Snapshots: Lazar, Panthers, Andersen
As the season quickly approaches, even a few days off could set a player back substantially in his training, and with it knock the first part of his season out of rhythm. Curtis Lazar, the Ottawa Senators’ youngster who was set to enter his third NHL season at just 21-years old, has come down with a bout of mononucleosis and will be out indefinitely, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen.
The former first-round pick was set to play on Ottawa’s third line and build on his solid two-way game. Last season saw Lazar contribute 20 points, and while he’s not expected to win any scoring titles, this is a player who put up 41 goals in his final season of junior and made the NHL as a 19-year old.
- The Panthers have signed three players to PTOs today, bringing in some depth to fill out the practice rosters at camp, according to George Richards of the Miami Herald. Stephen MacAulay, Ryan Horvat and Brady Vail will all be pulling on Panthers sweaters for at least the next little while. All three have extensive professional experience at various levels, but have yet to crack an NHL lineup.
- ‘On track’, says Lou Lamoriello, when talking about Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen. Kristen Shilton of TSN reports that the injured goaltender is progressing on the original 3-4 week timetable given for his upper body injury sustained on September 5th. Monday would mark three weeks, meaning that Andersen should be able to at least make it into a partial camp before the season begins.
Snapshots: Panthers, Girardi, Tlusty
Fresh off a team record 103-point season and just the franchise’s fifth playoff appearance, the Florida Panthers were not content to rest on their laurels. After a surprising front office shakeup highlighted by the promotions of Dale Tallon and Tom Rowe, to president of hockey operations and general manager respectively, the Panthers hit the ground running in the offseason. Looking to add puck-moving and skill to the team’s blue line, Florida dealt veteran stay-at-home defenseman Erik Gudbranson to Vancouver while acquiring Keith Yandle and Mark Pysyk in separate trades. They topped off the summer shopping spree by signing Jason Demers as a free agent.
With Jaromir Jagr, Reilly Smith, Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad all returning plus the club’s new additions, expectations have never been higher in the South Florida hockey market, as George Richards of the Miami Herald writes. The Panthers organization, from ownership on down is embracing those expectations.
“We all expect to win, have a winning mentality that has been introduced the past couple of years. Us younger guys have learned it’s not acceptable to miss the playoffs. That has been instilled by our veteran guys, our coaches, our organization. We’re all buying in. Everyone wants to win here, not just the players.”
“We had our best season ever, so the guys are confident and aware. They feel good about themselves and know they can get to the next level.”
- Prior to the 2015-16 campaign, New York Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi was known to be a reliable and steady defense-first blue liner on a team noted for being among the stingiest defensive clubs. The Blueshirts finished in the top five in goals allowed in each season from 2010-11 through 2014-15. Last season the club ranked 15th overall and the decline in play from Girardi and fellow defenseman Marc Staal attracted much of the blame for the drop-off. The question the Rangers had to ask themselves was whether Girardi’s regression was injury-related – he played much of the season with a cracked knee cap – or the result of years of wear-and-tear finally catching up. The team is banking on the former and Girardi himself is confident he will play at a much higher level in 2016-17, according to Steve Zipay of Newsday. The Rangers will need the 10-year vet to be much better this season if they plan to contend for a Stanley Cup.
- Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar (via the team’s Twitter account) broke the news that Jiri Tlusty, recently inked to a PTO to attend camp with the club, had failed his physical. It’s unclear at this point what caused the veteran forward to flunk the physical but it could be related to the wrist surgery he underwent in January. Obviously this is a setback for Tlusty, who coming off a disappointing season in New Jersey was likely facing an uphill battle to make Colorado’s roster. It’s feasible the two parties could look to renew the relationship once Tlusty is healthy or he could look to latch on somewhere else if the opportunity with the Avalanche closes.
Snapshots: Islanders, Las Vegas, Ekblad
News and notes around the NHL tonight:
- The New York Islanders hired former player Claude Loiselle as Hockey Operations Consultant today. Loiselle held the same position with the Arizona Coyotes last year. As a player, Loiselle netted 92G and 117A in 616 games for the Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Quebec Nordiques, and New York Islanders. He has also held numerous management positions around the NHL after retiring, including Assistant GM positions with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Loiselle faced criticism during his Toronto stint, however, stemming from claims of cap mismanagement and responsibility for the much-maligned David Clarkson contract.
- The Las Vegas NHL Expansion Team hired Vince Williams as a professional scout today. Normally scout hirings are not news, but the new Las Vegas team will have the almost-Herculean task of assembling a farm system from scratch. Williams previously coached the ECHL Orlando Bears before being let go in 2015.
