Two Players Clear Waivers
May 10: Both players have cleared waivers.
May 9: The waiver wire has been relatively quiet over the past month but a pair of players are on the wire today as CapFriendly reports (Twitter links) that Detroit goaltender Calvin Pickard and Anaheim center Sam Carrick have both been waived. The intention for both teams is to get their respective veterans back to the AHL for the final few games with the Ducks’ affiliate also set to take part in the Pacific Division playoffs. Pickard had been on recall long enough to require waivers to go back down while Carrick had played in more than ten games, necessitating his placement.
Pickard has spent the majority of the season on the taxi squad for the Red Wings although he has managed to get into six games with Detroit, including four starts. In those contests, he posted a 3.16 GAA with a save percentage of .874. He suited up just once with AHL Grand Rapids this season but will now have a chance to get into a few more games over the final week. The 29-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
As for Carrick, he was relatively productive in his time with the Ducks this season, posting two goals and four assists in 13 games while averaging just under 13 minutes per game. That more than doubled his career point output over parts of four previous years with Toronto and Anaheim. Carrick has also been productive with AHL San Diego, picking up 14 goals and 10 helpers in 27 games, sitting fifth in team scoring despite playing in just three games in the minors since the end of March. Like Pickard, the 29-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
It’s worth noting that players claimed off waivers after the trade deadline are ineligible to play for the remainder of the season. As a result, there’s little reason for anyone to place a claim and assuming they clear on Monday, they’ll be able to return to their respective AHL teams.
Bobby Ryan Not Planning On Retiring After This Season
It has been a tough last 12 months for veteran winger Bobby Ryan. He was bought out of the final two years of his deal with Ottawa, getting paid more than $7MM over the next four seasons not to play for them. He quickly landed with Detroit but didn’t get an opportunity to join a contender at the trade deadline as he needed surgery to repair a torn tendon in his triceps which ended his season prematurely. Despite the disappointing year, the 35-year-old told reporters, including NHL.com’s Jon Lane, that he intends to play again next season and is hoping to re-sign with the Red Wings:
The thing I do know right now is, I want to play hockey next year. That’s been my immediate focus, trying to get ready to do that. You hope it’s Detroit. I haven’t had those conversations yet. I’ll certainly be open to it. If I’m part of the plans, I’d love to be here.
From an offensive standpoint, Ryan had a relatively quiet year with seven goals and seven assists in 33 games while averaging over 15 minutes per game. On the other hand, with a contract of only $1MM, that’s a reasonable return on that price tag from a veteran. However, he was frequently praised by teammates for what he also brought off the ice which has to be taken into consideration as well, especially on a team as young as Detroit is.
It would certainly be understandable if the Red Wings wanted to bring Ryan back although it would probably need to be in more of a limited role. While giving him some minutes in the top six was manageable in a season like this where they weren’t really eyeing a playoff spot, that shouldn’t be the case moving forward as they look to integrate some of their younger players and add to their roster with an eye on getting out of the basement in the standings. If he’s amenable to a reduced role, it certainly seems as if something could be worked out. If not, he’ll hit the open market looking to catch on somewhere else to extend a 14-year career that has placed him seventh in scoring among all players from his 2005 draft class.
