Snapshots: Lafleur, Snow, Dubinsky
The hockey world held its breath when news broke that Guy Lafleur was heading in for quadruple bypass heart surgery. The Montreal Canadiens were proud to report however that the procedure was a success and Lafleur is expected to make a full recovery. We here at PHR wish the entire Lafleur family the best as they work through the recovery period, and are glad everything went smoothly. The 68-year old is one of the most well-known and successful players in NHL history, scoring 1,353 points in 1,1127 games over his long career.
Here are some more notes from around the league:
- Chris Snow has been named an assistant general manager for the Calgary Flames. The 38-year old Snow has worked with the team for several years as their director of hockey analysis, running their advanced statistics department. He also previously worked for the Minnesota Wild and as a beat writer for both the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Boston Globe. Snow will join Craig Conroy and Brad Pascall as assistant general managers for the club.
- When the Columbus Blue Jackets announced that Brandon Dubinsky would be out with a wrist injury to start the year, they explained that his timetable was indefinite. That may mean long-term, according to Dubinsky’s agent Kurt Overhardt, who spoke with Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required). It is the same injury that Dubinsky dealt with last season.
Waivers: 09/26/19
With the NHL regular season approaching quickly, many players will be put on waivers over the next several days. We’ll keep track of all of them right here:
Anaheim Ducks
F Andreas Martinsen
F Andrew Poturalski
F Chase De Leo
D Jani Hakanpaa
G Kevin Boyle
Boston Bruins
F Paul Carey
F Brendan Gaunce
D Alexander Petrovic*
Calgary Flames
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
D Jacob MacDonald
D Dan Renouf
Montreal Canadiens
F Matthew Peca
F Phil Varone
F Dale Weise
D Karl Alzner
D Xavier Ouellet
New York Islanders
F Travis St. Denis
F Matthew Lorito
F Cole Bardreau
D Kyle Burroughs
D Seth Helgeson
G Christopher Gibson
G Jared Coreau
New York Rangers
Ottawa Senators
Vegas Golden Knights
F Patrick Brown
F Curtis McKenzie
*Petrovic was in Bruins’ training camp under a professional tryout. Waivers would indicate that the team has signed him to a standard player contract.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/26/19
Like always, we’ll keep you aware of all the training camp cuts right here. Keep checking back to see the updated list:
Anaheim Ducks (per team release)
F Alex Broadhurst (to San Diego, AHL)
D Hunter Drew (to San Diego, AHL)
D Zack Hayes (to San Diego, AHL)
F Justin Kloos (to San Diego, AHL)
F Jack Kopacka (to San Diego, AHL)
D Patrick Sieloff (to San Diego, AHL)
D Chris Wideman (to San Diego, AHL)
G Anthony Stolarz (to San Diego, AHL)
Boston Bruins (per team release)
F Ryan Fitzgerald (to Providence, AHL)
F Joona Koppanen (to Providence, AHL)
F Zach Senyshyn (to Providence, AHL)
F Pavel Shen (to Providence, AHL)
F Oskar Steen (to Providence, AHL)
D Jeremy Lauzon (to Providence, AHL)
D Urho Vaakanainen (to Providence, AHL)
G Kyle Keyser (to Providence, AHL)
F Paul Carey (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Brendan Gaunce (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Alexander Petrovic (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
Buffalo Sabres (per team release)
F Dylan Cozens (to Lethbridge, WHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)
F Morgan Geekie (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Janne Kuokkanen (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Steven Lorentz (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Eetu Luostarinen (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Stelio Mattheos (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Jake Bean (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Kyle Wood (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Alex Nedeljkovic (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Jesper Sellgren (to Lulea HF, SHL)
F Ryan Suzuki (to Barrie, OHL)
Colorado Avalanche (per team release)
D Bowen Byram (to Vancouver, WHL)
F Martin Kaut (to Colorado, AHL)
F Sheldon Dries (to Colorado, AHL)
F Logan O’Connor (to Colorado, AHL)
F Michael Joly (to Colorado, AHL)
G Hunter Miska (to Colorado, AHL)
D Jacob MacDonald (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Dan Renouf (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
Edmonton Oilers (per team release)
F Kailer Yamamoto (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Florida Panthers (per team release)
F Anthony Greco (to Springfield, AHL)
D Ian McCoshen (to Springfield, AHL)
G Chris Driedger (to Springfield, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens (per team release)
F Matthew Peca (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Phil Varone (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Dale Weise (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Karl Alzner (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
D Xavier Ouellet (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
New York Rangers (per team release)
F Daniel O’Regan (to Hartford, AHL)
Ottawa Senators (per team release)
F Parker Kelly (to Belleville, AHL)
G Marcus Hogberg (to Belleville, AHL)
