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Pacific Notes: Kase, McDavid, Virtanen, Juolevi, Simek

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While the rumors that the potential deal between the Carolina Hurricanes and Anaheim Ducks involving Justin Faulk and Ondrej Kase was unlikely to happen came in earlier today, Anaheim general manager Bob Murray declined comment, but did express displeasure in Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon (without mentioning his name), according to Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. Murray blames the Hurricanes’ owner for leaking out Kase’s name in the trade negotiations.

“When things are out there and haven’t happened and some owner decides he’s going to garner some friendship with the media, and he’s going to get close to the media, and he puts things out there, some of these people, I wish they were players at some point in their lives,” Murray said. “Obviously, they weren’t.”

Kase doesn’t seem affected by the trade talk as the 23-year-old winger is trying to recover from surgery to repair a torn labrum that allowed him to appear in just 30 games last season. The winger said he hopes to play in one exhibition game and expects to be ready for the start of the season.

  • Edmonton Oilers fans who attended practice Saturday held their breath when star center Connor McDavid went down during a back-checking drill when he collided with linemate Zack Kassian. McDavid picked himself back up, but was shaking his leg as he headed back to the bench, worrying many around the rink. The good news is that he’s fine, according to Edmonton Sun’s Jim Matheson. “Kass is doing everything he can to stay on that line (McDavid and Leon Draisaitl) and he hits his centreman. That’s not going to keep Kass on that line,” kidded Oilers’ coach Dave Tippett. “Nah, he’s (McDavid) fine. They (McDavid and Kassian) were laughing about it.” McDavid, who was injured in the Oilers’ final regular season game last season, is being brought along slowly in training camp. While the injury didn’t require surgery, there is talk that McDavid likely will see either one or possibly be held out of all preseason games to keep him as healthy as possible.
  • Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma reports that it’s been an interesting training camp already for Vancouver Canucks winger Jake Virtanen. The 23-year-old failed his physical and was immediately demoted to the training camp’s third group on Friday, finding himself in head coach Travis Green’s doghouse due to his lack of conditioning. He was then elevated on Saturday and had a dominant performance in camp. “You want young players to take responsibility and part of developing players is hoping they learn from lessons. Sometimes tough ones sink in the most,” said Green.
  • Patrick Johnston of The Province writes that Canucks defenseman Olli Juolevi struggled in practice Friday, especially after the training camp ritual: the full-out, full-burn bag skate, a hated skating drill that players laugh about later. However, Juolevi, who is still recovering from a knee injury he suffered in November, struggled with the drill and was in obvious discomfort after the drill. Kuzma added that Juolevi looked a little better, but was put into the third group to allow him time to recover. “A bit of a load-management day,” said Green. “He had a tough day yesterday and he’s feeling better today and we just want to make sure that we bring him along well. We’ll see how he feels today after skating (third group).”
  • Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka writes that San Jose Sharks head coach Pete DeBoer said that defenseman Radim Simek continues to skate, but the team is being cautious and is “taking it slow. There is no rush right now. But he skating and he looks good,” said Simek. The 26-year-old has been out of the Sharks’ lineup since March after having his leg crushed in a collision with Winnipeg’s Andrew Copp and was forced to have surgery to repair his ACL, MCL and his meniscus.

Kyle Brodziak Forced To Retire

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It was hinted at just last week that veteran forward Kyle Brodziak of the Edmonton Oilers may not pass his physical to begin the season. Brodziak has been dealing with a lingering back injury for some time, one that was re-aggravated late last season, and had been unable to work out this off-season. At the time, it was discussed in the context of cap savings, as the Oilers could place Brodziak on Long-Term Injured Reserve to begin the year. However, things are much more serious than they seemed.

Speaking with Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, Brodziak revealed that his back injury has become too difficult to work through: “I know that I won’t play hockey anymore.” Brodziak did indeed fail his physical with the Oilers yesterday and has taken that as a sign that his time has come. At 35 years old, Brodziak will hang up his skated, but not by choice. The experienced forward still had one year remaining on his current contract and enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career just two years ago in 2017-18. However, the pain and effort needed to stay in game shape at the NHL level has simply become too much.

Brodziak of course doesn’t owe the game anything. A seventh-round pick in 2003. Brodziak exceeded all expectation by going on to play in 917 career NHL games. He recorded five 30+ point seasons, including a career-high 44 points with the Minnesota Wild in 2011-12. But Brodziak will be remembered more for his defense and two-way intelligence than his offense, as he became one of the more dependable bottom-six forwards in the league late in his career. Brodziak was also an iron man of sorts, missing less than 50 games over 12 full NHL seasons. As reliable as they come, Brodziak still managed to make it on the ice every night and make an impact even as he fought through this nagging injury in recent years.

