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Snapshots: Denisenko, Gerard, Olympics

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The Florida Panthers are expected to sign prospect Grigori Denisenko on May 1 after his KHL contract expires, according to Igor Eronko of Sport-Express. The young forward apparently “refused” to sign an extension with his KHL club and will instead be coming to North America. That’s not a huge surprise after the Panthers used the 15th-overall pick on Denisenko in 2018, but it should create some excitement in Florida as they wait for hockey to return.

The 19-year old Denisenko has twice suited up for the Russians at the World Juniors, earning bronze and silver medals while leading the 2019 tournament in scoring and captaining the 2020 squad. In 38 games with Lokomotiv this season he recorded just 12 points, but even playing regularly at his age is an accomplishment. Even though they already have a formidable forward group in the NHL, there is a lot to look forward to in the Florida prospect system with names like Denisenko, Serron Noel, Owen Tippett, Henrik Borgstrom, and others upfront.

  • The Colorado Eagles have added a prospect of their own, signing Charlie Gerard to a two-way AHL contract for 2020-21. The 24-year old forward recently finished his senior season at Minnesota State-Mankato, where he recorded 30 points in 37 games. The undersized Gerard will be joining an organization that was one of the strongest in the AHL before the season shut down and has routinely rewarded their minor league players with solid salary guarantees.
  • Usually when NHL commissioner speaks about the Olympics he is referring to the winter variety, but today he spoke to NBC Sports Network’s Mike Tirico about how the postponement of the upcoming Tokyo summer games could potentially be beneficial to hockey. Frank Seravalli of TSN examined the league boss’s comments, and explained how without the Olympics taking up several weeks in the summer there is now a “broader window” for the NHL to resume play. There are no firm plans at this point as Bettman and the league plays the wait-and-see game, but he did confirm that they could play “well into the summer” if need be.

Stretch Run Storylines: Florida Panthers

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As things stand, the NHL is planning to have games resume at some point over the coming weeks.  Assuming the regular season continues, there will be plenty of things to watch for over the stretch run.  Over the coming weeks, PHR will examine the top stretch run storylines for each team.  We continue our look at the Atlantic Division with Florida.

Optimism was high for the Panthers heading into this season.  Bolstered with a high-priced new starting goalie and a well-respected head coach (not to mention some other smaller upgrades), they were hoping to be in contention this season.  Instead, they’re presently on the outside looking in at the playoffs but are close enough to get in if regular season play resumes.  Their positioning in the standings is just one of the elements to watch for down the stretch.

Who Stays, Who Goes?

With a little over $60MM in commitments for next season, the Panthers have some wiggle room to work with this offseason although with only 13 players counting towards that total, they have a lot of spots before they can fill out their roster.  Heading into the season, it was looking like Florida would only be able to retain one of their two notable pending unrestricted free agents on the wing in Evgenii Dadonov and Mike Hoffman.  Trading Vincent Trocheck was supposed to help their chances but the potential for a flattened or lower salary cap now largely offsets that.  Accordingly, they may not be able to keep both of them after all even with Trocheck off the books.

After putting up 70 points apiece last season, Hoffman was producing at a nearly identical rate this year while Dadonov’s numbers dipped a little bit as he was on pace for less than 60 points, a mark he reached in both of his seasons with the Panthers.

Hoffman is about seven months younger than Dadonov and both will be expected to command a reasonably long-term deal this summer.  Even in a potentially deflated market, a five-year or six-year term may be doable.  As things stand, both should be looking at raises on their current price tags ($5.1875MM for Hoffman, $4MM for Dadonov).  If they can only afford to keep one of them, how they fare down the stretch and potentially in the postseason could go a long way towards determining which one stays with Florida.

Bobrovsky’s Struggles

In recent years, one of the themes around Florida was ‘if they only had even average goaltending’.  That position had been their Achilles’ heel but Sergei Bobrovsky was supposed to change that.  The Panthers demonstrated how confident they were with him being the long-term solution when they signed him to a seven-year, $70MM contract.

