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Winnipeg Jets, Josh Morrissey Agree To Two-Year Bridge Deal

September 16, 2018 at 4:19 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 2 Comments

The Winnipeg Jets have agreed to a two-year bridge deal with restricted free agent defenseman Josh Morrissey, according to Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe. It will be a two-year deal with $6.3MM with an AAV of $3.15MM. That’s impressive value for Winnipeg, who have finally wrapped up their offseason signings.

The team has already signed a host of players this offseason, including goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (six years, $36MM), forwards Adam Lowry (three years, $8.75MM), Brandon Tanev (one year, $1.15MM), Marko Dano (one year, $800K), defensemen Jacob Trouba (one year, $5.5MM), Tucker Poolman (three years, $2.33MM), Joseph Morrow (one year, $1MM). They also extended Blake Wheeler to a five-year, $43.25MM deal.

Morrissey, who has been in the league for two years, posted solid numbers for the Jets as the partner of Trouba on the team’s top line. The 23-year-old has been solid on defense and showed some offensive spark, posting 13 goals and 46 points in two seasons. He was also paired more and more against their opponents’ top line, especially in the playoffs. The two-year deal allows the Jets to look into a long-term option then when he still will be a restricted free agent. That gives both sides more opportunity to see if Morrissey can continue to develop into legitimate No. 1 defender down the road.

The signing could also spark other restricted free agents as both Edmonton Oilers’ Darnell Nurse and Vegas Golden Knights’ Shea Theodore were both waiting to see what Morrissey would do. The deal could affect the negotiating leverage that both have as neither player had better offensive numbers than Morrissey.

 

Edmonton Oilers| Vegas Golden Knights| Winnipeg Jets Adam Lowry| Blake Wheeler| Brandon Tanev| Connor Hellebuyck| Darnell Nurse| Jacob Trouba| Josh Morrissey| Marko Dano| Shea Theodore

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Training Camp Cuts: 9/16/18

September 16, 2018 at 12:58 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

With training camp fully underway, teams area already making cuts as they send players to juniors or back overseas. Here’s a rundown of today’s moves:

  • The Carolina Hurricanes announce they have assigned three players back to their junior teams, including forwards Stelio Mattheos, Luke Henman and defenseman Brendan De Jong. Mattheos, the team’s third-round pick in 2018 will return to the Brandon Wheat Kings where he scored 43 goals last year in the WHL. Henman was the team’s fourth-round pick in this year’s draft and will return to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the QMJHL. De Jong was a 2017 sixth-round pick, who will return to the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have trimmed their training camp roster from 77 to 46 as they have sent eight players back to their junior teams, loaned one to Europe and sent another 17 to the Toronto Marlies’ training camp today, according to Postmedia’s Lance Hornby. That leaves 46 players in the Maple Leafs’ camp. The team sent Zachary Bouthillier, Filip Kral, Owen Lalonde, Ryan McGregor, Roman Pucek, Ian Scott, Riley Stotts, and Eli Zummack. The team also loaned Jesper Lindgren back to HPK of Finland’s Liiga. The team also sent Matthew Bradley, Sean Durzi, Hudson Elynuik, Giorgio Estephan, Brady Ferguson, Alex Gudbranson, Mac Hollowell, Sam Jardine, Kasimir Kaskisuo, Stefan LeBlanc, Eamon McAdam, Griffen Molino, Ryan Moore, Zach O’Brien, JJ Piccinich, Scott Pooley, Kristians Rubins to the Marlies training camp.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they cut 10 players from camp today as they now stand at 61 players. The team assigned forwards Zach Gallant and Brady Gilmour as well as defensemen Cole Fraser, Jared McIsaac, Alec Regula and Reilly Webb to their respective junior teams. The team also released forwards Pavel Gogolev, Maxim Golod and Nicolas Guay as well as goaltender Justin Fazio from their amateur tryouts.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have cut three players from the training camp roster today and returned them to their junior teams, including forward Kirill Maksimov, defenseman Dmitri Samorukov and goaltender Olivier Rodrigue. Samorukov and Maksimov were the team’s third-round and fifth-round picks, respectively in 2017, while Rodrigue was their second-rounder this year.

Carolina Hurricanes| Detroit Red Wings| Edmonton Oilers| Toronto Maple Leafs| Transactions Alex Gudbranson

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Pacific Notes: Carter, Monahan, Karlsson, Reaves

September 15, 2018 at 3:58 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

The Los Angeles Kings were expecting to have a lot of healthy players returning to the fold this season, most especially Jeff Carter, who went down after six games last season when he was cut with a skate across his left leg, cutting tendons and requiring surgery. The 33-year-old finally returned for a 21-games stint at the end of the season and performed well.