Overseas Notes: Skelleftea, Khokhlachev, Langhamer
After falling in the SHL semifinals, Swedish powerhouse Skelleftea AIK is already moving forward with their plans for next season. The team has announced a list of players who will not be returning in 2021-22 and it includes some notable NHL names. Edmonton Oilers’ defenseman Philip Broberg, Detroit Red Wings’ forward Jonatan Berggren, and Carolina Hurricanes’ defenseman Roland McKeown are all among those who will not return to Skelleftea next year and all are expected to instead be in the NHL. Broberg, 19, has in fact already made the jump, as he was recalled by the Oilers earlier this week. The 2019 No. 8 overall pick has been in Skelleftea on loan for two years since being drafted, but the big two-way defenseman is ready for the next step in his career. Berggren appears to be prepared to make that leap as well. Detroit’s 2018 second-round pick was Skelleftea’s leading scorer this season, recording 45 points in 49 games. The 20-year-old skilled play-maker is one of a number of promising Red Wings prospects, but Berggren’s dominance at the pro level this year should give him a leg up in training camp battles. McKeown is the outlier of the group; the 25-year-old blue liner made his European debut this season on loan from the Hurricanes. The former top prospect out of the OHL had faded from relevance among the Hurricanes’ deep defensive group and wished to stay in Sweden this year rather than play yet again in the AHL. While McKeown may join Carolina as a depth option in the playoffs now that his SHL season is over, his days with the organization are numbered. Slated for Group 6 unrestricted free agency this summer, McKeown may not be back with Skelleftea but he certainly won’t be staying in Raleigh either. He will have other options on the open market to find a more clear path to NHL opportunity.
- Another prominent name in Europe who won’t be returning to his current team is Boston Bruins center Alexander Khokhlachev. The 27-year-old center was a key cog for Gagarin Cup champions Avangard Omsk this season, recording 34 points in 59 games as a top-six forward, but the team has nonetheless announced that Khokhlachev has decided to leave the club. This could very well mean that Khokhlachev is finally eyeing a return to North America after five years away, and the timing of the move is key. The Bruins’ rights to Khokhlachev finally expire on June 30th. While it’s not impossible that Khokhlachev could give the Bruins another shot under his old AHL head coach Bruce Cassidy, there are certainly better opportunities for an NHL role elsewhere if he instead waits to become a free agent this summer.
- One player who isn’t rushing back to his NHL rights holder is goaltender Marek Langhamer. Despite the possibility that the Arizona Coyotes could have some more opportunity in net next season with Antti Raanta headed for free agency, Adin Hill expected to be exposed in the Expansion Draft, and Darcy Kuemper still a hot name on the rumor mill, Langhamer won’t be involved. Even after two strong seasons in the KHL, Langhamer has decided to stay in Europe, signing a one-year-deal with the Liiga’s Illves. It’s unclear if Langhamer is averse to re-joining the ‘Yotes or just the NHL overall, but regardless he will see his rights expire on June 30th of next season and can then return to North America as a free agent if he chooses.
Tyler Bertuzzi Undergoes Back Surgery
Tyler Bertuzzi‘s season will end with just nine games played. The Detroit Red Wings forward underwent successful back surgery on April 30 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and is expected to make a full recovery. Bertuzzi should be ready for the start of the 2021-22 season.
The 26-year-old forward last played on January 30, scoring his fifth goal of the season in the first nine games. He looked like he was well on his way to a third consecutive 20-goal season, but things quickly went off the rails. He was listed out with an upper-body injury for most of the season and even back in April, the team was clear the focus was on the 2021-22 campaign.
Now Bertuzzi faces a long rehab, but also a summer of negotiation. After receiving a one-year, $3.5MM contract through arbitration last offseason, he is scheduled to become a restricted free agent again and for the final time. An arbitration award this summer would take him right to unrestricted free agency in 2022, so the two sides must decide if a multi-year deal can be reached.
Now with the feisty forward coming off a back injury, there’s good reason for the Red Wings to be hesitant, but perhaps that gives them an opportunity to lock him in at a reduced price. He’s a very useful piece when healthy, though Detroit GM Steve Yzerman does seem committed to a younger group moving forward. Anthony Mantha, one of the team’s other former core pieces, was dealt to the Washington Capitals at the deadline, meaning no player in the organization is signed to a one-way contract past the 2022-23 season.
Bertuzzi is one of 13 pending RFAs and one of 30 free agents of any kind, meaning Detroit can completely overhaul the depth chart if Yzerman sees fit. Right now, all the young forward can control is his rehab process and getting to full strength by the start of next season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Poll: Who Finishes 30th In The NHL Standings?
