Josh Anderson Placed On Injured Reserve
The Columbus Blue Jackets have made a roster move to give them another option up front for tonight’s game. Josh Anderson has been placed on injured reserve while Markus Hannikainen has been recalled. Anderson’s IR stint is retroactive to October 5th when he suffered an upper-body injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blue Jackets take on the Anaheim Ducks tonight at home, then travel to Carolina to face the Hurricanes tomorrow night.
Even if the Blue Jackets hadn’t lost so many pieces in the offseason, Anderson would still be a huge part of their forward group. The 25-year old winger has developed into one of the league’s premiere power forwards, scoring 27 goals last season while recording more than 200 hits. Fast, heavy and fearless, Anderson routinely drives the puck towards the net and creates chances for himself and his line mates. His 22 even-strength goals actually ranked him 38th in the entire league, tied with names like Aleksander Barkov, Kyle Connor and Sean Monahan.
A player has to stay for seven days on injured reserve, meaning that Anderson should be eligible to return following tomorrow night’s matchup.
Hannikainen meanwhile was waived at the end of training camp and has already played two games with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. The 26-year old winger played 44 games for the Blue Jackets last season but was beat out by other, younger forwards this time around. With Anderson out he’ll serve as just the 13th forward tonight, but will continue to try and prove he belongs at the NHL level in practices.
2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Twenty-Third Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now. Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?
Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:
1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)
7th Overall: Ryan McDonagh, Columbus Blue Jackets (12)
8th Overall: James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins (2)
9th Overall: Wayne Simmonds, San Jose Sharks (61)
10th Overall: Kevin Shattenkirk, Florida Panthers (14)
11th Overall: Jake Muzzin, Carolina Hurricanes (141)
12th Overall: Kyle Turris, Montreal Canadiens (3)
13th Overall: David Perron, St. Louis Blues (26)
14th Overall: Mikael Backlund, Colorado Avalanche (24)
15th Overall: Evgenii Dadonov, Edmonton Oilers (71)
16th Overall: Alec Martinez, Minnesota Wild (95)
17th Overall: Carl Hagelin, New York Rangers (168)
18th Overall: Lars Eller, St. Louis Blues (13)
19th Overall: Alex Killorn, Anaheim Ducks (77)
20th Overall: Nick Bonino, Pittsburgh Penguins (173)
21st Overall: Pat Maroon, Edmonton Oilers (161)
22nd Overall: Paul Byron, Montreal Canadiens (179)
Now our biggest riser of the exercise, Paul Byron finding his way to Montreal seems inevitable. The third sixth-round pick in a row to be selected by our community, Byron didn’t always look like he’d be an impact player at the NHL level. In fact, if the game hadn’t turned considerably towards speed and skill over size, there’s a good chance he never would have.
Back in 2007, Byron was coming off his rookie season in the QMJHL where he had scored 21 goals and 44 points in 68 games for the Gatineau Olympiques. That just wasn’t impressive enough for a player that was listed at 5’8″ 135-lbs at the time. That led Byron to not even be ranked among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, overlooked completely as a draft prospect. The thing was, even at that tiny size, Byron didn’t play like a small, perimeter offensive talent. He was always willing to drive hard to the net and get underneath defenders on the forecheck, even if he wasn’t big enough to be all that effective at the time. The Buffalo Sabres decided to take a chance on him late in the draft, and it would pay off.
After growing a bit, Byron really showed what he could do at the junior level. In 2007-08 he scored 37 goals in the regular season before leading all QMJHL players with 21 playoff goals. His Gatineau Olympiques took home the league title that season and suddenly there was a glimmer of hope that Byron could become a professional after all. It would take until 2009—on the day his rights would have expired—for him to sign an entry-level contract with the Sabres, but it was worth it.
Byron would bounce between the NHL and AHL for several years until really catching on with the Calgary Flames during the 2013-14 season. His speed was a real difference-maker in the new NHL, and by the time he ended up in Montreal there was a real role for him. Over the last three seasons Byron has been one of the most efficient even-strength goal scorers in the league, lighting the lamp 51 times in 219 games even though he averages just over 15 minutes a game. That recent success is exactly why he finds himself in the first round of the redraft, given that he has climbed up to 23rd among all 2007 draftees in career points.
After the Canadiens made their pick, the Nashville Predators were on the clock back in 2007. Sitting there on the board was a player they were very familiar with from their scouting of another top prospect. Jonathon Blum was the 17th ranked skater by NHL Central Scouting, and happened to play for the Vancouver Giants alongside Predators prospect Cody Franson. The team had spent a third-round pick on Franson two years earlier and watched the two offensive defensemen lead their team to a Memorial Cup in 2007, combining for more than 100 regular season points.
