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James Reimer Out Weeks With Lower Body Injury

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When the Florida Panthers recalled first-year goalie Samuel Montembeault yesterday to join fellow rookie keeper Harri Sateri, it was only a matter of time before the news came out about what injury had forced starter James Reimer to join the Panthers’ other dinged up veteran, Roberto Luongo, on the sidelines. That announcement came today, as head coach Bob Boughner told the media that Reimer will be out “a few weeks” with a pulled groin.

It’s more bad luck and tough timing for Florida, who will now have a hard time staying relevant in the Eastern Conference behind two goalies with a combined three games of NHL experience. The Cats are already 11 points outside of a wild card spot and, despite being fourth in points percentage in the Atlantic, are even farther behind for a divisional berth. Health in net has been no small factor, as both Luongo – out with a lower body injury of his own since December – and Reimer have missed time this season. In fact, the duo have only both been healthy for 21 of Florida’s 46 games. However, this will be the first time that both could be out for an extended period of time. Boughner did state today that he hopes Luongo back in practice next week, but stopped short of predicting his return to game action.

In the meantime, the bulk of the net action will fall to Sateri, beginning with the start tonight against the Metropolitan-leading Washington Capitals. Sateri, 28, isn’t your typical rookie. The Finnish journeyman returned to North America on a two-way deal with Florida following three seasons in the KHL. Prior to that, Sateri played four seasons with the AHL’s Worcester Sharks after being selected by San Jose in the fourth round in 2008 out of the Finnish Liiga. Montembeault, on the other hand, is a true rookie; the 21-year-old is in his first season out of the QMJHL after being selected by the Panthers in the third round in 2015.

Russia Announces Olympic Roster

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Even though they’ll have to compete under a neutral flag and call themselves Olympic Athletes from Russia, the RIHF didn’t shy away from their branding on the release of the 25-man roster. Team Russia is the likely favorite for the tournament, loaded with talent from the KHL including quite a few former NHL stars

The full roster is as follows:

G Igor Shestyorkin
G Ilya Sorokin
G Vasily Koshechkin

D Artyom Zub
D Dinar Khafizullin
D Vladislav Gavrikov
D Slava Voynov
D Andrei Zubarev
D Alexey Marchenko
D Bogdan Kiselevich
D Nikita Nesterov

F Ivan Telegin
F Sergei Mozyakin
F Sergei Andronov
F Pavel Datsyuk
F Sergey Kalinin
F Mikhail Grigorenko
F Ilya Kablukov
F Kirill Kaprizov
F Sergei Shirokov
F Ilya Kovalchuk
F Nikolai Prokhorkin
F Vadim Shipachyov
F Alexander Barabanov
F Nikita Gusev

Five Russian Players Not Invited To Participate At Olympics

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has extended invitations to 42 of the 47 players submitted by the Russian Ice Hockey Federation (RIHF) for consideration for the upcoming Games. Interestingly though, the IOC did not invite the following players to participate:

D Anton Belov
D Alexei Bereglazov
D Mikhail Naumenkov
F Valeri Nichushkin
F Sergei Plotnikov

The RIHF released a statement following the decision, stating that the five players have not been banned from international competitions and are not guilty of any doping violations. Still, the reasons for the snub have not been given and the RIHF has reached out for some clarity.

These would seem to be fairly important omissions for Russia, especially on defense where the club is relatively thin. By looking at the remaining names that did receive invitations one can start to see how the team will be made up. 25 names that make up the roster will will be released on Thursday.

F Sergei Andronov
F Alexander Barabanov
F Anton Burdasov
D Vyacheslav Voynov
D Vladislav Gavrikov
F Nikita Gusev
F Mikhail Grigorenko
F Pavel Datsyuk
G Vasily Demchenko
D Artyom Zub
D Andrei Zubarev
F Sergey Kalinin
F Kirill Kaprizov
D Bogdan Kiselevich
F Ilya Kovalchuk
G Vasily Koshechkin
F Ilya Kablukov
F Evgeny Ketov
F Pavel Kraskovsky
F Yegor Korshkov
F Roman Lyubimov
D Ilya Lyubushkin
D Alexey Marchenko
F Sergei Mozyakin
D Nikita Nesterov
F Nikolai Prokhorkin
D Yegor Rykov
G Ilya Samsonov
F Andrei Svetlakov
G Ilya Sorokin
F Viktor Tikhonov
F Ivan Telegin
F Vladimir Tkachyov (unclear which one)
D Nikita Tryamkin
F Maxim Shalunov
G Alexander Sharychenkov
F Sergei Shirokov
F Vadim Shipachyov
F Sergei Shumakov
G Igor Shestyorkin
F Dinar Khafizullin
D Yegor Yakovlev

