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Snapshots: Middleton, Sharks, Morrisonn

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The Boston Bruins will add another memorable name to the rafters of TD Garden this season, as the team announced today that they will retire Rick Middleton’s #16 on November 29th. Middleton starred for the Bruins for twelve seasons from 1976-1988 and recorded 898 points in 881 games, fourth-most in Bruins history. His 402 goals rank third on a long list of impressive Boston alumni, behind only Johnny Bucyk and Phil Esposito, while his 496 assists rank sixth behind the likes of Bucyk, Esposito, Ray Bourque, Bobby Orr, and Wayne Cashman. Seeing as all but Middleton and Cashman of that group have had their numbers retired, it seems fitting that “Nifty” was next up. Yet, Middleton was surprised to receive a call from President Cam Neely today, saying he was “knocked off (his) feet” by a “dream come true”. Middleton’s number retirement will be the eleventh by Boston and will ironically be the first for the Bruins since Neely himself was honored in 2004. Who could be next for Boston? A past great like Cashman or perhaps a current long-time star like Patrice Bergeron or Zdeno Chara?

  • The San Jose Sharks made some changes to their front office today that included players previously believed to still be active. The team named Ryan Hamilton, J.P. Cote, and Neil McKenney to their scouting staff, replacing Jimmy Bonneau and Michael Chiasson who have been promoted to AHL coaching roles. The release essentially served as a retirement announcement for Hamilton and Cote. Hamilton, 33, had been the captain of the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors for the past three years and last played in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers in 2014-15. Cote, 36, has been playing in Europe for the past three years, but was a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2013-14. McKenney has been hired away from his position as Director of Hockey Operations for Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.
  • Former NHL defenseman Shaone Morrisonn is embarking on a interesting twist to his playing career. The 2001 first-round pick is entering his 17th pro season and will do so in largely uncharted territory. Morrisonn has been playing in the KHL since 2012, but will now move to the Oji Eagles of the Asia League. The league was only established in 2004, after Morrisonn had already begun his pro career, and has not attracted many well-known North American names over the years. Perhaps in closing out his own career, Morrisonn will open the door to more former NHLers continuing their careers in Japan, South Korea, and China. Hockey is certainly spreading to Asia and a player with at least some name recognition playing in the local pro league could go a long way in continuing to grow the game.

Yegor Sharangovich, Eric Tangradi Sign With New Jersey Devils

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The New Jersey Devils have convinced Yegor Sharangovich to sign his three-year entry-level contract, and according to team beat reporter Amanda Stein, expect him to come to North America this season. Sharangovich played last season in the KHL with Dinamo Minsk, and suited up for Belarus at the World Juniors this past winter. The team has also announced a one-year, two-way contract for veteran minor league forward Eric Tangradi.

Sharangovich, 20, was a fifth-round selection by the Devils in June in his third year of eligibility. It was a worthwhile gamble by the Devils after watching the young forward participate in the last two World Championships against NHL players, and now play a regular shift in the KHL. Though he recorded just 12 points in 47 games there, it bodes well for his professional future that he wasn’t completely overmatched at such a young age. It’s unlikely that he’ll make an NHL impact right away, but for the small price of a late-round pick, the Devils will try to develop his big talented frame into a legitimate two-way center prospect.

Tangradi on the other hand comes with plenty of NHL and AHL experience. The 29-year old forward has spent the last two seasons exclusively in the minor leagues playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins, where he won a Calder Cup in the spring of 2017. In this most recent season he led the club with 31 goals and finished eighth in the entire league in points with 64. He should give the Binghamton Devils a huge offensive boost and even be depth for the NHL club if injuries arise. Tangradi has played in 144 NHL games, though hasn’t been able to find much success at the higher level.

Minor Transactions: 7/18/18

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The past few days have been a busy stretch for fringe NHL free agents deciding whether to hold out for a big league deal or look elsewhere. Significant names such as Torrey Mitchell and Teemu Pulkkinen have signed overseas, while other players have settled for minor league employment. Similar deals have continued throughout the day:

  • Count Michael Latta as a player making the jump across the Atlantic. Or would it be the Pacific? Latta has signed with the Kunlun Red Star, the sole Chinese member of the KHL. He announced the deal himself today, while European insider Aivis Kalnins adds that it is a one-year contract. Latta, who is most well known for his days as a serviceable bottom-six regular with the Washington Capitals, has actually not played in an NHL game since 2015-16 in D.C. Latta has landed NHL contracts in each of the past two off-seasons with the Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes respectively and has even been a sought-after trade acquisition in both years, but nevertheless has played only in the AHL. Latta’s numbers in the minors are not all that impressive either, so perhaps his move to the KHL presents an opportunity for his two-way game to be better appreciated.
  • Veteran forward Mike Blunden is making a similar move but to a lesser-known team and league. The long-time depth forward has made an NHL appearance in all but one season since turning pro in 2006, including multiple seasons where more than half of his time was spent at the top level, but saw only three games with the Ottawa Senators over the course of his recently-expired two-year contract. A proven scorer in the AHL, Blunden is likely in pursuit of a new opportunity and higher compensation outside of North America. Per a team release, Blunden has signed a contract with HC Bolzano of the Austria-based EBEL. However, the “Foxes” are actually located in Italy and are the premiere pro team of the country. Bolzano is the reigning EBEL champion and has been loading up this off-season to defend their title, adding Blunden and fellow AHLers Leland Irving, Brett Findlay, and Matt MacKenzie. Blunden could turn out to be a top scorer for the team this season.
  • Experienced goaltender Tom McCollum is not quite ready to leave North America or even the Great Lakes region. The Buffalo-area native has spent all but one season of his nine-year pro career in the Detroit Red Wings system, appearing in over 250 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. However, without an offer from the Red Wings or presumably an AHL offer from the Griffins this summer, McCollum has decided to take his talents to their arch rival. The Milwaukee Admirals have announced that they have signed the veteran netminder to a one-year minor league deal. The team’s release calls McCollum a “proverbial thorn in the Admirals’ side” for years, but he has now joined them in their pursuit of a Calder Cup. Milwaukee’s parent club, the Nashville Predators, could also come calling if injuries strike; the team has just three goalies signed who have pro experience in North America.
  • Forward Tyler Randell is sticking around in the AHL as well. The 27-year-old enforcer has been unable to land a two-way NHL contract, but will settle for a minor league deal. The Rochester Americans have announced that they have signed Randell to a one-year AHL contract. Randell, a 2009 sixth-round draft pick of the Boston Bruins, is an impressive physical force and a smart defensive player. He even earned himself 27 NHL games with the Bruins in 2015-16 and a nice $700K free agent contract from the Ottawa Senators last summer. However, his offensive game is severely limited at all levels and it’s no surprise that his NHL market was lacking this off-season after an eight-point campaign with the Belleville Senators last season. Randell brings energy and grit to Rochester, but if his scoring doesn’t improve in consistency and frequency, he’s unlikely to end up back in the NHL.

Teemu Pulkkinen Signs In KHL

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The Vegas Golden Knights won’t have Teemu Pulkkinen in the lineup this season, as the restricted free agent has decided to sign in the KHL. Pulkkinen today signed a one-year contract with Dinamo Minsk, explaining why he didn’t file for arbitration earlier this offseason. Pulkkinen never did play for the Golden Knights, instead spending the year with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

The 26-year old forward has been an elite minor league scoring threat for many years, registering seasons of 59, 61 and 65 points through his professional career. In 241 AHL regular season contests he’s produced 222 points, but hasn’t ever really been able to crack an NHL lineup one a full-time basis. Selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the fourth round of the 2010 draft, he played 70 games for the club across three seasons, recording 20 points but never being able to find consistent minutes. That’s mostly because of a perceived lack of footspeed and defensive awareness, something that he can get away with at the lower levels.

In the KHL, Pulkkinen’s offensive skills are bound to shine through. It will be interesting to see if he considers a return to North America after his one year is up, or whether he’ll be content to play out the rest of his career overseas. One would think that Jokerit would want him back at some point if possible, after he found a ton of success with the team before joining the Red Wings organization.

Snapshots: KHL, Steelheads, Buchberger

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According to Igor Eronko of Sport-Express, Philip Holm has signed with the Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo of the KHL, ending his North American career before it ever really took off. After signing last summer with the Vancouver Canucks, Holm played in one NHL game and was eventually traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Brendan Leipsic. Given no NHL playing time in Vegas, he’s decided to go to the KHL where he should receive plenty of minutes and be able to show off his offensive upside. Holm was given a qualifying offer meaning the Golden Knights will retain his rights.

Former Canucks top prospect Nicklas Jensen will also be remaining in the KHL next year, after agreed to use his one-year option with Jokerit. Jensen scored 37 points to lead Jokerit last season, after failing to carve out a role with the New York Rangers in 2016-17. A talented offensive forward who has dominated the AHL at times, Jensen is now 25 and may not get another chance at the NHL level in his career.

