnak has scored at or above a point-per-game rate for the past four seasons and at 26 years old should have many prime years ahead of him. If the Bruins want to have any hope of remaining competitive in the next several years, they’ll need to find a way to keep Pastrnak around.

Now, for some other notes about preseason rumblings:

  • 2021 seventh-overall pick William Eklund spent most of last season playing in the SHL, but that won’t be where he’s playing in 2022-23. As relayed by Corey Masisiak of The Athletic, Eklund has said that he is “definitely” staying in North America and will either play for the Sharks in the NHL or the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL, wherever the organization deems he should be. Eklund endured a difficult campaign last year as his SHL club, Djurgardens, was relegated to the Allsvenskan. His choice to make the transition to North American hockey is wise, as he’ll have the chance to continue his development under the watchful eye of the Sharks’ development staff.
  • The Vancouver Canucks made headlines when they signed center J.T. Miller to a long-term extension, and the deal left many wondering if Elias Pettersson’s future was on the wing, since it was presumed that the Canucks would opt to keep Miller and Bo Horvat as centers. While that was a reasonable thing to wonder, it seems that the Canucks are planning to play Pettersson as a center for next season. Per Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau plans on deploying Miller, Horvat, and Pettersson as centers, believing that he is able to do so thanks to the team’s “upgraded top-nine.” Pettersson’s last two seasons have been rockier than he’d likely have hoped, so the Canucks are seemingly hoping that allowing Pettersson to center and drive his own line will help stabilize his game.

New Jersey Devils Sign Zach Senyshyn To PTO

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The 2015 NHL Draft is one Boston Bruins fans would very much like to forget. Now, one of their three infamous first-round picks is joining his potential third NHL organization in a matter of months. Forward Zach Senyshyn today signed a PTO with the New Jersey Devils, the team announced.

Boston’s 15th overall pick in 2015, Senyshyn was a member of the Bruins organization up until the trade deadline this past season. He’s played just 16 NHL games, all spread out over the past four seasons, and has only one NHL goal and two assists. He hasn’t been consistently producing in the AHL, either, averaging under 0.50 points per game throughout his 250-plus game career in the minors, mostly with the Providence Bruins. Although he had finally broken out offensively in the minors over the past two seasons, he had just three points in 16 AHL games with the Belleville Senators after he was traded to the Ottawa organization in exchange for Josh Brown.

Needless to say, Senyshyn is attending Devils camp just for a shot at a contract within the organization, less so the NHL roster. Now 25, Senyshyn will need to have a strong enough camp to prove he can be a dependable top-nine contributor for their AHL affiliate in Utica.

Senyshyn joins veteran defenseman Thomas Hickey as players attending Devils camp on PTOs.

Keltie Jeri-Leon Signs PTO With Boston Bruins

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Per CapFriendly, forward Keltie Jeri-Leon has signed a professional tryout contract with the Boston Bruins.

In 2021-22, the 22-year-old forward played his first professional season, notching 19 goals and 35 points in 57 games with the ECHL’s Maine Mariners, Boston’s ECHL affiliate. He also appeared in two games on loan to AHL Providence, scoring his first AHL goal in the process.

The undrafted forward has little to no NHL upside, but a strong rookie ECHL season could parlay into a more significant AHL role next year. Unsigned for 2022-23, Jeri-Leon has an opportunity to receive an AHL contract from Providence and continue his development within the Bruins organization.

The product of Kelowna, BC spent five seasons in the WHL with four different teams before turning pro, last serving as an alternate captain for the Seattle Thunderbirds in 2020-21.

Recent Signings Bode Well For David Pastrnak’s Next Contract

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There are times when things just seem to fall in place for a player.  Bruins winger David Pastrnak is one who has had that happen to him.  His addition to the duo of Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron very quickly created one of the strongest lines in the league for years, helping him become one of the top-scoring wingers in the NHL.  Not too shabby for a late first-round pick, that’s for sure.

