Islanders center Mathew Barzal is one of the prominent restricted free agents of the 2020 class but it appears as if there is at least some interest in getting an early extension done. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that the team has already held preliminary discussions with his Barzal’s agent J.P. Barry and that the two sides plan to sit down sometime over the next little while to really kick start discussions. With 147 points over 166 games in his first two NHL seasons and a top-line center role, it’s possible that Barzal could command close to $10MM on a long-term deal based on some of the comparables around the league over the past year. It’s worth noting that New York already has more than $66MM in commitments for 2020-21 to 16 players so Barzal’s next contract will wind up pushing them right towards the Upper Limit.
Islanders Rumors
Josh Ho-Sang Requests Trade
The New York Islanders are looking for a trade partner for Joshua Ho-Sang after his representative requested one, GM Lou Lamoriello told reporters including Arthur Staple of The Athletic. Ho-Sang was told not to report for a few days after clearing waivers while the team tried to find a deal.
Though teams obviously had a chance at Ho-Sang when he was placed on waivers, the fact that he has now cleared actually increases his value. The young forward can now be assigned to the minor leagues for whichever team acquires him, though that still doesn’t guarantee a deal will be made. The 23-year old was the 28th overall pick in 2014 but has just 53 NHL games under his belt so far despite strong offensive numbers in the minor leagues.
Never much of a goal-scorer, Ho-Sang has excellent puck skills and playmaking ability, especially with the man-advantage. He has recorded 84 assists in 156 AHL regular season contests, and does have 24 points in his 53 NHL appearances. If the Islanders can find a new home for him, Ho-Sang will likely have to prove himself once again for their minor league affiliate before getting another opportunity at the highest level.
Pheonix Copley Headlines Three Players On Waivers
Thursday: Copley has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. The other two have also cleared.
Wednesday: The Washington Capitals have seemingly decided to make the switch to Ilya Samsonov as their backup goaltender. Pheonix Copley has been placed on waivers, along with New York Islanders forward Scott Eansor and Carolina Hurricanes forward Max McCormick. Eansor recently announced he would be retiring from professional hockey, meaning this placement will probably precede a mutual contract termination.
Copley, 27, was just signed to a three-year $3.3MM extension in February, though that was at least in part due to the upcoming expansion draft. The backup goaltender played in 27 games with the Capitals last season and recorded a 16-7-3 record with a .905 save percentage, but is a little too pricey for the team right now with his $1.1MM cap hit. Samsonov, who carries just a $925K cap hit on his entry-level deal, is one of the top goaltending prospects in the world and should get his first taste of NHL action this weekend.
The 22-year old Samsonov dominated the KHL for three straight seasons between 2015-18, but struggled somewhat in his first season in North America. Posting an .898 save percentage for the Hershey Bears, he showed some inconsistency even behind a strong group. Despite those disappointing stats, he still possesses all the potential in the world and could push for a starting role at some point in the future. Seeing exactly what they have will be important to the Capitals, who have starter Braden Holtby approaching unrestricted free agency and in line for a huge raise on the open market.
Simon Holmstrom Assigned To AHL
The New York Islanders appear to have decided what to do with their most recent first-round pick. Simon Holmstrom has been assigned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL, an impressive assignment for the 18-year old forward. There was debate over whether Holmstrom should start in the AHL right away or return to Sweden, but it appears as though he’ll be staying stateside for the time being.
Selected 23rd overall in June, the young winger never did see much of the highest level of hockey in Sweden like some other top prospects, but still comes with a huge ceiling. Not only does Holmstrom possess high-end offensive ability, but his overall game has been complimented for years as he competes hard at both ends of the rink. Though he played mostly right wing in Sweden, his left-handedness may put him on the other side of the ice in North America. That’s something the Islanders organization will have to decide, while getting him acclimated to the smaller rink and AHL physicality.
There’s still lots of development to go with Holmstrom, but he’ll join a Bridgeport team that is suddenly flush with top prospects. Oliver Wahlstrom, Kieffer Bellows and Otto Koivula lead the young group of forwards up front, which is also set to get Joshua Ho-Sang back after he cleared waivers and was assigned to the AHL. The Islanders have found a lot of success in the NHL of late, but should be excited about the wave of talent coming through. Hopefully Holmstrom can take another step forward and show that he can compete at the AHL level this season.