Blum spent two more years in junior, winning WHL and CHL Defenseman of the Year in 2009 while also captaining Team USA at the World Juniors. The somewhat undersized defenseman seemed destined for a long NHL career, but that would never really come to pass. Instead, Blum spent most of the next several years in the minor leagues with the Milwaukee Admirals and Iowa Wild, playing just 110 games at the NHL level. He left for the KHL in 2015 and is playing this season in Sweden after ending up on the Olympic team in 2018 when the NHL chose not to go.
For some players it just doesn’t work out at the highest level, and that was the case for Blum. If they got another shot the Predators would likely pick someone else, but who? With the twenty-third pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Nashville Predators select? Cast your vote below!
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*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL. He has not been included in this vote.
Pierre-Luc Dubois’ Agent “Receptive” To Starting Extension Talks
The Columbus Blue Jackets kick off their 2019-20 season tonight by welcoming in the Toronto Maple Leafs for a home ice tilt, and will look a lot different than the team that swept the Tampa Bay Lightning out of the first round. The Blue Jackets watched Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel and others leave in free agency, while committing to a much younger forward core that will include names like Emil Bemstrom and Alexandre Texier. It’s easy to forget that Pierre-Luc Dubois also only turned 21 a few months ago, and after an excellent 27-goal 61-point season in 2018-19 he’ll be leaned on as one of the leaders up front.
Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, Dubois’ early entrance to the NHL means that he is also on the final year of his entry-level contract and is scheduled for restricted free agency next summer. With other teams starting to lock up their young players in order to avoid the long negotiations that we saw this year, Dubois is an interesting player to keep an eye on. Pierre LeBrun explained on the latest Insider Trading for TSN that Dubois’ camp is open to talking soon with the Blue Jackets about a possible extension:
So much pressure on Columbus after those offseason defections to get this core, franchise center signed. I’m told that agent Pat Brisson is receptive to the idea of sitting down at some point in the fall and get the process started. I think the Jackets are going to come early with a big number.
Selected third overall in 2016, Dubois made headlines right away after Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen took him ahead of the expected choice, Jesse Puljujarvi. The 6’3″ center scored just 55 points in a disjointed QMJHL season the year after his draft, but proved he was more than ready to step into the NHL right away the following season. Finding his footing as a rookie (alongside Panarin), Dubois recorded 20 goals and 48 points and was one of the team’s best players in a short playoff appearance. He came back even stronger in 2018-19 and is now arguably the team’s most important forward.
Getting an extension done before his third season may end up being the right move for the Blue Jackets, especially if he shows that he can carry the load for the team without some of the departed talents. The first two picks from his draft, Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, signed polar opposite contracts out of their entry-level deals, making it hard to know exactly where Dubois will fit in.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Poll: Who Will Win The Metropolitan Division In 2019-20?
We’ve finally reached the end of the offseason and things kick off this week around the NHL. Exhibition games are underway in Europe and final cuts have come down all around the league. The excitement for the upcoming season is palpable, with even the most minor transactions generating plenty of interest among hockey fans.
With that in mind we’re going to ask you, the PHR reader, to give us your thoughts on the upcoming season. We started with the Atlantic Division, which seemed an easy choice for a good chunk of our community. The Tampa Bay Lightning ran away with the poll, earning a whopping 46% of all votes. With the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins firmly in the second and third spots, it may be another difficult year for Atlantic teams trying to crack those divisional playoff spots.
We’ll now move on to the Metropolitan Division, which has been dominated by one team for the last several years. The Washington Capitals have taken home the divisional crown for the past four consecutive seasons, posting at least 104 points in each. Even after losing head coach Barry Trotz to the rival New York Islanders, Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals were able to fend off the rest of the group for the top spot. It didn’t do them much good as they ended up kicked out of the first round by the hard-charging Carolina Hurricanes, who should be in contention for the division lead after going all the way to the Eastern Conference Final.
It certainly won’t be easy to capture though, as the division had five playoff teams last season and could potentially be a battle between all eight clubs this time around. The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils both underwent huge changes in the offseason, while the Pittsburgh Penguins are still led by the Hall of Fame duo down the middle.
Who do you think will come out on top of the Metropolitan Division in the regular season? Can the Capitals make it five in a row? Will the Islanders complete the transformation to defensive powerhouse? Will Carter Hart‘s goaltending be the missing ingredient for the Philadelphia Flyers? Cast your vote below and explain how you think the season will play out!
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Training Camp Cuts: 10/01/19
Even with the season starting tomorrow, teams still have some final cuts to make today. Rosters have to be cap compliant by the end of the day. though with so much talent on waivers there might still be some last-minute moves. We’ll keep track of those right here. Keep checking back throughout the day for updates.