Nugent-Bowman writes that Brodziak will take some time to think about his next step in life. A native of Alberta, not far from Edmonton, he was proud to finish his career with the Oilers and it would not be a stretch to think he could find a role with the team. Any team would be lucky to have the wisdom and work ethic of Brodziak around their team, so if he wants to further his career in hockey, he won’t be searching for next step for very long.

Oilers Notes: McDavid, Puljujarvi, De Jong

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When it comes to franchise centerpiece Connor McDavid, the Oilers aren’t taking any chances. When asked about how many games McDavid would play in the coming preseason, new GM Ken Holland was very honest: “Either one at most or very likely zero… I’d rather be safe than sorry.” He took it further than that as well, stating that if McDavid is not fully ready for Opening Night, he won’t play. McDavid has spent the off-season rehabbing a leg injury suffered late in the regular season, but has already been skating with his teammates and early reports are cautiously optimistic that he will be at full strength come October. Holland and company will play it safe though if their star player isn’t back to 100% in time and don’t appear willing to risk that status in the preseason either.

  • Holland also spoke about estranged winger Jesse Puljujarvi, but it was a similar refrain. “I believe there are teams out there that are interested,” he said, adding “I’m not going to force something. If it’s there I’ll explore it. If it’s not, I am prepared to sit.” Puljujarvi recently signed with Karpat of the Finnish Liiga, but Edmonton doesn’t seem fazed by the change in status quo. The team will retain his NHL rights no matter what and have held steady in their message that they will hold out for what they deem is a fair price for the young winger, even if that means he plays in Europe all season. The 2016 fourth overall pick recorded just nine points in 46 games last season and so far teams seem reluctant to pay up for his potential.
  • The Oilers have announced their first round of training camp cuts today, sending several rookie game invites away before the NHL veterans join the team-owned prospects on the ice. Three of those participants were re-assigned to AHL camp with the Bakersfield Condors. While Steven Iacobellis and Jakob Stukel were not a surprise, having signed with Bakersfield this off-season, defenseman Brendan De Jong will also be given a chance to win a spot with the Condors. De Jong, a former Carolina Hurricanes prospect, was not tendered a qualifying offer this summer and became a free agent. With both incredible size and offensive instincts, De Jong has been a valuable member of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks over the past few years and could still turn out to be an effective pro.

Pacific Notes: McDavid, Hitchcock, Sharks Prospects

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The Edmonton Oilers might be breathing a little easier today after their star, Connor McDavid, took the ice for the first time since tearing his PCL in his left knee on the final game of the season on Apr. 6, though he did not require surgery. There were concerns recently when McDavid didn’t take the ice last week at the annual BioSteel camp in Toronto, but McDavid said he felt good after today’s informal skate, according to Sportsnet’s Marc Spector.

“It feels like nothing’s changed,” said McDavid. “I didn’t want to push it too hard but you have to push it hard enough to ensure that it’s healing. I was lucky to work with some great doctors and the Oilers medical team.”

The 22-year-old took the ice today with a group of Oilers and fared well in informal three-on-three scrimmages. Spector writes that McDavid looked 100 percent, who said that he feels that nothing is restricting him on the ice. The star forward hopes that he will be ready to go on opening night, Oct. 2 against Vancouver.

“We’re working towards that,” he said about opening night. “It’s kinda out of my hands. The doctors, they’ll figure that all out, and I’ll listen to them.”

  • Sticking with the Oilers, former head coach Ken Hitchcock may no longer be behind the bench, but is still quite involved in Edmonton. Now with the job title of advisor, Holland is involved in everything that goes around the team as he helps general manager Ken Holland, according to Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson. He had a hand in the hiring of Dave Tippett as the new head coach and also had a hand in the Milan Lucic – James Neal swap as well. He is expected to be present at both rookie and the main training camp before returning to his home in California, where the veteran coach is expected to keep an eye on Oilers on TV, while watching the Bakersfield AHL team as well. “I’m here to help the Oiler organization, anything to help the American League team … I’m really glad I’m able to sit in with the coaches meetings with the AHL club. Anything that Ken and Tip (new coach Dave Tippett) want,” said Hitchcock. “But it’s really important I give each staff their space, physical and mental space.”
  • The Sharks have high expectations for their prospects at the Anaheim Rookie Faceoff Tournament as the team still has a few holes in their lineup and several of their young prospects have the potential to challenge for spots, according to the Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka. A strong showing at this tournament that starts today will be critical for them, including Sasha Chmelevski, Ivan Chekhovich and Joachim Blichfield who are all turning pro this year. While many expect the three to play out their first professional season with the San Jose Barracuda in the AHL, a strong showing at the rookie tournament by one of these players could allow the team to look at them challenging several of the frontrunners jobs’ at the main training camp such as Dylan Gambrell, Antti Suomela and Alexander True.