F Nick Paul (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Jordan Szwarz (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
Vegas Golden Knights (per Jesse Granger, The Athletic)
F Reid Duke (to Chicago, AHL)
D Dylan Coughlan (to Chicago, AHL)
Training Camp Cuts: 09/25/19
Like always, we’ll keep track of all the training camp cuts right here. Keep checking back to see the updated list:
Boston Bruins (per team release)
F Jakub Lauko (to Providence, AHL)
D Josiah Didier (to Providence, AHL)
Dallas Stars (per team release)
F Ty Dellandrea (to Flint, OHL)
F Joel Kiviranta (to Texas, AHL)
F Joel L’Esperance (to Texas, AHL)
G Landon Bow (to Texas, AHL)
G Jake Oettinger (to Texas, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
D Alec Regula (to London, OHL)
Edmonton Oilers (per team release)
D Evan Bouchard (to Bakersfield, AHL)
G Shane Starrett (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Florida Panthers (per team release)
F Troy Brouwer (released from PTO)
Montreal Canadiens (per team release)
F Riley Barber (to Laval, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (per team release)
D Julian Melchiori (to Binghamton, AHL)
New York Islanders (per team release)
F Kieffer Bellows (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Arnaud Durandeau (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Scott Eansor (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ryan Hitchcock (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Mason Jobst (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Otto Koivula (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Jeff Kubiak (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Kyle MacLean (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Nick Schilkey (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F John Stevens (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Sebastian Aho (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Grant Hutton (to Bridgeport, AHL)
New York Rangers (per team release)
F Phillip Di Giuseppe (to Hartford, AHL)
F Tarmo Reunanen (to Hartford, AHL)
G Adam Huska (to Hartford, AHL)
D Matthew Robertson (to Edmonton, WHL)
San Jose Sharks (per team release)
F Alexander True (to San Jose, AHL)
Toronto Maple Leafs (per team release)
F Nicholas Baptiste (to Toronto, AHL)
F Colt Conrad (to Toronto, AHL)
D Joseph Duszak (to Toronto, AHL)
D Mac Hollowell (to Toronto, AHL)
D Jesper Lindgren (to Toronto, AHL)
D Kristians Rubins (to Toronto, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
F Alexander Alexeyev (to Hershey, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets (per team release)
F Skylar McKenzie (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Jansen Harkins (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Jonathan Kovacevic (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Luke Green (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Leon Gawanke (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Mikhail Berdin (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Reichel (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
F Emile Poirier (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
F Cole Maier (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
D Jacob Cederholm (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
G Adam Carlson (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
F Seth Griffith (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Logan Shaw (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
East Notes: Faulk, Canadiens, Hall
The Carolina Hurricanes kept Justin Faulk off the ice today leading to mass speculation about a potential trade. The 27-year old defenseman has been on the block for some time, with a deal getting extremely close with the Anaheim Ducks recently. Faulk is healthy according to head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who had Jake Gardiner running the powerplay today in his place.
Scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, Faulk is an expendable piece for the Hurricanes after adding Gardiner and other depth pieces to the blueline. The team should be able to boost their prospect system or forward group with a deal, returning some value for the former co-captain. Faulk scored 11 goals and 35 points last season, the sixth consecutive year he has broken the 30-point threshold.
- Perhaps there would be a fit in Montreal, where the Canadiens are looking to move a forward according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The scribe points out that Jonathan Drouin played the fewest minutes of any forward in Monday’s home loss to a Toronto Maple Leafs squad made up of almost entirely fringe NHL or AHL players. Several young forwards are pushing for more playing time in Montreal, giving them enough options to make someone expendable in the coming days.
- Friedman also chimes in on the Taylor Hall extension speculation, noting that he believes they “are trying to make a serious run” at a deal right now. Hall is one of the premiere talents available in next summer’s unrestricted free agent crop and should command a huge dollar figure on any extension with the New Jersey Devils. In recent days the talks have picked up between the two sides, after GM Ray Shero did everything he could to improve the roster for the upcoming season.
