Tyler Moy Signs Two-Year Contract With Nashville Predators
A few months before he would become an unrestricted free agent, Tyler Moy has decided to sign with the team that drafted him. The Harvard standout has agreed to a two-year entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators. Fans that were having flashbacks to Jimmy Vesey, another Predators draft pick and Harvard forward who refused to sign last year, now have nothing to worry about as Moy is in their system.
The 21-year old forward broke out with Harvard this year after he was given a bigger responsibility and registered 45 points in 36 games, tying him with Alexander Kerfoot for the team lead. His 22 goals also led the team, and helped the Crimson to the Frozen Four for the first time since 1994. The forward was drafted in the sixth round in 2015, but already completed his four-year stint at the university.
Moy can play any forward position and up until this year was relied upon as a defensive specialist. He plays a mature two-way style, but showed off some impressive offensive skill this year while still dominating in his own end. Should that offensive production continue at the next level, he has a chance to be a solid contributor to a Nashville franchise that suddenly looks poised to have some real depth at the center position in a few years. He’ll turn 22 this July, meaning he is nearly done growing as a player and needs to make an impact within the next few seasons. For now, he’ll likely be tried at center in the AHL and push for an NHL audition at some point in 2017-18.
Saturday Snapshots: Final Saturday Of The Regular Season
8:48pm: The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3, clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2013. Despite losing goaltender Frederik Andersen, the Leafs rallied for three goals in the third to punch their ticket to the playoffs. TSN’s Bob McKenzie sums up the seedings with tomorrow’s results. If Toronto gets one point tomorrow, they will take on Ottawa in the first round while Boston faces off against Washington. Should they lose, they draw Washington and the Bruins get Ottawa.
2:54 pm: Today is the second last day of the regular season, and as such, there’s a lot going on around the National Hockey League. The entire playoff bracket can be finalized this evening, stars will be healthy scratched, and milestones hit.
Playoff Matchups:
- Two Eastern Conference matchups have already been set: Canadiens vs Rangers and Penguins vs Blue Jackets. Another could be set tonight, if Toronto, Ottawa, and Boston all win. That would mean Capitals vs Maple Leafs. Should the Maple Leafs lose while the other two win, then that would guarantee Senators vs Bruins.
- Wild vs Blues is clinched by a St. Louis win or a Nashville loss.
- Oilers vs Sharks would be clinched by:
- An Oilers extra-time loss vs the Canucks tonight, OR
- An Oilers regulation loss and a Sharks loss in any fashion.
- Blackhawks vs Predators happens if:
- The Predators lose in regulation, OR
- The Flames win and the Blues get a single point, OR
- The Flames and Predators both lose in OT.
- The Flames would take on the Ducks if:
- The Oilers lose, the Blues get a point, and the Flames win, OR
- The Oilers lose, and both the Flames and Predators lose in OT, OR
- The Oilers lose, and the Predators lose in regulation.
- The Flames would take on the Blackhawks if Calgary loses and the Predators win.
- The Ducks would take on the Predators if:
- Both Edmonton and Calgary lose, and the Predators win, OR
- Nashville gets a point, while Edmonton loses and Calgary loses in regulation.
Other clinching scenarios:
- The Oilers clinch home-ice with a single point. They visit Vancouver tonight, and host them tomorrow.
- The Ducks clinch the Pacific Division with an Oilers loss of any kind.
- To pass Anaheim and win the Pacific, the Oilers would need to sweep the Canucks this weekend and have Anaheim lose to Los Angeles tomorrow.
- Should the Toronto Maple Leafs win tonight against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto will clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2013. That would eliminate the New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning.
- The Islanders could also be eliminated with a regulation loss or any kind of loss if the Maple Leafs get a single point.
- UPDATE: Ottawa clinched home ice by defeating the Rangers, 3-1.
- They defeat the Rangers today, OR
- Boston and Toronto lose in regulation, OR
- The Bruins and Senators each get a single point combined with a Maple Leafs OT loss.
