Snapshots: Savoie, Perron, Ritchie
The Dubuque Fighting Saints of the USHL made big news today, announcing that Matthew Savoie has decided to leave the AJHL and will join the team shortly. Savoie, 17, is one of the top prospects for the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, even though he was denied exceptional status by the WHL in 2019. Selected first overall in the WHL bantam draft that year, he played 22 games with the Winnipeg Ice in 2019-20 when he became eligible and had suited up four times for the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the AJHL this season.
Blazing speed and elite hockey sense are Savoie’s calling cards and they likely will get him selected in the first few picks come 2022. For now, he just needs to get back on the ice and continue his development as he prepares for a career in professional hockey. Meanwhile, his brother Carter Savoie, a fourth-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2020, is lighting it up as a freshman at the University of Denver, scoring 13 points in his first 12 games and earning NCHC Rookie of the Month honors.
- David Perron was available to the media today after the St. Louis Blues hit the ice for the second time and explained to reporters including Lou Korac of NHL.com that he underwent surgery for a sports hernia in the offseason. The 32-year-old forward had one of the best seasons of his career last year for the Blues, scoring 25 goals and registering 60 points in just 71 games. In the early part of training camp, he’s been lining up beside Ryan O’Reilly and Brayden Schenn on the top line, with no expectation he’ll be anything other than full strength when the season begins.
- Though it hasn’t been announced by the team, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that Brett Ritchie “is the mystery PTO possibility” for the Calgary Flames. Ritchie, 27, played in 27 games for the Boston Bruins last season, eventually clearing waivers to go to the minor leagues. He was not given a qualifying offer by the Bruins, meaning he’s an unrestricted free agent looking for work just like so many other fringe NHL players.
NHL Will Not Require Blanket Quarantine Period For AHL Recalls
Alongside the news of three teams opting out, four teams temporarily relocating, and realigned divisions for the coming season, more information continues to emerge following today’s AHL Board of Governors meeting. Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that NHL clubs and their AHL affiliates have been informed that there will be no blanket quarantine period for player recalls and reassignments this season. Instead, quarantine measures will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis considering the totality of the circumstances. This will include team protocols, travel logistics, and accordance with local COVID-19 health guidelines.
As Johnston notes, this will make AHL recalls much easier for those teams whose affiliates share a city or even a state or province. Short, safe travel ability and uniform local policies will allow for much shorter quarantine periods. Teams in this situation may even ask their affiliate to maintain the same NHL-level of day-to-day quarantine protocols to make recalls even easier, perhaps even without any quarantine. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and San Jose Sharks (if and when the team returns home from Arizona) all share a city with their AHL affiliate, as do the New Jersey Devils temporarily. The Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins (temporarily), Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins all have their AHL affiliates within state or provincial lines as well.
For those teams with some distance between themselves and their minor league clubs, recalls could remain difficult. Especially for those Canadian teams whose affiliates remain in the U.S. – the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks – quarantine logistics will be a struggle. Johnston points out that for these teams and the American clubs with affiliates elsewhere in the country, travel will be a major obstacle. The one blanket policy for all NHL and AHL players this season is that a seven-day quarantine period is required following a commercial flight. This could also stand to effect any team on a long-term road trip that is desperate enough to make a recall.
However, while this policy will help a great number of teams, it is important to remember that taxi squads were established for this season to reduce the reliance on AHL recalls, at least as a frequent measure. Regardless of each NHL team’s location relative to their AHL affiliate, most teams will largely use their six-man taxi squad for emergency substitutions and will have options in the meantime should they decide to recall a player who must quarantine.
Michael Stone Signs PTO With Calgary Flames
Since being picked up via trade from the Arizona Coyotes back in 2017, the Calgary Flames have kept defenseman Michael Stone on the roster in some capacity since then. Looks like little has changed as Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg reports that Stone has agreed to a player tryout contract with the club.
Flames general manager Brad Treliving said that bringing in Stone on a PTO was all about depth, according to Steinberg. The GM said that considering the compact season, NHL teams may need as much depth as possible, possibly going as deep as 10-11 defensemen. Treliving also said that no contract has been handed to Stone. He will have to earn a contract during camp.
