Canucks To Sign Top Prospect Brock Boeser
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweeted this morning that he has heard the Vancouver Canucks are making a concerted effort to sign Brock Boeser in advance of the team’s game this afternoon in Minnesota. He added in a subsequent tweet that Boeser is at the team’s hotel, suggesting the two sides are nearing a deal that could lead the 20-year-old forward to make his NHL debut today.
Brad E. Shlossman, who covers college hockey for the Grand Forks Herald and would seemingly be in a position to know, replied to Friemdan’s initial tweet, saying that Boeser will indeed sign with Vancouver.
The Canucks appear to have confirmed the signing by tweeting a picture of a Vancouver sweater with Boeser’s name stitched on the back hanging from a locker stall.
Boeser, selected by Vancouver in the first round of the 2015 draft, 23rd overall, recently wrapped up his sophomore season at the University of North Dakota. He scored 16 goals and 34 points in 32 NCAA games this season. The 6-foot, 190-pound right wing was even better as a freshman, tallying 60 points in 42 games. North Dakota’s season ended following a thrilling 4-3 double-OT loss to Boston University last night.
Even though playing Boeser in meaningless games down the stretch will burn a year off his ELC and allow the young forward to reach free agency sooner, Vancouver likely sees the value of adding the skilled prospect to the organization now as worth the downside. If nothing else, Boeser’s debut will add an element of excitement to what has otherwise been a down year in Vancouver.
Metro Division Notes: Shattenkirk, Provorov, Konecny, Ryan
Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, in the midst of a career season offensively, is poised to become one of, if not the most sought after free agent of the 2017 offseason. We ranked the Capitals blue liner #1 in our mid-season free agent power rankings in January and since moving to Washington from St. Louis at the trade deadline, the 28-year-old has only helped his cause, tallying six assists in 10 games for his new employer. Shattenkirk reportedly rebuffed overtures from three different clubs since the 2016 entry draft who were interested in acquiring the seven year veteran on the condition they could lock him up to a contract extension. With nearly every team in the league looking for skilled, puck-moving defensemen, particularly those that happen to shoot right-handed, there figures to be a robust market for Shattenkirk’s services in July.
Elliotte Friedman, appearing on Toronto’s Sportsnet 590 Friday morning (H/T to Chris Nichols of Fan Rag Sports for the transcription), speculated that one team who may go all-in on Shattenkirk this summer is the New Jersey Devils. The Devils currently rank 28th overall in the NHL in scoring and have just one blue liner, Damon Severson, who has tallied at least 20 points on the season. Clearly they could use a point-producing defender and Shattenkirk will far and away be the top free agent option. Friedman notes that New Jersey will have the cap space ($19.5MM in projected cap space with 17 players under contract for 2017-18 according to Cap Friendly) to essentially outbid any other interested suitor if they so choose.
“I don’t know if Kevin Shattenkirk is going to go there – I still think he wants to be a Ranger. But I could see them throwing a big number at him. They’ve got a lot of cap room. They’ve got a spot for him on their blueline. He’s exactly what they need. It would not surprise me in the least if New Jersey is a team that goes out there and just throws bags of money at him and says, ‘Turn us down.’”
It’s interesting to note that Friedman also believes that Shattenkirk has his sights set on joining the Rangers. The Blue Shirts were among the teams that spoke to the Blues about dealing for the blue liner at the deadline but simply had no desire to meet St. Louis’ high asking price. The thought then was that they were content waiting for the summer when they can add the skilled blue liner without sacrificing any assets to do so. However, given the Rangers heavy, long term commitments to Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, it stands to reason they will have to be creative in fitting a projected Shattenkirk contract under the salary cap. That may mean trading or buying out one of the aforementioned duo.
Elsewhere in the Metro Division:
- While the Philadelphia Flyers are a likely bet to miss the playoffs this season, the development of Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny has been a bright spot, as Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes. Provorov, just 20, has recorded 28 points as a rookie blue liner and has shown the potential to be a top-pair defender for years to come. Konecny, meanwhile, has registered 11 goals with 16 assists and has the elusiveness and creativity the Flyers sorely lack on their roster, according to Carchidi. Flyers GM Ron Hextall wisely avoided the temptation to be a buyer at the trade deadline and instead chose to remain patient with his retooling. The continued development of Provorov and Konecny demonstrate that Hextall’s decision was the correct one.
