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Brennan Menell Signs In KHL

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The Minnesota Wild have lost a promising young prospect, at least for the time being. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that Brennan Menell has signed a one-year contract with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL. In a follow-up tweet, Russo explained that Russo is “likely gone for good” even though the Wild can retain his rights temporarily by issuing him a qualifying offer. Menell is scheduled to become a restricted free agent when his three-year entry-level contract expires later this fall.

The 23-year old was an undrafted free agent signing in 2017 and quickly became one of the most dynamic defensemen in the AHL. Menell recorded 47 points in 57 games for the Iowa Wild this season and even made his NHL debut, suiting up five times for Minnesota. Named to the First All-Star Team in the AHL this season, it looked like the young defenseman was on a path directly to the NHL at some point in the future.

Now, he’ll head to the KHL where he could very well find even more success. You can bet you’ll hear his name again in the future as a potential signing, but cross him off the list of potential roster players for Minnesota in 2020-21. Even with Menell’s situation resolved, Wild GM Bill Guerin has a long list of restricted free agents to deal with this summer, including Luke Kunin, Jordan Greenway and AHL Goaltender of the Year Kaapo Kahkonen. We recently examined the upcoming offseason and the biggest needs that Guerin faces.

Morning Notes: Maple Leafs, Minnesota, McDonagh

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The Toronto Maple Leafs cleared some cap room yesterday when they moved Kasperi Kapanen to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they aren’t done yet. James Mirtle of The Athletic reports that several other Maple Leafs players are “being dangled to varying degrees” including starting goaltender Frederik Andersen. Andersen would apparently only cost a single “low-cost” asset, as the cap room would be the big addition for a Toronto team looking to improve in other areas. The 30-year old Andersen is only signed through 2020-21 and carries a $5MM cap hit, but just experienced his worst season in the NHL.

Alexander Kerfoot, Andreas Johnsson and Pierre Engvall are the other names mentioned, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given the forward core the Maple Leafs still employ. If the top-four names—Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and William Nylander—aren’t going anywhere, the team will have to move on from those second-tier players if they are to shed any more salary.

  • The Minnesota Wild have added Frederic Chabot and Brett McLean to their coaching staff, while extending the contracts of Darby Hendrickson, Bob Woods and Jonas Plumb. Chabot will take over duties as the team’s goaltender coach, while McLean will join the club as an assistant, the same role he filled for the AHL’s Iowa Wild. The pair join Dean Evason’s team after the interim tag was removed from him last month. Evason signed a two-year contract after taking over from Bruce Boudreau midseason.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning still won’t have Ryan McDonagh in the lineup tonight as they take on the Boston Bruins in the second half of a back-to-back.  The veteran defenseman has already been ruled out, meaning the rest of the Lightning defense corps will need to carry a little more responsibility this evening. McDonagh played just 15 minutes in a game one loss and missed yesterday’s thrilling overtime victory.

Offseason Keys: Minnesota Wild

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As teams are eliminated from the playoffs, it means that the offseason has arrived for several more squads.  Having covered the teams that weren’t a part of the NHL’s return, we shift our focus to the ones that have been ousted.  Next up is a look at Minnesota.

This season was another one that could be classified as same old, same old for the Wild.  They weren’t bad enough to be in the lottery nor were they good enough to be in the playoffs under the normal format.  They ended their regular season on a better note following the coaching change from Bruce Boudreau to Dean Evason but it didn’t translate to much success in the play-in against Vancouver.  GM Bill Guerin certainly has some work to do over the coming months which will include these key items.

Add An Impact Center

This one has been at the top of their to-do list for a while now and unfortunately for Minnesota, this isn’t the best year to try to get one.  The UFA market is bereft of top pivots and trading for a top liner is probably something they’re not going to be able to do either.

But even at this point, a capable second liner would be an improvement on their current situation.  Mikko Koivu has seen better days and is a pending unrestricted free agent.  Even if he returns, he’s better suited for a bottom-six role.  Alex Galchenyuk, who has spent a lot of time on the wing and was included as salary ballast in a trade in February, is one of the better centers in this UFA class which says everything you need to know about that group of free agents.  He had some good moments after joining the Wild and it’s possible that he could return.  But given how his last couple of years have gone, that can’t be the only move they make at that position.

