NHL Releases Qualifying Round, Round Robin Schedules
July 20: The NHL has announced some minor changes to the schedule for the round robin. The Boston Bruins-Washington Capitals game that was scheduled for August 8 will now be played on August 9. The Philadelphia Flyers-Tampa Bay Lightning game that was originally scheduled for August 9, will now be played on August 8.
July 14: After revealing the schedule earlier today for the exhibition games occurring after the conclusion of training camp, the NHL has followed up with the schedules for the games that actually matter. The league has announced the full schedule for the best-of-five qualifying round match-ups, four each per conference between the teams seeded No. 5 to No. 12, as well as the six round robin games per conference between the teams seeded No. 1 to No. 4. As a reminder, the qualifying round will serve as a knockout round to trim the list of postseason teams to 16 for a standard playoff format while the round robin games will serve as a means to seed the top team in each conference. Teams will re-seed following the conclusion of the qualifying round and each subsequent round.
The full schedule is as follows (all times ET):
Saturday, Aug. 1
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Game 1, 12 p.m.
Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders, Game 1, 4 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 1, 8 p.m.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers, Game 1, 3 p.m.
Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames, Game 1, 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 2
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Round-robin
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins, 3 p.m.
Best-of-5 series
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 1, 8 p.m.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
Arizona Coyotes vs, Nashville Predators, Game 1, 2 p.m.
Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks, Game 1, 10:30 p.m.
Round-robin
St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche, 6:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Game 2, 12 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 2, 8 p.m.
Round-robin
Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 4 p.m.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames, Game 2, 2:30 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers, Game 2, 10:30 p.m.
Round-robin
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders, Game 2, 12 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 2, 4 p.m.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers, Game 3, 8 p.m.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
Arizona Coyotes vs. Nashville Predators, Game 2, 2:30 p.m.
Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets, Game 3, 6:45 p.m.
Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks, Game 2, 10:45 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
New York Islanders vs. Florida Panthers, Game 3, 12 p.m.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens, Game 3, 8 p.m.
Round-robin
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston Bruins, 4 p.m.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
Nashville Predators vs. Arizona Coyotes, Game 3, 2:30 p.m.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Game 3, 10:30 p.m.
Round-robin
Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars, 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 6
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, Game 3, TBD
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers, Game 4*, TBD
Round-robin
Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers, TBD
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild, Game 3, TBD
Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets, Game 4*, TBD
Round-robin
Vegas Golden Knights vs. St. Louis Blues, TBD
Friday, Aug. 7
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
New York Islanders vs. Florida Panthers, Game 4*, TBD
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens, Game 4*, TBD
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, Game 4*, TBD
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
Nashville Predators vs. Arizona Coyotes, Game 4*, TBD
Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild, Game 4*, TBD
Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Game 4*, TBD
Saturday, Aug. 8
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Game 5*, TBD
Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 5*, TBD
Round-robin
Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals, TBD
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames, Game 5*, TBD
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers, Game 5*, TBD
Round-robin
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche, TBD
Sunday, Aug. 9
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders, Game 5*, TBD
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 5*, TBD
Round-robin
Philadelphia Flyers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, TBD
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Best-of-5 series
Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks, Game 5*, TBD
Arizona Coyotes vs. Nashville Predators, Game 5*, TBD
Round-robin
Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues, TBD
With round robin games scheduled through August 9, the first round will not begin until August 10 at the earliest. However, given that exhibition games don’t even begin until July 28, the NHL is about to cram a lot of hockey into a span of just a dozen days.
Central Notes: Khudobin, Makar, Koekkoek
Dallas Stars backup goaltender Anton Khudobin has been a huge pickup when the team signed the veteran to a two-year, $5MM contract back in 2018. However, with that contract wrapping up, Khodobin has made it clear, he’d like to remain with the Stars. However, the Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks writes that may not be as easy as it sounds.