Let’s just say that they haven’t been rewarded on that investment yet.  The veteran has a .900 SV% on the season, his lowest since his sophomore campaign in Philadelphia when he posted a .899 mark in 28 games.  His GAA of 3.23 is the worst of his career by nearly a quarter of a goal per game.  These are numbers that are expected of a journeyman backup, not the second-highest-paid goalie in NHL history.  Instead, they’re getting basically the same results as last year, just at a higher price tag.

But some cause for optimism here isn’t unfounded.  Bobrovsky has gone on hot stretches in the past and carried a team on his shoulders and with the firepower Florida has, they don’t even need him to do that.  If he plays even close to a level of an average goaltender, that could very well be enough to get them over the hump.  He will certainly be one to keep an eye on if games resume.

Standings Watch

There are a handful of teams that will be unhappy if the NHL jumps immediately to the playoffs without expanding the format and Florida is certainly among those.  Earlier this week, captain Aleksander Barkov told George Richards of The Athletic (subscription required) that he doesn’t “think it would be right if we’re left out”.

That point of view is understandable as the Panthers are within striking distance of both a Wild Card spot and the third seed in the Atlantic Division; they’re within three points of each.  On top of that, they have a game in hand on Columbus and Toronto, the teams they’re chasing for those two positions.  They also have a game against the Maple Leafs that could very well make or break their fortunes.  Florida controls their own destiny if they get the opportunity to play out the rest of the regular season or at least part of it.  They’re likely to be the team that’s right in it until the end, assuming the end hasn’t hit already.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Florida Panthers Agree To Terms With John Ludvig

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The Florida Panthers have reached a deal with one of their 2019 draft picks, agreeing to terms with defenseman John Ludvig on a three-year entry-level contract. Ludvig plays for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL and just finished an incredible season as captain. Panthers GM Dale Tallon released a statement on his newest prospect:

John had an outstanding season for Portland in the Western Hockey League and was among the league’s top defensemen. He is a talented defenseman who possesses great compete, physicality and character. We are excited for John’s continued development and look forward to his future in the Panthers organization.

For a player who was picked in the third round, you can’t expect a much better post-draft season than the one Ludvig just completed. After scoring just 25 points in his first two WHL seasons combined, the 19-year old defenseman exploded offensively this year and finished third among all defensemen with 62 points. Add in the level of physicality that Ludvig showed in his own end and the leadership skills he possesses and it’s easy to see why the Winterhawks sat at a league-leading 45-11-7 record at the time of the WHL cancelation.

Ludvig actually went undrafted in his first year of eligibility, meaning he’ll turn 20 this summer and is eligible for the AHL next season. Whether he will be assigned to the minor leagues or return to the CHL isn’t clear, but you can bet that the front office will keep a close eye on him as a potential impact player for the Panthers.

Alec Rauhauser Signs With Florida Panthers

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Just moments after announcing they had signed Max Gildon, the Florida Panthers added another prospect. This time it’s Alec Rauhauser that has agreed to terms with the team on a one-year two-way contract. Unlike Gildon, who was a third-round pick in the NHL Entry Draft, Rauhauser went undrafted entirely and was an unrestricted free agent. He recently finished his senior season at Bowling Green University. where he served as captain. Panthers GM Dale Tallon explained why the team went after Rauhauser:

Over four seasons at Bowling Green, Alec has proven himself to be among the best at his position at the collegiate level. He is a skilled two-way defenseman who is a leader both on and off the ice. We are excited to have him join the Panthers organization.

Just like in Gildon’s case, the Florida depth chart likely looks appealing to a player like Rauhauser who is trying to finally make the jump to professional hockey. Though the 25-year old may not have quite the same upside, it’s hard to argue with another 6’3″ defenseman that scored 122 points in 159 college games. Rauhauser was named the WCHA Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and a senior, making the conference first or second All-Star team in each of his final three years at Bowling Green.

The Panthers were looking at ways of shaking up their defensive group all season, with various names hitting the rumor mill leading up to the trade deadline. If the front office decides to make a change in the offseason, you can bet names like Gildon and Rauhauser will come in handy, whether logging NHL or AHL minutes.

