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Minor Transactions: 12/28/20

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Training camp is just a few days away and things are heating up in the hockey world. With waivers open and rosters being announced, minor transactions will come fast and furious all across the league. We’ll keep track of them right here.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have released their training camp roster, which will include Jordan Nolan as reported earlier this month. The veteran forward signed an AHL deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins but will attend camp on a PTO trying to earn an NHL contract. Nolan, who last played in the NHL during the 2018-19 season, scored 27 points for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL last year.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have also released their camp roster, which will not include Casey Nelson. The team has confirmed that Nelson has opted out of the upcoming season. The team also has a few extra spots open, likely leaving room for World Junior players like Dylan Cozens to join after their tournament ends.
  • The Nashville Predators have recalled five players from the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. Patrick Harper, Tanner Jeannot, Tommy Novak, Cole Smith, and Josh Wilkins have all been brought back up, presumably to attend the Predators training camp in the coming days. The quintet, who are all signed to NHL deals, helped the Everblades get off to an easy 5-0 start this season, outscoring their competition 25-7.
  • Previously reported professional tryouts for Scott Darling and Kevin Connauton with the Florida Panthers have been confirmed. Both will attend training camp in an attempt to land an NHL contract with the team. The Panthers of course were actually the team to execute a buyout on Darling’s last contract after a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, which means he’s already on their books for around $1.2MM for the upcoming season. That number won’t go anywhere, even if he does sign a new deal with the team.
  • T.J. Brennan hasn’t played in an NHL game since 2015-16, but he has managed to land an NHL contract in each of the four seasons since then. That streak has come to an end now though. Swiss club HC Thurgau has announced a one-year deal with Brennan, a major move for a club whose defense has been thinned by injury. The accomplished AHLer should immediately become one of the top players for Thurgau, who plays in the second tier Swiss League.
  •  After just one full year in the NHL on his entry-level contract, forward Ryan Kuffner is making the move overseas. The Princeton product has signed with ERC Ingolstadt of Germany’s DEL, the club announced. Kuffner joins a team that rosters several other familiar AHL veterans and the young forward should be a good fit. Whether he produces at a level that warrants a second look in the NHL however remains to be seen.

Florida Panthers Sign Sam Montembeault

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The Florida Panthers have signed goaltender Sam Montembeault to a new one-year, two-way contract. Montembeault is one of a few restricted free agents the Panthers still have to sign before the start of the 2020-21 campaign.

Now 24, Montembeault has still yet to really prove he can handle an NHL workload but comes into the season as the third-string option in Florida. Through 25 NHL appearances, he has posted an .892 save percentage but was overtaken by Chris Driedger last season as the backup for Sergei Bobrovsky. Though his new deal is a two-way contract, it seems likely that Montembeault serves as the taxi squad goaltender in Florida unless they bring in a more veteran option.

Originally picked in the third round of the 2015 draft, Montembeault still has all the raw ability to take the next step. Should the Panthers face injury or the inconsistent play Bobrovsky showed last season, perhaps he’ll get a chance to show what he can do in 2021.

Florida Panthers Sign Anthony Duclair

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The Florida Panthers’ roster turnover continues, as the team signs Anthony Duclair to a one-year, $1.7MM contract. Duclair became an unrestricted free agent when the Ottawa Senators decided not to extend him a qualifying offer after the season and has been representing himself in negotiations.

Panthers GM Bill Zito has brought in several familiar faces this offseason, acquiring players like Alexander Wennberg and Markus Nutivaara from his days with the Columbus Blue Jackets. That will continue with Duclair, who played for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the early part of the 2018-19 season. Zito explained exactly why he brought Duclair to Florida:

Anthony is a dynamic and highly skilled player who is capable of being a dependable offensive contributor for our team. He possesses tremendous speed and goal scoring ability and earned an opportunity to be named an NHL All-Star last season. We’re excited to welcome Anthony and look forward to what he can add to our team.

The 25-year-old Duclair has been one of the most enigmatic players in the league ever since he exploded onto the scene in 2015-16 with a 20-goal campaign. The third-round pick totaled 44 points in that first full season but struggled to maintain that level moving forward. Even that year came with the Arizona Coyotes, his second organization after an early trade from the New York Rangers, and since then he’s played for Chicago, Columbus, Ottawa, and now Florida.

Still, it’s hard to ignore the talent. Duclair is lightning fast and possesses excellent hands that can do some truly incredible things in tight spaces. His 23-goal season with the Senators last year wasn’t a big surprise once he was given the opportunity to play up in a lineup and on the powerplay, something that may be available in Florida as well. Remember, the Panthers lost Evgenii Dadonov (to the Senators, in fact) in free agency and Mike Hoffman is still unsigned.

