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Minor Transactions: 12/19/20

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With news of a tentative agreement to begin the 2020-21 season, in less than a month nonetheless, the gears have begun to turn once again for NHL clubs. With many players on loan overseas needing to be recalled and others who are ready to get an early start to their season with an assignment to the ECHL, transactions are picking up and should continue grow in number over the coming weeks. Stay tuned for the many minor moves on the way:

  • One player who is not getting ready to start his season in any regard is Nathan Paetsch. After 17 pro seasons, the skilled defenseman has decided to hang up his skates at 37. The AHL’s Rochester Americans, with whom Paetsch played parts of seven seasons, including the past three, announced the veteran’s decision. Paetsch initially signed with the Buffalo Sabres back in 2003 after being drafted out of the WHL and spent his first seven pro seasons with the organization. Outside of one season in Germany, Paetsch has spent the past decade in the AHL playing mostly with Rochester and the Grand Rapids Griffins. He totaled 167 NHL games between Buffalo and the Columbus Blue Jackets and another 651 AHL games (and over 250 points) in a long, successful career.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Tyler Benson from his loan to Switzerland’s GCK Lions, the club announced. Benson was an impactful play-maker in his short time overseas, recording a team-leading 19 points in 15 games.  While the Oilers have added some depth this off-season, they still hope the well-regarded prospect can carve out an NHL role for himself after making his debut with seven games in Edmonton last season.
  • Nick Wolff has been recalled by the Boston Bruins from his loan to Hungary’s DVTK of the Slovakian Extraliga, the team announced. It was Wolff’s first pro experience after signing with the Bruins out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Wolff recorded five points in 18 games and racked up a fair amount of penalty minutes as well. The physical defenseman is not expected to compete for an NHL roster spot, but should take part in training camp. Wolff could potentially spend some time with the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen, a team that already has a number of Bruins prospects, most recent addition being free agent goaltender addition Callum Booth.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have assigned first-year pro prospect Jack Badini to the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers. The Harvard product was a third-round pick in 2017 and had been a productive player for the Crimson. However, the cancellation of the Ivy League winter season left Badini without a team and fast-forwarded his plans. It remains to be seen whether the two-way forward is truly ready for the pros just yet, so the Ducks will give him an early look at the “AA” level.

Kevan Miller Expects To Be Available For Opening Night

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  • Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller is expected to be ready to suit up on opening night, whenever that day comes, relays Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic (Twitter link). The veteran missed all of last season due to recurring knee injuries and wound up re-signing for a guaranteed $1MM plus another $250K roster bonus and $750K in games played in playoff bonuses.  While he’s a right-shot defender, he could be called upon to help cover the departures on the left side of Torey Krug (St. Louis) and Zdeno Chara (still unsigned).

USA Hockey Announces Final World Junior Roster

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A number of final rosters for the upcoming 2020 World Junior Championship have been revealed this morning, as the best U-20 players in the world prepare to compete later this month. Team USA gets us started, as USA Hockey has announced their finalized group. The roster is entirely comprised of NHL draft picks and presumptive 2021 selections, including sixteen players drafted in the first or second round, as well as 22 NCAA players. Below is the final roster:

F Matthew Beniers, Univ. of Michigan (2021)
F Brett Berard, Providence College (NYR)
F Matthew Boldy, Boston College (MIN)
F Bobby Brink, Univ. of Denver (PHI)
F Brendan Brisson, Univ. of Michigan (VGK)
F Cole Caufield, Univ. of Wisconsin (MTL)
F Sam Colangelo, Northeastern Univ. (ANA)
F John Farinacci, Harvard Univ. (ARI)
F Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton Bulldogs (LAK)
F Patrick Moynihan, Providence College (NJD)
F Landon Slaggert, Univ. of Notre Dame (CHI)
F Alex Turcotte, Los Angeles Kings
F Trevor Zegras, Boston Univ. (ANA)

D Brock Faber, Univ. of Minnesota (LAK)
D Drew Helleson, Boston College (COL)
D Ryan Johnson, Univ. of Minnesota (BUF)
D Tyler Kleven, Univ. of North Dakota (OTT)
D Jackson LaCombe, Univ. of Minnesota (ANA)
D Jake Sanderson, Univ. of North Dakota (OTT)
D Hunter Skinner, London Knights (NYR)
D Henry Thrun, Harvard Univ. (ANA)
D Cam York, Univ. of Michigan (PHI)

G  Spencer Knight, Boston College (FLA)
G Logan Stein, Ferris State Univ. (2021)
G Dustin Wolf, Everett Silvertips (CGY)

The roster, which includes eight holdovers from last year’s squad and Knight returning for a third go-round, includes few surprises. As expected, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson will not be a member of the team as he is instead expected to compete for a roster spot in NHL camp, anticipated to begin toward the conclusion of the WJC. The L.A. Kings’ Turcotte was not given the same treatment, as he will compete for Team USA and then head to camp.

