Adam Samuelsson Leaves Boston College
A difficult year for young defenseman Adam Samuelsson takes another strange turn. Samuelsson, 18, has made the decision to cut his first collegiate season short and further complicate his hockey future. The USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers have announced that Samuelsson has joined the team for the remainder of the season, meaning his time with the Boston College Eagles is over.
Samuelsson, the son of two-time Stanley Cup champion Ulf Samuelsson and younger brother to Phillip and Henrik, was once considered to be a surefire NHL draft pick if not potential second- or third-round selection in last year’s entry draft. Yet, the U.S. National Development Team standout was one of the most surprisingly snubs of the 2018 draft class. At 6’6″, 240 lbs., Samuelsson has the type of size that you can’t teach, but also brought a good amount of skill to his game. He had played regular minutes for the USNTDP and recorded 24 points in 62 games, but it clearly wasn’t enough to impress scouts. Some cited mobility concerns and a lack of shutdown physicality as making it hard to project what type of player Samuelsson would be. For whatever reason, Samuelsson’s bloodlines were not enough to save him, as he slipped through the cracks in June
Nevertheless, Samuelsson still had his commitment to Boston College to fall back on, as a top collegiate programs is one of the best ways for an undrafted prospect to increase his stock for the next go-round. Teammate Logan Hutsko had accomplished that same feat last year, selected by the Florida Panthers in the third round after a strong freshman campaign at BC showed that NHL teams had mis-evaluated him in his first year of eligibility. However, Samuelsson was not following in Hutsko’s footsteps with an impressive showing for the Eagles early this season. In fact, Samuelsson only played in seven games in the first half of the NCAA season and had yet to record a point. It was not what was expected of the promising defenseman, but also not totally surprising for a true freshman on a talented roster. Yet, it also was not what Samuelsson had hoped for after going undrafted, making his decision to move on more understandable. The question now is what the future holds for the formerly highly-regarded prospect. Will he light up the USHL and reassert himself as an NHL prospect? Will he return to the NCAA? A once-promising pro career is right now just a question mark for Samuelsson.
Samuelsson is not alone in joining Sioux City after the holiday break. Ironically, the former Boston College freshman depth defenseman will now be playing alongside a former Boston University freshman depth defenseman, somehow preserving the yin and yang of college hockey’s top rivalry. Dominic Vidoli, in his first year with the Terriers out of Culver Military Academy, had been unable to recreate the immense offense he showed at the prep level. In six games with BU, Vidoli had been held off the score sheet, a far cry from last season when he scored better than a point per game for Culver in 43 contests. Vidoli has also opted for a change in his development path, leaving the stacked Terriers lineup in hopes of showcasing his skill with the Musketeers. Adding both Samuelsson and Vidoli, two players from elite college programs, should be a major boost for Sioux City, who currently sit fourth in the USHL’s Western Conference but easily within striking difference of a top playoff spot by year’s end.
Montreal’s Phillip Danault Receives Max Fine For Tripping
A late-game scuffle is going to cost Montreal Canadiens forward Phillip Danault. The Department of Player Safety announced today that Danault has been served with a $5,000 fine for a “dangerous trip” on Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, the maximum fine for that type of penalty under the NHL CBA. While it the maximum amount that Player Safety may fine Danault, $5,000 is less than one-seventh of Danault’s next game check on his $3MM salary this season.
The incident in question occurred late in the third period, when Danault lodged his stick underneath the left knee of Ekblad after a scrum along the boards. Danault then used that leverage to upend Ekblad, causing him to topple to the ice. Ekblad responded immediately, chasing down Danault before the pair dropped the gloves. However, it was again Danault getting the takedown as Ekblad was once gain forced to the ice. Danault received a two-minute minor on the play for tripping in addition to the five-minute major for fighting that both players received.
While Player Safety properly saw fit to punish Danault further for the dangerous takedown and the Montreal center will be out a decent amount of money, it is safe to say that last night’s events were far more damaging for Ekblad. This was the first meeting between the Panthers and Canadiens since the preseason, when Max Domi earned a suspension for the remainder of the preseason for sucker punching an unwilling Ekblad. Many expected the big Florida defenseman to seek his retribution against Domi in this re-match, but again the 6’4″, 220-lb. Ekblad shied away from confrontation despite knowing that the much smaller Domi is usually a willing combatant. Instead, Ekblad waited until the last minute before engaging with Danault, not known for his physical prowess, and still ended up “losing” the fight after being taken down by the smaller Danault. It was Ekblad’s first bout of the season and only the fifth of his career, as the Panthers’ defensive cornerstone hasn’t felt the need to fight to prove that that he has the toughness to match his size and strength. Now that smaller Canadiens forwards have gotten the best of him twice, will he feel the need to prove himself?
Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Goaltender Michael Hutchinson
With Frederik Andersen currently day-to-day with a groin injury, the Toronto Maple Leafs had already been forced to call up Kasimir Kaskisuo – and his .866 AHL save percentage. The team was a Garret Sparks injury away from having the struggling Kaskisuo as their starter in the short term. Depth in net had become a dire need for the organization and today GM Kyle Dubas was quick to address that need. The Maple Leafs have announced that they have acquired goaltender Michael Hutchinson from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2020 fifth-round pick.
Hutchinson, 28, is a shrewd pickup for Toronto, especially for a future late-round selection. Hutchinson is not far removed from being a regular fixture in net for the Winnipeg Jets from 2014 to 2017. While Hutchinson lost that job in Winnipeg last season, making only three appearances, he managed to play in 76 games over the three seasons prior. In a total of 106 NHL appearances, including four with Florida this year, Hutchinson has a .907 save percentage and 2.70 GAA. Hutchinson has had his fair share of struggles at both the NHL and AHL level this season and has not been the reliable third-string option to injury-prone Roberto Luongo and James Reimer as the Panthers had hoped when they signed him this past off-season. However, his minor league play has been vastly superior to Kaskisuo’s and his career NHL numbers are quite similar to Sparks’. The Leafs still don’t have a stalwart backup goalie to Andersen, but have cheaply acquired an experienced veteran keeper that is a clear upgrade to their depth in net.
Perhaps the best part about adding Hutchinson is that he has already cleared waivers this season and may be moved back and forth between the Maple Leafs and Marlies at will. Toronto’s goaltending depth issues began just prior to the start of the season, when both Calvin Pickard and Curtis McElhinney were claimed on waivers when the Leafs opted to protect Sparks. Pickard had a rough experience with the Philadelphia Flyers early on, but the Maple Leafs nevertheless tried to reclaim their lost property when the Flyers also placed him on waivers. However, they failed to bring Pickard back in as he was claimed by the Arizona Coyotes. McElhinney, on the other hand, has been the best of the Carolina Hurricanes’ trio of goalies and is unlikely to be up for claim again this season. Hutchinson was likely one of the top two-way keepers available and apparently one of the more affordable.
As for the Panthers, when healthy the duo of Luongo and Reimer have the roster spots in Florida locked up. Hutchinson was never going to overtake either keeper, especially given his performance this season. The team also hoped to get young Sam Montembeault some NHL experience this season and the Springfield Thunderbirds starter now takes over as the organization’s No. 3. It makes sense that the Panthers got what they could for a disappointing signing. However, if injury does strike Luongo again, Reimer’s struggles and Montembeault’s inexperience become of greater concern for Florida, especially if they are fighting for a playoff spot. Expect the Panthers to keep an eye on waivers and the goalie market for the remainder of the season.
Minor Transactions: 12/15/18
As always, Saturday features a busy slate on the NHL schedule with 20 teams in action. As a result, there is bound to be plenty of roster movement throughout the day. We’ll keep track of those moves here.
- The Panthers announced a series of roster moves, recalling center Henrik Borgstrom and forward Jayce Hawryluk from Springfield of the AHL while returning wingers Dryden Hunt and Anthony Greco to the Thunderbirds. Borgstrom is one of Florida’s top prospects and is off to a good start in his first full professional season with 19 points in 21 games. He did get into four games late last year so this won’t be his first NHL action. That isn’t the case for Hawryluk, who is up for the first time following a great start to his season that sees him tied for the AHL lead in assists with 21. Hunt has split the season between nearly equally between the NHL (13 games) and the AHL (15 games) but has been much more productive in the minors while Greco made his NHL debut earlier this week.
- Defenseman Tyler Lewington is getting his first NHL shot as the Capitals have promoted him from AHL Hershey per a team release. The 24-year-old is in his fourth professional season and is among the AHL leaders in penalty minutes this season with 67. He will likely serve as a reserve defender in the absence of Christian Djoos who underwent surgery on his thigh on Friday.