- Carolina center Derek Ryan has taken an unusual route to becoming a NHL regular, playing professionally in both Austria and Sweden prior to joining the Hurricanes organization. Ryan, who played for current Hurricane head coach Bill peters for the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, went undrafted and spent four seasons playing collegiate hockey at the University of Alberta before turning pro. Now the 30-year-old rookie is Carolina’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, writes Chip Alexander of The News & Observer. Playing on a one-year, two-way contract this season, Ryan has registered 11 goals and 24 points while playing all over the Hurricanes lineup and has likely earned a raise on his $600K salary when he reaches free agency this summer. While he doesn’t qualify as a game-breaking talent, Ryan has proven he belongs in the NHL and is a solid, bottom-six contributor.
Rochester Americans Sign Jonas Johansson, Two College Free Agents
Three potential future Buffalo Sabres joined the North American pro ranks today, as the AHL’s Rochester Americans announced the signings of Swedish goaltender Jonas Johansson, Sacred Heart forward Justin Danforth, and Nebraska-Omaha defenseman Ian Brady to Amateur Tryouts for the remainder of the 2016-17 season.
Johansson, 21, is a Sabres 2014 third-round pick who had been playing in his native Sweden until the season ended, but now appears to be committing to playing in North America. Standing 6’4″ and a remarkable athlete, Johansson has the intangibles to be a successful pro goalie. However, his skill development is still a ways off. Johnansson has mostly been playing in Sweden’s second-tier league, making only an occasional appearance in the Swedish Hockey League with Brynas IF over the past few years. 2016-17 has been Johansson’s best season by far, but he will need a few years of minor league seasoning before he’s NHL-ready.
Danforth is a relatively unknown commodity, but has been a solid contributor for Sacred Heart for the past two years, with especially impressive numbers over the past two campaigns. The 24-year-old center makes up for his lack of size, at just 5’9″, 181 lbs., with a strong two-way game and aggressive style and if he does ever make it to the NHL, it will be due to his work ethic. However, that future is far from certain. Danforth will have to spend a significant amount of time in Rochester before he can think about the next level.
Brady has been the epitome of consistency at Omaha over the past four years and hopes to bring that same dependability to the pro game. At 22, Brady has well-developed puck-moving skill and a strong, smart defensive game. Buffalo is in dire need of promising defensive depth, so look for Brady to turn his tryout into a contract by next season.
Sabres Notes: Kulikov, Expansion, Petersen
The Buffalo Sabres haven’t had a good season. Struggling to get anything going through injury after injury, and seeing players fail to meet expectations on a regular basis has sent them to the bottom of the standings once again. GM Tim Murray took to the airwaves today to talk about the season so far and John Vogl of the Buffalo News and Joe Yerdon of NHL.com relayed the information on Twitter.
One name mentioned in particular was Dmitry Kulikov, who Murray said he expected to play like a top-3 defenseman this year. Admitting that it “didn’t work out” is putting it lightly, as Kulikov has just two points in 39 games and is a -17. Injury and inconsistency have both plagued the former Florida Panther this year, as he heads into unrestricted free agency this summer. After earning $4.3MM per year on his current three-year deal, Kulikov will be hard pressed to find a similar pay day on the open market.
- At the expansion draft in June, Murray expects to go with the seven forward, three defense option. In fact, he has already reached out to Vegas GM George McPhee on who he doesn’t want to lose. At first glance, it appears as though Buffalo may be at risk of losing a player like Marcus Foligno or Zemgus Girgensons, though they could easily make a deal with the Golden Knights to take someone else instead.
- The Sabres are hoping that Calvin Peterson will turn pro after Notre Dame finishes their college season. The NCAA goaltender has been one of the best in the country the last three seasons, recording .919, .927 and .928 save percentages. A fifth-round pick of the Sabres in 2013, Murray says there is opportunity in net in the Sabres organization and feels there is a solid relationship between the two sides.
Jonathan Bernier’s Success Could End Up Costing The Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks made a decision in the off-season to trade Frederik Andersen to the Maple Leafs and install John Gibson as the full-time starter. The young netminder had shown an extremely high ceiling in 2015-16, when he finished the year with a .920 save percentage and split the William Jennings trophy with Andersen. The Ducks were hitching their wagons to Gibson, but wanted someone a little more established behind him just in case. They decided to take back Jonathan Bernier from the Leafs, even at a substantial cap-hit so that they would have a backup capable of playing 25-30 games and helping them into the playoffs. 
