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Matt Tomkins Signs In SHL

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The Chicago Blackhawks will bid farewell to one of their depth goaltenders, as Matt Tomkins has signed a one-year contract with Frolunda of the SHL. Tomkins was scheduled for unrestricted free agency this summer as his two-year contract came to an end. Frolunda’s goaltending coach released a statement (via Google translate):

Matt is a big and structured goalkeeper with a European style and a clear game idea. We have scouted him properly and he has made a good impression on us. It will be really fun to work with him next season and he is excited to come here.  

Now 26, the seventh-round pick never did get to the NHL, playing his entire career thus far in the minor leagues. In 15 appearances with the Rockford IceHogs this season he posted a .907 save percentage, but he never did really seem to be in the plans for the Blackhawks as they went with other, younger, netminders at the NHL level.

Frolunda meanwhile recently lost their starting goalie when Erik Kallgren signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs, meaning Tomkins should have a good opportunity to play overseas. Unless he takes a huge developmental step though, the now-former Blackhawks goaltender likely won’t be considered for another NHL contract down the road.

Rask, Bruins Table Talks Until After Playoffs

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The Boston Bruins are focused on the next round and a long playoff run, meaning contract talks can wait for pending free agent goaltender Tuukka Rask. Bruins president Cam Neely told reporters today including Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com that Rask and the team have agreed to push off any negotiations until after the season.

Though he is unquestionably their starting goaltender right now and just posted a .941 save percentage in the first round, it will be interesting to see how the two sides come together this offseason. The Bruins have a young goaltender in Jeremy Swayman who looks ready for the job and Daniel Vladar who has dominated the minor leagues. The 34-year-old Rask and longtime tandem partner Jaroslav Halak are pending free agents, meaning if the Bruins wanted to, they could make a pretty drastic shift in net next season and reinvest the cap space elsewhere.

There is very little that Rask has failed to accomplish at the NHL level. A Stanley Cup, a Vezina Trophy, a Jennings Trophy, a First All-Star team selection, nearly 100 playoff appearances—the list goes on for one of the most successful goaltenders of his generation. Rask’s .921 regular season save percentage puts him third all-time behind only Dominik Hasek and Johnny Bower; his .927 in the playoffs close to the top as well.

Still, there has been a faction of Bruins supporters that have had a near-constant call for change in the Bruins crease thanks to perceived aloofness or inconsistency from the Finnish netminder. Now, as the offseason approaches, there will be a difficult decision to be made. Bruins GM Don Sweeney is used to those; he let franchise icons Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug leave in free agency last summer, noting a need to give more ice time to their young defensemen. The same could be said about the goaltending position after Swayman, who has two more years on his entry-level contract, burst onto the scene and recorded a .945 save percentage in 10 appearances.

Boston carried a $9.25MM cap hit this season between Rask and Halak, a number that could drop dramatically next year if they handed the reins to Swayman. That kind of financial capital would be more than enough to reinforce other parts of the lineup or perhaps even help to retain the services of deadline addition Taylor Hall.

Of course, handing the crease to a relatively unproven goaltender as key members of the team continue to age out of their prime is a risky proposition. There’s no reason the decision has to be made now, in fact, what happens over the next several weeks in the playoffs should hold weight. But there is a tough call coming in Boston when the talks between Rask and the Bruins resume.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ottawa Senators Extend Clark Bishop

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The Ottawa Senators have signed Clark Bishop to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The 25-year-old forward was set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this offseason after failing to reach the required number of games played for restricted free agency. That won’t matter now, as the Senators have brought him back on a deal that will carry an $800K salary in the NHL and a 200K salary in the AHL.

Senators GM Pierre Dorion released the following statement:

Clark proved to be a versatile player for us this past season. He possesses good speed, has a great work ethic and showcases a continuous willingness to play in hard areas. We’re pleased to reach agreement with him.

Bishop came to the Senators in a trade just before the season began and ended up playing 13 games for the team. He failed to score a goal, but did register three assists and generally held his own. That short audition has obviously impressed the team enough to bring him back, though the two-way deal suggests he isn’t guaranteed a roster spot next season.

