Minnesota Wild Sign Jordan Greenway To Entry-Level Contract
The Minnesota Wild have locked up an important prospect, signing Jordan Greenway to a three-year entry-level contract. Greenway has just finished his junior season with Boston University, and will immediately join the Wild. The first season of the deal will be for 2017-18, meaning Greenway is eligible to suit up for Minnesota in the playoffs. The contract is worth an average annual value of $925K, and also includes both schedule A and B performance bonus. To make room, the Wild have assigned Zack Mitchell to the AHL.
Greenway, 21, has had quite the impressive few years since being selected in the second round of the 2015 draft. While playing for BU, he suited up for both the World Juniors and World Championships last season, winning a gold medal in the former. This year, after aging out of the junior tournament, he instead pulled on a Team USA sweater at the Olympics. Greenway is a huge, pro-ready player that can use his physicality to completely dominate the competition. Standing 6’6″ 226-lbs, there are hardly any hockey players in the world that can push him around, but he also brings excellent skill and creativity along with the size.
Scoring 35 points in 36 games, Greenway led a talented BU squad that included players like Brady Tkachuk and Shane Bowers. Minnesota will hope that scoring touch continues down the stretch, as he’ll likely be inserted right into the lineup to try and make a difference in their playoff aspirations. The Wild are currently in third place in the Central Division, but certainly not out of the fire just yet. With several teams on their heels, the last seven games aren’t just a warm up for the postseason.
Snapshots: Price, Leiweke, Belpedio
Carey Price is planning on returning to the Montreal Canadiens net this season, and will even travel with the team to Toronto this weekend. Though he won’t play, he told John Lu of TSN that he never even considered shutting down for the year.
Price also told Lu that his concussion symptoms were “different…more noticeable” than his previous experience with the injury in 2012, which shouldn’t instill much excitement in Montreal fans. Price is easily the most important piece for the Canadiens going forward, especially given that he is starting an eight-year, $84MM extension next season. Obviously no one can predict his health going forward, but the team needs him injury-free if they’re to turn around what has been a disaster year.
- Tim Leiweke was already the President of the Oak View Group, the investing group that has applied for an expansion team in Seattle. Yesterday on the Fan 590 in Toronto, he admitted that he will also be a minority owner of that team should it be awarded. Leiweke has ties to Toronto as the former CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and other professional sports organizations. Before that, Leiweke was also CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owned the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Galaxy. Needless to say he has quite a bit of experience in professional sports front offices, and now joined by his brother will be able to set up the business side of a Seattle franchise well for the long-term.
- Louis Belpedio is expected to eventually sign his entry-level contract with the Minnesota Wild, but for now will just settle for an amateur tryout with the Iowa Wild of the AHL. The third-round pick could wait until the middle of August and become an unrestricted free agent after completing his college career this month, but has already begun discussions with Minnesota.
Jared Spurgeon Out Four Weeks With Torn Hamstring
The Minnesota Wild have been dealt a crushing blow with the announcement that Jared Spurgeon will be out for a minimum of four weeks after partially tearing his right hamstring on Tuesday night. Spurgeon had to be helped off the ice after slipping and falling awkwardly into the boards. Michael Russo of The Athletic tweets that the next week is very important in the healing process and could determine when Spurgeon is ready to return.
Spurgeon is one of Minnesota’s most important player, though he still lacks some recognition league-wide. The 28-year old defenseman logs a ton of ice time for the Wild and has 37 points on the season. He trails only Ryan Suter in both powerplay and penalty kill time, and leads the team in blocked shots.
For the Wild, losing a defenseman of Spurgeon’s ability this late in the season could have devastating effects. The team is currently in third place in the Central Division, but after losing to the Colorado Avalanche last night are now just three points ahead of them and the Dallas Stars, and only five points removed from missing the playoffs entirely. Though they obviously have the inside track on a playoff spot, it is by no means locked up.
The Wild have recalled Ryan Murphy and Zack Mitchell after announcing the injury.
NCAA Notes: Mittelstadt, Belpedio, Hillman
After an impressive rookie season in the collegiate ranks, and an MVP performance at the World Junior Championships, Casey Mittelstadt has staked a claim as one of the best prospects in hockey. His latest accomplishment is being named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, and will soon have to decide whether or not to become a professional or return to the University of Minnesota for his sophomore season.