  • The Dallas Stars have reached a two-year agreement with the Idaho Steelheads to continue their minor league partnership, extending a long affiliation with the ECHL club. The Steelheads have won two Kelly Cups during their partnership with the Stars, and will be looking for another one in 2018-19 after going 44-20-8 last season. One of the most successful ECHL teams (and before that WCHL teams) in history, Dallas will continue to supply them with talented players for at least the next two seasons.
  • Kelly Buchberger is the latest New York Islanders assistant coach to find work elsewhere, hired as head coach of the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. When Barry Trotz was brought in as the new head coach of the Islanders it was expected he would bring an entire new staff, and Buchberger has found a nice landing spot as the bench boss of the Americans. Tri-City has been to the WHL playoffs in 14 of the last 15 seasons, though they are still looking for a championship; Buchberger will be asked to take them there.

Minor Transactions: 7/15/18

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As the off-season wears on, players are feeling the pressure to make a decision. Restricted free agents have until 4pm CT tonight to accept their qualifying offers, while veterans are also beginning to feel like they should take the best offer on the table. Keep up with all of the action here:

  • CapFriendly reports that New Jersey Devils defenseman Michael Kapla has accepted his qualifying offer of a one-year, two-way deal worth $874,125 at the NHL level and $70K at the AHL level. Kapla originally signed a two-year deal with the Devils back in 2017 at the end of the NCAA season. The UMass-Lowell captain even suited up for five games with New Jersey down the stretch. However, Kapla did not make an NHL appearance last season, playing the entire campaign with the Binghamton Devils. Even in the AHL, he was overshadowed by the likes of Steven Santini and Jacob MacDonald. With MacDonald signing elsewhere and Santini likely to be full-time in New Jersey – once he signs his own contract – Kapla could be the top minor league option on the blue line for the Devils, but newcomers Eric Gryba and John Ramage may have other plans.
  • One defenseman who won’t be in the mix for any NHL teams is Evgeny Medvedev. The Russian rearguard has re-signed with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk, per a team release.  Medvedev is coming off the best season of his KHL career; the Avangard captain led the team in average time on ice and recorded a career-high 30 points in 54 games. There was some speculation that, at 35 years old, this performance might spike some interest from Medvedev in taking one last shot at the NHL. He previously played for the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015-16, but underwhelmed with just 12 points in 45 games. Whether the interest was lacking from Medvedev or the NHL market, it seems he opted to just return to Omsk and – assuming he can’t top last season as he enters the twilight of his career – is likely done with the NHL for good.

Montreal Canadiens Invite Simon Despres To Training Camp

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The Montreal Canadiens will take a chance on a former top prospect, as they have signed Simon Despres to a professional tryout and invited him to their training camp. Despres played last season in the KHL, but indicated he would like another chance at an NHL career at some point. That chance is now, and the Canadiens may represent his best option while they deal with an injury to Shea Weber and need defensive depth.

Despres, 26, is from nearby Laval and is a worthwhile gamble for Montreal after recording 11 points in 44 games for Bratislava Slovan. Though he didn’t end up making the cut for the Canadian Olympic team, he did play some international games during the season and effectively proved his health on the ice. That health will obviously be the biggest factor in any potential NHL return, but the former QMJHL Defenseman of the Year was highly regarded in the early part of his career as a shutdown defender who used his long reach and good positioning to stifle offenses in his own end.

The Canadiens have already brought in other depth options like Xavier Ouellet and Mike Reilly over the last few months and could get a bigger contribution from Noah Juulsen this season, but are still looking for any way to upgrade their blue line after a disastrous 2017-18. With Weber missing a good chunk of last season, the team struggled at both even-strength and on the penalty kill. Despres doesn’t exactly fit their need of a puck-moving option, but if he can show he’s healthy enough to contribute the team could certainly use the depth.

Morning Notes: Richardson, Wiercioch, Bourque

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The Montreal Canadiens have hired Luke Richardson as an assistant coach, bringing him over from the New York Islanders where he worked under Doug Weight last season. With Barry Trotz coming in for that team it wasn’t clear where Richardson would end up, but his impressive coaching record has landed him a new role right away. Richardson retired less than a decade ago, and already has four years as an AHL head coach, four years as an NHL assistant and several appearances with Team Canada’s staff at the international level.