The other glaring omission is Boston Bruins prospect Johnny Beecher, who played for the WJC entry last year and had been in camp this year. The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter reports that Beecher tested positive for COVID-19, ending his bid for a roster spot. The loss could hurt the U.S., as teammate Caufield told The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently that he expected Beecher to play a big role for the team this year.

While the University of Michigan boasts an impressive three WJC selections for Team USA, Beecher and Thomas Bordeleau (SJS) were among the final cuts. The other player left off the final roster was undrafted defenseman Cam McDonald, who would have been the third inclusion from Providence College to join head coach Nate Leaman’s WJC team. Wheeler reports that Team USA GM John Vanbiesbrouck would have preferred 14 forwards and eight defenseman to their 13 forwards and nine defensemen, but that COVID protocols led to this final roster, insinuating that Beecher’s positive test likely led to roomate Bordeleau’s cut as well.

Among the 15 NHL teams represented on Team USA are four prospects from the Anaheim Ducks, a trio from the L.A. Kings, and four other clubs with multiple selections.

 

Minor Transactions: 12/09/20

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With the NHL finally making solid progress on starting the 2020-21 season, the rumor mill has started warming back up with a number of teams who still need to make roster changes, in some cases extreme makeovers, and many talented free agents still available. However, those concrete moves are still to come. For now, the minor moves being made by NHL teams involve minor league assignments with the ECHL about to open up. The ECHL’s list of transactions for today reveals a few different notable moves:

  • After sending goaltender Kyle Keyser and forward Matt Filipe to the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen last week, the Boston Bruins have reassigned another intriguing name. Priority college UFA Jack Ahcan, one of the top offensive defensemen in the NCAA over the past few years will make his pro debut with Jacksonville after signing with Boston this spring. Ahcan, 23, may get his start in the ECHL but is an interesting name to watch this season given his success at St. Cloud State University and the Bruins’ lack of talent on the left side of the blue line.
  • Jacob McGrew, 2017 sixth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, will get his pro start with the ECHL’s Allen Americans. McGrew is eager to get back on the ice after missing all but six games last season with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. He did record eight points in those six games and the talented right wing could be a scoring factor in the AHL right away, especially with a strong start in the ECHL.
  • In somewhat of a twist, the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers have recalled Greg Meireles from the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits after assigning him to club late last month. With the ECHL starting this weekend and the AHL still eyeing a February start, Meireles’ reassignment would imply that he is not ready to begin his season just yet. Meireles, who was drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2019, was deemed not worthy of an entry-level contract by the NHL club but signed with their AHL affiliate in October. A dangerous junior scorer with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, Meireles will be looking to earn that NHL contract with his play this season.

Minor Transactions: 12/05/20

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With a mix of some leagues currently in action, others preparing to start, some postponing play, and others still trying to sort it all out, there has been a constant stream of minor moves with players jumping from league to league via signing, loan, reassignment, and more. Today has been no exception, as a number of players are on the move:

  • With the ECHL planning to get underway next week, some NHL and AHL players have begun to be reassigned to the “AA” level to get a jumpstart on their seasons and many more moves are likely to come over the next few days. For now, the Boston Bruins have made the decision on a pair of young players, assigning goaltender Kyle Keyser and forward Matt Filipe to the Jacksonville Icemen, the Bruins’ temporary affiliate for this season. Keyser, 21, saw very limited action last year in his first pro season but the former OHL standout is looking to prove with his  play this year that he too belongs in the “goalie of the future” conversation with top prospects Dan Vladar and Jeremy Swayman. Filipe, 22, is set to make his pro debut after signing with the Bruins out of nearby Northeastern University. The former Carolina Hurricanes prospect plays with size and a nose for the net, which served him well as a reliable producer in the NCAA.
  • A pair of Oshawa Generals stars are getting their seasons started overseas. With the OHL not getting started until at least February, the Generals announced that NHL prospects Ty Tullio (EDM) and Allan McShane (MTL) have been loaned to Slovakia. The pair will join MHK Liptovsky Mikulas of the Slovakian Extraliga until the time that they are either recalled by their NHL clubs or by Oshawa for training camp. McShane and Tullio finished second and third respectively in scoring last season for the Generals, with 67 and 66 points apiece.
  • Although Finland’s hockey seasons are currently on pause, the Dallas Stars do not plan to recall top prospect Ty Dellandrea right away, according to Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News. Dellandrea has been playing with the Liiga’s JYP this past month, recording three points in six games, and will continue practicing with the team for the time being. The Liiga is tentatively scheduled to return to action on December 20, but that start date is not guaranteed. With the NHL hoping to be up and running by mid-January with two weeks of training camp beforehand, Dellandrea may still be recalled before he can play with JYP again. The Stars hope that Dellandrea can compete for a roster spot this year and will want to make sure that he is in attendance for day one of training camp.