Stone was a regular in the lineup with Arizona in his five-plus years with the team from 2011 to 2017, but while he had a full-time role with the Flames in 2017-18, his role has diminished over the next few years. He played in just 14 games in 2018-19 with a blood-clotting issues amongst several injuries he dealt with and began to look like an overpriced depth player. In August of 2019, the Flames chose to buyout Stone, who had a $3.5MM cap hit. The cost of the buyout required cost the team $1.17MM last season and will still be hitting the team this season. However, the team shocked many when they turned around and signed Stone to a minimum salaried deal a month later and have held onto him.
Stone played in 33 games last season for Calgary as the team’s seventh defenseman, scoring two goals and seven points.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Travis Hamonic To PTO
The Vancouver Canucks announced that they have signed one of the top remaining unrestricted free agents, defenseman Travis Hamonic, to a player tryout contract. Much like the PTO that Mike Hoffman signed last week with St. Louis, it’s expected that Hamonic will likely sign a one-year deal once Vancouver clears out some money. The blueliner is expected to travel to Vancouver today and begin a seven-day quarantine before joining the team at training camp.
The 30-year-old Hamonic was one of those free agents who normally would have received a long-term deal on the free-agent market. However, with the pandemic and a flat $81.5MM salary cap, Hamonic struggled finding a long-term deal that he was hoping for. Like many others already, Hamonic will bet on himself this season and hope to find that long-term deal next offseason when hopefully, the NHL’s financial outlook will look more promising.
Hamonic, who spent the last three years with the Calgary Flames, was second on the team last year in ice time. The blueliner averaged 21:11, and while he’s never been an offensive presence on the ice (three goals, 12 points in 50 games), Hamonic has been a solid defensive presence, which included 110 blocked shots.
The defenseman should provide Vancouver with another top-four presence on their blueline after the team lost Chris Tanev to the Flames during the offseason, which almost makes it a one-for-one move. The Canucks also lost Troy Stecher, leaving an opening on right defense. With Quinn Hughes, Tyler Myers and Jordie Benn already on the roster from last year, plus the addition of Nate Schmidt from Vegas, the Canucks roster looks completely rebuilt. Hamonic should be able to provide the team an outstanding penalty killer, bolstering the Canucks chances of challenging among the better teams in the new North Division after the team lost a number of top free agents, including Tanev, goaltender Jacob Markstrom and Tyler Toffoli.
To get Hamonic under contract in the next few weeks, it looks like Vancouver just needs to wait until it can place Micheal Ferland on LTIR at the start of the season and the team can officially ink the blueliner.
Calgary Flames Sign Connor Zary
The Calgary Flames have signed one of their top prospects, inking Connor Zary to a three-year entry-level contract. Zary was the 24th overall selection in October’s draft and is currently playing with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship.
After spending the last three years with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL, it’s not clear what lies next for Zary after the WJC is complete. With this contract he will be eligible to take part in Flames training camp and even be assigned to the AHL, should the WHL still not be up and running by the time the minor league kicks off its season in February. The question now becomes if Zary is ready for professional hockey, though he certainly looked like he didn’t have much more to prove at the WHL level last season.
In 57 games with Kamloops, Zary scored 38 goals and 86 points, regularly dominating the competition. Due to his late-September birthday, he was one of the oldest players eligible for the 2020 draft and is already 19. By the time the 2021-22 season rolls around, Zary will be old enough to suit up in the AHL even if everything is back to normal. With that in mind, perhaps the AHL is actually the best place for him anyway. The Flames will certainly get a better chance to evaluate his game in person when (and perhaps if) he joins training camp.
Calgary Flames Sign Garret Sparks To PTO
When the ECHL’s daily transactions today listed Orlando Solar Bears goaltender Garret Sparks as being recalled by the Calgary Flames, it left many puzzled. After some digging, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was among those to clarify that Sparks has signed a PTO with the Flames and will join the team for training camp.