However, Josh Cooper of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Carter admitted Friday that he’s still not 100 percent and still needs more time to get his ankle back in shape. Coach John Stevens said that it’s not likely Carter’s ankle will ever return to normal.

“I think he really made good progress in terms of getting back to a state of normalcy with his leg. I don’t think it’s ever going to be like it was, but I think he put a lot of work in this summer,” Stevens said. “I think he made big strides in getting closer back to where he was – a little more explosive out of the hole. He didn’t have as much irritation around the joint that he had before. I think he’s a lot further ahead now than he was when he came back last year and played.”

After returning for 21 regular season games, Carter later admitted that his ankle wasn’t truly ready and needed more rehab. Although he scored 12 goals in that span, he struggled with his ankle and was held scoreless in the four-game playoff series against the Golden Knights. Carter’s success is critical for the team’s playoff run as Carter was coming off a 32-goal season the previous year and the team hopes he can duplicate that this year, which might be more difficult for Carter now.

  • After four surgeries this summer, there were a lot of questions whether Calgary Flames center Sean Monahan would truly be healthy at the start of the season. However, the Calgary Sun’s Wes Gilbertson writes that Monahan looked good to go as Monahan potted a goal in their preseason opener Saturday morning against Boston. Despite struggling through a season with numerous nagging injuries, including issues with his wrist, Monahan still managed to post 31 goals last season. Now with a healthy wrist, among other things, he looks ready to improve on that. “I liked his game. I really liked it,” said teammate Mark Giordano. “He had a deadly shot with a half a wrist. So now that he’s fully healed, his hips are good, his groins are good, his wrist is good … I’m excited.”
  • While there was never any rumors surrounding Erik Karlsson and the Edmonton Oilers, many fans around the league were quite outraged when they saw Karlsson headed to division-foe San Jose instead. Considering their desperate need for a dominant defenseman and the fact that the Sharks didn’t give up any significant roster players in the trade, the Oilers were never in any negotiations, because Karlsson had no interest in going there, according to the Edmonton Journal’s David Staples. “You know, he’d be nice to have here,” said Chiarelli. “We weren’t on his list. It was really a non-starter from the beginning. But they got one puck over there, they got a lot of good defenceman. So we’ll see what happens there. But that’s a heckuva ‘d’ over there now.”
  • Las Vegas Sun’s Jesse Granger reports that Vegas Golden Knights’ bruiser Ryan Reaves suffered a skate to the face Friday near his left eye, requiring 20 stitches. The injury was very close to his left eye, making him a lucky man. The 31-year-old winger was signed to a two-year deal this offseason at $2.78MM AAV despite only posting four goals and 10 points between Pittsburgh and Vegas last season. Reaves, however, blended well into Vegas’ locker room and provided an impact on the team’s energy line. He was already back on the ice Saturday.

 

Calgary Flames| Edmonton Oilers| Injury| John Stevens| Los Angeles Kings| Vegas Golden Knights Erik Karlsson| Jeff Carter| Mark Giordano

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Edmonton Oilers Sign Scottie Upshall To PTO

September 13, 2018 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

September 13th: Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reports that Upshall failed his physical with the Oilers today. Upshall has been dealing with a knee injury and did not report to training camp at full strength. While this does not cancel out his PTO, it certainly hurts his chances of landing a contract, despite Edmonton’s need for veteran leadership and penalty killing ability. It is uncertain when Upshall will be ready to fully participate, with Spector speculating it could be “a few weeks”. In the meantime, Upshall will be unable to show that he is still in NHL shape and will likely lose his roster spot to a younger player or potentially another veteran brought in to replace him.

August 19th: It’s officially PTO season. After the Florida Panthers made Mark Letestu the first notable name signed to a professional tryout agreement this off-season with an agreement last week, the Edmonton Oilers have now joined in on the action. The team announced this afternoon that they come to terms with veteran forward Scottie Upshall on a PTO. The Oilers are not overflowing with forward depth, making the Alberta native’s odds of landing a contract relatively good.

This move comes as little surprise in regards to Upshall. The 34-year-old has been down this road before; he played on not one but two PTO’s last fall, first joining the Vancouver Canucks before eventually returning to the St. Louis Blues and earning a contract. He again stands a good chance of winning a spot, this time with Edmonton. Gone are the days when Upshall could produce 30+ points every year, but he still does everything else well. A smart, hard-working forward, Upshall can still give a team modest offense – he scored 19 points in 63 games last year – but it is his two-way play that keeps him valuable. Upshall was one of the Blues’ primary penalty killers last season and still plays with energy, grit, and toughness.