- Veteran blueliner Kyle Cumiskey has inked a minor league deal with Boston for the rest of the season, reports Mark Divver of the Providence Journal (Twitter link). He had previously been with them on a PTO deal but did well enough to earn a guaranteed contract. He’ll give the Bruins some extra depth in the minors and they have five remaining NHL contract slots if they ultimately need to bring him up to the big club.
- The Sabres announced that they have recalled defenseman Matt Hunwick from his conditioning stint with AHL Rochester. The veteran has yet to play this season for Buffalo due to a neck injury but played in two games with the Americans on the conditioning stint. The team has an open roster spot so they won’t need to send someone down in order to activate the 33-year-old off of injured reserve. The team also announced they have activated defenseman Marco Scandella off of injured reserve and he is expected to play tonight. Scandella has missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury.
- The Blues have assigned winger Zach Sanford to San Antonio of the AHL, per the AHL’s Transactions Page. The 24-year-old has been relatively productive in a limited role in St. Louis with nine points in 24 games but the assignment will give him an opportunity to play considerably more than the 11:39 per night he’s averaging with the big club.
Atlantic Notes: Kotkaniemi, Nyquist, Pysyk, Petrovic, Kulak
With countries releasing their preliminary rosters for the World Junior Championships, many teams must make some decisions on whether they intend to send some of their young prospects to World Juniors and interrupt their careers. The Montreal Canadiens could be one of those teams as they have a tough decision to make on Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who is on the Canadiens’ roster.
While on the surface it would be obvious the team would keep him, the team did allow defenseman Victor Mete to leave the team last year and play in the World Juniors. Mete, however, was struggling and was already losing playing time in Montreal. Kotkaniemi is in a similar boat as he started strong, but has just two points in the past eight games and has hit a “rookie wall.”
However, TSN’s Dan Robertson reports that general manager Marc Bergevin met the media this afternoon and stated that he’s 95 percent sure that Kotkaniemi won’t play in the WJC. The 18-year-old has three goals and 14 points in 29 games.
- The impressive play the Detroit Red Wings have gotten from Gustav Nyquist causes many long-term questions. Nyquist, who is on pace for a career season as the 29-year-old already has seven goals and 26 points in 29 games is in the final year of a four-year, $19MM deal he signed back in 2015, could be looking for another big contract. The question that MLive’s Ansar Khan wonders is whether Detroit will consider bringing back Nyquist. It’s likely he will be asking for $5MM per year for three or four years. With the team in the middle of a rebuild, there is no guarantee the Red Wings will consider signing Nyquist a priority, although the team is also well known to give out money to veterans.
- With the Seattle expansion draft on teams’ radars for the next few years, The Athletic’s George Richards (subscription required) writes that nothing worked out last time for the Florida Panthers who made a side deal to protect two defensemen by sending both Jon Marchessault and Reilly Smith to Vegas in the expansion draft. The team’s plan was to protect both Mark Pysyk and Alexander Petrovic. However, neither has been a key member of the team’s defense since then and both may not be on the roster by the time the next expansion draft rolls around.
- After being traded from Calgary to Montreal and finding himself in the AHL, defenseman Brett Kulak could have considered his situation dire. However, Kulak has since been recalled and has found himself a key piece to the Canadiens’ defense and is paired next to Shea Weber, which looks like a perfect fit, according to Pat Hickey of the Montreal Gazette. “He was playing in the NHL last year, so it was not like I got a guy from the East Coast Hockey League,” said general manager Marc Bergevin. “He’s an NHL defenceman. Our scouting staff liked him because of the way the game is going. He’s a good skater.”
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Florida Panthers
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. Let’s take a look at what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Florida Panthers. Click here for the other articles in this series.
What are the Panthers most thankful for?
Their young core that is locked up long-term. In Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, and Jonathan Huberdeau, they have a trio of high-quality forwards aged 25 or younger that are all signed to below-market contracts for at least three more years. They also have defenseman Aaron Ekblad (22) locked up for seven seasons and while his deal is a bit of an overpayment for now, it could look better a couple of years from now as he continues to improve. These four players represent a very strong foundation for GM Dale Tallon to build around for the foreseeable future.
Who are the Panthers most thankful for?
Beyond that core group, they’re certainly thankful for offseason acquisition Mike Hoffman. The winger was picked up for a collection of four draft picks (most of them of the depth variety) and he has had no issues adapting to his new team. The 27-year-old is third on the team in scoring and is on pace for a career year offensively. He has been particularly effective on the power play with a dozen of his 26 points coming with the man advantage. That’s quite a pickup without giving anything away from their roster and considering he has another year left on his contract with a team-friendly cap hit of just under $5.2MM, it’s a deal that has worked out spectacularly thus far.
