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Training Camp Cuts: 01/11/21

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Camp cuts will come fast and furious today, with the waiver wire taking dozens and dozens of names in the final day before taxi squad assignments must be made. Remember, just being placed on waivers does not necessarily mean you’ve been cut from the team. With that in mind, we’ll keep track of the team-announced cuts right here:

Buffalo Sabres (via team release):

F Brandon Biro (to Rochester, AHL)
F Steven Fogarty (to Rochester, AHL)
F Brett Murray (to Rochester, AHL)
F C.J. Smith (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Fitzgerald (to Rochester, AHL)
G Dustin Tokarski (to Rochester, AHL)
D Ryan Jones (to Rochester, AHL)
G Michael Houser (to Rochester, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (via team release):

F Andrei Altybarmakian (to Rockford, AHL)
F Evan Barratt (to Rockford, AHL)
F Matej Chalupa (to Rockford, AHL)
F MacKenzie Entwistle (to Rockford, AHL)
F Reese Johnson (to Rockford, AHL)
F Cam Morrison (to Rockford, AHL)
F Tim Soderlund (to Rockford, AHL)
F Michal Teply (to Rockford, AHL)
D Chad Krys (to Rockford, AHL)
D Alec Regula (to Rockford, AHL)
F Michael Krutil (released)
G Cale Morris (released)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release):

G Veini Vehvilainen (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Tyler Angle (released)
F Justin Scott (released)
D Thomas Schemitsch (released)
G Brad Thiessen (released)

Los Angeles Kings (via team release):

F Aidan Dudas (to Ontario, AHL)
F Mikey Eyssimont (to Ontario, AHL)
F Samuel Fagemo (to Ontario, AHL)
F Boko Imama (to Ontario, AHL)
F Rasmus Kupari (to Ontario, AHL)
F Tyler Madden (to Ontario, AHL)
F Akil Thomas (to Ontario, AHL)
D Daniel Brickley (to Ontario, AHL)
D Sean Durzi (to Ontario, AHL)
D Jacob Moverare (to Ontario, AHL)
D Markus Phillips (to Ontario, AHL)
G Jacob Ingham (to Ontario, AHL)
G Matt Villalta (to Ontario, AHL)

Minnesota Wild (via team release):

F Mitchell Chaffee (to Iowa, AHL)
F Joseph Cramarossa (to Iowa, AHL)
F Connor Dewar (to Iowa, AHL)
F Brandon Duhaime (to Iowa, AHL)
F Gabriel Dumont (to Iowa, AHL)
F Mason Shaw (to Iowa, AHL)
D Calen Addison (to Iowa, AHL)
D Ian McCoshen (to Iowa, AHL)
G Dereck Baribeau (to Iowa, AHL)
G Hunter Jones (to Iowa, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (via team release):

F Nate Schnarr (to Binghamton, AHL)
F Brett Seney (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Kevin Bahl (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Nikita Okhotiuk (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Reilly Walsh (to Binghamton, AHL)
G Evan Cormier (to Binghamton, AHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release):

F Josh Currie (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Radim Zohorna (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Kevin Czuczman (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Cam Lee (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Nathan Legare (to Val d’Or, QMJHL)
F Samuel Poulin (to Sherbrooke, QMJHL)
F Jordan Nolan (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)

San Jose Sharks (via team release):

F Lean Bergmann (to San Jose, AHL)
F Alexander True (to San Jose, AHL)
F Joachim Blichfeld (to San Jose, AHL)
F Jayden Halbgewachs (to San Jose, AHL)
D Jaycob Megna (to San Jose, AHL)
D Ryan Merkley (to San Jose, AHL)
G Josef Korenar (to San Jose, AHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning (via team release):

F Alex Barre-Boulet (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Ross Colton (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Jack Finley (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Gage Goncalves (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Jimmy Huntington (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Boris Katchouk (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Taylor Raddysh (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Sean Day (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Alex Green (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Dmitry Semykin (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Daniel Walcott (to Syracuse, AHL)*
F/D Luke Witkowski (to Syracuse, AHL)*
G Spencer Martin (to Syracuse, AHL)*

