Headlines

  • Penguins Announce Multiple Roster Moves
  • Ilya Samsonov Signs Two-Year Deal With HC Sochi
  • Devils Sign Jacob Markstrom To Two-Year Extension
  • Bruins’ Elias Lindholm Out Multiple Weeks
  • Avalanche Sign Martin Necas To Eight-Year Extension
  • Stars Sign Thomas Harley To Eight-Year Extension
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • MLB/NBA/NFL
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Flames Rumors

Pacific Notes: Carter, Monahan, Karlsson, Reaves

September 15, 2018 at 3:58 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

The Los Angeles Kings were expecting to have a lot of healthy players returning to the fold this season, most especially Jeff Carter, who went down after six games last season when he was cut with a skate across his left leg, cutting tendons and requiring surgery. The 33-year-old finally returned for a 21-games stint at the end of the season and performed well.

However, Josh Cooper of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Carter admitted Friday that he’s still not 100 percent and still needs more time to get his ankle back in shape. Coach John Stevens said that it’s not likely Carter’s ankle will ever return to normal.

“I think he really made good progress in terms of getting back to a state of normalcy with his leg. I don’t think it’s ever going to be like it was, but I think he put a lot of work in this summer,” Stevens said. “I think he made big strides in getting closer back to where he was – a little more explosive out of the hole. He didn’t have as much irritation around the joint that he had before. I think he’s a lot further ahead now than he was when he came back last year and played.”

After returning for 21 regular season games, Carter later admitted that his ankle wasn’t truly ready and needed more rehab. Although he scored 12 goals in that span, he struggled with his ankle and was held scoreless in the four-game playoff series against the Golden Knights. Carter’s success is critical for the team’s playoff run as Carter was coming off a 32-goal season the previous year and the team hopes he can duplicate that this year, which might be more difficult for Carter now.

  • After four surgeries this summer, there were a lot of questions whether Calgary Flames center Sean Monahan would truly be healthy at the start of the season. However, the Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson writes that Monahan looked good to go as Monahan potted a goal in their preseason opener Saturday morning against Boston. Despite struggling through a season with numerous nagging injuries, including issues with his wrist, Monahan still managed to post 31 goals last season. Now with a healthy wrist, among other things, he looks ready to improve on that. “I liked his game. I really liked it,” said teammate Mark Giordano. “He had a deadly shot with a half a wrist. So now that he’s fully healed, his hips are good, his groins are good, his wrist is good … I’m excited.”
  • While there was never any rumors surrounding Erik Karlsson and the Edmonton Oilers, many fans around the league were quite outraged when they saw Karlsson headed to division-foe San Jose instead. Considering their desperate need for a dominant defenseman and the fact that the Sharks didn’t give up any significant roster players in the trade, the Oilers were never in any negotiations, because Karlsson had no interest in going there, according to the Edmonton Journal’s David Staples. “You know, he’d be nice to have here,” said Chiarelli. “We weren’t on his list. It was really a non-starter from the beginning. But they got one puck over there, they got a lot of good defenceman. So we’ll see what happens there. But that’s a heckuva ‘d’ over there now.”
  • Las Vegas Sun’s Jesse Granger reports that Vegas Golden Knights’ bruiser Ryan Reaves suffered a skate to the face Friday near his left eye, requiring 20 stitches. The injury was very close to his left eye, making him a lucky man. The 31-year-old winger was signed to a two-year deal this offseason at $2.78MM AAV despite only posting four goals and 10 points between Pittsburgh and Vegas last season. Reaves, however, blended well into Vegas’ locker room and provided an impact on the team’s energy line. He was already back on the ice Saturday.

