NCAA

Sampo Ranta Joins The University Of Minnesota

September 1, 2018 at 8:07 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

Colorado Avalanche prospect Sampo Ranta has finally landed with the right college program. The 2018 third-round pick was originally committed to the University of Wisconsin, but was released from his National Letter of Intent earlier this summer. Intrigue surrounded the young forward, with speculation that he could land with a number of top schools. However, he has finally made a decision; Randy Johnson of the Star Tribune writes that Ranta has officially joined the Gophers of the University of Minnesota.

Ranta, 18, is a Finnish native, but has already been playing in the United States for the past couple of years. The sharp-shooting left wing made the jump overseas in 2016 to join the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. Although he was drafted into the CHL, Ranta continued to focus on the college route and remained with Sioux City. Last season, he finished second on the Musketeers with 37 points and was a top 20 goal scorer in the league with 23 tallies, despite missing time while playing at the World Juniors.

He now brings that same offensive punch to one of the more historic hockey programs in the NCAA. Playing with the Gophers, Ranta will be surrounded by other talented young forwards like recent NHL draft picks Rem Pitlick (NSH, 2016), Thomas Novak (NSH, 2015), Brent Gates (ANA, 2015), and Scott Reedy (SJ, 2017). The scoring forward promises to be a thorn in the side of the Wisconsin Badgers and many more teams over the next few collegiate season. Ranta and company hope they bring enough to the table this season to get the Gophers back to the NCAA Tournament.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Boston Bruins

August 31, 2018 at 8:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2018-19 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Boston Bruins

Current Projected Cap Hit: $76,540,667 (under the $79.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry Level Contracts

D Charlie McAvoy (one year, $917K)
D Brandon Carlo (one year, $789K)
F Jake DeBrusk (two years, $863K)
F Danton Heinen (one year, $873K)
F Ryan Donato (one year, $900K)
F Anders Bjork (two years, $925K)

Potential Bonuses:

McAvoy: $500K
DeBrusk: $425K
Heinen: $213K
Donato: $850K

Total: $1.99MM

Under $5.5MM in salary and under $2MM in potential bonuses for that group of players? It would be hard to find any team in the league who wouldn’t be excited about that scenario. Carlo has played a top four role for the Bruins for two seasons already and McAvoy asserted himself not only as the top defenseman on the team as a rookie last year, but one of the best defenders in the league; they’re both just beginning to show what they can be. The other four forwards will likely make up the bulk of the top nine in Boston this season. Heinen and DeBrusk finished fourth and sixth respectively among Bruins forwards in scoring last year, each with 40+ points, and noticeably improved as the season wore on. Bjork began the year in the top six and scored at a pace that would have put him at 30+ points on the year, if not for a roster crunch and later on an injury that kept him out of the lineup for much of the year. The latest addition is Donato, who joined the team down the stretch after leading both the NCAA and Winter Olympics in goals per game. If the Bruins’ top prospect finds chemistry with a scoring line and earns substantial ice time, he could be a legitimate Calder Trophy threat.

Of course, the caveat to all of this is that the Bruins can only enjoy most of these bargain deals for one more year. All but DeBrusk and Bjork will be due extensions by this time next year. McAvoy is in line for an expensive, long-term contract that could easily surpass the six-year, $29.7MM contract just recently signed by the Calgary Flames’ Noah Hanifin. Carlo will be due a much more modest raise, but a raise nonetheless. The real intrigue lies with Heinen and Donato. If Heinen is again the best non-first line forward on the Bruins this season, he will have cemented himself as a crucial piece of the core and will be able to command a hefty bump in salary. A regression and being overshadowed by other young forward could keep his next cap hit at a more comfortable level. The same goes for Donato, who could meet his lofty expectations as a rookie and significantly raise his asking price or could fail to stand out against Boston’s other young forwards and sign a more modest second contract. Perhaps even the Bruins don’t know which outcome they would prefer: their impending RFA’s playing incredibly well and boosting their value or instead playing secondary roles and staying reasonably priced? Either way, the team will at least be glad to have DeBrusk and other incoming prospects at ELC cap hits in 2019-20.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry Level

D Zdeno Chara ($5MM, UFA)
D Adam McQuaid ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Noel Acciari ($725K, UFA)

Not much is going to change on the Bruins roster between 2018-19 and 2019-20 if unrestricted free agency is any indicator. Given how few current players are impending unrestricted free agents and the number and value of the likely RFA contracts that they will need to hand out, it will probably be a quiet summer in Boston next year.

