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Coyotes Hope To Sign Clayton Keller Soon

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The Arizona Coyotes plan to sign highly-touted prospect Clayton Keller as soon as the NCAA season ends, reports the USAToday’s Kevin Allen. The Coyotes drafted Keller seventh overall in the 2016 Entry Draft but have not yet inked him to a contract. Keller currently plays for Boston University in NCAA Division I hockey.

Keller is having a stellar year so far. The 18 year-old has 19G and 21A in 28 games for Boston University as a rookie. More importantly career-wise, however, was Keller’s performance at the World Junior Championships for Team USA. He scored 3G and 8A in seven games on his way to a gold medal and being named a tournament all-star. His success against his peers bodes well for his future in the NHL

Keller’s stock rose dramatically since draft day, and that gives the young American prospect additional leverage to negotiate for bonuses in his ELC. Coyotes GM John Chayka told USAToday that Keller would’ve played in the AHL and given NHL stints as roster spots opened up. That may not sounds like much, but only six players from the 2016 NHL draft have played in the NHL this year, and only four have played for most of the season.

The Coyotes may be anxious to sign Keller after seeing how the Nashville Predators lost Jimmy Vesey through college free agency. Vesey, a 2nd round pick for Nashville, played in the NCAA for four years after being drafted, and chose to pursue free agency instead of sign with the Predators. Nashville’s rights to Vesey—traded to the Buffalo Sabres in the summer—expired on August 15th, and Vesey signed with the New York Rangers.

2017 College Free Agent Market: Defensemen

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With the college playoffs starting to get underway, we’re starting to see a few free agents that were eliminated early sign with NHL teams. Many more players will become available in the coming weeks and quite a few will sign fairly quickly.

Here is a closer look at some of the defensemen that could be of interest to teams in the coming weeks. All of these players are undrafted (and are too old to be drafted this year making them eligible for free agency) and unless they’re in their senior season, they could opt to return to their schools for the 2017-18 season.

Gavin Bayreuther (St. Lawrence)

Offense isn’t a concern for the 22 year old senior, who checks in with a point per game average just shy of 0.8 in his four collegiate seasons.  He has the tools to be a threat with the man advantage but it’s his play in his own end that caused him to be passed up in the draft despite a 36 point freshman campaign.  He had some NHL interest last year and should receive some offers again this time around.

Daniel Brickley (Minnesota State)

Brickley still has two years of eligibility left but it’s expected that he’ll be one of the more sought after defensemen in what isn’t a particularly deep class.  He came in at just over a point per game on the season (with half of those coming with the man advantage) while also missing some time due to a wrist injury.  At 6’3, he has the size that all teams covet while having the mobility and passing skills that is becoming more and more important each season.  Buffalo had him at their rookie camp and will likely be among the interested teams.

Jordan Gross (Notre Dame)

Teams have been less hesitant in recent years to hand out entry-level deals to undersized defensemen if they’re strong skaters which should bode well for Gross, who stands just 5’10.  He has a well-rounded offensive game which has made him a consistent scoring threat at the college level.  Gross has one year of eligibility left and could be a candidate to return for his senior season as it’s unlikely that teams will be looking at him to make an NHL impact right away.

Josh Healey (Ohio State)

TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported last month that the 22 year old has received interest from almost every NHL team.  The senior set a career high in points with 24 but isn’t expected to be much of a point producer at the professional level.  Instead, Healey embraces the physical side of things and is one of the most dominant players in that element at the college level.  Last month, McKenzie suggested that Calgary, Edmonton, and Nashville will be among his suitors after Healey attended their rookie camps over the past two years.

Michael Kapla (UMass-Lowell)

Like Gross, Kapla is a bit on the smaller side (listed at 6’0) but his mobility and puck moving skills will help him garner NHL interest.  He wasn’t much of a scorer this season (just two goals) but has been a strong playmaker, picking up a career best 24 assists.  Kapla isn’t someone who teams will be looking to sign to play right away (and burn the first year of his contract) but he should still have several suitors and will turn pro as this was his senior season.

