Zach Fucale Released From AHL Contract, Signs In Germany
The long and winding career of Zach Fucale will now take the goaltender overseas, as today the Syracuse Crunch released him from his AHL contract in order for him to sign with Munich in the DEL. Fucale had spent most of the season in the ECHL with the Orlando Solar Bears, but will now head to Germany to follow a new opportunity.
Fucale, 24, was originally selected 36th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2013, but despite his promising junior career things haven’t gone to plan at the professional level. After his entry-level contract with the Canadiens ended in 2018 with him in the ECHL, the organization decided not to issue him a qualifying offer. The Vegas Golden Knights gave him another chance with a one-year two-way deal in 2018-19, but he once again spent more time in the low minors and actually struggled during his time with the Fort Wayne Komets.
Another non-qualified summer awaited him, and now after posting a .928 save percentage in 24 appearances with the Solar Bears he’ll head overseas. Fucale has been a staple for Team Canada in international competitions for some time, winning a World Junior gold medal in 2015 and two Spengler Cups over the last few years. If the NHL fails to go to the Olympics again in 2022, you can bet he’ll be on Canada’s radar as a potential option in net.
Extension Notes: Kreider, Miller, Willman
New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider is considered the top rental player on the market and has been for some time. Yet, through it all the Rangers have maintained that they would like to re-sign their All-Star winger. It seems GM Jeff Gorton has finally decided that it’s time to talk details if the two sides are going to work out a deal ahead of the February 24th NHL Trade Deadline. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Gorton and Kreider’s agent, Matt Keator, will sit down within the next few days to discuss a contract extension. While LeBrun thinks that it could be a tough extension to work out given Kreider’s status as arguably the second-best potential free agent this summer behind only Arizona’s Taylor Hall. In a weak market, Kreider could capitalize more on a bidding war than he likely would be able to re-signing with New York before testing the waters. However, the career Ranger may also see that he is on an up-and-coming team and wish to stay at the right price. Gorton and Keator will discuss what that number might be in the coming days and a decision on Kreider’s future, one way or another, will be made within the coming weeks.
- He may be 39 and noticeably declining with each season, but the Anaheim Ducks remain interested in bringing back veteran goaltender Ryan Miller for another year. That is, if he wants to play another year. The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford writes that Miller has earned the ability to decide how his career will end. Despite his struggles this season, Miller would have value on the trade market if the Ducks were to make him available, but Teaford believes that he will have the final say on a potential move. Miller could decline the opportunity to play for a playoff team down the stretch, as he did last season. He could also accept the trade with the knowledge that he would be welcomed back to Anaheim as a free agent this summer. Miller may also land with a legitimate Cup contender and decide to call it a career after a long playoff run. Or, and the only future the player himself is considering at this time, Miller may just stay in Anaheim and revisit his options in the off-season. While a decision on where Miller will play for the rest of the season must be made within the next few weeks ahead of the trade deadline, there is still time to consider his future beyond this season. However, the cushy role of backup to workhorse John Gibson in sunny Southern California is not a bad way for Miler to continue his career into his 40’s.
- A notable AHL rookie signed an extension on Tuesday. Former Brown and Boston University forward Max Willman signed on for another year with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the team announced. Willman, 24, played five seasons of college hockey, a tenure extended by a senior season at Brown lost to injury. While Willman struggled to get back to full strength with BU last season, he still managed to make enough of an impression on the Philadelphia Flyers to earn a deal with their affiliate. Willman looked like his old self to begin the year, scoring at a point-per-game pace with the ECHL’s Reading Royals. Since being called up to Lehigh, he has three goals and five points in 15 games. The Cape Cod native works hard and plays a smart game and if he can stay healthy and continue to improve, it is not out of the realm of possibility that he could one day be signing an NHL contract.
