Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Flames Rumors

Oilers Close To Signing Russell

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Update (8:52am): The Oilers, via their team Twitter account, announced the agreement with Russell late last night.

On the heels of trading former #1 overall draft choice Nail Yakupov to St. Louis, the Edmonton Oilers are said to be on the verge of inking veteran, shot-blocking defenseman Kris Russell to a one-year deal, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Friedman hears the pact will be worth $3.1MM for 2016-17 and believes an official announcement likely will be made tomorrow.

How Russell will fit in with the Oilers remains to be seen. While the team certainly can use additional blue line help, Russell is a left-handed defenseman who is poised to join a roster that already boasts Andrej Sekera, Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse and Brandon Davidson, all of whom are left-handed as well. On the right side, the Oilers list Adam Larsson and Mark Fayne on their depth chart. Obviously, at least one port-side shooter will have to cross the ice and play his off side.

The lucrative, multi-year deal Russell and his representation expected this summer never materialized despite his reputation as a mobile blue liner willing to block shots. Of course his shot-blocking acumen is also one of the reasons some teams may have steered clear of Russell, as that quality has also been accompanied by poor puck possession metrics.

However, if the Oilers are simply interested in Russell as a capable, third-pair defender and someone who can chip in on the power play, they could do far worse than the 29-year-old former Flame, Blue Jacket, Blue and Star. Over the last three seasons, Russell has tallied seven goals and 43 points on the man advantage. Overall, Russell has recorded campaigns of 29, 34 and 19 points during the period from 2013-14 through 2015-16. In a somewhat sheltered role with limited responsibilities, Russell can certainly be a valuable addition for the Oilers.

Depending on how the 2016-17 season transpires for Edmonton, the club could always look to flip the nine-year veteran defender and hope for a package similar to that which Calgary received at this year’s trade deadline. The Flames sent Russell to Dallas and acquired a second-round pick and two prospects in exchange.

That this signing, presuming it in fact does become official, only came after the trade of Yakupov suggests the Oilers needed to move salary before adding Russell. Prior to the trade, Edmonton had plenty of available cap space – roughly $9.5MM – but it’s likely the team has its own internal budget and signing Russell may have meant exceeding that figure.

Barring a mid-season contract extension, Russell will hit the free agent market again next year in the hopes he can secure the multi-year deal he failed to find this summer.

Training Camp Cuts: 10.07.16

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It’s the final week of training camp, and teams are close to naming their opening night rosters. In order to do that, there are still a handful of cuts to be made.

Here are the cuts made on Friday, October 7, 2016:

Anaheim Ducks (via team release):
C Kalle Kossila (assigned to San Diego, AHL)
D Brandon Montour (assigned to San Diego, AHL)
D Shea Theodore (assigned to San Diego, AHL)

Boston Bruins (via Chris Johnston):
C Zac Rinaldo (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Providence, AHL)

Buffalo Sabres (via Bill Hoppe):
D Tyson Strachan (to Rochester, AHL)
C Cal O’Reilly (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Rochester, AHL)
D Taylor Fedun (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Rochester, AHL)

Calgary Flames (via Chris Johnston):
C Linden Vey (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Stockton, AHL)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Stockton, AHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via Mike Morreale):
G Anton Forsberg (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)
LW Markus Hännikäinen (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)
LW Sonny Milano (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)

Edmonton Oilers (via Frank Seravalli):
D Griffin Reinhart (assigned to Bakersfield, AHL)

Nashville Predators (via Chris Johnston):
LW Austin Watson (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Milwaukee, AHL)

New York Rangers (via Steve Zipay):
C Gabriel Fontaine (assigned to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
LW Nathan Gerbe (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Hartford, AHL)
LW Tanner Glass (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Hartford, AHL)
C Cristoval “Boo” Nieves (assigned to Hartford, AHL)
G Magnus Hellberg (assigned to Hartford, AHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team Twitter):
C Jake Guentzel (assigned to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)
RW Carter Rowney (assigned to Wilkes-Barre, AHL)

St. Louis Blues (via team release):
F Kenny Agostino (to Chicago, AHL)
F Ivan Barbashev (to Chicago, AHL)
F Samuel Blais (to Chicago, AHL)
D Jordan Schmaltz (to Chicago, AHL)
G Jordan Binnington (to Chicago, AHL)
D Mike Weber (released)

More to come…

RFA Focus: Johnny Gaudreau

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the season now just a week away, the pressure for teams to come to terms with their remaining restricted free agents really starts to increase.  Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau is the most notable RFA left on the market.  Here is a closer look at his situation.

