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Boston Bruins Sign Ryan Fitzgerald, Emil Johansson

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The Boston Bruins have announced the signings of two of their past draft picks, inking Ryan Fitzgerald and Emil Johansson to two and three-year entry level contracts respectively. Both have also signed amateur tryouts for the remainder of this season, and will immediately join the Providence Bruins.

Fitzgerald, 22, was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 entry draft before heading to Boston College for four seasons. Scoring 132 points in 152 games in his college career, he showed that his small stature won’t stop him. Fitzgerald stands at just 5’10” 177-lbs, but has always played on the edge and will do anything to win a puck battle. His time at BC has only improved his game, and he should be a candidate to secure an NHL job down the line if he can bring the same energy and work ethic to professional hockey.

We wrote about Johansson earlier this week when it was reported he may join the P-Bruins before the weekend. Logging over 20 minutes a night in Sweden this season, he proved he can play at the professional level against men much older than him. The 20-year old, seventh-round draft pick will try to prove the same thing as Fitzgerald: size doesn’t matter. Standing 5’11” 194-lbs, Johansson isn’t that far off what the average NHL defenseman is, and with his puck moving ability and excellent skating, he should find success in the North American game.

While neither Fitzgerald or Johansson should be considered front-runners for NHL jobs next fall, both will be pushing up from the AHL for 2017-18 call-ups. With their development floors likely being successful AHL players, each will try to make enough of an impact to warrant a look at the top level while building on what has made them successful so far.

Atlantic Notes: Soshnikov, Melnyk, White

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Maple Leafs fans will see Eric Fehr in action for the first time tonight when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets according to Kristen Shilton of TSN. The veteran forward will draw into the lineup for his first game since being acquired at the deadline from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Frank Corrado. He will be taking the place of Nikita Soshnikov, the young winger who was involved in multiple incidents in Monday’s game against the Boston Bruins.

Soshnikov first got under the skin of Bruins’ players and fans alike when he sent Patrice Bergeron into the boards head first with a crosscheck across the back, earning him just a two minute penalty (which Bergeron would match when he got up and went after the Leafs’ winger). Later in the game he took a hard hit from Zdeno Chara that seemed to rattle him, as he was seen rubbing his neck and skating unsteadily for the rest of the game. It was that unsteady nature that caused him to fall when Dominic Moore would collide with him in the dying minutes, giving the Maple Leafs a powerplay that ended up winning the game. There is no word on what the extent of the injury is for Soshnikov, but a concussion would not be out of the question.

East Notes: Oshie, Beleskey, Sorokin, Soderstrom

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Capitals GM Brian MacLellan has spoken with representatives for right winger T.J. Oshie regarding a contract beyond this season, notes Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post.  However, given the number of key potential unrestricted free agents the team has (not to mention the looming expansion draft), it’s unlikely that a deal will get done between now and the end of the season.

Oshie is in his second season in Washington and there’s a strong case to be made that he’s having the best season of his career.  Through 58 games this season, he has a career high 29 goals along with 20 assists.  Accordingly, he could wind up being the top free agent to hit the open market, something our Zach Leach took a closer look at over the weekend.

Other unrestricted free agents of note that the Caps have in July include defensemen Karl Alzner and Kevin Shattenkirk as well as wingers Justin Williams and Daniel Winnik.  The team already has a little more than $50MM committed to next season per CapFriendly and also have several key restricted free agents to re-sign, including center Evgeny Kuznetsov, winger Andre Burakovsky, and defenseman Dmitry Orlov.

Elsewhere around the East:

  • In his latest mailbag, CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty wonders if the Bruins may revisit the idea of dealing winger Matt Beleskey in the summer. The 28 year old has struggled considerably in his second season with Boston, collecting just eight points (3-5-8) through 41 games this season, hardly the type of production they were expecting when they signed him to a five year, $19MM contract in the summer of 2015.  The Bruins are likely heading for a long-term extension with David Pastrnak this coming offseason and could certainly benefit from clearing out Beleskey’s contract.  He is only a year removed from a career best 37 point season so while his market may be low, there could still be some interest around the league.
  • Islanders goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin is expected to remain in the KHL next season, reports Newsday’s Arthur Staple (Twitter link). Their third round pick (78th overall) in 2014, Sorokin has been one of the top goalies in the KHL the last two seasons and posted a stellar 1.69 GAA and a .929 SV% in 39 regular season games this season.  As for fellow goalie prospect Linus Soderstrom, a 2014 fourth rounder (95th overall), Staple adds that New York may sign him but allow him to remain in Sweden for one more year.  Soderstrom posted a sparking 1.34 GAA and a .943 SV% in 22 games in the SHL this season.  As internationally-drafted prospects, the Islanders have four years from their draft class to sign each player so there is no imminent deadline to get something done.