Snapshots: Williams, Tryamkin, Sorenson, Luukkonen
The Carolina Hurricanes are close to getting their former captain back as Justin Williams is expected to return to the ice on Sunday against the New York Islanders, according to News & Observer’s Chip Alexander. While head coach Rod Brind’Amour did state that Williams will go through pre-game warmups before he made a decision on whether to play Williams, the scribe writes that everyone, including Brind’Amour believes that Williams will make his debut on Sunday.
“I’m nervous before every game I play so I’m going to have nerves,” Williams said. “But the one thing you never question is your ability and that’s one thing I’m never going to question. I’m going to go out there and work my tail off and let my instincts take over.”
The 38-year-old Williams signed a one-year deal 11 days ago and has been working with the team trying to get into game shape. Williams is coming off a solid season in which he scored 23 goals and 53 points last season and likely will take a bottom-six role to start.
- The Vancouver Canucks still remain hopeful they can bring back defenseman Nikita Tryamkin, who left the team three years ago after his dissatisfaction with his playing time and refusal to play in the AHL. The Canucks have hoped to bring back the 6-foot-7, 265-pound blueliner back after several successful seasons in the KHL. The 25-year-old might be open to coming back, according to his agent, Todd Diamond (via TSN’s Rick Dhaliwal. “It’s very much on the table, the goal and desire is to sign in Vancouver, that’s what we have had discussions about,” said Diamond. “I don’t want to disrupt his season. There is plenty of time to talk when his season is over.”
- San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner changed up the lines of his team, which also included listing forward Marcus Sorensen as a healthy scratch. Boughner used the word “message” when addressing the media, according to The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz, suggesting he needs more “relentlessness” and for him to play “more on the inside.” After a 17-goal campaign, the 27-year-old is struggling this season with just five goals and has just one point in the last 19 games.
- Buffalo Sabres goaltending prospect Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made his season debut in the AHL Saturday, stopping 24 of 27 shots in the Rochester American’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Cleveland Monsters. The Buffalo News’ Bill Hoppe writes that the plan has been to allow Luukkonen to stay with the team for a week before they return the top prospect to the ECHL, where he will play in their all-star game. The team may give him one more start before sending him back.
Minor Transactions: 01/12/20
The Dallas Stars dropped their first game of 2020 with a loss on Joe Pavelski‘s return to San Jose, but the team still owns a one-point lead over the Colorado Avalanche for second place in the Central Division. As we get close to the upcoming all-star break, several teams will be making roster moves to get that extra advantage. Check in throughout the day to see what moves teams are making today:
- The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have assigned forward John Quenneville to the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL. The forward’s first stint with the Blackhawks wasn’t a great one as he went scoreless in nine games, while spending some of that time on the first line. The 23-year-old will return to Rockford where he already has eight goals in 19 games.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have announced they have swapped forwards. The team has recalled forward Connor Bunnaman from Lehigh Valley of the AHL, while assigning David Kase to the Phantoms. Bunnaman has already appeared in four games for the Flyers, but hasn’t registered a point.
- While not an NHL transaction, the Buffalo Sabres promoted one of their top propsects as goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL from the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, according to Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News. While the team did promise the 20-year-old netminder some playing time in the AHL, it looks like he’s earned it as Luukkonen was named and ECHL All-Star with a .917 save percentage in 20 appearances. The goalie has been impressive, especially considering he spent all summer and the start of this season recovering from hip surgery.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled goaltender Calvin Pickard under emergency conditions from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. No word yet on which netminder might be forced to sit out Sunday’s game against Buffalo.
- CapFriendly reports that after recalling forward Lukas Radil Saturday, the team has re-assigned the forward to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. He did not play last night.
- The Florida Panthers announced they have recalled goaltender Sam Montembeault from the Springfield Thunderbird of the AHL on an emergency basis. It looks like he will step into a backup role with Chris Driedger getting the start against Toronto after starter Sergei Bobrovsky left practice early on Saturday. Montembeault was originally the backup for the Panthers, but struggled in seven appearances with a 3.31 GAA and a .891 save percentage. He is currently boasting a .917 save percentage in Springfield through nine games. Due to their limited cap space, Florida also was forced to place defenseman Mackenzie Weegar on LTIR, according to CapFriendly.
