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Snapshots: Hamonic, Russell, Seidenberg, Gionta

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When the Calgary Flames recalled Rasmus Andersson yesterday, it was an indication that defenseman Travis Hamonic’s facial fracture, suffered in the team’s opener, was going to cause him to miss some time. However, the team has now officially announced that Hamonic has been placed on injured reserve. The team has labeled his status as week-to-week with no specific timeline for a return. Hamonic suffered the blow in a first period fight with the Vancouver Canucks’ Erik Gudbranson and was forced to leave the contest early. Hamonic has been sidelined frequently in his career, with his 74 games for Calgary last season actually setting a new career-high. Hamonic missed eight games for the Flames in his first season with the team, but spread throughout the season and not more than four at a time. The Flames would be fortunate if this injury only costs Hamonic four games. In the meantime, Andersson, fellow rookie Juuso Valimaki, and veteran depth defender Dalton Prout will be asked to pick up the slack in Hamonic’s absence.

  • The rival Edmonton Oilers are getting one of their top defensemen back from injury, as the team announced that Kris Russell has been activated from the injured reserve. Russell’s injury was never disclosed by the team, nor was a timeline given, making his activation both a surprise and not a surprise at all. Russell traveled with the team to Europe and returns in time for the Oilers’ season opener against the New Jersey Devils in Sweden. Russell will skate with rookie and 2018 first-round pick Evan Bouchard, as he makes his NHL debut. In a corresponding move, Edmonton has returned young puck-moving blue liner Ethan Bear to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Bear has been established as the next man up on defense, so if Bouchard’s early action does not impress and he is returned to junior, expect a prompt recall for Bear.
  • The New York Islanders are keeping defenseman Dennis Seidenberg and forward Stephen Gionta with the team on extended PTO’s, notes Newsday’s Andrew Gross. Both veterans played for the Islanders last season and are familiar with the roster and seem willing to hang around in case an opportunity to officially return arises. Per Gross, head coach Barry Trotz called the pair “long-term insurance”. Seidenberg and Gionta will participate in practice and wait to see how the early season unfolds for the Isles, both in health and performance. Neither veteran has much of a ceiling at this point in their career, but are experienced, serviceable, hard-working pros who could step in if needed and provided some immediate support.

Jesper Bratt Out Weeks With Broken Jaw

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The New Jersey Devils were hoping for big things from some of their young players this season, but at least one will have to wait a while to make an impact. Jesper Bratt, one of the big surprises from the 2017-18 season, will begin this year on injured reserve after breaking his jaw. Bratt took a puck in the face at practice and will be out two to three weeks according to Mike Morreale of NHL.com.

Bratt, 20, exploded onto the scene last season as a rookie with six points in his first three games and finished the year with a respectable 35. While that was already more than anyone originally expected from the sixth round draft pick, this time around he’d been penciled into a key offensive role for the Devils. Bratt had been practicing alongside Pavel Zacha and Marcus Johansson on the team’s second line, and had similarly been working with the second powerplay unit. That opportunity will now go to someone else for the time being, and could result in Bratt being moved down permanently if the Devils get off to a quick start.

The team of course will be opening their season tomorrow in Sweden, meaning Bratt will miss the opportunity to hit the ice in his home country. That overseas trip may actually be beneficial to the team though, given that they won’t play again until October 11th, a full week after Bratt was hurt. Hopefully he won’t be forced to miss five or six games, and will get the chance to show off his skills before the calendar turns to November.

Drew Stafford Signs With New Jersey Devils

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The New Jersey Devils have officially signed Drew Stafford this morning, inking the veteran forward to a one-year, one-way contract worth $810K. Stafford had been with the team on a professional tryout during training camp.

The 32-year old Stafford ended up in New Jersey last season as well, playing 59 games for the club during the regular season but seeing his role decrease after some trade deadline acquisitions. This time around he’ll be asked to be little more than a depth forward that gives the team another option while Jesper Bratt recovers from a broken jaw suffered in practice this week. Stafford had just 15 points last season and is now several years removed from his 21-goal 2015-16 campaign with the Winnipeg Jets.