Draft Pick Notes: White, Johansson, Radke, Mattsson

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Jeff Cox is reporting that the Ottawa Senators and prospect Colin White will be signing a contract within the next 24 hours, though still there is no indication whether it will be for this year or next. Recently we wrote about the choice the Senators and White have, between adding him for a playoff run and burning a year of his entry-level contract, or signing him to an amateur tryout and letting him get his feet wet in Binghamton before likely making the roster next season.

White has had another solid season at Boston College, and is widely expected to turn pro. The 21st-overall pick in 2015 has shown an ability to play in both ends of the rink, and could legitimately help a team that has had injury troubles over the past month. Since White is already 20 years old, he would not fall under any entry-level slide regardless of how many games he plays. If the contract is signed for this year to allow him to play in the NHL, he would burn a year.

  • Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reports that Emil Johansson could join the Providence Bruins this weekend. Boston’s seventh-round pick in 2014 had a very good season for Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League, scoring 17 points in 49 games and generally playing more than 20 minutes a night on the team’s top pairing. If he does come over to North America he’ll be an interesting name for the Bruins to follow, to see if he can develop into a NHL-capable puck moving defenseman.
  • The Stockton Heat—Calgary’s AHL affiliate—have signed Adam Ollas-Mattsson to an ATO, bringing him over from Sweden where he had been playing with Johansson for Djurgardens. Not playing nearly as much, though still suiting up for 52 games, Ollas-Mattsson registered just four points this season. The sixth-round pick of the Flames in 2014, he possesses size and strength capable of playing against grown men and has shown it since he was 17 in the highest Swedish league.
  • Scott Powers of The Athletic reports that Roy Radke has signed an ATO with the Rockford IceHogs after his OHL season finished. The sixth-round pick of the Blackhawks had 36 points in 45 games this season for the Barrie Colts, and will try to prove he deserves an entry-level contract this summer. The 20-year old hasn’t developed into the power forward Chicago had hoped for, though obviously there is still quite a while before you can write him off.

Evening Snapshots: Callahan, Michalek, Backes

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Detroit Red Wings reassigned forward Mitch Callahan back down to the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins. Callahan went pointless in his four games this March while averaging 7:15min a night. The former sixth round draft pick fared better in the AHL, where he put up 14G and 22A in 53 games. Callahan is in the final year of his contract—worth $600K at the NHL level—and though he was drafted by the New York Rangers in 2009, he’s only played for the Red Wings organization so far in his career.
  • Arizona Coyotes defenseman Zbynek Michalek makes his season debut tonight against the Nashville Predators, reports AZ Central’s Sarah McLellan. Michalek has spent the entire season with the Tucson Roadrunners in the AHL, scoring 6G and 8A in 43 games. He also scored one goal in three World Cup of Hockey games for his native Czech Republic. This is Michalek’s third stint with the Coyotes. He was signed by the Minnesota Wild in 2001 but traded to the Coyotes in 2005. The Coyotes then traded Michalek to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2010 only to acquire him right back in 2012. He was then traded to the St. Louis Blues in 2015 before re-signing with Arizona in the offseason.
  • Boston Bruins forward David Backes will play tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins announced that Backes joined the team for warmups after missing the pregame skate this morning due to illness. The Bruins will need all hands on deck tonight as they play the Maple Leafs in a game with significant playoff importance. The Maple Leafs are only three points back of the Bruins for 3rd in the Atlantic Division, and the Maple Leafs have a game in hand.

Bruins Recall Acciari And Kuraly On Emergency Basis

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The Boston Bruins don’t play again until tomorrow night, but that hasn’t stopped them from using an emergency recall on two AHL forwards this morning. The team announced that forwards Noel Acciari and Sean Kuraly have been called up from the Providence Bruins. The pair arrived in Boston earlier today in time for practice and are expected to join the team in Toronto for tomorrow’s game.