Scott Eansor Announces Retirement
New York Islanders prospect Scott Eansor has announced that he will retired from professional hockey giving up the final year of his current contract with the team. Eansor was signed in March of 2018 to a two-year entry-level deal after an impressive rookie campaign with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. His offense dropped considerably last season and he ended up playing just 40 games, but after being cut from NHL training camp last week has apparently decided to hang up his skates for good.
The 23-year old was previously a teammate of Mathew Barzal with the Seattle Thunderbirds, where he carried more of the defensive responsibility down the middle. The two won a WHL championship together in 2017, when Eansor was serving as captain. He also won a World Junior bronze medal with Team USA, but went undrafted. The young forward will finish his professional career having never made it to the NHL.
Retirement should clear a contract spot for the Islanders who previously sat at 48/50, giving them more flexibility when it comes to signing or trading for players this season.
Poll: Who Will Win The Metropolitan Division In 2019-20?
We’ve finally reached the end of the offseason and things kick off this week around the NHL. Exhibition games are underway in Europe and final cuts have come down all around the league. The excitement for the upcoming season is palpable, with even the most minor transactions generating plenty of interest among hockey fans.
With that in mind we’re going to ask you, the PHR reader, to give us your thoughts on the upcoming season. We started with the Atlantic Division, which seemed an easy choice for a good chunk of our community. The Tampa Bay Lightning ran away with the poll, earning a whopping 46% of all votes. With the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins firmly in the second and third spots, it may be another difficult year for Atlantic teams trying to crack those divisional playoff spots.
We’ll now move on to the Metropolitan Division, which has been dominated by one team for the last several years. The Washington Capitals have taken home the divisional crown for the past four consecutive seasons, posting at least 104 points in each. Even after losing head coach Barry Trotz to the rival New York Islanders, Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals were able to fend off the rest of the group for the top spot. It didn’t do them much good as they ended up kicked out of the first round by the hard-charging Carolina Hurricanes, who should be in contention for the division lead after going all the way to the Eastern Conference Final.
It certainly won’t be easy to capture though, as the division had five playoff teams last season and could potentially be a battle between all eight clubs this time around. The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils both underwent huge changes in the offseason, while the Pittsburgh Penguins are still led by the Hall of Fame duo down the middle.
Who do you think will come out on top of the Metropolitan Division in the regular season? Can the Capitals make it five in a row? Will the Islanders complete the transformation to defensive powerhouse? Will Carter Hart’s goaltending be the missing ingredient for the Philadelphia Flyers? Cast your vote below and explain how you think the season will play out!
Who will win the Metropolitan Division?
Washington Capitals
29.49%
(527 votes)
Pittsburgh Penguins
15.95%
(285 votes)
Philadelphia Flyers
13.26%
(237 votes)
Carolina Hurricanes
11.36%
(203 votes)
New York Islanders
9.63%
(172 votes)
New York Rangers
8.28%
(148 votes)
New Jersey Devils
8.00%
(143 votes)
Columbus Blue Jackets
4.03%
(72 votes)
Total Votes: 1,787
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Trade Rumors: Honka, Hickey, Eriksson, Schenn
Julius Honka is the last remaining unsigned restricted free agent and it doesn’t seem like the Dallas Stars are in any hurry to come to terms on a new deal. However, they may have to wait a while longer to find a trade partner as well. In separate radio appearances today, TSN’s Bob McKenzie and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman both confirmed that the asking price for Honka remains high. Stars GM Jim Nill is seeking a second- or third-round pick or a young player with a similar early-round pedigree. The 23-year-old is himself a first-round pick and was once a highly-regarded prospect, but given his lack of production over the past few years has seen his stock plummet. Honka played in just 29 games with Dallas last season and recorded only four points. Without any guarantee that he can be more than that at the NHL level, teams will likely wait for the price to drop to take a chance on trading for Honka.
