Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Hurricanes Rumors

Training Camp Cuts: 9/21/18

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Nearly 60 players were cut from training camps around the league yesterday, and today will probably be no different. We’ll keep track of all the cuts here and will update this post throughout the day.

Note that this list does not cover players placed on waivers today.  Those players can be found here.

Calgary Flames (per team release)

F Justin Auger (released from PTO; to Stockton, AHL)
F Yasin Ehliz (to Stockton, AHL)
F Jordan Ernst (released from PTO; to Stockton, AHL)
F Zach Fischer (to Stockton, AHL)
D Josh Healey (to Stockton, AHL)
G Mason McDonald (to Stockton, AHL)
F Mike McMurtry (to Stockton, AHL)
D Andrew O’Brien (to Stockton, AHL)
D Michael Paliotta (to Stockton, AHL)
F Scott Sabourin (released from PTO; to Stockton, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

D Josiah Didier (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Michael Fora (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Jeremy Helvig (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Steven Lorentz (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Cliff Pu (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Aleksi Saarela (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Spencer Smallman (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Josh Wesley (to Charlotte, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (per team release and team Twitter account)

D Nicolas Beaudin (to Drummondville, QMJHL)
D Lucas Carlsson (to Rockford, AHL)
F MacKenzie Entwistle (to Hamilton, OHL)
D Blake Hillman (to Rockford, AHL)
G Kevin Lankinen (to Rockford, AHL)
F Nathan Noel (to Rockford, AHL)
D Darren Raddysh (to Rockford, AHL)
F Henrik Samuelsson (released from PTO; to Rockford, AHL)

Dallas Stars (per Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News)

D Jakob Stenqvist (IF Bjorkloven, Allsvenskan)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

F Morgan Adams-Moisan (to Laval, AHL)
F Jeremiah Addison (to Laval, AHL)
F Alexandre Alain (to Laval, AHL)
F Daniel Audette (to Laval, AHL)
F Alex Belzile (released from PTO; to Laval, AHL)
F Will Bitten (to Laval, AHL)
D Josh Brook (to Moose Jaw, WHL)
D Ryan Culkin (released from PTO; to Laval, AHL)
F Jake Evans (to Laval, AHL)
D Cale Fleury (to Laval, AHL)
F Alexandre Grenier (released from PTO; to Laval, AHL)
F Nikita Jevpalovs (released from PTO; to Laval, AHL)
D Maxim Lamarche (released from PTO; to Laval, AHL)
G Etienne Marcoux (released from PTO; to Laval, AHL)
F Phelix Martineau (released from PTO; to Laval, AHL)
G Michael McNiven (to Laval, AHL)
D T.J. Melancon (released from PTO; to Laval, AHL)
F Michael Pezzetta (to Laval, AHL)
D Adam Plant (released from PTO; to Laval, AHL)
F Joel Teasdale (to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)
F Lukas Vejdemo (to Laval, AHL)
F Antoine Waked (to Laval, AHL)
D Scott Walford (to Victoria, WHL)

Vancouver Canucks (per team release)

D Guillaume Brisebois (to Utica, AHL)
F Jonah Gadjovich (to Utica, AHL)
F Lukas Jasek (to Utica, AHL)
G Ivan Kubalkov (released from ATO; to Utica, AHL)
F Kole Lind (to Utica, AHL)
F Zack MacEwen (to Utica, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

D Dylan Coghlan (to Chicago, AHL)
F Reid Duke (to Chicago, AHL)
G Zach Fucale (to Chicago, AHL)
F Tomas Hyka (to Chicago, AHL)
D Kevin Lough (to Chicago, AHL)
F Brooks Macek (to Chicago, AHL)
D Jimmy Oligny (to Chicago, AHL)
F Gage Quinney (to Chicago, AHL)
D Zach Whitecloud (to Chicago, AHL)
F Tyler Wong (to Chicago, AHL)