 

Calgary Flames| Edmonton Oilers| Injury| John Stevens| Los Angeles Kings| Vegas Golden Knights Erik Karlsson| Jeff Carter| Mark Giordano

1 comment

Snapshots: Orpik, Ennis, Bruins-Flames

September 14, 2018 at 7:11 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

While the irony of the situation was clear all along, the assumption was that there was no issue with the Washington Capitals’ trade of Brooks Orpik to Colorado earlier this off-season, the Avalanche’s subsequent buyout of Orpik’s contract, and then the veteran defenseman re-signing with the Caps. However, GM Brian MacLellan told The Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno that the team actually underwent a thorough investigation from the NHL. The league questioned Washington executives about the team’s trade and later signing of Orpik to a lesser salary than the one bought out. It is illegal for a team to re-sign any player they themselves initially bought out, but Orpik was bought out by Colorado. As such, the investigation did not uncover any conspiracy; the league found that the Capitals conducted themselves “above board”, as MacLellan put it. He stated that there would be no further repercussions from what seems to just be an honest coincidence. Whyno reached out to NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, who confirmed that the Capitals were cleared of any alleged wrongdoing. The Capitals are now set to save significant cap space on the same services. Had they held on to Orpik this summer, he would be making $5.5MM against the cap. Instead, they were able to sign him to a $1MM deal with incentives that is much kinder to their salary cap crunch. It’s fair to be skeptical of that circumvention, but MacLellan affirms that the team “did everything by the book”, making it simply shrewd business management on their part.

  • One player who wasn’t as fortunate as Orpik following his buyout is forward Tyler Ennis. After injuries forced Ennis out of Buffalo last summer, with the Sabres trading him to the Wild, Minnesota also couldn’t get the former rising star going and bought out the remainder of his contract earlier this summer. Ennis’ value has plummeted so far over the past three seasons that it completely overshadowed the fact that he recorded 212 points in 345 games in the five seasons prior. Ennis could only manage to land a one-year deal worth the minimum salary, a $650K pact with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that only came after a series of meetings with GM Kyle Dubas in which he had to sell himself to the young Toronto executive. Yet, TSN’s Kristen Shilton writes that this has done nothing but motivate Ennis. Speaking with determined veteran at the start of Leafs training camp, Ennis said “Absolutely, I have something to prove. There are a lot of people that doubt me, there are a lot of people that have written me off and I’m just here to show them I have a lot left to give… My goal is to show people that I can play, that I have a lot of talent still and I’m ready to work.” With William Nylander still unsigned and not in camp, Ennis has had the good fortune of filling his spot on a line with Matthews and Patrick Marleau thus far in camp, which is a good way for him to impress the Maple Leafs’ brass. Shilton notes that he has already impressed teammates and coaches alike thus far and could be well on his way to a key role in Toronto this season. It would be quite the rebound story for a player who is correct in his opinion that many people have counted him out, but those same people could soon be forced to change their minds.
  • Believe it or not, the NHL preseason kicks off in just over six hours. The Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames are set to square off in Shenzen, China at the Universiade Sports Center in the first of two match-ups of the 2018 O.R.G. NHL China Games. Despite the odd timing for fans in North America, both the NHL Network and Sportsnet will air the contest, which begins at 2:30 AM Boston time and 12:30 AM Calgary time. For those staying up for the first game of the 2018-19 season, both the Bruins and Flames have released their split squad rosters who have made the trip and will compete in the series. Tonight’s game marks the beginning of Boston’s evaluation of several young forwards fighting for a top-six right wing spot and third-line center spot, while Calgary must determine both who their primary backup goaltender and how the bottom-six will work out.

Boston Bruins| Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Colorado Avalanche| Legal| Minnesota Wild| NHL| Snapshots| Toronto Maple Leafs| Washington Capitals Bill Daly| Brooks Orpik| Patrick Marleau| Salary Cap| Tyler Ennis| William Nylander

0 comments

Minor Transactions: 9/13/18

September 13, 2018 at 7:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The notable transactions around the NHL today have been anything but “minor”, as the start of training camp has led to some major moves of late. However, many decisions of a much smaller magnitude continue to be made by teams preparing for the preseason, as well as players still looking for a contract this season:

  • Much has been made of the Calgary Flames’ training camp roster, as the team has employed a number of high-profile tryout players as they send a portion of their squad to China to face off with the Boston Bruins. However, upon releasing their camp roster today, the Flames also revealed that two veteran defensemen have been signed to AHL contracts with their affiliate, the Stockton Heat. Although not previously announced, the Heat have inked Andrew O’Brien and Michael Paliotta to contracts. O’Brien, 25, is signing his first AHL contract, as the big stay-at-home defender has been under contract with an NHL in each of his five pro seasons. Following a three-year entry-level deal with the Anaheim Ducks, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013, O’Brien has bounced around from Anaheim, to the Nashville Predators, to the Dallas Stars over the past two seasons. In all three stops, O’Brien was not given a shot to play at the NHL level, making a minor league contract an unsurprising development. Paliotta, 25, was a teammate of O’Brien’s with the AHL’s Texas Stars last year, as the former third-round pick was unable to find a two-way contract last year after two pro seasons under contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Rangers. Unlike O’Brien, Paliotta does have a pair of NHL appearances to his credit. The roster also served as notice that defenseman Adam Ollas Mattsson has re-signed with the Heat. The former Flames draft pick was limited by injuries to just fourteen games in his first pro season and there was some question as to what was in store for his playing future. It seems that Ollas Mattson is content to stay in Stockton and prove he can play at the AHL level.
  • After being invited to Vancouver Canucks training camp, former Edmonton Oilers prospect Ben Betker has nevertheless signed with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. The team announced today that Betker and forward Wade Murphy has signed one-year contracts. It seems that Betker’s invite was likely a preemptive move to the defenseman signing with their “AA” affiliate. Fresh off his entry-level contract, the big rearguard still has plenty of work to do on his game before he can think about the NHL level. However, a strong camp experience in Vancouver could be a good start.
  • Several teams have already sent some of their rookie camp participants back to their junior clubs. The Montreal Canadiens have seen enough of many of their 2018 draft picks, as the team announced that they have returned forwards Cam Hillis, Allan McShane, Cole Fonstad, and Samuel Houde to their respective CHL teams. The Buffalo Sabres did the same with 2017 third-round defenseman Oskari Laaksonen, although he is set to return to his pro team, Ilves, of the Liiga in his native Finland. As did the Minnesota Wild with recent sixth-rounder Shawn Boudrias, who heads back to the QMJHL. These are just the beginning of the camp cuts which will dominate the news cycle of the next few weeks.

AHL| Buffalo Sabres| CHL| Calgary Flames| Dallas Stars| ECHL| Edmonton Oilers| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| QMJHL| Transactions| Vancouver Canucks

0 comments

Training Camp Notes: Kings, Gionta, Tryouts

September 13, 2018 at 6:23 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

When the Los Angeles Kings begin training camp tomorrow, they will be without three notable players. The team announced today that starting defenseman Derek Forbort, top prospect Gabriel Vilardi, and first-year pro Austin Strand will not be full participants when camp opens. Forbort, who is entering his fourth season as a Kings regular, is the least concern. A back injury will keep Forbort from taking part in team drills, but he is well enough to skate and is considered day-to-day. Regardless, Forbort has his top-six role locked in to begin this year and will likely resume playing with Dion Phaneuf after the two found chemistry late last year. The same can’t be said for Vilardi and Strand, who are fighting for roster spots in camp but at this point are considered week-to-week. Vilardi, the eleventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, is also suffering from a back injury and is completely sidelined for now. The young center could play a major role for L.A. this year, but has to first get on the ice this month and prove he is ready for the NHL. Strand, an undrafted free agent inked by the Kings last season, is hoping to get a shot on the blue line at some point this season. However, the standout from the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds must first get over the concussion symptoms that are currently keeping him from practice and game action. In the meantime, the Kings revealed their camp roster with some extra bodies invited to perhaps make up for these injuries. Junior players Nathan Dunkley, Mark Rassel, and Michal Ivan – one from each of the three CHL leagues – are set to join the team on tryouts.

