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NHL Announces 2023 King Clancy Memorial Trophy Nominees

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In an announcement made Tuesday afternoon, the NHL unveiled the list of nominees for the 2023 King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The award is presented annually to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities both on and off the ice, as well as making a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to their community.

The list of nominees for this year’s award is an impressive one, featuring some of the league’s most well-respected captains, such as Boston’s Patrice Bergeron and Florida’s Aleksander Barkov.

One notable nominee is one of the youngest captains in the league – Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk. Tkachuk, in a few short years as a Senator, has already implanted himself in the community, especially in recent seasons. Working with the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa, Tkachuk hosts the ’Tkachuk’s Captains’ program, which works with kids at club locations across Ottawa to help develop leadership skills.

That’s not to diminish the off-ice efforts of anyone else named on the full list of nominees, found below. While an often-overlooked award, it’s a great way to highlight some players who focus on making positive contributions to their communities.

Anaheim: Kevin Shattenkirk
Arizona: Travis Boyd
Boston: Patrice Bergeron
Buffalo: Alex Tuch
Calgary: Mikael Backlund
Carolina: Jordan Staal
Chicago: Connor Murphy
Colorado: Devon Toews
Columbus: Zach Werenski
Dallas: Jason Robertson
Detroit: Dylan Larkin
Edmonton: Darnell Nurse
Florida: Aleksander Barkov
Los Angeles: Mikey Anderson
Minnesota: Matt Dumba
Montreal: Jordan Harris
Nashville: Juuse Saros
New Jersey: Jack Hughes
NY Islanders: Anders Lee
NY Rangers: Jacob Trouba
Ottawa: Brady Tkachuk
Philadelphia: Scott Laughton
Pittsburgh: Evgeni Malkin
San Jose: Luke Kunin
Seattle: Chris Driedger
St. Louis: Brayden Schenn
Tampa Bay: Victor Hedman
Toronto: Morgan Rielly
Vancouver: Elias Pettersson
Vegas: Reilly Smith
Washington: Tom Wilson
Winnipeg: Blake Wheeler

Hockey Canada Releases Initial 2023 World Championship Roster

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Hockey Canada has released the initial complement of 20 players that will represent their country at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championships next week in Finland.

It’s a more experienced roster than their American counterparts released, at least in terms of current NHL caliber. In net, they’re likely the most well-set team in the tournament, with projected rookie sensation Devon Levi sharing the crease with Montreal Canadien Sam Montembeault, who had a strong season in a tandem role with Jake Allen.

While 2023 presumptive first-overall selection Connor Bedard won’t join the team, likely to avoid risking injuries prier to his rookie season in the NHL, projected second-overall pick Adam Fantilli will. After capturing the Hobey Baker award in what’s likely his only season at the University of Michigan, Fantilli will join seasoned NHL veterans such as Milan Lucic, Scott Laughton, and Tyler Toffoli as Canada goes for gold at the Worlds.

Their defense is highlighted by MacKenzie Weegar. Although he had a tough season in Calgary, he’s not far removed from being a top 20 defender in the world and should make a significant impact at the tournament. Youngsters Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Justin Barron will also get a chance to shine for the Canadians.

The full 20-player roster is as follows:

F Cody Glass
F Jack McBain
F Milan Lucic
F Peyton Krebs
F Scott Laughton
F Jack Quinn
F Jake Neighbours
F Lawson Crouse
F Tyler Toffoli
F Sammy Blais
F Joe Veleno
F Adam Fantilli

D Pierre-Olivier Joseph
D Justin Barron
D MacKenzie Weegar
D Tyler Myers
D Ethan Bear
D Jake Walman

G Devon Levi
G Sam Montembeault

Dallas Stars Loan Riley Tufte To AHL

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The Dallas Stars returned forward Riley Tufte to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, the team said in a release today.

Dallas summoned Tufte from the minors following Joe Pavelski’s injury in Game 1, giving him some time on the NHL roster during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Head coach Peter DeBoer didn’t insert Tufte into the lineup over the course of four games, however. With Pavelski’s health improving, Dallas has opted to return Tufte to the minors.

The move comes at a natural time for the Stars organization as well. With the Texas Stars finishing high enough in the Central Division to earn a bye past the first round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, the AHL Stars begin their playoff run on Friday against the Rockford IceHogs. Tufte will be an important middle-six presence for Texas in the playoffs, contributing 35 points in 63 games this season and finishing second among Texas forwards with a +23 rating.

Time is ticking away on the NHL future for the 25-year-old Minnesota native, especially given his first-round billing, but he does play a bruising, power-forward game that translates well enough to Dallas’ bottom six in call-up situations. If Dallas’ season lasts longer than their affiliate, expect Tufte to once again be recalled as part of a complement of Black Aces.