Ironically, Upshall’s frequent running mate in St. Louis, both five-on-five and shorthanded, was Kyle Brodziak, who signed with Edmonton earlier this summer. It seems likely that the Oilers considered that when inviting Upshall to camp. St. Louis was not a league leader in killing penalties or fourth line production last season, but the chemistry between Upshall and Brodziak would nevertheless be a major boost for Edmonton. In moving on from Letestu, the Oilers lost their leading penalty killer from last season. They would also likely enjoy not having to deploy Ryan Nugent-Hopkins while man-down as frequently as they did in 2017-18. Upshall could fit in nicely alongside Brodziak both on the bottom line and the PK, so long as he looks like he can still keep up in his sixteenth year in the league. This could end up being a shrewd PTO pickup by GM Peter Chiarelli and company.

Edmonton Oilers| St. Louis Blues Kyle Brodziak| Mark Letestu| Peter Chiarelli| Ryan Nugent-Hopkins| Scottie Upshall

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Minor Transactions: 9/13/18

September 13, 2018 at 7:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The notable transactions around the NHL today have been anything but “minor”, as the start of training camp has led to some major moves of late. However, many decisions of a much smaller magnitude continue to be made by teams preparing for the preseason, as well as players still looking for a contract this season:

  • Much has been made of the Calgary Flames’ training camp roster, as the team has employed a number of high-profile tryout players as they send a portion of their squad to China to face off with the Boston Bruins. However, upon releasing their camp roster today, the Flames also revealed that two veteran defensemen have been signed to AHL contracts with their affiliate, the Stockton Heat. Although not previously announced, the Heat have inked Andrew O’Brien and Michael Paliotta to contracts. O’Brien, 25, is signing his first AHL contract, as the big stay-at-home defender has been under contract with an NHL in each of his five pro seasons. Following a three-year entry-level deal with the Anaheim Ducks, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013, O’Brien has bounced around from Anaheim, to the Nashville Predators, to the Dallas Stars over the past two seasons. In all three stops, O’Brien was not given a shot to play at the NHL level, making a minor league contract an unsurprising development. Paliotta, 25, was a teammate of O’Brien’s with the AHL’s Texas Stars last year, as the former third-round pick was unable to find a two-way contract last year after two pro seasons under contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Rangers. Unlike O’Brien, Paliotta does have a pair of NHL appearances to his credit. The roster also served as notice that defenseman Adam Ollas Mattsson has re-signed with the Heat. The former Flames draft pick was limited by injuries to just fourteen games in his first pro season and there was some question as to what was in store for his playing future. It seems that Ollas Mattson is content to stay in Stockton and prove he can play at the AHL level.
  • After being invited to Vancouver Canucks training camp, former Edmonton Oilers prospect Ben Betker has nevertheless signed with the ECHL’s Kalamazoo Wings. The team announced today that Betker and forward Wade Murphy has signed one-year contracts. It seems that Betker’s invite was likely a preemptive move to the defenseman signing with their “AA” affiliate. Fresh off his entry-level contract, the big rearguard still has plenty of work to do on his game before he can think about the NHL level. However, a strong camp experience in Vancouver could be a good start.
  • Several teams have already sent some of their rookie camp participants back to their junior clubs. The Montreal Canadiens have seen enough of many of their 2018 draft picks, as the team announced that they have returned forwards Cam Hillis, Allan McShane, Cole Fonstad, and Samuel Houde to their respective CHL teams. The Buffalo Sabres did the same with 2017 third-round defenseman Oskari Laaksonen, although he is set to return to his pro team, Ilves, of the Liiga in his native Finland. As did the Minnesota Wild with recent sixth-rounder Shawn Boudrias, who heads back to the QMJHL. These are just the beginning of the camp cuts which will dominate the news cycle of the next few weeks.

AHL| Buffalo Sabres| CHL| Calgary Flames| Dallas Stars| ECHL| Edmonton Oilers| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| QMJHL| Transactions| Vancouver Canucks

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Training Camp Notes: Kings, Gionta, Tryouts

September 13, 2018 at 6:23 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

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. 