Conspicuously missing is Andrei Markov, who has had a very successful season for Ak-Bars in the KHL after leaving the Montreal Canadiens, scoring 28 points in 52 games. Why he was left off the preliminary list is unclear, though perhaps they wanted to go in a younger direction on defense.

Tolvanen, Heiskanen Named To Olympic Roster

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Among those named to Team Finland’s Olympic roster today are two very interesting prospects drafted less than a year ago: Miro Heiskanen and Eeli Tolvanen. Both players suited up for their country at the World Junior Championship just weeks ago, but will now represent Finland on the international stage once again. Heiskanen, the third-overall pick, is property of the Dallas Stars and a huge part of their future on the blueline. The silky smooth two-way defender commands a game with his incredible positioning and easy decision making. With 14 points in 20 games for HIFK Helsinki, he’s already showing that he can compete with professionals of the highest caliber.

Tolvanen on the other hand fell all the way to 30th in the 2017 draft because of some issues regarding where he would play this season. Originally tabbed to join the NCAA ranks, he was denied admission at the last second and instead joined the KHL. It has paid off for the Nashville Predators’ prospect, breaking Evgeny Kuznetsov’s record for points by an 18-year old with 33 in 44 games. A shoot-first winger capable of scoring almost at will, Tolvanen could be used as a powerplay weapon in the Olympics.

Olli Juolevi, a Vancouver Canucks prospect and candidate for a spot on the team, was not selected to the final roster. The full roster can be found below:

G Mikko Koskinen
G Karri Ramo
G Juha Metsola

D Mikko Lehtonen
D Tommi Kivisto
D Lasse Kukkonen
D Sami Lepisto
D Juuso Heitanen
D Miro Heiskanen
D Miika Koivisto
D Atte Ohtamaa

F Marko Anttila
F Julius Junttila
F Eeli Tolvanen
F Joonas Kemppainen
F Jani Lajunen
F Jonas Enlund
F Petri Kontiola
F Mika Pyorala
F Jarno Koskirant
F Oskar Osala
F Sakari Manninen
F Teemu Hartikainen
F Jukka Peltola
F Veli-Matti Savinainen

Minnesota Wild Finally Meet With Kirill Kaprizov

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In a story that has been worthy of Abbott and Costello at points due to the vast amounts of misunderstandings, Kirill Kaprizov has finally sat down with Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher, nearly three years after the team selected the Russian forward in the fifth round. Michael Russo of The Athletic has been following the story closely since the beginning, and now reports that Fletcher met with Kaprizov and fellow prospect Andrei Svetlakov on Tuesday night.

Kaprizov is a dynamic forward who has found nearly unparalleled success in the KHL for a player of his age, registering 42 points in 49 games last year at 19, and 36 in 38 games this season at 20. His offensive upside makes him one of the most interesting prospects in the game, and one that Minnesota would put on their NHL squad right now if they had the chance. Unfortunately, as Russo explains, Kaprizov is signed through the 2019-20 season and neither side has talked about a potential buyout. The Wild won’t lose his rights, but they’ll have to wait a while for him to come to North America.

In the meantime, Wild fans will likely be able to see him in some international competitions. While he’s not guaranteed a spot on the Olympic team, there’s a good chance we’ll see Kaprizov suit up in the World Championships at some point. If Fletcher can continue to create a relationship, perhaps we’ll see him in a Minnesota uniform in fall of 2020.

Minor Transactions: 01/01/18

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The 2018 portion of the season is underway, and with it teams can try to turn the page on whatever problems they faced last year. In places like Edmonton and Ottawa, perhaps the new year will bring success. As always, we’ll keep an eye on the minor transactions around the league and report them right here.