Although they surely didn’t mean to, the Buffalo Sabres took some of the fun out of the stretch run this season by eliminating “tanking” storylines. Barring a stunning finish to their season (vs. NYI, at PIT, at PIT), the Sabres and their 33 points to date will finish as the wire-to-wire worst team in the NHL this season and will have the top odds in the NHL Draft Lottery.
Fortunately, that doesn’t mean there isn’t still some intrigue to the end of the season for the league’s bottom-dwellers. The race for 30th-place, the second-best lottery odds, is more important this year than most. The team finishing 29th and up this season will not have the lottery odds that typically correspond to their finish in the league standings. This is because the Seattle Kraken, the NHL’s new expansion team, will lay claim to the third-best odds. Changes to the draft lottery structure also means that the team finishing in 30th place can pick no later than fourth overall, but the team finishing in 29th place could fall as far as sixth overall this year.
Who do you think will finish 30th this year and secure those valuable second-best lottery odds? Better yet, which team has the incentive to actually “tank” their final few games in hopes of landing just behind the Sabres?
Anaheim Ducks (39 points)
Schedule: at STL, at STL, at MIN, at MIN
The Ducks are the only team in the NHL still statistically capable of finishing in last place. However, that would require the Sabres taking at least five of their final six points while the Ducks take two or less of their final eight (with the tie-breakers falling in Anaheim’s favor as well). With that said, the Ducks do have the best case for 30th right now. Their final four games are all on the road against West Division contenders. Two points back of the New Jersey Devils, who have a slightly lighter schedule, and even more so behind the other “tanking” contenders, Anaheim’s sights are set on that second-to-last finish. The one thing that could stop their pursuit: the Ducks are heating up at the wrong time; their 4-6-0 stretch in their last ten games is the best mark among the bottom five records in the NHL.
New Jersey Devils (41 points)
Schedule: vs. BOS, at NYI, at NYI, at PHI
Lottery winners in two of the past four drafts, the Devils have a taste for top picks and surely want to add to their collection of top prospects. New Jersey is “chasing” Anaheim, who has the same number of games remaining but have two points and an all-road schedule exclusively against playoff teams. However, the Devils have three playoff teams left on the docket as well and are unlikely to pick up any extra points in extra time with an 0-5 record in overtime and the shootout this season. Even losing out doesn’t guarantee the Devils 30th place, nor does a tie with Anaheim in the final standings given New Jersey’s regulation wins edge. Stranger things have happened though and both the Devils and Ducks have plenty of hockey still to play.
Columbus Blue Jackets (44 points)
Schedule: vs. NSH, vs. DET, vs. DET
The Blue Jackets have one fewer game left than the Ducks and Devils, which could benefit them. However, they also sit five and three points ahead respectively and the odds of picking up zero additional points with two games left against fellow bottom-feeder Detroit seems unlikely. What the Blue Jackets do have that the others don’t though is motivation. The Columbus pipeline is below average and vastly pales in comparison to Anaheim, New Jersey, and Detroit. The team could desperately use an elite prospect and may be willing to lose their final games in order to improve their odds of doing so.
Detroit Red Wings (45 points)
Schedule: at CLB, at CLB
Detroit has just two games left and they are both against a fellow un-contender. The Red Wings may have a one point lead on Columbus, but most would still bet on the Blue Jackets and it would not be a surprise to see Detroit finish the season as they stand now. However, that still means that Anaheim would need seven of eight points and New Jersey would need at least four of eight points in order to finish 30th. After the Red Wings got a raw deal in the lottery last season, maybe the hockey gods will look out for them. That might be the only way they finish second-to-last and occur a top-four pick again this season.
Who Finishes 30th In The NHL Standings?
