New York Rangers Sign Alexei Bereglazov
As rumored, the New York Rangers have signed KHL defenseman Alexei Bereglazov. Bereglazov had recently confirmed that he would be heading to North America after this season, and the Rangers have long been linked—originally by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The (just turned) 23-year old defender will add another piece to the Rangers blueline and may step into the spotlight as soon as next year. His age means the entry-level deal can only be for two years, and it is likely that the deal starts next season since he would have to pass through waivers to be eligible for these playoffs.
Bereglazov is left-handed, but spend much of this season playing the right side for Magnitogorsk and could continue there for the Rangers. The big blueliner broke out somewhat this season, recording 19 points in 60 games, the most by a defender 24 years or under. His offensive upside is the big selling point, though he still struggles at times moving the puck quickly out of his own end. With the size 6’4″ to step into the NHL right away, he’ll likely break camp with the team and be given a chance to start 2017-18.
It is an interesting situation the Rangers find themselves in on defence, with Marc Staal and Dan Girardi still signed long-term but not performing well enough to deserve the $10MM+ hit their combined salaries cause on the cap. With the team seemingly wanting to go after Kevin Shattenkirk, and perhaps even re-sign Brendan Smith after his successful stint with the team, there isn’t enough money or ice time to go around. While Vegas could potentially pluck one of their problems away in the expansion draft—if they can get one of them to waive their NMC—it isn’t very likely. Instead, they may have to consider the very unattractive buyout option for at least one.
In any case, the Rangers have added some solid depth for nothing but an entry-level contract, bringing Bereglazov over away from the KHL. If he can have even a portion of the success that Nikita Zaitsev showed in Toronto this year, they’ve bought themselves another asset. At the very least, this shows the continued willingness of Russian-born KHLers to leave the league for the NHL, despite its recent Olympic decision. The pipeline continues to go both ways.
Snapshots: Schmaltz, Gaunce, Emelin
The St. Louis Blues have sent Jordan Schmaltz back to the AHL to join the Chicago Wolves for their playoff run. With Robert Bortuzzo firmly in the lineup, there was no room for Schmaltz as the Blues continue their series against the Minnesota Wild. Instead, he’ll return to the AHL where he has dominated this season, scoring 25 points in 42 games.
Drafted in the first round in 2012, Schmaltz played exceptionally well at the University of North Dakota before making an impact as an AHL rookie last year. With another solid season and his NHL debut under his belt, he’ll be a leading candidate for a full-time job with the Blues next season. He’ll be entering the final year of his entry-level deal, and could sign an extension as soon as July 1st.
- The Vancouver Canucks’ Brendan Gaunce will have surgery to repair his shoulder and begin rehab to try and be ready for next season. Apparently he and the medical staff had been trying to avoid surgery, but have no other choice after his “response to treatment.” Gaunce played 57 games for the Canucks this season, recording just five points. He still hasn’t shown that high-end potential that was so apparent in junior, but is still just 23 years old and can still improve his game.
- The Montreal Canadiens are expected to insert Alexei Emelin into their lineup for Game 5 against the New York Rangers, though he is technically a game-time decision. The injured defenseman has yet to play in the series, but will add another element of toughness to a group that has been pushed around physically by the normally smaller Rangers team. With 203 hits in the series, New York easily paces the entire NHL playoffs. Emelin, as Canadiens head coach Claude Julien told TSN’s John Lu, will make you keep your head up when he’s on the ice.
Latest On Alexei Bereglazov
After being defeated in Game 5 of the KHL Finals and losing the Gagarin Cup to Ilya Kovalchuk and the rest of SKA St. Petersburg yesterday, Alexei Bereglazov can now turn his attention to a potential NHL contract. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that the Russian defender will indeed head to the NHL next season, and repeats that the New York Rangers are the leading candidate for his services. The connection between the Rangers and the 22-year old had previously been reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Similar to Nikita Zaitsev last season, Bereglazov has been playing in the KHL for several seasons already, winning the Gagarin Cup last year and getting to the finals once again. His impact and importance increased this year though, playing almost 20 minutes a night during the regular season and registering a career-high 19 points. Unlike Zaitsev, who was almost fully developed when he joined the Maple Leafs last season at 25, Bereglazov still has more room to grow into his 6’4″ frame and could still see drastic improvement at both ends of the rink.