  • The New York Islanders weren’t willing to give Stephen Gionta a contract extension last summer, but the team ended up re-signing the veteran forward in December. This time around they are still unwilling to give Gionta a guaranteed contract, but they are willing to give him a shot at earning a spot in camp. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports that Gionta will join the team on a PTO in camp as he works to play a 13th pro season. Gionta, the younger brother of Brian Gionta, played for the New Jersey Devils organization for parts of eleven seasons, but has suited up for the Islanders and their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, for the past two years.
  • Gionta and the Kings’ junior tryouts are far from the only camp invitees across the league. As teams have announced their camp rosters, many previously unannounced PTO’s have been revealed. The defending champion Washington Capitals have invited Canadian collegiate forward Mark Simpson and WHL goalie Logan Thompson to camp. Their Stanley Cup competitors, the Vegas Golden Knights, will have junior forwards Raphael Harvey-Pinard and Ryan Chyzowski among their participants. The Anaheim Ducks will take a look at QMJHLers Justin Ducharme and Simon Benoit. The Edmonton Oilers add yet another PTO in former Detroit Red Wings prospect forward Luke Esposito. The Nashville Predators have just one additional skater in camp in WHL center Alex Overhardt. The Montreal Canadiens bring in some nearby QMJHL talent with keeper Samuel Harvey and forward Joel Teasdale. The New Jersey Devils will give ECHL goaltender Colton Phinney a shot, as well as junior blue liner Jeremy Groleau. The Detroit Red Wings host six junior players, as well as two of their ECHL affiliate’s players: defensemen Mackenze Stewart and Brenden Kotyk. The Minnesota Wild will also have a large group of tryouts, including twin forwards Drake and Darian Pilon. Finally, the Calgary Flames have invited surprise undrafted OHL defenseman Merrick Rippon to camp, while the Chicago Blackhawks will evaluate his Ottawa 67’s team mate, forward Shaw Boomhower. 

AHL| Anaheim Ducks| CHL| Calgary Flames| Chicago Blackhawks| Detroit Red Wings| ECHL| Edmonton Oilers| Injury| Los Angeles Kings| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| Nashville Predators| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders| OHL| QMJHL| Vegas Golden Knights| WHL| Washington Capitals Brian Gionta| Derek Forbort| Dion Phaneuf

0 comments

Familiar Names Fill Calgary Flames Training Camp Roster

September 13, 2018 at 4:42 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

The Calgary Flames announced their training camp roster today, and there are plenty of players on professional tryout agreements that will be familiar to NHL fans. We had already heard reports of Jeff Glass, Viktor Svedberg and Logan Shaw, but they’ll be joined by Philip Samuelsson, Ryan Sproul, Scott Sabourin, Justin Auger, Duncan Siemens and Gilbert Brule. The Flames of course have part of their roster in China to take on the Boston Bruins in two exhibition matches, meaning they needed more bodies than normal

Still, to see the likes of Brule back with an NHL organization is surprising. Originally selected sixth overall in 2005 by the Columbus Blue Jackets, Brule hasn’t played in North America since 2013-14, suiting up in the KHL for the past four seasons. He did however suit up for Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics, scoring three points in five games to earn a bronze medal.

Brule isn’t the only high draft pick invited, as Siemens was also selected in the first round. The 11th-overall pick by Colorado back in 2011, Siemens never could really crack the NHL and ended up failing to even receive a qualifying offer at the end of last season. The big physical defenseman has simply never been good enough with the puck on his stick to get to the next level, and would have to really impress in training camp to earn a contract with the Flames.

Calgary Flames Gilbert Brule| Logan Shaw| Philip Samuelsson

3 comments

Logan Shaw To Attend Calgary Flames Training Camp

September 11, 2018 at 3:10 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Calgary Flames have signed another veteran forward to a professional tryout, this time bringing in Logan Shaw according to Kristen Anderson of Postmedia. Shaw finished the season with the Montreal Canadiens, but was not issued a qualifying offer and became an unrestricted free agent.

Shaw, 25, was selected in the third round by the Florida Panthers in 2011 and slowly worked his way through their minor league system including a stint in the ECHL. In 2015 he made his NHL debut and played 53 games for the Panthers, lining up mostly on the wing. That was the last chance he’d get in Florida though, as he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks during the 2016-17 season to the Anaheim Ducks and became a part-time NHL player for them. In 97 games for the Ducks over two seasons, Shaw recorded 18 points and showed that he could play center in a pinch.

