Back Injury Ends Henrik Zetterberg’s Career
Though he won’t officially retire for several years, Henrik Zetterberg‘s hockey playing career is over. Today at Detroit Red Wings training camp, GM Ken Holland announced that due to the chronic back injury that Zetterberg has dealt with, he will not play again. The Red Wings captain was unable to train at all this offseason and recently consulted with the doctor who originally completed his back surgery. The decision was made that he cannot continue.
Zetterberg, 37, has three years left on his contract that will likely be placed on long-term injured reserve in the coming weeks. The decision of when exactly to make that transaction depends on who the Red Wings decide to take on the roster, and how they want to work their salary cap for this season. His $6.083MM cap hit will give the team added flexibility going forward, but there isn’t a single player or fan in Detroit who was rooting for this outcome.
Despite dealing with crippling pain at points during last season that kept him from practicing with the team, Zetterberg played in all 82 games for the Red Wings. Though his goal total fell to the lowest mark of his career in a full season, he still recorded 56 points to come second on the team behind only Dylan Larkin. Combine that offensive production with the fact that Zetterberg has long been one of the most defensively responsible forwards in the league and he was still arguably the Red Wings most important player.
That importance was evident right from the moment Zetterberg made his debut in 2002. Scoring his first goal by being in the perfect position, that would be become a motif throughout his career. Always in the right place at the right time, Zetterberg would score 21 more goals in that rookie season and 393 more in his Detroit career. 57 of those came in the playoffs, where he took home the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2008 when the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup.
Zetterberg will almost certainly wait out his contract before officially announcing his retirement like so many others, which also will avoid any cap recapture penalty for the Red Wings. Some will draw immediate comparisons to the Marian Hossa situation, given that Zetterberg’s actual salary was set to drop to just $5.35MM over the next three seasons combined. The player himself once explained that the last two seasons—in which he would earn just $1MM in salary annually—were just added to the end of the deal to keep the cap hit low and were never expected to fulfilled. While Zetterberg walked back those comments quickly by saying he would obviously play if physically possible, this injury obviously still comes with conspicuous timing.
Regardless of the intent, the NHL will lose one of the very best to play the game this season when Zetterberg fails to suit up for the Red Wings. With 1,082 games played, 960 points, a Stanley Cup and a Conn Smythe, there could very well be a trip to the Hall of Fame down the line for the Detroit captain.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Training Camp Notes: Kings, Gionta, Tryouts
When the Los Angeles Kings begin training camp tomorrow, they will be without three notable players. The team announced today that starting defenseman Derek Forbort, top prospect Gabriel Vilardi, and first-year pro Austin Strand will not be full participants when camp opens. Forbort, who is entering his fourth season as a Kings regular, is the least concern. A back injury will keep Forbort from taking part in team drills, but he is well enough to skate and is considered day-to-day. Regardless, Forbort has his top-six role locked in to begin this year and will likely resume playing with Dion Phaneuf after the two found chemistry late last year. The same can’t be said for Vilardi and Strand, who are fighting for roster spots in camp but at this point are considered week-to-week. Vilardi, the eleventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, is also suffering from a back injury and is completely sidelined for now. The young center could play a major role for L.A. this year, but has to first get on the ice this month and prove he is ready for the NHL. Strand, an undrafted free agent inked by the Kings last season, is hoping to get a shot on the blue line at some point this season. However, the standout from the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds must first get over the concussion symptoms that are currently keeping him from practice and game action. In the meantime, the Kings revealed their camp roster with some extra bodies invited to perhaps make up for these injuries. Junior players Nathan Dunkley, Mark Rassel, and Michal Ivan – one from each of the three CHL leagues – are set to join the team on tryouts.
- The New York Islanders weren’t willing to give Stephen Gionta a contract extension last summer, but the team ended up re-signing the veteran forward in December. This time around they are still unwilling to give Gionta a guaranteed contract, but they are willing to give him a shot at earning a spot in camp. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reports that Gionta will join the team on a PTO in camp as he works to play a 13th pro season. Gionta, the younger brother of Brian Gionta, played for the New Jersey Devils organization for parts of eleven seasons, but has suited up for the Islanders and their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, for the past two years.