- The Calgary Flames announced they have recalled defenseman Alexander Yelesin from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. The 23-year-old was signed in the offseason out of the KHL where he was used as a shutdown defender. No word on whether a Flames’ defender is injured after Saturday’s game against Edmonton, but it’s likely Yelesin will serve as the team’s seventh defenseman. He has one goal and four points in 29 games.
- The New York Rangers announced they have recalled forward Phillip Di Giuseppe from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. The 26-year-old Di Giuseppe has plenty of NHL experience as he has already appeared in 150 NHL, mostly with the Carolina Hurricanes, but has not appeared in a game with the Rangers yet. He has 11 goals and 22 points in 39 games in Hartford. The team also assigned Steven Fogarty to Hartford as well. The 26-year-old Fogarty has no points in six games with New York.
Overseas Notes: Bailey, Rasanen, Hiller
Casey Bailey has certainly had a whirlwind start to the 2019-20 season. The former Penn State standout joined the Washington Capitals in training camp and later their farm team, the Hershey Bears, but failed to land a contract with either club. He signed with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays in October and was loaned to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers earlier this month. After performing well with both teams, it seems Bailey was able to parlay his success into another contract. The Vaxjo Lakers of the SHL have announced that they have signed Bailey to a contract for the remainder of the season. While this is Bailey’s first foray into Swedish hockey, it marks a return to Europe for the 28-year-old, who spent last year with the KHL’s Slovan Bratislava. A two-way right wing with NHL experience, Bailey has never reached the potential he flashed while a member of the Nittany Lions, but brings size, speed, and a track record of strong numbers in the AHL to Vaxjo. Bailey could emerge as a top contributor for the Lakers, who count talented but inexperienced NHL prospects Emil Pettersson (ARI), Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (BOS), and Marcus Davidsson (BUF) among their best players.
- Eemeli Rasanen is making an unexpected trip to Denmark for the next month. In a move rarely seen, especially with NHL prospects, the KHL’s Jokerit has loaned Rasanen to the Frederikshavn White Hawks of Norway’s Metal Ligaen, the team announced. It is quite the demotion for the 20-year-old defenseman, a 2017 second-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs who spent a brief stint in the AHL last year. Fortunately, it is just for a month, as the loan agreement expires after Christmas. Jokerit undoubtedly will make some money off of this deal, but also likely hopes that it jumpstarts Rasanen. The big blue liner has split his season to this point between the KHL and minor league Mestis, failing to make much of an impact at either level. He will have a major advantage over the competition in Denmark though, where he hopes to re-discover his game.
- Former NHL keeper Jonas Hiller is currently playing the final season of a long, successful career. Or is he? The starting goalie for the NLA’s EHC Biel-Bienne is dominating the Swiss ranks at the ripe old age of 37, calling into question whether he is really done. Hiller holds a .933 save percentage and 2.03 GAA through 19 games, the best numbers of his career at any pro level. He leads the NLA in both categories as well. Nicola Berger of NZZ Sport writes that Biel-Bienne is trying to convince Hiller not to retire while he is still at the top of his game. The team does not want to suffer a major drop-off in performance in net, so much so that Berger indicates that they could try to poach New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider if Hiller follows through on his departure. While Hiller has entertained the idea of continuing to play when approached by the media, Berger writes that he would be happy to go out on top, not wanting poor play to instead force his hand. While Hiller’s days in the NHL are undoubtedly over, his continued dominance in Switzerland at his age remains an entertaining story to follow.
Ottawa Senators Seeking A Defenseman
Heading into this season, few would have expected the Ottawa Senators to be active buyers on the trade market. Few would have expected them to be a .500 team on November 23 as well, though. The Senators are playing well and their first substantial acquisition of the season, former New York Rangers forward Vladislav Namestnikov, has worked out nicely (although he’s currently injured). The team has been open about their desire to add more veteran pieces and, while previous reports indicated their preference was to acquire another forward, The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team is now hoping to trade for a defenseman.