Though he gives no pretense of inside knowledge, Mike Morreale of NHL.com believes there is a “good chance” that Mittelstadt turns pro next season, something that will come as music to the ears of Buffalo Sabres fans. Buffalo has struggled through another terrible season, and will have a good shot at drafting Rasmus Dahlin or one of the other top names this June. Mittelstadt’s appearance on the NHL squad would give them another piece to build around, and someone to support Jack Eichel and company in their quest for the playoffs.
- Louis Belpedio doesn’t have a decision to make over whether or not to turn pro this summer, but instead how long he’ll wait before doing it. After completing his senior season at Miami University (Ohio), the Minnesota Wild draft pick could delay signing until August when he would become an unrestricted free agent. Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that scenario seems unlikely at this point, as the two sides are moving towards a two-year entry-level contract. Belpedio scored 30 points in 37 games during his senior season, and could be a useful piece of the Minnesota defense in the coming years.
- Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) also gives us a long in-depth profile on Blake Hillman, a Chicago Blackhawks prospect who looks ready to turn pro in the coming weeks. Powers believes Hillman will “likely sign after this season” and even his head coach at the University of Denver Jim Montgomery seems to agree. Montgomery called Hillman “extremely close to being ready” for his pro transition, meaning Blackhawks fans could see another legitimate NHL prospect enter the system before long.
Luke Kunin Suffers ACL Tear, Out Seven Months
After only just being recalled for another chance at the NHL level, Minnesota Wild forward Luke Kunin will have to wait quite some time before getting back on the ice. The team announced that Kunin suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s game which will require surgery, and faces a seven month recovery timeline.
Kunin was expected to make a big impact for the Wild this season after an impressive sophomore campaign at the University of Wisconsin, but has spent much of the year in the AHL with Iowa. At that level, the 20-year old forward has 19 points in 36 games, but has struggled at times to use his quickness to really create the separation he found in college. In 19 games in the NHL, including two since his most recent call-up, Kunin has just four points. While that performance is no cause for concern regarding his long-term future, it will go down as a disappointing rookie campaign for the first-round pick.
The Wild meanwhile will have to look elsewhere for an injection of youth and speed to the lineup, as they look to secure their playoff spot in the Central Division. Minnesota currently sits in third place with 81 points, while the Stars, Avalanche and Blues all remain within striking distance. They’ve gotten to this point without a huge impact from Kunin, but were counting on his depth down the stretch to help them into the playoffs. Players like Kyle Rau and Zack Mitchell will now need to be that depth, along with Jordan Greenway when his college season eventually ends.
Western Notes: Yeo, Bouwmeester, Nugent-Hopkins, Tolvanen, Kamenev, Bernier
While they’ve hardly been eliminated from the playoffs, the St. Louis Blues are definitely having a disappointing season. With that in mind, the St. Louis Blues are likely to make some changes this offseason. The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required) writes in a mailbag column that one change that shouldn’t happen is a coaching change. While the coach always must be held accountable for his actions, the scribe writes that it’s too early to push all the team’s failings on head coach Mike Yeo, who has only been with the team a little more than a year. Many of the leadership and chemistry issues that the team has were already there before Yeo got there.
While Rutherford does admit it’s disturbing that Yeo’s last coaching stint with the Minnesota Wild had many of the same issues, Yeo deserves more time to right the ship, which might require some personnel changes on the ice as many players are not pulling their weight.
One other issue is the team has struggled with key injuries to key players. The team failed to find an offensive replacement when Robby Fabbri or Jaden Schwartz were injured. In fact in 20 games without Schwartz, the team was 9-10-1.
- In the same piece, Rutherford writes that while many people would like the team to buyout players who are struggling in St. Louis like Patrik Berglund, Jake Allen and Alex Steen, that won’t happen this offseason. All of their contracts would be too expensive to buyout. Berglund’s buyout cost would be $9.7MM, Allen’s would be $9MM and Steen’s contract would cost them $10.6MM. The most likely buyout candidate might be defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who would only cost the team $3.6MM and would count just $1.8MM against the cap for the next two years.