  • The Florida Panthers have recalled Maxim Mamin from the minor leagues, giving the 22-year old forward a promotion for his solid play in the AHL this year. Mamin has 15 points in 23 games as a rookie for Springfield, after coming over from the KHL this season.
  • Peter Cehlarik has been sent to the AHL now that he’s healthy and ready to play again, as the Boston Bruins don’t want to mix things up. The team is on a long hot streak and seem to have found a good recipe up front. Cehlarik, who has played in just five games for the Bruins this season, will head back to the minor leagues where he’s been extremely effective since coming over from Sweden.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have called up A.J. Greer from the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. With Sven Andrighetto day-to-day with a minor injury, Greer provides another option if he is unable to go. Greer, the Avs’ 2015 second-rounder, has just one point in six games with Colorado in 2017-18, but has ten in sixteen with San Antonio, on pace to set a new career-high in points in his second pro season. It may only be a matter of time before the power forward is a regular in Denver, with this promotion his newest opportunity to make his case.

Eeli Tolvanen Could Be Late-Season Addition For Predators

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Despite being under contract this season with Jokerit of the KHL, Adam Vingan of the Tennessean reports that Eeli Tolvanen could still play a role for the Nashville Predators. Vingan spoke to GM David Poile, who told him a late-season addition of Tolvanen “might be probable.” The KHL regular season ends at the beginning of March, but his contract—which runs through April 30th—would need to get an early termination similar to Vladimir Sobotka last season.

As Vingan points out, if Jokerit were to make the finals of the Gagarin Cup playoffs Tolvanen could be involved in KHL games all the way up to April 26th, which would also be several weeks into the NHL playoffs. The club is currently in second place in the Tarasov Division, only behind CSKA Moscow, and are destined for a playoff run.

Tolvanen was selected 30th-overall in the most recent NHL Entry Draft but made an impact right away in the KHL, and is now playing big minutes for the Finnish World Junior team in Buffalo. He’s also in consideration for the Finnish Olympic squad heading to Pyeongchang in February, which would certainly make his first season of professional hockey something to remember. The 18-year old was drafted out of the USHL, where he recorded 54 points in 52 games for the Sioux City Musketeers last season.

He does have a player option for next season with Jokerit, but the Predators will try to get him signed to his entry-level contract well before that. Remember, if he signs his deal this season and gets into 10 games with the Predators (regular season and playoffs combined) he would burn an entry-level year. That might be worth it for Nashville if he can play a role in a potential playoffs run, and could be enticing to him as a way to get to restricted free agent status earlier.

2017 Year In Review: May

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2017 has been quite a busy year in the hockey world. There have been several big trades, the first expansion team in over 15 years, and much more. Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis. Next up is a look at May.

Playoff Injuries Abound: As teams continued their chase of the Stanley Cup, their bodies began to break down. As each subsequent round was completed, and teams were eliminated from the playoffs, reports of surgery and rehab surfaced daily. Players like Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask, Jason Zucker, Andrej Sekera and Ryan Johansen all went under the knife in May, with the Anaheim Ducks perhaps announcing the worst of the bunch. Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen would both require shoulder surgery, not only putting the start of their 2017-18 seasons in jeopardy but complicating the expansion process for the Ducks. A seemingly inevitable Vatanen trade was put on hold until just recently, when he was sent to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Henrique.

Toronto Bolsters Blueline: The Toronto Maple Leafs had some depth issues on their blueline in 2016-17, when Morgan Rielly was forced to log big minutes despite suffering from a high-ankle sprain for much of the season. They decided to add to that depth when they signed both Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman out of the SHL, and locked up a key newcomer long-term. Nikita Zaitsev officially signed his seven-year, $31.5MM extension on May 2nd, ensuring he’d be part of the core for some time.

Ben BishopBig Ben In Big D: The Dallas Stars, coming off an extremely disappointing season, decided that something had to be done about their goaltending duo of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. The Stars went out and traded for Ben Bishop, almost immediately signing him to a six-year, $29.5MM contract. Because Bishop was set to become an unrestricted free agent and was coming off one of his worst seasons in the NHL, he cost the Stars just a fourth-round pick. An improvement in Bishop’s play was one of the keys we identified recently for a potential Stars turnaround, after which he immediately posted a 24-save shutout against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Buffalo Gets Botterill: After canning their coach and GM the previous month, the Buffalo Sabres announced that Jason Botterill, formerly an assistant GM with the Pittsburgh Penguins, would be the new man to captain their ship. Botterill had some interim GM experience with Pittsburgh, but had never truly been the head man before and had a tough task ahead of him in Buffalo. The Sabres are once again one of the worst teams in the NHL, but have their star locked up long-term and several blue chip prospects on their way.