When his role with the Ducks diminished and he was put on waivers this past season, the Canadiens claimed him and used his versatility to fill out the bottom of their roster. Scoring six points in 30 games with Montreal, Shaw actually saw the most ice time of his career. That didn’t earn him a contract though, and he’ll be hard pressed to fight his way onto the Calgary roster. Already the Flames had several players battling for fourth line spots this season given their additions further up the lineup, and it’s hard to see any inside track Shaw might have. Still, he’ll be able to showcase his skills and prove that he still belongs at the NHL level somewhere around the league.

Calgary Flames| Montreal Canadiens Logan Shaw

0 comments

Minor Transactions: 09/11/18

September 11, 2018 at 2:40 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The hockey world keeps spinning as we prepare for NHL training camps this week. We’ll keep track of the minor moves right here:

  • The Rochester Americans have signed Anthony Florentino, Eric Knodel, Alex Wideman and Michael Houser to one-year AHL contracts. The minor league franchise is working hard to bring in culture of winning and has been remaking the entire organization this summer. These four will likely see more time in the ECHL this season but provide valuable depth for a hopeful playoff run.
  • The Manitoba Moose have signed Emile Poirier accoridng to J.F. Plante of Le Droit. Selected in the first round of the 2013 draft, Poirier never could crack the Calgary Flames line up on a regular basis and didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the team this offseason. Publicly battling with alcohol abuse, Poirier told Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun that he had put that part of his life behind him and is focusing on hockey. He’ll have to fight hard to make it back to the NHL, but at just 23 years old there is still a chance he can make an impact.

AHL| Calgary Flames| ECHL| Transactions

0 comments

2018-19 Season Primer: St. Louis Blues

September 9, 2018 at 2:59 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the St. Louis Blues.

Last Season: 44-32-6 record (94 points), fifth in the Central Division (failed to reach the playoffs)

Remaining Cap Space: $284,845 per CapFriendly

Key Additions: F Ryan O’Reilly (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Tyler Bozak (free agent, Toronto Maple Leafs); F David Perron (free agent, Vegas Golden Knights); F Patrick Maroon (free agent, New Jersey Devils); G Chad Johnson (free agent, Buffalo Sabres); F Brian Flynn (free agent, Dallas Stars); D Tyler Wotherspoon (free agent, Calgary Flames); F Jordan Nolan (free agent, Buffalo Sabres)

Key Departures: F Kyle Brodziak (free agent, Edmonton Oilers); G Carter Hutton (free agent, Buffalo Sabres); F Patrik Berglund (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Vladimir Sobotka (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Tage Thompson (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Wade Megan (free agent, Detroit Red Wings); F Beau Bennett (free agent, Dinamo Minsk (KHL)); Petteri Lindbohm (free agent, Laussane (Swiss League))

[Related: Blues Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Player To Watch: G Jake Allen — The team has upgraded its offense, already had a solid defense and has several of their top prospects banging on its door, hoping to get into their rotation this year. What they didn’t do much with is their goaltending. Allen, once considered the franchise goalie, has now struggled for more than a full season, but with three years at $4.35MM per season still on the books, he’s not going anywhere this year.

The 28-year-old netminder struggled down the stretch during the 2016-17 season, but his consistency got even worse last year when he posted a .906 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA in 59 games. The team was forced to use Hutton on many occasions to replace the struggling goaltender. In hopes of redeeming his job, Allen has said that he has changed some of his training methods this summer and hopes to come into camp and prove that he is the starting goaltender.

The team had better hope that he can, because the team lost Hutton to the Buffalo Sabres in the offseason and replaced him with Johnson, who struggled in a one-year stint in Buffalo, albeit behind an atrocious defense. The team does have prospect Ville Husso waiting in the AHL, but many believe he still needs at least one year of seasoning there before he can challenge Allen for his job.

Key Storyline: The offense has been thoroughly upgraded in the last few months and it will be up to the team to find a way to gel and make it work. One key story will be whether they can get the breakout performance that everyone in the NHL has been waiting for from Vladimir Tarasenko. The winger posted three impressive seasons coming into last year, including a 37, 40, 39-goal seasons. However, while the 26-year-old still had a solid season last year, his 33 goals was a disappointment for a player who many felt was closer to a 40-goal scorer than a 30-point scorer.