Bernier was never expected to wrestle the starting job away, but when the young Gibson went down with an injury in late February he was forced into the number 1 role and has flourished ever since. With Gibson returning for one game this month only to re-aggravate his injury, the Ducks will use Bernier down the stretch to get them into the playoffs. Since Gibson went down on February 20th, Bernier has posted a .943 save percentage and is looking like a realistic choice to start the playoffs if his partner isn’t fully healed. Gibson for his part hasn’t returned to practice, though Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register reports that he has skated on his own.
With ten games left in the Ducks’ season before another playoff appearance, some doubt may now be entering the mind of head coach Randy Carlyle on who will be his starting goaltender in the postseason. Should Gibson miss most of the remaining few weeks, it would be hard to reinsert him into the net for the first round. That is where we (finally) get to the headline and the potential for a lost asset for the Ducks.
When they took Bernier from the Maple Leafs, it was for a draft pick with conditions that seemed so unlikely to trigger that they didn’t look like they would have to send anything to Toronto at all. Those conditions are based on Bernier playing in at least 50% of the Ducks playoff games, and the team getting to the Stanley Cup Final; they’ll give up a second-round pick should they win it all, while surrendering a third-rounder if they fall in the final series. With Gibson ready to take over that seemed like a far fetched condition and one that Bernier showed little capability of fulfilling during his final season in Toronto. But now, as he looks like the goaltender everyone thought he would become in Los Angeles, it doesn’t seem as insane as it once did.
After all, he doesn’t necessarily need to get them the entire way. He could play just the first two rounds before Gibson returns, and still qualify for the condition. Sure, some may say it’s worth it if the Ducks are going to go to the Finals anyway, but that shouldn’t reduce the value of the pick being lost. Ducks fans should be hoping even more that Gibson is ready to go next month, while Maple Leafs fans are praying that their old teammate can give them one last gift before hitting free agency this summer.
Sharks Sign Quinnipiac’s Tim Clifton
Monday: The Sharks have officially announced the signing.
Saturday: The San Jose Sharks have entered the college free agent mix, as TSN’s Frank Servalli reports that the team has agreed to an entry-level contract with Quinnipiac University forward Tim Clifton. It is a two-year, two-way deal for the 24-year-old undrafted center. With Quinnipiac eliminated from the ECAC conference tournament by Harvard last night and not in the mix for an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament this year, Clifton will now likely head to San Jose to join the AHL Barracuda for the remainder of the season.
Clifton’s NHL signing may come as a surprise to some. One of the major catalysts in Quinnipiac’s run to the NCAA Championship last year, in which they lost for the second time in four years, Clifton’s numbers fell off significantly in his 2016-17 senior season. Clifton had amassed 43 points and a +27 rating in 39 games during his junior campaign, but followed it up this year with just 25 points and a -8 rating in the same amount of games. After having only a minor role in his first two year’s at Quinnipiac and a subpar final season, it appears that the Sharks are paying Clifton based on one season of high-end performance. Though the New Jersey native definitely has some potential, it seems likely that San Jose fans will have to wait some time to see if he develops into an NHL-caliber player.
It’s a low-risk investment for an organization that has found some recent success in the NCAA ranks. Ryan Carpenter, who has begun to carve out a role for himself in San Jose, was also an undrafted free agent who joined the Sharks out of Bowling Green State University in 2014, while rookie Danny O’Regan was skating with Boston University this time last year after being a late-round Sharks draft selection. Of course, the best college player in San Jose is none other than captain Joe Pavelski, who was a seventh-round pick of the Sharks in 2003 and played at the University of Wisconsin before becoming an NHL star. Clifton has a long way to go to be the next Pavelski, but could possibly become a Carpenter-type after a year or two in the AHL.
The Case For T.J. Oshie As This Summer’s Top Free Agent
Earlier this year, PHR put together our first draft of the 2017 unrestricted free agent class. Washington Capitals right winger T.J. Oshie finished a respectable fourth on that list, behind Joe Thornton, Alexander Radulov, and, of course, Oshie’s new teammate Kevin Shattenkirk. Those mid-season power rankings were just that, a list based on career performance and the first half of the season. Yet, free agancy often reflects “what have you done for me lately?” rather than a complete analysis of a player’s full body of work, and the second half of the season has been a windfall for Oshie. Is he now the top player on the market this summer?