- The Edmonton Oilers announced they have activated center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins off of injured reserve Saturday. The 24-year-old has been out since Jan. 13 with a rib injury. While the former first overall pick will not be rejoining a team headed for the playoffs, he might bring up his own value with a good end of the season. Nugent-Hopkins could be a legitimate trade candidate this offseason. He was having a solid season in which he had 16 goals and 31 points in 46 games. With teams being desperate for centers and the Oilers having quite a few of them, they might find a taker for him.
- The Eeli Tolvanen countdown continues as the Nashville Predators are awaiting their top prospect after his KHL team wraps up their season. The Tennessean’s Adam Vingan writes that Tolvanen’s team, Jokerit, opened their first-round playoff series Saturday with a double-overtime loss. The earliest possible day for Jokerit to be eliminated would be this Wednesday. If so, Tolvanen could join Nashville for their remainder of the season and the playoffs if they feel he can contribute. Of course, the Predators are loaded with depth since the trade deadline after acquiring Ryan Hartman and signing Mike Fisher.
- Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said that Vladislav Kamenev, who has been out with a broken arm since November after being injured in his first game for the Avalanche, has been cleared and might be assigned to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL in the next couple of days for a conditioning assignment, according to Denver Post’s Mike Chambers. Kamenev, who was acquired on Nov. 6 in the three-team trade between Colorado, Ottawa and Nashville involving Kyle Turris and Matt Duchene, was injured while playing in his first game with Colorado. A key prospect included in the Avalanche’s haul for moving Duchene, Kamenev has played just 14 AHL games this year, having totaled three goals and nine assists. His return is just another talented player ready to step into the Avalanche’s lineup.
- Chambers also mentioned in the same tweet that goalie Jonathan Bernier has also been cleared after suffering a concussion on Feb. 16. The Avalanche added that he was a full participant in practice Saturday and is expected to be activated soon.
Minnesota Wild Will Have To Make Decisions On Staal, Zucker Soon
While the Minnesota Wild will likely need to fight every game for the rest of the season to reach the playoffs, there isn’t a lot of talk about what the team intends to do in the offseason, yet there are key decisions the Wild will have to make in the coming months, including what to do with a pair of their top forwards in Eric Staal and Jason Zucker.
While the team is already loaded in forwards who are locked up long-term, both Staal and Zucker have been key players for this year’s team. Staal still has another year remaining at $3.5MM, but would be eligible for an extension on July 1. At 33 years of age, the team is in a tough situation as it wants to make sure they don’t get stuck with a long-term deal with another aging player like it did with Mikko Koivu. However, Staal has put up 61 goals in two seasons for Minnesota and doesn’t look like he’s slowing down. The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that the team should consider a three-year extension in the $5MM range. He writes he doesn’t see a true slow-down by the veteran. It shows on back-to-back games, but the scribe writes that both his hands and legs haven’t slowed a bit. The real question is Staal still has another year. What if he declines before an extension kicks in? It’s a gamble either way.
Zucker is another player who has taken that next step every year in Minnesota. He has already passed his 22-goal career high from last year. Now with 26 goals, he finds himself on his last restricted free-agent year before becoming a unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season. The fear is the Wild could lose Zucker at that point to higher-profile teams, so locking the 26-year-old up this offseason makes the most sense. Russo writes that it could take a six or seven-year offer in the $5MM range to get a deal done. He might be open to signing now as he has quite a few community ties, including the fact that his wife is from Minnesota.
Both players would like to get money that is close to Nino Niederreiter or Mikael Granlund money, which could cause some problems. The team already has six forwards that are locked up until 2020, not including Staal or Zucker. They also have three defensemen locked up long-term as well, so the team might have to find to move out some contracts in the near future to make their cap situation work out the best. To make matters worse, the two players whose deals might hurt the team the most belong to Zach Parise and Koivu. Parise has struggled all season with injuries and, as expected, his 13-year deal he signed back in 2012 is starting to hurt the team. The 33-year-old still will be locked up until the 2025 season at $7.5MM per year with a no-movement clause (another issue if there is another expansion draft in two years). Koivu has had a down year as well. At 34, he just signed a two year extension at $5.5MM at the start of this season which kicks in next year. After putting up 56 points or more in each of the last two years, he has just 35 points in 65 games this year.
