Teddy Purcell, Lauri Korpikoski Sign Overseas
Two of the more notable names left without an NHL contract when the 2017-18 season began have come to terms on new deals elsewhere. Teddy Purcell, a former 65-point scorer who of late was on a PTO with the Boston Bruins, signed with the KHL’s Avangard Omsk today, the team announced. Lauri Korpikoski, fresh off a strong campaign with the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets, somewhat surprisingly drew little attention this off-season and has now signed with the ZSC Lions of the NLA, according to a team release. The former Edmonton teammates will each look to rejuvenate their careers overseas this season.
Purcell, 32, was had a roller coaster career. The undrafted University of Maine product made a surprise jump to the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings in 2007-08 after just one year of college and made an immediate impact. After being swapped for Jeff Halpern early in his career, Purcell took off with the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring 51 points his first season and 65 the next. His scoring continued, but that didn’t stop the Bolts from trading him to the Edmonton Oilers, who in turn traded him to the Florida Panthers less than two years later. During this time, Purcell had continued to be a consistent scorer no matter where he landed. So, when Purcell given nearly no attention in the free agent market last year and ended up back in L.A. and soon after buried in the minors, it came as a shock to many. This time around, no one was surprised when Purcell was unable to turn his tryout in Boston into a contract, but the fact remains that there is still no evidence that Purcell ever stopped being a solid play-making forward. Now in Russia, Purcell has the potential to light it up with Avangard. Don’t be surprised if the swift winger scores early and often in the KHL and catches the eye of the Canadian Olympic team.
As for Korpikoski, his off-season went much like Purcell’s last year. 20 points in 60 games aren’t eye-popping numbers, but it was a pleasantly surprising season for Korpikoski in Dallas. The two-way forward had never been a big producer – his career high 40 points came back in 2010-11 with the Phoenix Coyotes, a team on which he was pressed into a top-six role due to a lack of talent – but Korpikoski had made a career out of his well-rounded game. A 2004 first-round pick of the New York Rangers, the now-31-year-old was a hard-working and reliable player for long stretches in New York and Arizona, but a drop-off in production in the desert and a subsequent trade to the Edmonton Oilers in 2015 looked like the beginning of the end. Yet, the Stars took a gamble last summer and it paid off with a sold effort from Korpikoski and a trade return of young defenseman Dillon Heatherington from Columbus at the deadline. However, the renewed interest never came and Korpikoski has had to settle for Switzerland. With ZSC, Korpikoski will join a talented NLA team and will get a chance to skate alongside NHL veterans like Robert Nilsson and Drew Shore. While Finland is in better shape for the upcoming Winter Games than the U.S. or Canada, don’t count out the possibility of the veteran Finn winger from getting the call to go to Pyeongchang as well.
Potential Out Clause For Alexei Bereglazov
When reports came out this summer that New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal would have to win his job in camp, many people immediately assumed he would not be able to. After all, he now had to battle it out with several younger, more mobile options. The Rangers had brought in Neal Pionk, Anthony DeAngelo, and Russian defender Alexei Bereglazov to compete for spots. Instead, none of the three are on the roster as the Rangers get set to take on the Arizona Coyotes tonight, and Bereglazov especially is an interesting case.
Bereglazov signed a two-year, entry-level contract this summer with the team after showing some improved offensive ability. The 23-year old KHL veteran has yet to see any action with the Rangers, instead suiting up for their AHL affiliate in Hartford. His deal always had a reported European Assignment Clause, meaning he could return to Russia should he find himself in the minors, and now Yevgeni Belousov of Sport-Express has been told a decision could be made at the beginning of November. That news comes from the VP of Bereglazov’s former team in Magnitogorsk, and shouldn’t be taken to mean that the defender has any problem with staying in North American and playing in the AHL. He hasn’t indicated anything like that, and it comes with no surprise that Magnitogorsk would want him back.