Waivers: 09/24/19
With AHL training camps getting underway, many players will be put on waivers over the next several days. We’ll keep track of all of them right here:
Anaheim Ducks
F Justin Kloos
F Blake Pietila
D Patrick Sieloff
D Chris Wideman
G Anthony Stolarz
Montreal Canadiens
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
F Andy Andreoff
F Kurtis Gabriel
F Nicolas Aube-Kubel
D Chris Bigras
St. Louis Blues
Jimmy Hayes, Griffin Reinhart Among Notable AHL Camp Invites
It’s a position that no NHL veteran wants to find himself in, but sometimes it’s the only way to stay employed in North America. With NHL training camps starting to cut mass amounts of participants, AHL camps are opening for another round of evaluation and to prepare young pros for the start of the minor league season. However, these AHL camps can also be a last-ditch source of hope for older players looking to stay relevant with an NHL affiliate. Every year a few recognizable names opt for this route, and this year is no different.
Of the many invites announced thus far, Jimmy Hayes stands out as the top AHL camp participant. The Iowa Wild specifically acknowledged the veteran winger’s presence in camp when announcing their roster. Hayes, 29, has 334 NHL games and over 100 points to his credit over eight seasons with five different NHL teams. However, Hayes’ two-way contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season saw him play exclusively in the AHL. While he was productive, recording 30 points in 72 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, it wasn’t enough to earn another two-way deal. To this point, Hayes hasn’t even earned an AHL deal. He’ll work to earn a contract, and hopefully the attention of the Minnesota brass, when he takes part in Iowa camp.
Griffin Reinhart is another name that sticks out among the crowd of AHL camp invites. Like Hayes, Reinhart is a player whose trade value far outweighed what he ever produced on the ice in the NHL. The 25-year-old was drafted fourth overall in 2012 by the New York Islanders, who dealt him to the Edmonton Oilers a few years later for a first- and second-round pick. Yet, Reinhart has just two points in 37 games to show for his NHL impact. Even in three straight seasons of exclusive AHL action, Rienhart has failed to impress. However, on name value alone he will be able to find a shot somewhere. This time around, the Belleville Senators have invited the young defenseman to camp. Former Vancouver Canucks prospect Cole Cassels, the son of long-time NHLer Andrew Cassels, will also join the junior Senators in camp after playing in Germany last season.
Among the other recognizable faces in minor league camp is veteran forward Lance Bouma. After missing almost all of last season due to injury, Bouma signed a PTO with the Los Angeles Kings and seemed like a dark horse candidate to earn a contract. The 29-year-old has a proven track record as a checking forward in the NHL and has flashed offense from time to time as well. However, the Kings opted to go with their younger options, but not before asking Bouma to take part in AHL camp with the Ontario Reign, the team announced. Bouma could still earn a spot with the organization yet. Talented young goaltender Hayden Hawkey surprisingly remains a free agent searching for a landing spot. The property of both the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers during his four years at Providence College, Hawkey nevertheless ended up without an NHL team after graduation and became a UFA in August. He recently took part in training camp with the Washington Capitals, but was cut. He will now join the Stockton Heat in camp, the team revealed, and could prove to be a sneaky addition to the organization for the Calgary Flames. Hawkey posted a 2.19 GAA or lower in each of his four dominant collegiate seasons. Finally, Connor Brickley seems determined to stay with the New York Rangers organization at all costs. Brickley, 27, is a big, capable bottom-six forward who performed well down the stretch for the Rangers last season following a deadline trade. However, New York would not commit to a contract extension for the former second-round pick. Instead, he accepted a PTO to join the team in camp. When that ended today with his release from Rangers camp, the team announced that he will still participate in minor league camp with the Hartford Wolfpack and could stay in the organization after all.
None of these players are likely happy with their current predicament, but if they work hard in camp and in the AHL regular season, the fastest way back to NHL relevance is through production and consistency at the minor league level. Even for veterans and especially for those still considered prospects, AHL training camp can still be a valuable stepping stone toward a return to the top level.