Though it is unclear why, both Patrice Bergeron and Drew Stafford did not participate in practice this morning, in addition to Tim Schaller, who remains out, so the team was forced to take steps to fill the gaps that those top nine forwards would leave if they cannot play against the Maple Leafs. The Bruins already have rookies Peter Cehlarik and Austin Czarnik on the roster, though inactive for the past few games, but these call-ups provide coach Bruce Cassidy with options should he have to replace Bergeron and Stafford for an important division matc-up with playoff implications on Monday night.

Acciari, 25, was a regular in the Bruins lineup earlier this season after breaking in to the NHL in 2015-16, but an injury kept him sidelined in Boston and led to a demotion to the P-Bruins for recovery purposes, only he was never recalled after healing. The former Providence College star and Johnston native may feel right at home in Rhode Island, but his strong two-way play and hockey sense suggest that he should be playing a checking line role in Boston next year. So far the points have been few and far between in the NHL, where he had one assist in 19 games last year and two assists in 19 games this year. However, his AHL scoring pace has increased this season and he continues to be one of the more dependable defensive forwards in the minors.

Kuraly has not had the same opportunity to show his skill set in Boston, as he has played in just five NHL games in this, his first pro season, and has yet to record a point in limited minutes. However, Kuraly may have some more upside and versatility than Acciari. The former Miami University captain and a fifth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2011, Kuraly too is a defense-first two-way forward, but also contributes on the offensive side of the ice. Kurlay has 13 goals and 11 assists in 50 games with Providence in 2016-17 and has played a major role for the talented AHL team.

 

College Notes: Hayden, Doherty, Kelleher

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Fresh off inking his entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, former Yale center John Hayden will make his NHL debut tonight when the ’Hawks take on the Ottawa Senators. Hayden, Chicago’s third-round pick in 2013, recorded 21 goals and 13 assists in his 2016-17 senior season. The Blackhawks clearly believe that he is ready to continue scoring, as they’ll throw him into the fire of NHL action less than a week removed from NCAA game play. Regardless of Hayden’s participation level for Chicago down the stretch and in the postseason, playing in just this one game tonight will effectively use up the first of his two-year deal, so the ’Hawks certainly hope that his play will justify their decision.

  • Hayden’s Yale teammate, winger Mike Doherty, has also joined the pro ranks, but not the NHL just yet. Doherty has reportedly agreed to a deal with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. For the Reading, Mass. native, the move gives him the chance to show his ability at the next level for the remainder of this season in hopes of earning a contract with his hometown Boston Bruins as a result. A four-year starter at Yale, Doherty is a two-way forward, capable of contributing modest offense, but in need of further development if he hopes to make it to the NHL one day. He’ll get the chance to continue that growing process in Providence, where Boston youngsters Frank Vatrano, Austin Czarnik, Peter Cehlarik, and more recently found their way.
  • Another New England collegiate prospect is soon to be on his way to the big leagues as well. University of New Hampshire speedster Tyler Kelleher is expected to sign with the New Jersey Devils, who have long been rumored to be the leading suitor for his services. Prior to the 2016-17 season, Kelleher was not on many NHL radars, as his size – just 5’6″, 161 lbs. – limited his potential. However, after scoring 63 points in 40 games this year, his explosive offense is now overshadowing his miniature stature. If the Devils can find a way to work Kelleher into their lineup without his size becoming a liability, they could be the beneficiaries of one of the best offensive skill sets in all of college hockey.

Snapshots: Pastrnak, Sabres, Keenan, Wideman

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The Bruins and representatives for winger David Pastrnak are interested in getting a long-term contract done instead of pursuing a bridge deal in the summer, reports CSN New England’s DJ Bean.  Pastrnak is slated to become a restricted free agent in July and is poised to land a significant raise from the $925K he is receiving this season in the final year of his entry level deal.

Bean adds that Pastrnak’s agent, J.P. Barry, is viewing Sean Monahan (Calgary), Filip Forsberg (Nashville), and Mark Scheifele as suitable comparable players for negotiations.  All of those players landed new deals worth at least $6MM last summer.  The Bruins should have the room to accommodate a long-term deal on their cap moving forward as well; they have a little over $61MM already committed next year to 17 players per CapFriendly.