Outdoor Games Being Discussed By Several NHL Teams

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It’s about that time in an NHL/NHLPA negotiation (or, not negotiation) where things start to get weird. With the league still trying to figure out a way through the upcoming season, with the financial climate so dire for many teams and with players refusing to budge on the agreement they made a few months ago, all kinds of revenue streams are being discussed.

One of those, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, is the possibility of holding games outdoors where fans could potentially attend. Friedman writes today that at least four teams are “investigating the possibility” of outdoor games, listing the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Kings were apparently the first to consider the idea, though it’s important to note that NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told James Mirtle of The Athletic last month that holding more outdoor games was unlikely.

Still, following Friedman’s report came one from Pierre LeBrun, who writes that it’s not just those four teams considering the idea of holding multiple outdoor events. The Penguins, Bruins, and Kings are on his list of teams that would be open to hosting or taking part in outdoor games, but so too are the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, and Nashville Predators.

It’s important to remember that even if the NHL caves and doesn’t amend the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed a few months ago, the players still would have to eventually pay back any salary that brings them over 50% of the hockey-related revenue. With no fans and very little revenue to be made, it seems likely that both sides would be open to out-of-the-box ideas like outdoor contests if it brought in ticket sales.

Still, those outdoor games also have a substantially increased cost, which is what Daly pointed out to Mirtle last month. As LeBrun writes, commissioner Gary Bettman is also worried that holding so many outdoor games could hurt the Winter Classic brand, which has been a success for the league in previous years. Those negatives may eventually win out in the end, but there is nothing stopping teams from exploring the option at this point.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Boston Bruins

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It’s Thanksgiving this week in the United States and the holiday season is right around the corner. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Bruins most thankful for?

Their proven veteran core.

Up front, their top line is still among the best number one units in the entire league and accounted for just over 47% of their goals last season.  While that’s an indictment of their secondary scoring, it also shows how dominant the trio of Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, and Patrice Bergeron has been.  It’s a line that just gets the job done nightly although they won’t all be available for the start of next season.  Once they’re all healthy though, watch for them to pick up right where they left off.

That veteran core also includes goaltenders Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak.  The pair have formed a very strong tandem the last two seasons and with a schedule that figures to feature more back-to-backs, few teams will be better equipped for that than the Bruins whose goaltending should once again be near the top of the league.

Who are the Bruins most thankful for?

Pastrnak would be an easy choice here as the young sniper on the rise to stardom but at this point, they may be most thankful for Marchand.  Over the years, he has emerged from being an agitator who could contribute in a secondary role to a legitimate star (who can still agitate from time to time).  Not all top liners take a regular turn killing penalties but he does which has led him to average more than 19 minutes per game in each of the last four years.  He has averaged over a point per game in that span as well.  For all of that, they’re paying a price tag that some 50-point players were getting in free agency not long ago at $6.25MM.  Better yet, he’s locked up at that rate through 2025.  Marchand has been a fixture in Boston for more than a decade and with that contract, he’ll continue to be one for several years to come.

What would the Bruins be even more thankful for?

A top-four left-shot defenseman.

Between the departures of Torey Krug (St. Louis) and Zdeno Chara (unsigned free agent), the Bruins have lost over 41 minutes per game from the left side of their back end and a lot of offense.  Management showed that they believe that Matt Grzelcyk is ready for a larger role when they handed him a four-year, $14.75MM deal last month.  But he hasn’t played in that role before and neither has anyone else in the organization – John Moore is more of a depth option while their prospects are still largely untested at the NHL level.  Boston is in good shape on the right side led by Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo but they’d feel a whole lot better with a proven option on the left to go with them.

What should be on the Bruins’ Holiday Wish List?

Beyond that top-four left-shot defender, the Bruins could also stand to try to upgrade their secondary scoring some more.  Craig Smith was a nice addition but knowing that Pastrnak will miss time (and potentially Marchand), they’re going to take a step back offensively in the early going.  They’re one of the few teams that’s willing to spend and still has a bit more than nominal cap room remaining.  Can they afford a top-six forward?  Not as things stand but if they strike out on adding a defender, a middle-six winger that’s looking to try their luck on the open market again next season would certainly help their chances and really give them three lines capable of producing when everyone is healthy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Dan Vladar Loaned To HC Dynamo Pardubice

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Just a few months after his eye-popping three-year extension, Dan Vladar will soon be back on the ice. The Boston Bruins have loaned the young goaltender to HC Dynamo Pardubice in the Czech Republic until training camps open in North America. His new Czech team has been dealing with injuries at the goaltending position, but may not actually get Vladar for that long, depending on when the Bruins believe he’ll have to come back to prepare for the upcoming AHL season. Some prospects around the NHL have already terminated their loan agreements and are coming to North America (though, usually those are for Canadian teams with stricter traveling quarantine protocols).