A reliable offensive player for much of his career, Stafford actually has 415 points in 784 career regular season games, with a high of 52 in 2010-11 with the Buffalo Sabres. While those totals are far from being replicated at this point in his career, he still can contribute in various roles including on the powerplay where he saw time last season. The Devils are hoping to once again shock the Metropolitan Division and make the playoffs, and will need all the veteran help they can get to insulate Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier up front.

The Devils also have a huge amount of cap room, making this move almost risk free for them. Even if Stafford proved to have very little left in the tank, all they’ve offered is a little under a million dollars and a contract spot. Though they’re now sitting at 48/50, the team will still have at least some room to go after college free agents or claim a player on waivers.

Lee Stempniak To Remain With Bruins On PTO

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Training camp may be over, but the tryout experience continues for veteran forward Lee Stempniak. NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty reports that Stempniak will continue his PTO with the Boston Bruins into the regular season. Stempniak will not travel with the team initially, but will continue practicing in Boston. Both Stempniak and Daniel Winnik were with the team on tryouts this preseason but were reportedly mulling other offers after training camp came to an end. While there is no word on Winnik, it seems Stempniak feels his best chance to land an NHL contract is to remain in Boston.

Stempniak, 35, has a history with the team and it’s one that Boston certainly has taken into account. Stempniak joined the Bruins on a PTO ahead of the 2015-16 season, but signed with the New Jersey Devils when Boston opted not to offer him a contract. The 13-year veteran enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career that season, recording 41 points in 63 games as one of New Jersey’s top forwards, before the Bruins decided to re-acquire him at the Trade Deadline. The move cost them a second- and fourth-round pick, when they could have had him for free all season, and came too late as his ten points in 19 games weren’t enough to push the team into the postseason. This time around, the Bruins have decided to keep Stempniak around in hopes that he can help if needed rather than become a passed-up opportunity they regret.

Where would he fit in the lineup? While the Bruins gave prospects Trent Frederic, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, and Jack Studnicka a chance to win a roster spot and center the third line, none of the trio could win the job in camp. The opening night roster features Sean Kuraly in that role, even though he is best suited on the fourth line. That realization could potentially move David Backes back to center, opening up his third-line right wing spot. Although the likes Anders Bjork, Peter Cehlarik, and Martin Bakos are internal candidates who could fill the void, Stempniak could present an option as well or at the very least a depth piece who could compete for the job. Even if Stempniak isn’t Boston’s first choice for a regular role, the experienced right wing would serve as valuable depth. Stempniak is coming off a brutal season with the Carolina Hurricanes, accounting for just nine points in 37 games. However, the season prior he was still a 40-point player. On a talented roster like the Bruins’, Stempniak has the potential to get back to that level of production and elongate his career. That’s reason enough to stay with the club on a PTO in hopes of earning a contract.

Injury Notes: Krug, Brown, Schneider

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Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug left the team’s preseason finale in the first period last night and the early indications are not good. Krug did not return to the game and was later seen in a walking boot. Head coach Bruce Cassidy did not have much of an update after the game, saying that he has “no information” on his status, adding “hopefully it’s nothing serious, but it’s tough luck if it is, obviously.” The offensive blue liner was already returning from a fractured ankle suffered in the postseason and had been limited in training camp, but this sounds as if it was a new injury on Saturday night. Whether that is good or bad remains to be seen and with the regular season opening in just a few days, Krug’s availability is up in the air. The team does have fellow puck-moving lefty Matt Grzelcyk to fall back on. Grzelcyk was a starter as a rookie last season for the Bruins, but looked slated for No. 7 duty to begin the year. If he can overcome his own minor lower-body injury, he would be an easy fix. If not, Cassidy said that he would not hesitate to start rookie Urho Vaakanainen. The 2017 first-round pick is in his first season in North America, but has impressed in camp and has yet to be cut. While Krug is clearly the superior option, the Bruins have plenty of depth to manage his potential absence to begin the year. The concern would be just how long their power play quarterback remains sidelined.

