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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.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Carl Soderberg

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In the wake of the Kirby Dach injury and uncertainty around how long he may be sidelined along with Alexander Nylander’s extended absence, the Chicago Blackhawks have decided to bring in a veteran replacement. Center Carl Soderberg has signed a one-year, $1MM contract, the club announced.

The deal represents a significant pay cut after playing on a $4.75MM cap hit for the past five years and comes in well below our initial one-year, $3MM projection when he was slotted in at 24th on our Top 50 UFA list.  GM Stan Bowman released the following statement about his newest player:

Carl is an experienced center who plays a strong two-way game and adds an element of size to our group of centermen. He has shown the ability to score and match up, which is critical in today’s game, and he also brings consistency and versatility to the team, evidenced by his usage on both special teams as well as even-strength play.

The 35-year-old could prove to be an immense bargain as he’s coming off a 35-point season, his sixth season in the last seven with at least that many points.  That feat is even more impressive considering that he’s legally blind in his left eye.  Soderberg should have an opportunity to play in an offensive-oriented role with Dach being on the shelf for the foreseeable future and will likely slot in somewhere on their second or third line; getting a player for that role for this low of a price tag is a nice piece of business for Bowman.

Chicago’s offseason work is not yet complete, however, as RFA center Dylan Strome is still in need of a new contract.  The Blackhawks still have more than $4MM in cap room at their disposal so they’ll have enough room to get that deal done and head into next season with some financial flexibility which is something that can’t be said for some of their divisional counterparts.

TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report the signing.

Minor Transactions: 12/24/20

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’Twas the month before hockey and all over the Earth,
Fans are excited for a new season’s birth;
There was quite a delay to the new league year,
’Til the NHL announced that it was practically here;
Of course, before we get started in just a few weeks,
Rosters are in need of numerous tweaks;
And as teams maneuver a salary cap squeeze,
Free agents also continue to find work overseas;
So stay tuned for some moves before the return to play;
From the NHL to KHL to NCAA;
Here are the minor transactions that were made today:

  • Free agent goaltender Ivan Nalimov has decided to remain in Europe for another season. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect, if you can still call him that at 26 years old, has previously expressed an interest in making the jump to North America. In fact, at one point he had requested that Chicago trade his rights to a team willing to give him an opportunity. Yet, for whatever reason, Nalimov will stay in the KHL for another year, signing a one-year contract with Dinamo Riga. The Blackhawks own Nalimov’s NHL rights in perpetuity, but if they weren’t willing to give him a chance this season without much talent and experience in net themselves, it seems unlikely that the two sides will ever get together.
  • The New Jersey Devils are on a more strict timeline to make a decision on prospect forward Nikita Popugaev. The 2017 fourth-round pick, whose skill is clear but whose work ethic is suspect, spent last season on an AHL contract with the Binghamton Devils but played exclusively in the ECHL with the Adirondack Thunder. He returned to Russia this off-season and signed with the KHL’s Dinamo Moscow. However, after a brief demotion, he has now been traded to Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, the team announced. The Devils have until June 1st to decide if they want to sign Popugaev or lose his rights and a change of scenery mid-season won’t make that evaluation any easier.
  • The Edmonton Oilers face a similar situation with forward Bogdan Yakimov. Yakimov, a 2013 third-round pick, spent parts of two season in the Oilers’ organization shortly after being drafted, but only saw one NHL game. He has spent the past five seasons, including this year, back in the KHL. His current contract expires at the end of this season and his NHL rights expire on his 27th birthday in October, so both sides have limited time to decide if they are interested in a second chance. Potentially helping the cause is Yakimov’s inability to stay put in the KHL. For the second time already this year, Yakimov has been traded, as HK Sochi announced that they have acquired Yakimov from SKA St. Petersburg, who had only added him in a deal with Severstal Cherepovets in May. Yakimov’s size and two-way focus may be better appreciated back in North America and the promise of some consistency, even if that comes in Bakersfield instead of Edmonton, may appeal to the veteran center.
  • The University of Minnesota has gained a major commitment in U.S. National Team Development Program defenseman Ryan Chesley. The U-17 standout announced that he will join the Gophers when he begins his NCAA career. A 2022 NHL Draft prospect, Chesley still has another year with the USNTDP to go before he likely enrolls at Minnesota. In that time, his prospect stock could continue to climb; the 16-year-old is a right-shot defenseman with decent size scoring at better than a point-per-game pace this year, checking a number of major boxes for NHL scouts.

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