For $1.7MM though, Duclair comes almost risk-free. That’s only a little more than someone like Wayne Simmonds landed, even after a dreadful eight-goal, 25-point year. Even better, because of his young age Duclair will actually be a restricted free agent once again after the one-year deal expires, meaning that Florida gains an extra season of control should they want to extend a qualifying offer. In all, this seems like a perfect fit for both player and team this late in free agency.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic was the first to break the news.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Florida Panthers

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We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and the holiday season is right around the corner. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Panthers most thankful for?

The Pittsburgh Penguins front office.

Getting Patric Hornqvist is nice, but the real magic this offseason for Florida was ridding themselves of Mike Matheson’s contract without having to really sweeten the pot. The team moved Matheson and his huge contract up to Pittsburgh after his play had fallen off a cliff, meaning their salary commitments past the 2022-23 season now lie only with Aaron Ekblad and Sergei Bobrovsky. Sure, Matheson might somehow turn his career around, but he is still set to carry a cap hit of $4.875MM through the 2025-26 season, one of the worst anchors in the league at the moment. Even at his best, that deal provides no room for excess value, meaning it’s deadly for a team like the Panthers who are still trying to push into a contention window.

Who are the Panthers most thankful for?

GM Bill Zito.

So far, so good for the new general manager, who has rid the books of some unhealthy cap and landed a few nice short-term bargains over the last few months. Alexander Wennberg agreed to sign a one-year deal in Florida while the team also landed Markus Nutivaara for almost nothing in a trade with his old team. There is certainly a lot more work to be done, but Zito appears to be turning things in the right direction.

The next big test for the executive will come quickly, as after this season Aleksander Barkov is eligible for an extension. With his bargain deal coming to an end after the 2021-22 season, leaving him an unrestricted free agent, Zito has to get to work on a new contract as soon as possible. The face of the franchise, Barkov will still be only 26 when he could potentially hit the market and a target for every team in the league.

What would the Panthers be even more thankful for?

The return of Bobrovsky.

There is not a single thing that could help the Panthers more than a return to form for Bobrovsky, who posted just a .900 in 50 appearances last season. That’s completely unacceptable for a goaltender making $10MM per season, even if the defense in front of him was not up to snuff. That defense should be improved (somewhat), so the excuses will start to run out for the 32-year-old superstar this season if he can’t get back to at least acceptable levels. One of only 22 goaltenders to ever win the Vezina Trophy more than once, Bobrovsky only has himself to blame if that save percentage doesn’t rebound.

If it does though and Bobrovsky can get anywhere close to the .931 that won him the award in 2017, the Panthers would suddenly become a real contender in the new makeshift divisions. Sure, they still have to deal with their state rival in the Tampa Bay Lightning, but perhaps getting away from the other top Atlantic Division teams for a few months will do them some good.

What should be on the Panthers’ holiday wish list?

Goal scoring.

Wennberg is a fine player to bring in as a reclamation project, and Hornqvist will likely improve their net-front powerplay presence, but it’s hard to really expect either player to fill the shoes of Mike Hoffman and Evgenii Dadonov. The team’s two top goal scorers in 2019-20 became unrestricted free agents and though Hoffman hasn’t actually signed yet, Dadonov inked a deal in Ottawa already. Pulling ~60 goals out of the lineup all at once can be devastating and the Panthers will need to find them elsewhere if they want to compete. Remember the team also traded away Vincent Trocheck at the deadline, removing another one of their best offensive weapons.

Perhaps they can still look outside the organization for a mercenary or two, but the offensive development may have to come from internal sources. There will be more than enough opportunity for a young player like Owen Tippett to show he can fill that goal-scoring role, but nothing is guaranteed at this point. Henrik Borgstrom, another top Panthers prospect, doesn’t even have a contract for the upcoming season yet and is currently in Finland playing with HIFK (or, waiting for the Liiga season to resume, more accurately). If the team doesn’t add firepower and doesn’t get a return to form from Bobrovsky, it could be a long season even with the additions on defense.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Arizona Coyotes Expected To Hire Cory Stillman

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Dec 15: The Coyotes have officially announced the hiring, bringing Stillman in as an assistant coach. In the release, GM Bill Armstrong explains just why they believe Stillman can help the team:

We are very pleased to have Cory join Rick Tocchet’s coaching staff. Cory was a great player who won back to back Stanley Cups during his career. He is a very good coach who has a strong work ethic and a passion for the game. I’m confident that our players and staff will benefit from his knowledge, insight and expertise.