To begin, his NHL leading .930 save percentage (albeit in 30 games) would likely prompt a raise from the $2.5MM per season he’s making now. The best comparison would be his former home where backup Jaroslav Halak just got a $2.25MM one-year deal with a $1.25MM bonus if he plays 10 games in 2020-21. However, Khudobin is 34 years old and isn’t eligible to performance bonuses on his next contract, making it more challenging considering the team’s cap issues.
Another problem is that Khudobin would likely get more than a one-year deal on the open market and with top goaltending prospect Jake Oettinger close to being ready to being a backup to Ben Bishop (likely in 2021-22), the team may not want to stand in the youngster’s way, meaning the team may not want to bring Khudobin back on anything more than a one-year pact.
- The Colorado Avalanche were without Calder Trophy nominee Cale Makar for Sunday’s scrimmage after the blueliner left practice early on Saturday, according to NHL.com’s Rick Sadowski. No word on why Makar left practice. Coach Jared Bednar didn’t talk to the media, but teams aren’t allowed to comment on NHL injuries anyway. Makar left before special teams skills as Samuel Girard replaced Makar on the first power-play unit. The 21-year-old scored 12 goals and 50 points in just 57 games.
- NHL.com’s Brandon Cain reports that there has been little to no progress on a potential new contract for Chicago Blackhawks restricted free agent Slater Koekkoek. In fact, the defenseman said he wasn’t even sure if his agent has even had a conversation with general manager Stan Bowman. “I’m not sure if my agent and Stan [Bowman] have had conversations yet. I would obviously love to re-sign here in Chicago.” Koekkoek came over from Tampa Bay back in 2019 where he was having trouble breaking into the Lightning’s lineup. The 26-year-old played in a career-high 42 games with a goal and 10 points last season and could be a useful six or seventh defenseman on the Blackhawks’ roster.
Maxim Shalunov Re-Signs In KHL
If you’re a Chicago Blackhawks fan waiting to hear that Max Shalunov has finally decided to come to North America, you’re going to have to wait a while longer. The Russian forward has re-signed with CSKA Moscow for another season.
Shalunov, 27, was originally drafted by the Blackhawks back in 2011 but has never signed an NHL contract. He did play one season in the minor leagues, mostly with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL, but has been back in Russia ever since. The Blackhawks own his exclusive NHL rights indefinitely, which could mean that he never ends up seeing a North American rink.
In a bizarre story from Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required), Shalunov’s agent Shumi Babaev explains that he hasn’t heard back from Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman since the end of the KHL season. He put into words what so many of us are feeling these days, telling Powers “everything is so strange right now.” If Shalunov did sign, he’d have to wait until the 2020-21 season to begin, something that his agent doesn’t recommend.
The fourth-round pick has had plenty of success in the KHL, scoring at least 25 points in each of the last five seasons. But the Blackhawks obviously don’t seem to be in any rush to sign him, instead bringing over other European players like Dominik Kubalik. For the moment, Shalunov remains a Blackhawks draft pick. Whether we’ll ever get to see him play for the team is another story.
Snapshots: Lehner, Gilbert, Sekac
One of the more interesting storylines in the NHL’s return to play playoff tournament is the extra chance it gives to players who were acquired at the trade deadline. Those that switched residence at the end of February were only given two weeks—usually just a handful of games—to show their new teams what they could do before the entire league shut down. One of those players was Robin Lehner, who went from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Vegas Golden Knights (via Toronto) and ended up playing in just three games before the season ended.
Lehner, who stopped 78 of 83 saves (a .940 save percentage) in those three games, also happens to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. The playoffs then represent his last chance to show the Golden Knights why he deserves to be re-signed, something he hopes will happen according to Danny Webster of NHL.com. Lehner pointed directly to the dedication he has seen out of his new teammates as they prepare for the upcoming playoffs as a reason he’d like to stay longer. While the Golden Knights have a complex cap situation to deal with next season, there’s no doubt that Lehner will be one of the most sought-after goaltenders on the market should the team let him walk into free agency.