Of this group, the one departure that seems certain is McQuaid. As it stands now, McQuaid might not only be a bench player for the Bruins this season but could even be considered the team’s #8 defenseman and very well could land on the trade block or even waivers over the course of the campaign. The loyal veteran is one of the remaining holdovers from the team’s 2011 Stanley Cup title and has only ever played hard-nosed, competent hockey in Boston. However, frequent injuries paired with the development of Kevan Miller into a better version of McQuaid has all but made the original superfluous. Now, Boston may not carry eight defenseman all season long and if someone other than McQuaid is traded, that would open up some more opportunity for the physical veteran. However, it still seems that – given the players signed on the blue line as it is and the crop of prospects in Providence (AHL) pushing for play time – that McQuaid’s days in Boston are numbered one way or another.

Counting the days until Chara retires may be a pointless effort, though. The 41-year-old continues to defy nature in every regard. Chara led all Boston skaters in ice time with 23 minutes per night and has been the team’s average ice-time leader for a whopping twelve years straight. While his offense remains in decline, his defensive game made a major comeback last season and the league’s oldest defenseman even garnered Norris Trophy votes. In all likelihood, the Bruins will look to reduce Chara’s role this year in an effort to make him even more effective in limited minutes. If that proves successful, don’t be surprised to see Boston give Chara incentive-laden one-year contracts until he finally decides to hand up his skates. At this rate, it could be another year or two after this current contract expires.

Some may discount what spark plug Acciari brings to the Bruins and consider his impending free agency to not be much of a factor. Yet, Acciari is considered by many to be one of the more underrated defensive forwards in the league. A versatile player and punishing checker, Acciari is an ideal fourth-liner who frustrates the opposition without landing in penalty trouble or ending up on the wrong side of turnovers. Acciari logged 152 hits last season versus just four minor penalty minutes and recorded 20 takeaways to just nine giveaways. Few players in the league are so efficient with their defensive play. Acciari is a local product who fits the style and culture of the Bruins well and could certainly wind up with a multi-year extension. With that said, the Bruins’ addition of Chris Wagner this summer adds a lot of the same ability that Acciari brings to the table. If cap space or roster space becomes an issue, Acciari is not guaranteed a new contract.

Two Years Remaining

D Torey Krug ($5.25MM, UFA)
D Kevan Miller ($2.5MM, UFA)
D Matt Grzelcyk ($1.4MM, RFA)
F Chris Wagner ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Joakim Nordstrom ($1MM, UFA)
G Jaroslav Halak ($2.75MM, UFA)

Although their contracts expire in just two years, it is far too early to tell what the future holds for any of these players. The easy prediction would be that in two years time, the Bruins will have homegrown products ready to replace the unrestricted free agents, with Grzelcyk sliding into the offensive defenseman role that Krug has dominated for so long. However, things rarely work out that simply. On the blue line, the Bruins do have a lot in the pipeline with three recent first- or second-round picks at the AHL level and another overseas, not to mention Grzelcyk currently slated for extra man duty. The hope would be that all or some combination of Chara, McQuaid, Krug, and Miller will be allowed to depart over the next two seasons, with McAvoy, Carlo, Grzelcyk, and John Moore leading a new group of rearguards, but only time will tell. In the meantime, roster restrictions could mean that one of McQuaid, Krug, or Miller are traded away in the coming season.

Up front, Wagner and Nordstrom have yet to take the ice for the Bruins. While Wagner is a bona fide bottom-six commodity who seems like a natural fit, Nordstrom is less so. Unless he surprises, the veteran forward seems more likely to land on waivers over the next two years than he is to earn an extension. Finally, there is Halak, who was brought in to lessen the burden on starter Tuukka Rask, who has proven to be a far superior player with more rest. Boston needs to bridge the gap to a class of young goaltenders with promise, but still in need of much development. Halak, 33, is out to prove that he can still be a great goaltender behind a competent defense. If he succeeds, he’ll likely be looking for a chance to start when he next hits free agency. If he fails, the Bruins won’t retain a washed-up, aging keeper anyway. Halak is perhaps the only player of this group that is for sure only in Boston for two years maximum.

Three Years Remaining

F David Krejci ($7.25MM, UFA)
F David Backes ($6MM, UFA)
F Sean Kuraly ($1.275MM, RFA)
G Tuukka Rask ($7MM, UFA)

Outside of Kuraly, the collection of players in this category are those most often maligned by critics both in and outside of Boston. Krejci, the highest paid player on the Bruins, has begun the aging process far sooner than many expected. The 32-year-old has seen a drop off in production every year since 2013-14 and is visibly slower and less dynamic on the ice. While he played well with DeBrusk and for a time Rick Nash last season, the Bruins still have yet to find the right line mates to spark his game the way that long-departed players like Milan Lucic, Nathan Horton, and Loui Eriksson did. Backes has certainly not been the answer, and while the 34-year-old has struggled with health issues in his two years since coming to Boston, it is hard to imagine him even at his healthiest surpassing the 30-40 point capability he has shown of late. At $6MM for three more years, that could be a hard pill to swallow. Krejci and Backes are still capable of turning their current trends around and making the most of the next three years. Regardless, they won’t be back once their current contracts expire.

