Training Camp Cuts And Waiver Wire Placements: 10/10/16
Keeping track of all the training camp cuts and waiver placements today before tomorrow’s NHL 23-man roster deadline.
Anaheim Ducks
F Michael Sgarbossa (waivers -> San Diego Gulls, AHL)
Arizona Coyotes
D Zbynek Michalek (waivers -> Tuscon Roadrunners, AHL)
D Klas Dahlbeck (waivers -> Tuscon Roadrunners, AHL)
Boston Bruins
RW Tyler Randell (waivers -> Providence Bruins, AHL)
RW Seth Griffith (waivers -> Providence Bruins, AHL)
C Tim Schaller (waivers -> Providence Bruins, AHL)
D Christian Ehrhoff (released from PTO)
Buffalo Sabres
D Justin Falk (waivers -> Rochester Americans, AHL)
Calgary Flames
F Brandon Bollig (waivers -> Stockton Heat, AHL)
F Chris Higgins (released from PTO)
Chicago Blackhawks
F Alexandre Fortin (returned to Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL)
F Brandon Mashinter (waivers -> Rockford Ice Hogs, AHL)
F Mark McNeill (waivers -> Rockford Ice Hogs, AHL)
G Ivan Nalimov (returned to Vladivostok Admiral, KHL)
Colorado Avalanche
D Duncan Siemens (assigned to San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
F Gabriel Bourque (waivers -> San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
F Michael Sislo (waivers -> San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets
C Gregory Campbell (waivers -> Cleveland Monsters, AHL)
Dallas Stars
D Mattias Backman (waivers -> Texas Stars, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings
F Teemu Pulkkinen (waivers -> Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL)
F Ben Street (waivers -> Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL)
Edmonton Oilers
F Anton Lander (waivers -> Bakersfield Condors, AHL)
Florida Panthers
F Paul Thompson (waivers -> Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL)
Los Angeles Kings
D Rob Scuderi (waivers -> Ontario Reign, AHL)
C Michael Latta (waivers -> Ontario Reign, AHL)
Minnesota Wild
G Alex Stalock (waivers -> Iowa Wild, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens
F Michael McCarron (assigned to St. John’s Ice Caps, AHL)
G Mike Condon (waivers -> St. John’s Ice Caps, AHL)
New York Islanders
F P.A. Parenteau (waivers -> Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL)
New Jersey Devils
G Scott Wedgewood (waivers -> Albany Devils, AHL)
Ottawa Senators
F Fredrik Claesson (waivers -> Binghamton Senators, AHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning
RW Erik Condra (waivers -> Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
LW Cory Conacher (waivers -> Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
RW Joel Vermin (waivers -> Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
Washington Capitals
D Aaron Ness (waivers -> Hershey Bears, AHL)
F Zach Sill (waivers -> Hershey Bears, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets
F Andrew Copp (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Marko Dano (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Chase De Leo (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Anthony Peluso (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Nic Petan (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
D Julian Melchiori (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
D Brian Strait (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
G Ondrej Pavelec (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
Week In Review: 10/3/16 – 10/9/16
It’s officially the last week of the offseason with the first games of the new regular season slated for Wednesday. Obviously roster pare downs dominated the headlines this week but there were a few other transactions of note as well as a handful of injuries that might prompt teams to see what’s available on the open market. Without further ado, here is the roundup of this week’s top hockey stories.
Key Free Agent Signings:
- Kris Russell – Edmonton (one year, $3.1MM): It’s probably not the lucrative deal Russell was looking for at the outset of free agency but the veteran shot-blocker finally did secure a contract for 2016-17. Perhaps with a solid performance for the Oil, Russell will be in better position to pursue a multi-year pact next summer.
- Tobias Rieder – Arizona (two years, $4.45MM): It looks like the Coyotes got the player at the price they wanted. It had been reported that Rieder was looking for $5MM over two years while the club was offering $4.4MM. Clearly the 23-year-old forward gave more than he got, presumably because he wanted to get back on the ice.