AHL| Anaheim Ducks| CHL| Calgary Flames| Chicago Blackhawks| Detroit Red Wings| ECHL| Edmonton Oilers| Injury| Los Angeles Kings| Minnesota Wild| Montreal Canadiens| Nashville Predators| New Jersey Devils| New York Islanders| OHL| QMJHL| Vegas Golden Knights| WHL| Washington Capitals Brian Gionta| Derek Forbort| Dion Phaneuf

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Oilers Notes: Criticism, Nurse, Lucic

September 10, 2018 at 8:45 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

TSN insider Bob McKenzie has begun previewing the 2018-19 seasons for the NHL’s Canadian clubs on his podcast, “The Bobcast”, and dropped some bombs about the Edmonton Oilers. McKenzie most newsworthy claim is that the Oilers have been criticized by executives around the league for failing to reach the postseason last year. McKenzie was honest in his assessment of the team, saying “I think the way most people look at it, every year you have a Connor McDavid-led team that misses the playoffs, that is a crime against hockey humanity. I think that would be especially true this season after they didn’t do it last season… McDavid’s game is on its own level and it would be absolutely criminal if the Edmonton Oilers cannot find a way to surround him with enough talent to get this team back into the playoffs.” McKenzie, and anyone who has been critical of the team, are absolutely in the right to wonder how a team with arguably the best player on the planet can not only miss the playoffs, but finish in the bottom ten of the league. It is also fair to question, as McKenzie did, whether the team has done enough to add more talent to the roster. Outside of backup goalie Mikko Koskinen, two-way winger Tobias Rieder, and checking center Kyle Brodziak, the Oilers are more or less relying on the same group as last season to put together a major turnaround. Even with some positive regression, Edmonton will need to step it up this season – the players, coaches, and front office included.

  • McKenzie also put Edmonton fans on edge by blowing up the narrative that negotiations were going well with restricted free agent defenseman Darnell Nurse. “By all accounts Nurse’s contract negotiations are not going well at all”, McKenzie said, “so we’ll just have to wait and see on that.” Nurse remains unsigned with training camp soon to open and there is no way to know how long it will take to get him under contract. Even before the Andrej Sekera injury, the Oilers needed Nurse around to play a key role on the blue line, but now it is imperative that they get him signed and ready to be a major top-four contributor this season. Edmonton can’t afford to let these negotiations last too far into the regular season, but their cap crunch and messy trade history also mean that they need to remain cautious. It isn’t an easy situation for the team or player.
  • McKenzie also refuted the report that Milan Lucic never requested a trade this summer, returning to the previous assumption that he did want out of Edmonton. McKenzie said “Can Milan Lucic rebound from an abysmal season that was punctuated by him asking for a trade, one which he didn’t get? If you talk to the right people by all accounts his mind, his spirit, his body are all fully ready to embrace the challenge.” While this was one of McKenzie’s more positive remarks, it does throw another dig at the Oilers that one of GM Peter Chiarelli’s big free agent acquisitions not only played poorly last season, but now wants out. Perhaps Lucic walking back trade rumors earlier this summer is a sign that he has moved on, but that interest in leaving existed at one point and could return if Edmonton suffers through another disappointing season.

Edmonton Oilers| Injury Andrej Sekera| Bob McKenzie| Connor McDavid| Darnell Nurse| Kyle Brodziak| Milan Lucic| Peter Chiarelli

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Training Camp Notes: Sharks, Motte, Betker, Kuhlman

September 10, 2018 at 7:35 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The San Jose Sharks had quite a few unfamiliar names listed when they released their training camp rosters. All in all, the Sharks have invited five unsigned junior prospects to camp: goalie Max Paddock, defenseman Keaton Middleton, and forwards Kyle Topping, Jake Gricius, and Justin Brazeau. Paddock is the youngest of the group at just 18 and has only one junior season under his belt with the WHL’s Regina Pats. The Sharks may be looking at Paddock, who still has draft eligibility remaining, as a potential long-term project signing, but will have to work quickly to get him signed within a limited window or else will have to hope they can select him in next year’s draft. Middleton, a fourth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2016, has been the captain of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit for the past two years and has proven to be a reliable two-way defender. Middleton has played significant minutes in 60+ games in each of his four junior seasons and is likely ready to make the jump to the pro level. Up front, Brazeau highlights the forward invites. The 6’6″ power forward registered 75 points in 68 games last season for the OHL’s North Bay Battalion and, if given the opportunity, the 20-year-old Brazeau could possibly be a difference-maker in the minor leagues with an NHL ceiling. Gricius, of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, is another big forward, but younger than Brazeu at 18 and more raw. He has yet to show the same offensive upside and may have limited potential, but the Sharks will judge that for themselves in camp. Finally, Topping is coming off a strong point-per-game season with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, but the 18-year-old has more developing to do. Both he and Gricius remain draft-eligible and San Jose could simply be thinking ahead to next June.