Poll: Who Will Win The Calder Trophy In 2018-19?

at CDT | by 10 Comments

The Athletic’s NHL Draft and prospects guru Scott Wheeler has released the first definitive list of candidates for the Calder Trophy in 2018-19, and the order may surprise some people. Admittedly, the list is in the context of fantasy hockey, but Wheeler’s rankings are true to how he thinks Calder voting will unfold if each rookie hits their stat projections. As such, it’s not this year’s first overall pick, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, at the top of the list, but presumptive top-six center for the Vancouver Canucks, Elias Pettersson. Pettersson will be put in a much better position to rack up points than will Dahlin, the next-best candidate, as potentially one of the three best scoring forwards for the Canucks and traditionally productive forwards have a better shot at the Calder than (relatively) equally productive defensemen.

Coming in at number three is Boston Bruins forward Ryan Donato, who led both the NCAA and Olympics in goals last season and will look to win a top-six role for Boston and continue to find the back of the net at an alarming rate. Playing alongside either Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk is an easy way for Donato to quickly become an elite scorer at the NHL level. The fourth-ranked candidate is second overall pick Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes, who – like Pettersson – will be given an immense amount of responsibility right away as a top-six winger who is arguably already one of the three most skilled forwards on the team. However, Svechnikov is one of three Hurricanes rookies on Wheeler’s list, which could take away from his case. Rounding out the top five is Dahlin’s fellow rookie in Buffalo, center Casey Mittelstadt, who scored at nearly a point-per-game pace in the college ranks and in a brief stint with the Sabres to end the year. Mittelstadt should face favorable match-ups this season with the lines anchored by Jack Eichel and Patrik Berglund drawing considerable attention from the opposition.

Wheeler’s top twenty Calder Trophy candidates are as follows:

  1. C Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
  2. D Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
  3. RW Ryan Donato, Boston Bruins
  4. RW Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes
  5. C Casey Mittelstadt, Buffalo Sabres
  6. RW Filip Zadina, Detroit Red Wings
  7. C Dylan Strome, Arizona Coyotes
  8. C Henrik Borgstrom, Florida Panthers
  9. C Martin Necas, Carolina Hurricanes
  10. D Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
  11. RW Dylan Sikura, Chicago Blackhawks
  12. RW Eeli Tolvanen, Nashville Predators
  13. C Filip Chytil, New York Rangers
  14. LW Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
  15. LW Valentin Zykov, Carolina Hurricanes
  16. RW Kailer Yamamoto, Edmonton Oilers
  17. C Anthony Cirelli, Tampa Bay Lightning
  18. LW Kristian Vesalainen, Winnipeg Jets
  19. C Sam Steel, Anaheim Ducks
  20. RW Vitaly Abramov, Columbus Blue Jackets

Honorable Mentions: C Vladislav Kamenev, Colorado Avalanche; LW Jordan Greenway, Minnesota Wild; C Robert Thomas, St. Louis Blues; LW Andreas Johnsson, Toronto Maple Leafs; C Michael Rasmussen, Detroit Red Wings; C Lias Andersson, New York Rangers; D Sami Niku, Winnipeg Jets; D Evan Bouchard, Edmonton Oilers; RW Daniel Sprong, Pittsburgh Penguins

What do you think? Who will be the NHL’s Rookie of the Year and take home the Calder Trophy at the end of the season? The favorite? The first overall pick? Another top candidate? Or a name not even mentioned here?