 

Riley Sheahan Signs With Edmonton Oilers

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5:15pm: The deal is official now, as the Oilers have announced a one-year contract with Sheahan per the initially reported terms. Sheahan stated that Holland was “definitely a big reason” why he signed in Edmonton, adding that he’s always “had trust in Ken.”

1:00pm: The Edmonton Oilers have been looking for some more depth down the middle, and it appears GM Ken Holland has found it in an old friend. According to Mark Spector of Sportsnet the team is close to a one-year deal with free agent Riley Sheahan who played for years under Holland with the Detroit Red Wings. The contract will be for $900K, giving the team quite the bargain if Sheahan can actually take over as the third-line center.

That third-line pivot role is something that Sheahan has held in the past, but it’s not clear if he can really be a difference maker there anymore. The 27-year old recorded just 19 points last season in 82 games split between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers, which simply isn’t enough for the Oilers if they plan on getting back to the playoffs this season. While Connor McDavid and either Leon Draisaitl or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins can create an elite pair of centers on the top two lines, the team desperately needs some more consistent secondary scoring from the third line.

Perhaps the hope is that Holland can bring the best out of Sheahan once again. He experienced his best offensive campaign in 2014-15 when he recorded 36 points for the Red Wings, but was a frustratingly inefficient shooter near the end of his career in Detroit. In fact, Sheahan famously went 79 games without scoring a single goal during the 2016-17 season before lighting the lamp in his last game of the year, giving him an eye-popping 1.8% shooting percentage. While something like that isn’t expected to happen again, he’ll need to do more than just play good defense to really make an impact for the Oilers next season.

After moving out Milan Lucic and buying out Andrej Sekera, the Oilers have a little wiggle room to operate this summer but still haven’t made any drastic overhauls to the roster. The team will have to hope a new coach and management team can make enough of these fringe moves to get them back to the postseason, or more substantial transactions may have to be made.

Snapshots: Barzal, Brodziak, Player Tracking

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Mathew Barzal has noticed all the young restricted free agents causing havoc around the league by holding out this deep in the summer, and while he knows he’ll be in the same situation a year from now isn’t focused on it. In Arthur Staples’ latest piece for The Athletic, Barzal explains that he wants to be part of the New York Islanders for a long time and just wants to take the next step as a team:

My mindset is I’m here. I’ve got one year left and then I’m an RFA, I’m not a UFA. There isn’t much to worry about. All those RFAs now are young, like me, so I get the comparison. But I just want us to win.

Barzal, 22, took a step backwards offensively last season in the more structured system new head coach Barry Trotz installed, but was still a huge reason why the Islanders came second in the Metropolitan Division (just a point behind the Washington Capitals) and wound up sweeping the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. The 16th overall pick from 2015 has 147 points in 166 games during his short tenure in the NHL and is due for a huge raise on his next deal.

  • The Edmonton Oilers will bring in some more center depth with the signing of Riley Sheahan to a one-year deal, but may not have one of their other veteran options. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reports that the team isn’t expecting Kyle Brodziak to pass his physical after not being able to train all offseason due to injury. Brodziak has one year remaining on his contract and carries a $1.15MM cap hit, which could be placed on long-term injured reserve if he’s not able to return to action. The veteran forward was brought in after a surprisingly excellent 2017-18 with the St. Louis Blues, but only registered nine points in 70 games for the Oilers last season.
  • Greg Wyshynski and Emily Kaplan of ESPN are reporting that the NHL has cut ties with Jogmo World Corp, their primary technology partner when it comes to puck and player tracking. Commissioner Gary Bettman listed “organizational and financial challenges” as the reason for the switch, but still expects the technology to be ready for the 2019-20 playoffs.

Pacific Notes: Golden Knights, Burdasov, Russell, Sutter

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The Vegas Golden Knights have had a quiet offseason so far this year after a busy couple of years. Many were shocked to see the expansion team already being capped out, loaded down with plenty of talented veterans on what was supposed to be a young roster. Instead, Vegas has built a team that can contend immediately and many have projected Vegas to capture the Western Conference. Despite having little maneuvering room in which they had to cast off a number of players, including Erik Haula, Colin Miller and Nikita Gusev, next season could be a whole different story.