Neal Pionk (Minnesota-Duluth)

Pionk is also undersized at just 5’11 but boasts a powerful shot that makes him stand out amongst the rest and could make him a power play threat in the pros.  His two-way game has improved considerably this season as well while he’s also a strong skater.  As a sophomore, he has two years of eligibility left but it may be hard for him to resist the temptation to turn pro as he should have no shortage of contract offers.

Jimmy Schuldt (St. Cloud State)

The 21 year old received a lot of attention after his freshman season, receiving invites to at least eight different development camps (he went to the ones for the Blackhawks and Islanders).  He took over as the captain at St. Cloud this season and frequently played on their top defensive pairing.  Schuldt’s production dipped a little bit (from 26 to 19 points although he played six fewer games) so he’s a candidate to return for his junior year.

College Notes: Hayden, Aston-Reese, Stevens

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The Blackhawks announced that have signed center John Hayden to a two year, entry level contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.  Hayden was Chicago’s third round pick (74th overall) back in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

The 22 year old posted career highs across the board offensively this year at Yale in his senior season.  In 33 games with the Bulldogs, he had 21 goals and 13 assists.

Scott Powers of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Hayden is expected to report to the Blackhawks right away and will burn the first of the two years this season.  That will allow him to get out of the entry level system and into restricted free agency in the 2018 offseason.  Had Hayden waited until August to sign, he could have opted for unrestricted free agency and it’s likely that he was able to use that as leverage to play the first year of the deal now.  As Hayden was a draft pick and not a free agent signing, he is eligible to participate in the postseason, adds Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times via Twitter.

Other news from around the college market:

  • With Northeastern Universty being eliminated by Boston University yesterday in the college playoffs, the focus will quickly shift to undrafted forward Zach Aston-Reese. The 22 year old is widely perceived as the top college free agent available this year and it was reported earlier this week that as many as 15 teams are expected to be interested in his services.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Senators, Oilers, Canucks, and Penguins are among the teams that are expected to go after the forward.  It’s worth noting that Aston-Reese attended Edmonton’s summer development camp while he was teammates with defenseman Matt Benning, who the Oilers signed in the offseason.  Given all of the expected interest, Aston-Reese should be able to land a contract that will allow him to play between now and the end of the season like Hayden did.
  • Friedman adds via Twitter that Northeastern center John Stevens is expected to draw some interest on the open market as well. The senior played in just 25 games this season and passed the point per game mark for the first time with five goals and 23 assists.  Stevens is the son of Kings’ associate coach John Stevens.

2017 College Free Agent Market: Goaltenders

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With the college playoffs starting to get underway, we’re starting to see a few free agents that were eliminated early sign with NHL teams.  Many more players will become available in the coming weeks and quite a few will sign fairly quickly.

Here is a closer look at some of the goaltenders that could be of interest to teams in the coming weeks.  All of these players are undrafted and unless they’re in their senior season, they could opt to return to their schools for the 2017-18 season.

Parker Gahagen (Army)

The senior is set to benefit from a recent change in US Department of Defense policy that will allow him to pursue a pro career before fulfilling his military service.  Last year, he posted an impressive 2.01 GAA and has improved on that mark this year, coming in at 1.96 while still posting a save percentage in the .930’s.  The fact that he can’t come back for another season should mean that he’ll come off the board quickly once his team is eliminated.

Cam Johnson (North Dakota)

Johnson hasn’t matched the production from his sophomore season (one where he won the national championship) but that would have been a very lofty goal to attain.  His numbers, though quite a bit lower than last year, are still strong but he isn’t among the top goalies in college hockey this season.   That might hurt his stock on the open market which could result in him coming back for his senior year.

Peyton Jones (Penn State)

There was some talk that Jones would be drafted last year after a strong final USHL season with Lincoln but he passed through without being selected.  The NCAA freshman quickly assumed the starting role and has the size that many teams covet at 6’4.  He’s more of a longer-term project at this stage but that shouldn’t stop teams from showing interest in him.

