Central Notes: DeBrincat, Strome, Hamhuis, Bishop, Schuldt
With the signing earlier today of former Chicago Blackhawks forward Nick Schmaltz to a seven-year, $40.95MM contract extension, The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) wonders what kind of extensions might forwards Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome earn, as both will be eligible to sign new deals on July 1.
DeBrincat, who is in the second year of his three-year, entry-level contract, has already tallied 68 goals in two years, including a 40-goal campaign this season. With those numbers, Powers writes that the Blackhawks are most likely going to get DeBrincat to eventually sign a six-year deal, likely heading into the $8MM AAV-range, pointing out that a seven or eight-year deal is unlikely since a six-year deal will leave him looking for a third contract at age 27, the perfect age for a long-term extension. If he can continue posting 30-to-40 goal seasons, DeBrincat could be in line for double digit cap hits in the future.
As for Strome, the team may be better off waiting for another year to lock up the young forward. Strome has played well in Chicago with 14 goals and 45 points in 53 games, but both sides would be better off to wait another year for more proof that he deserves a big contract extension. Plus, it would be wise if Chicago doesn’t have two big contracts handed out in the same year, which could get expensive, possibly between $13-15MM combined.
- The Athletic’s Adam Vingan reports that the Nashville Predators have activated defenseman Dan Hamhuis from injured reserve. The veteran blue liner has been out with a leg injury since February 23rd, but it finally ready to return. The team’s third-pair defender has played 53 games this season for the Predators and will now partner up with rookie Dante Fabbro, who is expected to make his debut Saturday against Columbus. The Predators also announced they have assigned Troy Grosenick to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL.
- SportsDay’s Matthew DeFranks reports that the Dallas Stars will be without goaltender Ben Bishop on Saturday and likely longer, as he is considered to be day-to-day. The 32-year-old Bishop has been a key reason why Dallas has been playing so well as they fight to hold onto their wildcard spot. Bishop has a 2.03 GAA and a .933 save percentage so far this year and may even be a Vezina Trophy finalist at this rate. NHL.com’s Mike Heika writes that he suffered a lower-body injury while going down into the butterfly in the Stars’ last game. DeFranks also adds that Mats Zuccarello and Justin Dowling are about three days away from returning to the lineup.
- The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that the Minnesota Wild are expected to be one of the most active teams in trying to sign St. Cloud State defenseman Jimmy Schuldt in the next few days. Schuldt finished his four-year college career Friday night, posting 38 career goals. Russo reports that the Wild hope to sign the four-year blue liner by burning the first year of his deal this season and allowing him to play in the NHL for the team’s final few games.
Tyler Pitlick Activated Off IR
- The Stars announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated winger Tyler Pitlick from injured reserve. He has been out of the lineup since mid-January after undergoing wrist surgery. It’s unlikely that he’ll play a big role down the stretch but the 27-year-old should return to a bottom-six role for the stretch run in Dallas.
Minor Transactions: 03/28/19
Just a handful of games remain in the 2018-19 NHL regular season, and eight of them will be played tonight. All the focus is on Columbus as the Blue Jackets will host their playoff competition in the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens sit two points ahead of the Blue Jackets for the final wild card spot but have played one extra game and do not hold the tiebreaker, meaning tonight is an absolute must-win for the team. Columbus meanwhile can’t fall any further behind after spending so many assets to put themselves in a position of contention this season. As they and the rest of the league prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- After recalling Victor Olofsson from the AHL yesterday, the Buffalo Sabres have sent Tage Thompson down in his place. Thompson hasn’t had the kind of impact the Sabres hoped for this season, recording just 12 points in 65 games after being acquired as part of the Ryan O’Reilly deal. The 21-year old still has quite a bit of potential, but will have to really take a step forward next year to be considered a core piece.