Rask could be a different story. For all of the criticism that Rask gets for inconsistent play and poor postseason performance, the 31-year-old has the second-best career save percentage in NHL history behind only Dominik Hasek and is the active leader in both save percentage and goals against average. On top of that, his career playoff numbers are actually even better – .924 and 2.25 compared to .922 and 2.26. Like any goalie, Rask is simply the easiest person to blame when things don’t go well for the Bruins. The other source of ire is that, at $7MM, the aging Rask is paid like a top five goalie when of late he has performed more like a top 10 or 12 goalie. Any rumor of a Rask trade right now is nonsense and likely will remain so through this contract. At that point, the Bruins will have to address the development of their prospect goalies and the options on the market, but could very well return to a then-34-year-old Rask for another contract, this one shorter and more affordable.

The odd man out in this group, fortunately, is Kuraly. Some were surprised when the Bruins handed a three-year term to a fourth-line player, but Boston has a recent history of finding success with consistent energy line groupings. They have clearly pegged the capable Kuraly as a mainstay in the bottom-six moving forward. At a very reasonable cap hit, there is nothing to be concerned about with this contract.

Four Or More Years Remaining

D John Moore ($2.75MM through 2022-23)
F Patrice Bergeron ($6.875MM through 2021-22)
F David Pastrnak ($6.67MM through 2022-23)
F Brad Marchand ($6.125MM through 2024-25)

Just like the group of entry-level players under contract in Boston, there aren’t many general managers around the league who would turn down this group of long-term contracts. The entirety of the most dangerous line in the NHL are all signed for four or more years at under $7MM apiece. Bergeron, the best two-way forward of his generation and arguably of all-time, centering two wingers that finished with 80+ points last year in Marchand and Pastrnak. Marchand, who has seven years left on his contract, has blossomed into one of the most potent scorers in the league while still maintaining a style that frustrates oppositions and causes turnovers. Pastrnak, 22, will be 27 when his contract expires and has only just begun to show his true potential. When that time arrives, the Bruins will likely be happy to throw another eight years at him. To a lesser extent, the same goes for Bergeron, who in all odds will get the Chara treatment of never-ending extensions so long as he remains effective. This trio looks ready to dominate for a long time.

As for Moore, very rarely is a long-term deal signed that carries so little risk. At $2.75MM, Moore chose term and security over market value. The 27-year-old defenseman has dealt with injuries and inconsistency in his career, but has also had stretches of top pair-caliber play. Most of the time, he is simply a sound presence on the back end who does everything well, even if he doesn’t do anything great. At his best, Moore could be a long-term partner for McAvoy who provides solid defense that allows the No. 1 defenseman to take more offensive risks. At his worst, Moore can be a steady stay-at-home mainstay on the third pair while the Bruins bring up other young, inexperienced defenseman. Either way, as the salary cap increases, Moore’s salary will become more and more of a bargain, especially if his health issues are in the past. The Moore contract was surprise, but not a mistake by Don Sweeney and company.

Buyouts

D Dennis Seidenberg ($1.17MM through 2019-20)
F Jimmy Hayes ($867K in 2018-19)

Retained Salary Transactions

F Matt Beleskey ($1.9MM through 2019-20)

Still To Sign

None

Best Value: Pastrnak (Excluding entry-level contracts)
Worst Value: Backes

Looking Ahead

How the Bruins’ impending restricted free agents perform this year – and next – will go a long way in dictating how the Bruins are constructed and fare with the salary cap moving forward. The team faces the tough task, though anyone would take it, of managing a crop of talented young roster players and a pipeline of promising prospects with a solid group of veterans signed long-term. Doing so won’t be without bumps and bruises and Boston will likely be right up against the salary cap ceiling for some time to come, but the benefit of effectively rebuilding on the fly by bringing in a new young core to support an older core of capable veterans will be years more of contending seasons for the Bruins. The likes of Marchand, Pastrnak, McAvoy, Carlo, DeBrusk, Heinen, Donato, not to mention several more exciting prospects, likely aren’t going anywhere and the team will have to focus on building around them. It’s working with the contracts of players like Backes, Krejci, Chara, Krug, and Rask that could present challenges.

Minor Transactions: 08/31/18

August 31, 2018 at 6:00 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Noah Hanifin has signed with the Calgary Flames, but we’re still waiting on news of the other dozen restricted free agents. While we wait, we’ll keep track of the minor moves around the hockey world.