The Senators were not overly strong or deep on the blue line when the season began. Behind Thomas Chabot, it was mostly a unit composed of role players and unproven prospects. However, the situation has become even more dire due to injuries. Young Erik Brannstrom remains sidelined with a hand injury, depth defender Cody Goloubef left Friday night’s game with an undisclosed injury, Andreas Englund suffered an injury in the minors, and Christian Wolanin has yet to play this season as he returns from a shoulder injury. Nikita Zaitsev is also currently in his native Russia tending to personal matters. Garrioch writes that this left Ottawa no choice but to recall both Maxime Lajoie and Christian Jaros from the minors on Friday, leaving AHL Belleville with just two NHL prospects – first-year AHLers Lassi Thomson and Olle Alsing – and a defense corps otherwise composed of tryout players and ECHL call-ups. Clearly, Ottawa could use a blue line addition purely from a numbers perspective.
However, performance is also an issue on the blue line, particularly when it comes to scoring. Zaitsev, who is expected to return soon, has not contributed much offensively despite considerable ice time. Fellow former Maple Leaf Ron Hainsey and 2018-19 standout Dylan DeMelo have also been non-factors in the scoring department. This has left Chabot carrying the load and Mark Borowiecki contributing on offense, which has not typically been his strong suit. If the Senators are going to trade for a defenseman, they may as well target a player who can take on a regular role and assist the team offensively.
With that said, don’t expect Ottawa to target any of the big names on the rumor mill. While it would be comical for the Senators to add yet another former Toronto player, Tyson Barrie is likely not a target. Nor is New Jersey’s Sami Vatanen, Pittsburgh’s Justin Schultz, or Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin. The Senators will likely target upside at a low cost. Unsigned RFA Julius Honka of the Dallas Stars seems like an intriguing option, so long as they can swing a deal before the December 1st signing deadline. An impending UFA, like Namestnikov, would also make sense for the Senators, who could flip that player at the trade deadline if need be. Chicago’s Erik Gustafsson, L.A.’s Ben Hutton, and San Jose’s Radim Simek are all interesting options. Detroit’s Mike Green, who has name value but disappointing numbers so far this season, could also be a potential buy low/sell high candidate if he could turn his game around. There are plenty of options available for the Senators to make a move, but the question remains when and who.
League Notes: Waiver Priority, Power Play, AHL Trades
November 1st marks an important day on the NHL calendar, but one many may not be aware of. Fortunately, CapFriendly is here for the reminder. This day marks the official change over to the waiver priority by current NHL standings. In the first month of the season, as the sample size is too small to truly judge the weak from the strong in many cases, the league uses the reverse order of the prior year’s regular season standings as the waiver priority for all of October. Up until now, the Ottawa Senators have had the first chance at available players on waivers, followed by the Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, and all the way to the Tampa Bay Lighting. But as of today, the top priority goes to… well, the Kings, who move up just one spot. The Senators slide back to third, with the Minnesota Wild occupying the second position. As of right now, it is the Boston Bruins who have the very last opportunity to claim a player on waivers. Waiver priority will now change constantly based on the reverse order of the league standings by points percentage.
However, at the current rate, waiver priority won’t matter too much this season. The Winnipeg Jets, who have occupied the 22nd waiver priority spot until today, have claimed defensemen Carl Dahlstrom and Luca Sbisa, and the Arizona Coyotes, who previously held spot No. 14, claimed goaltender Eric Comrie. Those have been the only claims thus far in 2019-20, an unusually low count even this early in the season.