Toronto Maple Leafs (via team release):

F Kenny Agostino (to Toronto, AHL)*
F Joey Anderson (to Toronto, AHL)
F Pierre Engvall (to Toronto, AHL)
F Nic Petan (to Toronto, AHL)
D Mac Hollowell (to Toronto, AHL)
D Teemu Kivihalme (to Toronto, AHL)
D Timothy Liljegren (to Toronto, AHL)
D Martin Marincin (to Toronto, AHL)*
D Calle Rosen (to Toronto, AHL)*
G Michael Hutchinson (to Toronto, AHL)
F Justin Brazeau (to Toronto, AHL)
F Rourke Chartier (to Toronto, AHL)
F Tyler Gaudet (to Toronto, AHL)
F Scott Sabourin (to Toronto, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (via team release):

F Jake Leschyshyn (to Henderson, AHL)
F Lucas Elvenes (to Henderson, AHL)
F Jack Dugan (to Henderson, AHL)
F Ben Jones (to Henderson, AHL)
F Peyton Krebs (to Henderson, AHL)
D Kaedan Korczak (to Henderson, AHL)
D Jimmy Schuldt (to Henderson, AHL)
D Brayden Pachal (to Henderson, AHL)
D Connor Corcoran (to Henderson, AHL)
G Logan Thompson (to Henderson, AHL)
G Dylan Ferguson (to Henderson, AHL)

Washington Capitals (via team release):

F Kody Clark (to Hershey, AHL)
F Brett Leason (to Hershey, AHL)
F Garrett Pilon (to Hershey, AHL)
F Joe Snively (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (to Hershey, AHL)
F Hendrix Lapierre (to Chicoutimi, QMJHL)

Winnipeg Jets (via team release):

F Joona Luoto (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Skyler McKenzie (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Reichel (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Declan Chisholm (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Luke Green (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Johnathan Kovacevic (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Mikhail Berdin (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Jimmy Oligny (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Cole Kehler (released)

*Must clear waivers first.

Corey Crawford Announces Retirement

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It turns out that Corey Crawford’s indefinite personal leave of absence will be a permanent one as the veteran netminder has decided to retire, as announced by the NHLPA.  He released the following statement:

I have been fortunate to have had a long career playing professional hockey for a living. I wanted to continue my career, but believe I’ve given all I can to the game of hockey, and I have decided that it is time to retire. I would like to thank the New Jersey Devils organization for understanding and supporting my decision. I would like to thank the Chicago Blackhawks organization for giving me the chance to live my childhood dream. I am proud to have been part of winning two Stanley Cups in Chicago. Thank you to all of my teammates and coaches throughout the years. Also, thank you to the fans who make this great game what it is. I am happy and excited to move on to the next chapter of my life with my family.

The 36-year-old was unable to come to terms on an agreement with Chicago over the offseason and hit the open market.  He was able to secure the multi-year deal he had been seeking from the Blackhawks with New Jersey as they gave him a two-year, $7.8MM contract to serve as a veteran mentor and platoon partner for youngster Mackenzie Blackwood.  After putting up a 2.77 GAA with a .917 SV% in 40 games last season, it seemed like a good fit for both sides.

Instead, Crawford will retire without ever officially suiting up for New Jersey.  His playing days come to an end with 488 career NHL games under his belt – all with Chicago over parts of 13 seasons.  He worked his way up the depth chart, eventually beginning as a minor-league option and working his way up to the number one role.  He’ll hang up his skates with a 260-162-53 record with a 2.45 GAA, .918 SV%, and 26 shutouts along with a pair of Stanley Cup titles in 2013 and 2015.