- Gionta and the Kings’ junior tryouts are far from the only camp invitees across the league. As teams have announced their camp rosters, many previously unannounced PTO’s have been revealed. The defending champion Washington Capitals have invited Canadian collegiate forward Mark Simpson and WHL goalie Logan Thompson to camp. Their Stanley Cup competitors, the Vegas Golden Knights, will have junior forwards Raphael Harvey-Pinard and Ryan Chyzowski among their participants. The Anaheim Ducks will take a look at QMJHLers Justin Ducharme and Simon Benoit. The Edmonton Oilers add yet another PTO in former Detroit Red Wings prospect forward Luke Esposito. The Nashville Predators have just one additional skater in camp in WHL center Alex Overhardt. The Montreal Canadiens bring in some nearby QMJHL talent with keeper Samuel Harvey and forward Joel Teasdale. The New Jersey Devils will give ECHL goaltender Colton Phinney a shot, as well as junior blue liner Jeremy Groleau. The Detroit Red Wings host six junior players, as well as two of their ECHL affiliate’s players: defensemen Mackenze Stewart and Brenden Kotyk. The Minnesota Wild will also have a large group of tryouts, including twin forwards Drake and Darian Pilon. Finally, the Calgary Flames have invited surprise undrafted OHL defenseman Merrick Rippon to camp, while the Chicago Blackhawks will evaluate his Ottawa 67’s team mate, forward Shaw Boomhower.
Jussi Jokinen Requested To Try Out For Detroit
- Jussi Jokinen’s tryout with the Red Wings actually came at his request and not Detroit’s, notes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. The veteran winger played for Dan Bylsma (who joined the team as an assistant coach this offseason) back in Pittsburgh and obviously was comfortable with his coaching style. GM Ken Holland acknowledged that their priority remains to take a look at their younger players but stated that they will give the 35-year-old a few preseason games as well.
Detroit Red Wings Sign Jussi Jokinen To Professional Tryout
The Detroit Red Wings have brought in another veteran forward to compete for a job, signing Jussi Jokinen to a professional tryout. Jokinen broke the news himself on Instagram, though the Red Wings have not actually announced the deal.
Jokinen, 35, spent time in four different organizations last season, suiting up for the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks for about a quarter of the season each. That raised his total to nine different NHL teams throughout his lengthy career, and climbed him even closer to the 1,000-game mark. Jokinen currently sits at 951 regular season contests in his career, and has been an on-again-off-again scoring threat throughout. He ended last season with just five goals and 17 points, giving a final indication that his NHL time is coming to an end.
Detroit is trying to find any help they can get up front for a season that looks like it might be another long and tough campaign. Captain Henrik Zetterberg is likely to miss at least a huge chunk of the season, and the rest of the roster is dotted with underperforming young players or over-the-hill veterans. If Jokinen were to crack the Detroit roster, it would likely be as a placeholder in the middle-six while the team continues to develop star prospects like Filip Zadina and Michael Rasmussen outside the NHL. Jokinen does have versatility, having played all three forward positions during his NHL career and contributing on both the powerplay and penalty kill.
2018-19 Season Primer: St. Louis Blues
With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the St. Louis Blues.
Last Season: 44-32-6 record (94 points), fifth in the Central Division (failed to reach the playoffs)
Remaining Cap Space: $284,845 per CapFriendly
Key Additions: F Ryan O’Reilly (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Tyler Bozak (free agent, Toronto Maple Leafs); F David Perron (free agent, Vegas Golden Knights); F Patrick Maroon (free agent, New Jersey Devils); G Chad Johnson (free agent, Buffalo Sabres); F Brian Flynn (free agent, Dallas Stars); D Tyler Wotherspoon (free agent, Calgary Flames); F Jordan Nolan (free agent, Buffalo Sabres)
Key Departures: F Kyle Brodziak (free agent, Edmonton Oilers); G Carter Hutton (free agent, Buffalo Sabres); F Patrik Berglund (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Vladimir Sobotka (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Tage Thompson (trade, Buffalo Sabres); F Wade Megan (free agent, Detroit Red Wings); F Beau Bennett (free agent, Dinamo Minsk (KHL)); Petteri Lindbohm (free agent, Laussane (Swiss League))
[Related: Blues Depth Chart From Roster Resource]
Player To Watch: G Jake Allen — The team has upgraded its offense, already had a solid defense and has several of their top prospects banging on its door, hoping to get into their rotation this year. What they didn’t do much with is their goaltending. Allen, once considered the franchise goalie, has now struggled for more than a full season, but with three years at $4.35MM per season still on the books, he’s not going anywhere this year.
The 28-year-old netminder struggled down the stretch during the 2016-17 season, but his consistency got even worse last year when he posted a .906 save percentage and a 2.75 GAA in 59 games. The team was forced to use Hutton on many occasions to replace the struggling goaltender. In hopes of redeeming his job, Allen has said that he has changed some of his training methods this summer and hopes to come into camp and prove that he is the starting goaltender.
