Eeli Tolvanen Joins Nashville Predators, Signs Entry-Level Deal
Eeli Tolvanen was on the ice for the Nashville Predators’ morning skate, and has signed his three-year entry-level contract. Tolvanen was allowed out of his KHL contract at the end of their season with the intent on joining the Predators, but it wasn’t clear when exactly he would be ready to jump into the lineup.
According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, Tolvanen’s entry-level deal comes with the maximum bonuses available, something usually reserved for only the very top draft picks like Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews (though also used in other rare circumstances).
The 18-year old phenom fell all the way to 30th in the 2017 draft, but has made quite the impression on the hockey community in less than a year since. By playing in the KHL, World Juniors and Olympics, he’s stacked up well against players from all sorts of levels. Now, entering the NHL just in time for what should be a long playoff run, he gives the Predators another offensive weapon to utilize. His shot is already extremely dangerous, and though he can sometimes wait for others to create chances for him, his natural elusiveness can be hard to combat when the puck is on his stick.
Predators Director of Player Personnell Jeff Kealty had this to say in the press release:
The thing that’s allowed him to translate and succeed at the men’s level as well as he has is that he thinks and executes at a very mature level for his age. It’s not just the goals, the assists and his shot, but the little things that he does, like the way he handles the puck and makes the right decisions in all areas of the ice. You always feel like the puck is in good hands when it’s on his stick and he’s going to make the right play when he has the opportunity.
Nashville is already loaded with offensive players, but Tolvanen could debut this weekend and give them another powerplay option. Though they’re certainly no slouches with the man advantage, Nashville’s point-shot strategy can be shut down at times and introducing a new weapon like Tolvanen could do damage in the postseason. We’ll have wait to see if he can make an impact in the NHL like he has in the KHL.
Adam Vingan of the Tennessean reported that Tolvanen was on the ice this morning, before anyone had announced a contract.
Eeli Tolvanen Free To Sign With Predators
Monday: Jokerit and Tolvanen have officially terminated his contract, making the young sniper free to sign with the Predators. According to Pekka Jalonen of Iltalehti in Finland, Tolvanen will meet the team in Nashville on Wednesday.
Saturday: The Nashville Predators got some good news today on the status of 2017 first-round pick Eeli Tolvanen, who has been playing for Jokerit of the KHL. The Predators’ plan, which is to bring the 18-year-old to the NHL and have him join the team for their Stanley Cup run this season, is that much closer today after Jokerit was eliminated from the playoffs Saturday and the Tennessean’s Adam Vingan tweets that Tolvanen is now free to sign with Nashville at any time.
Tolvanen scored a goal Saturday in Jokerit’s 4-3 loss to CSKA in Game 6 of their playoff series. The 30th pick in the 2017 draft has had a breakout year with Jokerit as he scored 21 goals and added 17 assists as a rookie.
However, TSN’s Bob McKenzie writes not to expect Tolvanen to hop on a plane and fly to Nashville tonight or even in the next day or two. McKenzie says that it may take some time for things to process, from a getting a release from Jokerit, to a contract, to dealing with immigration. Sportsnet’s John Shannon tweets the Predators will know more about Tolvanen’s status by Tuesday.
The other question that factors into the move will be whether or not the team chooses to burn Tolvanen’s first year of his entry-level deal. If he plays more than nine games between the regular season and the playoffs, he would burn that first-year of his ELC. However, while the team might be open to doing that to add another elite scorer for their playoff run, Vingan points out another factor the team will be considering as well. If there is an expansion draft for the Seattle franchise in 2020 (like many expect), Tolvanen would only be exempt from the draft if he does not play more than nine games this season. Assuming the franchise continues to be as deep as they are for the next few years, the Predators might rather have him exempt.
Injury Notes: Jets And Bruins
Two of the best teams in hockey, the Boston Bruins and Winnipeg Jets, are both in action today and will both see changes to their lineups due to injury. The Bruins take on the Minnesota Wild with a chance to climb within two points of the Atlantic-leading Tampa Bay Lightning while still holding a game in hand. The Jets need a win over the Central leading Predators to clinch a playoff spot with their own efforts, but could also get in today with at least one point and an Anaheim Ducks loss. However, the Jets will have to do so tonight and going forward down a man, whereas it seems like the Bruins task is about to get easier as their mountain of injuries is shrinking.