Instead, Bishop will likely serve a similar role, sitting somewhere between 14-16 on the forward depth chart. A handful of NHL games should be expected, but it’s hard to see him locking down a full-time roster spot with so many young prospects pushing for playing time. If the Senators want to move him to the minor leagues Bishop will have to clear waivers, but that shouldn’t be much of an issue. He cleared twice this season.

KHL Notes: Demchenko, Weal, Kampfer

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The Montreal Canadiens won’t be bringing back Vasili Demchenko next season, as the minor league goaltender has decided to return to Russia. Demchenko signed a new one-year contract with Avangard Omsk, meaning his North American sojourn lasted all of one year.

Signed to a one-year two-way contract in April of 2020, the 27-year-old ended up playing just four games at the AHL level, posting a .905 save percentage with the Laval Rocket. He was recalled to the taxi squad for just one day earlier this month and was ticketed for unrestricted free agency this summer.

  • Another Canadiens player likely headed to the KHL is Jordan Weal, as Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that the minor league forward has signed a one-year deal with Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL. Weal, who actually played in 49 games for the Canadiens last season and has more than 200 games played at the NHL level, spent the entire 2020-21 campaign in the minor leagues. In 34 games for the Rocket, he registered 24 points.
  • Weal will likely be joined by Steven Kampfer, according to Engels and a report from Sport-Express in Russia. Kampfer has played in 20 games for the Boston Bruins this season but is also a pending unrestricted free agent. The 32-year-old defenseman has 39 points in 231 career games.

Pavel Shen Clears Unconditional Waivers

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May 18: Shen has cleared unconditional waivers and will have his contract terminated.

May 17: The Boston Bruins have placed Pavel Shen on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a mutual contract termination. Shen has spent the past two seasons with the Providence Bruins of the AHL after signing his entry-level contract in 2019. The young forward had another year left on that contract, but will become an unrestricted free agent when the termination goes through tomorrow.

In what will be Shen’s last AHL game for the Providence Bruins, the 21-year-old forward recorded two points, bringing his season total to just four. Selected 212th overall in 2018 he earned an NHL deal with an impressive performance at the World Juniors but managed to record just 13 points in 51 games for Providence. In all likelihood, Shen is headed back overseas where he can resume his career. Earlier this year, he played six games for HK Sochi in the KHL but failed to score a point.

A termination will clear a contract slot for the Bruins, though they have plenty for next season. The team has just 27 players in the organization signed to NHL contracts for 2021-22, with 12 (13 with Shen) ticketed for unrestricted free agency. There is a fair amount of work for the Boston front office this summer.

Dallas Stars Extend Tanner Kero

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The Dallas Stars have completed a bit of business, signing Tanner Kero to a two-year, two-way contract extension. Scheduled for unrestricted free agency, he will now remain with the organization through the 2022-23 season. PuckPedia reports that the deal will carry a cap hit of $750K at the NHL level but includes strong minor league guarantees.

Not only does the contract keep a valuable depth forward in the mix, but Kero also meets the exposure requirements for the upcoming expansion draft. Every team must expose at least two forwards that are both signed through 2021-22 and meet a games played requirement. Before Kero’s signing, only Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, Alexander Radulov, Radek Faksa, Roope Hintz, and Denis Gurianov met those two requirements, not leaving many options for exposure to Seattle.

Kero does meet them, because of how many games he played for the team this season. Despite not seeing any NHL action in the 2018-19 or 2019-20 seasons, the 28-year-old played in 39 games for the Stars this year, registering ten points. He may not get that many chances moving forward, but having a player with more than 100 games of NHL experience waiting in the wings is a valuable asset.

If the Stars want to send Kero to the minor leagues next season he would need to pass through waivers, though that doesn’t seem like a problem. The veteran forward cleared three times this season.