On top of that, Eric Staal is only a year away from UFA eligibility.  He’ll be 37 early in the 2021-22 campaign so he’s not going to be in the picture for long, even if he’s brought back.

This will be an interesting situation to follow.  The Wild simply have to make a move (or two) to shore up this position.  Their hand is being forced by their free agent situation and realistically, their only option is to trade for one and other general managers won’t be lining up to throw Guerin a lifeline.  But one way or the other, they need to add at least one notable center in the coming months.

Determine Brodin’s Future

Jonas Brodin has been a key cog on Minnesota’s back end for his entire eight-year NHL career.  However, he has frequently been involved in trade speculation for the last few years.  Minnesota has been looking to shake things up for a while now and an impact defenseman would certainly do that although any move would definitely leave a hole on their back end as well.

The 27-year-old has one year left on his contract which has opened the window for contract extension talks.  Although his offensive numbers typically aren’t the highest (though he had 28 points this season, a new career best), his defensive play and ability to log heavy minutes will have him in line to earn a nice raise on his $4.167MM AAV.

However, the Wild have three blueliners locked up on long-term deals already with Jared Spurgeon and Ryan Suter both making a little over $7.5MM while Mathew Dumba checks in at $6MM.  Can they afford to add a fourth defender at or around that price point?

If the answer is no or they at least can’t agree to terms on a new deal, the time may be right to move Brodin after all.  His below-market deal will be appealing to teams that are looking to make a splash but have limited cap room to work with.  An in-season trade would be harder to pull off with many teams likely to be capped out by then so if there’s no momentum on an extension, a move may be in his future.  That would be one way to try to fill their void down the middle.

Add Goalie Help

A year ago, it seemed unlikely that this would be on Minnesota’s needs list at this time.  Devan Dubnyk was coming off of a solid season and Alex Stalock’s three-year deal was set to kick in.  How quickly things can change.  Dubnyk’s campaign was nothing short of a disaster to the point where a buyout or a trade with considerable salary retention (the maximum is 50%) both have to be on the table.  Stalock did well as a backup but when he was put into the number one role, he faltered a bit.  He’s fine as the second option but bringing Dubnyk back would be risky.

The Wild have Kaapo Kahkonen in the system who is coming off of an outstanding season with AHL Iowa.  However, even though he’s already 24, he only has a couple of years in North America under his belt and is still exempt from waivers.  Another year in the minors to give him some extra development time certainly wouldn’t hurt while handing him the starting role in Minnesota would also be quite risky.

Whether it’s a platoon goalie off the free agent market or someone via trade, it’s hard to envision Minnesota trying to contend next season while returning their same goalie tandem from this season.  Dubnyk’s deal only has one more year left on it anyway so this was something that was going to have to be addressed in the near future.  That time has come a year earlier than expected.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NHL Announces 2020 King Clancy Finalists

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The NHL has announced the finalists for the 2020 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, which is presented “to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Last year’s winner was Jason Zucker, then of the Minnesota Wild.

This year’s finalists are Matt Dumba of the Wild, Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers and P.K. Subban of the New Jersey Devils.

The selection committee, led by Gary Bettman and Bill Daly, consider the following criteria:

  • Clear and measurable positive impact on the community
  • Investment of time and resources
  • Commitment to a particular cause or community
  • Commitment to the League’s community initiatives
  • Creativity of programming
  • Use of influence; engagement of others

Pittsburgh Penguins Keeping 2020 Pick

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Thursday: The Penguins have now officially announced the decision, keeping their 2020 first-round pick.

Wednesday: When the Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from postseason contention in the qualification round and the NHL held Phase 2 of the draft lottery, GM Jim Rutherford had a decision to make. They could give the Minnesota Wild their 2020 first-round pick, which will be the 15th selection in this fall’s draft, to complete the Jason Zucker trade from earlier this season, or hand over their 2021 first-round pick instead. They had seven days to make that decision, but today Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports the Penguins will in fact keep the 2020 pick and give up their 2021 selection instead.

This decision does not come without risk. The 2021 selection is not protected in any way, meaning even if the pick is first-overall by way of winning the 2021 draft lottery, the Wild would still receive it. That would require the Penguins to miss the playoffs again, something that Rutherford obviously doesn’t count on doing.