But Pastrnak is in line to benefit from things falling into place for a second time.  He’s a year away from unrestricted free agency and is in line for a substantial raise on the $6.67MM AAV he has on his current deal.  How much of an increase that will be remains to be seen but even though there aren’t any games being played right now, it’s certainly trending in an upwards direction.

Just a few months ago, Artemi Panarin’s seven-year contract that carries a cap hit of $11.643MM seemed like an outlier that would be unachievable.  Most of the biggest contracts in the league this coming season are for centers with veteran defensemen and a pair of goalies also up there.  But for the most part, wingers aren’t really in the mix; aside from Panarin, Mitch Marner and Patrick Kane are the only other two wingers in the top-15 in terms of cap hit for next season.

But things have started to change on that front.  Johnny Gaudreau just landed $9.75MM on a seven-year deal from Columbus.  His former teammate Matthew Tkachuk got $9.5MM per season for eight years in a sign-and-trade that saw him join Florida.  Meanwhile, one of the players he was traded for, Jonathan Huberdeau, received a $10.5MM AAV for eight seasons in Calgary.  All of a sudden, instead of it being a rarity that a winger gets a high-end contract, it’s becoming more commonplace.  That’s great news for Pastrnak when it comes to working on his next deal.

Over the past four seasons, only six wingers have recorded more points than the 301 that Pastrnak has put up.  Five of them (Kane, Huberdeau, Panarin, Marner, and Gaudreau) have contracts of at least $9.75MM in value.  If we look in terms of points per game, Pastrnak moves ahead of Gaudreau.  The other is his winger, Marchand, who has three years left on a very team-friendly deal with a $6.125MM AAV.  It’s safe to call that contract the outlier of the bunch, not the one that’s going to be used as a basis for comparison in extension discussions.

With there now being less hesitance to handing out top money to top wingers, things are lining up quite nicely for Pastrnak.  A contract between the ones that Gaudreau and Huberdeau received is a reasonable range and if he has another strong season and makes it to the open market, he could even get a bit more.  If Boston isn’t willing to pay that, someone else certainly will.

A couple of years ago, there was a hesitance to give top wingers comparable money to top centers but that’s certainly no longer the case as evidenced by these recent contracts.  Whether it’s in the coming weeks or months as an extension with Boston or next July in free agency, Pastrnak is certainly poised to benefit from this shift in philosophy with a significant raise soon coming his way.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Transactions: 08/16/22

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We’re into the second half of August and things will start to pick up again in the next few weeks. Vacations are ending, players are arriving in cities to start informal workouts, and training camp is right around the corner. As always, we’ll be keeping track of the minor moves that are made to tweak rosters throughout the offseason.

  • The Boston Bruins have signed J.D. Greenway to a professional tryout according to CapFriendly, after he split last season between the Providence Bruins and Maine Mariners. He was already signed to an AHL deal for this year but will now get to attend training camp with the rest of the NHL squad. The 24-year-old, 6’6″ defenseman is the younger brother of Minnesota Wild forward Jordan Greenway and was originally selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2016 third round.
  • The New York Rangers have officially activated Sammy Blais from injured reserve, nine months after he was placed on it. That suggests he’s healthy enough to start the year after missing nearly the entire season with a torn ACL. Blais was signed to a one-year, $1.525MM contract in June that will leave him an unrestricted free agent next summer.
  • The Dallas Stars have signed defenseman Michael Karow to a one-year AHL deal. He turned pro back in March after a five-year college career but it wasn’t with the team that drafted him (Arizona) as Dallas gave him a tryout deal at that time, playing him in 13 games down the stretch.  Karow became a free agent earlier this week when the August 15th signing deadline came and went, paving the way for him to return to Texas.
  • Although he signed an AHL deal with the Carolina Hurricanes last month, Scott Wilson is off to the KHL as Vityaz announced they’ve signed the winger to a one-year contract.  The 30-year-old had 40 points in 71 games with the Checkers last season and is a veteran of 193 career NHL games between Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Buffalo.

This page will be updated throughout the day. 

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