  • Los Angeles Kings veteran forward Dustin Brown was another casualty last night. The big winger took a shot up high from teammate Anze Kopitar and was forced out of the game. Brown did not return and the team issued an update that he had suffered an upper-body injury on the play. However, there has been no word from the Kings since. The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman reached out to head coach John Stevens and GM Rob Blake, but could not get any more information. The team is likely taking their time to evaluate Brown, but it’s also possible that the injury is more serious and the team wants to approach the news on their terms. Like Krug, the proximity of the injury to Opening Night leaves his status to begin the year as a question mark.
  • One question that has been answered is who starts the year in net for the New Jersey Devils. Although he traveled with the team to Europe for their exhibition game in Switzerland and regular season opener against the Edmonton Oilers in Sweden, Cory Schneider is primarily there to continue working with the team’s medical staff. Head coach John Hynes made it official today that Schneider will not start for the Devils in their opener, reports NHL.com’s Mike Morreale. Still rehabbing from off-season hip surgery, it was always a long shot for Schneider to be ready to go for game one. New Jersey’s starter has yet to even be cleared to play. As such, last season’s savior Keith Kinkaid is likely to get the call, while veteran third-string keeper Eddie Lack remains on the roster as the current backup. Schneider is actually progressing well in his recovery and could be back in net soon, just not next week.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/28/18

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With season-opening rosters due just a few days from now, quite a few more cuts are expected today around the league.  We’ll keep tabs on these moves here and will update this post throughout the day.

Please note that this list does not include players placed on waivers today.  That group of players can be found here.

Anaheim Ducks (via Eric Stephens of The Athletic)

D Simon Benoit (to San Diego, AHL)
G Kevin Boyle (to San Diego, AHL)
F Sam Carrick (to San Diego, AHL)
G Jared Coreau (to San Diego, AHL)
F Chase De Leo (to San Diego, AHL)
D Jacob Larsson (to San Diego, AHL)
D Steven Oleksy (to San Diego, AHL)
D Josh Mahura (to San Diego, AHL)
F Anton Rodin (to San Diego, AHL)
F Corey Tropp (to San Diego, AHL)
D Andy Welinski (to San Diego, AHL)

Boston Bruins (per team release)

F Ryan Fitzgerald (to Providence, AHL)
F Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson (to Providence, AHL)
F Jakub Lauko (to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)
F Jordan Szwarz (to Providence, AHL)
D Jakub Zboril (to Providence, AHL)

Dallas Stars (via Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge)

D Dillon Heatherington (to Texas, AHL)
D Reece Scarlett (to Texas, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

F Wade Megan (to Grand Rapids, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (per team Twitter)

F Kevin Rooney (to Binghamton, AHL)
F Brett Seney (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Spokane, WHL)

New York Rangers (per team Twitter)

F Lias Andersson (to Hartford, AHL)
D Steven Fogarty (to Hartford, AHL)
D Libor Hajek (to Hartford, AHL)
D Ryan Lindgren (to Hartford, AHL)
F Michael Lindqvist (to Hartford, AHL)
F Ville Meskanen (to Hartford, AHL)
D Rob O’Gara (to Hartford, AHL)

Ottawa Senators (per team Twitter)

F Filip Chlapik (to Belleville, AHL)
D Christian Wolanin (to Belleville, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)

F Tyrell Goulbourne (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Carsen Twarynski (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (per team release)

F Mason Appleton (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Mikhail Berdin (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Eric Comrie (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Sami Niku (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Jansen Harkins (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Skyler McKenzie (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Nelson Nogier (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Reichel (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Peter Stoykewych (to Manitoba, AHL)
F C.J. Suess (to Manitoba, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team Twitter)

F Maximilian Kammerer (to Hershey, AHL)

Devils Claim Jean-Sebastien Dea Off Waivers From Pittsburgh

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The Devils have added some depth up front as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they have claimed center Jean-Sebastien Dea off waivers from the Penguins.

The 24-year-old is coming off of his best season at the AHL level after posting 18 goals and 32 assists in 70 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, ranking second on the team in scoring to winger Daniel Sprong.  He also collected an assist in three postseason contests.

Dea does not have a lot of NHL experience as he has suited up in just six games in Pittsburgh, five of which came last season where he scored his first NHL goal but averaged just 5:29 of ice time per game.  However, teams are now more inclined to try smaller offensive-minded players and it appears he’ll get a longer look in New Jersey where he will battle for a spot at the end of their lineup.  The Devils are certainly familiar with him – head coach John Hynes had him for a year at the AHL level while GM Ray Shero also has some extra information about him from his time with the Penguins.