It’s not the first time a team made a decision like this. The Ottawa Senators famously decided to hold onto their fourth-overall selection in 2018 and select Brady Tkachuk, giving up their 2019 pick to the Colorado Avalanche in the process. As it turned out, that pick ended up being fourth as well, which the Avalanche used to select Bowen Byram.

Obviously, with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin leading the way, the Penguins feel as though they should be contenders for the Stanley Cup every year, let alone the playoffs. That confidence is held for good reason—the Penguins had made it to the playoffs every year since 2007, Malkin’s first season.

Another interesting thing to keep an eye on might be what Rutherford does with the 2020 pick, now that he has it. 15th would be the highest selection the Penguins have made since 2012 when they picked Derrick Pouliot. If Rutherford believes he can win in 2020-21, there’s nothing stopping him from dealing this pick for some help before the October draft.

Quotable: Wild GM Bill Guerin On The Upcoming Offseason

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With Minnesota getting eliminated in the Qualifying Round by Vancouver, the offseason has arrived.  GM Bill Guerin spoke with reporters, including Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press, on a call and spoke about several topics beyond the change to their coaching staff that was revealed earlier today.  Here are some of the highlights.

On Goaltending:

I was disappointed in the goaltending.  It needs to be better, that’s just the way it is, and if I said anything different, I’d be lying because it was not a strong point for us.

It was a tough year for Devan Dubnyk.  After being their undisputed starter for the last four years, the veteran struggled mightily, putting up a 3.35 GAA with a .890 SV%.  The last time he had numbers like that was 2013-14, a year in which finished the season as a fourth-stringer in Montreal’s system.  Alex Stalock wound up as their defacto starter as a result and while he had his best numbers since his rookie season, those numbers were still below the level of an NHL number one.  Accordingly, Guerin left the door open to shopping for help between the pipes this summer:

If I have an opportunity to make it better, I will.  I’m also confident if those guys come back that they’re gonna be battling for a spot, and we’ve got Kaapo Kahkonen pushing them. It just has to be better, flat-out. I can’t promise anybody a spot.

Kakhonen is coming off of a stellar season with AHL Iowa, one that saw him take home Goalie of the Year honors.  He’s a pending restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility which gives him a bit of leverage.  That should be enough to land him a one-way deal but he is still waiver-exempt and with just two seasons in North America under his belt, more time in the minors would be ideal from a development perspective.

On Contract Talks:

There’s definitely a lot of moving parts right now.  It’s a little trickier not knowing the landscape of what the market is going to be, so It could take a little more time than usual.

While the list of pending free agents isn’t the largest, several quality veterans are now eligible to sign contract extensions, headlined by winger Kevin Fiala and defenseman Jonas Brodin.  While teams at least know what the cap for next season will be, there are still questions as to what the financial picture will look like beyond that time.  That certainly has the potential to delay the extension market (especially for players that will be unrestricted free agents in 2021 with Seattle’s expansion draft on the horizon) so as much as Guerin would like to get deals done – something he acknowledged on the call – he’s likely right in the suggestion that it may take longer than usual for that market to open up.

On Seeking Centre Help:

Teams don’t trade number one centers. They just don’t. Usually, it’s got to be done in the free agent market or through the draft. It’s a position that I think this organization has needed for quite some time. We are going to try to address it.

While Guerin may prefer to address this through free agency, it’s a very weak market down the middle.  One of the more intriguing options is midseason acquisition Alex Galchenyuk who was moved back to his natural position after the swap and acquitted himself relatively well.  Keeping the pending UFA on a short-term deal could provide them with a little bit of upside but not the type of top-end impact they’re looking for.

With roughly $65MM in commitments to 17 players already for next year, Minnesota may be able to leverage their cap space to their advantage.  While teams may not want to trade top centers to clear cap space, it’s not impossible that a second liner or two get moved.  Even that would represent a nice upgrade for the Wild and would help boost their middle of the pack attack.

On Buyouts:

I guess we would use it if we had to.  It’s definitely a last resort. To pay somebody to go play somewhere else is not something that I would love to do. Like I said, if we have to do it, we will do it.