While the Rangers are the only team who has been currently linked, there will surely be other clubs in the mix for Bereglazov if he indeed decides to head to North America. A big, young defender who has offensive upside is exactly what every team is looking for, and though he still sometimes struggles moving the puck quickly up the ice he will likely improve over the next few years wherever he plays. For Magnitogorsk, where he currently plays, it would be a big blow to lose the young defender to the NHL after another big season.
Rangers Notes: Holden, Klein, Miller
Despite being tied 1-1 in their first round series with the Montreal Canadiens and the match-up moving home to Madison Square Garden for the next two games, the New York Rangers have made some notable changes to their lineup. The most intriguing is the absence of defenseman Nick Holden. Holden, acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in the off-season for just a fourth-round pick, has proven to be a solid pickup by GM Jeff Gorton. The big 29-year-old blue liner was healthy for 80 games this season and contributed career-highs in offensive production with 11 goals and 23 assists. Those 34 points were more than highly-paid teammates Dan Girardi and Marc Staal combined. Holden was also a +13 on the year, second only to captain Ryan McDonagh among defenseman, and was second on the team, again to McDonagh, in ice time as well, averaging over 20 minutes per game.
Yet, when the puck dropped on Game Three, Holden was watching from the press box as a scratch. There has been no indication that Holden was hurt in either game in Montreal, nor is there any knowledge of nagging injuries. For now, it seems as though Holden, arguably the Rangers’ second best defenseman this season, is simply a healthy scratch. Holden has only one assist and is a -1 so far in the playoff series, including a -2 in Friday’s loss, but it is hard to find sufficient evidence that his play has been poor enough recently to warrant a scratch. Perhaps there is more to the situation than has been revealed just yet, but for the time being the Rangers will see, for just the third time all season, how a lineup without Holden plays.
- In his place, the Rangers have moved veteran defenseman Kevin Klein into the lineup. The emergence of Brady Skjei, the trade for Brendan Smith, and, of course, the occasional injury have limited Klein to just 60 games this season, the fewest games he has ever played in a full NHL season in his career. Klein may not have the offensive upside that some of his fellow defenders do, but he is a very strong player in his own end and an intimidating physical threat. After allowing four goals against the Canadiens in Game Two when they held them scoreless in Game One, it reasons that the Rangers and coach Alain Vigneault may want to create a stronger defensive presence and Klein can get the job done. Klein will skate alongside Skjei tonight, while Smith moves up to replace Holden alongside Staal.
- Another interesting change is the demotion of J.T. Miller to the Rangers’ fourth line. Miller, in just his third full season, finished second on the team in scoring behind Mats Zuccarello with 22 goals and a career-best 34 assists. How quickly the memory of 56 points can be erased when a top scorer fails to register a point in back-to-back playoff games and takes only 3 shots to boot. Now, Miller finds himself on the checking line with Oscar Lindberg and Tanner Glass and will likely see a major drop in 5-on-5 ice time until he can work his way up into the top nine again.
Morning Notes: Flames Burn Out, Toronto’s Unlikely Hero, Looking Ahead
Saturday April 15th was a riveting evening of hockey for any fan of the sport. The Blackhawks were dominated 5-0 by the Predators in Game 2, but the other three games were all nail-biters. The Flames looked to take the lead after climbing out of a 2 goal deficit in the 2nd period, but the call on the ice of goalie interference against John Gibson kept the game tied. The Ducks would go on to get a bizarre ricochet goal from the stick of Ryan Getzlaf with just 4:46 remaining in regulation to secure an ugly win, and go up 2-0 in the series.
- The Leafs’ Kasperi Kapanen has not been in the spotlight – the likes of Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Auston Matthews have been so phenomenal that he is easily forgotten in the mix. The promising young crafty forward was the centerpiece of the Phil Kessel deal, which until now, had undoubtedly looked to favor the Penguins. Serving 4th-line duty, the forward had only scored one goal in his 8 games up with big squad this season. In the second overtime of Saturday’s Game 2 versus the Capitals, the forward crept in to the back post as Brian Boyle used his lanky frame to fool the netminder into sealing the near post in anticipation. The result was a gorgeous finish to a game where an unlikely hero was desperately needed. If the forward can build on this huge goal, perhaps he can become an X-factor in a series where they are the underdogs. He seems to be confident in the team’s chances.