Minor Transactions: 05/10/21

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With three of the four major European leagues having wrapped up their postseasons and the NHL and AHL winding down their regular seasons, there are a vast number of players now looking ahead to next season. While most players under contract in North America are still months away from free agency, there are many overseas that are free to move and decide on the next step in their careers. Here are some of those recent moves with NHL implications:

  • A pair of notable forward prospects have found their new home for the next several seasons. Liiga club KalPa has announced multi-year contracts with 2020 draft picks Kasper Simontaival and Jaromir Pytlik. Simontaival, a third-round selection of the Los Angeles Kings, is no stranger to the Finnish pros. The local product has spent time in the Liiga with Tappara over the past few years, but is seemingly looking to move on from his developmental club. Simontaival appears willing to take his time developing at home, signing a three-year deal with KalPa, but has already shown some potential NHL-caliber offensive skill. Pytlik, a fourth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, is new to Finland but just eager to play after waiting for the OHL all season, only playing in a handful of international tournament games and Czech second-tier games. The big, two-way forward has signed a two-year deal with KalPa and will look to contribute in all scenarios for the club.
  • 2021 NHL Draft prospect Fyodor Svechkov has been traded in the KHL, or rather sold. Lada Togliatti announced today that they have moved their young standout to powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg in exchange for “monetary compensation.” Svechkov signed a three-year extension with Lada before this season, meaning SKA will have him under contract through the 2022-23 season. Given his draft stock, that may be all they get. Svechkov is projected by many to be a first-round pick this summer and helped his case by dominating the Russian junior and minor league ranks this season. The skilled and versatile forward could be an early selection that a team may want to rush to North America as soon as possible. SKA will have to find a spot in their veteran roster for Svechkov sooner rather than later if they want to maximize their investment.
  • Has Igor Bobkov had enough of dominating the KHL? The Gagarin Cup-winning goaltender has been granted a contract termination by the recently-crowned champions, Avangard Omsk announced. A well-respected and well-compensated KHL netminder, it stands to reason that this move likely points toward Bobkov giving the NHL another shot. A 2009 draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks, Bobkov spent two seasons in the OHL and three seasons in the pros, split between the AHL and ECHL. Unhappy with his role and trajectory, Bobkov returned to Russia in 2015. Since then, he has become a three-time KHL All-Star with a career .923 save percentage and 2.09 GAA, including a GAA of 2.01 or lower in each of the past three seasons. The 30-year-old is one of, if not the best goalie in the KHL right now and could be eyeing a return to the NHL with a more established resume and plenty of gas in the tank.

Niklas Hjalmarsson Considering Return To Sweden

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Veteran defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson is nothing if not loyal. In his 14-year NHL career, Hjalmarsson has never once tested the free agent market. Instead, he has always signed an extension with his current team, each time arguably below market value as well. Hjalmarsson spent a decade in Chicago to begin his career, playing a key role in three Stanley Cup championships. Then, after the team traded him to the Arizona Coyotes, Hjalmarsson again decided to re-sign with his team, despite an unfamiliar rebuild underway in the desert. This season, in the final year of his current contract, Hjalmarsson even told the Coyotes that he would not waive his No-Movement Clause, opting instead to stick it out with his team.

It should come as no surprise then that, with the 33-year-old finally expected to become a free agent this summer, he is considering a return to a former team. No, not the Blackhawks. Swedish new source AftonBladet reports that Hjalmarsson is considering a return to the SHL’s HV71, the club with whom the blue liner played his developmental hockey. Hjalmarsson spent four seasons with HV71 before making the move to North America in 2007, but clearly the club has not forgotten their star alumnus. The report quotes the club’s GM, Johan Hult, as stating that Hjalmarsson is a “dream recruit”. Hult also notes that he has met with Hjalmarsson multiple times – at his home near HV71’s Jonkoping no less – to discuss the possibility of this move.

Of course, Hult admits that the move is dependent on Hjalmarsson not being blown away by an NHL offer this summer. It will be interesting to see what kind of attention, if any, Hjalmarsson draws in the off-season. Formerly a dominant two-way defenseman, Hjalmarsson’s game has slipped over the past few years. With two games left in his 2020-21 season, the veteran defenseman is on pace to record career-lows (among his full NHL seasons) in points per game, plus/minus, and time on ice per game, while his blocks, hits, takeaways, and possession numbers are all down as well. With that said, veteran presence still has value and contenders could still see Hjalmarsson as an experienced third-pair option – at the right price. However, the potential to return home to HV71 to play a major role may be more enticing to Hjalmarsson than chasing a fourth Cup as a depth piece. With the regular season ending soon, we could know shortly what Hjalmarsson’s next step may be.