2015-16

Last season was Gaudreau’s second in the NHL and he improved upon a strong rookie year with a stellar sophomore campaign.  He set career highs in goals (30), assists (48), and points (78) which not only gave him the team lead in scoring but also ranked him eighth overall in league scoring.  He also saw his ice time increase to 19:55 per game which was 13th highest among all NHL forwards.

Statistics

2015-16: 79 GP, 30 goals, 48 assists, 78 points, +4 rating, 20 PIMS, 217 shots on goal
Career: 160 GP, 55 goals, 88 assists, 143 points, +16 rating, 34 PIMS, 385 shots on goal

The Market

Unlike the other remaining RFAs, Gaudreau is not eligible to receive an offer sheet as he has not accrued three years of professional service time.  That really limits his leverage as GM Brad Treliving doesn’t have to worry about another team swooping in and making an offer that’s well above what they’re willing to pay.  Basically, Gaudreau’s only card to play is to hold out from signing until he gets the deal he’s looking for (or close enough to it).

Apr 7, 2016; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames left wing Johnny Gaudreau (13) during the face off against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary Flames won 7-3. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY SportsVarious reports over the summer have Gaudreau looking for a max term eight year contract worth around $8MM annually.  That would make him tied for the 14th highest cap hit in the league this season with Pittsburgh’s Phil Kessel.  All of the players with a higher cap hit are at least 27 years old; by comparison, Gaudreau is just 23.

Therein lies the problem.  With just two full seasons of NHL experience, Gaudreau doesn’t have a long history of consistent production like those making the most money do.  The last two players to get $8MM or more on a contract just two years into their careers were Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin ($8.7MM) and Washington’s Alexander Ovechkin (just over $9.5MM) and those deals were signed back in 2008 with both having a 100+ point season under their belts.  There simply isn’t much precedent for handing out that type of money to a player with the type of production that Gaudreau has.

Comparable Contracts

Filip Forsberg (Nashville) – Six years, $36MM – Forsberg signed this contract back in the summer after two straight 60+ point seasons.  While Gaudreau out produced him, Forsberg also carries the pedigree of being a first round pick which often is worth some extra money.  That said, had this deal been the eight years that Gaudreau is seeking, the AAV would come in higher than $6MM per season.

Sean Monahan (Calgary) – Seven years, $44.625MM – This deal was signed about six weeks ago with Monahan being arbitration-eligible.  He’s more of a well-rounded player than Gaudreau and is viewed as a possible captain of the future but Monahan’s career high in points is 63, well below what Gaudreau was able to produce last season.

Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis) – Eight years, $60MM – The Blues gave Tarasenko this deal last offseason following Tarasenko’s third NHL campaign, one in which he had just hit the 70 point mark for the first time in his career.  The Russian also has a similar profile to that of Gaudreau in that they’re both offense-first players who aren’t asked to log major defensive minutes.

By the way, the average cap hit for the seven players who finished ahead of Gaudreau in scoring last season is $7.04MM.

Projected Contract

Given that the season is nearing and the lack of precedent (and leverage), it’s hard to expect that Gaudreau’s next deal will start with an eight.  It’s going to have to come down and the only question is how much.

The Flames undoubtedly would like to get a deal closer to that of Monahan’s, locking up two key core forwards long-term at reasonable rates.  That may be a bit unrealistic as with offense at a premium, Calgary should have to pay more to get Gaudreau locked up than they did Monahan.