Hayden Lavigne (Michigan)

Last month, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned the freshman as someone who could draw some interest but the fact he has played just 13 games so far this season as a result of a three-way timeshare which could make him someone who waits another year or two before really testing the market.  Lavigne put himself on the radar back in 2015-16 with a strong season with Bloomington of the USHL where he finished fourth in GAA at 2.24.

Brett Magnus (Sacred Heart)

Size is a big factor between the pipes and at 6’4, Magnus will have some teams intrigued.  However, his numbers have taken a bit of a step back in his sophomore year which may make him more likely to return for his junior campaign.  Worth noting, the 23 year old would be eligible for a two year entry level contract if he signs now but if he returns to school next season, his ELC would only be for one season.

Chris Nell (Bowling Green)

Nell was one of the top goalies in college hockey in 2015-16 and hasn’t been quite as successful this season (though he has still played quite well).  Like Johnson, that could make him lean towards staying for next year (which would be his final season of eligibility) but he should still draw some interest in the weeks ahead.  What will hurt Nell a bit is that he’s just 6’1, especially as the league trends towards taller goalie prospects.

Fifteen Teams Interested In Zach Aston-Reese

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The season of college free agents is upon us, as we’ve seen several names already go to teams around the league. When the Washington Capitals signed Kristofers Bindulis and Hampus Gustafsson, the frenzy was on. Today, Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News reports that as many as 15 teams have shown interest in Northeastern’s Zach Aston-Reese. Zach Aston-Reese

The juggernaut of a winger has been dominating the college scene all year, scoring 30 goals and 62 points through 36 games in his senior season. Already 22, Aston-Reese uses his physicality and strength to create room for himself and teammates, scoring goals mostly from the front of the net on rebounds and tips. His game is almost pro-ready as he likely won’t ever move past a team’s bottom-six at the next level.

Like with any other college free agent, he does come with his share of weaknesses. His foot speed has long been an issue, and may be exposed at the professional level against other players who are just as strong as him. He lacks the high-level creativity that scouts look for, but makes up for it with work ethic and body positioning. In a stationary battle he’s as good as anyone in the college ranks right now, but that won’t be true when he suddenly has to take on fully-grown men.

There is upside however, as with an NHL skating coach he could get that extra jump to help him keep up and his shot release is already fairly quick. Likely he’ll be looked at to add immediate depth to an AHL squad and NHL bottom-six, with the opportunity at some point to see some powerplay time if his net-front play continues.

He does play with several prospects from around the league, even skating full-time with Blues’ prospect Nolan Stevens (when he has been healthy). Adam Gaudette and Dylan Sikura—of Vancouver and Chicago respectively—also spend time with Aston-Reese, and are each better than point-per-game players for Northeastern. It will be interesting to see if one of these teams brings on the big winger, as they would be very familiar with him.

Deadline Primer: Minnesota Wild

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With the trade deadline now just a week away, we continue to take a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?

After slipping into the playoffs last year with less than 90 points and the final wildcard position, only to get punched in the mouth by the Dallas Stars and go home early, the Minnesota Wild needed a change. They’d fired their coach halfway through the season, and were relying on an aging (but excellent) core of Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise and Ryan Suter too much to succeed.

Enter Bruce Boudreau and the kids. After good solid seasons from the young guns a year ago, many of them have exploded to the forefront of the team this season, with Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle, and Jason Zucker all already setting career-highs in points through 59 games. They’re leading the Western Conference by five points and look poised for a deep playoff run.

Record

39-14-6, 1st in Central Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$5.20MM – full-season cap hit, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly.