Sparks, 27, spent this past season with the Vegas Golden Knights and even made an appearance with the team. However, he otherwise spent the entire season in the AHL and had fewer starts and lesser numbers than starter Oscar Dansk. A former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect and occasional backup, Sparks actually has nearly 40 NHL games on his resume as well as very strong career AHL numbers. Yet, in recent years he has failed to capitalize on his NHL chances and has outgrown the prospect label, leaving few options for the unrestricted free agent this off-season. Sparks signed with Orlando earlier this month without any better opportunities at the time.
Sparks now has a second chance to get back into the NHL this season as he is set to attend camp with Calgary. The Flames are set in the NHL with big free agent addition Jacob Markstrom and incumbent David Rittich, but Sparks could still be of value in some other roles. Sparks is likely to compete with fellow veteran Louis Domingue to get the nod as the team’s taxi squad goalie this season. The new roster fixture allows a select group of players to travel and practice with the NHL roster without counting toward roster limits and with salary being treated as if they were in the minors. However, these players – and especially the No. 3 goalie – may not see much game action this season, so the slot is better used on a veteran than a prospect in need of appearances like Artyom Zagidulin or Tyler Parsons. Even if the Flames opt to go with Domingue for the taxi squad, they may still want to sign Sparks as a second AHL goalie. It is still unclear if Zagidulin will be recalled from his loan to the KHL to play in the AHL this year, but if not there will be a hole alongside Parsons for the Stockton Heat.
Minor Transactions: 12/23/20
There has been a flurry of NHL action of late with a number of UFA signings and RFA extensions, among other moves. However, it doesn’t stop there. Between loan recalls, overseas contracts, and college commitments, it has been another busy day for minor moves as the NHL inches closer to joining the other leagues worldwide currently enjoying the 2020-21 season.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled goaltender Josef Korenar from his loan to HC Ocelari Trinec, the Czech club announced. The 22-year-old keeper had a down season in 2019-20 after excelling as an AHL rookie the year before, but his play could be trending up after posting an 8-2 record and strong numbers in the Czech Extraliga. With an uninspiring veteran duo of Martin Jones and Devan Dubnyk ahead of him, it would not be a surprise to see the Sharks call on Korenar to make his NHL debut this season, especially if he can return to form.
- The Boston Bruins have also made a loan recall, bringing back forward Robert Lantosi from HK Nitra of the Slovakian Extraliga, according to the team. While Lantosi may not seem like a top AHL option for the Bruins, he continues to impress with every opportunity. The 25-year-old played with the Providence Bruins on a minor league deal last season but earned an entry-level contract with 31 points in 50 games. He followed that up with a point-per-game pace through 18 games with Nitra on loan. Especially with the taxi squad as a new option, Lantosi could be a dark horse candidate to debut with the Bruins this season.
- Even as the free agent market starts to pick back up, some North American players are still signing overseas in order to get their season started instead of waiting and hoping for an NHL contract. Netminder Jared Coreau has joined that list, signing a one-year deal with the IceHL’s Bratislava Capitals, per a team announcement. The former Detroit Red Wings prospect has bounced around the AHL over the past few years without much in the way of results, leading to move overseas in hopes of rediscovering his game.
- Veteran forward Lance Bouma is in the same boat. After spending last season with the AHL’s Ontario Reign, Bouma is heading back to Europe, this time signing with the SHL’s IK Oskarshamn, the team announced. After seven seasons with the Calgary Flames, including four as a regular player, and another with the Chicago Blackhawks, Bouma has been out of the NHL since 2017-18 and hopes a strong season in Sweden may get him back on the radar.
- Tristan Mullin, formerly a top scorer for Cornell University, has finalized his transfer to the University of Vermont and will join the team in the spring semester, according to insider Mark Divver. The senior forward has recorded 20+ points in back-to-back seasons and with pro size and speed could draw NHL interest.
- Max Smolinski, son of former NHLer Bryan Smolinski, has committed to play his college hockey at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he announced today. The young puck-moving defenseman is expected to join RPI for the 2022-23 season. Smolinski is 2021 NHL Draft-eligible and hopes to impress scouts in his first season with the USHL’s Lincoln Stars.