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Anaheim Ducks 58% (535)
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New Jersey Devils 16% (148)
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Detroit Red Wings 15% (133)
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Columbus Blue Jackets 11% (99)
Total votes: 915
Red Wings Sign Kirill Tyutyayev To A One-Year AHL Deal
- Detroit’s farm team in Grand Rapids has announced the signing of winger Kirill Tyutyayev to a one-year, AHL deal for next season. The 20-year-old was a seventh-round pick (190th overall) of the Red Wings back in 2019 and spent this season with Yunost Minsk in Belarus where he picked up 11 goals and 21 assists in 43 regular season games while chipping in with 10 points in 13 playoff contests. Drafted out of Russia, there is no designated time that Detroit has to sign him by; accordingly, this deal gives them an opportunity to give him a look in North America on a short-term commitment compared to an entry-level deal while reserving the ability to retain his NHL rights if he opts to go back overseas for 2022-23.
KHL Off-Season Opening Day Round-Up
The KHL off-season opened today and the league did not waste any time in making moves that have meaning to NHL fans. A number of familiar names have hit free agency today and some are already agreeing to new deals. Meanwhile, others are being traded on the first day to do so, including the rights to some players currently in North America. Keep up with all of today’s action as the KHL’s clubs get their summers started early with significant moves:
- One of the first players to sign with a new team early this morning was former NHL forward Teemu Pulkkinen. A Detroit Red Wings draft pick who also spent time with the Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, and most recently the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017-18, Pulkkinen will be entering his fourth season in the KHL and is already on to his fourth different team. After splitting this season between Dynamo Moscow and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, collecting 30 points in 46 games, Pulkkinen has signed a two-year deal with Traktor Chelyabinsk. The 29-year-old has scored at a .67 per-game clip in his KHL career and shows no signs of slowing down.
- SKA St. Petersberg and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod have made an interesting futures swap, trading the rights of two current NHLers. Torpedo received the rights to Edmonton Oilers winger Jesse Puljujarvi (as well as minor league forward Danil Voyevodin) while SKA landed the rights to young San Jose Sharks goalie Alexei Melnichuk. The deal is tricky on a number of levels; while Puljujarvi is undoubtedly the biggest name in the trade, it is Melnichuk who commanded the larger side of the return. It was also KHL powerhouse SKA who received the prospect netminder and gave up the established scorer. This could be a simple case of different likelihoods of those player rights having any value. While Puljujarvi previously left the Oilers for Europe, he has finally found his NHL stride in his return this season and is unlikely to leave again. Even if he does, Puljujarvi may just return home to the Finnish Liiga as well. On the other hand, Melnichuk was born and bred in the SKA system and the team may have some insight into his future plans. The 22-year-old keeper is valued by the Sharks and even made his NHL debut this year in his first season in North America, however his AHL play has underwhelmed and he doesn’t look like a realistic full-time NHL option for San Jose next season. If the young goalie grows tired of playing in the minors in North America, he would probably be happy to jump back to his old team and take on a starting role in the KHL.
- Former Boston Bruins forward Joonas Kemppainen has signed a one-year extension to remain with SKA. The Finnish power forward didn’t work out in his lone NHL season back in 2015-16, recording five points in eleven games with Boston, but has been a productive player in the KHL for five years now. That includes a 15-goal, 29-point campaign with St. Petersberg this year that earned him an extension. The 33-year-old veteran is not a candidate to ever return to North America, but still has plenty to offer in Russia.
- Vladimir Zharkov feels like ancient New Jersey Devils history at this point, but the former top prospect continues to produce in the KHL. Zharkov, 33, spent four seasons with the Devils early in his career and was a nice fringe piece, but lacked starting upside. In the KHL since 2012-13, Zharkov has become a reliable two-way forward and locker room leader, spending many years with top programs like CSKA Moscow and Salavat Yulaev Ufa. Now he’s off to the top team in the league, signing a two-year deal with recently-crowned Gagarin Cup champions Avangard Omsk, replacing the veteran presence of the departed Ilya Kovalchuk.