After last night’s hat trick against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Oshie is now the Capitals leading goal-scorer. Yes, that’s right, Oshie leads the best team in the league in goals, not Alexander Ovechkin. The last time that any player led Washington in goal scoring at this point in the season and wasn’t Ovechkin: Robert Lang in 2003-04. Not only that, Oshie’s 49 points in 58 games makes him the most efficient scorer on the team behind Nicklas Backstrom. Oshie is sniping at a career rate in 2016-17, with a 24.2% shooting percentage, which explains his career-high in goals as well. He also has a career-best +26 rating right now, a function of the Capital’s success but also of the more careful, refined game he has shown this season.
So Oshie is having an excellent year; does that make him the top free agent? No one behind Oshie on our initial list has played significantly better, so it comes down to comparing him against Thornton, Radulov, and Shattenkirk. The first thing that should stick out between Oshie and Thornton is age. Oshie will be 30 years old at the start of the 2017-18 season, whereas Thornton will be 38. Radulov will be just 31, but has just returned to the NHL this season after a long hiatus in the KHL. Oshie and Thornton thus have him beat in terms of career consistency and dependability. If 2016-17 scoring is the main criteria, it’s a close race with Oshie at 49 points, Thornton at 48 points, and Radulov at 47 points, but Oshie has played in fewer games than the others. With an age advantage over Thornton and a consistency advantage over Radulov packaged with a scoring advantage over both, it’s fair to say that Oshie has moved into the top spot among impending free agent forwards. Making that call easier is the fact that both Thornton and Radulov are expected by many to re-sign with their current teams following the Expansion Draft in June and may not even hit the open market with Oshie on July 1st.
So that leaves Oshie vs. Shattenkirk. Especially if Washington wins their first ever Stanley Cup on the backs of these two players, both Oshie and Shattenkirk will be highly sought-after and handsomely paid on July 1st. However, can you make the case that Oshie has surpassed his new teammate in free agent value? Back in January, the PHR writers were in universal agreement that Shattenkirk was the top player available. However, when it came time for the St. Louis Blues to move him at the Trade Deadline, rumors began circulating that many teams saw Shattenkirk as a second-pair guy, were unwilling to part with top prospects and multiple high picks to acquire him, and were not planning on handing him a contract worth $7MM+ per year this summer. The Capitals ended up parting with a package that surprised many as being relatively cheap in return for the star defenseman. Shattenkirk is still the best blue liner on the market and will get his money somewhere, but no such word has come out about Oshie’s free agency prospects. It appears that teams are ready to give the skilled winger whatever he asks, as Oshie has proved time and time again that he is one of the most consistent scorers in the NHL, as well as a powerplay dyanamo and shootout specialist. The simple fact that scoring defense is always in higher demand than scoring forwards may dictate that Shattenkirk remains the top free agent this summer, but don’t be surprised to see Oshie get a similar deal to his teammate and go on to have greater success than Shattenkirk with his new team in the future.
AHL’s Rampage Sign Pair Of College Free Agents
The Colorado Avalanche need all the help they can get, and their AHL affiliate may have helped them out by bringing in a couple NCAA free agents for Joe Sakic and his staff to take a look at over the next couple of months. The San Antonio Rampage announced today that they have inked Brady Shaw and Ben Storm to amateur tryout contracts. With their respective teams out of NCAA postseason contention, the pair will now get a chance to show how they fit at the next level in an effort to secure contracts with San Antonio (or possibly even Colorado) for next season or else become free agents again in a few months.
Of the two, the defenseman Storm is likely the better pro prospect. Ironically, Storm was a sixth-round draft pick of the Avalanche in 2013, prior to their affiliation with the Rampage, but has yet to sign an entry-level team with the deal and may never. Storm was a four-year starter at St. Cloud State University, holding down the blue line as a stay-at-home defenseman. Although Storm lacks much offensive upside – just four goals and 13 assists in 121 collegiate contests – he makes up for it with solid defense and checking. The 6’7″, 229-lb. behemoth from Laurium, Michigan is always the most physical presence on the ice and skates surprisingly well for a player his size. Storm may need some time in the minor leagues to refine his puck handling and movement, but as they say “you can’t teach size”, and Storm’s stature alone should keep the 22-year-old employed in pro hockey for a while.