Flames’ Jake Boltmann Commits To Notre Dame, To Join Team This Season
One of the most recent additions to the Calgary Flames’ pipeline has made a decision on the next step in his development, one that he plans to act on immediately. Defenseman Jake Boltmann, a third round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, has announced his commitment to the University of Notre Dame. The Lincoln Stars standout is expected to enroll for the spring semester and join the Fighting Irish in the coming weeks.
Boltmann, 19, is a Minnesota high school star who had initially committed to the University of Minnesota many years ago. After opting not to join the Gophers for the fall semester, Boltmann officially de-committed recently. He will now make his move to South Bend, joining a Notre Dame program that also recruited him heavily alongside Minnesota.
Boltmann became somewhat of a viral sensation when video emerged of the young defender finding out he had been drafted in the middle of practice, much to the excitement of his Lincoln teammates and coaches. Boltmann has now wrapped up his time with the Stars and is ready to join the Irish. The dependable defenseman will bring his strong defensive game to a team that already boasts considerable NHL prospect depth. The current group includes Boltmann’s fellow 2020 picks Landon Slaggert (CHI) and Ryder Rolston (COL) while the 2021 recruiting class includes first round hopeful Sasha Pastujov. The Flames hope that Boltmann can quickly establish himself as one of the top defenseman for Notre Dame, a team that should compete for NCAA titles during his tenure.
Calgary Flames Re-Sign Oliver Kylington
The Calgary Flames have finished some business as the season approaches, signing restricted free agent Oliver Kylington to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal is worth $787,500, the same number that his qualifying offer carried.
Kylington, 23, has long been an intriguing prospect for the Flames, but last season seemed to make the transition to true NHL defender if still often a reserve. Playing in 48 games, he recorded two goals and seven points while averaging just under 14 minutes a night, serving as injury insurance or change-of-pace and moving in and out of the lineup.
This year could be much of the same, especially if Juuso Valimaki proves healthy enough to contribute on a regular basis. The Flames lost several pieces from the blueline in free agency but brought back Chris Tanev to replace many of those departing minutes.
They also brought Nikita Nesterov back from the KHL, though it’s not at all clear so far how the team plans on using the veteran, who agreed to a league-minimum $700K contract. He could be Kylington’s main competition for playing time, or he could have been promised a roster spot in order to bring him back to North America.
At any rate, Kylington will surely get into some games with the Flames again this season and needs to do make the most of them. With no leverage in this negotiation, he was forced to take the qualifying offer amount, but next year he’ll be eligible for arbitration and could try to secure a raise. You need numbers to bring up in arbitration, meaning he’ll need to work hard to force his way onto the ice.
Calgary Flames Expand Goaltending Department
The Calgary Flames, perhaps taking a page from the Florida Panthers book, have created a new goaltending department in the front office, which will be led by Jordan Sigalet as Director of Goaltending. General manager Brad Treliving explained just what the department’s role in the organization will be:
The goal and mission of this change is to provide us with the best process to identify, draft, develop, procure and coach goalies for the Calgary Flames. We believe this structure and process will provide us with the best and deepest goaltending expertise throughout all parts of the organization.
Under Sigalet, who will focus on drafting and development of all the goaltenders in the organization, will be Jason Labarbera who has been named Flames Goaltending Coach. The former NHL goaltender comes to the Flames from the Calgary Hitmen where he served in a similar role for the past four years. Thomas Speer will continue to serve as a Development Goalie Coach for the Flames AHL affiliate in Stockton.
Labarbera, 40, played in 187 NHL games during his journeyman professional career, which took him through New York, Charlotte, Hartford, Los Angeles, Manchester, Vancouver, Phoenix, Edmonton, Oklahoma City, Rockford, Norfolk, Anaheim, and Lehigh Valley. He finished with a .907 save percentage at the NHL level and began work with the Hitmen almost immediately after retirement.
The Flames of course have struggled to find consistent goaltending at the NHL level for years but recently committed term and money to Jakob Markstrom in free agency. For the team to ever truly contend for another Stanley Cup they will need to find success in the crease, which Sigalet and Labarbera are now tasked with.