- One of Lehner’s old teammates in Chicago won’t get the chance to show what he can do, as Dennis Gilbert has announced he requires surgery on his wrist and will not play again this season. The 23-year old defenseman was just getting his NHL career underway, playing in 21 games with the Blackhawks this season. That’s all he’ll get for 2019-20 as he’ll now have to look forward to next year.
- Another former Blackhawk is looking for a new job, after CSKA Moscow released Jiri Sekac today. The veteran of 115 NHL games has played in the KHL for the last four seasons, putting up excellent numbers and winning the Gagarin Cup in 2018. He may not be waiting for a job long, as recently a report surfaced in the Czech Republic that Sekac would be joining Avangard Omsk for the 2020-21 season.
Chicago Blackhawks Officially Announce Three Signings
Though news had broke about each of them in recent days, the Chicago Blackhawks have officially announced three signings. Ian Mitchell has signed a three-year entry-level contract, Wyatt Kalynuk has signed a two-year entry-level contract and Pius Suter has signed a one-year entry-level contract. All three deals will start in 2020-21.
Mitchell is the most recognizable name of the bunch after being a second-round pick in 2017 and quickly becoming one of the best defensemen in college hockey. The expectations are sky-high for the 21-year old, who recorded 32 points in 36 games this season for the University of Denver. Mitchell joins a talented defensive crop that is pushing to change the look of the Blackhawks blueline in the coming years.
Kalynuk will also join that group, even if his story is a little different. The 23-year old was a seventh-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017 but decided not to sign with them after three years at the University of Wisconsin. He may be an option for the Blackhawks next season, but doesn’t have quite the same upside found in Mitchell.
Suter meanwhile is coming over from Europe after dominating the Swiss league for years. In 2019-20 he scored 30 goals and 53 points in 50 games for Zurich and took home the NLA MVP. Already 24, he’ll try to follow in the footsteps of Dominik Kubalik, who came to the Blackhawks after several successful years in Europe and is now a finalist for the Calder Trophy. Suter has played against top competition before, suiting up many times for Switzerland on the international stage including at the 2018 Olympics.
Ian Mitchell Signs With Chicago Blackhawks
July 15: Three months later and the contract has officially been signed and submitted, according to Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required). The three-year pact will not kick in for the 2019-20 season, instead starting in 2020-21 allowing Mitchell to collect his full signing bonus. CapFriendly tweets out the expected details of the contract (which has still not been announced by the Blackhawks) which will include up to $850K in Schedule A performance bonuses in each season.
April 13: The Chicago Blackhawks have convinced one of their top prospects to finally turn pro. Ian Mitchell has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Blackhawks, foregoing his senior season at the University of Denver. Details of Mitchell’s deal haven’t been announced, as the start date has “yet to be determined.” That likely means that Mitchell’s contract will either begin in the 2019-20 season should it resume at any point, or alternatively 2020-21.
Should the season return this summer and Mitchell signs for 2019-20, he would be immediately eligible to suit up for the Blackhawks. Either way, you can bet he’ll be challenging for a full-time spot on the roster to begin next season.
Now 21, Mitchell has been an absolutely dominating offensive presence during his three seasons at DU. Through 116 games he recorded 18 goals and 89 points, impressive totals for a forward, let alone a defenseman. Those totals may have been even higher had he not left during the 2018-19 season to serve as an alternate captain with Team Canada at the World Juniors, or this season when he was part of the gold medal-winning Spengler Cup team.
That sort of international success is exactly why so many Chicago fans are excited about the premise of Mitchell joining the Blackhawks. Originally selected 57th overall in 2017, he is a natural puck-mover that is more often than not the best skater on the ice. Not only does that skating ability allow him to carry the puck up the ice himself, but his quick weight transfer and lateral movement open passing lanes to teammates that might not otherwise present themselves. It also allows Mitchell to close the gap on defense quickly, though his small stature—5’11” 173-lbs—still leads him to get outmuscled at times.