- Before their game against the New York Rangers last night, the Boston Bruins returned Karson Kuhlman to the minor leagues. Kuhlman has played seven games for the Bruins this season, recording two goals and three points in his first year of professional hockey. Signed out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the 23-year old has 30 points in 58 games at the minor league level.
- The Dallas Stars have recalled Landon Bow after Ben Bishop suffered another minor injury, but the veteran goaltender is expected to stay with the team on their current road trip. That means Bow will likely not see any action, though he is expected to back up Anton Khudobin tonight.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Matt Tennyson, despite having ten defensemen on the roster already. Jake McCabe was back at practice today, though both Zach Bogosian and Rasmus Ristolainen remained out. Tennyson has played four games for the Sabres this season, spending most of the time in the AHL instead.
- Jake Dotchin is back up with the Anaheim Ducks, possibly through the end of what has been a difficult season for the big defenseman. Dotchin had his contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning terminated in training camp due to his physical fitness levels, but was able to find a new home with Anaheim. Yet, he has so far suited up in just 20 games for the Ducks, recording one lone point, after he played in more than half of Tampa’s games last season and registered double-digit point. Dotchin will be a restricted free agent this off-season and it will be interesting to see if the Ducks opt to qualify him or not.
- The San Jose Sharks have called Nick DeSimone over from the AHL locker room. The team continues to shuffle through Barracuda defenders and DeSimone is the next in line. The 24-year-old is tied for second in scoring for AHL San Jose and has certainly earned his NHL debut at this point.
- Martin Frk has been reassigned to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, their parent club, the Detroit Red Wings, announced. Frk has been disappointingly unproductive in the NHL this season, recording five points in 25 games. He’s done much better in the AHL, with 13 points in just ten games, but Detroit was hoping for that contribution to be at the top level. Frk is an RFA this off-season and the Red Wings will have to decide whether or not to bring him back.
Jake Oettinger To Turn Pro, Sign With Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars will be adding a top goaltending prospect to the organization in the coming days, as Sean Shapiro of The Athletic reports that Jake Oettinger will leave Boston University for the professional ranks in the coming days. Oettinger will join the Texas Stars on an amateur tryout, and sign a three-year entry-level contract with Dallas that begins in 2019-20.
Oettinger, 20, was the second Stars’ first-round pick in 2017 after they snatched up Miro Heiskanen at third overall. The first goaltender selected, Oettinger brings a mix of size—he stands 6’5″—and flexibility to the position and has tremendous upside. His college career was excellent, and culminated in a .926 save percentage this season through 36 games, despite a less than outstanding season from the Terriers overall.
With multiple international medals at junior tournaments, and three years as the starter for BU, Oettinger is considered more experienced than many of his contemporaries. The 20-year old will join Texas for the end of their season, though it is certainly not clear how things will shake out next season. Dallas already has Colton Point on his entry-level deal in the minor leagues, while Philippe Desrosiers and Landon Bow are both scheduled to become restricted free agents this summer. With the NHL net locked up, Dallas may be looking to move one of their prospects out or perhaps find another AHL team that will take one on loan in order to get them any playing time. For now, Oettinger will focus on making the transition to professional hockey and taking the next step towards the NHL.
Central Notes: Zuccarello, Parise, Byfuglien, Rantanen, Landeskog
The Dallas Stars continue to hang onto the top wildcard playoff spot and continue to attempt to fend off several teams trying to steal away their spot. The Stars may get a much-needed boost soon as veteran Mats Zuccarello, who appeared in just one game with Dallas after they acquired him from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline, is making progress and could return to the team soon.
Zuccarello, who scored a goal an assist in his first game in Dallas before breaking his arm while blocking a shot on Feb. 24, participated in Dallas’ pre-game skate, according to NHL.com’s Mark Stepneski. His four-week recovery estimate is almost up and the team hopes that he could be ready soon.
“It increases every day,” Zuccarello said of the stickhandling. “Maybe a week, just started light and now I can shoot a little bit more, but it still hurts a little bit.”