- Torpedo jumped right back into the action, signing an exciting forward to a one-year deal. Marek Hrivik gave his all to a career in North America, developing in the QMJHL and spending six seasons primarily in the AHL for the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames. However, he never could earn a full-time opportunity and returned home to Europe in 2018. Even then, his first go-round in the KHL did not go all that well. However, after back-to-back stellar season in Sweden, he is ready to give it another try with Torpedo. Hrivik totaled 81 points in 90 games with the SHL’s Leksands IF these past two years and if that can translate to the KHL then the 29-year-old could become a star in Russia.
- Another trade involving NHL property has landed, but this one could have more immediate dividends. Defending champions Omsk have acquired the rights to Boston Bruins prospect forward Peter Cehlarik from Yaroslavl in exchange for the rights to Anaheim Ducks defenseman Kodie Curran. Cehlarik, 25, is already in Europe, having left Boston this past off-season to join Leksands IF in Sweden. Cehlarik always showed great promise in the AHL, but couldn’t translate it to the NHL for the Bruins. After recording 20 goals and 40 points in 45 SHL games this season, Cehlarik may want to return to Boston, who continues to hold his rights, in an attempt to prove himself once more. However, the talented winger could be tempted to join the KHL’s current kings this off-season instead. As for Curran, 31, he already did his stint in Europe and made his return to North America. The Calgary native spent the previous four seasons in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden before earning his first NHL contract with the Ducks this past off-season. While he hasn’t see any action in Anaheim just yet, he has 11 points in 17 AHL games this season and his one-way, $1MM contract still has another year remaining. However, if Curran is still not being utilized by the Ducks after next season and doesn’t draw any other NHL offers as a result, he has a new home to return to in Europe in Yarolslavl.
- After signing his entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, Pyotr Kochetkov has inked another deal – a one-year extension with Torpedo. The 21-year-old landed in Novgorod late in the season, but excelled down the stretch and in the postseason with save percentages of .931 and .932, respectively. Kochetkov could very well be in line for the starting role for Torpedo next season while playing on loan from Carolina.
Patrick Roy Interested In NHL Return
Patrick Roy is a Hall of Fame goaltender and a former NHL head coach and executive. However, since 2016 he’s been out of the league entirely. He’s now hoping to change that. According to agent Neil Glasberg, who was recently hired by Roy, the experienced hockey mind is looking for a way back to the top league in the world and he’ll take any opportunity that presents itself.
Roy is currently the head coach and general manager of the QMJHL’s Quebec Ramparts, a role he returned to in 2018 after previously working in those roles for the team since 2003. Of course, Roy was also the head coach and vice president of hockey operations for the Colorado Avalanche from 2013 to 2016.
With so much experience in various departments, Roy is not looking to focus on just one type of NHL opportunity. “He could be a president of hockey ops. He could be a GM. He could be a co-GM. He could be a head coach,” Glasberg stated. “It’s going to be situational.”
Roy had previously been linked to head coach and president opening with the Ottawa Senators and could circle back with the team on a potential role. His hometown Montreal Canadiens are currently operating with an interim head coach, as are the Buffalo Sabres, while there could be openings with the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets among other this summer. In the front office, any number of teams could have openings – or make openings – in order to add Roy to the staff. As Glasberg notes, they will wait to see what becomes available this off-season and make a decision from there. With so many possibilities, the hope is to see Roy back in the NHL soon.
Dylan Larkin To Miss Rest Of Season
The Detroit Red Wings have announced that captain Dylan Larkin will miss the remainder of the season with an upper-body injury. Larkin missed last night’s game and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Larkin, 24, will end his season without even reaching ten goals, a disappointing output even if the year didn’t really mean anything in the long-term. Detroit is just at the beginning of a full rebuild and had no plans on reaching the postseason. Still, we’re now two years removed from the outstanding 32-goal, 73-point breakout for Larkin and everyone is waiting for him to reach those heights again.