What would the Panthers be even more thankful for?
Better goaltending, plain and simple. Roberto Luongo has been okay when healthy but staying in the lineup has proven to be a challenge. At the age of 39, that’s likely going to continue to be a concern. They’re paying big money to James Reimer to give them above average goaltending but he has struggled mightily this season, posting career-worst numbers in the process. Florida has done a decent job scoring goals so far so getting even league average goaltending could be enough to get them going again. They haven’t had that level of play too often in 2018-19.
What should be on the Panthers’ Holiday Wish List?
Given Reimer’s struggles (plus those of third-stringer Michael Hutchinson), extra goaltending depth should certainly be on the list and if things don’t improve, they may have to move on that sooner rather than later. Beyond that, a top-six forward would be a helpful addition with Trocheck out long-term and would really improve their overall attack when he returns.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: Luongo, Wilson, AHL
The Florida Panthers have sent Michael Hutchinson back to the minor leagues, indicating that Roberto Luongo is ready to get back into the crease. The veteran goaltender has been dealing with a lower-body injury, and is a huge part of the Panthers’ chances of competing for a playoff spot this year. When he’s healthy and on the ice the team looks almost completely different, despite his .902 save percentage.
Luongo is just 19 games behind Patrick Roy for second on the all-time games played list, and just nine behind Ed Belfour for third on the wins list. Those kind of numbers are going to make him a lock for the Hall of Fame, but it’s the Stanley Cup that remains just out of reach. Luongo will turn 40 in April, but has amazingly only been to the playoffs seven times and has just 70 postseason appearances under his belt. If that number is to increase the Panthers are going to have to put it together in the second two-thirds of the season.
- As expected, the Philadelphia Flyers have hired Rick Wilson as an assistant coach for the remainder of the season. Wilson, a long-time NHL assistant, had previously been hired by new GM Chuck Fletcher in his previous job for Minnesota. Head coach Dave Hakstol‘s job appears to be safe for now, but it seems likely that Fletcher will re-evaluate the entire staff after the season.
- Two players have earned suspensions in the AHL. Dennis Gilbert of the Rockford IceHogs has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head, while Alex Gallant of the Chicago Wolves is out for the next two games after earning a match penalty in Sunday’s game. Gallant, a 25-year old undrafted forward, has been suspended multiple times in the past by the AHL and doesn’t have a single point yet this season. Gilbert on the other hand is a third-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in his first professional season.
Florida Panthers Seeking Upgrade In Goal
Entering the season, the Florida Panthers’ goaltender trio of Roberto Luongo, James Reimer, and Michael Hutchinson seemed like one of the deepest in the league. As the second month of the season wraps up, the Panthers currently hold the second-worst goals against average in the NHL and their play in the net has been the team’s greatest weakness. As a result, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports (subscription required) that, despite their considerable depth, Florida is looking for an upgrade behind the injury-plagued Luongo.
Injuries have limited Luongo, 39, to just nine appearances, but even when healthy he has not looked like himself. Luongo holds a 3.07 GAA and a .902 save percentage that, if the season were to end today, would be his career-low. It could be that Luongo’s play is reflective of his poor health, especially considering his strong performance just last year. However, between his injury issues and inconsistent results, Luongo simply can’t be relied upon as a bona fide starter. Of course, that was the reasoning behind the Panthers initially signing Reimer three years ago. Reimer looked the part in his first season in 2016-17, with perhaps his best NHL campaign. Yet, his numbers tailed off last season as he too struggled with injuries and now this year Reimer looks far from a starting option. The 30-year-old leads the Panthers with 14 appearances, but has just four wins, tied with Luongo despite five more showings. His performance has been bleak, with an .895 save percentage and 3.39 GAA. Yet, the injury concerns and inconsistency of Luongo and Reimer is exactly why Florida signed Hutchinson this summer. That has quickly proven to have been a mistake, as the AHL veteran has been out of his depths in four NHL games, sporting a brutal .839 save percentage and 4.17 GAA. Hutchinson has struggled to even perform at an average level in the minors this season.