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed Zach Palmquist, Nick Luukko and Branden Komm to AHL contracts for 2018-19. Palmquist especially will give the team some added firepower on the blue line after registering 34 points in 67 games last season for the Iowa Wild. The 27-year old was an undrafted free agent out of the Minnesota State University when he signed with the Minnesota Wild in 2015, and earned two more NHL contracts over the last few seasons. Still waiting for his NHL debut, he’ll have to prove that he once again deserves a big league deal next summer.
Former Bowling Green standout Dan DeSalvo has found a new home in the AHL. The Cleveland Monsters, minor league affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, announced a one-year deal with undersized, but explosive forward. DeSalvo has shown great offensive ability over the past three years between the AHL and ECHL. After close to a point-per-game pace with the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers as well as on loan to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in his first pro season in 2015-16, DeSalvo earned a regular role with Manitoba the next year and posted 40 points in 66 games. While that production slipped somewhat last year, with DeSalvo limited to just 44 games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, the Monsters have clearly bought in to what he can offer up front. The 26-year-old forward is likely to bring positive returns for the team if put in the right position and given enough ice time.
Joining DeSalvo in Cleveland for another year is also Miles Koules, who returns for his third season. After working his way through four different ECHL teams in his first two pro seasons, Koules finally found a fit when given a chance with the Monsters in 2016-17. The team has re-signed the winger for a second straight year after he registered 27 points in 68 games last season.
The University of Massachusetts Minutemen are adding another weapon to their squad and about a week before classes begin no less. The team has announced that former St. Lawrence University forward Joel Pritchard has joined the program as a graduate transfer. Although Pritchard played only three seasons for the Saints, he completed his studies and recently graduated. He will be eligible to play immediately at UMass, where he will reunite with former coach Greg Carvel. Pritchard recorded 20+ points in each of his seasons at St. Lawrence and played a responsible two-way game. He will bring consistency and experience to a young UMass squad that hopes to surprise people in the Hockey East Conference this season.

Minor Transactions: 8/23/18

August 23, 2018 at 6:26 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

As the start of the NHL season draws closer, players at every level around the globe continue to make decisions on their hockey futures. Keep track of today’s signings here:

Former Philadelphia Flyers forward Roman Lyubimov allegedly left the NHL last summer because he wanted a chance to play for his native Russia at the Olympics this past winter. However, he was not selected to the Olympic squad after all. It turns out that it might not have been his only motivation for jumping to the KHL anyway. Lyubimov, a free agent this off-season, has decided to stay at home in Russia, with Metallurg Magnitogorsk announcing a contract with the 26-year-old forward. It seems a combination of both wanting to play in the KHL and a lack of production in his one NHL season – six points in 47 games – was likely the cause of his jump overseas last year.
Avery Peterson, one of the more well-known college free agents to hit the UFA market last week, has settled for an ECHL contract. The Idaho Steelheads have signed the former University of Minnesota-Duluth forward to a one-year deal, the team announced. The big two-way center played a key role in the Bulldogs’ run to the NCAA Championship this past season, but with limited offensive upside, Peterson will have to prove that he can make a difference at the pro level.
It’s been a while since Matthew Finn has been considered a budding NHL prospect and even longer since he was drafted in the second round of the NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2012. Yet, the smart, capable defenseman continues to make a living in the minors. Finn has signed an ECHL deal with the Florida Everblades after spending part of last season with the team while on a contract with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. While Finn has logged plenty of time at the “AA” level, this is his first ECHL contract. The former Guelph Storm captain will bring leadership and experience to the Estero-based squad and if he is able to replicate his production from his last healthy season spent in the ECHL, should be back in contention for an AHL deal next summer. At this point though, it seems unlikely that we will ever see Finn at the NHL level despite his initial promise when drafted.

Southern California Becoming A Hotbed For Young Hockey Talent

August 19, 2018 at 4:01 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 6 Comments

Can you name the all-time leading NHL scorer who was born or raised in California? No? It’s long-retired journeyman defenseman Lee Norwood of course with a total of 211 points. Coming in at number two is Brooks Orpik and his 185 career points and Orpik was raised in New York and played his developmental hockey in Massachusetts. The state of California has simply never been much of producer of hockey talent. Not for long. The grassroots movement in Southern California, fueled by the success of its three NHL rival teams, has begun to grow talent at a rate never before seen in the state or in many southern markets. Soon, California natives will be making names for themselves at the highest level.

For a while now, Boston Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller has been the best player in the NHL both born and raised in California. The rugged blue liner from Los Angeles is 30 years old, making him more of an outlier ahead of his time. However, younger pros are beginning to line up behind him for the title of top Californian. Chad Ruhwedel, Ian McCoshen, Matthew Nieto, Beau Bennett, Nic Kerdiles, Eric Comrie and Collin Delia make up the list of other West Coast natives that are getting play time in the NHL.