- Team North America GM Peter Chiarelli confirmed this evening that Aaron Ekblad suffered a concussion against Finland and will not play for the remainder of the tournament. Ekblad was pulled hours before Team North America’s games last night against Team Russia with an undisclosed upper body injury. It is believed that the young defenseman suffered the concussion after being hit by Leo Komarov.
Aaron Ekblad Out With Injury
Team North America—and Florida Panthers—defenseman Aaron Ekblad will not play in tonight’s World Cup game against Team Russia because of an upper body injury. Ekblad led all players in ice time with over 23 minutes played in the team’s 4-1 win over Finland on Sunday. George Richards of the Miami Herald reports Ekblad has suffered a mild concussion.
The young defenseman will be replaced by unsigned RFA Jacob Trouba. Trouba has yet to come to terms with the Winnipeg Jets, and a strong performance replacing Ekblad could go a long way in his contract negotiations. Trouba had a bit of a production setback last season, scoring 6G and 15A in 81 games, but he remains a top-flight defensive prospect for the Jets.
Ekblad just signed a eight-year extension worth $7.5MM a year, so the Panthers have the right to be concerned about his health. Panthers GM Tom Rowe told Richards that he doesn’t expect the defenseman to play again in the tournament. Ekblad scored 15g and 21A in 78 games last season and is looking to build off that success as he progresses in his development. This injury highlights why NHL GMs worry about international competitions as they impose risk upon the league’s top players outside of scheduled NHL games.
Who Could Survive Armageddon In Net?
The NHL’s neighbors on turf, the NFL, came very close to seeing a rare nightmare scenario today. The New England Patriots, already down future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady to suspension, lost backup Jimmy Garoppolo to a shoulder injury and were forced to put third-string QB Jacoby Brissett in to finish the game. In the short term, had Brissett been injured as well, the Patriots would have been hard-pressed to find a suitable replacement on the spot. However, the more important factor is the long-term, as the Patriots play again on Thursday night, and are now down to an inexperienced rookie quarterback and no other available QB’s on the roster.
The equivalent to this scenario on the ice is the loss of multiple goalies. The most crucial part of any successful hockey team, losing both the starting and backup goalie is a rare, but when it occurs it is a death knell for the majority of organizations. It has of course occurred in the short-term before, with the wacky stories of goalie coaches and nearby minor-league washouts or former college players getting an emergency call to duty. But just like the NFL and it’s quarterbacks, the long-term health and availability of goalie depth is a much more important situation than scrambling to find an option for just one game. So just how many NHL teams could survive a stretch without their starter and backup in net?
Ironically, the Patriots’ friends to the north, the Boston Bruins, are one such team. Former Vezina winner Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin, who returns to Boston where he first found NHL success, form a strong tandem in goal for the Bruins, but they are not without options beyond the pair. Top prospect Malcolm Subban has made just one NHL start in his pro career, but has been pushing for big league minutes for years and is considered by many to be one of the best goalies not in the NHL. Called into backup duty would be Zane McIntyre, who has not seen NHL action and was sub-par in his first AHL season, but was unbelievable in the college ranks, with three years of dominant play and a Hobey Baker campaign for the University of North Dakota. The young duo would at least provide Boston with more raw talent and potential than most teams could provide that far down the depth chart.
However, the best team to handle such an apocalyptic event in net is likely the Columbus Blue Jackets. With two promising young goalies with NHL experience in Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg behind incumbents Sergei Bobrovsky and Curtis McElhinney, the transition from one pair to another would not be seamless, but has more long-term potential than nearly any other situation in the NHL. In fact, don’t be surprised if either guy slated for the AHL this year finds themself supplanting McElhinney with the Jackets instead. Another team who could substitute one dynamic duo with another is the Florida Panthers. Many were surprised when Florida went out and traded for Reto Berra and signed James Reimer to a long-term deal this summer, with all-world starter Roberto Luongo already in the fold. It is expected that Berra will join veteran Mike McKenna at the AHL level to start the season, where the pair would provide more experience than nearly any other minor league combo in hockey. Should one or both goalies go down for the Panthers this season, they are well-suited to handle the loss.
The best third-string option in the league? That title belongs to Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets will likely try to find a way to give the young stalwart starts in the NHL this season, though he is buried on the depth chart, alongside fellow high-end prospect Eric Comrie, behind Ondrej Pavelec and Michael Hutchinson. Should either goalie struggle, which would not be a big surprise, or get injured, Winnipeg will not hesitate to put Hellebuyck in a position of responsibility. Should both goalies get hurt in a rare coincidence, Hellebuyck could carry the team with the young Comrie giving him some rest occasionally.