Dec 14: The Arizona Coyotes have rebuilt the front office and are about to add to their coaching staff as well, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Cory Stillman is expected to be hired as an assistant coach, leaving his job with the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL where he served as head coach the last two seasons.

Stillman, 46, had previously worked with the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes, serving as director of player development with the latter. As Jeff Marek of Sportsnet points out on Twitter, a move like this comes at an interesting time, given that Stillman coaches his draft-eligible son with the Wolves.

Of course, there is more than just a few years of OHL experience in Stillman, who played more than 1,000 games in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup twice. A member of the hall-0f-very-good, Stillman managed to rack up 727 points in the regular season and even hit the 80-point mark in 2003-04. He has another son, Riley Stillman, who is an NHL player in his own right, playing 34 games this season for the Panthers.

In Arizona, Rick Tocchet remains head coach after managing to lead the club past the Nashville Predators in this summer’s qualification round. While the Coyotes went out with a whimper against the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche, Tocchet has been reasonably successful, posting winning records with Arizona the past two seasons.

Finland Announces Final WJC Roster

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The Finnish entry to the 2020 World Junior Championship later this month has the tall task of likely being the only thing standing between Team Canada and a group play sweep in the weak Group A at this year’s tournament. The roster that will face this challenge has been finalized and contains a majority of NHL prospects, but lacks some top-end talent and depth this year. Below is the roster for Finland’s “Young Lions” squad:

F Samuel Helenius (2021)
F Roni Hirvonen (TOR)
F Roby Jarventie (OTT)
F Benjamin Korhonen (undrafted)
F Brad Lambert (2022)
F Anton Lundell (FLA)
F Matias Mantykivi (BOS)
F Henry Nikkanen (WPG)
F Mikko Petman (undrafted)
F Petteri Puhakka (undrafted)
F Mikael Pyyhtia (CLB)
F Juuso Parsinen (NSH)
F Aku Raty (ARI)
F Kasper Simontaival (LAK)

D Santeri Hatakka (SJS)
D Ville Heinola (WPG)
D Mikko Kokkonen (TOR)
D Topi Niemala (TOR)
D Kasper Puutio (FLA)
D Ruben Rafkin (undrafted)
D Matias Rajaniem (NYI)
D Eemil Viro (DET)

G Joel Blomqvist (PIT)
G Kari Piiroinen (undrafted)
G Roope Taponen(undrafted)

The Finnish team, though it includes 17 NHL draft picks, is missing a pair of head-scratching omissions. Patrik Puistola (CAR), who led the Finnish entry in scoring last year and was eligible to return this year, was not included on the roster. Neither was Aatu Raty, a presumptive top-ten and even top-five pick in the 2021 Draft, though his older brother did make the team. Though potentially a stretch selection at his age, 2022 top overall pick candidate Brad Lambert will be an intriguing prospect to watch for the Finns.

Among NHL property owners, the Toronto Maple Leafs lead the way with three selections, all of whom should play crucial roles. The Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets will each have two core players as well. Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Blomqvist projects to be a workhorse starter for Finland in the tournament.

Florida Panthers Create Goaltending Excellence Department

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The Florida Panthers have created a new hockey operations department, establishing the “Goaltending Excellence Department” that will be led by special advisor to the GM Roberto Luongo and new goaltending consultant Francois Allaire. They will be joined by Panthers goaltending coach Robb Tallas and Charlotte Checkers goaltending coach Leo Luongo and will focus on “comprehensive, integrated experience and program for all goaltenders in the Panthers system.”

GM Bill Zito released a statement on the formation of his new department:

Francois is a revered and highly influential figure in our game who has mentored a number of goaltenders to elite levels of play. Francois and Roberto provide us with unmatched experience and an exceptional pedigree. Their guidance, in tandem with our goaltending excellence staff gives us confidence in the evaluation of future talent and that Panthers goaltenders will be provided invaluable resources for their success and development.

Allaire has been a goaltending coach in the NHL for more than three decades, originally working with Patrick Roy and the Montreal Canadiens. His time has taken him to the Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Colorado Avalanche, where he worked closely with Conn Smythe-winning goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Roberto Luongo meanwhile is one of the most celebrated goaltenders in NHL history and sits third all-time in wins with 489. His long connection with the Panthers organization will continue in this new endeavor as the Excellence Department will provide “consistent communication, guidance, and unified instruction” to every goaltender in the system. Currently, that includes Sergei Bobrovsky, Chris Driedger, Ryan Bednard, Philippe Desrosiers, and Sam Montembeault, but likely also extends to 19-year-old Spencer Knight who was selected 13th overall in 2019 and is still playing at Boston College. Knight’s performance at every level so far has been nothing short of spectacular and his development extemely important to the Panthers organization. In four games this season for Boston College he has registered a .955 save percentage and notched two shutouts. He is expected to be Team USA’s starter at the upcoming World Junior Championship.