Dea will make the league minimum of $650K in the NHL while his salary dips to $200K if he was to later clear waivers and be sent to the minors.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/26/18

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After a handful of preseason games last night and with another set of contests coming later today, teams have begun to ice lineups more similar to what they could look like on Opening Night. Most teams are working to trim their roster to 30 players or less for their final preseason games and those efforts will be evident today. Follow along here for all of the camp cuts across the NHL:

Boston Bruins (per team release)

F Anton Blidh (to Providence, AHL)
F Colby Cave (to Providence, AHL)
D Cody Goloubef (to Providence, AHL)
F Mark McNeill (to Providence, AHL)
G Dan Vladar (to Providence, AHL)
F Jack Studnicka (to Oshawa, OHL)

Buffalo Sabres (per team Twitter update)

G Jonas Johansson (to Rochester, AHL)
F Andrew Oglevie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Danny O’Regan (to Rochester, AHL)
F C.J. Smith (to Rochester, AHL)

Calgary Flames (per team release; Twitter update)

F Spencer Foo (to Stockton, AHL)
F Glenn Gawdin (to Stockton, AHL)
D Oliver Kylington (to Stockton, AHL)
F Ryan Lomberg (to Stockton, AHL)
D Adam Ollas Mattsson (to Stockton, AHL)
G Tyler Parsons (to Stockton, AHL)
F Matthew Phillips (to Stockton, AHL)
F Brett Pollock (to Stockton, AHL)
F Gilbert Brule (released from PTO)
D Justin Falk (released from PTO)
G Jeff Glass (released from PTO)
F Henrik Samuelsson (released from PTO)
D Duncan Siemens (released from PTO)
F Logan Shaw (released from PTO)
D Ryan Sproul (released from PTO)
D Viktor Svedberg (released from PTO)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

D Jake Bean (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Clark Bishop (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Julien Gauthier (to Charlotte, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (per team Twitter update; second update)

F Victor Ejdsell (to Rockford, AHL)
F Alexandre Fortin (to Rockford, AHL)
F Matthew Highmore (to Rockford, AHL)
D Adam Boqvist (to London, OHL)

Colorado Avalanche (per team release)

F Travis Barron (to Colorado, AHL)
F A.J. Greer (to Colorado, AHL)
G Spencer Martin (to Colorado, AHL)
D Nicholas Meloche (to Colorado, AHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

D Michael Prapavessis (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Eric Robinson (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Sam Vigneault (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Liam Foudy (to London, OHL)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

F Byron Froese (to Laval, AHL)
D Brett Lernout (to Laval, AHL)
F Michael McCarron (to Laval, AHL)
F Hunter Shinkaruk (to Laval, AHL)
D Rinat Valiev (to Laval, AHL)

Nashville Predators (per team release)

F Eeli Tolvanen (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Brian Cooper (released from PTO)

New Jersey Devils (per team Twitter update)

D Egor Yakovlev (to Binghamton, AHL)

San Jose Sharks (per team release)

D Cavan Fitzgerald (to San Jose, AHL)
F Noah Gregor (to San Jose, AHL)
F Jayden Halbgewachs (to San Jose, AHL)
F Maxim Letunov (to San Jose, AHL)
F Jonathan Martin (to San Jose, AHL)
D Jacob Middleton (to San Jose, AHL)
D Keaton Middleton (to San Jose, AHL)
F Francis Perron (to San Jose, AHL)
F Vincent Praplan (to San Jose, AHL)
D Jeremy Roy (to San Jose, AHL)
F Alex True (to San Jose, AHL)
F Manuel Wiederer (to San Jose, AHL)
D Kyle Wood (to San Jose, AHL)
F Sasha Chmelevski (to Ottawa, OHL)
G Zachary Emond (to Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL)

Toronto Maple Leafs (per team Twitter update)

D Andrew Nielsen (to Toronto, AHL)
D Rasmus Sandin (to Toronto, AHL)
F Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (to Peterborough, OHL)