There doesn’t seem to be an opening at the NHL level right now, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be at any moment. While DeAngelo has seemingly blown his latest chance at a full-time role, a Bereglazov recall could be just a single injury away. It’s also interesting to note that just today Magnitogorsk re-signed Chris Lee, the veteran defender who had been trying to earn a job in the NHL. Since he’s expected to log big minutes in the KHL once again, perhaps it is a little less appealing of a destination to the young Russian.
Chris Lee Signs One-Year Deal In KHL
One of the best stories in hockey last year was Chris Lee, the 37-year old defenseman who turned an invite to the World Championships and a freak injury to Tyson Barrie into a showcase for his talent. Lee had never played a game in the NHL, but suddenly was thrust into a key role on Team Canada after Barrie was injured while wrestling in his hotel room. He found immediate success as a puck-moving piece for the Canadians, logging two assists in seven games.
Lee tried to spin his silver medal performance into an NHL contract, but after attending training camp with the Kings on a professional tryout, has now signed a one-year deal to return to the KHL according to Igor Eronko of Sport-Express. Lee will suit up for his old team in Magnitogorsk, where he registered 65 points last season.
The intriguing part will be whether Lee suits up for Team Canada once again in Pyeongchang at the 2018 Winter Olympics, now that he won’t be tied to an NHL team. The veteran defenseman, who logged four successful years in the AHL before heading overseas, would likely be one of Canada’s best options. His experience in the KHL may prove even more important than his skill, as the Russian Olympic team will be made up almost exclusively of KHL talent.
Florida’s Roberto Luongo Placed On IR
Florida Panther goaltender Roberto Luongo was placed on injured reserve Saturday after suffering an injury to his right hand in 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to Matthew DeFranks of the Sun Sentinel. He left the game after getting injured in the third period, forcing backup James Reimer to take over for the remainder of the game. Reimer finished the game allowing one goal on 12 shots. The injury happened when Pittsburgh’s Conor Sheary sped by and Luongo got his hand caught between him and the goalpost.
The 38-year-old goaltender has struggled early on in the season in four starts. His 3.55 GAA, despite the small sample size, has been disappointing, especially after a down year a season ago when he had a 2.68 GAA.
Now, Reimer will take over in net for the time being. The 29-year-old backup split much of last season with Luongo as Reimer made 42 appearances and often outplayed the veteran. Reimer finished last year with a 2.53 GAA, but a respectable .920 save percentage. This year, Reimer has made three appearances with a 4.11 GAA and a .880 save percentage.
The team already recalled Harri Sateri from the Springfield Thunderbirds this morning. The 27-year-old signed with Florida this offseason after spending the last three years playing in the KHL.
Minor Notes: Mironov, Van Riemsdyk, Svechnikov
The Colorado Avalanche have sent Andrei Mironov to the San Antonio Rampage on a conditioning stint according to Igor Eronko of Sport-Express. Mironov has been a healthy scratch for the Avalanche since the first game of the season, but as Mike Chambers wrote Tuesday for the Denver Post, was becoming acclimated to North America with the help of the other Colorado Russian-born players.
Now, he’ll have to fend for himself so to speak in the minor leagues as he tries to learn the defensive game on smaller rinks. Mironov was drafted in the fourth round a few years ago, but has shown solid upside as a potential shutdown defender. After playing five seasons in the KHL, Mironov signed with the Avalanche this spring to start his North American career.
- Trevor van Riemsdyk has been activated as expected by the Carolina Hurricanes after recovering from a concussion suffered in the season-opener. The team had experimented with Trevor Carrick, but will likely plug van Riemsdyk back into the lineup tonight against the Calgary Flames. They had been carrying just six defensemen after sending Carrick back to the AHL, meaning there will be no corresponding move necessary.