The 31-year-old Zuccarello has 12 goals and 39 points so far this year, but the Stars need his experience on their struggling second line, especially if they want to remain in the playoff position they are currently in.
- The Minnesota Wild announced that the team will be without forward Zach Parise Saturday, who suffered an undisclosed injury Friday after colliding with Washington Capitals’ forward Tom Wilson. Parise, however, remained in the game and assisted on the team’s game-winning goal. The 34-year-old Parise is having a big season with 26 goals and 59 points in 73 games and has only missed two games this year up until now. It’s Parise’s biggest season since 2014-15. The team will replace Parise in the lineup with Pontus Aberg.
- The Winnipeg Jets are close to getting back a pair of key defensemen as both Dustin Byfuglien and Josh Morrissey each skated prior to the team’s morning skate Saturday, suggesting they could return soon, according to Mitchell Clinton of NHL.com. Byfuglien, who has been out since Feb. 14 with a lower-body injury, while Morrissey has been out since Feb. 24 with an upper-body injury. Head coach Paul Maurice said that Byfuglien has actually been skating on his own since Wednesday. “The way this works now is he skates, if he feels good the next day, he’ll start thinking about morning skates going forward,” said Maurice. “Then start building toward contact.”
- The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers reports that the team will be without star forward Mikko Rantanen again on Sunday at Chicago after missing his first game of the season against the Blackhawks at home on Saturday with a midsection injury. The 22-year-old was hurt in Thursday’s game against Dallas when he was checked into the boards along the team benches. He remains day-to-day.
- One a more positive note, BSN’s Adrian Dater reports there’s a chance, albeit a small chance, that injured forward Gabriel Landeskog, who was listed as being out four to six weeks with an upper-body injury back on Mar. 8, could return a bit early. That would be welcome news for a Colorado team that looked to be sliding out of the playoffs, but have had a recent resurgence that has brought them back into the playoff race. Landeskog is having a breakout year with 33 goals and 69 points.
Minor Transactions: 03/23/19
With the playoff races in full swing and 28 of 31 teams in action, the antepenultimate Saturday of the season figures to be a busy one. There’s likely to be a lot of roster movement throughout the day and we’ll keep tabs on those moves here.
- The Stars announced the recall of center Justin Dowling from Texas of the AHL. Unlikely many moves at this time of the season, this one is not an emergency recall which means it counts against Dallas’ four non-emergency post-deadline recalls. The 28-year-old, who inked a two-year extension earlier this month, has spent most of the season with AHL Texas where he has 53 points in 62 games to lead their farm team in scoring. He has suited up in six games with Dallas so far this season, recording a single assist. He’ll serve as depth down the middle for their stretch run.
- Ottawa has returned defenseman Erik Brannstrom to AHL Belleville, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). He was up with the team on emergency recall. The 19-year-old has played in two games with the Senators since being acquired from Vegas and will likely get another shot with the big club in the coming weeks.
- The San Jose Sharks announced that they have sent forward Dylan Gambrell and defenseman Nick DeSimone have both been reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda after being recalled just one day ago. Gambrell, in particular, has been sent back and forth quite a bit this season, but the 22-year-old hasn’t made an appearance with the Sharks since Feb. 16.
- The New Jersey Devils announced they have sent a number of players to their AHL affiliate in Binghamton after their win today over Arizona, including forwards Joey Anderson, Blake Pietila, John Quenneville, Eric Tangradi and defenseman Josh Jacobs. All players will be expected to gain seasoning in the AHL and have found themselves going back and forth quite a bit recently.
- The Washington Capitals announced they have recalled Tyler Lewington from the Hershey Bears of the AHL to fill its hole on defense. With only six players on the roster and almost no cap space remaining to work with, the team could have made a number of moves to bring up a defenseman, but Lewington had the cheapest contract of their AHL defenseman and is likely to be used as an emergency player, likely not seeing any time for the Capitals. The 24-year-old has three goals, 14 points and 113 penalty minutes in 57 games this season in Hershey.