Washington Capitals (per team Twitter update)

D Connor Hobbs (to Hershey, AHL)
F Juuso Ikonen (to Hershey, AHL)
D Lucas Johansen (to Hershey, AHL)
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (to Hershey, AHL)
F Garret Pilon (to Hershey, AHL)
D Colby Williams (to Hershey, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (per team Twitter update; release)

D Charles-David Beaudoin (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Simon Bourque (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Jacob Cederholm (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Luke Green (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Tye McGinn (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Matt Ustaski (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Ken Appleby (released from PTO)

Training Camp Cuts: 9/25/18

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Another day of camp, another day of cuts. Things are starting to get more difficult though as rosters have become much thinner over the past few days and each release and reassignment is not taken lightly. The pace of roster announcements today is noticeably slower than this past week. Yet, the cuts must be made. Follow along here for all of the camp casualties across the league today:

Note that players placed on waivers today are not included on this list.  They can be found here.

Arizona Coyotes (per team release)

D Kyle Capobianco (to Tuscon, AHL)
G Adin Hill (to Tuscon, AHL)
F Kevin Klima (to Tuscon, AHL)
F Jens Looke (to Tuscon, AHL)
G Hunter Miska (to Tuscon, AHL)
F Lane Pederson (to Tuscon, AHL)

Boston Bruins (per team release)

D Connor Clifton (to Providence, AHL)
F Karson Kuhlman (to Providence, AHL)
D Jeremy Lauzon (to Providence, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

G Callum Booth (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Morgan Geekie (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Andrew Poturalski (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Dan Renouf (to Charlotte, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (per team Twitter update)

D Carl Dahlstrom (to Rockford, AHL)
D Joni Tuulola (to Rockford, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

F Dylan Sadowy (to Toledo, ECHL)
D Brenden Kotyk (released from PTO)
F Bryan Moore (released from PTO)
G Pat Nagle (released from PTO)
D Matt Register  (released from PTO)
F Jordan Topping (released from PTO)
F Luke Kirwan  (released from ATO)

Edmonton Oilers (per team Twitter update)

D Kevin Gravel (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Keegan Lowe (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Brad Malone (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

D Michal Moravcik (to Laval, AHL)
D David Sklenicka (to Laval, AHL)
F Nick Suzuki (to Owen Sound, OHL)
F Joel Ward (released from PTO)

New Jersey Devils (per team Twitter)

F Joey Anderson (to Binghamton, AHL)
F Michael McLeod (to Binghamton, AHL)
F Marian Studenic (to Binghamton, AHL)

New York Islanders (per team Twitter update)

F Steve Bernier (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Christopher Gibson (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Seth Helgeson (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Mike Sislo (to Bridgeport, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)

F Nicholas Aube-Kubel (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Philippe Myers (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Vancouver Canucks (per Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal)

F Reid Boucher (to Utica, AHL)
D Ashton Sautner (to Utica, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

G Maxime Lagace (to Chicago, AHL)
F Stefan Matteau (to Chicago, AHL)
D Griffin Reinhart (to Chicago, AHL)
F T.J. Tynan (to Chicago, AHL)
F Cody Glass (to Portland, WHL)

Devils Sign Jeremy Groleau To An Entry-Level Contract

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UPDATE: The deal has been officially announced by New Jersey, with CapFriendly reporting a cap hit of $723.3K over the three-year term.

The Devils have added some defensive depth to their prospect pool.  TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link) that the team has signed defenseman Jeremy Groleau to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

The 18-year-old went undrafted back in June but has clearly made a positive impression with his showing at training camp so far.  Last season, Groleau played in 63 games with Chicoutimi of the QMJHL, picking up 15 points (4-11-15) along with 18 penalty minutes.  He also suited up in six postseason contests but was held off the scoresheet.  The Sagueneens also confirmed the contract (via Twitter).

Assuming he doesn’t make the Devils’ roster and play in ten or more games (a likely outcome), Groleau’s contract will slide a year so he will still have three years on his contract next season.  He also won’t count against New Jersey’s 50-contract limit which is notable considering the team already has 47 on the books and will want to keep some flexibility for in-season moves.

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