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Daniel Carr Placed On Waivers

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Wednesday: Carr has cleared waivers according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, but won’t be heading to the minor leagues after all. After Filip Forsberg suffered an injury last night, Carr will stay with the Predators for now.

Tuesday: The Nashville Predators have placed Daniel Carr on waivers today, likely with the intention of sending him to the minor leagues should he clear.

Carr, 27, could be a very interesting candidate for several teams around the league who are dealing with injuries or inconsistencies up front. Though he played just six games for the Vegas Golden Knights last season, it was still a successful one for Carr, who dominated the AHL. Recording 71 points in 52 games, he led the Chicago Wolves in scoring and finished third league-wide.

That kind of offensive upside has always been interesting, but the veteran forward hasn’t ever really been able to land a full-time NHL role. Through 102 games in his career he has 35 points, but does carry just a $700K cap hit.

Scratch Notes: Dermott, McCann, Fiala

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The Toronto Maple Leafs surprised many by sending Rasmus Sandin back to the minor leagues recently, but the decision might not have been only because of the youngster’s development as they said. Travis Dermott, who is working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery, shed his no-contact sweater at practice and is getting closer to a return.

Dermott, 22, was a big part of the Maple Leafs’ defense last season before his shoulder injury, logging more than 17 minutes a night and posting excellent possession numbers. The second-round pick plays an extremely aggressive style that can quickly disrupt rushes but also leaves him out of position at times. If he can learn to pick his spots a little more selectively, there’s a good chance the Maple Leafs have a future top-four option on their hands.

  • Another day, another injury up front for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jared McCann missed practice today and has been listed as day-to-day, leaving the team without another one of their key forwards for the time being. Amazingly, the Penguins have scored 14 goals over their last two games even with their banged up forward group, but have the high-flying Colorado Avalanche coming into town tomorrow.
  • It’s not an injury keeping Kevin Fiala out of the lineup, but he’ll be out all the same when the Minnesota Wild take on Toronto tonight. The team will make Fiala a healthy scratch just a few months after acquiring him from the Nashville Predators and touting him as a core member of their team going forward. The Wild have now scratched Fiala, Ryan Donato and Victor Rask this season, the three main acquisitions last season by former GM Paul Fenton.

2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Twenty-Third Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)
7th Overall: Ryan McDonagh, Columbus Blue Jackets (12)
8th Overall: James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins (2)
9th Overall: Wayne Simmonds, San Jose Sharks (61)
10th Overall: Kevin Shattenkirk, Florida Panthers (14)
11th Overall: Jake Muzzin, Carolina Hurricanes (141)
12th Overall: Kyle Turris, Montreal Canadiens (3)
13th Overall: David Perron, St. Louis Blues (26)
14th Overall: Mikael Backlund, Colorado Avalanche (24)
15th Overall: Evgenii Dadonov, Edmonton Oilers (71)
16th Overall: Alec Martinez, Minnesota Wild (95)
17th Overall: Carl Hagelin, New York Rangers (168)
18th Overall: Lars Eller, St. Louis Blues (13)
19th Overall: Alex Killorn, Anaheim Ducks (77)
20th Overall: Nick Bonino, Pittsburgh Penguins (173)
21st Overall: Pat Maroon, Edmonton Oilers (161)
22nd Overall: Paul Byron, Montreal Canadiens (179)

Now our biggest riser of the exercise, Paul Byron finding his way to Montreal seems inevitable. The third sixth-round pick in a row to be selected by our community, Byron didn’t always look like he’d be an impact player at the NHL level. In fact, if the game hadn’t turned considerably towards speed and skill over size, there’s a good chance he never would have.

Back in 2007, Byron was coming off his rookie season in the QMJHL where he had scored 21 goals and 44 points in 68 games for the Gatineau Olympiques. That just wasn’t impressive enough for a player that was listed at 5’8″ 135-lbs at the time. That led Byron to not even be ranked among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, overlooked completely as a draft prospect. The thing was, even at that tiny size, Byron didn’t play like a small, perimeter offensive talent. He was always willing to drive hard to the net and get underneath defenders on the forecheck, even if he wasn’t big enough to be all that effective at the time. The Buffalo Sabres decided to take a chance on him late in the draft, and it would pay off.

After growing a bit, Byron really showed what he could do at the junior level. In 2007-08 he scored 37 goals in the regular season before leading all QMJHL players with 21 playoff goals. His Gatineau Olympiques took home the league title that season and suddenly there was a glimmer of hope that Byron could become a professional after all. It would take until 2009—on the day his rights would have expired—for him to sign an entry-level contract with the Sabres, but it was worth it.