Scratches:
- The Penguins are resting a handful of players, but not their captain. Regulars Nick Bonino, Brian Dumoulin, Patric Hornqvist, Matt Murray, and Bryan Rust will all be healthy scratches, however Sidney Crosby will dress. Forward Kevin Porter and goaltender Tristan Jarry have been called up to fill out the lineup; Jarry will back up Marc-Andre Fleury. The Penguins coach, Mike Sullivan, told TSN that he’s aware of what’s on the line for the Maple Leafs, but re-iterated that his priority is to do what’s best for the team “in the short-term and the long-term. Having said that the lineup we put in will be competitive.”
- The Canucks will be without the services of Sven Baertschi for this weekend’s home-and-home with the Oilers. Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma reports that Baertschi may have hurt his shoulder or neck on Thursday vs the Coyotes.
- The Senators will be resting several players. Their lineup isn’t known yet, but Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch suggested Craig Anderson, Mike Hoffman, Dion Phaneuf, Kyle Turris, and Viktor Stalberg as possibilities.
Milestones:
- Oilers captain Connor McDavid could become just the fifth player to score 100 points since 2010. He’s sitting at 97 points in 80 games, the seventh-most points in a season during in that time frame. Only Evgeni Malkin, Daniel Sedin, Crosby, and Patrick Kane have cracked the century-mark this decade. McDavid is nine points ahead of Crosby and Kane for the NHL scoring lead, and looks poised to take home the Art Ross in his first full season at age 20.
- With one more goal this season, Auston Matthews can become the fifteenth rookie in NHL history to score 40 goals. Currently, he’s tied with Crosby, Steve Yzerman, and Peter and Anton Stastny at 39. Kings’ coach Darryl Sutter, Sylvain Turgeon, and Warren Young all scored 40 goals in their rookie seasons.
NCAA All-American Teams Named
Prior to the reveal of University of Denver defenseman Will Butcher as the 2017 Hobey Baker Award-winner and ahead of the NCAA championship game tomorrow night, the American Hockey Coaches Association released the rosters of this year’s collegiate All-American Teams. The teams, first and second squads from either side of the country, are listed below with their NCAA teams as well as NHL-drafted or signed organization, if applicable:
East All-Americans
First Team:
RW Zach Aston-Reese, Northeastern (Pittsburgh Penguins)
RW Spencer Foo, Union
C Mike Vecchione, Union (Philadelphia Flyers)
D Adam Fox, Harvard (Calgary Flames)
D Charlie McAvoy, Boston University (Boston Bruins)
G Charles Williams, Canisius
Morning Notes: ISS Rankings, Marchand, Girard
The International Scouting Service (ISS) has released their latest draft rankings, and the center position dominates. Behind Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier—who are still ranked #1-2 respectively—Gabe Vilardi slides into the #3 slot and twelve other centers appear in the top-31 names. While many of the names down the list don’t project as elite first line players, there is a lot of talent to be had to build a team from the middle. Casey Mittelstadt has jumped to number five, and Timothy Liljegren continues to drop down the list.
A name we’ve said to watch before, Owen Tippett, has moved all the way up into the #4 position and is having a strong playoff run with Mississauga. The Steelheads are through to the next round and will face the Oshawa Generals on Friday. Tippett is the best pure goal scorer in the draft, and will have an interesting case for jumping right to the NHL next season.
- Brad Marchand will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Thursday, regarding the spearing incident last night. Marchand used his stick to violently spear Jake Dotchin in the groin and was assessed a five minute major and game misconduct. With the Boston Bruins clinching a playoff spot last night, any suspension that took Marchand out for more than two games would leak into the postseason and possibly be devastating for the club. The Hart Trophy candidate has been suspended three times in the past and fined on multiple occasions. His standing as a repeat offender may mean at least one playoff game will be included.
- The Nashville Predators have assigned Samuel Girard to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. The 18-year old defenseman was eliminated from the playoffs when Shawinigan lost to Val-d’Or on Sunday. A second-round pick last summer, Girard had 75 points in 59 games and added another nine in five playoff contests. His offensive potential is incredible, and the Predators defense factory has turned undersized players into excellent all-around defenders before.
- After playing in two games with the Red Wings, Evgeny Svechnikov has been sent back to the AHL. The young winger was held pointless, but scored the shootout winner against the Ottawa Senators on Monday night. He’ll now head down to the Grand Rapids Griffins and try to win a Calder Cup.