Decisions Coming From Dante Fabbro, Shane Bowers
The talent on the Boston University roster this season didn’t quite match up with the regular season results this year and the Terriers needed to win the Hockey East Conference Tournament to keep their season alive with an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. They faced the same scenario last season and were able to get in, but lightning didn’t strike twice. The Northeastern Huskies knocked off BU in the Hockey East semifinals tonight and now decisions await several of the teams stars.
The most notable decision will come from 2016 first-round pick Dante Fabbro. The 16th overall pick by the Nashville Predators that year, Fabbro was a superstar for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL and has only continued to progress at BU into a high-end two-way defenseman. Fabbro set a career high with 33 points in 37 games this season and was named a first-team all-conference selection for his efforts. Fabbro may not have much more growing to do at the college level, but does have another year of NCAA eligibility remaining. If he chooses to turn pro and surrender that final year, he would undoubtedly be a welcomed addition in Nashville. However, he does have some incentive to wait one more year. The Predators have one of the deepest blue lines in the NHL, armed with an elite top-four and seven veteran defenders already signed through next season. Fabbro could end up buried in the minors or at the very least outside top-four consideration for several years if he signs with the team that drafted him. If he instead opts to return to BU for his senior year, he could then wait until August 2020 and become an unrestricted free agent. The wait is now on to see what Fabbro decides to do. Ironically, teammate Patrick Harper finds himself in the same situation with the Predators. The talented forward had a down year after back-to-back point-per-game campaigns to begin his collegiate career. He may be looking to move on from the college game, but Nashville’s 2016 fifth-round pick could benefit from another year with the Terriers and also opens himself up to the possibility of free agency if he returns for a fourth NCAA season.
The clock may also be ticking for Fabbro’s teammate and fellow first-round pick Shane Bowers. A 2017 selection, Bowers actually has two years of eligibility remaining, but rumors surfaced earlier this season that Bowers was considering moving on from the NCAA ranks. In fact, there was some doubt that Bowers would return to BU after the World Juniors earlier this year, with some speculating he could sign with the Colorado Avalanche instead. Originally a pick of the Ottawa Senators, Bowers was one of the pieces moved to the Avs in the Matt Duchene trade and now finds himself with the opportunity to join a good team with a need for secondary scoring. Bowers certainly has room to improve before turning pro, but the former USHL standout would still likely step into an immediate role in Colorado. Bowers could potentially even join the Avalanche right away this season to help the team in their playoff push. Such a chance doesn’t come around very often and could persuade Bowers to cut his tenure in Boston short.
Elsewhere on the roster, starting goaltender Jake Oettinger, another 2017 first-round pick, may consider a move to the pros as well. The Dallas Stars top goalie prospect had another up-and-down year, but has undeniable talent and could choose to leave the college level behind him. However, after watching another talented, young Dallas keeper, Colton Point, see limited action and ample struggles in both the AHL and ECHL in his first pro season in the Stars’ system, Oettinger may not be in any rush. Most of the Terriers’ other NHL prospects have years of eligibility remaining and seem unlikely to jump ship. Among those who hypothetically could are Hockey East Rookie of the Year and Philadelphia Flyers first-rounder Joel Farabee, another Nashville Predators prospect in David Farrance, and intriguing Chicago Blackhawks defensive prospect Chad Krys.