In all though, the package that Mitchell brings will be well received in Chicago after they lost Erik Gustafsson at the trade deadline and will see Duncan Keith turn 37 in July. He’ll join a group of young defenseman including Adam Boqvist and Nicolas Beaudin that have tremendous upside and could turn Chicago’s back end into a puck-moving machine over the next few years.
Snapshots: Suter, McLeod, Senators Logo
Switzerland’s leading scorer is headed to the NHL, but to which team exactly is still a mystery. Pius Suter has opted into his exit clause for the 2020-21 season with the expectation of signing in the NHL, the ZSC Lions of the Swiss NLA have announced. Head coach Rickard Gronberg also thanked and congratulated the young star on his move to North America. A former OHL prospect who has played at home in Switzerland for the past five years, Suter had shown flashes of scoring ability before but truly broke out this season with a league-leading 30 goals and 53 points in 50 games. The NLA has slowly been climbing the ranks of the top leagues in Europe and several players who have graduated from Switzerland in recent years have found instant success in the NHL. Suter, 24, dominated the Swiss ranks this season and has shown an innate ability to create offense. This sounds very similar to Chicago rookie Dominik Kubalik, who had nearly identical stats to Suter in the NLA in 2018-19 and went on to record 30 goals and 46 points in 68 games in an incredible debut season this year. Kubalik’s success continues a trend of Europeans finding a good fit with the Blackhawks, which could be why The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports that the club is considered a front-runner for Suter’s services. With little cap space and a relatively thin forward corps, a productive player on an entry-level deal would be an excellent addition for Chicago and Suter would also like the opportunity that the Blackhawks could offer. Suter is expected to make his decision in the coming days – and other teams are in the mix – but don’t be surprised if it’s Chicago who lands the exciting Swiss scorer.
- Veteran grinder Cody McLeod is coming back for another year of pro hockey. The fan favorite agitator earned a one-way NHL contract for a decade before this season and instead settled for a one-year deal with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. To no surprise, McLeod was a hit in Iowa and a good leader for the young prospects as well and has earned an extension. The junior Wild announced that that they have signed McLeod to another one-year deal for 2020-21. McLeod only played in 21 games for Iowa, recording seven points (and 41 penalty minutes), but as long as McLeod remains a positive locker room influence and a menacing presence on the ice, he can play as long as he likes.
- The Ottawa Senators are rewinding back to 2007. The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian reports that the franchise is returning to the two-dimensional logo that they debuted in 1997 – or at least one that looks very similar – next season. The 2D look was retired after a decade and replaced with the three-dimensional logo that the team donned this season. However, Salvian writes that the club has decided that they favor the more retro look. The two-dimensional logo does better represent the Roman style of their centurion logo in a way that the three-dimensional logo never could, and Ottawa fans are already excited about the return of the old logo. Salvian also writes that the new logo will be accompanied by redesigned jerseys, including a brand new third jersey. The Senators hope that these changes will drive merchandise sales and, more importantly, pair with a promising young roster, two top-five draft picks, and a long hiatus from hockey in the city to create an atmosphere of excitement in Ottawa ahead of the 2020-21 season and help to cure the league’s worst attendance numbers.
Maxim Shalunov Likely To Sign In Switzerland To Start Next Season
Blackhawks prospect Maxim Shalunov has been in the system for quite a while without ever playing a game in a Chicago uniform. It appears that may be changing relatively soon. Shalunov’s agent Shumi Babaev told Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) that right now, the plan is for the winger to sign in Switzerland to start next season. However, he adds that the hope is that Chicago will sign him following the completion of the 2019-20 campaign and that Shalunov would leave his Swiss team to join the Blackhawks once the 2020-21 season gets underway.
The 27-year-old was a fourth-round pick of Chicago (109th overall) back in 2011 and actually has made the jump to North America before. He signed a minor league contract for 2013-14 and it didn’t go well as he had just four assists without scoring a goal in 20 games for AHL Rockford and wound up spending most of the year with ECHL Toledo. Not surprisingly, he went back to Russia after that.