While this injury doesn’t sound like it will affect his training for 2021-22, there’s not a lot left to play for this season. The Red Wings can give his minutes to younger players–including Joe Veleno, who could make his NHL debut in the coming days–while Larkin resets and gets ready for a year where Detroit could actually be pushing for a playoff spot.
After the Red Wings traded away Anthony Mantha, it’s interesting to watch what happens with the rest of their previous core, Larkin included. The 24-year-old has just two years remaining on his current contract before unrestricted free agency, but is also the captain and most consistent offensive player. GM Steve Yzerman has set up the Detroit cap situation with not a single player signed beyond the 2022-23 campaign, meaning if you don’t perform, he can go in a different direction.
Minor Transactions: 04/20/21
As seasons continue to come to a close in Europe, moves are being made that have NHL ramifications. Some hint toward a player making the jump to North America, while others cement the opposite, and still even more remain ambiguous. Today in particular, a number of NHL prospects have left their current clubs, opening up possibilities for what move may come next:
- Los Angeles Kings prospect forward Martin Chromiak isn’t leaving anyone guessing. The 2020 pick has spent this season at home in Slovakia, but played in the OHL last year and has now returned to North American in short order with his season over. The AHL’s Ontario Reign, affiliate of the Kings, have signed Chromiak to an amateur tryout agreement for the remainder of the season, reports L.A. beat writer John Hoven. This could potentially lead to an entry-level deal for next season for Chromiak or could simply be the first step toward returning to the OHL or perhaps even the AHL next season. Either way, things are looking up for Chromiak, who unfortunately is most well-known right now for his precipitous drop in the 2020 NHL Draft. A near-consensus second-round pick entering the draft, NHL teams clearly disagreed with the draft pundits on Chromiak, who fell to L.A. in the fifth round. Now with a chip on his shoulder and a nice Slovakian season behind him, Chromiak is ready to prove himself in North America.
- Two Dallas Stars prospects could be on their way to North America shortly as well. Following their loss in the SHL quarterfinals, Farjestad BK has announced the departures of a number of players. Among them were the Stars’ 2018 and 2019 third-round picks, Oskar Back and Albin Eriksson. Both are big, strong, well-rounded forwards with several years of SHL experience and seem likely to be looking for a new challenge. Farjestad did not state definitively that the duo were set to sign their NHL entry-level contracts, but it is a safe assumption. More uncertain is what the next move might be for defenseman Linus Arnesson, who was also among the list of departures. Arnesson, 26, is still property of the Boston Bruins, who selected him in the second round in 2013. Arnesson spent a few seasons in the AHL early in his career before returning home to Sweden, but may be looking for a second chance after improved play in the SHL over the past four years. He may also just be looking to capitalize as a free agent in Sweden.
- It was not all bad news out of Farjestad, as they did announce a new three-year extension with former Chicago Blackhawk Victor Ejdsell. The hulking center never quite did find his place in North America, but has been very productive for Farjestad over the past two years. At 25, a three-year deal does not eliminate the chances that Ejdsell could make an NHL comeback, but it does become more unlikely. A native of Karlstad, where Farjestad plays, Ejdsell called the team his “home” in the press release and may be committed long-term to the club.
- Two coveted young players are leaving Swedish second-tier club MODO, but it is unclear what is next for either one. MODO has announced that William Wallinder and William Stromgren will not return to the team next season. Wallinder was the first pick in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, going No. 32 overall to the Detroit Red Wings. A big, but smooth-skating defender who played a major role for MODO as a teenager, Wallinder may already be prepared for the North American pros. Stromgren is a 2021 draft-eligible prospect with a similar late-first/early-second draft stock to Wallinder. The big sniper is more likely than Wallinder to stay in Sweden for another year or two, but could also be tempted to play in the CHL next season. The team who selects him in the upcoming draft will have a say as well.