While it’s believed both sides would be happy with a maximum eight year term, perhaps cutting a year or two off that term may help bridge the gap.  Those seasons would be years where he would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency and accordingly, the money in those years would be higher.  If fewer UFA years are bought out, that should bring the asking price down towards a more palatable AAV.

One way or another, something should give sooner than later although Gaudreau’s agent noted to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman late last weekend that no talks had occurred since September 9th.  However, Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun reported that Treliving was expected to speak with Gaudreau and his agent on Wednesday.

Projection: Seven years, $49MM – It’s a compromise on term and money as the Flames pay more than they did for Monahan while still giving Gaudreau one of the richer deals coming off a rookie contract in recent years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Professional Try-Outs Remaining In Camp

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

We’re now two weeks into training camp, and there are still a handful of professional try-out contracts (PTOs) remaining in camp. With the difficult economic situation in the NHL, these veterans have been forced to take PTOs to try earn contracts.

Here’s an updated list:

Anaheim Ducks:
LW Sean Bergenheim
G Yann Danis
C Kyle MacKinnon

Boston Bruins:
D Christian Ehrhoff

Calgary Flames:
D Nicklas Grossmann
LW Chris Higgins
LW Lauri Korpikoski

Colorado Avalanche:
RW Gabriel Bourque
LW Rene Bourque

Columbus Blue Jackets:
G Brad Thiessen

Detroit Red Wings:
D Nathan Paetsch

Edmonton Oilers:
D Eric Gryba
RW Kris Versteeg

Los Angeles Kings:
RW Devin Setoguchi

Minnesota Wild:
LW Ryan Carter

New Jersey Devils:
G Anders Lindback

New York Islanders:
C Stephen Gionta

St. Louis Blues:
D Mike Weber

Toronto Maple Leafs:
LW Rich Clune
D Raman Hrabarenka
LW Brandon Prust
C Colin Smith

Vancouver Canucks:
RW Jack Skille
RW Tuomo Ruutu

Information via Cap Friendly.

Pacific Division Notes: Raymond, Etem, Coyotes

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Mason Raymond is out to prove that lightning does indeed strike twice as he works to earn a roster spot with the Anaheim Ducks. Shortly after the final year of his contract was bought out by the Calgary Flames, Raymond inked a one-year, two-way deal with Anaheim that guarantees the nine-year vet $675K while on an NHL roster and $225K if he’s suiting up in the AHL. It’s fair to say Raymond has reached a proverbial crossroads in his career, though as the Orange County Register’s Eric Stepens writes, the former Canuck, Leaf and Flame has history to fall back on as he attempts to make the Ducks roster.

Just three seasons ago Raymond was in a similar boat. Unsigned well into the summer of 2013, Raymond would eventually accept a PTO from Toronto and made the Leafs roster out of training camp. Playing for head coach Randy Carlyle, now behind the bench in Anaheim, Raymond saw action in all 82 games for the second time in his career and responded with a 45-point campaign. His 19 goals that year represented the second-highest single-season total of his career. He would parley that strong performance into a three-year deal with Calgary prior to the start of the 2014-15 season.

Raymond is hoping for a similar outcome in Anaheim and for his former Leafs bench boss. For his part, Carlyle believes Raymond can still contribute to an NHL team.

“He’s a talented player and he can score. He doesn’t need a lot of chances to score goals. I always used to use the analogy where some guys need 10 chances to score a goal. With Mason Raymond – when looking at him and watching his number of chances, he gets three or four and he scores a goal. That’s what his history has been, for me.”

Raymond’s chances of making the team went up after the Ducks released both David Booth and David Jones from their PTO’s. Sean Bergenheim, also in camp on a PTO, is still fighting for a job but the Ducks would have room for both players should they choose to go that route. If he can crack the roster, Raymond would add plenty of speed and some offensive potential in a bottom-six role.