New Jersey will now be faced with a challenge as they look to fill their backup spot on short notice.  Jimmy Howard is the top unrestricted free agent still available but he is coming off a season to forget with Detroit.  At this point, their best bet may be to wait for teams to make their surplus netminders available on waivers over the next couple of days and take their pick from there.  While Scott Wedgewood has some NHL experience and could conceivably begin the year as Blackwood’s backup, it seems all but a certainty that GM Tom Fitzgerald will look to add another goalie in the coming days.

While the contract is technically a 35-plus contract, the new CBA MOU provisions allow for the cap hit to not count against the books as long as it’s a back-loaded or evenly-distributed deal and doesn’t contain signing bonuses beyond the first year.  As that is the case for Crawford, New Jersey won’t face any lingering cap penalty.

Radio-Canada’s Martin Leclerc was the first to report that Crawford would be retiring.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Zack Smith, Marko Dano Clear Waivers

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Jan 5: Both players have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the AHL.

Jan 4: Two veteran forwards have been placed on waivers today, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Zack Smith of the Chicago Blackhawks and Marko Dano of the Winnipeg Jets have both hit the wire.

Smith, 32, was recently ruled healthy for the Blackhawks after undergoing back surgery in March, but may not end up on the opening day roster after all. Placing the veteran on waivers already suggests that Smith is headed for the AHL or taxi squad, though even if he clears he may not necessarily be sent down right away.

Normally a player with 662 games of NHL experience would be a likely candidate to be claimed on waivers, but in Smith’s case, it seems very unlikely. Not only is he coming off a major injury and saw his play deteriorate last season, but he is also set to earn $3.25MM this season in the final season of his four-year contract. That cap hit is high enough, but given that it is all due in salary, it’s also probably too pricey even for rebuilding clubs that may need some more veteran experience in the lineup.

Dano meanwhile is just trying to hold onto an NHL career that barely ever existed in the first place. The 27th overall pick in 2013 has played just 141 games at the NHL level, including just three last season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 26-year-old signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Jets in November and had been playing overseas, but suffered an injury and was limited to just two games with Trencin Dukla of the Slovakian league.

After going up and down, traded back and forth, and clearing waivers previously, it seems very unlikely that anyone would take a chance on Dano at this point. But if he can get his game back on track (and remain healthy), perhaps he can still be a useful taxi squad player for the Jets in a condensed season.

NHL Will Not Require Blanket Quarantine Period For AHL Recalls

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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.

Blackhawks Re-Sign Dylan Strome

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With the start of on-ice workouts at training camp beginning on Monday, the Blackhawks now have their full team under contract.  The team announced that they’ve re-signed center Dylan Strome to a two-year, $6MM contract.  GM Stan Bowman released the following statement about the deal:

We believe Dylan is ready to take the next step in his career and build off the strides he has made in his first two years in Chicago.  He has great offensive instincts and brings creativity and skill to our team. We are thrilled he is now signed and able to join us tomorrow for the start of training camp.

The 23-year-old indeed finds himself in a situation to take the next step forward.  With Jonathan Toews (illness) out indefinitely and Kirby Dach (wrist) out four-to-five months following a fractured wrist sustained in a preliminary game at the World Juniors, Strome is basically a near-lock to begin in Chicago’s top-six forward group, if not their top line.  That should have him in line for a sizable jump in playing time from the 15:56 per game he had last season.

While he’s coming off of a quieter year, Strome has certainly shown flashes of offensive upside with the Blackhawks.  Following his acquisition from Arizona in November of 2018, he had 17 goals and 34 assists in just 58 games, a level of production that would certainly warrant a spot inside the top six.  Things didn’t go as well last season though as he managed just 12 goals and 26 assists in 58 games before the pandemic hit while chipping in with two goals and an assist in nine postseason contests.  Nevertheless, he was still able to more than triple the AAV from his previous contract despite not having salary arbitration eligibility.

CapFriendly reports that the deal will pay him $2.4MM this season and $3.6MM next season.  That means that his qualifying offer alone will guarantee a raise on his next contract in 2022 as it will check in at $3.6MM; in this case, both elements of the qualifying offer calculation (the preceding season salary or 120% of the AAV) come up to the same number.