- Jakub Nakladal – Carolina (one year, $600K): It will be interesting to see how the 28-year-old Nakladal fits with the Hurricanes current crop of talented blue liners. Not including Nakladal, Carolina has seven NHL-caliber defensemen on the roster, only one of whom is older than 24.
Added on Waivers:
- Martin Frk – Carolina: Carolina wasn’t the only team that put a claim in on Frk but the Hurricanes were awarded the young Czech RW. He potted 27 goals for Detroit’s AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids in 2015-16 and it was mildly surprising to see the Wings risk losing him by placing him on waivers but clearly they felt the roster spot was best committed elsewhere.
Trades:
- Edmonton trades RW Nail Yakupov to St. Louis in exchange for Zach Pochiro and a conditional draft choice (a third in 2017 can become a second in 2018 if Yakupov scores 15 or more goals).
- Montreal deals Tim Bozon to Florida for D Jonathan Racine in an exchange of minor leaguers.
Injury Report:
- Jonathan Huberdeau is expected to miss 3 – 4 months with what is being called a lower-body-injury. It will be interesting to see if Panthers management looks outside the organization in an attempt to fill the void as Huberdeau was the team’s top scorer on the LW. The team does have around $10MM in cap space if they did choose to go that route.
- Nick Bjugstad will be out for four weeks due to a broken hand. The Panthers third-line pivot tallied 34 points in 67 games last season.
- Michael Del Zotto is set to miss the next 4 – 5 weeks with the dreaded lower-body-injury.
- Again with the lower-body-injury, the Flyers will also be without C Scott Laughton for three to our weeks.
- Devils defenseman Jon Merrill is out four weeks with a broken index finger.
- Penalty-killing specialist Matt Hendricks will miss significant time, once more due to a lower-body-injury. Oilers head coach Todd McLellan indicated it would be “weeks” before Hendricks would be able to return.
Retirements:
- Defenseman Barret Jackman called it quits after a solid, 14-year NHL career. Jackman was originally chosen in the first-round by St. Louis back in 1999 and played all but one season with the Blues before finishing up in Nashville. He wraps up his career with 186 points more than 1,100 penalty minutes in 876 regular season contests.
- Dan Boyle announced his retirement following 17 seasons in the NHL. Boyle, one of the league’s top offensive blue liners throughout much of his career, recorded at least 39 points eight out of nine seasons from 2002-03 through 2011-12. He would score more than 600 regular season points in nearly 1,100 NHL games. Boyle was a member of the 2003-04 Stanley Cup champion Tampa Lightning and also spent time with Florida and San Jose before wrapping up his career playing two seasons with the New York Rangers.
Atlantic Notes: MacKenzie, Red Wings, Alexandrov
The Florida Panthers have named Derek MacKenzie as their new team captain, the team announced today. He becomes the ninth different captain in franchise history.
MacKenzie has spent the last two seasons with the Panthers, primarily in a fourth line/penalty killing role. Last year, the 35 year old played in 64 games, recording seven goals and six assists. In 453 games between Atlanta, Columbus, and Florida, he has 42 goals and 53 helpers.
This offseason, MacKenzie inked a two year extension that locked him up through the 2018-19 season. The deal will pay him an average of $1.35MM per year, a small raise over the $1.3MM he’s set to earn this season.
It was widely anticipated that 2014 top pick Aaron Ekblad was going to receive the captaincy but instead he will be one of the alternate captains along with veteran forward Jussi Jokinen. Presumably, this was done to allow Ekblad to ease into a leadership role instead of putting the extra pressure on him at just 20 years of age.
Only two teams are without full-time captains for the upcoming season, Carolina and Toronto.
Other news and notes from the Atlantic Division:
- The Detroit Red Wings have placed four players on injured reserve to start the season, notes MLive’s Brendan Savage. Most notably among them is right winger Tomas Jurco, who played in 44 games with the team last year and would likely have been in a depth role at the start of the season. Also placed on IR were center Tomas Nosek and defensemen Vili Saarijarvi and Dan Renouf. Earlier in the week, head coach Jeff Blashill told George Sipple of the Detroit Free Press that the team is expected to carry eight blueliners to start the season, in part due to the uncertainty surrounding Niklas Kronwall’s availability for opening night.