Elsewhere in the NHL’s Pacific Division:

  • The Arizona Coyotes find themselves in rarefied air these days as the club can fairly be called a “cap team.” Most seasons, the Coyotes payroll ranks among the lowest in the league but this year they have the third highest projected salary cap hit according to Cap Friendly. Of course a significant chunk of space is taken up by the contracts of Chris Pronger, Pavel Datsyuk and Dave Bolland; players not even expected to suit up for Arizona this season barring an unexpected development. As Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo Sports writes, Coyotes GM John Chayka has an interesting perspective on the club’s sudden willingness to spend. He feels that Arizona’s commitment to spend to the cap ceiling this year is “good practice” as the team builds his roster into one capable of contention and the prices of players currently on ELCs begin to rise.  “As we grow this thing, there’s a day when we foresee ourselves being a cap team. It’s good practice.” 
  • Former first-round pick Emerson Etem may well be in jeopardy of losing his job in Vancouver opines The Province’s Ben Kuzma. Kuzma believes the top nine spots are locked up and that young forward Brendan Gaunce has done enough to make the team while Jake Virtanen should be on the roster come opening night. He goes on to note that Mikael Granlund has been better than Etem in the preseason and also suggests young Joseph LaBate has played well enough to garner consideration for one of the final roster spots up front. If Etem does in fact fail to make the team it would represent a low point in what has already been a disappointing career. Etem was selected by Anaheim with the 29th overall selection in the 2010 entry draft and would see action in 112 games with the Ducks before he was shipped off to the New York Rangers last summer as part of the package used to acquire Carl Hagelin. He failed to make an impact on Manhattan in 19 games and was shipped off mid-season to Vancouver in exchange for Nicklas Jensen. Etem would go on to net seven goals and 12 points in 39 games with the Canucks but now it looks as if his days in British Columbia may be numbered. The Canucks would have to expose the four-year veteran to waivers prior to sending him down to the AHL. It’s conceivable another club could take a flier on Etem’s talent should he hit the waiver wire.

 

Injury Notes: Monahan, Seguin, Kronwall

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

When Sean Monahan had to pull out of the World Cup with a back injury, many Flames fans clutched their hearts and hoped for the best. Indeed, with Johnny Gaudreau still without a contract, a Monahan injury could have spelled the end for the Flames before the season even started.

After returning to the ice a few days ago however, Monahan skated without the dreaded no-contact jersey today, according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet. A full participant in practice, Monahan should be ready for the start of the regular season. With a Gaudreau contract sounding at least a bit closer to a reality, perhaps Flames fans have nothing (or at least less) to worry about.

  • Another World Cup deserter, Tyler Seguin, will ramp up his skating workload today, according to Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. Seguin suffered a hairline fracture in his foot just before the tournament began, but has never been expected to miss the start of the regular season. Lindy Ruff stands by that, telling Heika that he assumes Seguin will be ready for opening night.
  • Niklas Kronwall, one of the injured Red Wings was on the ice for the first time today during his rehab of a knee injury. While Kronwall isn’t expected to take part in any preseason games, Ansar Khan of MLive reports that head coach Jeff Blashill thinks he has a chance at opening night in Tampa Bay next Thursday. Tomas Tatar, Frans Nielsen and Thomas Vanek all re-joined in practice today as well, the trio coming off the silver medal winning Team Europe.

No End To The Kris Russell Saga?

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Sportsnet’s Mark Spector posited today that the long-awaited signing of defenseman Kris Russell simply may not come. As Spector eloquently put it, he and his agent have simply “blown it”. After being such a hot commodity on the NHL trade market last year, it seems as though Russell and his representation misread the subsequent free agent market, believing he would be highly sought-after, and priced themselves out of a reasonable deal and a new home. Russell’s play style has been the subject of many debates, and it seems to be a forgone conclusion now that his skill set is being  devalued, just not to the player himself. Now, the opportunities are drying up and Russell is facing the possibility that his NHL days may be over.