The above group is still not all that impressive. The point being that the SoCal hockey movement hasn’t hit just yet. It is the next wave that will really start to turn heads. The poster boy is Vancouver Canucks top goalie prospect Thatcher Demko. The San Diego product was an early second-round pick in 2014 and has impressed at every level: the USHL, NCAA, and AHL. Once the Canucks finally give him a legitimate role in the NHL, he could become a top goalie in the league.

Demko was a product of the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League, a nationwide premiere youth league with teams based in major cities across the U.S., some of whom have even adopted the local NHL club’s moniker. Demko played for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings U16 team in 2011-12. To take a look at how hockey has grown since, here are some other names who have suited up for the same team since:

Robby Jackson, the leading scorer for St. Cloud State University, the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2017-18. Jackson turned down pro offers to return to school for his senior season.
Jake McGrew, a 2017 sixth-round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks who currently plays a top-six role for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL
Cole Guttman, a 2017 sixth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning and former top ten USHL scoring leader who heads to the University of Denver this year
Murphy Stratton, a point-per-game power forward in the BCHL last year who is committed to the University of North Dakota
Sahil Panwar, the 23rd overall pick by the London Knights in the OHL Priority Selection Draft this year and a 2020 NHL Draft prospect

While the Jr. Kings have had quite a run in recent years, the cross-town rival Anaheim Jr. Ducks have been keeping busy of late. In just the past year, the Ducks have had numerous major commitments. Josh Groll, on of the T1EHL’s top scorers last season, is bound for the University of Michigan. Ryan Johnson, who scored the second-most points by a defenseman in league history a year ago, is committed to the University of Minnesota. Just today, the University of Massachusetts received a commitment from forward Ethan Wothers. The top player to watch of them all though is Jackson Niedermayer, son of Hall of Famer Scott Niedermayer, who will join the Penticton Vees of the BCHL this season and promises to be an intriguing name in next year’s NHL Draft.

This is just the beginning of what grassroots hockey may grow to be in Southern California. Beaches and year round warm weather aside, the area has everything it needs to continue to grow the game: popular NHL teams, plenty of wealth to support facilities and training, an opportunity to be noticed, and now a high level of interest among the many young athletes. Kevan Miller may want to watch out, his title of being the best Californian in the NHL might not last much longer.

Minor Transactions: 8/19/18

August 19, 2018 at 2:15 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

While we are deep into the dog days of summer, with just one unrestricted free agent signing thus far in the month of August, players of note nonetheless continue to make decisions about their hockey futures. Here are some of those minor moves today:

Washington Capitals free agent forward Wayne Simpson has signed with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, the team announced. The 28-year-old right winger earned his first NHL contract last summer, when the Caps offered him a two-way deal following back-to-back impressive seasons with the AHL’s Portland Pirates and Providence Bruins. While Simpson did not get to make his big league debut in 2017-18, he did have another strong showing in the minors with 42 points in 76 games for the Hershey Bears. Now, Simpson returns to upstate New York where he previously made a name for himself as a standout with Union College, just a couple hours from Rochester in Schenectady. Simpson would have been among the most productive players on the Amerks squad last season and will likely play an important role for the team this year.
Former Providence College star Tom Parisi is crossing the pond to continue his hockey career. The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver relays that Parisi has signed with the Cardiff Devils of the Elite Ice Hockey League in the United Kingdom. The Welsh club is gaining a major asset in Parisi, who played last season with the Laval Rocket of the AHL and led the team in ice time. Divver states that many will remember Parisi from his time with the Friars, when he scored two clutch goals en route to the program’s first ever National Championship in 2015. Parisi will likely be the best player on the Cardiff roster next season.
Another college hockey hero is on the move and to another surprising location no less. University of Denver goaltender Tanner Jaillet has signed with Grizzlys Wolfsburg of the Deutsche Eishockey League in Germany. The team announced the contract, also naming Jaillet as the presumptive starter for next season. Jaillet has been one of the best goalies in the NCAA over the past two years, posting a save percentage just under .930 and a GAA of less than 1.90 in back-to-back seasons. In 2017, Jaillet led the Pioneers to a National Championship with several strong tournament outings. He was additionally named the winner of the Mike Richter Award as the top goalie in the NCAA, an award he was a finalist for again this past season. While it is unknown what the contract terms are with Wolfsburg, it is somewhat shocking that Jaillet could not land a similar or superior deal in North America. At 25, he is not much of a prospect any longer, but still showed immense talent in the college ranks. One would assume that a lights-out campaign in Germany could see NHL teams with renewed interest next off-season.