- A surprise placement on the waiver wire today was New York Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey. Hickey is a career Islander who just signed a four-year, $10MM extension with the team last summer. Yet, just one season into the contract, he’s now a candidate to be buried in the AHL if not claimed. To many, this somewhat of a betrayal came out of the blue. However, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that New York has been trying to trade Hickey since last season. The 30-year-old veteran was relegated to a part-time role last year, playing in just 40 games, and now has seemingly been forced off the roster altogether by the emergence of top prospect Noah Dobson. Should Hickey clear waivers, he still remains a prime candidate to play elsewhere this season via trade. In all likelihood the relationship between player and team has been tarnished beyond repair.
- Many in Vancouver are commiserating with Hickey’s situation given the equally shocking waiver placement of Sven Baertschi. A fixture in the top-six for the Canucks for several seasons (when healthy), many had Baertschi pegged for the same role this season, now that he has returned from battling concussions. However, Vancouver opted to place Baertschi on waivers due to both a roster and salary cap crunch. Meanwhile, Loui Eriksson remains on the team despite clashes with the coaching staff and poor production on a hefty contract. The Canucks were working to trade Eriksson all summer and it is likely their failure to do so that forced out Baertschi. If Baertschi or Nikolay Goldobin are indeed claimed on waivers, it could also make Eriksson a necessary piece for the team this season, all but ending their attempts to trade him. That’s not to say that GM Jim Benning won’t still listen to offers though.
- Meanwhile, the Canucks opened up a roster spot by waiving three players today and there is some thought that they could be looking to bring back a familiar face. Responding to colleague Rick Dhaliwal’s pondering, Sportsnet’s Satiar Shah reports that the team is considering a waiver claim for defenseman Luke Schenn. Schenn was acquired in-season last year by the Canucks and played well in a shutdown role for the team down the stretch. Vancouver tried to retain his services, but Schenn opted to chase a title with an affordable deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, he failed to make the opening night roster in Tampa and is up for grabs. Vancouver is well-staffed on the blue line and Schenn would seemingly be no better than the No. 7 or 8 defender, but that might not stop them from taking a chance on him yet again.
Waivers: 09/30/19
Today is the last day to use waivers in order to get a roster cap compliant for the start of the regular season, so we will see a lot of players available for selection.
Anaheim Ducks
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
F Remi Elie
F Curtis Lazar
F Scott Wilson
D Casey Nelson
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
F Clark Bishop
D Gustav Forsling
G Anton Forsberg
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Columbus Blue Jackets
Edmonton Oilers
F Sam Gagner
D Brandon Manning
Minnesota Wild
Nashville Predators
F Miikka Salomaki
D Steven Santini
New Jersey Devils
New York Islanders
F Joshua Ho-Sang
F Tanner Fritz
D Thomas Hickey
New York Rangers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
F Kenny Agostino
F Nic Petan
F Garrett Wilson
D Kevin Gravel
Vancouver Canucks
F Sven Baertschi
F Nikolay Goldobin
D Alex Biega
Winnipeg Jets
F J.C. Lipon
D Nelson Nogier
G Eric Comrie
Washington Capitals
Training Camp Cuts: 09/28/19
The final weekend of the preseason is upon us with the regular season getting underway next week. Final training camp cuts will be coming in with regularity over the next 48 hours or so. We’ll keep track of all of today’s right here. Keep up with the news, as the page will be updated throughout the day:
Arizona Coyotes (per team release)
F Michael Bunting (to Tucson, AHL)
F Michael Chaput (to Tucson, AHL)
F Hudson Fasching (to Tucson, AHL)
D Aaron Ness (to Tucson, AHL)
Calgary Flames (per team release)
F Devante Smith-Pelly (released from PTO)
Dallas Stars (per team releases)
D Joseph Cecconi (to Texas, AHL)
D Joel Hanley (to Texas, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
D Oliwer Kaski (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Ryan Kuffner (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Gustav Lindstrom (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Jarid Lukosevicius (released from ATO)
F Gregor MacLeod (released from ATO)
F David Pope (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Vili Saarijarvi (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Dominik Shine (released from PTO)
F Givani Smith (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Evgeny Svechnikov (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Joe Veleno (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Filip Zadina (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