- Before cutting him earlier this month, the Montreal Canadiens offered defenseman Yuri Alexandrov a one year, two-way contract, Slava Malamud reports in a column for the Journal de Montreal (link in French). The 28 year old has spent the last five years in the KHL and decided to return there over signing with Montreal and starting the season in the AHL. Alexandrov has already expressed a desire to make another run at an NHL spot next year. It would appear that the Canadiens’ acquisition of Jonathan Racine from Florida on Saturday fills the spot that they had intended to give Alexandrov.
Jonathan Huberdeau Out 3-4 Months
October 9: Huberdeau will miss 3-4 months with a lower body injury, reports Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-Sentinel.
October 8: A Panthers-themed day continues, but in the worst way for Florida fans. Star winger Jonathan Huberdeau suffered a leg injury in a scuffle along the boards early in tonight’s preseason match-up against the New Jersey Devils. Huberdeau could put no weight on his leg, and had to be helped off the ice and into the locker room.
Examining what occurred, it looked as if the skate of Devils forward Sergey Kalinin came down on Huberdeau’s left ankle. The way he reacted when he first re-planted his leg could indicate, in a worst-case-scenario, a torn or injured Achilles tendon. Such an injury would be devastating for the Panthers, as it is a long road to recovery when there is damage to the Achilles. The best-case-scenario still seems bleak, as any injury that leaves a player unable to get himself off the ice usually leads to an extended absence.
With top center Nick Bjugstad already out for the first month of the season with a broken hand, the injury to first-line left winger Huberdeau would leave the Panthers seriously short-handed to start the 2016-17 season. The left side on offense already stands as Florida’s weakest position, and without 50-plus-point man Huberdeau, they could have a tough time reaching the high ceiling many have set for them in this upcoming year.
Thomas Schemitsch Signs ELC With Florida
The Florida Panthers announced that they have signed defenseman Thomas Schemitsch to an entry-level contract. The 19-year-old blue liner has been assigned to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL, and gives the Panthers some depth and upside at the minor league level. The deal carries a $717.5K cap hit, with bonuses bringing the annual value to the $925K maximum for entry-level contracts and is for the maximum three years as well.
A 2015 third-round pick, Schemitsch is a physical player at 6’4″ and over 200 pounds, but also brings a layer of finesse to his game. While his size is key, Schemitsch is actually a very capable offensive defenseman. With above average skating ability, vision, and play-making ability for a player of his stature, Schemitsch has flown up the Panthers prospect depth chart. After putting up 49 points for the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack in his draft year, he had another 31 points in 2o15-16. With size, strength, and raw talent, Florida’s decision to bring him to the pro level early is one that will enable him to work with the Panther’s coaches in Springfield to further develop Schemitch’s defensive awareness and checking ability.
After trading defenseman Jonathan Racine today as well, Florida essentially replaces him with a similar-sized, but younger and much more well-rounded prospect in Schemitsch. While the top of the defensive depth chart in Florida is very strong, the bottom is hardly set in stone for the entirety of 2016-17 and beyond. Schemitsch joins a growing list of capable defensemen in Springfield, such as Jakub Kindl and Ian McCoshen, who will keep the pressure on the likes of Mark Pysyk and Steven Kampfer for a big-league role this year.
Panthers Acquire Tim Bozon
One day after a young forward who had yet to play to his potential was traded away, in Nail Yakupov, the same situation has repeated itself. Though not exactly a #1 overall pick, Tim Bozon had long been considered a top forward prospect for the Montreal Canadiens. That changed today, when the 22-year-old winger was traded to the Florida Panthers in exchange for defenseman Jonathan Racine.