Richardson also had a very long and successful playing career that spanned 1,417 regular season games. Never much of an offensive threat, he was nevertheless a reliable defenseman who could log big minutes and play the penalty kill. He’ll try to help the Canadiens defense corps deal with another injury to Shea Weber which is expected to keep the star defenseman out until December. The blue line struggled without Weber last season, and will have to find a way to keep the Canadiens in the hunt through the first half of the season if Montreal expects to challenge for a playoff spot.

  • Patrick Wiercioch, who played last season with the Utica Comets of the AHL, has signed with Dinamo Minsk in the KHL. Wiercioch played 57 games for the Colorado Avalanche in 2016-17, but couldn’t find an NHL role this past season. He’ll try to build up his value in Russia, where he should receive regular minutes and a good opportunity. The 27-year old could try to make a return to the NHL at some point down the road, but for now is off the North American radar.
  • The Bridgeport Sound Tigers have signed several veteran minor league names, including Chris Bourque the league’s active points leader. Bourque, son of NHL legend Ray Bourque, has won nearly every award possible in the AHL including the Calder Cup three times. He’s coming to Bridgeport to play alongside his brother Ryan Bourque, who spent last season with the team and has re-signed on an AHL deal. Chris Bourque played for the US Olympic team this past spring, notching two points in five games during what was likely his only chance to suit up in the tournament.

Jan Kovar Signs With New York Islanders

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After garnering interest from several clubs around the league, Jan Kovar has decided on where he’ll start his NHL career. The New York Islanders today announced a one-year contract with the European free agent, ending a five-year stint in the KHL with Magnitogorsk. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that the deal is worth $2MM, as Kovar is old enough to not be held to the entry-level system.

Kovar, 28, may look like a no-brainer when it comes to bringing offense to the Islanders in the wake of John Tavares signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Czech forward has 286 points in 285 career KHL games, and was one of the better scoring threats in his home country’s leagues before that. Some though question those KHL numbers due to the fact that he played with two of the league’s best players in Danis Zaripov and Sergei Mozyakin for almost every shift. Last season, when Zaripov left the team Kovar’s numbers dropped significantly to just seven goals and 35 points in 54 games. That was despite still getting more than 20 minutes a night, something Kovar has enjoyed since entering the KHL in 2013.

Nevertheless the Islanders will try to squeeze some of that production out of Kovar this season and see if he can find his offensive touch with some of the other talented players on the roster. The center position battle will be one to watch, as Kovar, Casey Cizikas and Valtteri Filppula are all natural centers that will need minutes, while Mathew Barzal is expected to replace Tavares as the top line pivot going forward. Brock Nelson is the likely front runner to take the second-line job, but Kovar’s acquisition does complicate that somewhat.

Nelson filed for arbitration earlier this month and still hasn’t been able to post positive faceoff numbers in his career. Add that to poor possession statistics and a step backwards offensively, and he may get moved down the lineup by new head coach Barry Trotz. One thing is for sure, the front office is trying to give Trotz as much center depth as possible, something he enjoyed during his time in Washington.

Vitali Kravtsov Signs In KHL

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The New York Rangers took a calculated risk in the first round of the most recent NHL Entry Draft, when they selected big Russian winger Vitali Kravtsov ninth overall. The Rangers avoided several other top rated prospects, betting on the high-end potential that Kravtsov brings. With any Russian player though, there is always the threat of them staying in the KHL for several years and failing to join their NHL organization. For at least one season, that will be the plan for Kravtsov who today re-signed with Traktor Chelyabinsk. The deal is for just one year, at which point the Rangers will attempt again to bring their young forward over and add him to the organization. There was a very small chance that Kravtsov would play in the NHL this year, leaving the KHL as likely the best destination for his development path.

Kravtsov was always expected to stay in the KHL for this season, but some had hoped that given his new status as a top-10 pick there would be a impetus to get him into the Rangers organization right away. Instead his camp has negotiated an improved contract for the 2018-19 season with Traktor, where he’ll continue on his steep development path. The Rangers can re-visit contract negotiations in the spring after his KHL year ends, and potentially get him into minor league action before the end of the season.

The 18-year old winger played just over nine minutes a night last season with Traktor, but saw that bumped up quite a bit in the playoffs where he went on a tear offensively. Kravtsov scored 11 points in 16 games and shot up the NHL draft rankings, with teams drooling over his skilled power forward frame and excellent skating ability. If he does eventually come over—which is assumed at this point—he’s a good bet to be a versatile top-six forward who the Rangers should feel comfortable playing in nearly any situation. If he reaches his absolute ceiling, there could be a dominating offensive presence in New York for years to come.

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