- The mark of success so far this season? Power play efficiency. As John Dietz of the Chicago Daily Herald points out, there is no stronger correlation between wins and losses this year than how a team performs man-up. The top six teams in power play percentage are all also among the top nine in points percentage. This includes the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres at No. 1 and 2 in both statistics. Down at the bottom, five of the six worst power play teams are among the bottom the eight teams in points percentage. The only outlier appears to be the Anaheim Ducks, who have managed to overcome a 29th-ranked power play thus far to get off to an 8-6-0 start. As the skill level in the NHL improves each year and the game becomes more about using space to create offense, it only makes sense that man-up efficiency will matter more and more, with the start to this season as the perfect example.
- A strange occurrence early on this season has also been not one, but two AHL trades. AHL trades are extremely rare, as the NHL teams that manage their farm team rosters often lack any incentive to make such a deal. In general, the only motivation to make a deal that solely impacts an AHL squad is to improve depth at a certain position, either to avoid the overexposure of prospects or, later in the year, to give the team a push toward securing a playoff spot. However, even then AHL GM’s tend to eye other players on two-way NHL contracts to swap rather than players on minor league pacts. Not so far this year, though. On Tuesday, the Grand Rapids Griffins acquired forward Marcus Vela from San Jose Barracuda for defenseman Marcus Crawford in a move that wasn’t even about addressing depth, as Vela was immediately reassigned to the ECHL. Just two days later, the San Diego Gulls acquired veteran defenseman Ryan Johnston, a player who had been a healthy scratch for every game so far this season, from the Toronto Marlies for future considerations. Perhaps this is a new trend in organizational roster management or perhaps it is simply a coincidence, but either way it is an intriguing attachment to this young season.
Minor Transactions: 10/27/19
The Heritage Classic was a snowy affair that ended in an overtime win for the Jets over the Flames, while the Stanley Cup re-match was an unexpectedly lopsided shutout for the Bruins over the Blues. Both Boston and St. Louis are back in action for an unusually busy Sunday this early in the NHL season. The six-game slate begins at 2:00pm local time in Edmonton, as the Oilers host the visiting Panthers, and ends later tonight with the Ducks facing the Golden Knights in a battle of 7-5 Pacific Division rivals. As a dozen teams stay occupied with action throughout the day, follow along with the moves made in anticipation of and response to those contests, as well as other clubs preparing for the week ahead:
- After demoting him just yesterday, the Buffalo Sabres have announced that defenseman Will Borgen has been promoted. This was likely a matter of ice time for Borgen, given how quickly the 22-year-old rearguard was reassigned and then recalled after last night’s games. Borgen has yet to play in the NHL this season and was passed over again Friday night, as John Gilmour made his season debut on the Buffalo blue line. Instead, Borgen returned to Rochester and suited up for the Americans. Borgen has also been held without a point in eight AHL games, so the Sabres need to find a way to jump-start the St. Cloud State product’s season.
- A familiar name is back in action, as the AHL’s Belleville Senators have signed defenseman Frank Corrado to a professional tryout offer. Corrado, 26, has played in 76 NHL games over his six-year pro career with the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Pittsburgh Penguins. However, he has not played in a game at the top level since 2017-18, spending all of last season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Unsuccessful in landing a two-way contract in the off-season, Corrado now seems determined to simply prove that he still has value in North America on a PTO with Belleville. Frequently the “next man up” in his pro career, Corrado failed to ever fully take advantage of his NHL opportunities, but remains and experienced and capable depth option. He could prove himself to the Senators organization and land a contract before too long.
- After beginning the season on the injured reserve, Anaheim Ducks prospect keeper Angus Redmond is finally healthy and has been loaned to the ECHL’s Allen Americans. This is a big year for Redmond, who is in the final season of his entry-level contract. The 24-year-old gave up on his NCAA career after just one stellar season at Michigan Tech by signing with the Ducks, but has largely failed to impress in the two years since. It has not been any help that Anaheim does not have an ECHL affiliate, meaning Redmond has bounced around the ECHL in his pro career, with Allen being his sixth different team. Redmond would like some consistency, which could come with a promotion to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, and is in luck as Anthony Stolarz and Kevin Boyle are both off to a rocky start. However, he’ll first have to prove he is healthy and at the top of his game at the “AA” level. If Redmond cannot earn some AHL starts this year, and perform well in those appearances, this could very well be his final season on an NHL contract.