A third-round pick in 2012, Bozon looked like a steal for the Habs, after he turned in a 91-point junior season for the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League in 2012-13, outscoring many household names including 2014 #2 overall pick Sam Reinhart. However, a mid-season trade in 2013-14 to the Kootenay Ice seemed to throw off Bozon’s career trajectory. In his final two years of junior, now playing in Kootenay, he only put up point totals in the sixties, a steep drop from his breakout season in 2012-13. His woes hit a new low last year, as he took part in his first full pro season. In 41 games with the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps, Bozon only had eight points, and was even demoted to the ECHL at one point.
Disappointed with the lack of production and development with their once-promising prospect, Montreal made the decision today to give Bozon a change of scenery, sending him to the Florida (or more accurately Springfield). They get back the 23-year-old defenseman Racine, who gives the Canadiens some defensive depth with a solid AHL contributor. While Racine has little to no offensive upside, he does play a smart defensive game and a hard-hitting, physical style of hockey. Trading away scoring ability for grit and toughness has been a theme of Montreal’s off-season, and it continues with this deal. The Panthers, on the other hand, hope to revive the career of a player with outstanding skating ability and a strong shot, who at one point looked like a sure thing as a future NHLer. If Bozon can work on playing a more complete game and not being pushed on the ice, this won’t be the last time you’ll hear of him.
Justin Fontaine Signs PTO With Dallas Stars
According to Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, former Minnesota winger Justin Fontaine has signed a professional try-out with the Dallas Stars. Fontaine had previously been signed to a PTO with the Florida Panthers, but he was released from it on Saturday.
An alumni of the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Fontaine has spent the last three seasons as a bottom-six winger on the Wild and is trying to catch on somewhere for this season. An effective checker, Fontaine saw his offensive production fall off last year, scoring only five goals and sixteen points. If he were to his career high of 31, recorded just two years ago, he’d be a sought after asset for teams looking to fill our their forward group.
The Stars will kick the tires on the 28-year old, and see if he can contribute to their team this year. Look for Fontaine to sign an AHL deal somewhere if the Stars don’t bite, as it would be the second team to pass on the diminutive winger.
Training Camp Cuts: 10.06.2016
We’re now less than a week from the regular season and teams are starting to make the final cuts from their squads. Here is where we’ll keep track of all the day’s cuts.
Anaheim Ducks (via team release and General Fanager):
LW Ondrej Kase (to San Diego, AHL)
C Julius Nattinen (to San Diego, AHL)
D Clayton Stoner (on waivers for purposes of AHL assignment)
F Sean Bergenheim (released from PTO)
Buffalo Sabres (via John Vogl):
G Linus Ullmark (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (via team release):
D Jake Bean (to Calgary, WHL)
F Julien Gauthier (to Val d’Or, QMJHL)
F Aleksi Saarela (to Lukko, FEL)
G Alex Nedeljkovic (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Dennis Robertson (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Jake Chelios (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Andrew Poturalski (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Valentin Zykov (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Raffi Torres (released)
Nick Bjugstad Out Four Weeks With Broken Hand
According to George Richards of the Miami Herald, Florida Panthers centerman Nick Bjugstad has broken his hand and will be out at least four weeks. With the season beginning in less than a week, the young Panther will miss at least a few games with the injury.
Bjugstad, 24, is one of the core of young forwards the Panthers have locked up over the past two years, joining Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Huberdeau and Reilly Smith in signing at least through the 2020-21 season. These five, when joined by the likes of Aaron Ekblad, Keith Yandle and Jason Demers on the back end, will be the foundation on which the Panthers operate for the future.
After three solid seasons with Florida, Bjugstad is looking to take the next step and move from the 30-40 point two-way center to a legitimate offensive force capable of scoring 25 goals and 50 points each year. While this injury is a setback, he’ll likely only miss around 10 games and should be able to contribute after that.
The Panthers made a few cuts this morning and are now down to 26 (not including Bjugstad) in camp. The team can only take 23 with them when the season begins, meaning there are still a few tough decisions to be made.