Who Will Win The Calder Trophy In 2018-19?
Pettersson 15.85% (204 votes)
Dahlin 14.37% (185 votes)
Zadina 11.19% (144 votes)
Donato 9.87% (127 votes)
Mittelstadt 6.92% (89 votes)
Heiskanen 6.45% (83 votes)
The Field - comment below 6.14% (79 votes)
Svechnikov 5.75% (74 votes)
Chytil 4.27% (55 votes)
Tkachuk 3.50% (45 votes)
Sikura 2.87% (37 votes)
Vesalainen 2.25% (29 votes)
Strome 1.94% (25 votes)
Yamamoto 1.86% (24 votes)
Tolvanen 1.71% (22 votes)
Steel 1.71% (22 votes)
Cirelli 1.17% (15 votes)
Borgstrom 0.85% (11 votes)
Abramov 0.62% (8 votes)
Necas 0.54% (7 votes)
Zykov 0.16% (2 votes)
Total Votes: 1,287

Training Camp Cuts: 9/16/18

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With training camp fully underway, teams area already making cuts as they send players to juniors or back overseas. Here’s a rundown of today’s moves:

Carolina Hurricanes Name Justin Williams Captain

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Carolina Hurricanes have named a captain for the upcoming season, doing away with the “co-captain” they had last season. This time around, Justin Williams will wear the “C” on his sweater, with Justin Faulk and Jordan Staal serving as alternates.

Williams, 36, was the player many expected to take on the role this season after the Hurricanes struggled again last year. The veteran forward has never worn a “C” before in his professional career, but has a ton of experience in the league and can help his young teammates try to find a winning culture. A three-time Stanley Cup champion—including 2006 with the Hurricanes—and outstanding playoff performer, Williams actually finished third on the team in scoring last season despite his advanced age. Registering 51 points in 82 games, he finished ahead of other key forwards like Staal, Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner. The latter two have been traded since then and while Staal remains with the team he’s struggled to keep up with the “first line center” moniker that had been placed upon him.

New head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who was Williams’ teammate and captain during that 2006 Cup run, has a huge task in front of him to motivate this group enough to get back into the playoffs. The team has missed the postseason tournament for the past nine seasons, and worked their way through three coaches during that time. The Metropolitan Division will be a meat grinder again this season, and if the Hurricanes are to compete they’ll need to take a substantial step forward.

Victor Rask Out Indefinitely After Hand Surgery

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

If the Carolina Hurricanes plan on contending in the Metropolitan Division this season, they aren’t off to a very good start. The team announced today that Victor Rask is out indefinitely following surgery on his right hand. The injury was sustained “while slicing food in his kitchen.”

Rask, 25, is a very important player for the Hurricanes this season after they traded away Elias Lindholm and Jeff Skinner while failing to bring in any additional center help. Selected in the second round seven years ago, Rask reached a career high in 2015-16 with 21 goals and 48 points but has taken steps backwards ever since. While the Hurricanes have other young players like Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas ready to make an impact up front, this is already a big hit to their offensive group.

There’s no clear timetable for Rask, but with camp starting and the regular season just a few weeks away there is cause for concern in Carolina. The new coaching and management group will have more than just this injury to deal with this season, but it’s an unfortunate way to start things off. The team has struggled to compete for the playoffs for several years, and with an unproven tandem in net and now more uncertainty up front we’ll have to wait and see just what head coach Rod Brind’Amour can pull off early in the year.

Hurricanes To Bring In KHL’s Michal Cajkovsky On PTO

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said the team will be bringing in KHL defenseman Michal Cajkovsky to training camp, tweets Chip Alexander of the News & Observer.

The 6-foot-4, 236-pound Cajkovsky spent the past two years in the KHL for Yekaterinburg Automobilist, where he posted seven goals and 19 points for the team in 43 games last season. The left-shot defenseman also spent time playing for the Slovakian national team in both the Olympics and in the World Championships. Cajkovsky did spend some time in North America as part of the Washington Capitals organization as he played two years in the ECHL for both the Reading Royals and the South Carolina Stingrays between 2013 and 2015 and was promoted for a 13-game stretch with the AHL’s Hershey Bears in 2015.

What Cajkovsky’s chances are to make the Hurricanes is another question. The team is already loaded on the left side of their defense as they already carry Calvin de Haan and Jaccob Slavin for their top-four as well as Trevor van Riemsdyk and Haydn Fleury as two players battling for the final spot on the left side. The team is already deep on the right-side with Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk and Brett Pesce.