- The Minnesota Wild announced they have returned goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen to the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Kahkonen was recalled on an emergency basis on Wednesday, but never made an appearance in the game and any hope for his NHL debut will have to wait. Kahkonen has struggled in four game with the Iowa Wild despite posting four wins. He also has a .886 save percentage in those games as well.
- The Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled Filip Chlapik from the Belleville Senators of the AHL. The 22-year-old has already appeared in one game for Ottawa this season as he has one assist in that game. The former second-round pick in 2015, Chlapik has shown potential, but hasn’t been able to do that in the NHL. He scored 16 goals and 18 assists last year in 57 games with Belleville and has one goal in six games this season so far.
- One day after being recalled by the Nashville Predators, the team announced they have assigned forward Anthony Richard to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. Richard did get a chance to play in his first NHL game of the season Saturday, but only played 4:10, although he got two shots off in that time. Richard has played seven games in Milwaukee and has a goal and an assist.
- The Vancouver Canucks announced they have recalled center Adam Gaudette from the Utica Comets of the AHL. Gaudette surprised several when he made the team out of training camp after an impressive preseason. However, he rarely played, appearing in just three games and tallying one assist. He was assigned to Utica Thursday, but scored a goal Saturday night for the Comets. Gaudette played 56 games for Vancouver last season.
Snapshots: Trade Targets, Ritchie, Gropp
Trade talk is already heating up around the NHL as teams find out just what they have on the roster, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) examines several situations where a player may be available at the 2020 trade deadline.
While Taylor Hall finds himself involved in this speculation once again, another situation LeBrun suggests is worth monitoring is Ilya Kovalchuk with the Los Angeles Kings. The veteran forward is due the rest of his signing bonus on December 15th, at which point he would be owed just the prorated $700K base salary through the end of the season. Kovalchuk does come with one more year on his deal worth $4.25MM and carries a $6.25MM cap hit, but should his early season success continue it wouldn’t be surprising to see him waive his no-trade clause to go to a contender.
- The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has issued a $4,121.86 fine to Nick Ritchie of the Anaheim Ducks for the roughing incident last night. Ritchie attacked Vladimir Sobotka after a whistle and ended up dragging him to the ground (where Buffalo goaltender Linus Ullmark proceeded to give Ritchie a few punches). This was the maximum allowable fine under the CBA for the incident.
- Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that minor league forward Ryan Gropp has been suspended by the Hartford Wolf Pack for failing to report to the Maine Mariners of the ECHL. Gropp, 23, was a second round pick of the Rangers in 2015 and has spent the last two seasons in the minor leagues. He is on the final year of his entry-level contract and scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
Minor Transactions: 10/16/19
If you’re a hockey fan in Nova Scotia, tonight’s NHL action must feel like the Stanley Cup Final as provincial heroes and good friends Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon square off in Pittsburgh. The two superstar centers are off to great starts this season with the former taking the full weight of the Penguins on his back after Evgeni Malkin suffered an injury and the latter leading his Colorado Avalanche to a perfect 5-0 record so far. That’s one of six games on the schedule for this evening, and as teams prepare for action we’ll be right here to keep track of all the minor moves.
- The Avalanche have returned Kevin Connauton to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, activating J.T. Compher from injured reserve in the process. The Avalanche have so many NHL defensemen that they’re going to scratch Nikita Zadorov tonight, meaning it would have been tough for Connauton to get into the lineup.
- The Chicago Wolves have released Brett McKenzie from his professional tryout after just a single game with the team. McKenzie, 22, was a seventh-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 2016 but spent almost all of last season with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL. McKenzie will return to the Fort Wayne Komets, where he’ll continue to try and show he is good enough to move up to the AHL.