Vadim, Las Vegas: On May 4th, 2017 the Vadim Shipachyov era in Vegas officially began when the team announced a two-year, $9MM contract for the Russian star. Shipachyov was just the second player to sign with the Golden Knights, and was immediately penciled into their first line. Unfortunately, the rest of 2017 would not go as smoothly. Shipachyov was first left off the NHL roster to begin the season, and would eventually terminate his contract with Vegas in order to return to the KHL. He scored one goal during his brief NHL career, and has spoken quite candidly about the disappointing situation.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Moses, Couture, Nassau

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In an odd bit of news, the Rochester Americans announced that minor league forward Steve Moses has been suspended indefinitely for breach of contract. The team made clear to indicate that it will not comment again on the matter, leaving a bit of mystery left behind.

This isn’t the first sort of story like this for Moses, who signed a one-year, $1MM deal with the Nashville Predators in 2015-16 only to agree to terminate it after he was relegated to the minor leagues. He returned to the KHL last year where he won a Gagarin Cup with SKA St. Petersburg, but came back to North America again this season. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with his contract this time around.

  • Logan Couture isn’t going to be back anytime soon for the San Jose Sharks, at least not without significant improvement from his latest concussion. That’s what he told Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, bluntly stating “I’m not playing if I don’t feel good. It could be one game, it could be 10 games, it could be a whole season.” That’s not what Sharks fans want to hear while the team finds themselves in third place in the Pacific Division and in striking distance of the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights.
  • Now that the New York Islanders have a new arena set to be ready for the 2020-21 season, they now have to focus on where to play for the next few years. They won’t be leaving Barclays Center until 2019 at the earliest, but the NHL had previously been against them returning to Nassau Coliseum. Now, with a new building on the horizon, that stance may have softened a bit. According to Brett Cyrgalis of Newsday, the NHL won’t rule out the Islanders playing the 2019-20 season in their old home, before jumping to the brand new Belmont Park location.

Blackhawks’ Ivan Nalimov Released By KHL Team

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It’s no secret that the KHL and it’s member teams are struggling financially. The uncapped nature of the international league has led to a wide gap in competitive balance and an inflation in salaries that the teams toward the bottom have a hard time paying, but still have to sign if they hope to stay somewhat competitive. However, those decisions have caught up to many clubs who in many cases delayed their payments to players by months at a time and, beginning this off-season, were even forced to cut good players who they simply could not afford.

This unfortunate pattern has not ended and the most recent casualty is young goaltender Ivan Nalimov. Nalimov, who was a sixth-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks back in 2014, has been developing his game in his native Russia with Admiral Vladivostok ever since. Yet, in the midst of a breakout campaign, Nalimov was forced to terminate his contract with the team, citing financial struggles as the main reason, according to KHL insider Aivis Kalnins. Admiral, who sits at the bottom of the KHL’s Chernyshev Division, has the unfortunate and unchangeable situation of being the farthest east team in a league primarily located in western Russia. With high travel expenses and a poor record, the team clearly felt they had little reason to keep paying some of their best – and most well-compensated – players and did not work quickly to solve their payment problems. That apparently includes the 23-year-old Nalimov, who has an impeccable 1.98 GAA and .942 save percentage in 17 games this season. Those numbers place Nalimov among the top goaltenders in the KHL this season, alongside New York Rangers prospect Igor Shestyorkin and veteran Swedish superstar Lars Johansson. However, while those goalies’ teams lead their respective divisions and the pair will get the chance to contend for a title this season, Nalimov’s future is now a total unknown.

 So what’s next for Nalimov? The Athletic’s Scott Powers says not the NHL. Agent Shumi Babaev told Powers that they are assessing their options, but no discussions have been had with Chicago GM Stan Bowman and Nalimov is not anticipating a jump overseas just yet. Despite the young goalie’s impressive season, the Blackhawks are set at the NHL level in goal and Nalimov would rather play in the KHL than AHL. He could certainly benefit from more development time in Europe anyway. There’s no clear answer right now as to what the next step is for Nalimov, though simply signing with another KHL team, one with a more stable financial status, seems highly likely.  The talented young keeper is certainly worth keeping an eye on as he determines how his hockey future will proceed.

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