Two players without any choice in the matter are Bobo Carpenter and Max Willman. Carpenter, who struggled with injuries this season, nevertheless will be a priority free agent now that BU’s season is over. The undrafted forward has NHL lineage, leadership skills, and a strong work ethic. At just 22, Carpenter brings four years of NCAA experience and consistent scoring numbers to whichever team is lucky to land him. There may not be the same press to sign Willman. A rare five-year college player, Willman is a 2014 selection of the Buffalo Sabres but may not be tendered by the team. In four years at Brown University and a graduate year at Boston University, Willman managed just 51 points in 134 games with just one breakout year as a junior at Brown. Buffalo may like how the 24-year-old’s mature game could translate to the pros, but his upside may not be worthy of an entry-level contract. Should Willman become a free agent, the Cape Cod native will have plenty of AHL teams close to home who could be willing to give him a chance.
Change is coming to Boston University one way or another, but just how much change will depend on how many of their top players decide to turn pro versus return for another year. Either the Terriers or the NHL will end up with a good amount of talent added to the mix next season.
NHL Prospects Receiving NCAA Conference Awards
Tomorrow night kicks off the final weekend of conference tournaments in the NCAA, with Selection Sunday setting the stage for the NCAA Tournament beginning next week. With the collegiate regular season a thing of the past, the conferences haves used the gathering of their top teams ahead of this weekend’s games as a chance to hold end of the year banquets and announce award winners. To no surprise, many notable NHL prospects were also among those honored.
Perhaps the top pro prospect in the NCAA and the favorite to win the Hobey Baker Award this year, it was predictable that Cale Makar (COL) would first be unanimously named the Hockey East Player of the Year. The dynamic defenseman was the No. 4 overall pick by the Avalanche two years ago and has lived up to the hype through two seasons at the University of Massachusetts. Makar was one of six UMass players to also be named all-league players, including Mario Ferraro (SJ) and John Leonard (SJ) and scoring champion Mitchell Chaffee. 2018 first-round pick Joel Farabee (PHI) was named Hockey East’s Rookie of the Year following a point-per-game freshman campaign for Boston University. Similarly impressive teenager Cayden Primeau (MTL) was named Goaltender of the Year, backstopping Northeastern University with a .935 save percentage and 2.02 GAA. Providence College’s Vincent Desharnais (EDM) and the University of Maine’s Chase Pearson (DET) were also honored as the Defensive Defenseman and Defensive Forward of the year, respectively.
In the Big Ten Conference, recent Red Wings signing Taro Hirose (DET) out of Michigan State University was named Player of the Year, as well as scoring champion as the NCAA’s leading point-getter. The University of Minnesota’s Sammy Walker (TB) was named Freshman of the Year after the seventh-round pick surprised many this season. Quinn Hughes (VAN) of the University of Michigan and Evan Barratt (CHI) of Penn State University were other notable Big Ten stars, earning first-team all-conference considerations.
Elsewhere, a trifecta of NHL hopefuls won both Player of the Year and Defenseman of the Year for their conference. Adam Fox (CAR) is the most notable, as the Harvard University product enjoyed yet another dominant year in the ECAC and could be an impact player immediately once he joins the Hurricanes. Jimmy Schuldt hopes to do the same wherever he ends up, as the priority free agent from St. Cloud State University was named both Player of the Year and Defensive Defenseman of the Year for the NCHC and will push for a National Championship this year before turning his attention to the pros. Finally, Atlantic Hockey’s undisputed top player was Joe Duszak (TOR) of Mercyhurst University, who recently signed with the Maple Leafs after leading all NCAA defensemen in scoring.
Other awards of note include the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Scott Perunovich (STL) winning the NCHC’s Offensive Defenseman of the Year Award for the second year in a row and Cooper Zech (BOS) being named the WCHA’s Rookie of the Year despite already leaving Ferris State University after just one year for the AHL’s Providence Bruins. With the NCAA postseason still to come, there will be more honors on the way for college hockey’s top players, but the conference awards already show that the best of the collegiate ranks includes many NHL draft picks and free agent signings, who will hopefully go on to continue their strong play at the next level.