Although the rash of injuries (which includes Alexander Nylander) has certainly eliminated some optimism heading into the upcoming season, there will still be a lot at stake for Strome.  The third-overall pick in 2015 now has the opportunity to establish himself as a core piece for the Blackhawks and if that happens, they’ll get good bang for their buck on this contract.  Chicago now finds themselves with around $1.3MM in cap room as things stand, an amount that could be boosted if they opt to place Dach and Nylander on LTIR to start the season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Blackhawks, Dylan Strome Have Some Progress In Contract Talks

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The Blackhawks and RFA center Dylan Strome have made some progress as they attempt to work out a new contract, notes Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription link) who classifies the status of negotiations as closer than before.  The 23-year-old made an immediate impact with Chicago after being acquired from Arizona in 2018 with 51 points (17-34-51) in 58 games but those numbers took a step back last season with just 38 points (12-26-38) in 58 contests.  Without arbitration rights, Strome doesn’t have much leverage other than trying to drag out negotiations in the hopes of getting Chicago to up their offer but he should still come in at a number that’s well above his $832.5K qualifying offer.  With Kirby Dach and Alexander Nylander out with long-term injuries, Strome’s importance is considerably higher so it wouldn’t be surprising to see both sides take another run at getting a deal done over the next day or two.

Snapshots: Smith, Sexton, Eichel

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The Chicago Blackhawks will start training camp in a few days and, perhaps surprisingly, Zack Smith will be there. Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times spoke to Smith’s agent today and reports that Smith is healthy and plans to be in camp this year, fighting for a roster spot with everyone else. The veteran forward hasn’t played in nearly a year, last hitting the ice on February 12, 2020, before back surgery put him on the shelf.

Earlier this week it was also reported that Andrew Shaw is healthy and will be attending camp, meaning suddenly the Blackhawks have a pair of NHL forward that weren’t being penciled into the lineup just a few months ago. That’s good news, especially given the recent losses the team has experienced, with Kirby Dach, Jonathan Toews, and Alexander Nylander all ruled out, perhaps for the entire season. Shaw and Smith are certainly not replacements for those names, but they at least can provide a little depth to a reeling squad.

  • The Minnesota Wild have hired Randy Sexton as Senior Advisor to the General Manager, where he will re-join former colleague Bill Guerin. The two spent years together with the Pittsburgh Penguins when Guerin was first a development coach, then an AGM, and Sexton the team’s director of amateur scouting. More recently Sexton was an AGM for the Buffalo Sabres, working with Jason Botterill, another former Pittsburgh executive, but was swept out with everyone else when changes were made this summer.
  • Speaking of Buffalo, things didn’t get off to a good start today, though it’s not time to panic just yet. Jack Eichel missed the first on-ice session of training camp due to an upper-body injury and is listed day-to-day in his recovery. Interestingly, that left Casey Mittelstadt and Riley Sheahan rotating through the first line center spot between Taylor Hall and Victor Olofsson. Sheahan of course is in camp on a PTO trying to make a name for himself, so today was a nice opportunity to make an early impression. The team also didn’t have Linus Ullmark on the ice thanks to an immigration issue that pushed back his quarantine period. Buffalo expects the goaltender to join them in the next few days.

Chicago Blackhawks Issue Medical Update On Jonathan Toews

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The Chicago Blackhawks have issued an update on the status of Jonathan Toews, who will not be participating in the upcoming training camp. Toews himself explains that this offseason he has felt “drained and lethargic” and does not have a timetable for his return. Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman released this statement:

Jonathan’s health is our top priority as he deals with this medical issue. The Chicago Blackhawks organization and our medical staff will provide all necessary resources to help him return to playing hockey. While he will not report to training camp on January 3 and will be out indefinitely, we will continue to support him as he is an important part of our family. I’ve been in regular communication with Jonathan recently and will continue that as he takes care of his health.