  • The Minnesota Wild have decided to add another goaltender to the mix in camp, listing minor league keeper C.J. Motte on their training camp roster. Motte, the older brother of Vancouver Canucks forward Tyler Motte, is a former college standout at Ferris State University and has been playing in the minor leagues for the past three seasons. Motte was under contract with the Quad City Mallards, ECHL affiliate of the Wild, for the past two years, although his play earned him several AHL loans as well, including to the Iowa Wild. Minnesota’s coaches and front office may want a closer look at what they have in the organization, as Motte could potentially be fighting for a two-way AHL deal in camp.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have invited defenseman Ben Betker to camp. A former sixth-round pick and project prospect of the rival Edmonton Oilers, Betker did not receive a qualifying offer this off-season and has been unable to land an NHL contract. Although the 6’6″, 230-lb. defenseman has great size and physical ability, as well as some modest puck-moving ability, his PTO with Vancouver doesn’t necessarily imply that he is fighting for a contract with the team. Betker has struggle to produce in the minors and could use some more seasoning. However, the 23-year-old could definitely land with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.
  • Although the Boston Bruins are already bursting with pro-ready prospects, including Calder hopeful Ryan Donato, three centers fighting for a job in Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Trent Frederic, and Jack Studnicka, Anders Bjork and Peter Cehlarik returning from injuries, and recent high picks on the blue line in Urho Vaakanainen, Jakub Zboril, and Jeremy Lauzon, The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa suggests that a first-year pro free agent addition could actually end up having an impact this year. Karson Kuhlman, the captain of the reigning NCAA Champion Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, has impressed in camp so far. Shinzawa spoke with Providence Bruins head coach Jay Leach and watched Kuhlman dominate with two goals in the Bruins’ rookie game on Saturday and has formed the opinion that the young winger could be one of the first players called up by Boston this season. Although smaller and less skilled than some of his competition, Shinzawa states that his effort and two-way intelligence is evident and the team loves his hard-nosed style and natural leadership. Kuhlman seems like a nice fit as a bottom-six forward in the NHL and could realize that ceiling sooner rather than later. The embarrassment of riches in the Boston pipeline continues as another name to watch is added to the list.

AHL| Boston Bruins| CHL| ECHL| Edmonton Oilers| Minnesota Wild| NCAA| OHL| Prospects| San Jose Sharks| Vancouver Canucks| WHL Anders Bjork| Peter Cehlarik

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Alex Chiasson Signs Professional Tryout With Edmonton Oilers

September 10, 2018 at 4:04 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers have signed Alex Chiasson to a professional tryout agreement, inviting him to challenge for a job at their upcoming camp. Chiasson spent last season with the Washington Capitals but was allowed to walk into unrestricted free agency this summer.

Chiasson, 27, will have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup along with the rest of the Capitals despite not actually suiting up during their series against the Vegas Golden Knights. The journeyman forward has never played more than two full seasons with an NHL team, suiting up for Dallas, Ottawa and Calgary before his stint in Washington. In 61 games with the Capitals last season he recorded nine goals and 18 points, though three of those points did come short-handed. There is a potential for him to carve out a role like that in Edmonton, especially given they’re not exceedingly deep up front.

Fellow Oilers PTO Scottie Upshall has a similar set of skills and will likely be in direction competition with Chiasson, but neither seem like locks to earn an NHL deal. Still, Edmonton desperately needs all the help they can get as they try to rebound from an extremely disappointing season and will turn over every rock in search of a valuable NHL player.

Edmonton Oilers| Free Agency| Washington Capitals Alex Chiasson

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2018-19 Season Primer: St. Louis Blues

September 9, 2018 at 2:59 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

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.

Buffalo Sabres| Calgary Flames| Chicago Blackhawks| Colorado Avalanche| Dallas Stars| Detroit Red Wings| Edmonton Oilers| Mike Yeo| Minnesota Wild| NHL| Nashville Predators| New Jersey Devils| Prospects| Season Previews 2018-19| St. Louis Blues| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vegas Golden Knights| Winnipeg Jets Beau Bennett| Carter Hutton| Chad Johnson| Connor McDavid| David Perron| Jake Allen| Jordan Nolan| Kyle Brodziak| Patrick Maroon| Patrik Berglund| Paul Stastny| Tyler Wotherspoon| Ville Husso| Vladimir Sobotka| Vladimir Tarasenko| Wade Megan

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