Florida Panthers Agree To Terms With Max Gildon

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After reports emerged yesterday, the Florida Panthers have made it official. Max Gildon has agreed to terms with the club on a three-year entry-level contract. After recently completing his sophomore season at the University of New Hampshire, Gildon will turn pro and start the next chapter of his career in Sunrise. Panthers GM Dale Tallon released a statement about his newest prospect:

Max is a dynamic and exciting young defenseman who possesses size and skill and plays the game with an edge. Since beginning his collegiate career, he has been a key player for the University of New Hampshire and has been a leader for his team. We are thrilled for Max to take the next step in his development with the Panthers.

There’s no doubt that Gildon is ready to test himself at the next level. After being selected 66th overall in 2017, the 6’3″ defenseman has simply dominated his college competition. Mix 73 points in 101 games with a strong, physical presence in his own end and you get a player that looks like an NHL contributor. While there may still be development time in the plan for the 20-year old, you can bet he’s excited about the opportunity the Florida depth chart may present.

Sure, the Panthers currently have eight defensemen on the NHL roster and acquired Chase Priskie at the deadline, but that doesn’t exactly tell the whole story. Mark Pysyk and Mike Matheson had been playing forward for the team, and while the latter has a long-term contract there’s a real chance they could both be in a different organization at the start of the 2020-21 campaign. MacKenzie Weegar and Josh Brown are both restricted free agents, while Riley Stillman is just starting to prove himself at the NHL level.

There could be real ice time to be won in Florida next season and Gildon should have a good chance to earn some of it.

Prospect Notes: Lafreniere, Gildon, Whelan, Richter Award

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The announcement this afternoon that the NHL would be postponing the 2020 NHL Draft means that top prospect Alexis Lafreniere will have to wait a while longer to presumably be selected first overall. Yet, with his QMJHL season already canceled, the young forward has little else to focus on. The same can be said for a number of NHL teams who already know that they won’t be making the postseason regardless of the format the league chooses if and when they return to action. No team has more to gain from the coming draft than the Ottawa Senators. If the NHL Draft Lottery were to be held without any further changes to the regular season standings, the Detroit Red Wings would have the best singular odds of winning, 18.5%, but the Senators in both second and third, given their ownership of the San Jose Sharks’ pick, would actually have much better odds at a combined 25%. Naturally, the question was asked by TSN today of the Quebec native Lafreniere how he would feel about playing in Canada’s capital. “It would be fun. It would be special,” Lafreniere said, “It’s a great place to play and it would be an honor [to be selected.]” While the Senators have not exactly been a top free agent destination in recent years, the club is building up quite a talented group of prospects and Lafreniere would be a great fit to lead the team into the future, especially alongside whoever else the team selects early in the first round.

  • One existing NHL prospect who may soon be joining his pro home is Florida Panthers pick Max Gildon. Gildon, who just wrapped up his junior season at the University of New Hampshire, is close to signing an entry-level deal reports New England hockey insider Mark Divver. Divver expects the two sides to come to terms on a deal within a week. Gildon was a 2017 third-round pick out of the U.S. National Team Development Program, but has outplayed his draft slot over three productive years on the UNH blue line. He also pairs a big frame, physical play, and ability to play in all situations with his considerable skill and vision. Joining a Florida team with a pretty thin pipeline of defensive talent, Gildon could be in the NHL sooner rather than later.
  • Quinnipiac University forward Alex Whelan has found his first pro destination, as the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack announced a contract with the nearby product or the 2020-21 season. Whelan, who just finished his fourth and final year with Quinnipiac, was nothing if not consistent in his NCAA career. However, his 24 points this season came in just 29 games as opposed to 25 in 38 last year. On a per-game basis, he was the Bobcats’ second-best scorer on a team that was within reach of an NCAA Tournament berth. A power forward who looks prepared for the pro game, Whelan is a nice pickup for Hartford and will likely bring some Quinnipiac fans along with him.
  • The NCAA announced the ten semifinalists for the Mike Richter Award for top goaltender on Tuesday, with several NHL prospects on the list. Maine’s Jeremy Swayman, who recently signed his entry-level deal with the Boston Bruins, heads up a list that also includes 2019 top goalie draft pick Spencer Knight of Boston College and the Florida Panthers, as well as UMass Lowell’s Tyler Wall, whose rights are owned by the New York Rangers but could be headed for unrestricted free agency. However, the favorite for the award is likely an undrafted product, Minnesota State’s Dryden McKay, who led the nation in wins, save percentage, and GAA. McKay and Swayman are the only Richter semifinalists who are also Hobey Baker finalists. Other standouts include Cornell’s Matthew Galajda, Michigan’s Strauss Mann, and Bemidji State’s Zach Driscoll. The three finalists will be announced at a later date.