Atlantic Notes: Debrusk, Suzuki, Evans, Olofsson
The Boston Bruins went to the wire with two of their restricted free agents this summer in Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo. Next year might be even worse. The team will have 10 free agents to deal with and another key restricted free agent in Jake Debrusk and will have to hope they can negotiate their way to avoid any holdouts.
Debrusk is coming off a 27-goal season, which would suggest a significant raise, especially if Debrusk can duplicate or even surpass last seasons numbers. NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty writes that Debrusk has kept a careful watch on the negotiations with McAvoy and Carlo and hopes he also can avoid any kind of a holdout.
“Obviously that’s going to be my situation [as an RFA]. Hopefully not [as a holdout], but maybe, possibly next year just looking around the league you see different things with guys dragging it out,” said DeBrusk, who will be joined by Brett Ritchie and Matt Grzelcyk as next summer’s restricted free agents for the Bruins. “It’s one of those where you ask questions on the business side of it. Things change and different stuff happens with talks, but at the same time I mostly just try to stay out of it. I try to stay dialed in to get ready for training camp and the season. I guess when that time comes, though, I’ll be more aware of what to expect.”
- The Athletic’s Marc Dumont (subscription required) writes that the Montreal Canadiens have two key players vying for a roster spot in an intense training camp. The team especially likes what it has seen so far from Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans. The Canadiens have given Suzuki a chance to play on the wing so he can challenge for a roster spot and the 20-year-old has fared quite well so far in the preseason. Evans is fighting for a job on the fourth line, but will have to beat out quite a few veterans to claim the job, including Nick Cousins, Nate Thompson and Jordan Weal.
- Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News writes that with many young prospects on the Buffalo Sabres vying for a job with the team, one player that has nothing to worry about is forward Victor Olofsson. The scribe says that Olofsson is a lock to make the team as he has had a dominant camp thus far. The 24-year-olf Olofsson proved himself in the SHL in 2017-18 when he tallied 27 goals. Then he proved himself once again in the AHL last season when he potted 30 goals and scored a pair of goals for the Sabres in six late regular season games. The team has been
Training Camp Cuts: 9/21/19
With the regular season less than two weeks away, there will likely be plenty more training camp cuts today. We’ll keep track of those moves here.
Arizona Coyotes (per team release)
D Dane Birks (to Tucson, AHL)
D Cam Dineen (to Tucson, AHL)
F Giovanni Fiore (to Tucson, AHL)
F Jeremy Gregoire (to Tucson, AHL)
F Keeghan Howdeshell (to Tucson, AHL)
G Erik Kallgren (to Tucson, AHL)
F Kelly Klima (to Tucson, AHL)
G Merrick Madsen (to Tucson, AHL)
F Jonathon Martin (to Tucson, AHL)
F Nate Schnarr (to Tucson, AHL)
D Jalen Smereck (to Tucson, AHL)
Calgary Flames (per team release)
F Alex Gallant (to Stockton, AHL)
F Jeremy McKenna (to Stockton, AHL)
F Mason Morelli (to Stockton, AHL)
G Nick Schneider (to Stockton, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)
G Callum Booth (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Jeremy Helvig (to Charlotte, AHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)
D Nicolas Beaudin (to Rockford, AHL)
D Lucas Carlsson (to Rockford, AHL)
F MacKenzie Entwistle (to Rockford, AHL)
F Alexandre Fortin (to Rockford, AHL)
F Brandon Hagel (to Rockford, AHL)
F Mikhael Hakkarainen (to Rockford, AHL)
F Matthew Highmore (to Rockford, AHL)
F Reese Johnson (to Rockford, AHL)
F Philipp Kurashev (to Rockford, AHL)
F Dylan Sikura (to Rockford, AHL)
G Matt Tomkins (to Rockford, AHL)
D Joni Tuulola (to Rockford, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)
F Derek Barach (released from PTO)
D Gabriel Carlsson (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Ryan Collins (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Trey Fix-Wolansky (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Maxime Fortier (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Brett Gallant (released from PTO)
D Anton Karlsson (released from PTO)
F Nikita Korostelev (released from PTO)
F Stefan Matteau (released from PTO)
F Bryan Moore (released from PTO)