The Blackhawks have been able to retain his rights this long because Shalunov was picked out of Russia. There is no Player Transfer Agreement in place between the NHL and Russia’s hockey federation so the usual four-year rights limitation doesn’t apply; instead, they’ve been able to hold his rights indefinitely.
But his fortunes have changed over the last four seasons. Instead of being a depth player in the KHL, he has become a relatively consistent producer, tallying at least 25 points in each of the last five years including 14 goals and 11 assists in 54 games with CSKA Moscow this season. That has him back on the NHL radar as someone that could potentially help Chicago on one of their lower lines.
Despite his age, Shalunov will be capped in the entry-level system where he will only be able to sign a one-year contract. Assuming that it happens and that he joins the Blackhawks for next season, he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2021.
Babaev also provided an update on another international Chicago prospect in Ivan Nalimov. It appears that the goaltender is also going to sign to start next season overseas in the hopes of earning a deal with the Blackhawks although his likely destination in that instance would be Rockford and not Chicago.
Snapshots: NHLPA Executive Board Approves CBA, DEL, LeBlanc, Stutzle
The NHL and NHLPA have crossed another hurdle to ratifying their CBA extension, the NHLPA announced. The NHL’s Executive Board has approved of the extended CBA and sent it to the NHLPA membership for a vote. The full body of NHL players still needs to cast their ballots, which is expected to take place sometime over the next 48 hours. Only a simple majority is needed to pass, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. As we await the final vote, let’s check-in elsewhere around the NHL…
- Former Chicago Blackhawks prospect Drew LeBlanc signed a two-year extension to stay with Augsburger Panther of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, per NHL.com’s Brandon Cain. LeBlanc appeared in two games with the Blackhawks in 2012-2013 and last appeared stateside with the AHL’s Ice Hogs in 2014-2015. He’s carved out a role in Germany over the last five years, scoring exactly 11 goals in the last four. He posted a career-high 49 points last season for Augsburger.
- Speaking of the DEL, top draft prospect Tim Stutzle put up 34 points (7 goals, 27 assists) for Adler Mannheim last season, a strong enough showing to put him in the running to become the highest-drafted German prospect ever (Leon Draisaitl went number 3 overall to the Oilers in 2014). As a consensus top-5 prospect, Stutzle – who has drawn comparisons to Patrick Kane for his offensive creativity – could go as high as number two to the Los Angeles Kings, who may understand Stutzle’s path better than most, writes The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman.
- Kings’ assistant coach Marco Sturm took a similar path on his way to the San Jose Sharks in 1997-1998. Sturm ought to be able to help connect the Kings’ to whatever intel they need on Stutzle. Most pundits suggest the Kings’ choice will come down to Stutzle or Quinton Byfield, though Jamie Drysdale could be in the running as well, which Dillman wrote about in-depth here.
Chicago Blackhawks Expected To Sign Wyatt Kalynuk
The Chicago Blackhawks will be adding another interesting defensive prospect to their organization, as Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that they will sign Wyatt Kalynuk to an entry-level contract. Originally drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers, Kalynuk became an unrestricted free agent last month after failing to reach an agreement with the team in their exclusive negotiating window. The 23-year old had informed the team that he would not be returning for his senior season at the University of Wisconsin and instead will end up turning pro with the Blackhawks instead.
Kalynuk, a seventh-round pick in 2017, has put up consistent offensive numbers at Wisconsin over his three years of collegiate hockey and now joins a Blackhawks pipeline brimming with defensive prospects. Chicago had already convinced Ian Mitchell earlier this spring to forgo his senior season, signing him to his own entry-level contract.
While Mitchell’s deal will be for three seasons, Kalynuk will be signing just a two-year pact given his age. With reports recently emerging that players can burn the first year of entry-level contracts this summer and no further clarification coming from Lazerus, it is not clear exactly when Wyatt’s will kick in.
The smooth-skating defenseman could potentially be an option for the Blackhawks as soon as 2020-21 given his age and experience, but will not be eligible to play this summer in Chicago’s playoff run.