Central Notes: Seguin, Parayko, Ranta

August 18, 2018 at 10:52 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Stars GM Jim Nill spoke with Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News to provide an update on extension talks for center Tyler Seguin. While he’s hopeful that they can get a new deal done, he’s pleased with how talks have gone so far and acknowledged that he’s okay with talks carrying over into the season:

“Ideally, you’d like to get it done before the season. You’ve seen throughout the league that there’s players — it’s their one opportunity. He might want to say ’Let me see what’s out there, too.’ I can’t stop that. That’s his right. I think we’ve had great dialogue, so there’s not a fight here against each other. We’ve had great dialogue and we’ll see where it goes.”

The 26-year-old is entering the final year of his deal with a $5.75MM cap hit. He has posted at least 72 points in each of the last five seasons and projects to be the top pivot available if he hits the open market. As a result, there’s a good chance that the Stars will need to pay Seguin around what top winger Jamie Benn is making ($9.5MM) if they want him to put pen to paper on a new deal early.

Previewing The August College Free Agent Market

August 10, 2018 at 8:18 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

On Wednesday, August 15th, all drafted players who went the NCAA route and graduated this spring will become free agents if they remain unsigned by the team that holds their NHL rights. Unlike the last couple of summers, which featured names like Will Butcher, Alexander Kerfoot, Jimmy Vesey and Matt Benning, there is no standout name in this year’s class of late summer college free agents. However, as of now, CapFriendly reports that 16 players are set to hit the market next week. Some of them will not be in search of an NHL contract. Brown forward Max Willman was granted an additional year of NCAA eligibility due to injury and has committed to Boston University next season as a graduate student-athlete. UConn’s David Drake has already worked out an AHL deal with the affiliate of the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia Flyers, and Wisconsin’s Matt Ustaski has a similar arrangement with the Winnipeg Jets. Cornell’s Jared Fiegl and Dwyer Tschantz have already accepted their place in the pro hockey hierarchy and signed ECHL contracts. All of these players can technically sign with an NHL team after August 15th, but it is unlikely.

So what of the other available players? Here is a quick summary of the eleven collegians you may see sign with an NHL team in the coming weeks and a prediction of where they’ll end up:

D Terrance Amorosa, Clarkson (PHI, Rd. 5 – 2013)

Amorosa is the most productive of the players on this list over his NCAA career and he accomplished that feat as a defenseman. A smooth-skating, puck-moving defenseman, Amorosa’s 27 points were key to a hugely successful season for the Golden Knights. Whether his choice or Philadelphia’s, it is not a major surprise that the young defenseman-heavy Flyers weren’t a good fit. The Quebec native has been training with NHLers in Montreal this summer and seems poised to find NHL employment somewhere, with an AHL floor. Prediction: NHL contract

D Kelly Summers, Clarkson (OTT, Rd. 7 – 2014)

The only Clarkson defenseman with more points than Amorosa last season was frequent pair-mate Summers. Not only is Summers slightly younger than Amorosa, he is also a little bigger and played in more games over the duo’s four years in Potsdam. Summers, who is also a right shot, recorded 30 points last season for the Golden Knights and possesses a great first pass. He may not want to sign in Ottawa, but he’ll be happy to sign elsewhere. Like Amorosa, hard to see Summers signing at any level below the AHL. Prediction: NHL contract

F Judd Peterson, St. Cloud State (BUF, Rd. 7 – 2012)

If anything works against Peterson, it will be age and mileage, as the hard-working forward played in two USHL seasons in addition to four NCAA seasons since being drafted out of high school by Buffalo. Yet, that has also added to his hockey IQ and leadership ability as well. The Huskies captain put up respectable offense in each of his seasons at St. Cloud and by the end was also a responsible defensive asset. He even has a summer coaching gig at St. Cloud hockey camps. Peterson got a taste of the pro game with a brief tryout with the AHL’s Rochester Americans to end the year and seems like a good bet to challenge for an energy line role with an NHL team down the road, if not right away. Prediction: NHL contract

D Steven Johnson, Minnesota (LAK, Rd. 4 – 2014)

It’s somewhat surprising to see Johnson still unsigned. After wrapping up his season with the Gophers, Johnson jumped right in with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign and didn’t look out of place in four games. The two-way defender led all Minnesota defensemen with 15 points last year and was one of the team’s ice time leaders. He will likely transition well to the AHL after facing tough Big Ten competition and could help an NHL club relatively soon as a depth option. Prediction: AHL contract

F Avery Peterson, Minnesota – Duluth (MIN, Rd. 6 – 2013)

Another strange player to see available, Peterson is a Minnesota native drafted by the Wild out of Grand Rapids High School and starring for Duluth over the past two years, including helping the team to a National Championship in April. Peterson got off to a rough start in his first two collegiate seasons at Nebraska-Omaha, but since transferring has really turned his game around. He isn’t a high-skill player, but he has the rare combination of both size and speed and can be a useful bottom-six player. He has okay odds of landing an NHL deal, but Minnesota did seem like the most likely spot. It seems more likely that he starts in the minors. Prediction: AHL contract