Other teams with ample depth to survive Armageddon in goal: the Montreal Canadiens, who very well may need it considering recent history, with Mike Condon and top prospect Zach Fucale behind franchise cornerstone Carey Price and veteran addition Al Montoya, and the Carolina Hurricanes, who signed journeyman Michael Leighton in part to mentor the high-potential Alex Nedeljkovic while Cam Ward and Eddie Lack handle NHL duties. Perhaps the only team that could take this hypothetical scenario a step further and handle three hurt keepers is the Anaheim Ducks, who sported even more impressive depth before the trade of Frederik Andersen to Toronto, but still have experienced backups Dustin Tokarski and Matt Hackett as well as former UMass-Lowell star Kevin Boyle behind John Gibson and Jonathan Bernier.
No one likes to see any player get injured, nevertheless a goalie and certainly not both goalies. However, these teams have the depth and talent needed to handle such a nightmare scenario and it sure would be interesting to watch them try. As the New England Patriots prepare to tackle their quarterback depth conundrum, keep these goalies in mind should such an event occur during the 2016-17 NHL season.
Atlantic Notes: Florida Goalies, Wisniewski, Tanguay
The Florida Panthers will be heading into training camp next week with somewhat of a logjam between the pipes. Joining incumbent Roberto Luongo are June trade acquisition Reto Berra and free agent signing James Reimer. At the time Berra was acquired, it was expected that he would replace Al Montoya (who later signed with Montreal) as their backup goalie.
Their decision to pursue Reimer caught many by surprise, including Reimer himself. Speaking with George Richards of the Miami Herald, Reimer commented on his initial surprise when he was approached by the Panthers shortly after their acquisition of Berra:
“I didn’t know what their intention was. They called, and we got to talking and there was interest there. We pursued it, and it looks like a good fit.”
As it turns out, GM Tom Rowe was viewing Berra (who actually played in two more games in the AHL last year, 16 AHL to 14 NHL games) primarily as an insurance policy for Luongo as it was unknown if he would be ready to start the season following offseason hip surgery. However, the 37 year old has been skating for a month and appears to be on track to start Florida’s season opener on October 13th.
If that is the case, the Panthers plan to try to send Berra to the minors. He will have to pass through waivers to get there and if he clears, he will still partly count against Florida’s salary cap to the tune of $500K (his cap hit of $1.45MM minus [$375K plus the minimum salary of $575K]).
More from the Atlantic:
- After being bought out by Carolina in late June, James Wisniewski was targeting two teams in free agency. One of those teams was Tampa Bay, he told Bryan Burns on the Lightning’s website. Wisniewski played only a single game last season with Carolina as he tore his ACL on his first and only shift with the team and signed a PTO with the Bolts last month. However, he’s only two years removed from a 51 point season with Columbus and could be a low risk, high reward pickup if he’s able to make the opening night roster.
- While he expressed a desire to return to Montreal earlier this offseason, the Canadiens do not have interest in signing free agent left winger Alex Tanguay, Richard Labbe of La Presse reports (link in French). Tanguay played one season for his hometown team back in 2008-09. He’s the highest remaining point getter among UFA’s after putting up 35 points in 70 games with Colorado and Arizona last season. It was reported earlier this month that Tanguay has a handful of tryout offers on the table but that he is still seeking a guaranteed deal.
Snapshots: Gaudreau, Benson, McGrattan
Time is running short for the Flames to ink star forward Johnny Gaudreau prior to the start of the 2016-17 campaign and it appears as if the two sides are still quite far apart in talks, according to Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun. Francis reports that Gaudreau’s camp is seeking $8MM annually while the Flames are countering with a figure somewhere in between what Sean Monahan‘s recent extension pays out ($6.375MM) and what captain Mark Giordano earns on an annual basis ($6.75MM).
An unnamed source Francis spoke with stated: “He wants unrestricted money but he’s restricted.” The source would go on to point out that other players with track records similar in both length and production have signed for less, including Filip Forsberg ($6MM) and Nathan MacKinnon ($6.3MM). He also questions whether Gaudreau, while a terrific young talent, is better than than the two players he mentioned.
For his part, Gaudreau is leaving the heavy lifting to his agent, Lewis Gross, at least until after the World Cup has concluded at which point he has said he would become more involved.
Gauedreau is certainly a talented young player and one the Flames want to build around but the reality is he only has two seasons of NHL experience and almost no leverage to exercise in these negotiations. He could choose to sit out until he gets a deal to his liking or sign in the KHL but it’s unlikely he’d receive a comparable salary overseas to what the Flames are offering him today. The smart money is the deal gets wrapped up soon after he returns from the World Cup and that the AAV is closer to what Monahan received than what Gaudreau is said to be asking for at the moment.