Metropolitan Notes: Beauvillier, Bratt, Svechnikov, Hart

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Despite the loss of star John Tavares, the New York Islanders still are coming off a season in which the team was tied for seventh in goals scored. Throw in a Stanley Cup winning coach in Barry Trotz and don’t be surprised if the Islanders are competitive after all this year. While many players will have to deal with the task of making up for the loss of Tavares’ offense, one player that the team is counting on to take that next step will be Anthony Beauvillier, according to The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (subscription required).

The 21-year-old found his game in the second-half of his second season last year. After struggling early on last year, posting just seven points in the first 31 games of the season, he was demoted to Bridgeport of the AHL for the five-day break to work on his game. When he came back, his game took off as he scored 17 goals and 29 points in the final 40 games of the season when he was placed on the second line alongside Mathew Barzal.

While his success could have a lot to do with Barzal’s magnificent season, he replaced veteran Andrew Ladd, who scored just seven times in the first half of the season. Staple writes that if Beauvillier can find himself on the top line this year with Barzal and Eberle, the youngster could be in line for a breakout year.

  • Corey Masisak of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt needs a strong camp to prove to the team that he deserves a top-six spot in their lineup this year. After shocking many in the league by winning a spot on the Devils’ roster out of training camp last year, Bratt finished the season with 13 goals and 35 points. Now, the 20-year-old must prove he belongs and can build on a solid rookie campaign. However, the question is whether he can get enough playing time to better this season. Bratt scored 10 points in his first 10 games and then picked up 29 in his first 42 games. However, his offense disappeared on the injury return of Travis Zajac as well as other crippling injuries to Marcus Johansson and Kyle Palmieri. The team also added Patrick Maroon and Michael Grabner at the trade deadline as Bratt was actually often a healthy scratch.
  • It hasn’t taken long for Carolina Hurricanes’ winger Andrei Svechnikov to get a lot of attention. The second-overall pick in this year’s draft hit the ice at the Traverse City Prospects tournament, and the 18-year-old showed off his quickness and readiness to step right into the NHL, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. In two games for Carolina, he’s posted a goal and a couple of assists along with 2017 first-rounder Martin Necas. Despite their compatibility together, the team expects to break up their two rookies when training camp begins, however. “Probably a little harder in the NHL to put the two young players like that together,” Carolina general manager Don Waddell said. “Down the road I can see it, but I think right now [coach Rod Brind’Amour’s] plan is probably to break them up in camp, let them play with some veteran players.”
  • Philadelphia Flyers’ prospect Carter Hart hopes to convince the team that’s he’s ready to make the leap to the NHL and give the Flyers a cure to their goaltending issues, according to NHL.com’s Bill Meltzer. The 20-year-old goaltender dominated juniors for the last two years, and was named the CHL’s Goaltender of the Year for two straight years, a feat no goaltender has ever accomplished before. Of course, winning a job in the NHL would be quite a challenge as most feel he’ll spend the year in the AHL, but if he could do it, he’d have to beat out Brian Elliott, Michal Neuvirth, Alex Lyon and Anthony Stolarz.

Hurricanes To Resume Extension Discussions With Sebastian Aho In The Coming Days

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Hurricanes are expected to pick up extension discussions with winger Sebastian Aho in the coming days, GM Don Waddell acknowledged to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.  While the two sides aren’t setting the beginning of the regular season as a deadline to get something done, Waddell stated that the team is hopeful to have an agreement in place by then.

Aho has quickly established himself as one of Carolina’s top offensive weapons, leading the team in scoring last season with 65 points in 78 games.  He’s entering the final year of his entry-level contract that carries a cap hit of just $925K in base pay (with an extra $850K in potential performance bonuses).  Needless to say, the Hurricanes will have to give Aho considerably more than that to get him to put pen to paper on a new contract.