- The Senators would not go down quietly. Down 2 goals through 40 minutes, the squad rallied to tie the game with tallies from Chris Wideman and Derick Brassard. As mentioned in an earlier post, Chara’s late regulation delay-of-game penalty proved quite costly, as the Senators capitalized on the powerplay’s momentum and ended the overtime quickly. Dion Phaneuf hammered one home after the team had hit two posts previously in quick succession. The series has been incredibly tight, but surely Bruins fans will lament the lost opportunity, especially in light of their badly bruised defensive squad.
- Four games will take place this Sunday. The Wild will try to avoid going down 3-0 in hostile territory, the Blue Jackets will hope to dodge a similar fate with cannons firing, and the Sharks and Rangers look to go up at home after splitting the first two on the road.
Expansion Requirements Still Needing Attention
For teams outside the playoffs, preparation for the summer months starts early. Free agency, coaching staffs, prospect profiles and this year, another interesting workload: the Expansion Draft. For many teams, much of the work to prepare for the expansion draft was already done during the season. We saw extensions for players like Michal Rozsival, trades for fringe forwards like Eric Fehr, and goaltenders given contracts without ever really making an NHL impact.
But still there remains much to be done in preparation for the draft, and contracts should come out over the next month to protect teams from an unexpected loss. Each team must expose at least two forwards and one defender who is both a) under contract for 2017-18 and b) played either 40 games in 2016-17 OR a total of 70 games in 2015-16 and 2016-17 combined. They must also expose one goaltender who is either under contract for 2017-18 or will be an RFA this summer. While much of this depends on who each team decides to protect, these are the situations that will likely see a move or extension handed out before the deadline.
Arizona Coyotes
The Coyotes currently have just three forwards who could fill this requirement: Jamie McGinn, Tobias Rieder and Brad Richardson. While Richardson is an easy choice, the other two don’t deserve to be exposed even if McGinn did have a disappointing year. The easy way to solve it would be extend Josh Jooris, who qualifies but doesn’t have a contract past this season currently. Peter Holland could also be sacrificed, though it’s unclear whether the front office believes in him as a piece going forward for this team.
Steven Kampfer Signs Two-Year Extension With New York Rangers
Friday: The team has made the deal official, though no details were released.
Thursday: In the middle of the night after their playoff win, the New York Rangers did a little contract celebration, inking Steven Kampfer to a two-year extension according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. It’s a two-way deal worth $650K each season in the NHL, while only paying $300K in the AHL. The 28-year old will now become an unrestricted free agent after the 2018-19 season.
Kampfer came over from the Florida Panthers in a mid-season trade that sent former first-round pick Dylan McIlrath down south. He had actually been traded to the Rangers prior to that in a deal for Joey Crabb, and will now stick around in the Big Apple for a while. At the time of the McIlrath trade, our own Zach Leach had this to say:
The University of Michigan product appeared to have a bright future in front of him playing for the Boston Bruins right out of college. However, as his play dropped off, the Bruins sold high on him at the 2012 NHL Trade Deadline in a deal with the Minnesota Wild for Greg Zanon. This time around, Kampfer will provide some experienced depth for the Rangers, but seems likely to still see significant AHL minutes throughout 2016-17.
Zach was right in predicting a stint in the AHL, as Kampfer would go on to play 43 games for the Hartford Wolfpack this season, with 10 matches for the Rangers sprinkled throughout. He scored 19 points at the AHL level and registered just two during his time in New York.
The right-handed shot defenseman still provides that depth for the Rangers, and is still expected to be mostly an AHL defender over the next two years. He doesn’t fill any expansion requirements for the Rangers, as he is 12 games short of the 70 needed over the last two years. Instead, New York will have to expose one of Kevin Klein or Nick Holden (or sign Brendan Smith to an extension).
Morning Notes: Lombardi, Coaches, Rangers
Huge changes were laid down yesterday in Los Angeles, with the team firing both GM Dean Lombardi and coach Darryl Sutter. Lombardi had been with the team since 2006, and ushered in the first two Stanley Cups in Kings history in 2012 and 2014. The general manager was highly respected by his players, including those he drafted like Drew Doughty and others he brought in like Jeff Carter. It’s no surprise then that Gord Miller of TSN reported today that many Kings’ players showed up at his home last night to “console him”.