- According to the Elite Prospects website (via tweet) tough guy forward Brian McGrattan has left North America and accepted a deal to play for the Nottingham Panthers of the EIHL in England. The nine-year veteran who turned 35 just last week, did not see any action at the NHL level and instead suited up for 58 games for the Anaheim Ducks AHL affiliate in San Diego. McGrattan tallied nine goals and 17 points along with his usually high number of penalty minutes (144) for the Gulls. Anaheim loaded up yesterday on organizational depth, agreeing to deals with seven players to minor league deals. That McGrattan was not among them suggested a move elsewhere might be in the offing. McGrattan leaves North America (for now at least) having scored just 27 career points in 317 games and 609 minutes in penalties.
- Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal wonders if 2016 second-round pick, Tyler Benson, can beat the odds and become an important contributor for the Oilers. McCurdy lists the 10 players the club has selected in the second round since 2007 and only two, Justin Schultz (266) and Anton Lander (193) has appeared in more than 27 NHL games to date. Second-round picks are still considered valuable choices and teams generally expect to land one quality NHL talent for every three players chosen in the round. It’s hard to say the Oilers have even developed one quality NHL player from their group as Schultz wasn’t even drafted by the Oilers and was dealt away to Pittsburgh at the 2016 trade deadline after failing to live up to expectations in Edmonton. Lander has yet to land a full-time role and it’s been suggested current management is not particularly high on the Swedish pivot.
- Former Devils forward Stephen Gionta might be under consideration from the Islanders for a PTO, according to Arthur Staple of Newday (via tweet). Gionta doesn’t bring much offense to the table – just one goal last season and a career-best of five in 2014-15 – but would add energy to the team’s fourth line. He can also contribute on the penalty kill. The Islanders have boasted one of the game’s best fourth lines but they will undoubtedly have someone new skating with Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck after Matt Martin departed New York as a free agent. Gionta could provide another option for head coach Jack Capuano.
Florida Panthers Invite Justin Fontaine On PTO
So much for Adam Pardy being the last player invited to camp in Florida. According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, Justin Fontaine will be attending Panthers camp on a professional tryout.
Fontaine has spent the past three seasons with the Minnesota Wild, scoring 68 points in 197 games. Originally signed after dominating at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Fontaine found immediate success in the AHL with the Houston Aeros, putting up 111 points over his first two seasons. As an NHL rookie in 2013-14 he scored 13 goals and looked to be on his way to a productive career with the Wild, but has seen his goal totals drop in each following season, bottoming out at five last season.
Still only 28, Fontaine is a perfect candidate for a PTO as he’s shown NHL ability before but is coming off the worst season of his career. If the Panthers find that he’ll still be able to contribute at the highest level, he could fit in nicely as a cheap bottom-six option, or jump into a top line role with their AHL affiliate.
Florida Panthers Invite Adam Pardy On PTO
According to Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinal, Adam Pardy will be attending Florida Panthers camp on a professional tryout. The team of course will be without top blueliner Aaron Ekblad for part of camp as he plays for team North America at the World Cup of Hockey.
While it would be pretty surprising to see Pardy crack the roster following training camp, he will provide veteran competition for the younger players, as well as a toughness and edge lacking on the Panthers back end since their trade of Erik Gudbranson to the Vancouver Canucks. Pardy has 52 points across an NHL career that has seen him hit the ice 338 times for five different teams. Last year he got into just 23 games, split between the Oilers and Jets.
For the Panthers, they’ve already done their offseason shopping and indeed Fialkov reports that Pardy’s addition is probably the last before camp opens. By locking up their young core and signing some key free agents, Florida has positioned themselves well to compete for the Stanley Cup for the foreseeable future.
Panthers Reach Six-Year Extension With Jonathan Huberdeau
The Florida Panthers have locked up another young forward. The team has come to a six-year extension with Jonathan Huberdeau that will pay him $35.4MM ($5.9MM AAV). Currently under contract for one more season, Huberdeau is earning $3.25MM in 2016-17, and would be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent next summer. 
The 23-year old was once the third overall pick by Florida in the 2011 draft, and has done nothing but score in his short NHL career. In 272 career games, the former Saint John Sea Dog has 172 points, including a career-high 59 last season. Skating mostly alongside Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr, the trio formed one of the more dominant lines in the Eastern conference last season, combining for 184 points.
Florida has quickly locked up much of their future this summer, signing extensions with Reilly Smith (Five years, $25MM), Vincent Trocheck (Six years, $28.5MM) and Aaron Ekblad (Eight years, $60MM) while signing free agents Keith Yandle (Seven years, $44.45MM), Jason Demers (Five years, $22.5MM) and James Reimer (Five years, $17MM) to long-term deals.
With it, the team has created cap certainty in a world where that’s very valuable from year to year, and has built a core that is easily a playoff contender every season. With no one cracking $8MM per season (Ekblad comes the closest at $7.5MM) they’ve also ensured that they won’t have too much money tied up in a single player or pair like many of the other cup contenders around the league.
Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to report the sides were close, and Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reported it was done.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.