Arizona Coyotes (per team release)
D Ilya Lyubushkin (to Tucson, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (per team release)
F Remi Elie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Curtis Lazar (to Rochester, AHL)
F Scott Wilson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Nelson (to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (per team release)
F Alan Quine (to Stockton, AHL)
F Zac Rinaldo (to Stockton, AHL)
F Dillon Dube (to Stockton, AHL)
D Andrew MacDonald (released from PTO)
Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)
F Clark Bishop (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Julien Gauthier (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Brian Gibbons (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Gustav Forsling (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Roland McKeown (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Anton Forsberg (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Max McCormick (placed on injured/non-roster)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk (placed on injured/non-roster)
Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)
G Collin Delia (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kirby Dach (placed on injured/non-roster)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)
F Marko Dano (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Andrew Peeke (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Liam Foudy (placed on injured/non-roster)
Colorado Avalanche (per team release)
F Jayson Megna (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kevin Connauton (to Colorado, AHL)
D Calle Rosen (to Colorado, AHL)
D Ian Cole (placed on injured/non-roster)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
D Jared McIsaac (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Chase Pearson (placed on injured/non-roster)
Edmonton Oilers (per team release)
F Sam Gagner (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
F J.T. Brown (to Iowa, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens (per team release)
F Ryan Poehling (to Laval, AHL)
Nashville Predators (per team release)
F Miikka Salomaki (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Milwaukee, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (per team release)
D Matt Tennyson (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Spokane, WHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)
D John Marino (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Casey DeSmith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)
F Nicolas Roy (to Chicago, AHL)
D Nicolas Hague (to Chicago, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
F Liam O’Brien (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
D Christian Djoos (to Hershey, AHL)
D Michal Kempny (placed on injured/non-roster)
Winnipeg Jets (per team release)
D Sami Niku (to Manitoba, AHL)
Waivers: 09/30/19
Today is the last day to use waivers in order to get a roster cap compliant for the start of the regular season, so we will see a lot of players available for selection.
Anaheim Ducks
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
F Remi Elie
F Curtis Lazar
F Scott Wilson
D Casey Nelson
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
F Clark Bishop
D Gustav Forsling
G Anton Forsberg
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Edmonton Oilers
F Sam Gagner
D Brandon Manning
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
F Miikka Salomaki
D Steven Santini
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
F Joshua Ho-Sang
F Tanner Fritz
D Thomas Hickey
New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
F Kenny Agostino
F Nic Petan
F Garrett Wilson
D Kevin Gravel
Vancouver Canucks
F Sven Baertschi
F Nikolay Goldobin
D Alex Biega
Winnipeg Jets
F J.C. Lipon
D Nelson Nogier
G Eric Comrie
Washington Capitals
Minor Transactions: 09/28/19
As teams finish their final week of preparation before the 2019-20 season, there will likely be several transactions around the league. Alongside of NHL camp cuts, there are recalls and reassignments for preseason action, AHL camp decisions, and even some teams at both levels still looking to fill out their rosters with a signing or two. As always, we’ll keep track of all those moves right here:
- The same group of players recalled by the Nashville Predators yesterday to suit up for their preseason game have been returned: Rem Pitlick, Anthony Richard, Eeli Tolvanen, Yakov Trenin, Josh Wilkins, Alexandre Carrier, Jeremy Davies and Ken Appleby. However, the team added that Appleby has formally been released from his PTO contract. He will head to the Milwaukee Admirals with the rest of the group, but is now solely property of the AHL club.
- The St. Louis Blues are already making standard recall transactions, although it’s unclear if the move is anything more than a personnel change for the preseason finale. The Blues announced that defenseman Jake Walman has been sent down to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, essentially being cut from training camp, but that forward Alexey Toropchenko has been recalled in his place. The first-year pro had been previously dismissed from camp, but will get another chance to impress the St. Louis brass.
- From heir apparent to fifth string, goaltender Spencer Martin has had a tough year or so. Last off-season, the 2013 third-round pick looked like he might be in line for the backup role with the Colorado Avalanche. Instead, the Avs traded for Philipp Grubauer and signed Pavel Francouz. Martin sat behind Francouz, an AHL All-Star, all year and then was not extended a qualifying offer from Colorado. Martin signed as a UFA early this summer with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who at the time had only two goalies slotted above him on the depth chart. Since then, the Bolts have traded for Mike Condon and signed Curtis McElhinney. With Condon and Louis Domingue both established NHL veterans currently confined to the AHL, today’s move was inevitable, but still a tough blow for Martin. The 24-year-old was reassigned to the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, the Syracuse Crunch announced. Another former top prospect, Zach Fucale, has also been sent down to Orlando. The duo will likely be relegated to the ECHL for much of the season, barring an injury or trade. It’s certainly not the future imagined for Martin just a few short years ago.