Draft Picks

2017: MIN 1st, MIN 3rd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th
2018: MIN 1st, MIN 2nd, MIN 3rd, MIN 4th, MIN 5th, MIN 6th, MIN 7th

Trade Chips

Minnesota will almost surely avoid trading anything off the roster that has put them in prime position for a Stanley Cup run, meaning they’ll have to use draft picks and prospects as bait if they want to add anything next week. It’s a shame they don’t have their second-round pick from this season—which they traded to Buffalo for Chris Stewart back in 2015—since they are used so often in rental deals. Jason Pominville

The Wild do however have a fairly stocked cupboard of prospects that could be waived in front of a team looking to get younger. Their drafting the last decade (or longer) though not perfect in the first round has unearthed plenty of talent in later selections. They’ve picked players like Cal Clutterbuck (3rd), Justin Falk (4th), Marco Scandella (2nd), Erik Haula (7th), Darcy Kuemper (6th), Zucker (2nd) and Johan Larsson (2nd) all outside of the first round and found excellent value in each.

If a team really wants to go after youth, they could ask for prospects like Jordan Greenway, who showed off his skills at the most recent World Juniors. Kirill Kaprisov is tearing up the KHL as a 19-year old, and it was recently reported that he’ll play for CSKA next season. Alex Tuch is showing his ability at the AHL level after a dominating NCAA career, and Luke Kunin continues to captain the University of Wisconsin up the college hockey rankings. It would be crazy to trade any of these names for a rental, but if the Wild want to enter the ring of possible long-term upgrades, they have the pieces to do it.

One Player To Watch: F Jason Pominville, who has a big cap-hit and is playing much less due to the emergence of the young guns is a contract that the Wild may look to move out if they’re to make any improvements.

Team Needs

1) Wing Depth – The Wild would like to move Coyle back to center ice if possible, but they’d need a winger who can jump into their top-six to do it. Jannik Hansen has been rumored to be on their radar, but a player like Patrick Eaves seems a better fit. It’s not guaranteed that they’ll do anything, though GM Chuck Fletcher has said that they have some “unproven depth” at forward.

2) Center – The nice thing about having Coyle is that if you can’t find the upgrade at the wing you could always acquire a center instead and leave him out there. Arizona’s Martin Hanzal was quoted today by Chris Hine of the Chicago Tribune as saying he wants to stay in the middle even if traded, which would still be possible for the Wild.

20 Teams Interested In College Free Agent Neal Pionk

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The NHL is a different place in 2017. With the advancement of analytics and systems, the increased speed and skill, and almost-extinction of the “goon” it’s like a whole new sport. Now, if you’re smaller than the prototypical center, or defenseman you have a chance in the NHL. You no longer have to be a hulking beast capable of rubbing people off the puck in the corners or protecting your star player with your fists. Or at least that’s what one college player is hoping.

Neal Pionk was passed over in his draft year due to his small size—5’11”, 170-lbs on the most generous of measurements—but is turning heads with his strong play at the University of Minnesota-Duluth as a sophomore. After scoring 17 points in an up-and-down rookie season, Pionk has 24 points in 30 games and is showing that he may be able to compete at the next level after all. Craig Custance of ESPN reports that as many as 20 teams have expressed interest in the Bulldog, including the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, who can sign college free agents in March like any other team (provided their final expansion payment goes through without a hitch).

Pionk attended the Washington Capitals development camp in 2015 before heading to school. It will be interesting to see if Washington will be back in the mix to sign him when his season ends. The right-handed defenseman likely has so many suitors because not only does he possess the puck-moving skill that usually accompanies the smaller defenseman at this level, but also has a slight nasty streak that leads him to physically challenge opposing forwards as well. Some might liken his play to Connor Carrick of the Toronto Maple Leafs (and previously those same Washington Capitals), who doesn’t let his height dictate the type of game he plays.

While this year’s crop of NCAA free agents doesn’t have a huge name leading the way, players like Pionk can still be valuable assets to any team. Look for Vegas to go hard after several of them as it tries to add depth to a system that will have very little of it to start. The Minnesota native is already 21 (and will turn 22 in July), meaning he’ll have to adapt quickly to the increased difficulty of the AHL and beyond, but if that many teams are interested, he’ll likely have a fighting chance.