One possibility to Tarasenko’s season could come down to the addition of O’Reilly. Adding a top-line center will be critical and if the two can co-exist, then you might see the development of a superstar as Tarasenko and Paul Stastny had limited chemistry together. There is also a likelihood that Maroon, who played together with Connor McDavid in Edmonton for a while, could add his physicality to that first line and give Tarasenko an even better chance to have a big season.

Overall Outlook: Looking at the massive changes to the team, especially at the forward position means the team expects to win now. The franchise has put a lot of expectations on head coach Mike Yeo and the team as they are expected to not just make the playoffs, but compete for the Central Division title. That’s a tough chore for any Central Division team if you assume that the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets will likely assume the first two spots in the division. That leaves just two playoffs spots for the rest of the division that includes the Minnesota Wild, who have been to the playoffs for six straight years, an improving Dallas Stars team, a young impressive Colorado Avalanche franchise and the Chicago Blackhawks who are trying to prove that their run isn’t over just yet. If the team fails to impress early on, that could put Yeo on the hot seat.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| Dallas Stars| Detroit Red Wings| Edmonton Oilers| Mike Yeo| Minnesota Wild| NHL| Nashville Predators| New Jersey Devils| Prospects| Season Previews 2018-19| St. Louis Blues| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vegas Golden Knights| Winnipeg Jets Beau Bennett| Carter Hutton| Chad Johnson| Connor McDavid| David Perron| Jake Allen| Jordan Nolan| Kyle Brodziak| Patrick Maroon| Patrik Berglund| Paul Stastny| Tyler Wotherspoon| Ville Husso| Vladimir Sobotka| Vladimir Tarasenko| Wade Megan

1 comment

Pacific Notes: Toffoli, Giordano, Goldobin, Pettersson

September 8, 2018 at 5:29 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

While the Los Angeles Kings did add Ilya Kovalchuk to their roster and have a healthy dose of veterans around, one key for the Kings will be whether the team can get Tyler Toffoli to show off more of his offensive prowess. The 26-year-old rebounded from a 13-goal season in 2016-17 to post a 24-goal season, but that’s still a far cry from the 31-goal season back in 2015-16 when he was considered one of the upcoming goal scorers in the league.

The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman (subscription required) writes that Toffoli feels that the team and especially coach John Stevens feel that it’s time for him to take that next step in his development.

“He obviously wants me to score more goals,” Toffoli said. “He said I didn’t have a bad season. Scoring 24 goals is not bad. He thinks that’s just something I need to focus on, bearing down on opportunities and not worrying about having the ups and downs.”

Many feel that Toffoli struggled over the last couple of years due to the lack of having Milan Lucic in 2016-17 as well as a healthy Jeff Carter playing alongside him last season. However, consistency has also been a problem as he tallied 11 goals in the first two months of the season and then struggled at different times to put numbers up, including one goal in January and just three goals in the Kings’ final 18 games, including going scoreless in the playoffs.

  • The Athletic’s Scott Kruikshank (subscription required) looks into the fitness level of Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano. The team’s top defender just turned 34 and remains in the best shape of his career. Giordano’s conditioning is one of the main reasons for his success. He has ranked first, first, first and second (last year to Michael Frolik) over the last four camps, despite his age. “I want to keep my speed as I get older,” Giordano says. “So I do a lot of strengthening of my hips and groins, working on some ankle-mobility stuff. Little things to keep my skating up to par. Speed and conditioning are the two things I like to focus on the most. But you need that strength out there, too.”
  • Jason Brough of The Athletic (subscription required) wonders who will win the final spot on the Vancouver Canucks first line with Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat. The scribe says the team has three candidates in mind for that final spot, including veteran Sven Baertschi as well as Brendan Leipsic and Nikolay Goldobin. While Baertschi might sound like a logical candidate as he got some time with them last season, Brough wonders whether the team is giving every opportunity to Goldobin or Leipsic to seize the spot, which would allow Baertschi to play on the second line. The team has been hoping Goldobin, in particular, is capable of breaking out this season. He tallied eight goals in 38 games last season.
  • The Vancouver Canucks got a flash of their upcoming future when top prospects Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Dahlen combined for three goals, three assists in Friday’s first game of the Young Stars Classic, according to Ed Willes of the Vancouver Sun. The two Swedes showed a chemistry together that suggests they could play together for a long time. Pettersson potted two goals, while Dahlen added a third. The two played together for parts of three years in the Timra system.