The Winnipeg Jets have a tough situation on their hands, but it could be worse. The team announced today that veteran defenseman Toby Enstrom will be shut down for the remainder of the regular season. Head coach Paul Maurice told TSN’s Brian Munz that Enstrom will not play again over the final two weeks as he nurses a lower-body injury. However, the important distinction is that this was the team’s choice and that it only includes the regular season. The team seems optimistic that some time off will give Enstrom a better chance of being ready to go in the postseason. With Dmitry Kulikov all but done for the year, the Jets could really use a healthy Enstrom if they want to make waves in the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Bruins also have their eye on the Cup and have somehow stayed on course through mounting injuries over the past month. Boston’s last two games in particular have lacked Patrice Bergeron, Charlie McAvoy, Zdeno Chara, Jake DeBrusk, David Backes, Rick Nash, and Torey Krug, yet the Bruins picked up a combined three points against the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars. Overall, the Bruins are shockingly 9-2-2 since Bergeron went down in late February, with McAvoy out since March 3rd and Chara and DeBrusk having missed the last two weeks. Now, the team is getting healthier, announcing that Bergeron and Krug are set to return to the lineup tonight and adding that Chara, McAvoy, and Backes are making their way back as well. That just leaves DeBrusk and Nash without an update and neither injury was reported to be overly serious when they first occurred, which means that Boston could be back at full strength before the start of the playoffs. Given the emergence of Ryan Donato and the strong play of Brian Gionta, Nick Holden, and others, that begs the question posed by beat writer Joe Haggerty today: who will start for the Bruins if everyone is healthy?
Snapshots: Tavares & Barzal, Berube, Gustavsson, Tolvanen, McLain
Having lost 10 out of their last 11 games this season, the New York Islanders look ready to make a major change as head coach Doug Weight plans to not only shake up their lines, but also put their two best players on the same lines for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers. The move, which was actually started Friday during the second period would force John Tavares to the wing position with rookie Mathew Barzal moving next to him at the center position, according to Andrew Gross of Newsday. Jordan Eberle will take over at right wing.
“It doesn’t mean he’s going to play wing and it doesn’t mean he’s not a centerman,” Weight said of Tavares. “It’s an experiment. Moving forward it gives them some experience together. I’m excited to see it.”
One has to wonder whether the move is made to see whether Barzal and Tavares might make a good fit, which could be another incentive, if it works, to convince Tavares to stay and re-sign with the franchise at the end of the season. The team has struggled offensively recently and neither player has stood out recently. Tavares has just two goals in the team’s last 10 games, while Barzal has just three in that same span.
- While Corey Crawford is unlikely to return this year in goal for the Chicago Blackhawks, the real test for the remainder of the year will be to determine who will end up being his backup next year. The team has both current goaltenders, Jean-Francois Berube and Anton Forsberg, under contract for one more season. According to Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times, the better of the two will likely assume the backup spot next year. Both are very similar as they both make the almost the same amount of money and are almost the same age. Lazerus believes that while neither goalie is perfect, Berube has been slightly more consistent than Lindholm, who has put up one of the worst save percentages in the league since Feb. 1 (.889) and has already been pulled six times this season.
- The Ottawa Senators got some good news as 19-year-old prospect goaltender Filip Gustavsson is heading for the AHL. According to the Ottawaw Citizen’s Ken Warren, Gustavsson, who the Senators acquired in the Derick Brassard trade from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, is expected to report to the Belleville Senators as his Lulea team in the Swedish Elite League was eliminated from the playoffs. He played 22 games in the SHL with a 2.07 GAA and a .918 save percentage.
- On the other hand, the Nashville Predators are still keeping a close eye on the KHL playoffs as they watch the play of Eeli Tolvanen of Jokerit. The 2017 first-rounder saw his team drop their second straight playoff game to CSKA and if they get swept, Tolvanen could be free to sign with the Predators for their playoff run as early as Tuesday.
- On a minor league note, the Iowa Wild of the AHL announced they signed Bowling Green forward Mitch McLain to an Amateur Tryout Agreement. The former captain was an nominee for the Hobey Baker Award and scored 53 goals for Bowling Green over the course of four seasons.
Devils’ Fitzgerald, Penguins’ Guerin Also Out Of Carolina GM Search
New Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon probably did not expect this process to be so hard. After Los Angles Kings Assistant GM Mike Futa joined Nashville Predators Assistant GM Paul Fenton in dropping out of the running to be the next Hurricanes GM early yesterday, two more names are off the list. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reached out to a potential candidate, New Jersey Devils Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald, and found that he too had pulled out of the search. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun hears Pittsburgh Penguins Assistant GM Bill Guerin also declined to get involved in the process.
Fitzgerald, 49, had a long NHL career, lasting from 1988 to 2006, and then joined the Penguins front office in 2007. He has been the AGM of the Devils since 2015. The experienced hockey mind comes from a strong hockey bloodline and has two sons, Ryan and Casey, with NHL potential. There are many reasons why Fitzgerald would be a strong hire and he certainly seems to have a GM title in his future, but it won’t be with Carolina. Fitzgerald simply told Friedman “This is nothing against Tom Dundon. I am very happy in New Jersey and this is not the right time for me.” Guerin, 47, is in a similar boat. LeBrun states that he too felt the timing was wrong. Guerin himself was a successful NHLer for nearly 20 years and has been with the Penguins organization since 2009, having been promoted to AGM in 2014. Many see Guerin as the heir apparent to 69-year-old Pens GM Jim Rutherford.