Byron would bounce between the NHL and AHL for several years until really catching on with the Calgary Flames during the 2013-14 season. His speed was a real difference-maker in the new NHL, and by the time he ended up in Montreal there was a real role for him. Over the last three seasons Byron has been one of the most efficient even-strength goal scorers in the league, lighting the lamp 51 times in 219 games even though he averages just over 15 minutes a game. That recent success is exactly why he finds himself in the first round of the redraft, given that he has climbed up to 23rd among all 2007 draftees in career points.

After the Canadiens made their pick, the Nashville Predators were on the clock back in 2007. Sitting there on the board was a player they were very familiar with from their scouting of another top prospect. Jonathon Blum was the 17th ranked skater by NHL Central Scouting, and happened to play for the Vancouver Giants alongside Predators prospect Cody Franson. The team had spent a third-round pick on Franson two years earlier and watched the two offensive defensemen lead their team to a Memorial Cup in 2007, combining for more than 100 regular season points.

Blum spent two more years in junior, winning WHL and CHL Defenseman of the Year in 2009 while also captaining Team USA at the World Juniors. The somewhat undersized defenseman seemed destined for a long NHL career, but that would never really come to pass. Instead, Blum spent most of the next several years in the minor leagues with the Milwaukee Admirals and Iowa Wild, playing just 110 games at the NHL level. He left for the KHL in 2015 and is playing this season in Sweden after ending up on the Olympic team in 2018 when the NHL chose not to go.

For some players it just doesn’t work out at the highest level, and that was the case for Blum. If they got another shot the Predators would likely pick someone else, but who? With the twenty-third pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Nashville Predators select?  Cast your vote below!

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*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL. He has not been included in this vote.

Nashville Predators, Roman Josi Hit “Snag” In Extension Talks

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If there is one thing that Nashville Predators GM David Poile is known for other than his penchant for blockbuster trades, it’s getting his core players signed to long-term extensions at reasonable prices. The Predators have locked up names like Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, Kyle Turris, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis and others to long deals over the past several years, and Roman Josi seemed destined to be next. The Predators’ captain is in the final season of his seven-year deal signed in 2013 that carries a ludicrously-low cap hit of just $4MM (another example of Poile’s work) and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2020.

An extension for Josi seems inevitable, given his role and history with the team, especially after the Predators moved P.K. Subban out of town. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest 31 Thoughts column however that the negotiation has “hit a snag” and that “there is surprise it isn’t done yet.” Josi has been one of the most reliable two-way defenders in the league for the last several seasons, receiving Norris Trophy votes regularly. In fact, the 29-year old has finished no lower than 11th in voting in each of the past five years though he has yet to actually be named a finalist.

Not only has the league recognized him, but it is obvious how the Predators’ coaching staff feels about Josi’s ability. Since the start of the 2013-14 season he has logged an average of more than 25 minutes of ice time per game, and even more than that in the playoffs.

Still, with any extension negotiation there are risks involved. Josi will be 30 by the time next season begins and could very well be looking to become one of the highest-paid defensemen in the league. The Predators have a huge amount of money coming off the books next season thanks to the expiring contracts of Mikael Granlund, Craig Smith and others, but also have to consider potential future extensions for Ekholm, Forsberg, Dante Fabbro and young goaltender Juuse Saros. There is also the fact that Poile almost never gives out signing bonuses or no-trade clauses, though both of those rules were bent by Matt Duchene in the recent free agent period.

Obviously it is impossible to know exactly where the “snag” is at this point, but as Friedman points out it is surprising to see the Predators fail to reach an agreement yet with Josi. His case will be one to watch throughout the year as he would be one of the very top free agents available in 2020, though an extension with Nashville still seems the most likely conclusion.

Pekka Rinne Hasn't Decided Whether He'll Retire After His Current Contract Expires

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When Pekka Rinne signed a two-year extension with the Predators last season, some interpreted that as an indication that he’d likely retire at the end of the deal when he’d be 38.  However, he told Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean that he hasn’t yet decided whether or not this will be his final contract.  Nashville has Juuse Saros as their expected starter of the future and both contracts expire at the same time so it certainly stands to reason that the proverbial torch could be passed at that time although if Rinne wants to accept another pay cut and reduced role, it’s certainly possible that he could hang around for another year or so as a backup.

Poll: Who Will Win The Central Division In 2019-20

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We’ve finally reached the end of the offseason and things kick off this week around the NHL. Exhibition games are underway in Europe and final cuts have come down all around the league. The excitement for the upcoming season is palpable, with even the most minor transactions generating plenty of interest among hockey fans.

With that in mind we’re going to ask you, the PHR reader, to give us your thoughts on the upcoming season. We started with the Atlantic Division, which seemed an easy choice for a good chunk of our community. The Tampa Bay Lightning ran away with the poll, earning a whopping 46% of all votes. Next was the Metropolitan Division earlier today, which doesn’t look quite as lopsided. The Washington Capitals have been picked by 32% of the voters to take home their fifth consecutive division title, but the Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils each currently carry more than 10%.