Bob McKenzie On Talent Outside The NHL

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In his latest piece, Bob McKenzie of TSN breaks down two players who may be under NHL contract in a few months. First, is Josh Healey who has made an impact on the NCAA ranks in a few different ways. His bone-crushing hits have been felt across the country, with the league even suspending him twice now. One executive that McKenzie quotes says that he “hits too hard for college hockey” and he really does. Even if he’ll never be a top-pairing guy in the NHL, his skating ability and physical presence has basically every team in the league considering signing him when his season at Ohio State finishes.

Healey headlines what is an underwhelming NCAA class, but he will create somewhat of a bidding war regardless. He has attended the summer development camps of the Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers in the past, and all three should be expected to be in the conversation for him this spring. Other teams—like the defense-strapped Toronto Maple Leafs—will surely have a conversation with him as well.

The other player McKenzie mentions is 25-year old Jakub Jerabek, a Czech defenseman who has been turning heads all year. Though he had several successful years in the Czech men’s league prior to this year, it’s the transition to the KHL and a higher level of competition that has NHL scouts considering him. With 32 points in 56 games and a strong offensive skillset, he’ll likely earn a contract if he chooses to come to North America. As McKenzie notes, at his age he’ll only be able to sign a one-year entry-level contract, like Nikita Zaitsev of the Maple Leafs this past summer.

Minor Transactions: 2/12/2017

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The Washington Capitals rewarded rookie Zach Sanford for scoring his first NHL goal, the game-winner in their 6-4 defeat of the Anaheim Ducks yesterday, by sending him back down to the AHL. The Capitals announced this morning that they have reassigned Sanford to the Hershey Bears. Of course, the team is entering its bye week, so his demotion is not so much a reflection of his performance, as it is an effort to get him some more ice time while the NHL squad takes a break. The first-year pro has just two points in 21 games with Washington this season, but has 14 points in Hershey.

Sanford was nearly a point-per-game player for the Boston College Eagles last year, scoring 39 points in 41 games as a sophomore. A 2013 second-round pick of the Capitals, he chose to leave BC early this summer and get an early start on his pro career. The Eagles have felt the effect of his and others decisions to depart the team, leaving BC without a single junior on the squad. Sanford joined defenseman Steven Santini and forward Miles Wood of the New Jersey Devils, forwards Alex Tuch and Adam Gilmour of the Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks goalie prospect Thatcher Demko, and Florida Panthers defenseman Ian McCoshen as former Eagles who skipped out on the 2016-17 NCAA season. While Boston College still sits atop the Hockey East Conference with a 13-4-1 record so far, their overall record of 18-9-2 going into this week had them ranked 7th overall, behind local rivals like Boston University and Harvard, and following losses to BU and Merrimack, they should fall even farther down the ranks.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • As expected, Ottawa Senators goalie Andrew Hammond cleared waivers and has been reassigned to the AHL’s Binghamton Senators, according to the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch. It’s been a monumental career collapse for Hammond, who is just two years removed from posting an unreal .941 save percentage and 1.79 goals against average in 24 games in his rookie season with the Senators. Hammond’s numbers tailed off some last year, but he was still impressive. No one could have predicted that through six games in 2016-17, the young keeper would have an abysmal .837 goals against average and 4.08 goals against average. Whether it’s due to injury or mechanical problems or even just the stress of the fluid state of Craig Anderson’s availability and the competition with newcomer Mike Condon, Hammond has not performed like himself at all this year and no team was willing to take a chance on him at this time. It’s unfortunate for Hammond, who likely needs a change of scenery, but has never played well in the AHL and would be better served to sit on the bench with another NHL team for a while.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced last night that they have demoted forward Daniel Carr to the St. John’s Ice Caps of the AHL. Carr has two goals and seven assists in 33 games with the Habs this season, but is still trying to carve out a permanent role for himself on the team.  The move opens up a roster spot for them to activate right winger Brendan Gallagher off IR.
  • The Los Angeles Kings also made a move late last night, reassigning defenseman Paul LaDue to the AHL’s Ontario Reign. LaDue made his NHL debut last Tuesday and recorded his first NHL point on Thursday, but will head back to the minors with just those two games under his belt. A member of the NCAA champion University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux last year, LaDue capped off a third straight season of about 20 points in 41 games, and has maintained that pace in the AHL with 18 points through 36 games with Ontario in 2016-17.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have again sent down forward Anton Lander to the AHL. Once considered to be surefire NHL regular, Lander has struggled all season long in Edmonton, scoring just one goal and three assists in 22 games. When Lander has spent time with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, scoring has been no problem, but he has not been able to translate that success to the next level. In his stead, the Oilers have recalled Iiro Pakarinen. Like Lander, Pakarinen was expected to be a contributor in Edmonton after playing in 63 games last season. However, he managed to score just 13 points in that time, and in response has seen no NHL action yet in 2016-17. With Lander not capitalizing on his chances, it seems likely that GM Peter Chiarelli has decided to give Pakarinen another shot.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning announced that they’ve sent winger Erik Condra and center Gabriel Dumont to Syracuse of the AHL.  Condra has been held off the scoresheet in 13 NHL games this season but has been better in the minors with 26 points in 29 contests.  As for Dumont, he has ten points in 19 games with the Crunch plus a pair of points in 14 contests with Tampa Bay.  With the team off on their bye week until Saturday, this will give them a chance to stay in game shape before likely being recalled later in the week.