Nothing has worked out according to plan in Florida, so the team needs to make a move to improve in net. The problem with that plan, as LeBrun points out, is that Reimer still has two years remaining on his contract at $3.4MM. That contract could prove very difficult to move. Luongo is also signed long-term, with three years remaining, but it appears that the team would prefer to hold on to him despite his current struggles, even if they were able to find a take. As such, a long-term solution in net may be difficult to find, unless the team is also able to move Reimer. Nearly any established goalie signed beyond this season would put too much strain on the Panthers’ payroll, which is already close to $2MM from the salary cap. An expensive rental, such as Detroit’s Jimmy Howard, would also be difficult to manage. Cheap rentals, such as New Jersey’s Eddie Lack, Carolina’s Petr Mrazek, Edmonton’s Al Montoya, and recent waiver placement Calvin Pickard, are readily available, but would be unlikely to shift the status quo substantially. The Panthers could make a play for a young, affordable goalie lacking opportunity, such as Montreal’s Charlie Lindgren, Vancouver’s Thatcher Demko, Los Angeles’ Cal Petersen, or Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry, but it would come at a cost. The Panthers may want to upgrade their goalie depth, but such a move won’t come easy for the team this season.
Snapshots: Team Canada, Fletcher, Kovar
Held in the middle of the NHL season, the Spengler Cup in Switzerland is often an afterthought among international events. Yet, Team Canada has put together quite the formidable group to lead their entry into the late December tournament, in pursuit of a fourth consecutive title. Hockey Canada has announced that Sean Burke and Ron Francis will put the Spengler Cup team together as co-GM’s, while Kevin Dineen will lead the selections as the head coach. Not only does that trio have extensive NHL playing careers on their resumes, but each have had success in their off-ice roles as well. Dineen has spent 14 seasons behind an NHL bench, including three as the head coach of the Florida Panthers, and has international coaching experience as well. His assistants, Gordie Dwyer and Mike Kitchen, are no strangers to the job either. Burke, currently a scout for the Montreal Canadiens, is familiar with Team Canada, having served as GM for the 2018 Olympic team, part of the management group for past four IIHF World Championship entries, as well as the GM of the past two Spengler Cup teams. However, it is Francis that sticks out the most. The former Carolina Hurricanes GM is currently considered a candidate for the Philadelphia Flyers’ new vacancy and, should the position remain open through the end of the calendar year, Francis’ efforts to put together a winning Spengler Cup team could be seen as part of his case for the job.
- Another candidate for the Flyers’ GM vacancy – and perhaps the favorite – is former Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher. Fletcher was let go by the Wild this off-season and joined the New Jersey Devils as an executive, but is still held in high esteem by most in the game. Many pundits have suggested that he is the front runner for the job and now TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the wheels appear to be in motion. The Devils have given the Flyers permission to speak with Fletcher, McKenzie says, and reiterates the sentiment that he would be the preferred hire. Although Minnesota was unable to reach the ultimate goal, Fletcher had the team on a six-season postseason streak when he was dismissed and the Wild, currently with the third-best record in the Western Conference, have a core of veteran and young contributors that was by and large put together by Fletcher. The experienced executive would be a more than capable GM for Philadelphia.
- The Boston Bruins front office may soon be facing a decision, albeit to a much smaller extent. After he appeared to be weighing a return to Europe, Jan Kovar instead finds himself one step closer to his desired destination – another shot at the NHL. The Bruins announced this morning that Kovar, who has been playing with their AHL affiliate in Providence, was up practicing in Boston today. The question remains whether or not Kovar earns a contract with the Bruins, something that Lee Stempniak was unable to do despite ample practice time with the team. Boston is without Patrice Bergeron, but still has David Krejci and has been getting admirable efforts from rookie Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and veteran Joakim Nordstrom in his unnatural position. Yet, the team scratched Sean Kuraly in their last game and is still struggling to get secondary scoring. It may be the exact scenario that Kovar needed to get a second chance after quickly flaming out with the New York Islanders earlier this season.
Roberto Luongo's Lower-Body Injury Not Believed To Be Serious
- While the Panthers received a scare on Friday with goaltender Roberto Luongo being injured late in the first period, the lower-body injury isn’t believed to be too serious, reports George Richards of The Athletic (Twitter link). He’s currently listed as day-to-day. The 39-year-old has had issues staying healthy in recent years and this marks the second time that he’s on the shelf already. James Reimer will once again take over the starting nod for the time being and will hope to improve upon a below-average 3.27 GAA and a .896 SV% that he has put up so far this season.