Poll: Who Will Win The Metropolitan Division In 2018-19?

at CDT | by 11 Comments

We’re less than a month away from the 2018-19 NHL season, and players are hitting the ice with teammates to start forming chemistry. All over the league there are individual workouts underway, with rookie tournaments kicking off to showcase the young players in the organization. The excitement for the upcoming season is starting to bubble up to the surface, and even the smallest NHL news has fans in a frenzy.

Recently, Bovada released their over/under numbers for each team’s point totals and there are some interesting results. Though these aren’t to be taken exactly as predictions for the upcoming season—since betting odds also take into account popularity trends and other factors—fans of the Tampa Bay Lightning should still be extremely satisfied to see their club at the very top with an over/under of 107.5 points. The Lightning are expected to be Stanley Cup contenders once again in 2018-19, and have brought back nearly their entire roster.

We ran a poll asking the PHR community to decide who will win the Atlantic Division, and the Lightning came out on top with nearly 37% of the vote. The Toronto Maple Leafs finished in second place, but the big surprise was the Detroit Red Wings in third with 15% of all voters. While our readers have more confidence in the Red Wings than the odds makers, we’ve seen stranger things in the past.

Next we asked the PHR community to vote on the Pacific Division, and while things were a little more evenly distributed the San Jose Sharks were still the clear favorite. With more than 26% of the vote, the Sharks came out ahead of the Los Angeles Kings (16%), Vegas Golden Knights (14%) and Calgary Flames (13%). The Arizona Coyotes and Vancouver Canucks haven’t done enough to inspire much confidence, earning just a handful of votes each.

The Metropolitan Division might be the most difficult to predict, but perhaps the most important given that it has taken home the last three Stanley Cups. The Pittsburgh Penguins are the only team with an over/under above 100 at 103.5, but the Philadelphia Flyers (98.5), Washington Capitals (98.5) and Columbus Blue Jackets (97.5) are all right in the mix. It might be tough for the other teams to jump all the way to the top, but there is real talent still in Carolina and both New York teams. The New Jersey Devils, despite making the playoffs last year, have just a 91.5 over/under and find themselves right on the bubble of the postseason predictions.

Who do you think will come out on top of the Metropolitan Division? Can Washington keep the motor running and ride their Stanley Cup high all the way to another division title? Will the Penguins reassert themselves as a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference? Can Philadelphia stay healthy enough to challenge for the crown? Cast your vote below and explain how you think the season will play out in the comments!

Who will win the Metropolitan Division in 2018-19?
Pittsburgh Penguins 33.55% (363 votes)
Washington Capitals 25.42% (275 votes)
Philadelphia Flyers 12.66% (137 votes)
Columbus Blue Jackets 8.41% (91 votes)
New York Rangers 6.01% (65 votes)
New York Islanders 5.73% (62 votes)
New Jersey Devils 5.08% (55 votes)
Carolina Hurricanes 3.14% (34 votes)
Total Votes: 1,082

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Morning Notes: Seguin, Bruins, Hurricanes

at CDT | by 3 Comments

While the Winnipeg Jets have locked up one of the premiere 2019 UFA forwards by signing Blake Wheeler to a five-year extension, talks have started up in Dallas again regarding Tyler Seguin. John Shannon of Sportsnet reports that the Stars and Seguin’s camp spoke about an extension this past weekend and noted that “things will get interesting” when Seguin returns to Dallas on Wednesday.

Seguin’s public comments about being disappointed in his contract situation likely didn’t do Dallas any favors, but there was always an expectation something would be worked out between the two sides. If nothing is announced before training camp begins in a few weeks though, you can be sure that there will be daily rumors over whether Seguin is intending on testing the free agent waters. With Wheeler off the market, another big name is removed from what at one point looked like the most impressive free agent class ever. Seguin’s signing would only further that decline.

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