Many people first identified Russell’s lengthy off-season hiatus as being “this year’s Cody Franson“. Last summer, Franson was reportedly unhappy with his original offers in July and was seemingly negotiating with several teams for months, before finally signing for less than expected with the Buffalo Sabres right before training camp. However, even that scenario has passed Russell by. Training camp is nearly over, most spots are filled, and multi-year, multi-million dollar deals are simply not available. As Calgary Flames beat writer Ryan Pike suggests, Russell has actually turned into this year’s Curtis Glencross. A former teammate of Russell’s in Calgary, like Russell, Glencross was in high demand at the NHL Trade Deadline in 2014. Like Russell, a team (the Washington Capitals) overpaid for his services at the end of the year. Like Russell, Glencross then priced himself out of where teams were comfortable paying him. He ended up waiting until September, bounced around a couple of training camps to no avail, and then simply retired due to lack of interest at just 33-years-old. Unless Russell gets lucky, he could be on the same path.

Now, Russell’s situation has definitely been effected by the strange situation occurring across the league with restricted free agents. No one could have guessed that, this late in the summer, players like Jacob Trouba and Hampus Lindholm would still be unsigned or that others like Cam Fowler or Braydon Coburn could have their names out on the rumor mill. There are definitely still teams that are waiting for the dominos to fall with several big-name RFA signings before they look to make moves on their blue line, but most have already built in safeguards with PTO’s, two-way investments, and young players. There is simply no guarantee that a team forced to trade a defenseman or a team that missed out on acquiring one of the big names will come calling for Russell. Russell may have an “old-fashioned” game, one that analytics pundits have shunned, but he is still a reliable hockey player. Spector believes that, at some point over the course of the season, Russell will likely find an NHL team to sign on with. However, the “inevitable” signing of Kris Russell is no more. He may be back, but he very well may not. That’s just the reality of today’s NHL.

Snapshots: RFA Updates, Oilers Injuries, Boyle

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Good news, Calgary Flames fans: Johnny Gaudreau isn’t interested in a trade to solve his contract impasse.

The star forward’s agent, Lewis Gross told Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman that they are not interested in taking the Jacob Trouba route. When asked if there’s a point where that could change, Gross reiterated that Gaudreau has “no intention of asking for a trade at this time.”

Friedman appeared on Sportsnet 960 in Calgary on Monday morning, and said while “at this time” may feel like a red flag, he “really felt” that Gaudreau has no desire to leave Calgary.

It’s not clear what both sides are looking for on a long-term deal, with the Flames likely wanting the contract to start with a six and Gaudreau wanting it to start with a seven or eight. However, Friedman believes “both sides move and this gets done.”

Friedman pointed to another high-profile RFA winger, Nikita Kucherov, as having no interest in being traded from Tampa Bay. However, the Lightning will likely have to make a trade to accommodate Kucherov’s demands.

Meanwhile, Friedman believes Arizona Coyotes winger Tobias Rieder is close to publicly requesting a trade, like Trouba did late last month. We reported last week that Rieder’s agent thinks a trade would be best for both sides.

In other news from around the hockey world:

  • The Oilers thin blue-line may be a little thinner for the near future, with Brandon Davidson being classified as day-to-day after being hit in the head by Los Angeles Kings’ winger Tanner Pearson. Pearson received a 5-minute major and a game misconduct for targeting Davidson’s head. The NHL will likely be taking a look at this one.
  • Edmonton will also be without the services of winger Iiro Pakarinen for at least a month after an ugly leg injury in Sunday night’s game. Pakarinen was battling in the corner with Kings defenseman Matt Greene when it appeared his skate caught a rut in the ice as he fell. The Finnish winger was expected to be a fourth line or extra forward in the NHL. He played 63 games with the Oilers last season, scoring 5 goals and 13 points.
  • With the news of Barret Jackman’s retirement coming on Monday, TSN’s Darren Dreger expects another veteran defenseman in Dan Boyle to announce his retirement sometime this week with the help of the San Jose Sharks.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/2/16

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The cuts continue to roll in, with several teams reducing their rosters by massive amounts as the regular season draws closer. Here are today’s cuts thus far:

Arizona Coyotes (Via AHL Team Release)
C Zach Boychuk (released from PTO)
LW Michael Bunting  (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
RW Craig Cunningham (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
RW Conor Garland (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
C Tyler Gaudet (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
D Justin Hache (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
G Adin Hill (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
C Ryan MacInnis (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
G Marek Langhamer (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
D Dysin Mayo (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
C Chris Mueller (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
LW Brendan Perlini (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
LW Garret Ross (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
RW Henrik Samuelsson (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
LW Eric Selleck (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)
D Kyle Wood (assigned to Tuscon, AHL)