D Michael Prapavessis (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Eric Robinson (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Kole Sherwood (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Kevin Stenlund (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Calvin Thurkauf (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Sam Vigneault (released from PTO)
Dallas Stars (per team release)
F Michael Mersch (to Texas, AHL)
D Reece Scarlett (to Texas, AHL)
Florida Panthers (per team release)
F Rodrigo Abols (to Springfield, AHL)
F Jonathan Ang (to Springfield, AHL)
G Ryan Bednard (to Springfield, AHL)
D Tommy Cross (to Springfield, AHL)
F Joel Lowry (to Springfield, AHL)
D Jake Massie (to Springfield, AHL)
F Serron Noel (to Oshawa, OHL)
F Kevin Roy (to Springfield, AHL)
F Paul Thompson (to Springfield, AHL)
Los Angeles Kings (per team Twitter)
F Samuel Fagemo (to Frolunda, SHL)
F Akil Thomas (to Niagara, OHL)
Montreal Canadiens (per team release)
F Morgan Adams-Moisan (to Laval, AHL)
F Alexandre Alain (to Laval, AHL)
F Joe Cox (to Laval, AHL)
D Ryan Culkin (to Laval, AHL)
F Nikita Jevpalovs (to Laval, AHL)
G Connor LaCouvee (to Laval, AHL)
D Maxim Lamarche (to Laval, AHL)
G Michael McNiven (to Laval, AHL)
F William Pelletier (to Laval, AHL)
F Michael Pezzetta (to Laval, AHL)
D David Sklenicka (to Laval, AHL)
F Lukas Vejdemo (to Laval, AHL)
F Hayden Verbeek (to Laval, AHL)
F Antoine Waked (to Laval, AHL)
New York Rangers (per team release)
F Gabriel Fontaine (to Hartford, AHL)
D Mason Geertsen (to Hartford, AHL)
D Joey Keane (to Hartford, AHL)
F Patrick Newell (to Hartford, AHL)
St. Louis Blues (per team release)
D Jake Dotchin (to San Antonio, AHL)
D Joey LaLeggia (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Nick Lappin (to San Antonio, AHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning (per team release)
F Peter Abbandonato (released from PTO)
G Louis Domingue (to Syracuse, AHL, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic)
F Jimmy Huntington (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Boris Katchouk (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Alexey Lipanov (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Ryan Lohin (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Kevin Lynch (released from PTO)
F Taylor Raddysh (to Syracuse, AHL)
F Mikhail Shalagin (released from PTO)
D Luc Snuggerud (released from PTO)
D Oleg Sosunov (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Matthew Spencer (to Syracuse, AHL)
D Nolan Valleau (released from PTO)
G Clint Windsor (released from PTO)
F Dennis Yan (to Syracuse, AHL)
Toronto Maple Leafs (per team Twitter)
G Brandon Halverson (to Toronto, AHL)
Vancouver Canucks (per team release)
F Justin Bailey (to Utica, AHL)
F Landon Ferraro (released from PTO)
F Lukas Jasek (to Utica, AHL)
D Olli Juolevi (to Utica, AHL)
F Kole Lind (to Utica, AHL)
D Brogan Rafferty (to Utica, AHL)
D Josh Teves (to Utica, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per team Twitter)
F Tyrell Goulbourne (to Chicago, AHL)
D Brett Lernout (to Chicago, AHL)
D Jaycob Megna (to Chicago, AHL)
Ryan Poehling, Michael McCarron Injured
The Montreal Canadiens have announced some bad news on a pair of young forwards. Ryan Poehling has suffered a concussion and will be out indefinitely, while Michael McCarron will be out six weeks with a groin injury.
It is extremely unfortunate news for Poehling, who was looking to build on his incredible debut from last season and lock down a full-time roster spot with the Canadiens. After finishing his season at St. Cloud State, Poehling signed his entry-level deal and got into one game with the Canadiens before the end of the year. The 20-year old center scored three goals in that NHL debut, making quite the impact on Montreal fans and creating excitement for his rookie season.
A concussion leaves him in question for the start of the season given the uncertain timeline that it brings, but hopefully he’ll be able to recover quickly and challenge for a spot in the lineup before long.
For McCarron, this is just another setback in what has been a frustrating career so far. Selected 25th overall in 2013, the 6’6″ forward has just 69 NHL games under his belt and has scored just eight points at that level. Even the minor leagues haven’t brought a ton of success, making it tough to see a very bright future for the former top prospect. Now 24, McCarron will have to really show some sort of improvement when he gets back from this injury in order to stay in the Canadiens plans.