More to come.

Coyotes May Be Exploring Northwest Relocation

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On the heels of the news that the Arizona Coyotes’ and Arizona State University’s joint venture to build a new arena facility in Tempe, Arizona had fallen through, new reports are emerging that the Coyotes have again started looking into a move to Portland, Oregon or Seattle, Washington. The Glendale Star first reported that members of the Coyotes brass had toured both Moda Center in Portland, home of the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers and the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, and KeyArena in Seattle, the former home of the NBA’s Seattle Supersonics and the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. Representatives from both facilities have confirmed the reports. Both cities have long been rumored to desire an NHL franchise, both due to their size and fan base as well as their embrace of WHL junior hockey. Trailblazers own Paul Allen has even gone so far as to say that he would like to have an ownership stake in an NHL team and move them to Portland, while billionaire Chris Hansen has long had interest in building a new stadium in Seattle and moving both an NHL and NBA team to a city that already has tons of avid supporters for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and MLB’s Seattle Mariners.

However, when the Glendale Star reached out to the Coyotes for confirmation, Executive Vice President of Communications Rich Nairn wholly denied the rumors. Coyotes president and CEO Anthony LeBlanc then went further denied the rumors during a podcast, calling the story “100 percent false” with “absolutely no facts”. Whether or not the reports of the tours are true and, despite LeBlanc’s strong-worded response, it seems likely that they are, no Coyotes executive is going to isolate the fan base by hinting at a relocation that is far from secured. The fans have their own role in this issue though, as the Coyotes have the 28th-ranked attendance in the NHL behind just the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders.

Arizona is not necessarily a bad location for the NHL. The establishment of NCAA hockey at Arizona State and, of course, the Auston Matthews story has lead to a substantial uptick in grassroots hockey in the state. There has been an overwhelming embrace of hockey overall in the southwest United States in recent years, and perhaps it is just taking its time in Arizona. As Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps pointed out in the Star article, the Phoenix metropolitan area is the 12th largest market in the U.S. Additionally, Maricopa County, which contains Phoenix, Glendale, Tempe, and Mesa, is the fourth most populous county in the country. As Phelps notes, by sheer numbers, a move out of Arizona to Portland or Seattle would appear to be a “step backward” for the league. However, how long can the NHL and the Coyotes ownership put up with an uncommitted fan base and a state that has been unwilling to work with them on a better arena situation? Portland and Seattle may not have the potential that the Phoenix area does, but they have shown to be passionate sports cities with an interest in hockey, ready to embrace an NHL team of their own. That may be enough to see the Coyotes move in the not-too-distant future.

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