Boston Bruins (Via Team Release)
D Linus Arnesson (assigned to Providence, AHL)
D Josh Atkinson (released to Providence, AHL)
LW Anton Blidh (assigned to Providence, AHL)
D Chris Breen (released to Providence, AHL)
D Chris Casto (waivers -> Providence, AHL)
C Colby Cave (assigned to Providence, AHL)
RW Peter Cehlarik (assigned to Providence, AHL)
D Tommy Cross (waivers -> Providence, AHL)
LW Jesse Gabrielle (returned to Prince George, WHL)
G Matt Ginn (released to Providence, AHL)
D Alex Grant (waivers -> Providence, AHL)
D Matt Grzelcyk (assigned to Providence, AHL)
LW Colton Hargrove (assigned to Providence, AHL)
RW Justin Hickman (assigned to Providence, AHL)
D Jeremy Lauzon (returned to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
G Zane McIntyre (assigned to Providence, AHL)
RW Peter Mueller (released from PTO)
F Mark Naclerio (released to Providence, AHL)
D Alex Roach (released to Providence, AHL)
RW Zach Senyshyn (returned to Sault Ste. Marie, OHL)
G Dan Vladar (assigned to Providence, AHL)
F A.J. White (released to Providence, AHL)
D Jakub Zboril (returned to Saint John, QMJHL)

Calgary Flames (Via Wes Gilbertson)
C Luke Adam (released from PTO)
D Rasmus Andersson  (assigned to Stockton, AHL)
F Austin Carroll (assigned to Stockton, AHL)
D Roman Dyukov  (assigned to Stockton, AHL)
LW Ryan Lomberg (assigned to Stockton, AHL)
LW Andrew Mangiapane  (assigned to Stockton, AHL)
G Tyler Parsons (returned to London, OHL)
RW Hunter Smith  (assigned to Stockton, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens
[reported earlier]

Tampa Bay Lightning
[reported earlier]

Snapshots: Tkachuk, Rinne, Red Wings

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Matthew Tkachuk scored the game winning goal for the Flames in their 2-1 victory over Vancouver Friday night. But all of Calgary took a collective sigh of relief after Tkachuk looked to suffer an injury early in the second period. Pat Steinberg tweeted the reaction as soon as Tkachuk was rocked into the boards by defenseman Joseph Labate. What appeared to be a serious injury barely kept him off the ice. Tkachuk returned to score the game winner and the sixth overall draft pick of the 2016 has looked good early on a line with Sam Bennett and Troy Brouwer. Calgary bench boss Glen Gulutzan said this about Tkachuk:

“(Brouwer) certainly helps and Bennie, they’ve got a little chemistry, but Matthew, he fits right in. He’s always around the net so he’s always picking up loose change.”

In other NHL notes:

  • Adam Vingan writes about Pekka Rinne and his approach to the game after playing for Team Finland in the World Cup of Hockey. The 33-year-old netminder has been fighting the perception that he is in decline and Vingan notes that Rinne was the rock of Nasvhille’s team for many years. Last season, Rinne had 66 starts, which was second in league for all goalies. Vingan points out, however, that Rinne led the league in starts with a save percentage less than 85 percent during eleven of those 66 starts. Regardless, the Preds don’t seem too concerned about Rinne’s performance. Captain Mike Fisher agreed with coach Peter Laviolette who said Rinne is capable of winning games for the Preds:

“We’re all excited to see him back. He’s a leader around here. Practices, games, he works so hard. He brings the level up by the way he competes.”

  • The Red Wings have trimmed their roster and included veteran Dan Cleary who was signed to a professional tryout. Cleary will now report to Grand Rapids, and it appears that his days, or opportunities with the Red Wings are over. Since signing again with Detroit during the 2013-14 season, Cleary has been in steep decline and a lightning rod of criticism from fans who felt he took a spot from younger players to play.

 

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