Blues Recall Kenny Agostino
Fresh off securing a playoff berth last night, the St. Louis Blues have added even more firepower to their red-hot team in the AHL’s leading scorer. The team announced today that they have recalled forward Kenny Agostino from the Chicago Wolves on an emergency basis and he is expected to be in the lineup tomorrow against the Central Division rival Nashville Predators.
There is no word yet on what warranted Agostino’s emergency recall or if he is replacing a major contributor in the lineup, but coach Mike Yeo and the Blues could do much worse than giving the 24-year-old left winger a shot down the stretch. Agostino already has a goal and two assists in seven games with St. Louis this season and has been on a tear in the minors, recording 79 points in 63 games, including nearly an assist per game. Agostino is in his first season with the Blues organization after signing as a free agent this summer – a move that is paying off in spades so far for GM Doug Armstrong and company. Just three years removed from a prolific career at Yale University, Agostino, then a Penguins prospect, was dealt to the Calgary Flames in the Jarome Iginla trade in 2013 while still in college, but has seen a major uptick in offense in 2016-17 relative to his first to pro seasons with the Flames organization.
The Blues are 7-1-2 in their last ten games and are rolling toward the postseason. A win tomorrow against Nashville would go a long way in locking down that second spot in the Central Division and a first-round date with the Minnesota Wild. Should Agostino play, he should be able to jump in and contribute right away in the crucial game and may even earn a spot on the postseason roster with his play over the next week. If not, the AHL Wolves have already clinched a playoff spot as well, so Agostino is postseason bound, one way or another.
Minor Moves: Sparks, Labate, Kloos
Garret Sparks has been returned to the Toronto Marlies after backing up Curtis McElhinney on Tuesday night. The Maple Leafs will welcome Frederik Andersen back into the lineup when they take on the Nashville Predators tomorrow night, though whether he starts or not is still up in the air. Sparks hasn’t played a single game for the Maple Leafs this season after taking the starting job down the stretch last year. He’s faced injury and a suspension earlier this year for “violent and sexist language toward a user in an online group.”
A seventh-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2011, Sparks has battled his way up the depth chart in Toronto and now sits as the starter for the Marlies as they head into the playoffs. With McElhinney hitting the open market as a free agent this summer, it is possible that Sparks would be first in line for the backup job next season.
- After spending the past month playing five or six minutes a game for the Vancouver Canucks, the team has decided to send Joseph Labate back to the AHL. The huge winger has played just thirteen games for the Canucks this season, scoring zero points and registering 21 penalty minutes. A fourth-round pick in 2011, Labate hasn’t quite turned into the power forward they’d hoped, and is barely qualified for fourth line duty at this point.
- The Minnesota Wild have made the signing of Justin Kloos official, inking him to a two-year deal starting in 2017-18. He’ll report to Iowa on an amateur tryout for the rest of the season. Iowa could actually still make the playoffs, as despite their 31-28-8 record this season they trail the Cleveland Monsters by only three points for the final spot in the Central Division. With nine games remaining, Kloos will try to make his impact felt immediately at the professional level.
Boston Bruins Recall Zane McIntyre On Emergency Basis
5:05pm: Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reports that it is in fact Khudobin who has suffered a minor injury today. If he’s not able to dress, it would still put the Bruins at risk of having to use an unproven rookie in what will amount to another must-win game.
4:38pm:Despite saying this morning that Tuukka Rask would be back in net for the Boston Bruins tonight against the Nashville Predators, the team has recalled Zane McIntyre from Providence on emergency conditions. Whether this means Rask isn’t ready, or somehow Anton Khudobin has suffered an injury during the day isn’t clear.
Rask sat out the Bruins last game against the New York Islanders on Saturday with a mysterious lower-body injury, allowing Khudobin to make the start instead and help the team to a 2-1 victory. Rask received some heat from media and fans who compared it to last year when the goaltender sat out the final game with an illness and watched as the Bruins lost 6-1 to miss the playoffs. While it’s certain Rask and the Bruins wouldn’t fake an injury this late in the season, it is horrible timing for a club that is fighting for their playoff lives on a nightly basis. With the Tampa Bay Lightning now just one point behind the Bruins for the final playoff spot, they need every win they can down the stretch.