Las Vegas Sun’s Justin Emerson writes that Vegas should have quite a bit of cap room next season once again once several contracts are off the books, including Cody Eakin, Ryan Reaves and Nick Holden amongst others. With a number of prospects ready to move into the Golden Knights’ lineup in a year, the team might have quite a bit of cap available, upwards of $6-9MM of available cap room (depending on moves made from now until July 1, 2020). That could free up enough room to acquire a significant free agent next season to target a number of free agents, especially on defense, including players like Tyson Barrie, Jared Spurgeon, Justin Schultz or Justin Faulk.

  • In his Sunday column, Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that he doubts that the Edmonton Oilers will go after Russian forward Anton Burdasov who has expressed recent interest in coming to the NHL this season with Edmonton supposedly being one of the three primary suitors for the 28-year-old. Burdasov is coming off a career-high 19 goals and tied his career-high in points in the KHL last season. However, Leavins adds that Burdasov is neither a playmaker or a good skater, which likely wouldn’t interest the Oilers too much as Edmonton is looking for players to increase their speed and are able to play next to their top two centers in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
  •  Sticking with the Oilers, Edmonton Journal’s David Staples writes that the Edmonton Oilers intend to shift defenseman Kris Russell back to his natural left side next season. Russell has been playing on the right side with the team as a top-four option, but assistant coach Jim Playfair said he wants Russell to move back to the left, while the team wants Darnell Nurse and Adam Larsson to pair together this year. Russell likely will be asked to take a third-pairing role, which should allow a one of the team’s younger players to step into the open top-four role on the right side. Several players are likely expected to battle for the open spot, including Matt Benning, Joel Persson, Ethan Bear and Evan Bouchard.
  • In his quest to get back to full health, Vancouver Canucks veteran forward Brandon Sutter is trying to use Pilates for the first time in his 11-year career to get back into shape. “I started doing Pilates this summer which was awesome,” the 30-year-old Sutter said Wednesday following an off-season skills and conditioning skate. “A whole different thing than I’ve done before and now that I’ve started it, I wish I would have done it 10 years ago because it has helped a lot,” said the 30-year-old Sutter. “It’s all functional movement and based on the inner thigh and core. It’s just very specific for exactly what I need and now that I’ve done it, in the future I’ll do it more and spend less time lifting weights.” Sutter was expected to play a significant role for the team last season, but injuries derailed his season and he appeared in just 26 games, scoring just four goals. The hope is that using Pilates might keep him healthy for a full season and he can play a big role as a bottom-line leader this year.

Latest On Jesse Puljujarvi’s NHL Future

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When Jesse Puljujarvi recently signed a one-year deal in Finland, Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland was quick to clarify that it didn’t change the young forward’s situation much. The Oilers still would not be forced into a trade that didn’t bring back substantial value, and reports surfaced that the team was looking for a draft pick and prospect in exchange for the 2016 fourth overall pick. Last night Elliotte Friedman joined the NHL Network to give his thoughts on the situation, including a couple of teams that may be interested in acquiring Puljujarvi:

I think two of the teams that [the Oilers] have had a lot of conversations with are Tampa Bay and Carolina. I think Carolina is willing to give them one of their prospects, maybe a guy like [Julian] Gauthier, but they’re not so interested in doing the pick. I think Tampa Bay they have kind of flirted with back and forth. I think they kind of know which Tampa prospects they might be able to get, but I think again it’s a combination of finding the exact group of two things they want–a pick plus the prospect.

Friedman goes on to explain that he believes there has been interest from other Canadian teams but that Puljujarvi would rather go somewhere “a little quieter” in the USA. Tampa Bay and Carolina both represent smaller markets than some of the big Canadian cities, but there’s certainly no guarantee he would be out of the spotlight given that both teams are expecting to contend for the Stanley Cup this season after their performances in 2018-19.

Carolina does have a huge number of young prospects that they could dangle in front of Holland and have several Finnish connections on the roster already. The team has also been looking for offensive contributors for some time and may believe they can turn Puljujarvi’s career around and turn him into the dominant power forward he was expected to become. Still, with more than enough forwards to round out the roster already after the acquisitions of Ryan Dzingel and Erik Haula this summer, there may not be enough room to give Puljujarvi that top-six opportunity he is looking for.

In Tampa Bay, that kind of opportunity is even less likely. The Lightning have one of the deepest forward groups in the NHL and enjoy a rock solid top-six that would leave little room for Puljujarvi on the powerplay. The team recently added Patrick Maroon to the mix up front and also have salary concerns given Brayden Point’s continuing negotiations. Puljujarvi is still a restricted free agent and will need a new contract wherever he ends up, if in fact he returns to the NHL this season.