NHL Rosters To Be Frozen During Suspended Season

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According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the NHL will implement a league-wide roster freeze this evening after announcing a new directive for players earlier today. Johnston points to this freeze as the reason for several roster moves today, moving players between the NHL and AHL. We’ll list those moves below:

  • The New Jersey Devils have moved both Janne Kuokkanen and Matt Tennyson to the AHL. Both players are on two-way contracts, earning less at the minor league level.
  • The Minnesota Wild have moved Matt Bartkowski back to the AHL. He hadn’t played in a single NHL game this season and is on a two-way contract.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Mark Letestu from his conditioning loan in the AHL. He is on a two-way deal, but would need to clear waivers in order to be sent to the AHL full-time.
  • The Florida Panthers have moved Sam Montembeault back to the AHL. He is on a two-way deal and is still waiver-exempt.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have sent both Jani Hakanpaa and Anthony Stolarz to the AHL. Both players are actually on one-way contracts, meaning they don’t earn any less at the minor league level.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have sent Logan O’Connor to the AHL. The 23-year old is on a two-way contract.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have sent Keegan Kolesar and Brandon Pirri to the AHL. Pirri is on a one-way contract, while Kolesar is still on his two-way entry-level deal.

Brian Boyle Likely To Return Next Week, No Supplemental Discipline For Evgenii Dadonov

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  • Panthers center Brian Boyle won’t play on Saturday against Montreal but is expected to return next week, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). He has been out with an upper-body injury for the last month and his return would be a good boost to Florida’s bottom six.  Meanwhile, NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty reports that winger Evgenii Dadonov will not face any supplemental discipline from the league following his elbowing penalty on Bruins blueliner Brandon Carlo on Thursday.  The hit initially received a five-minute major penalty but was reduced to a two-minute minor after video review.

St. Louis Blues Announce New AHL Affiliation

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When the Vegas Golden Knights decided to purchase the San Antonio Rampage and relocate them, the St. Louis Blues were left without an AHL affiliation. No longer, as the team has signed a five-year agreement with the Springfield Thunderbirds beginning with the 2020-21 season. That will leave the Florida Panthers looking for a new affiliation. AHL reporter Mark Divver tweets that the rumor is that the Panthers will move their AHL affiliate to Charlotte, while Carolina will make a partnership with the Chicago Wolves.

The Rampage will be turning into the Henderson Silver Knights for next season, throwing the Blues’ plans into chaos once again. The team previously spent a season without an AHL affiliate when the Golden Knights came into the league, but will at least not have to go through that situation again.

GM Doug Armstrong released a statement on the new partnership:

We are excited to announce our deal with Springfield and close our search for a new affiliate. Springfield is a strong franchise in a city with a rich hockey history. Our partnership will allow us to continue to develop our players and further strengthen our franchise as a whole.

The Thunderbirds are 30-26-2 this season and sit in fifth place in the Atlantic Division.

Despite Not Skating Wednesday, Sergei Bobrovsky Could Play Thursday

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  • Although Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky wasn’t at practice today, he is still an option to play on Thursday, relays George Richards of The Athletic (Twitter link). He was a surprise scratch on Sunday due to a lower-body injury.  If he can’t go, Chris Driedger is expected to be available after returning from his conditioning stint on Tuesday.

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