The forward Shaw has a more uphill battle in pursuing his NHL dreams. After an explosive sophomore season at the University of Vermont in 2014-15, during which he recorded 31 points in 38 games and showed a complete game, Shaw’s performance has dropped off in each of the past two seasons. Shaw scored just 16 points in 36 games last year and 19 points in 34 games this season, all whilst struggling with the two-way pressure of playing a larger role on the team. A former star in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), Shaw was a highly-touted prospect who simply didn’t meet expectations at the college level. The 24-year-old may be able to rediscover his game in the AHL, but as of now as a lot of work to do to become more than just a replacement-level minor league player.
College Notes: Hayden, Doherty, Kelleher
Fresh off inking his entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, former Yale center John Hayden will make his NHL debut tonight when the ‘Hawks take on the Ottawa Senators. Hayden, Chicago’s third-round pick in 2013, recorded 21 goals and 13 assists in his 2016-17 senior season. The Blackhawks clearly believe that he is ready to continue scoring, as they’ll throw him into the fire of NHL action less than a week removed from NCAA game play. Regardless of Hayden’s participation level for Chicago down the stretch and in the postseason, playing in just this one game tonight will effectively use up the first of his two-year deal, so the ‘Hawks certainly hope that his play will justify their decision.
- Hayden’s Yale teammate, winger Mike Doherty, has also joined the pro ranks, but not the NHL just yet. Doherty has reportedly agreed to a deal with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. For the Reading, Mass. native, the move gives him the chance to show his ability at the next level for the remainder of this season in hopes of earning a contract with his hometown Boston Bruins as a result. A four-year starter at Yale, Doherty is a two-way forward, capable of contributing modest offense, but in need of further development if he hopes to make it to the NHL one day. He’ll get the chance to continue that growing process in Providence, where Boston youngsters Frank Vatrano, Austin Czarnik, Peter Cehlarik, and more recently found their way.
- Another New England collegiate prospect is soon to be on his way to the big leagues as well. University of New Hampshire speedster Tyler Kelleher is expected to sign with the New Jersey Devils, who have long been rumored to be the leading suitor for his services. Prior to the 2016-17 season, Kelleher was not on many NHL radars, as his size – just 5’6″, 161 lbs. – limited his potential. However, after scoring 63 points in 40 games this year, his explosive offense is now overshadowing his miniature stature. If the Devils can find a way to work Kelleher into their lineup without his size becoming a liability, they could be the beneficiaries of one of the best offensive skill sets in all of college hockey.
Snapshots: Outdoor Game, Fedun, Bonuses
After a report yesterday that the 2018 Winter Classic would be played at Citi Field in New York, there is some more news about outdoor games next season. Tomorrow, according to a report from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen, the NHL will announce a game between the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens that will take place at TD Place, the home of the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Redblacks. The stadium, which sits in Lansdowne Park right along the Rideau Canal, will host the CFL’s Grey Cup just a few weeks prior and will have expanded seating still installed.
This would be the Senators first time hosting an outdoor game, and just their second appearance in one. In 2014, they were part of the Heritage Classic in Vancouver (where the Sens won 4-2) but will obviously welcome a chance to host their own. Honoring the first NHL game played in Ottawa on December 19th, 1917—when the original Ottawa Senators were in existence—the game is expected to be played around the same date. It will be Montreal’s fourth appearance as a visitor in an outdoor game, though they’ve never hosted one themselves.
- As rumored yesterday, the Buffalo Sabres have brought up Taylor Fedun from the AHL today prior to their game in Los Angeles. The team is in the middle of a four-game rad trip, and will not have Justin Falk in the lineup tonight or tomorrow against the Anaheim Ducks. Fedun has 25 games with the NHL club this season, recording seven points. A prolific point producer at the AHL level, Fedun has just 37 games under his belt in the NHL and has never been able to find a consistent role.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have used their cap space over the past two years as something of an asset, acquiring bad contracts and burying them in the minors in order to get better returns on transactions. Brooks Laich, Milan Michalek and Colin Greening were all examples of this, and they now find themselves right up against the cap. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet writes, that may end up costing them at least a few million next season as the bonuses for their young players will be taken as a penalty. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Nikita Zaitsev will all likely max out their Schedule A bonuses this season, and Matthew may trigger a $2MM Schedule B if he finishes in the top 10 for goals. If they decide to be big players in free agency, that Matthews bonus could be a big factor.