- Evgeny Svechnikov is also healthy after an injury held him out of the first part of the season. The difference is that Svechnikov has been sent to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to begin his season, not quite ready for the NHL just yet. Svechnikov made his NHL debut last season when he got into two games for the Detroit Red Wings, but was instrumental in the Griffins’ Calder Cup victory. In 93 total minor league games last year, the first-round pick scored 63 points. He’ll likely make it up to the NHL before long if he shows he’s healthy.
- When the Buffalo Sabres brought in Jason Botterill as GM this summer, he promised that more emphasis would be placed on the Rochester Americans and their success. The organization has made another move to try and beef up the Amerks, bringing Stuart Percy in on a professional tryout. Percy was a first-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2011, and has found solid success in the minor leagues previously. The Buffalo GM is intimately familiar with his game, as he played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins last year, who Botterill ran for the Pittsburgh organization.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have completed another goalie transaction, flipping Maxime Lagace for Oscar Dansk according to our friends at Roster Resource. Lagace didn’t get into a game as Malcolm Subban has taken the reins in Vegas, and this move likely allows both goaltenders to stay fresh.
Vegas Recalls Vadim Shipachyov, Will Make Debut Sunday
The Vegas Golden Knights have finally recalled center Vadim Shipachyov today from the Chicago Wolves, tweeted Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. In a corresponding move, Johnston tweets that Vegas has placed Erik Haula on injured reserve after a fight with Detroit’s Tomas Tatar last night.
For Shipachyov, it’s been a long wait to make his NHL debut. Considered to be a key signing by Vegas and quite possibly one of their best playmakers on the team, Shipachyov fell into a numbers crunch with the team’s extreme defensive depth of non-waiver eligible defensemen. In hopes of making a late trade, general manager George McPhee instead decided to option the Russian center to avoid having to place one of those defensemen on waivers and lose them. The 30-year-old has played his entire career in the KHL, putting up big numbers last season for St. Petersburg with 26 goals, 50 assists and 76 points, all career-highs. He signed a two-year deal with Vegas on May 4.
Instead, while he had been optioned to Chicago in the AHL, he never played for them, having stayed in Vegas. There were reports he was upset about the situation and his agents were looking for a way out of his contract situation. McPhee later said that he had no options, although that might be debateable, however, he said he spoke to Shipachyov’s camp and explained the situation better to the KHL veteran. Now, it looks like Shipachyov will make his debut Sunday at T-Mobile Arena against the Boston Bruins.
As for Haula, the 26-year-old wing has had a goal and an assist in four games. Claimed from the Minnesota Wild in the expansion draft, Haula had 15 goals and 26 points for the Wild last season and did score his lone goal last night against the Red Wings. The speedy wing had trouble getting minutes in Minnesota despite four years with the team and then chose to sign a three-year deal with Vegas, making him the Wild’s expansion selection.
Overseas Notes: Da Costa, Streit, Steen
Yet another NHL veteran who was trying to hold out for a new contract in North America is now close to settling for European employment. The Swiss Hockey News reports that Stephane Da Costa is nearing an agreement with Geneve-Servette of the Swiss NLA. Da Costa, 28, was a superstar at Merrimack College from 2009 to 2011 and looked to be the next great story in the NHL after signing with the Ottawa Senators – an undrafted player coming from a non-traditional hockey country of France. While Da Costa proved to be a lethal producer in the AHL, he could never quite stick in Ottawa and left the NHL in 2012. Da Costa spent the past three years with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, putting up solid numbers, but it has been his international play on the part of France that has really turned heads. Beginning with a stellar 10-point performance at the World Championships last spring, Da Costa had reportedly been drawing interest from NHL teams and fully planned on playing with the world’s best this season. Yet, with the new season underway, those offers never came and it seems Da Costa is now ready to move on. While Geneve-Servette is off to a tough start in the NLA – second-to-last currently – they are not without considerable talent up front, including NHL veterans Nathan Gerbe, Nick Spaling, and Cody Almond, as well as San Jose Sharks prospect Noah Rod. Da Costa could help kick start a team that typically performs near the top of the NLA and made it to the final of the 2017 Swiss Cup tournament.