Calgary Flames| John Stevens| Los Angeles Kings| Vancouver Canucks Bo Horvat| Brendan Leipsic| Brock Boeser| Elias Pettersson| Ilya Kovalchuk| Jeff Carter| Jonathan Dahlen| Mark Giordano| Michael Frolik| Milan Lucic| Nikolay Goldobin| Sven Baertschi| Tyler Toffoli

0 comments

Viktor Svedberg To Attend Calgary Flames Training Camp

September 7, 2018 at 1:46 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Calgary Flames already added former Rockford IceHogs goaltender Jeff Glass on a professional tryout, and he’ll be joined by teammate Viktor Svedberg according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. Svedberg wasn’t re-signed by the Chicago Blackhawks this summer after his recent two-year one-way contract expired. He’ll try to earn a similar deal in Calgary, or at least catch on with the organization for the next chapter in his hockey career.

Svedberg, 27, is a gargantuan defenseman that has flashed real shutdown potential in Rockford over the years but never quite put it all together for a lengthy run at the NHL level. He did receive 27 games with the Blackhawks in 2015-16, but they were spread between several stints and rarely did he receive an opportunity to really log substantial minutes. Last year he played 73 games in the AHL and recorded his career-high of 24 points, but doesn’t offer a ton of upside offensively for Calgary going forward. What he can bring, is an active stick that can reach nearly across the defensive zone given his 6’8″ frame and huge wingspan. While that may not be enough to jump into the Flames’ opening day roster, it should land him a role in the minor leagues somewhere.

There is a link between Rockford and new Calgary head coach Bill Peters, but Svedberg didn’t arrive from Sweden until after Peters had left to join Mike Babcock’s staff in Detroit. For the Flames, there is a need for extra bodies in camp given their preseason schedule that includes games in China, but there isn’t a ton of room on the roster for a player like Svedberg. Already the Calgary management team will have to decide between players like Dalton Prout, Rasmus Andersson and Josh Healey for the last few spots unless injuries occur over the next few weeks. Brett Kulak would appear to have the inside track for the third pairing given his 71-game season in 2017-18, but also was placed on and cleared waivers prior to his arbitration hearing this summer. The team could easily go in a different direction, which should give Svedberg at least a small sliver of hope as he heads to training camp.

Calgary Flames| Chicago Blackhawks

0 comments
« Previous Page
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Penguins Announce Multiple Roster Moves

    Ilya Samsonov Signs Two-Year Deal With HC Sochi

    Devils Sign Jacob Markstrom To Two-Year Extension

    Bruins’ Elias Lindholm Out Multiple Weeks

    Avalanche Sign Martin Necas To Eight-Year Extension

    Stars Sign Thomas Harley To Eight-Year Extension

    Blues Recall Dalibor Dvorsky

    Mammoth Sign Logan Cooley To Eight-Year Extension

    Devils’ Brett Pesce Out At Least One Month

    Blues’ Jake Neighbours Out Five Weeks With Right Leg Injury

    Recent

    Evening Notes: Murphy, Josi, Team Canada

    Penguins Announce Multiple Roster Moves

    Canucks Place Vitali Kravtsov On Unconditional Waivers

    Lightning To Activate Maxwell Crozier From Injured Reserve

    Oilers Activate Alec Regula From Injured Reserve

    Flames Recall Yan Kuznetsov

    Predators Recall Zachary L’Heureux

    Sabres Recall Noah Ostlund

    Blues Release Milan Lucic

    Minor Transactions: 11/03/2025

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Mammoth Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • 2025’s Top 50 Unrestricted Free Agents
    • Rasmus Andersson Rumors
    • Erik Karlsson Rumors
    • Rickard Rakell Rumors
    • Bryan Rust Rumors

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
    • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
    • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
    • Active Roster Tracker
    • Offseason Trade Tracker
    • PTO Tracker 2025
    • Summer Synopsis Series 2025
    • Training Camp Rosters 2025
    • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
    • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls

     

     

     

     

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Commenting Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version