It is not clear at all what is happening to Toews, but the team will issue further updates as they learn about his condition.

This is the third forward the team has lost in the last few weeks, following major surgeries to Kirby Dach and Alexander Nylander that will likely keep them out the entire season. Hopefully, Toews, the team captain and face of the franchise, will be able to return before long. He is asking for privacy as he focuses on his health and recovery.

Morning Notes: Toews, Mehta, Stuetzle

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The Chicago Blackhawks will already miss Kirby Dach for a good chunk (if not all) of the season and might be without their captain as well. Jonathan Toews will miss training camp and the start of the season due to an illness according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and Darren Dreger of TSN, with an official statement from the team expected at some point today.

The Blackhawks are off to a horrible start to the upcoming season if Toews is held out for any serious length of time and it leaves them scrambling for center depth. Dylan Strome, the likely candidate to step into the top-line role, isn’t even signed yet and remains a restricted free agent with just a few days until camp starts. Hopefully, Toews can return before long.

  • The Florida Panthers have hired Sunny Mehta as Vice President of Hockey Strategy & Intelligence, bringing in one of the forefathers of hockey analytics. Mehta was one of the first real leaders in the analytics space, serving as Director of Hockey Analytics for the New Jersey Devils from 2014-2018. An interesting resume also includes time as a professional poker player and consultant for several MLB organizations.
  • Though it shouldn’t come into play this season, the entry-level contract for Tim Stuetzle does include a European Assignment Clause that could send him back to Mannheim in Germany if he doesn’t crack the Ottawa Senators roster. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that the DEL squad asked for it to be included and waited to make sure the NHL would actually play before releasing the young forward. Stuetzle, who is logging huge minutes for the shorthanded German team at the World Juniors, is expected to step directly onto the NHL roster when the tournament concludes.

Kirby Dach Suffers Injury, Will Miss 4-5 Months

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December 28: The prognosis is in and the news isn’t great for the Blackhawks and their fans. Chicago has announced that Dach has undergone surgery on his fractured right wrist and the timeline for recovery is four to five months. According to the NHL’s revised 2020-21 schedule, only the earliest possible return would allow Dach to play in the regular season and even a potential playoff run might be out of the question if there are any delays to his recovery. Most likely, the Blackhawks will be without their young standout this season.

December 24, 11:30am: McKenzie adds to his report, tweeting that Dach suffered a fracture but more testing will be needed before deciding if surgery is needed. Speculating on the length of time Dach will miss, McKenzie suggests that a 4-8 week timeline would be for a normal fracture but if surgery is required it could be “considerably longer.”

December 24, 9:30am: Team Canada has lost its captain. The Chicago Blackhawks may have lost their young star. After taking an awkward hit yesterday during a pre-tournament game, Kirby Dach has been ruled out for the World Junior Championship according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. Though team doctors are still assessing the injury and the team has not yet officially announced it, McKenzie tweets that not only will he miss the WJC but Dach is also expected to miss NHL time.

This is a worst-case scenario for everyone involved. Team Canada has enough forward power to replace Dach and still be a favorite, but this is exactly the reason that some teams don’t want their top prospects going to an international tournament so close to the NHL season. Dach of course missed the event last year because he was already a full-time roster piece for the Blackhawks, but the team gave him the chance to go this year and wear the “C” for his country. Now, not only will Dach not get to play in a WJC, but he is going to miss some of his sophomore NHL season as well.

Blackhawks camp starts in just over a week, with games scheduled to start in three weeks’ time. We’ll have to wait and see how long Dach is out for, but given how effective he was in the postseason bubble, this is a big blow for Chicago. As an 18-year-old rookie, Dach scored 23 points in 64 games for the Blackhawks last season but came into the bubble even better, recording six points and generally looking like one of the most dangerous players on the ice in Chicago’s nine games.

Of course, the Blackhawks also announced that Alexander Nylander would miss several months yesterday after knee surgery, meaning two of the team’s young forwards are out for the time being.

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