One other option, according to Russo, would be to trade Tyler Ennis, who has one year remaining on his deal at $4.6MM AAV. The 28-year-old has just 18 points this year, but if the team retains his salary, they might be able to trade him off to free up some cap room. A buyout of Marcus Foligno is also a legitimate possibility this summer.
Resurgence: Eric Staal’s Battle Back To The Top
Two years ago, when the New York Rangers acquired the face and captain of the Carolina Hurricanes, it wasn’t universally regarded as a good move. Staal had scored just 33 points in 63 games with Carolina that season, and looked like his career was rapidly trending down. Head coach Alain Vigneault had to somewhat sell the move to the Rangers faithful, explaining to Sports Illustrated and the Associated Press what he thought Staal brought to the hockey club.
The fact that he can play in the middle, play on the left side, has won a Cup, has won a world championship, has won an Olympic medal, you’re talking about an elite player that’s been captain of his team, (and he) is going to bring that leadership to our group. He’s going to fit in real well.
The Rangers had paid two second-round picks and a prospect for Staal, who was supposed to put them over the hump and get them back to the Stanley Cup Finals. Fans were worried though, as Staal looked like a shadow of the player who had raised the Cup with Carolina a decade prior, that 21-year old superstar who posted 28 points in 25 games to bring the franchise their first championship. Staal just wasn’t built for the speedy new NHL, and had seen his impact decline drastically. As it turns out, those fears were warranted.
Staal scored just six points in the 20 games after the trade deadline, and then was a complete no-show in the playoffs. The Rangers would bow out in five games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, in which Staal registered zero points and was a team-worst -7. He generated just seven shots on goal despite playing more than 16 minutes per night. As a pending unrestricted free agent, his time was over in New York.
When it came to free agency, Staal’s market was incredibly clouded. It wasn’t clear at all if anyone would be willing to give him a long-term contract, and even more doubtful that he could secure a top-line salary like he’d earned for years in Carolina. In PHR’s inaugural Free Agent Power Rankings, we listed Staal as #13 because of his history in the league, but behind players like Mikkel Boedker and Alex Goligoski. A huge fall for a player who was once one of the very best in the entire league. As it happens, there would be at least one team who offered him a three-year deal.
Staal signed a three-year, $10.5MM deal with Minnesota on July 1st, and the mission to reclaim his spot at the top of the league was on. Minnesota would surprise much of the league in 2016-17 by taking a 19-point leap in the standings to post a franchise-best 106 on the season. That came in only behind Chicago in the Western Conference, and some of that success had to be directly tied to Staal’s performance. In all 82 games, Staal posted 65 points including 28 goals, his highest total since 2010-11. He was second on the Wild in scoring only behind the breakout Mikael Granlund, and suddenly looked like one of the best contracts in the NHL.
Despite that strong first impression with Minnesota, some questioned whether he’d be able to do it again since he was turning 33 and had just posted the second-highest shooting percentage of his career. He’s put an end to all of those questions with 64 points through 63 games, and just recently winning the league’s player of the month honors. Not only is he on pace for his best season in a decade, but he’s taken over as Minnesota’s top point producer, and looks like the elite center of his youth. His Hall of Fame potential is back on track, and his contract is arguably the best free agent signing in years.
That brings us to the question of whether he’s extended this summer. After July 1st the Wild could potentially sign an extension with Staal, one that could keep him in Minnesota for the remainder of his career. Though the two sides haven’t really discussed that possibility publicly, that doesn’t mean they both aren’t thinking about what approach to take when negotiations do pop up. For the Wild, bringing Staal back after 2018-19 can make a lot of sense, but they have a complicated salary structure to maintain, especially with new contracts for Jason Zucker and Mathew Dumba due this summer. If Stall is looking for more salary for his age-35 and beyond seasons, he might be too expensive to retain.