Other news from around the hockey world:

  • The Sabres are planning to recall defenseman Taylor Fedun from Rochester of the AHL in time for Thursday’s game in Los Angeles, reports Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. He’s expected to take the place of Justin Falk, who has been ruled out of the lineup for at least the next two games.  Buffalo is also likely to have winger Hudson Fasching back in their lineup for the first time since late October.  The 21 year old has spent the last two months in the AHL after recovering from a groin injury, collecting seven points in 23 games in that span.
  • It appears Mike Keenan’s coaching career isn’t over just yet. The 67 year old is slated to become the new head coach of Kunlun of the KHL pending league approval of the contract, notes TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link).  The veteran of 1,440 career NHL games as a bench boss last coached back in 2015 with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL and won a Gagarin Cup with them back in 2014.  Keenan will have plenty of familiar with his team as he is currently serving as an advisor for them.
  • The NHL lost its appeal in New York court to vacate an arbitrators’ ruling that dropped Dennis Wideman’s suspension from last season from 20 to 10 games, reports TSN’s Rick Westhead (Twitter link). The league had made its case back in June to try to have the remainder of his suspension reinstated.  Wideman was suspended for hitting linesman Don Henderson but it was cut in half by arbitrator James Oldham last March.  The NHL dismissed Oldham back in July.

Minor Moves: Gillies, Froese, Bayreuther

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Brian Elliott is sick. Expected to start tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins and continue his recent hot streak, the netminder will be held off the ice entirely tonight. Chad Johnson will go in his stead, and Jon Gillies has been recalled to serve as the backup goaltender. This will serve as the prospect’s first taste of NHL action, despite him likely not getting onto the ice. According to Kristin Hallett of Flames TV, Gillies will be cutting it close for game time tonight as he caught a plane today to get to Calgary.

Wes Gilbertson of Postmedia reports that the Stockton Heat, where Gillies was set to play will be looking for an emergency backup of their own around San Diego. Emergency goalies are one of the best stories in hockey, ranging from video producers to bankers by day to professional hockey players by night. Someone in San Diego will likely be added to the trope tonight when the Heat take on the San Diego Gulls.

  • Byron Froese has been sent back down by the Tampa Bay Lightning after just a couple of days. The minor league forward played in one game while the Lightning continues to nurse Tyler Johnson and Vladislav Namestnikov back to health. Namestnikov played in Monday’s game as well, but aggravated the injury and is still questionable for tomorrow night’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The re-assignment of Froese however does signal good news on one of the centers (no, it’s likely not Steven Stamkos).
  • After announcing his signing late last night, the Dallas Stars—or, more accurately the Texas Stars—have signed Gavin Bayreuther to an amateur tryout and will see him join the AHL squad right away. The NCAA standout should help them right away, though they don’t have any playoff aspirations any longer. Bayreuther will get some professional experience before trying to crack the Dallas team next fall.

The Best Deal Of The Offseason: Brad Marchand

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When you think back on any signing season, your mind immediately goes to the big deals handed out to free agents. This season saw over $600MM dollars handed out on the first day of free agency, and was followed by a lucrative summer for tons of players. Because of the lack of a superstar name—thanks Steven, you couldn’t just wait another couple of days?—second-tier all-stars were given incredibly lucrative contracts. Recently, our Zach Leach took a look back at July 1st and the mistakes teams made, handing out term and money to players who were perhaps already over the hill.

Brad MarchandBut this offseason’s best deal may not have come until much later in the summer. In fact it didn’t happen in the summer at all, but on September 26th just a few weeks before the Boston Bruins would start their season. The Bruins were getting ready for their preseason debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets—a game they would lose in a shootout—while two thirds of their top line was prepping for the World Cup of Hockey final in Toronto.

It was that morning of the 26th that Bob McKenzie of TSN would report that the Bruins had completed a contract extension with Brad Marchand that would see him stay in Boston for another eight years. He would be paid $6.125MM each season with several different clauses attached. Even though he was starring at the World Cup alongside Sidney Crosby—and would score the tournament winning goal just a few days later, shorthanded with 44 seconds left—many people thought the deal was a huge overpay. In fact, the replies to McKenzie’s tweet are mixed at best, with it being hard to understand the value Marchand brought to the Bruins.

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