The team had better hope that he can, because the team lost Hutton to the Buffalo Sabres in the offseason and replaced him with Johnson, who struggled in a one-year stint in Buffalo, albeit behind an atrocious defense. The team does have prospect Ville Husso waiting in the AHL, but many believe he still needs at least one year of seasoning there before he can challenge Allen for his job.
Key Storyline: The offense has been thoroughly upgraded in the last few months and it will be up to the team to find a way to gel and make it work. One key story will be whether they can get the breakout performance that everyone in the NHL has been waiting for from Vladimir Tarasenko. The winger posted three impressive seasons coming into last year, including a 37, 40, 39-goal seasons. However, while the 26-year-old still had a solid season last year, his 33 goals was a disappointment for a player who many felt was closer to a 40-goal scorer than a 30-point scorer.
One possibility to Tarasenko’s season could come down to the addition of O’Reilly. Adding a top-line center will be critical and if the two can co-exist, then you might see the development of a superstar as Tarasenko and Paul Stastny had limited chemistry together. There is also a likelihood that Maroon, who played together with Connor McDavid in Edmonton for a while, could add his physicality to that first line and give Tarasenko an even better chance to have a big season.
Overall Outlook: Looking at the massive changes to the team, especially at the forward position means the team expects to win now. The franchise has put a lot of expectations on head coach Mike Yeo and the team as they are expected to not just make the playoffs, but compete for the Central Division title. That’s a tough chore for any Central Division team if you assume that the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets will likely assume the first two spots in the division. That leaves just two playoffs spots for the rest of the division that includes the Minnesota Wild, who have been to the playoffs for six straight years, an improving Dallas Stars team, a young impressive Colorado Avalanche franchise and the Chicago Blackhawks who are trying to prove that their run isn’t over just yet. If the team fails to impress early on, that could put Yeo on the hot seat.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Red Wings Re-Sign Matt Puempel To Two-Year Deal
There is one less restricted free agent remaining unsigned. With training camp opening up next week, the Detroit Red Wings have re-signed their lone remaining free agent, forward Matt Puempel. The team announced a two-year deal with Puempel, which will make the 25-year-old an unrestricted free agent when the contract expires after the 2019-20 season. No salary details have been disclosed.
Puempel came to Detroit early last season in a trade from the New York Rangers, a one-for-one swap for defenseman – and current free agent – Ryan Sproul. Although Puempel never suited up for Detroit in 2017-18, he still had an impressive season. The hard-working winger was an AHL All-Star and scored at nearly a point-per-game pace, with 57 points in 62 games. Among forwards with 60+ games played, Puempel had the sixth-best scoring rate in the league. The 2011 first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators has not panned out as expected, and likely won’t, but showed some impressive ability last year and can be a strong depth option for the Red Wings.
Of course, the question raised by any Detroit signing is how it impacts the salary cap. Most likely, Puempel has signed a two-way deal since he did not log and NHL game last season. The bigger question is his salary at the NHL level and whether or not it is a comfortable fit within the Red Wings’ cap crunch. Detroit’s payroll for a 22-man roster, which doesn’t include a seventh defenseman, is currently projected to be $82.77MM, almost $3.5MM over the salary cap. The team will gain cap space when Johan Franzen and likely Henrik Zetterberg are placed on long-term injured reserve, but after a defenseman and at least one replacement forward are added, much of that space will be used up. Whether or not Puempel can then fit into the roster remains to be seen.
Mike Green To Meet With Surgeon In Hopes Of Getting Clearance This Week
- Red Wings defenseman Mike Green will meet with the doctor that performed his neck surgery five months ago in the hopes of getting clearance to participate in training camp, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan. Even if that happens, Detroit may limit him in preseason action as a precaution. Green tried to play through the injury last season but struggled before the team shut him down in March. That didn’t seem to affect his free agency, however, as he still inked a two-year, $10.75MM deal late in June.
Snapshots: Reinhart, Zetterberg, Hadfield
Sam Reinhart still doesn’t have a contract, but that doesn’t mean he can’t practice with the Buffalo Sabres as training camp approaches. While the team awaits for the official practices to start, Jourdon LaBarber of NHL.com reports that Reinhart joined teammates on the ice today for an informal skate. The 22-year old forward seems extremely confident that a contract will be signed in the coming weeks, telling LaBarber that he’s approaching the season like normal because “that’s the way it’s going to turn out to be.”