F Shane Eiserman, New Hampshire (OTT, Rd. 4 – 2014)

Eiserman is a good, consistent forward and a former member of the U.S. National Development Program. However, he has never quite reached the ceiling that some thought he may have. As a one-dimensional scoring forward with just pedestrian offensive numbers, Eiserman still needs to polish his game and find out where he fits at the pro level. Prediction: AHL contract

F Aidan Muir, Western Michigan (EDM, Rd. 4 – 2013)

A big, physical winger and a locker room leader for the Broncos, Muir is a nice asset for a team. However, the offense just isn’t there yet and the competition gets much harder at the next level. He can be a role player in the AHL and grow his game from there, but could slip into ECHL territory. Prediction: AHL contract

D Johnathan MacLeod, Boston University (TBL, Rd. 2 – 2014)

In this day and age, just playing for BU is a sign of talent. Add a second-round draft position and you may think that you’re looking at a Chad Krys clone. Unfortunately, MacLeod lacks similar potential. Amidst the talent of the Terriers blue line, MacLeod’s inability to make plays at the college level cost him games through the years. He never cracked double-digits in points and only mustered 3 points as a senior. Perhaps his ability will shine through at the AHL, as his resume alone should get him to that level to begin with. Prediction: AHL contract

D Michael Prapavessis, RPI (DAL, Rd. 4 – 2014)

Prapavessis put up good numbers in his college career, especially for a defenseman. Unfortunately, RPI simply isn’t an elite program and leading that team isn’t worth as much as others. Prapavessis has both talent and intelligence and could still be a surprise. He may wind up in the AHL right away, but more likely he will have to work his way up. Prediction: ECHL contract

D Jack Glover, Minnesota (WIN, Rd. 3 – 2014)

Glover may have led the Gophers in plus/minus last season and is certainly a defensive force, but his skating and offensive game simply leave too much to be desired. Prediction: ECHL contract

F Tyler Bird, Brown (CLB, Rd. 5 – 2014)

Bird got better offensively as his career with the Bears wore on, but he still was less than spectacular at putting up points. His lack of a defensive game leaves little upside otherwise. Prediction: ECHL contract

Prospect Notes: Bukac, Rasmussen, Conger

August 10, 2018 at 6:14 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Boston Bruins defensive prospect Daniel Bukac is on the move, but remaining at the Canadian major junior level. Bukac, a seventh-round pick in 2017, has played the last two seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. However, Brandon released the Czech native after the end of the season to open up another roster spot and selection in the CHL Import Draft. Bukac himself became eligible for selection again and was drafted by the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs in the second round. The team announced today that they have received a commitment from the hulking 19-year-old blue liner. The Bruins have to be happy with their prospect’s continued commitment to North American hockey, as Bukac reportedly had pro offers elsewhere in Europe but chose to remain in the major junior development track. Bukac is known mostly for his size and checking ability, but also his intelligence on and off the ice; he picked up English quickly after coming overseas and picks up offensive schemes even quicker with great positioning and awareness. Bukac will never be much of an offensive contributor – at any level – but could grow into a reliable stay-at-home defender and depth option for Boston down the road.

One player whose development path has gone quite differently than he and many scouts may have predicted is goaltender Dayton Rasmussen. Considered by many as a lock to be drafted in 2017, Rasmussen nevertheless went undrafted despite very strong numbers and two championship campaigns in the USHL, an impressive NHL Draft combine workout, as well as a commitment to an elite college program at the University of Denver. Rasmussen moved past it and joined the Pioneers this past season, hoping his performance would earn him a selection in his second time through the draft. Instead, Rasmussen struggled as a freshman, playing in just four games and posting an disappointing .882 save percentage and 3.28 GAA. Less surprising this time, Rasmussen again went undrafted in June. Now, Rasmussen is looking to reverse his fortunes and has decided to return to the USHL. The Lincoln Stars announced today that they have acquired the keeper’s rights from the Chicago Steel for a pair of draft picks and that he will be joining the team for the coming season. There is no word yet on Rasmussen’s long-term plans with just one year of draft eligibility remaining and the possibility of a return to the college ranks in the future still open. However, the athletic goaltender simply needs to focus on improving his play this season if he hopes to keep his pro ambitions alive.
Another college player making a change – albeit staying in the NCAA – is former Providence College forward Bailey Conger. The 21-year-old forward put up impressive numbers at both the prep school level with Cushing Academy and junior level with the USHL’s Waterloo Blackhawks before arriving in Providence, but wasn’t able to translate that same production to the college game. Part of that was certainly availability, as the freshman missed more than a dozen games due to injury and received only modest play time for a contending Friars program. Conger managed to record five points in 24 games, but seems to have the ability to do much more. Perhaps looking for a better opportunity to shine, Conger decided to transfer schools this summer and Colorado College announced that they have received a commitment from the scoring winger. Conger was reportedly considering Boston University as well among other schools, but will have a greater chance of receiving a transfer waiver to play right away if he is outside of Hockey East and away from his former team. The undrafted forward still has three years of NCAA eligibility remaining and could certainly still develop into an NHL prospect.