Dallas Stars Sign Trio Of Prospects
The Dallas Stars have had a busy morning, signing Rhett Gardner (two-year), Joe Cecconi (two-year) and Josh Melnick (one-year) to entry-level contracts. All three deals will start next season, as the trio will join the Texas Stars on amateur tryouts for the rest of this year. Gardner and Cecconi were both drafted by the Stars, while Melnick was an undrafted college free agent who just finished his fourth year at Miami University (Ohio). The team has also assigned top prospect Ty Dellandrea to Texas after his season with the Flint Firebirds came to an end.
Gardner, 23, was selected by the Stars in the fourth round of the 2016 draft after an encouraging freshman season at the University of North Dakota. The 6’3″ center had scored 11 goals while playing behind the likes of Brock Boeser, Drake Caggiula and Nick Schmaltz and looked like he might develop into a real offensive threat down the road. Unfortunately that offensive touch never did really materialize, with Gardner topping out at 21 points during his sophomore season. Still, Gardner will bring another big powerful forward presence to the AHL Stars next season, one capable of playing at center and on the penalty kill if necessary.
Cecconi meanwhile brings a much higher ceiling in terms of NHL potential. The 21-year old defenseman was picked in the fifth round of the 2015 draft, but has developed into quite the player for the University of Michigan. In his first two seasons with the Wolverines, Cecconi recorded just 15 points in 71 games but after being paired with Quinn Hughes partway through the 2017-18 season really took off. The two formed one of the best defensive pairings in all of college hockey, and Cecconi ended up recorded 27 points in 40 games. He maintained that production this year with another 20 points in 36 games, and now joins the Stars as more than just a late-round lottery ticket. The 6’2″ defenseman seems to be more than the sum of his parts in terms of individual skill set, and will attempt to take another step in his development at the next level.
Melnick, the lone free agent of the bunch is the classic overlooked forward prospect. Measuring in at just 5’10”, he nevertheless recorded four excellent seasons at Miami and will try to show off his playmaking skills at the professional level. The 23-year old has produced at every level, and could be a big offensive threat in the AHL next season.
Snapshots: Boychuk, Cizikas, Foligno, Bishop
The New York Islanders could have gotten back defenseman Johnny Boychuk Saturday as the veteran defenseman was available to play, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. Boychuk appeared to hurt his shoulder when he took a hit from Philadelphia’s Jakub Voracek last week, but Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said that Boychuk could have played. However, with the defense having played so well against Montreal Thursday, Trotz elected to keep the same six on defense against Detroit. He could play Sunday, however.
The team could also get back Casey Cizikas on Sunday as well. The Islanders named him a late scratch after he suffered a lower-body injury in warmups before Saturday’s game. The 28-year-old, who is having a career year, was suffering from a stomach flu several weeks ago and still hasn’t recovered from it.
“I was expecting him to play,” Trotz said. “We’re at that point in the year where we have to make sure with our players. He’s been pretty worn out. He lost a lot of weight.”
- The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that captain Nick Foligno did not travel with the team to Boston for their game today against Boston for personal reasons, but add that the personal reason doesn’t have anything to do with his daughter’s recent surgery. Foligno, who has 16 goals and 30 points this season, is expected to be back in the lineup soon. Foligno has missed some time this year due to the health of his now-five year-old daughter, who had to undergo a procedure in December/January. The Blue Jackets next play on Tuesday in Calgary.
- SportsDay’s Gerry Fraley writes that the Dallas Stars hope to have goaltender Ben Bishop back soon. The goaltender, who has been sidelined with a lower-body injury which he sustained Thursday at Minnesota, has been red-hot lately, having gone 230 minutes and 53 seconds without allowing a goal, a club record. Despite the fact that his injury improved the following day and had no difficulty walking out of the arena that night, the team opted to bench Bishop Friday against Vegas. However, the team hopes to get him back real soon as Dallas is currently on the outside looking in when it comes to making the playoffs. “I think he’s just being smart,” said Dallas head coach Jim Montgomery. “He’s trying to make sure it doesn’t become a two-week thing.”