Excitement is up around the Sabres this season after they drafted Rasmus Dahlin with the first overall pick and made several trades to address their lack of depth. When it comes to success up front, Reinhart may fall just behind Jack Eichel in terms of expectations this season as he tries to improve on his 25-goal 2017-18 campaign. The second-overall pick in 2014, Reinhart still hasn’t really shown he can dominate the league on his own and needs to take another big step forward in his development if the Sabres want to make the playoffs.
- It seems inevitable that Henrik Zetterberg won’t be playing for the Detroit Red Wings this season, but he’s at least heading for another opinion in the coming days. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports that Zetterberg will see Dr. Frank Cammisa—the doctor who performed his 2014 back surgery—soon to see what he has to say. Zetterberg hasn’t been able to train this offseason at all given his back injury, and will at least miss the beginning of the season. It’s starting to look like the Detroit captain could be headed for a much more permanent designation, but we’ll have to wait and see what comes of the Cammisa visit.
- The New York Rangers will finally raise Vic Hadfield‘s #11 sweater to the rafters on December 2nd, honoring one of their most beloved former players. Hadfield, a famous member of the GAG line alongside Jean Ratelle and Rod Gilbert, scored 50 goals and 106 points in 1971-72 but lost out in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Boston Bruins. A Rangers captain during those days, he’ll join Ratelle and Gilbert above the Madison Square Garden rink as one of the ten players to have their numbers retired by the team.
- The Rangers also announced the hiring of Steve Konowalchuk as an Amateur Scout, adding him to the organization after his year of coaching with the Anaheim Ducks. Konowalchuk was also formerly the head coach of the Seattle Thunderbirds, and led them to a WHL Championship in 2017. The long-time NHL forward played 790 regular season games and scored 396 points. He’ll use his familiarity with the WHL to bring the next wave of talent to the Rangers organization.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Detroit Red Wings
Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Detroit Red Wings
Current Cap Hit: $82,772,044 (over the $79.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Michael Rasmussen (three years, $894K)
F Filip Zadina (three years, $925K)
Potential Bonuses:
Rasmussen: $750K
Zadina: $850K
Total: $1.6MM
Rasmussen was Detroit’s top pick in 2017 and is viewed as their center of the future. He’s coming off a fantastic playoff performance with WHL Tri-City and some believe that there isn’t much left for him to do at the junior level. He’ll battle for a spot in training camp and if he makes it, he’ll likely debut on the wing to get acclimated to the NHL level. Zadina surprisingly slipped to sixth overall back in June despite being hailed as one of the top goal scorers in the draft. The Red Wings are of the belief that he could go to the minors and not back to junior so they could conceivably start him in Grand Rapids of the AHL and bring him up midseason. Either way, there’s a good chance he’ll get a look at some point with the big club.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
F Martin Frk ($1.05MM, RFA)
G Jimmy Howard ($5.292MM, UFA)
D Nick Jensen ($813K, UFA)
D Niklas Kronwall ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Gustav Nyquist ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Thomas Vanek ($3MM, UFA)
F/D Luke Witkowski ($750K, UFA)
Nyquist is coming off his lowest output in five years but still managed to put up 40 points last season. He’s a capable top-six winger but will need to rebound if he wants to have a chance at a raise on the open market next summer. Otherwise, he’ll likely be looking at a small pay cut on his next deal. Vanek didn’t get any extra stability this offseason (aside from a no-trade clause) but he did manage to get a raise on his previous deal. Assuming he’s a productive forward once again with Detroit, he’ll garner some trade value midseason and will hit the market next summer in the hopes of landing a similar deal. Frk has an NHL-level shot but the rest of his game is a work in progress. That’s part of the reason Detroit non-tendered him (to avoid arbitration) back in June before re-signing him shortly thereafter. Assuming he has a similar year in 2018-19, the non-tender route is the expected outcome once again. Witkowski will fill a depth role at both the wing and defense (in a pinch) but he could also be waived and sent down to free up a bit of extra cap room.
Kronwall has been a mainstay on Detroit’s back end for more than a decade but he is nearing the end of the road. He acknowledged last month that there have been no talks regarding a possible contract extension and that this could be his final year. If not, he will be looking at a sizable pay cut next summer as he is better off in a depth role. Jensen was a regular last season but some have speculated he could be trade bait if one of their prospects makes a push at a spot. If he can hold down a number six spot (whether that’s with Detroit or elsewhere), he should be able to land a small raise on his next deal.