The trade that saw Victor Rask come to the Wild in exchange for Nino Niederreiter worked out great for Carolina and was a disaster for Minnesota.  Rask has been in and out of the lineup and found himself scratched against Vancouver.  During the regular season, he has managed just seven goals and nine assists since being acquired.  That’s not the type of production they were expecting from someone that carries a $4MM cap hit.  They could plausibly buy him out and replace his production with someone making a lot less while freeing up some money to fill a spot elsewhere.  Doing so would cost $1.333MM against the cap for four years.

Dubnyk could also be considered for one if the opportunity to add another starter presents itself.  With only one year left on his deal, there isn’t much in the way of long-term repercussions.  However, the front-loaded nature of the contract means that there would still be a $2.667MM cap charge for 2020-21 which means they’d only free up $1.667MM for next season by doing so.  From their point of view, a trade with max retention may be more ideal, even if it still involves paying somebody to go play somewhere else.

Poll: Who Do You Want To Win The Draft Lottery?

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Seven teams in the NHL didn’t get a chance to return to play this summer. Their regular seasons were so disastrous that they didn’t qualify for a tournament which saw 24-teams take part. But none of them will be rewarded with the first-overall pick in 2020. Instead, that selection will go to one of the eight teams eliminated over the past week, after the first part of the draft lottery ended with a TBA club taking home the top spot.

The qualification round provided some incredible storylines. It also provided some eye-popping upsets. Both the Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadiens, respective 12-seeds going into the return to play format, defeated Stanley Cup contenders with all-world talents leading the way. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and their teams are out before even seeing the first round but now have a chance to land a consolation prize of sorts.

The Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Winnipeg Jets, and Minnesota Wild all have a 12.5% chance of being awarded that first-overall pick, and the chance to select two-time CHL Player of the Year Alexis Lafreniere.

That may seem ridiculous, given the regular season performances from those clubs, but remember it required a previous lottery to get to this point. There was only a 24.5% chance of a qualification-round team earning the pick in the first place. That ended up happening, with the Los Angeles Kings also moving up to second place. The Detroit Red Wings, who had the highest chance of winning any of the three lottery spots ended up the big losers of the event, dropping all the way down to fourth despite winning just 17 games this season.

The league will announce the lottery winner this evening, with hockey fans all over the world tuning in to see where Lafreniere will go. The format of the lottery has drawn massive criticism given how things played out, but that won’t stop it from being a must-see event for the entire NHL.

Where do you want to see the phenom go? Which of the eliminated teams deserves the pick? Which would you hate to see win? Cast your vote below and make sure to explain your choice in the comments!

[Mobile users click here to vote]

Morning Notes: HHOF, Wild, Handemark

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The Hockey Hall of Fame has postponed its 2020 induction that was originally scheduled for November 16 in Toronto because of the ongoing COVID-19 protocols. The event will be rescheduled at some point, though it is unclear exactly when it can happen. Chairman Lanny McDonald released a statement:

While it’s possible the class of 2020 could be inducted on alternative dates during the modified 2020-21 NHL season, the most likely scenario is to postpone to November 2021, either by waiving the 2021 elections or in combination with the 2021 induction class involving adjusted category limits.

This year’s class includes Marian Hossa, Jarome Iginla, Kevin Lowe, Kim St-Pierre, Doug Wilson and Ken Holland. The board decided against holding the event virtually.

  • The Minnesota Wild will be watching the draft lottery tonight closely as they have a 12.5% chance of landing the first-overall pick, but there is plenty of other work to do for GM Bill Guerin. The executive held media availability today with reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic, giving his thoughts on many subjects including Kirill Kaprizov’s imminent arrival (he will land in Minnesota today) and the future of captain Mikko Koivu. Guerin also announced that though assistant coaches Bob Woods and Darby Hendrickson will return, the team has parted ways with Bob Mason, Minnesota’s goaltending coach for the past 18 years.
  • Fredrik Handemark signed a one-year entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks just a few months ago, but he’ll be staying in Sweden for a little while longer. The 26-year old forward will play with the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL for the start of the year until NHL training camps open at some point in November. Handemark had 38 points in 52 games for Malmo last season.