The Case For Expanding NHL Rosters

August 7, 2018 at 7:51 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 13 Comments

Last week, the NCAA passed a rule change allowing hockey teams to dress 19 skaters per game. Rather than the typical 18-man lineup – six defensemen and twelve forwards (not including goalies) – each squad is now allowed an extra man that can be used at either position. The college level is after all a developmental league and the ability to expose another player to game action each night benefits the growth of a greater majority of the roster. Yet, this rule change is one that could also benefit the NHL. For a variety of reasons, the league should consider expanding the allowable number of players who may dress for a game.

The first, and perhaps the most glaring reason, to consider this change is that hockey is the only mainstream sport that doesn’t allow an extra player to enter the game that doesn’t fit neatly into the lineup. Yes, hockey does have a large roster of 18 skaters and yes the lines and pair do substitute one another all game long. However, consider football, which has 11 starters on offense and 11 starters on defense for a 22-man starting roster that also substitutes one another. Yet, NFL game day rosters are 46 men deep, more than double the amount of starters. The same goes for lacrosse (field lacrosse), a more similar game to hockey, as only nine men play in the field but the average active roster in the NCAA is 44 players, nearly five times the starting roster. Even soccer (11 men in the field) and baseball (nine batters) allow for multiple substitutes who weren’t a part of a rather large starting lineup. Why then should the NHL limit teams to using only the 18 skaters who fit nicely into four forward lines and three defensive pairs?

There is also the fact that the NHL has reached a point that it needs to accommodate more talent at both ends of the spectrum. Young players often don’t have an easy fit on a roster. Developing offensive forwards may not yet have the ability and awareness for a top-nine role, but they certainly can’t help the team or themselves on the checking line. Young defensemen may not be ready to play major minutes against elite talent at the top level, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t ready at all. With the league trending in a more youthful direction, teams could drastically improve their development of certain players if there was an alternate choice between giving a prospect a starting job, sitting him in the press box, or banishing him to the AHL or back to juniors. If teams could slowly bring along pro-ready prospects by giving them the “extra slot” that the NCAA has approved, limiting their ice time and situations but exposing them to NHL action, it would likely be a popular move. However, some teams may instead like to use that slot on a veteran specialist. Just look at the current free agent market: last week we identified more than 40 useful players still available, yet the results of our poll strongly predict that less than ten of those players will find NHL employment. That might not be the case if each team had an extra slot to fill with an experienced penalty-killing forward or power play quarterback for example. Each off-season, more and more capable veterans go unsigned while teams still have needs due to roster limits alone. These players would rather not retire or move overseas, but they have often outgrown the minor leagues as well. Being that spare part on an NHL club would be an optimum fit.

For more evidence on the overflowing talent in the NHL, see the Vegas Golden Knights. An expansion team filled with rejects, young and old, managed to make it to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season and used 35 different players along the way. Even when the league likely adds another expansion team in Seattle in the next year or two, there will likely still be players – young and old – capable of playing in the NHL but without ample opportunity. Just by allowing one more player in the game each night, it will create more opportunities for many different types of players.

The easy way to refute the idea of expanding rosters is the salary cap. Expanding the number of players who dress for a game to 19 would likely mean expanding the roster limit to 24 players and thus increasing the salary cap ceiling in turn and the owners won’t go for that. Not so fast though; with the bulk of this off-season complete, CapFriendly projects that just six teams will enter the upcoming season with less than $2.4MM in cap space, the average NHL salary last season. Consider that the “extra man” will likely be an entry-level prospect or a discounted veteran and there is a case that nearly every team in the league (except for the St. Louis Blues) could add another player right now without touching the cap. Those that would rather push to the cap with just a 23-man roster would also be welcome to do so – the league mandates a maximum roster size, but not a minimum. Teams that carry the maximum 23 players on their roster already have three players that don’t dress each night and could simply make one of them the 19th man.

The NCAA seems to be on to something with expanding game day rosters in hockey. Most sports have this option and the NHL should too. While there is no underestimating the importance of chemistry to the game of hockey, having an alternate or strategic extra man makes a lot of sense. Be it a raw young player, a specifically-skilled veteran, a bench player there as an injury replacement, or even a playoff contender using the spot for a hired gun, there are many ways that an expanded roster could benefit prospect development, elongate careers, improve game play, and simply increase overall interest and excitement due to the strategy of it all. It’s time the league take a look at the possibility.

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