Howard has alternated between good years and bad ones recently and is coming off one that could be classified in the latter category as his numbers were below the league average. He will likely be given the chance to be the number one once again in training camp but the leash will probably be smaller this time around. At this point, it’s hard to envision him beating his current AAV on his next deal (on top of his inconsistency, he also turns 35 in March) but if he can hold his own as a starter, he could make a case for a deal comparable to Craig Anderson in Ottawa (two years, $4.75MM AAV) as a short-term stopgap. If not, he’ll be trying to market himself as a high-end backup which would likely carry a 50% pay cut.
Two Years Remaining
F Andreas Athanasiou ($3MM, RFA)
F Tyler Bertuzzi ($1.4MM, RFA)
D Trevor Daley ($3.167MM, UFA)
D Jonathan Ericsson ($4.25MM, UFA)
F Johan Franzen ($3.955MM, UFA)
D Mike Green ($5.375MM, UFA)
F Anthony Mantha ($3.3MM, RFA)
Because of the number of big-ticket contracts on the books, Detroit was forced to mostly hand out bridge deals this summer. Mantha has emerged as a capable top-six winger and if he can continue to progress, he should be looking at a contract north of $5MM per year two summers from now. Athanasiou avoided a holdout this time around and while he remains an enigmatic player at times, he has some more stability now which could help. If he puts it all together, he could be in line for a big raise. If he remains very inconsistent though, he’ll be cast as more of a depth player which will limit his earning upside. Bertuzzi has yet to play a full NHL season but made the most of his 48-game stint last year and showed management that he’s worthy of a bigger commitment. If he can come in and build on that, it’s not impossible that he doubles his current cap hit down the road. Franzen hasn’t played since early 2016 and won’t due to concussion issues; he’ll be LTIR-bound once again.
Green was widely expected to be the top defender on the move back at the trade deadline but neck issues hurt his trade market. That stopped them from getting a pick or prospect but it may have helped keep him around as he opted to forego testing free agency to sign this deal. He’s not the elite offensive player he once was but he’s still Detroit’s best threat from the back end and is on a manageable deal. Ericsson is a better fit on the third pairing but is overpaid for that role – it’s safe to say that his next contract will see him taking a reduction in pay. Daley was quieter than usual in terms of point production but still logged over 20 minutes a night. For that type of money, that’s decent value and if they decide to try to get younger on the back end, his deal shouldn’t be too difficult to move.
NHL Rookie Tournaments Set For Early September
8/31: The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders have joined to fray, as their rookie camps will clash in prospects game on September 12th at the Isles’ practice facility, the teams announced. This leaves only the Florida Panthers without a competition for their rookies in the coming weeks.
8/24: Before team training camps open up for veterans, the rookies get some work in each year with various rookie tournaments and exhibition games taking place around the continent. This is where you can catch your favorite team:
- The most well-known preseason rookie tournament is obviously the Traverse City NHL Prospect Tournament. The annual tournament hosted by the Detroit Red Wings is in its 20th year of existence. The format consists of two four-team “divisions” who play a round-robin tournament with the winner of each group earning a berth in the championship game. Featured this year are the Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, and St. Louis Blues. The games run from September 7th to September 11th.
- Buffalo is again set to host the Sabres’ Prospect Challenge Tournament. Running from September 7th to 10th, it is a single group round robin tournament with the Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, and Pittsburgh Penguins joining the Sabres on their home ice. This will be the first game action for top overall pick and preseason Calder Trophy favorite Rasmus Dahlin.
- Across the border, the three eastern Canadian teams are set to square off in Laval, Quebec, the home of the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket. The Habs announced a set of three games featuring themselves, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Ottawa Senators on September 7th, 8th, and 9th.
- On the other side of the country, a previous rookie tournament has been split in half. The NHL Young Stars Tournament, held in Penticton, British Columbia, will now contain only the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks, as well as a pair of collegiate teams in a three-day series of games from September 7th to 9th. The Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames chose not to participate this year and will instead face-off in one singular game in Red Deer, Alberta on September 12th.
- The Vegas Golden Knights are set to host the first of a revolving tournament among U.S.-based Western Conference teams. Nicknamed the Vegas Rookie Faceoff, Sin City will be the location of this year’s tournament which also features the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks. It will be a three-day, nine-game series taking place on September 8th, 9th, and 11th. The tournament is expected to head to Anaheim next year.
- Finally, the NHL’s southeastern squads will square off in Estero, Florida at the home of the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. The Prospect Showcase will be four days of games between the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, and defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, taking place from September 8th to 11th.
For all updates on rookie tournament rosters, check in with Roster Resource and their running tracker of roster announcements.