While the GM can certainly be critiqued for moves he made to try and keep the Kings relevant the last few years, Miller reminds us that most were due to loyalty for the players who took the team to the Stanley Cup. Whether that is an ideal way to run a franchise (it’s not), it is at least understandable from a man who found no such success with the San Jose Sharks in his previous stint as GM. He’ll definitely land on his feet somewhere, if only because of the loyalty and respect he’s earned over the years. The Kings though, are likely better off moving in a new direction.
- As for Sutter, he joins the rest of the recently fired coaches that will be looking for new employment this offseason. Craig Custance of ESPN took a shot at predicting who will fill the other four vacancies, with Ken Hitchcock (Dallas), Travis Green (Vancouver), Dallas Eakins (Florida) and Jack Capuano (Vegas) getting the nods. He also mentions coaches like Jim Montgomery of the University of Denver, David Quinn from Boston University, and Todd Nelson of the Grand Rapids Griffins as names to watch this summer for the vacancies. All three are considered excellent up-and-coming options, who should find their way into the NHL eventually if they so choose.
- The Rangers have made their playoff cuts, sending Taylor Beck and Magnus Hellberg back down to the Hartford Wolfpack for the last few games. Hartford has been the worst team in the AHL this season and will end their season in a few days with an ugly record. While that’s not neccessarily emblematic of a poor farm system, the Rangers haven’t selected in the first round since 2012 and it is obviously hurting their pipeline. They don’t have their second, third or fourth picks this year, but when they missed out on Kevin Shattenkirk at the deadline, they kept that first-rounder for the time being.
Afternoon Notes: Vrbata, Fontaine, Khaira
Radim Vrbata is an interesting case this summer, as he heads into free agency once again following a very successful bounce-back campaign. In 81 games for the Arizona Coyotes, Vrbata scored 20 goals and 55 points showing that he is still a capable offensive player even at his advanced age. He’ll be 36 this summer, and told Craig Morgan of AZ Sports today that if he came back to the Coyotes it would be on a one-year deal.
It’s unclear whether that means he would consider a multi-year deal somewhere else, but after not trading him at the deadline it was clear that Arizona hoped he would stay past this season. The winger would be an early candidate for trade deadline fodder again, as the Coyotes will have a hard time competing again next season as they continue their rebuild.
- The New York Rangers have signed Gabriel Fontaine to an entry-level contract, despite him still being deep in a playoff run with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. The sixth-round pick had 52 points in 59 games this season and projects and will likely join the Rangers’ AHL affiliate next season. Though he has the size to make the NHL one day, it is still a long way away for Fontaine as he’ll need to perfect his two-way game. Without the high-end skill that would allow him to play in the top-six, he will make it in professional hockey by continuing to play solid defensively and improve in the faceoff dot. The Huskies will continue their series against Chicoutimi tomorrow night.
- Edmonton has brought Jujhar Khaira back up prior to their playoff series against the San Jose Sharks. The 22-year old forward played 10 games for the Oilers this season, registering just a single goal. Khaira represents some center depth for the Oilers and a heavy forward who could be inserted onto the fourth line if the team feels it needs a change.
- According to Dan Rosen of NHL.com, the Los Angeles Kings have sent Adrian Kempe, Jonny Brodzinski and Paul LaDue back to the AHL for the Ontario Reign’s playoff run. The three have all played the majority of the season in the minors and will be a big part of any Calder Cup aspirations the Reign may have.
- In a similar move, the Tampa Bay Lightning have sent Cory Conacher, Jake Dotchin, Gabriel Dumont, Adam Erne and Yanni Gourde all back down to the Syracuse Crunch to help the AHL team in the playoffs. The sheer amount of players that Tampa Bay had pulled from their minor league team shows how decimated they were by injury this year, while still only missing the playoffs by one point. The Crunch were in first place for much of the season, but after losing almost half their starting lineup to the NHL slipped slightly in the last month. They’ll go in as one of the favorites now that they have this group back.
- Both Joe Thornton and Logan Couture were back at San Jose Sharks’ practice today according to Kevin Kurz of NBC. The two centermen were both in regular sweaters, though Couture skated with a full cage on his helmet. It wouldn’t be surprising to see both of them suit up for game one of their series on Wednesday night, which would be a huge boost to a Sharks team that struggled down the stretch.