- The Blue Jackets have recalled winger Eric Robinson from Cleveland (AHL), reports Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. He has already been cut this preseason but is expected to suit up in their final exhibition game on Sunday before being sent back down.
- The Florida Panthers announced that they have recalled forward Anthony Greco from the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. The 25-year-old was cut from the NHL camp on Thursday, but may get a chance to prove himself again. Greco scored 59 goals over the past two seasons with Springfield, but has only made one NHL appearance so far.
Snapshots: Lafleur, Snow, Dubinsky
The hockey world held its breath when news broke that Guy Lafleur was heading in for quadruple bypass heart surgery. The Montreal Canadiens were proud to report however that the procedure was a success and Lafleur is expected to make a full recovery. We here at PHR wish the entire Lafleur family the best as they work through the recovery period, and are glad everything went smoothly. The 68-year old is one of the most well-known and successful players in NHL history, scoring 1,353 points in 1,1127 games over his long career.
Here are some more notes from around the league:
- Chris Snow has been named an assistant general manager for the Calgary Flames. The 38-year old Snow has worked with the team for several years as their director of hockey analysis, running their advanced statistics department. He also previously worked for the Minnesota Wild and as a beat writer for both the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Boston Globe. Snow will join Craig Conroy and Brad Pascall as assistant general managers for the club.
- When the Columbus Blue Jackets announced that Brandon Dubinsky would be out with a wrist injury to start the year, they explained that his timetable was indefinite. That may mean long-term, according to Dubinsky’s agent Kurt Overhardt, who spoke with Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required). It is the same injury that Dubinsky dealt with last season.
Minor Transactions: 09/26/19
As teams finish their final week of preparation before the 2019-20 season, there will likely be several transactions around the league. As always, we’ll keep track of all those moves right here:
- All of the players from yesterday have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent ten players back to the minor leagues, returning Paul Bittner, Zac Dalpe, Nathan Gerbe, Markus Hannikainen, Nikita Korostelev, Kole Sherwood, Kevin Stenlund, Gabriel Carlsson, Anton Karlsson and Veini Vehvilainen. All ten had previously been cut from the training camp roster but were recalled to play in a preseason game last night.
- The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Ivan Prosvetov from the AHL, giving them another goaltender in camp ahead of their final two preseason games. Prosvetov had already been cut and sent to the Tucson Roadrunners, and is an unlikely candidate for an NHL role this year.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have returned Kasimir Kaskisuo to the AHL after he helped fill in as an extra goaltender in training camp recently. The Maple Leafs had decided to cut ties with Michal Neuvirth after he continued to be held off the ice with minor injuries, and needed the previously assigned Kaskisuo to help out. It’s unclear where his role lies with the organization at this point, given the presence of other young goaltenders in the system.
- The Calgary Flames have recalled eight players to help fill out their roster for tonight, bringing up Byron Froese, Justin Kirkland, Andrew Nielsen, Matthew Phillips, Luke Philp, Buddy Robinson, Rinat Valiev and Artyom Zagidulin. These players have already been cut from training camp, but will help finish out the preseason.
Injury Notes: Dubinsky, McCabe, Blackhawks
The Columbus Blue Jackets have already run into some injury trouble, announcing that Brandon Dubinsky will be out indefinitely with a wrist injury. Dubinsky is expected to miss the start of the regular season, though it’s obviously not clear how long this will keep him out.
This injury will open the door for another young Blue Jackets forward to see more ice, and isn’t the end of the world for Columbus given Dubinsky’s decline over recent years. Since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, the veteran forward has struggled offensively and recorded just 31 points in 139 games including just a single goal in 16 playoff contests. With Artemi Panarin gone to New York the Blue Jackets will need new faces to take on some of the offensive responsibility, and someone like Alexandre Texier will be relied on even more heavily as injuries start to pile up.
- Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe will miss the rest of the preseason with an upper-body injury, though the team believes he will be available to start the season. The Sabres loaded blueline is starting to look thinner and thinner thanks to several injuries, and it is not clear who would take his place if McCabe is not ready to go next week. Injuries aren’t a new thing for the 25-year old, who has played just 112 games over the last two seasons combined.
- The Chicago Blackhawks were without Robin Lehner at practice today as he nurses a right hip injury, but it is not expected to keep him out long. Kirby Dach, who has been working through a concussion, will travel with the team to Europe for their Global Series matchups but isn’t expected to play in either game. The Blackhawks leave on Thursday and will play an exhibition match against Berlin in Germany before opening their regular season against the Philadelphia Flyers in Prague, Czech Republic.