- Da Costa hasn’t yet signed with Geneve-Servette, but by the time he does he may no longer be the biggest name in terms of recent additions. With Mark Streit being placed on waivers by the Montreal Canadiens yesterday (with a very good chance of clearing today), it seems more likely that the veteran defenseman will ask for his release than be assigned to the AHL but the Canadiens. Given that the soon-to-be-40-year-old could have simply rode off into the sunset after winning the Stanley Cup last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, it is clear that he wants to keep playing. That opportunity will likely come in his native country of Switzerland, where Streit has suited up for the NLA’s HC Davos, ZSC Lions, and SC Bern over his career. A return home to much fanfare and a chance to play in the Olympics seems like much more fitting end for Streit than playing in the minors
- A seemingly minor move in the KHL could be of some interest to Boston Bruins fans. In a round-up of their minor transaction over the past few days, the league revealed that the rights to forward Oskar Steen, Boston’s sixth-round pick in 2016, had been acquired by SKA St. Petersburg. While Steen has been playing for Farjestad of the SHL for three years now, an opportunity to play for SKA may be tough for the young Swede forward to pass up. Farjestad is no slouch, but SKA has been wildly successful in recent years, winning two of the past three KHL titles and again tearing up the league with a 17-point lead over the next-best team. SKA graduated players like Vadim Shipachyov and Evgeni Dadonov to the NHL this off-season, but still carry top prospects like Nikita Gusev and Igor Shestyorkin and talented veterans like Ilya Kovalchuk, Viktor Tikhonov, Sergei Plotnikov, and even long-time defenseman Maxim Chudinov, former property of the Bruins. Joining that mix could be a good career-move for the under-utilized Steen, could give SKA a further boost, and could help round out yet another promising prospect to add to the Bruins’ ranks.
James Wisniewski Signs in Germany
Globetrotter James Wisniewski is back at it. The former high-scoring NHL defenseman split the 2016-17 season with clubs around the planet, beginning with Admiral Vladivostok of the KHL, a brief stop with Swiss club Lugano for the Spengler Cup, and wrapping up the campaign back home in the U.S. with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. With his pleas for NHL employment seemingly unanswered, Wisniewski is off to a new destination to begin what could be another whirlwind season.
Like fellow NHL veteran defenseman Mark Stuart, Wisniewski too has signed on in Germany for his next hockey adventure. However, the major – and surprising – difference between the two deals is that Stuart has joined German powerhouse Adler Manheim, while Wisniewski has agreed to terms with the Kassel Huskies of the DEL2, the second tier of German professional hockey. The team issued an excited press release announcing their big acquisition (link in German), as Wisnieksi is a caliber of player the likes of which has never been seen in Kassel, a small city in the center of the country. Wisniewski will be the first NHL veteran to ever suit up for the Huskies and one of only a small group to ever play in the league at all.
The strange fit for the talented Wisniewksi is made more sensible in the context of what promises to be another season of multiple stops. It has already been mentioned that Wisniewski is a likely candidate to put on the Team USA sweater at the 2018 Olympics and, following that international showcase, could easily return home to the states with many of his AHL-contracted teammates and may even perform well enough to draw interest as a stretch run addition in the NHL. Wisniewski continues to find unique ways to extend his playing career and, while he hasn’t played in an NHL game since he was injured in the Carolina Hurricanes’ season opener in 2015, his undeniable ability and dedication to the game will keep him relevant in the world of hockey. Until Wisniewski calls it quits (unlikely), it’s difficult to rule out a potential return to the NHL down the road. Only now, he’ll have the designation of being the first to work his way through the German minor leagues en route to his comeback.
Latest On Vadim Shipachyov
2:35pm: Vegas GM George McPhee spoke to reporters, including those from SinBin.vegas, to clarify the Shipachyov situation. McPhee said that Shipachyov’s camp didn’t understand the situation at the beginning, but do now and that “he can’t [return to the KHL], he’s under contract with us.”