Overseas Notes: Skelleftea, Khokhlachev, Langhamer

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After falling in the SHL semifinals, Swedish powerhouse Skelleftea AIK is already moving forward with their plans for next season. The team has announced a list of players who will not be returning in 2021-22 and it includes some notable NHL names. Edmonton Oilers’ defenseman Philip Broberg, Detroit Red Wings’ forward Jonatan Berggren, and Carolina Hurricanes’ defenseman Roland McKeown are all among those who will not return to Skelleftea next year and all are expected to instead be in the NHL. Broberg, 19, has in fact already made the jump, as he was recalled by the Oilers earlier this week. The 2019 No. 8 overall pick has been in Skelleftea on loan for two years since being drafted, but the big two-way defenseman is ready for the next step in his career. Berggren appears to be prepared to make that leap as well. Detroit’s 2018 second-round pick was Skelleftea’s leading scorer this season, recording 45 points in 49 games. The 20-year-old skilled play-maker is one of a number of promising Red Wings prospects, but Berggren’s dominance at the pro level this year should give him a leg up in training camp battles. McKeown is the outlier of the group; the 25-year-old blue liner made his European debut this season on loan from the Hurricanes. The former top prospect out of the OHL had faded from relevance among the Hurricanes’ deep defensive group and wished to stay in Sweden this year rather than play yet again in the AHL. While McKeown may join Carolina as a depth option in the playoffs now that his SHL season is over, his days with the organization are numbered. Slated for Group 6 unrestricted free agency this summer, McKeown may not be back with Skelleftea but he certainly won’t be staying in Raleigh either. He will have other options on the open market to find a more clear path to NHL opportunity.

  • Another prominent name in Europe who won’t be returning to his current team is Boston Bruins center Alexander Khokhlachev. The 27-year-old center was a key cog for Gagarin Cup champions Avangard Omsk this season, recording 34 points in 59 games as a top-six forward, but the team has nonetheless announced that Khokhlachev has decided to leave the club. This could very well mean that Khokhlachev is finally eyeing a return to North America after five years away, and the timing of the move is key. The Bruins’ rights to Khokhlachev finally expire on June 30th. While it’s not impossible that Khokhlachev could give the Bruins another shot under his old AHL head coach Bruce Cassidy, there are certainly better opportunities for an NHL role elsewhere if he instead waits to become a free agent this summer.
  • One player who isn’t rushing back to his NHL rights holder is goaltender Marek Langhamer. Despite the possibility that the Arizona Coyotes could have some more opportunity in net next season with Antti Raanta headed for free agency, Adin Hill expected to be exposed in the Expansion Draft, and Darcy Kuemper still a hot name on the rumor mill, Langhamer won’t be involved. Even after two strong seasons in the KHL, Langhamer has decided to stay in Europe, signing a one-year-deal with the Liiga’s Illves. It’s unclear if Langhamer is averse to re-joining the ’Yotes or just the NHL overall, but regardless he will see his rights expire on June 30th of next season and can then return to North America as a free agent if he chooses.

Alexander Burmistrov Re-Signs In KHL

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The number of players that spent time with the Atlanta Thrashers organization continues to decline, as Ron Hainsey joined the NHLPA last month, ending his playing career. That number could have potentially increased by one in free agency, but Alexander Burmistrov has decided to re-sign with Ak Bars Kazan in the KHL for the next two years.

Burmistrov, 29, was the last first-round pick the Thrashers made, selected eighth overall in 2010. He made the jump directly to the NHL, playing 74 games in Atlanta’s last season before making the move to Winnipeg. Unfortunately, his time with the organization didn’t go as smoothly as they hoped, and he was back in the KHL by 2013. After coming back for parts of three seasons, he returned to Russia again in 2017.

For Kazan this season, Burmistrov scored six goals and 17 points in 44 games. He was still young enough that a return to North America could have been possible (under certain conditions), but when Burmistrov left in 2017 he was clear that he just “wanted to go home.” He retired from the league then, and there doesn’t seem to be any desire to return to the NHL.

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