Though if it is Khudobin who makes the start tonight, perhaps it’s not the worst thing that could happen. The goaltender is 5-1 since the beginning of February and boasts a .920 save percentage in those matches. On Saturday, he stopped 18 of 19 shots in one of the biggest victories of the season for the Bruins. McIntyre on the other hand has appeared in eight games this season for Boston and has proved he’s not quite ready for the NHL with a save percentage of .858.
Micheal Haley Suspended One Game For Roughing
San Jose Sharks forward Micheal Haley has been given a one game suspension for the punch he delivered to Nashville Predators forward Calle Jarnkrok in Saturday night’s game. While Haley is known for his tough play, in this instance he went over the edge after Jarnkrok sent him face first into the glass from behind.
The video released from the NHL Department of Player Safety explains the suspension:
It is important to note that while Jarnkrok did hit Haley before this altercation, Haley’s response is in no way permitted or excusable. Haley acknowledges that he was seeking retribution for the hit thrown by Jarnkrok seconds earlier, which was already being penalized by the on-ice officials.
Haley forcefully punches a player who is off-balance, not engaged in the confrontation and not even looking when the punch was thrown.
Though Haley has always been a fighter and is known for his physical game, he had never been fined or suspended by the National Hockey League. He has however been suspended in the AHL previously, an interesting omission from the league standpoint.
Tyler Kelleher Signs With Milwaukee Admirals
Despite being tied to the New Jersey Devils in recent days, Tyler Kelleher of the University of New Hampshire has signed an AHL contract with the Milwaukee Admirals—Nashville’s AHL affiliate—for the remainder of the season and all of 2017-18. The Predators seem to have swooped in and stolen the 22-year old forward right out from under the rest of the league’s noses. 
A finalist for the Hobey Baker award for the nation’s top player, Kelleher scored 63 points in 40 games for New Hampshire this season. The extremely small winger has been more than a point-per-game player during his college career, and will go down as one of the all-time great offensive weapons to come out of the school.
It is that size though, that will be his biggest obstacle at the professional level. Listed at just 5’6″ 160-lbs, Kelleher has always been one of the smallest players at whatever level he’s played. It’s likely why he wasn’t drafted despite a successful stint on the US Development Team, and likely why he couldn’t lock down an entry-level contract this spring.
This doesn’t mean that the Predators are the only destination for the young sniper, but it will give them a leg up if he proves that he deserves an NHL deal eventually. If he can bring that dynamic offensive game to the next level, they could easily have found another exceptional talent that was overlooked because of his height.
Minor Transactions: 3/11/17
Here is a rundown of today’s minor roster moves:
- The Canucks announced (via Twitter) that they have recalled left winger Joseph Labate from Utica of the AHL and it’s expected that he will suit up later tonight against Pittsburgh. Labate made his NHL debut earlier this season and has been held off the scoresheet through five games. He has also suited up in 29 games with the Comets in the minors, collecting 13 points (4-9-13) along with 63 penalty minutes.
- With goalie John Gibson being activated off injured reserve, the Ducks announced they have assigned Jhonas Enroth to AHL San Diego. Enroth didn’t get into a game with Anaheim during his recall despite putting up some stellar numbers in the minors. In a dozen games with the Gulls, Enroth is 10-2 with a 1.42 GAA and a .944 SV%.
- The Predators have recalled winger Miikka Salomaki from his injury conditioning assignment in Milwaukee, via the AHL’s transactions page. He isn’t in the lineup for today’s game against the Sharks, however. Salomaki has been out of the lineup since mid-October with a lower body injury and has played in just two games with Nashville this season. He played in four games with the Admirals during his conditioning stint, collecting a goal along with four penalty minutes.
- It appears New Jersey goaltender Keith Kinkaid is feeling well enough to dress tonight against the Coyotes. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned Ken Appleby to Albany of the AHL while recalling left winger Blake Pietila on an emergency basis. The 24 year old forward has spent most of the season in the minors where he has 29 points (15-14-29) through 42 games while going pointless in a pair of NHL contests. Andrew Gross of Fire and Ice adds (via Twitter) that Pietila will fill in tonight for Devante Smith-Pelly (lower body injury).