Oilers Seeking Pick And Prospect For Jesse Puljujarvi

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The Edmonton Oilers quickly changed their tune today after forward Jesse Puljujarvi signed a one-year deal with his hometown team in Finland’s Liiga. The Oilers had been adamant that they were content to hold on to Puljujarvi, citing disappointing trade offers and a confidence that he could still be an effective member of the team. That changed after it became clear that he had no intention to play for Edmonton this season or possibly ever again. New GM Ken Holland was quick to clarify that Puljujarvi’s contract in Finland did not impact his trade value and that he could suit up in the NHL immediately if traded. Holland also took the opportunity to state that several new teams have made inquiries about Puljujarvi’s availability of late.

Interestingly, with the Oilers now seemingly focused on trading Puljujarvi, the asking price has arguably increased, despite underwhelming offers to this point. Previously reported as being an established third-line forward, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports that Edmonton is now seeking a prospect with top-nine upside as well as a draft pick as their preferred return for Puljujarvi. He adds that an established player may still be a suitable return, but he would have to have term remaining on his contract beyond this coming season.

If the Oilers had struggled to this point to get a fair offer in their eyes for a player they weren’t shopping, it does seem odd that they feel they can increase the asking price when their priority seems to have shifted to moving Puljujarvi. Of course, some may feel that the asking price is of the same quality of lower, considering “third-line forwards” such as Pittsburgh’s Bryan Rust and Boston’s Charlie Coyle have been among rumored targets of the Oilers, either of whom could draw a first-round pick and top-nine prospect from a contender in need. Either way, Rishaug’s report of a changing asking price at least confirms that the mindset has changed in Edmonton and the team is more focused than ever on parting ways with Puljujarvi, even if they continue to maintain that they will only do so on their terms.

Jesse Puljujarvi Signs One-Year Deal In Finland

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10:55am: Mark Spector of Sportsnet spoke with Holland, who explained that there has been new interest in Puljujarvi around the league but nothing is imminent:

I don’t know that him signing in Finland has a huge effect on the situation. I’ve had conversations with numerous clubs that have had interest, some interest, in acquiring Jesse. And I have had, probably in the last 10 days, two or three new teams reach out to me. Teams whose position have changed and are checking into the Puljujarvi situation.

I’ll do a deal if I feel good that I’m making a deal in the best interests of the Edmonton Oilers.

Holland basically has all the leverage here, as Puljujarvi playing a year in Finland can only really improve his value to the Oilers. There’s no rush to get a trade done from their perspective unless a team comes forward with an offer that can help them right away.

7:30am: Jesse Puljujarvi will at least have somewhere to play in 2019-20, even if things don’t get worked out with the Edmonton Oilers. The disgruntled young forward has signed a one-year deal with Karpat in Finland, though the contract includes an option to leave for the NHL before December 1st. In the NHL, if a restricted free agent is not signed before that date they are not eligible to play for the rest of the season.

Puljujarvi’s free agent status will not be changed by this contract. Even if he decides to play the entire year in Finland, the Oilers will still own his exclusive negotiating rights.

This is not necessarily the end of the story for Puljujarvi and the Oilers, but at least it provides some sort of a resolution for the time being. The 21-year old has not been able to establish himself in the NHL since being the fourth overall pick in 2016 and needed a place to see regular playing time. He wasn’t going to get that in the AHL given that he has said he does not want to play in that league and the fact that he would need to clear waivers in order to be sent down. Finland may actually be the best place for his development to continue if the Oilers weren’t willing to give him a regular shift in the NHL.

For new GM Ken Holland and head coach Dave Tippett, giving him that top-six role seems out of the question. Puljujarvi has scored just 37 points in 139 NHL games, and though those have been about as inconsistently distributed as possible he simply hasn’t been good enough to deserve more playing time. He and his agent Markus Lehto have been clear about their desire for the Oilers to trade Puljujarvi to a team that would give him that opportunity, but that situation may not actually exist anywhere in the league. There is also likely a hesitation from Holland to move the young forward given the huge draft capital that has been invested in him, since he would be selling at an extremely reduced value.

Finland does not represent the same competition level as the NHL, but Liiga is still a solid professional league where Puljujarvi will be tested. He played one full season there before coming to the NHL and recorded 28 points in 50 games, but will hopefully be able to do even more now that he has some additional professional experience under his belt. Technically the Oilers will lose his negotiating rights on his 27th birthday, but since that is almost six years away one would expect the situation to be resolved before that happens.

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