Snapshots: Hedman, Pacioretty, Merzlikins, Suter, Schmaltz, Boychuk

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With Tampa Bay Lightning fans waiting for word on the status of top defenseman Victor Hedman after the blueliner looked to twist his ankle Saturday during the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers, the injury report may have to wait until Monday. The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that the team is off today and will practice Monday before likely starting the playoffs on Tuesday.

There is plenty of fear that the defenseman could miss significant time after Hedman frustratingly slammed his stick four times against the boards on his way into the dressing room. Smith (subscription required) writes that of all Tampa Bay players, including the injured Steven Stamkos, Hedman could be the one player the Lightning cannot do without. Hedman, a finalist for the Norris Trophy, for four years straight and the winner in 2017-18 and will be badly missed.

Incidentally, the Lightning’s depth is likely going to be tested on defense as the team only brought nine defensemen with them into the bubble. With Jan Rutta unfit to play so far in the playoffs, that leaves the team with just seven defenseman, which could be an issue if more injuries arise.

  • Vegas Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer said that forward Max Pacioretty has arrived “in the bubble,” and is expected to be ready to play for Game 1 of their playoff series against the Chicago Blackhawks, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. Pacioretty missed the round-robin series due to an undisclosed injury, but completed his quarantine with four negative tests and is expected to practice with the team on Monday. He is the team’s leader in scoring after tallying 32 goals and 66 points in 71 games this season.
  • There was some debate on who should start in goal for the Columbus Blue Jackets for their Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. While Joonas Korpisalo has been given the nod, it turns out that another reason for that is because Elvis Merzlikins is injured and will not dress later today as Matiss Kivlenieks will step in as the backup, according to NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. Head coach John Tortorella said the goaltender, who was in net during the team’s late collapse in Game 4, is injured and “unfit to play,” according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
  • With the Minnesota Wild having been eliminated, defenseman Ryan Suter was allowed to reveal to The Athletic’s Michael Russo that he injured his right foot during Game 3 of the team’s playoff series against the Vancouver Canucks. Yes, that’s the same foot he had operated on back in 2018 when he broke his ankle. His MRI in Edmonton was incomplete due to the irritation to the injury. The team sat him to make sure he doesn’t injure it any further. Suter said he should be fine and is going to the doctor tomorrow to get it checked further.
  • NHL.com’s Mike Morreale reports that the Arizona Coyotes could be getting back a key forward for the next round of the playoffs. Forward Nick Schmaltz, who missed the entire series with the Nashville Predators, participated in a full practice with the team Sunday and could be ready to return. The 24-year-old had 11 goals and 45 points for Arizona this season.
  • After missing the last three games with an undisclosed injury, Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk practiced Sunday and is expected to be ready to play for the team’s upcoming series against the Washington Capitals. Boychuk only played in 5:17 of Game 1 before leaving due to injury against the Florida Panthers.

Wild’s Mikko Koivu Not Ready To Make Decision On NHL Future

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With their elimination on Saturday to the Vancouver Canucks in overtime, the Minnesota Wild’s offseason is already underway. The team has shown some signs that it is still a consistent playoff contender and can now focus their attention on recently signed Russian import Kirill Karpizov to look forward to for the 2020-21 season. However, the team could be saying goodbye to another longtime Minnesota player.

One question that has already been asked is what veteran captain Mikko Koivu intends to do next season. The 37-year-old has been with the organization ever since he was drafted sixth-overall in 2001, posting 205 goals and 709 points in 15 seasons. He will be hitting unrestricted free agency this upcoming season after making $5.5MM the past two years, but admitted he needs time to decide what his plans are going forward, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo.

“I need to be real careful, especially with that game and what do I want with the future and then go from there,” said Koivu, via The Athletic’s Jessi Pierce. “It’s such a big decision, there’s no way I’m ready to do that right now.”

Koivu, captain of the team since the 2008-09 season has been a major contributor over the years. While those numbers have decreased in the last few years, he did still post a 45-point season back in 2017-18. Those numbers have taken a back role in the last two years, however. He tallied only 29 points in 48 games in 2018-19 due to injuries and scored only 21 points in 55 games this year. He has seen his playing time drop dramatically as well in the last two years, having always been a 20:00+ player for much of his career on the ice. That number dropped to just 15:34 this past year as he spent most of the season on the fourth line. His playoff numbers were even worse as he averaged less than 12 minutes per game on the ice, including just 9:54 in Game 2.

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