Vladar, 23, was absolutely outstanding for the Providence Bruins in 2019-20. He posted the AHL’s best goals-against average, 1.79, and save percentage, .936, in 25 appearances, going 14-7-1 in the process. He also played one game for the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL and even made his NHL debut by entering a postseason game for Boston.

Selected 75th overall in 2015, Vladar has a chance to be the future starter for the Bruins, who are currently going with a mid-thirties tandem of Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak, both on expiring deals. To get there, he’ll have to continue on the strong development track he’s shown so far, meaning game action is crucially important. With no clear timeline for the AHL, getting some ice time in Europe can only help him prepare for the upcoming season.

Boston Bruins Re-Sign Jake DeBrusk

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The Boston Bruins have finally signed Jake DeBrusk, inking the restricted free agent forward to a two-year deal. The new contract will carry an average annual value of $3.675MM. DeBrusk was not eligible for salary arbitration. PuckPedia reports the salary breakdown:

  • 2020-21: $2.5MM
  • 2021-22: $4.85MM

It’s hard to know exactly what DeBrusk is for this Boston team. Is he the fourth musketeer behind David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, and Brad Marchand, able to elevate a second line and provide enough secondary scoring to make the Bruins perennial Stanley Cup contenders? Or is he the inconsistent winger that scored just 35 points last season and bounced all over the lineup? After his 27-goal output in just 68 games during the 2018-19 season many may have answered the former, but this bridge deal proves that it is not yet decided.

Now 24, DeBrusk is a scouts dream, armed with speed, skill, and an in-your-face attitude that can knock opponents off their game (or into the press box). He has all the tools to be a top scoring threat in the NHL but is still frustratingly inconsistent and disappears too often. There’s no doubt that he can be an asset to any team, especially one like the Bruins who can usually (at least in recent times) look ahead to the playoffs before the season even begins. The postseason is where DeBrusk should thrive and he has shown he can be a difference-maker there, scoring 14 goals and 23 points in 49 games.

But the idea of signing him to a long-term, big-money deal still seems risky for the Bruins. This two-year bridge deal will give DeBrusk a chance to prove exactly what he is in the NHL and give Boston a better idea of how their financial situation will look down the road. Brandon Carlo will need a new contract after the upcoming season and Charlie McAvoy’s will now expire at the same time as DeBrusk—who, notably, will still be an RFA at the end of this deal. With Bergeron now firmly in his mid-thirties, David Krejci on the final year of his deal, and Zdeno Chara not even re-signed this fall, the veteran core of the Bruins could look very different by the time the team negotiates another contract with DeBrusk. If he has taken another step forward, perhaps he can be a part of the new core that takes over.

Of course, if there was any thought of moving on from the inconsistent winger this offseason, it probably went out the window when the Bruins received injury updates on Pastrnak and Marchand. Both players are expected to miss the beginning of the season after undergoing major surgery, meaning DeBrusk may actually get a chance to play next to Bergeron on the top line. At the very least he should receive increased minutes and a chance to prove he can produce at the very top of a lineup.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Urho Vaakanainen, Cooper Zech Loaned Overseas

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Two young Boston Bruins defensemen have been loaned overseas this morning, with Urho Vaakanainen heading to SaiPa in Finland’s top league and Cooper Zech heading to HK Nitra in Slovakia. Both players are expected back in North America when NHL training camps open.

Vaakanainen will grab the headlines here, especially after his name was included in trade speculation recently. The 21-year-old defenseman was a first-round pick in 2017 but has played just seven NHL games to this point. That doesn’t mean his potential has diminished, but the clock is ticking on his opportunity to show he can be a legitimate top-four option for the Bruins.

For now, Vaakanainen will return to the club he played for during the 2017-18 season, the last before he came to North America. The 6’1″ defenseman scored 11 points in 43 games as a teenager for SaiPa that year, while also suiting up for the Finns at the World Juniors. The shine that surrounded his prospect status then has dulled a bit in the meantime, so this is a great opportunity to get back on the ice and prove his development has not stalled.

For Zech, simply getting into some more games is the most important part of his loan. The 21-year-old signed a two-year with the Providence Bruins of the AHL in the spring of 2019, leaving Ferris State after just one season of college hockey. He scored 14 points in 45 games for Providence this season but needs to produce at an even higher rate if he is to ever be considered for an NHL spot.

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