After finishing up the Eastern Conference we’ll now move west into the Central Division, where the Nashville Predators finished just a single point ahead of both the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues last season. In fact, Nashville’s 100 points were the lowest by any division winner and wouldn’t have even placed second in any of the other three groups. It didn’t do them much good either, as the Predators would fall in the first round to the Dallas Stars and have to watch their division rivals from St. Louis take home the Stanley Cup.

With that in mind, the Central might be the hardest division in the league to predict for 2019-20. All seven teams finished with at least 83 points last season and a similar thing might happen this year as they beat up on each other all year long. The Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche should all be improved, while the Jets still have a star-studded forward group even if their defense did take a hit in the offseason.

Who do you think will come out on top of the Central Division? Will Matt Duchene’s arrival make up for the loss of P.K. Subban from the back-end in Nashville? Can the young core in Colorado take them all the way to the top? Will the Blues continue to ride a breakout Jordan Binnington all year long? Cast your vote below and explain how you think the season will play out!

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Training Camp Cuts: 10/01/19

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Even with the season starting tomorrow, teams still have some final cuts to make today. Rosters have to be cap compliant by the end of the day. though with so much talent on waivers there might still be some last-minute moves. We’ll keep track of those right here. Keep checking back throughout the day for updates.

Arizona Coyotes (per team release)

D Ilya Lyubushkin (to Tucson, AHL)

Buffalo Sabres (per team release)

F Remi Elie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Curtis Lazar (to Rochester, AHL)
F Scott Wilson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Nelson (to Rochester, AHL)

Calgary Flames (per team release)

F Alan Quine (to Stockton, AHL)
F Zac Rinaldo (to Stockton, AHL)
F Dillon Dube (to Stockton, AHL)
D Andrew MacDonald (released from PTO)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

F Clark Bishop (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Julien Gauthier (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Brian Gibbons (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Gustav Forsling (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Roland McKeown (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Anton Forsberg (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Max McCormick (placed on injured/non-roster)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk (placed on injured/non-roster)

Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)

G Collin Delia (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kirby Dach (placed on injured/non-roster)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Marko Dano (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Andrew Peeke (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Liam Foudy (placed on injured/non-roster)

Colorado Avalanche (per team release)

F Jayson Megna (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kevin Connauton (to Colorado, AHL)
D Calle Rosen (to Colorado, AHL)
D Ian Cole (placed on injured/non-roster)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

D Jared McIsaac (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Chase Pearson (placed on injured/non-roster)

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

F Sam Gagner (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Minnesota Wild (per team release)

F J.T. Brown (to Iowa, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

F Ryan Poehling (to Laval, AHL)

Nashville Predators (per team release)

F Miikka Salomaki (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Milwaukee, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (per team release)

D Matt Tennyson (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Spokane, WHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)

D John Marino (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Casey DeSmith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

F Nicolas Roy (to Chicago, AHL)
D Nicolas Hague (to Chicago, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team release)

F Liam O’Brien (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
D Christian Djoos (to Hershey, AHL)
D Michal Kempny (placed on injured/non-roster)

Winnipeg Jets (per team release)

D Sami Niku (to Manitoba, AHL)

Waivers: 09/30/19

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Today is the last day to use waivers in order to get a roster cap compliant for the start of the regular season, so we will see a lot of players available for selection.

Anaheim Ducks

F Daniel Sprong
F Sam Carrick

Boston Bruins

F Peter Cehlarik

Buffalo Sabres

F Remi Elie
F Curtis Lazar
F Scott Wilson
D Casey Nelson

Calgary Flames

F Alan Quine

Carolina Hurricanes

F Clark Bishop
D Gustav Forsling
G Anton Forsberg

Chicago Blackhawks

D Carl Dahlstrom

Colorado Avalanche

F Jayson Megna

Columbus Blue Jackets

F Marko Dano

Edmonton Oilers

F Sam Gagner
D Brandon Manning

Minnesota Wild

F J.T. Brown

Nashville Predators

F Miikka Salomaki
D Steven Santini

New Jersey Devils

D Matt Tennyson

New York Islanders

F Joshua Ho-Sang
F Tanner Fritz
D Thomas Hickey

New York Rangers

F Boo Nieves

Pittsburgh Penguins

G Casey DeSmith

Tampa Bay Lightning

D Luke Schenn

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Kenny Agostino
F Nic Petan
F Garrett Wilson
D Kevin Gravel

Vancouver Canucks

F Sven Baertschi
F Nikolay Goldobin
D Alex Biega

Winnipeg Jets

F J.C. Lipon
D Nelson Nogier
G Eric Comrie

Washington Capitals

F Liam O’Brien
F Michael Sgarbossa
D Christian Djoos

Training Camp Cuts: 9/29/19

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Teams will continue to be cutting players still in training camp in order to get to their final opening day rosters. Keep an eye throughout the day on this story as teams continue to make roster moves:

Buffalo Sabres (via team report)

D William Borgen (to Rochester, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (via team report)

D Chase Priskie (to Charlotte, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (via team tweet)

F Aleksi Saarela (to Rockford, AHL)

Colorado Avalanche (via The Athletic’s Ryan S. Clark)

F Shane Bowers (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kevin Connauton (to Colorado, AHL, pending waivers)
F A.J. Greer (to Colorado, AHL, pending waivers)
F T.J. Tynan (to Colorado, AHL, pending waivers)

Detroit Red Wings (via team tweet)

F Turner Elson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Joe Hicketts (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Filip Larsson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Brian Lashoff (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Calvin Pickard (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Matt Puempel (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Michael Rasmussen (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Moritz Seider (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Dominic Turgeon (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Chris Terry (to Grand Rapids, AHL)

Florida Panthers (via team report)

F Anthony Greco (to Springfield, AHL)
D Riley Stillman (to Springfield, AHL)
F Owen Tippett (to Springfield, AHL)
F Dominic Toninato (to Springfield, AHL)

Nashville Predators (via team report)

F Frederick Gaudreau (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Jarred Tinordi (to Milwaukee, AHL)

Ottawa Senators (via team report)

F Vitaly Abramov (to Belleville, AHL)
F Logan Brown (to Belleville, AHL)
D Christian Jaros (to Belleville, AHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team report)

F Adam Johnson (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)

St. Louis Blues (via team report)

D Andreas Borgman (to San Antonio, AHL)
D Niko Mikkola (to San Antonio, AHL)
D Mitch Reinke (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Tanner Kaspick (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Klim Kostin (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Jordan Nolan (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Ryan Olsen (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Austin Poganski (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Nathan Walker (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Jordan Kyrou (to injured non-roster list)
G Ville Husso (to San Antonio, AHL)
G Adam Wilcox (to San Antonio, AHL)

Toronto Maple Leafs (via team tweet)

F Pontus Aberg (to Toronto, AHL)
F Tyler Gaudet (to Toronto, AHL)
D Ben Harpur (to Toronto, AHL)
D Jordan Schmaltz (to Toronto, AHL)

 

 

Minor Transactions: 09/28/19

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As teams finish their final week of preparation before the 2019-20 season, there will likely be several transactions around the league. Alongside of NHL camp cuts, there are recalls and reassignments for preseason action, AHL camp decisions, and even some teams at both levels still looking to fill out their rosters with a signing or two. As always, we’ll keep track of all those moves right here:

  • The same group of players recalled by the Nashville Predators yesterday to suit up for their preseason game have been returned: Rem Pitlick, Anthony Richard, Eeli Tolvanen, Yakov Trenin, Josh Wilkins, Alexandre Carrier, Jeremy Davies and Ken Appleby. However, the team added that Appleby has formally been released from his PTO contract. He will head to the Milwaukee Admirals with the rest of the group, but is now solely property of the AHL club.
  • The St. Louis Blues are already making standard recall transactions, although it’s unclear if the move is anything more than a personnel change for the preseason finale. The Blues announced that defenseman Jake Walman has been sent down to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, essentially being cut from training camp, but that forward Alexey Toropchenko has been recalled in his place. The first-year pro had been previously dismissed from camp, but will get another chance to impress the St. Louis brass.
  • From heir apparent to fifth string, goaltender Spencer Martin has had a tough year or so. Last off-season, the 2013 third-round pick looked like he might be in line for the backup role with the Colorado Avalanche. Instead, the Avs traded for Philipp Grubauer and signed Pavel Francouz. Martin sat behind Francouz, an AHL All-Star, all year and then was not extended a qualifying offer from Colorado. Martin signed as a UFA early this summer with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who at the time had only two goalies slotted above him on the depth chart. Since then, the Bolts have traded for Mike Condon and signed Curtis McElhinney. With Condon and Louis Domingue both established NHL veterans currently confined to the AHL, today’s move was inevitable, but still a tough blow for Martin. The 24-year-old was reassigned to the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears, the Syracuse Crunch announced. Another former top prospect, Zach Fucale, has also been sent down to Orlando. The duo will likely be relegated to the ECHL for much of the season, barring an injury or trade. It’s certainly not the future imagined for Martin just a few short years ago.
  • The Blue Jackets have recalled winger Eric Robinson from Cleveland (AHL), reports Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.  He has already been cut this preseason but is expected to suit up in their final exhibition game on Sunday before being sent back down.
  • The Florida Panthers announced that they have recalled forward Anthony Greco from the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. The 25-year-old was cut from the NHL camp on Thursday, but may get a chance to prove himself again. Greco scored 59 goals over the past two seasons with Springfield, but has only made one NHL appearance so far.

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