Edmonton Oilers (per team release)
F Anton Burdasov (released from PTO)
Los Angeles Kings (per team release)
F Nikolai Prokhorkin (to Ontario, AHL)
New York Islanders (per team release)
F Travis St. Denis (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Matthew Lorito (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Cole Bardreau (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Kyle Burroughs (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Seth Helgeson (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Christopher Gibson (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Jared Coreau (to Bridgeport, AHL)
San Jose Sharks (per team release)
D Jacob Middleton (to San Jose, AHL)
F Antti Suomela (to San Jose, AHL)
Toronto Maple Leafs (per team releases)
F Pontus Aberg (to waivers for purpose of assignment to Toronto, AHL)
F Tyler Gaudet (to waivers for purpose of assignment to Toronto, AHL)
D Ben Harpur (to waivers for purpose of assignment to Toronto, AHL)
D Jordan Schmaltz (to waivers for purpose of assignment to Toronto, AHL)
F Darren Archibald (to Toronto, AHL)
F Jeremy Bracco (to Toronto, AHL)
F Adam Brooks (to Toronto, AHL)
F Rich Clune (to Toronto, AHL)
F Hudson Elynuik (to Toronto, AHL)
F Pierre Engvall (to Toronto, AHL)
D Teemu Kivihalme (to Toronto, AHL)
G Joseph Woll (to Toronto, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per team tweet)
G Dylan Ferguson (to Fort Wayne, ECHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
F Shane Gersich (to Hershey, AHL)
D Lucas Johansen (to Hershey, AHL)
F Beck Malenstyn (to Hershey, AHL)
F Brian Pinho (to Hershey, AHL)
G Vitek Vanecek (to Hershey, AHL)
D Colby Williams (to Hershey, AHL)
Metropolitan Notes: Capitals Goalies, Kempny, Farabee, Holmstrom
The Washington Capitals may have the ability to keep three goaltenders on their roster with the suspension of forward Evgeny Kuzetsov being off the books for the next few games. However, Capitals head coach Todd Reirden said keeping three goaltenders on the roster is not the plan, according to Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan.
The team intends to start Braden Holtby in net on Sunday, but the real question is who might be his backup. Last year’s backup, Pheonix Copley remains in the mix and isn’t waiver-exempt, which could be an issue if the team attempts to pass him through waivers. However, the team also has their goaltender-of-the future in Ilya Samsonov close to ready as well and the team may want to see what they have in him sooner than later.
Regardless, it looks like the team intends to make a decision on their goaltending situation before the start of the regular season.
- Sticking with the Capitals, the good news for the team is that defenseman Michal Kempny, who has been out with a hamstring injury, passed his conditioning skating test, but isn’t likely to be ready for the season opener and is currently listed as doubtful, according to The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir. While he still could miss some time as he tries to catch up after missing most of training camp, it’s also just as unlikely that the team will place the veteran defenseman on LTIR either. The team has options to replace him in the lineup, including Martin Fehervary, Jonas Siegenthaler and Christian Djoos.
- The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (subscription required) writes that it looks like Philadelphia Flyers rookie Joel Farabee may have wrapped up a roster spot with the Flyers after an impressive performance on the ice Thursday. While Farabee, who has been competing with fellow rookies Morgan Frost and German Rubtsov (as well as a host of veterans), hasn’t put up much offense on the scoreboard, he has performed impressively well as he was all over the ice and created many opportunities for the team. While it was his best game, nothing is written in stone. “You know what, if he’s not in the lineup that first game (of the regular season), it’ll be a surprise,” head coach Alain Vigneault said.
- The New York Islanders surprised many at the draft earlier this summer when they nabbed forward prospect Simon Holmstrom with the 23rd-overall pick with many believing he should have gone in the second or third round. Homstrom, however, remains in the Islanders camp and now may decide to stay in North America this season afterall with his performance in camp so far. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (subscription required) writes that Holmstrom may stay in North America and play for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers as opposed to playing in the SHL. “That is what we’re preparing for, my wife and I,” Jonas Holmstrom, Simon’s father, said in a phone conversation on Thursday. “He can play in the AHL and in his mind, he’s willing to stay.”