Regardless, what has happened over the last two years has been nothing short of amazing for Staal. After looking like he was on his way out of the NHL, to creeping into the Hart Trophy race at the age of 33, is a testament to his skill. Signing him for three seasons at a ridiculously low price, is one for the Minnesota front office.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Pacioretty, McDonagh, Hynes
In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column on Sportsnet, the insider details all the rumors and whispers he heard on trade deadline day. Among them was a long piece on Max Pacioretty, and how the Montreal Canadiens never found a deal on him because of the high value Marc Bergevin put on his captain.
Among the contenders for Pacioretty’s services were Los Angeles, who were asked for Tyler Toffoli and Gabe Vilardi as part of a package, Minnesota, who Friedman believes were asked for Charlie Coyle, and Florida who had to decline when the Canadiens asked for Vincent Trocheck. It’s clear that Montreal is not interested in just futures, but players who can jump right into their lineup in 2018-19 to help turn the ship around.
- Interestingly, Friedman also notes a possible discussion between Florida, Minnesota and New York that would have ended with Ryan McDonagh in Sunrise. While they weren’t involved in any of the day’s really big moves, you can be sure that the Panthers and Wild had their phones ringing on Monday.
- Though it was originally believed that John Hynes‘ contract was set to run out at the end of the season, Friedman reports that the New Jersey Devils actually have another option year with their head coach that he believes they will pick up. Hynes has helped turn the Devils into a legitimate playoff contender in the Metropolitan Division, less than a year after winning the draft lottery and selecting Nico Hischier first-overall.
Minor Transactions: 02/17/18
Though teams made several transactions yesterday to make their younger players eligible for the AHL playoffs, the rest of the season will still be filled with call-ups to help out the NHL team. Remember, after the trade deadline that though rosters have no limits in terms of total players, teams are allowed only four non-emergency recalls.
- The Washington Capitals have recalled Travis Boyd, who had been playing with the Hershey Bears of the AHL. For the third consecutive season, Boyd is among the scoring leaders for Hershey with 44 points in 56 games. While it’s unclear if he’s scheduled to enter the Capitals lineup right away, he can definitely give them some offensive punch if inserted down the stretch.
- Cory Schneider was assigned to the Binghamton Devils on a conditioning stint today, but is expected to be brought back on Wednesday to rejoin New Jersey on their current road trip. While that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be back in the crease right away, it is a good sign that he’s approaching his return to the lineup.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Tristan Jarry on an emergency loan after announcing that Matt Murray has been diagnosed with a concussion. Jarry had been sent down to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but will now have to help Casey DeSmith with the NHL duties. DeSmith is expected to start tonight for the Penguins, but Jarry has more experience in the starting role and could be asked to take over while Murray is out.
- The Calgary Flames announced that they have sent Andrew Mangiapane to the AHL, but the move was actually completed yesterday to make sure he was eligible for the minor league playoffs. With the addition of Chris Stewart off waivers, Mangiapane was likely looking at some healthy scratches and now can help the Stockton Heat instead.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Seth Griffith from the AHL, spending one of their recalls to bring up the 25-year old forward. Griffith has played 76 NHL games over his career and is a point-per-game player at the minor league level. The undersized forward has excellent creativity and playmaking ability, but hasn’t ever been given an extended chance in a team’s top-6.
- As expected, the Minnesota Wild have brought Luke Kunin back up from the minor leagues. The Wild are extremely close to the cap, and needed to move out some salary at the deadline in order to bring Kunin up for the stretch run while keeping enough room to sign Jordan Greenway. Kunin has just 19 points for the Iowa Wild this season, but is a hard working two-way center that could jump right into the lineup for the Wild.
- Ethan Bear will be one of the Edmonton Oilers’ four call-ups for the remainder of the season, and will get a chance to show what he can do after an outstanding junior career. Bear was a 70-point defenseman in his final season with the Seattle Thunderbirds, and was a huge part of their qualifying for the Memorial Cup in 2017. The undersized but super-skilled Bear has 16 points in his first professional season for the Bakersfield Condors.
- The Anaheim Ducks have returned winger Kalle Kossila and goalie Reto Berra to San Diego of the AHL, notes Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register. Berra’s demotion was expected with John Gibson likely to return to the lineup on Friday. As for Kossila, he didn’t get into any games after being recalled back on the 24th; he has a goal and an assist in ten contests with Anaheim from earlier this season.