Metro Notes: Pirri, Leighton, Wilson
The hardest skill to find on the open market is goal-scoring yet one of the NHL’s most prolific when it comes to finding the back of the net, Brandon Pirri, remained unsigned as a UFA late into the summer. Pirri is tied for 30th in goals scored for every 60 minutes of ice time he plays at even strength over the last two seasons. Eventually, the New York Rangers decided to roll the dice and invest in a one-year deal with Pirri and as Sean Hartnett of CBS New York writes, the Blue Shirts might have scored the steal of the summer.
Despite his offensive prowess, Pirri has bounced around the league quite a bit since breaking into the league with the Blackhawks during the 2010-11 season. He wouldn’t earn a regular role until dealt from Chicago to Florida during the 2012-13 campaign. Pirri would spend parts of three seasons with the Panthers before a trade deadline deal to Anaheim this past season. The Ducks chose not to qualify Pirri after the season, thus making the forward a free agent.
Recently, after a preseason loss to Philadelphia, Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault acknowledged the offensive abilities but also pointed out other areas Pirri needs to improve upon before earning the bench boss’ trust.
“There’s no doubt that he’s got the knack to find the net and score. Tonight, he scored a big goal for us. But there’s other areas where I need to be sure he’s going to be able to make the play, get the puck out, be strong on the wall. And tonight, in certain areas, he needed to make a better play. But there’s no doubt offensively that he’s got good hands and he can find the back of the net.”
Pirri is also locked in a tight battle for a roster spot. Even after placing Marek Hrivik and Nicklas Jensen on waivers for the purpose of sending them down to the AHL, the Blue Shirts have four or five players competing for perhaps three spots. Additionally, Vigneault has previously said Pirri would be best served in a top-nine role and he might have a hard time beating out some of his competition despite a four goal, six point preseason. But as Hartnett notes, Pirri’s versatility could be key as he can play either wing and even fill in at center if needed. If Pirri can find enough playing time in New York and continues to put the puck in the net as he has done for much of his career, the minimal investment the Rangers made this summer could prove one of the wisest moves of the offseason.
Elsewhere in the Metro Division:
- When goalie Michael Leighton inked a deal with Carolina in September, he knew in all likelihood he was destined to spend most of the season in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers. But as Chip Alexander of The News & Observer writes, the veteran of 106 regular season NHL contests is content being the #3 netminder in the organization and with his role mentoring the teams goalie prospects. “They’ve got two solid goalies up here, I knew that coming in. I just want to go down there and help the young guys, hopefully show them a little bit of leadership and kind of guide them toward what they should be doing in the future. And also play well. I want to win. If I go down to Charlotte I want to win games and hopefully win a championship.” Of course Leighton is aware he is just an injury away from NHL duty. Last season, while in the Chicago organization, Leighton got that call and would see action in a single NHL contest. Leighton is perhaps best known for back-stopping the 2009-10 Philadelphia Flyers to within two wins of an improbable Stanley Cup championship. He won eight of his 13 starts that spring and recorded three shutouts during the Eastern Conference Final against Montreal. Regardless of whether Leighton sees any NHL action this season or not, his experience should prove valuable to the Hurricanes organization.
- LW Scott Wilson of the Pittsburgh Penguins is doing his best to land a plum job skating next to one of the elite centers in the game today. As Seth Rorabaugh of DKPittsburghSports.com writes (subscription required), Wilson has taken advantage of the absence of several high profile players due to their World Cup commitments and impressed the Penguins coaches with his play. He is being rewarded with an opportunity to skate along side Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist in tonight’s preseason tilt with Detroit. Whether the Penguins leave Wilson in the spot to open the season is open for debate. But assuming the Carl Hagelin – Nick Bonino – Phil Kessel line that was dominant in the postseason remains intact, the Penguins will need to find four wingers to play with Sidney Crosby and Malkin. Hornqvist, Chris Kunitz and Conor Sheary figure to fill three of those vacancies but that does leave open the possibility Wilson could force his way into that last spot.