These continued rejections have changed Dundon’s frame of mind for his hunt for Ron Francis‘ replacement. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports this morning that the team is “shifting gears” and will wait until the off-season to continue their search. LeBrun speculated that this may change the “timing is wrong” feeling from some of these candidates. However, of the three remaining names on the short list reported by Friedman, only one – Buffalo’s Steve Greeley – is currently employed by an NHL team other than Carolina, while the other two candidates are ‘Canes Assistant GM Mike Vellucci and former Canucks executive Laurence Gilman. More than anything, the pause could be Dundon re-thinking the whole situation. It certainly hasn’t been a smooth process so far for the NHL’s newest owner.
Another Candidate Withdraws From Carolina GM Search
Los Angeles Kings’ AGM Mike Futa removed himself from contention for the Carolina Hurricanes GM job recently, and now another leading candidate is pulling out. According to several reports including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Nashville Predators AGM Paul Fenton has withdrawn as well.
Friedman now lists Tom Fitzgerald, Laurence Gilman, Steve Greeley and Mike Vellucci as the known candidates, though there could still be others.
The Hurricanes are searching for a new GM after moving Ron Francis into a different position, and owner Thomas Dundon has made it clear the incoming executive will answer directly to him. He and Francis apparently didn’t have similar styles, leading to the move and subsequent search. Obviously Dundon is looking for something very particular, but with two very qualified candidates now pulling out (for one reason or another) the search could become more difficult.
The NHL Entry Draft is just a few months away, and the Hurricanes have some huge negotiations to go through with players like Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Though there are experienced executives like Don Wadell still in the front office, every day that passes gives the new GM less time to prepare for the offseason. The Hurricanes meanwhile are 3-8-2 in their last 13 and have fallen out of the playoff race.
Calle Jarnkrok Out Rest Of Regular Season With Upper-Body Injury
The Nashville Predators have announced that Calle Jarnkrok will be out for the rest of the regular season, after suffering an upper-body injury in Tuesday’s game. The release does not include any details on a potential playoff return, or a timeline on his recovery. According to Adam Vingan of the Tennessean, Jarnkrok was seen with his right arm in a sling after the game.
Jarnkrok, 26, has been one of the most versatile players for the Predators all season long. After being a depth center for the team in his first few seasons, Jarnkrok has moved back and forth to the wing whenever the Predators have needed him to, and it has resulted in a career-high 35 points and a +20 rating. He logs more short-handed ice time than any other forward for the Predators, and has even contributed on the powerplay whenever asked.
Though the Predators loaded up down the middle this season by adding Kyle Turris and Mike Fisher, and acquired Ryan Hartman at the deadline to give them another young weapon, losing Jarnkrok will hurt. Nashville looks like the top contender for the Stanley Cup as they head towards the playoffs, but even with their impressive depth can’t take too many hits like this. We’ll see how their lineup shakes out after dealing with the loss, and who steps into the important penalty killing role down the stretch.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
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.
Trade Deadline Recap: Western Conference
After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Western Conference:
Deadline Day
Winnipeg Jets receive:
F Paul Stastny
St. Louis Blues receive:
F Erik Foley
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2020 fourth-round pick
Vegas Golden Knights receive:
F Tomas Tatar
Detroit Red Wings receive:
2018 first-round pick
2019 second-round pick
2021 third-round pick
Nashville Predators receive:
F Ryan Hartman
2018 fifth-round pick
Chicago Blackhawks receive:
F Victor Ejdsell
2018 first-round pick
2018 fourth-round pick
San Jose Sharks receive:
F Evander Kane
Buffalo Sabres receive:
F Danny O’Regan
Conditional 2019 first-round pick
Conditional 2020 fourth-round pick
Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera
New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner
Vegas Golden Knights receive:
D Philip Holm
Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Brendan Leipsic
Winnipeg Jets receive:
D Joe Morrow
Montreal Canadiens receive:
2018 fourth-round pick
Calgary Flames receive:
F Nick Shore
Ottawa Senators receive:
2019 seventh-round pick
Trade Deadline Recap: Eastern Conference
After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Eastern Conference:
Deadline Day
Tampa Bay Lightning receive:
D Ryan McDonagh
F J.T. Miller
New York Rangers receive:
F Vladislav Namestnikov
F Brett Howden
D Libor Hajek
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2019 second-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
F Thomas Vanek
Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Tyler Motte
F Jussi Jokinen
Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
D Ian Cole
Ottawa Senators receive:
F Nick Moutrey
2020 third-round pick
New Jersey Devils receive:
F Patrick Maroon
Edmonton Oilers receive:
F J.D. Dudek
2019 third-round pick
New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner
Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera
Boston Bruins receive:
F Tommy Wingels
Chicago Blackhawks receive:
Conditional 2019 fifth-round pick
Pittsburgh Penguins receive:
F Josh Jooris
Carolina Hurricanes receive:
F Greg McKegg