Minor Transactions: Last Day Of The Regular Season
The Washington Capitals, who have long since clinched the President’s Trophy for the best record in the NHL this season, have next to nothing to play for in their 2016-17 regular season finale. What better use for such a game than to reward a time-tested contributor to the organization. The Capitals announced today that they have recalled Garrett Mitchell, as well as Chandler Stephenson, from the AHL’s Hershey Bears for the last game of the season. Mitchell, the Hersey captain, will make his NHL debut at 25 after being a sixth-round selection of the Capitals back in 2009. Far from an offensive juggernaut, Mitchell is instead a physical two-way forward who makes up for his lack of points by sticking up for the Bears’ younger players and leading by example in his own end. It is a classy move by Washington to give a player who has worked hard for the organization a brief glimpse at NHL life, even though his ceiling appears to be a nothing more than a fourth-line player at this time.
Around the league, the transactions are coming in fast:
- Washington’s opponent tonight is the Florida Panthers and newly-recalled young goalie Sam Brittain. It remains to be seen if Brittain will make his NHL debut tonight, but he’ll at least be on the bench as Florida announced that the 24-year-old had been promoted from the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds for the game. Brittain has played mostly in the ECHL this season and is far from being a regular NHLer any time soon, but will at least get a look at big league action in the season finale.
- Another goalie getting a rare look at the highest level is the New York Rangers’ Magnus Hellberg. Buried behind all-world keeper Henrik Lundqvist and one of the more reliable backups in the league, Antti Raanta, Hellberg was surely excited to hear that he had been called up from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Hellberg, 26, has never started an NHL game and that won’t change tonight as Raanta gets the call for the Rangers. However, Hellberg has seen the ice three times in his career and has strung together several strong AHL seasons in a row, so gaining some more experience tonight, even from the bench, brings him closer to an NHL future.
- A goalie headed the other way today is the Montreal Canadiens’ Charlie Lindgren. Despite nothing but success in his few NHL appearances early in his young career, the Habs are set in net with Carey Price and Al Montoya. Lindgren will have to wait for opportunity to strike for a longer stint with the Canadiens, as he’ll head back down to the AHL and the St. John’s Ice Caps alongside defenseman Brett Lernout, the team announced.
- Another pair headed back to the minors are Winnipeg Jets’ prospects Kyle Connor and Nelson Nogier. Following their season finale yesterday, the Jets decided today to return the duo to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose to get some final play time in this season. While the Jets expected more than five points in 20 games from Connor in his rookie season, after being a Hobey Baker finalist for the University of Michigan last year, expect him to play a major role for Winnipeg in 2017-18.
- Another player set to take on a major role next year is Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Robert Hagg. Fans can get a preview of the prospect-studded blue line that Philly is likely to roll out in 2017-18 when Hagg makes his NHL debut today. The team announced his recall this morning from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and he will skate alongside the likes of Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov tonight and Travis Sanheim and Samuel Morin as well next year in a truly impressive collection of young talent.
- Across the state, the Pittsburgh Penguins are planning on resting some of their players today – those that aren’t already injured anyway – and have called up a trio of players from the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins to help fill the voids. Oskar Sundqvist and Derrick Pouliot, two names familiar to Penguins fans, will return to the lineup, while Jean-Sebastien Dea will make his NHL debut. A longtime WBS contributor, Dea’s work ethic and consistency has finally earned him his first shot at the pros for a team that is in desperate need of depth that can step up their play.
- Pittsburgh’s Round One opponent, the Columbus Blue Jackets, are adding some promising young talent of their own in forward Sonny Milano. The team announced that they had promoted the 2014 first-rounder from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and that he will get the call today against the Toronto Maple Leafs as the Jackets look to reverse their recent luck before the postseason gets underway. Milano has only skated in three games with Columbus this season, but leads the Monsters in scoring with 46 points in 61 games.
- The St. Louis Blues announced that they have recalled defenseman Chris Butler from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. However, Butler’s return to the NHL lineup may be overshadowed by the possibility that Vladimir Sobotka could also make his season debut after a long hiatus from the team while playing in the KHL.
- With an extremely disappointing season finally over in Dallas, the Stars have moved a slew of players back down to the AHL’s Texas Stars to give them some play time before the end of the season. Forwards Jason Dickinson, Mark McNeill, Gemel Smith, Denis Gurianov, and Remi Elie and defenseman Julius Honka will all head back to Texas, a team that, like its affiliate, has no chance at the playoffs either.
More to come throughout the final day of the 2016-17 season