Radko Gudas Could Play Games Overseas

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It’s not clear at all when the next NHL season will begin, with more speculation today that a February start may be necessary at this point. Top agent Allan Walsh of Octagon Hockey tweeted today that a January 1 start is “not viable at this point,” despite what some may say about it still being the target for the league. With that in mind, some players have delayed their travel plans to return to their NHL cities according to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest. In Europe, Radko Gudas of the Florida Panthers has been in communication with a Czech team and could potentially play for them while he waits for the NHL to sort things out.

Gudas told iSport that if he does play it would be for HC Sparta Praha, though nothing is finalized yet.

The 30-year-old defenseman is an interesting test case to keep an eye on, given how outspoken he was earlier this year on the league’s attempt to restart the 2019-20 season. Gudas was clear when he said in May that he didn’t believe the NHL should try to complete the season, worrying about players’ mental health in the proposed bubble. While he was eventually pleasantly surprised with the situation, his forthcoming nature is one that could indicate how players feel about returning to North America.

In fact, that is an issue rarely brought up very often in the current hockey climate. What happens if players under contract don’t want to come back at all, even if the league decides on a start date soon? Not only will they be required to quarantine upon arrival, but there could be many who opt out entirely given the coronavirus situation in the U.S. and Canada. Several players did not feel comfortable entering the bubble, though they were not forced to give any reasoning for their decision to sit out the postseason. What about a season played without the strict protocols that were present in Edmonton and Toronto?

While these things are all worked out, Gudas appears to want to play some games in a league he hasn’t suited up for in nearly a decade. If he does, he’ll be joining former NHL players like Vladimir Sobotka, Milan Jurcina, Michal Neuvirth, and Michal Repik with Sparta. He’ll be expected to return of course, after signing a three-year, $7.5MM contract with the Panthers this offseason.

Juho Lammikko Signs With Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers have signed Juho Lammikko to a one-year, two-way contract, bringing him back into the organization. Lammikko played last season overseas but the Panthers had retained his exclusive RFA rights by issuing him a qualifying offer. He was recently playing in the KHL with Magnitogorsk but terminated his contract a few days ago, likely in order to return to North America. CapFriendly reports that the deal is worth $725K at the NHL level.

Lammikko, 24, actually played 40 games for the Panthers in 2018-19, serving as the team’s fourth-line center for the first half of the year. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to score a single goal during that time, recording just six assists in his limited minutes. Perhaps that’s why the 6’2″ forward returned to Finland, where he showed he can be much more than a defensive presence, scoring 22 goals and 51 points in just 57 games for Karpat. Things haven’t gone quite as smoothly through 22 games in the KHL, but there should still be some hope that Lammikko can make it back to the NHL.

The question will be whether he can log 40 games this season, given the reduced schedule and different looking Panthers depth chart. If he doesn’t, Lammikko would become a Group VI unrestricted free agent in 2021 (though the playing time requirements could be tweaked if the league plays a drastically reduced season).

Canadiens Notes: Churla, Kotkaniemi, WJC

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The Montreal Canadiens have lost one of the key members of their scouting department as Shane Churla was hired today by the Florida Panthers. Churla will serve as director of amateur scouting for the Panthers, after serving in a similar role with Montreal.

As Eric Engels of Sportsnet points out, Churla will likely have more autonomy in Florida than he did in Montreal, where Trevor Timmins still runs most of the scouting operations from his role as assistant GM. Engels also tweets that he does not believe the Canadiens will rush to find a replacement for Churla, because of the presence of Timmins.

  • Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s loan has been terminated and Arpon Basu of The Athletic reports it is to be ready for a potential training camp should the NHL actually achieve its goal of a January 1 start. Kotkaniemi would need to serve out a quarantine when he returns to Montreal. The young forward scored eight points in ten games for Assat Pori in Finland during his time overseas, turning on the production after a slow start. The 20-year-old center played very well in the NHL postseason after an up-and-down season and should be a regular in the lineup this year. The Canadiens moved on from Max Domi, opening up more minutes for young players like Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki.
  • While Montreal draft pick Kaiden Guhle works to make the Canadian World Junior team, a few of their other prospects will be soon battling for their own spots at the tournament. Mike Morreale of NHL.com reports that USA Hockey will hold their selection camp from December 10-13, where several Canadiens prospects will likely be taking part. Cole Caufield obviously leads that group as one of the returning players, but Jayden Struble, Sean Farrell, and Luke Tuch were all also on the WJC Summer Showcase roster before it was canceled.

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