While that’s partly true, Shipachyov can’t just go home to play in the KHL, he could technically “retire” from the NHL to return home. It would void his contract, burn bridges and likely be the very last option. It’s more likely that he just waits out this period and eventually makes his return to the Golden Knights.
11:06am: The Vegas Golden Knights were backed into a corner to start the year, unable to trade any of their NHL defensemen. Unwilling to lose any on waivers for nothing, the team instead decided to send Vadim Shipachyov and Shea Theodore—two waiver-exempt players—to the minor leagues despite being obvious NHL talents. Shipachyov especially was an interesting choice, after the team signed him to a two-year $9MM contract this summer.
Now, according to a report out of Russia, Shipachyov’s representatives are already looking for a way out of the contract. The 30-year old KHL veteran isn’t with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, despite being listed on their opening roster, and is also not travelling with the Golden Knights.
Obviously, this entire fiasco (if you can even call it that) could be resolved at any moment by an injury or opening a roster spot through trade or waivers. The Golden Knights could recall Shipachyov to the NHL, plug him into the lineup and forget anything even happened. But as long as he remains off the roster—Vegas is now 2-0 after their first two games—the more defecting back to Russia for the KHL and Olympics would seem attractive. Of course, that would mean sacrificing his salary with the Golden Knights.
There is no telling if that option is a realistic one, or if this is just a way of his camp expressing their frustration with the situation. While taking the idea of defection with a grain of salt, expect the speculation around the Golden Knights trade block to continue to increase.
Andreas Athanasiou Heading To Switzerland
Detroit Red Wings restricted free agent forward Andreas Athanasiou remains unsigned… for now. The latest news on the league’s last remaining RFA comes from TSN’s Bob McKenzie, who shares that Athanasiou is on his way to Switzerland to skate with HC Lugano of the NLA. McKenzie was quick to add that Athanasiou has not signed Lugano and is still evaluating his options, but his commitment to going overseas for the time being raises more doubts that he will suit up in the NHL this season.
A recent poll revealed that most fans felt Athanasiou and former holdout Josh Anderson would each re-sign with their respective teams. The second most popular answer was that the pair would both play overseas. Anderson has done his part to prove true the majority, re-upping with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but Athanasiou has not made any similar progress with Detroit and seems more likely to join in the dissenting opinion. Interestingly, it was Anderson who had been connected to the NLA this off-season, with Athanasiou reportedly fielding offers from the KHL. Athanasiou may still end up in Russia, but with an influx of talent heading to the NLA in recent years and the the past success of Lugano, who has not missed the playoffs in six years, the team is far from a poor fit. Athanasiou would be skating alongside former Red Wing Damien Brunner, as well as NHL veterans Maxim Lapierre and Bobby Sanguinetti should he sign with Lugano and the talented group could very well make a title run in 2017-18.
Still, the best thing for Athanasiou and for hockey is for the skilled 23-year-old to stay in North America. In just his second NHL season, the young center scored 18 goals and defied expectations for a Detroit team with few bright spots. The Red Wings may not want to overpay – in salary or term – for Athanasiou, who did have an unsustainable 15% shooting percentage in 2016-17 and is only in the early stages of developing a defensive game, but the best decision is always to work things out. Just ask the Dallas Stars, who missed the playoffs last season and had to go on a spending spree this summer in hopes of righting the ship. They would love to have Valeri Nichushkin back, the talented young winger who left the team in the summer of 2016 to head to the KHL, where he remains, after failing to come to terms in restricted free agency. Maybe the Red Wings would rather trade Athanasiou or maybe they’ll realize their mistake and work out a contract. Either way, there seems to be little upside to simply losing the scoring youth for this season (or longer). Athanasiou skating with Lugano may just be the straw that finally breaks Ken Holland‘s back.