Stars/Wild Notes: Wallstedt, Eriksson Ek, Pavelski

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With the Iowa Wild’s quick elimination from the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports the Minnesota Wild are expected to call up their complement of Black Aces today to be around the team while their playoff run continues. While most won’t be called up after Iowa’s exit meetings, Russo said that top goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedt has already been recalled and will serve as the third goalie behind the team’s tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Marc-Andre Fleury.

Wallstedt, 20, didn’t have the playoff performance he wanted in Iowa, recording a .897 save percentage in two overtime losses as Iowa lost their best-of-three series against the Rockford IceHogs. It doesn’t diminish what was a promising stretch run to the season for him, wrapping up his first pro season in North America with a .908 save percentage and a shutout in 38 games for Iowa. Selected 20th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft, Wallstedt remains one of the best goalie prospects in the league and should gain valuable experience from being around the Minnesota team for the rest of their postseason.

  • After attempting to return from injury in Game 3 and skating just one shift, things aren’t looking up for the health of Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek. Head coach Dean Evason told reporters today Eriksson Ek hasn’t skated since his latest injury, as he’s still in the process of evaluation and “not close” to returning to the lineup. Eyes now turn to Sam Steel and Frédérick Gaudreau, who have both performed well so far in the series, to shoulder Eriksson Ek’s absence.
  • On the flip side, Dallas Stars winger Joe Pavelski continues to progress in his recovery after a hit in Game 1 that caused him to enter concussion protocol. Pavelski skated with the team today for the first time since the injury, and head coach Peter DeBoer told reporters Pavelski’s progressed in his recovery each day. It remains unclear whether Pavelski will return this series.

Boston Bruins Will Have Multi-Million Dollar Cap Penalty Next Season

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The Boston Bruins’ plan of bringing back Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí for one last ride panned out unquestionably. Unfortunately for the Bruins, they’ll need to pay a steep price for their decisions next season.

PuckPedia’s Hart Levine confirms in an article for Northstar Bets that Boston will face a $4.5MM cap penalty next season, created by performance bonus overages stemming from Bergeron and Krejčí’s unique contracts.

With Bergeron and Krejčí eligible to sign particular types of contracts reserved for players 35 or older, they’re also eligible to receive performance bonuses in their contract that are not incorporated into the cap hit of the deal. It operates in the same way as an entry-level contract, where rookies can earn millions of dollars per season based on their performance despite a six-figure cap hit.

That’s exactly what they did, with Bergeron’s contract entitling him to up to $2.5MM in bonuses, while Krejčí was eligible for up to $2MM. Thanks to Boston’s record-breaking season and subsequent playoff appearance, both players hit every benchmark required to receive all of their bonuses.

Unfortunately, since Boston used long-term injured reserve to stay cap compliant, they weren’t able to accommodate Bergeron and Krejčí’s performance bonuses under the cap at the end of the regular season. It means Boston, along with 14 other NHL teams (albeit with much smaller amounts), will have a cap charge next season equivalent to the amount of performance bonuses earned that the team couldn’t fit under the cap at the end of the season.

To put it plainly: if Bergeron and Krejčí don’t return to the team next season, Boston will have a greater cap charge next season than their combined cap hits this year ($3.5MM).

The cap is, again, expected to only creep up by a $1MM increment to an $83.5MM ceiling next year. Per CapFriendly, a $4.5MM bonus overage charge leaves Boston with just $5.288MM in space heading into the offseason, with most of their forward core needing new contracts.

Minnesota Wild Sign Frederick Gaudreau To Extension

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The Minnesota Wild announced that they’ve taken care of some offseason business early as they have inked forward Frederick Gaudreau to a five year $10.5MM extension. Gaudreau was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, but his extension will keep him with the Wild for the next five seasons.

Gaudreau originally signed a two year $2.4MM contract with the Wild in July 2021 after spending a single season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. While that contract carried some risk, it turned out to be an absolute bargain for Minnesota. The 29-year-old has put up 80 points in 157 games for Minnesota and added some cheap depth scoring.

Minnesota has been hamstrung by the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. The veterans buyout will account for nearly $15MM of the Wild’s salary cap space next year. Despite the cap issues, GM Bill Guerin has been able to bargain shop on multiple occasions and hit more often than he misses.  Even more impressive for Guerin is that he’s been able to build a competitive team without cap space and while also not mortgaging the future. Minnesota has all their first and second round draft picks for the near future.

While getting the Gaudreau contract done early is a tidy piece of business for the Wild, they do have some other pending free agents who will be much more difficult to extend and just $6.8MM in cap space to do it. John Klingberg, Matt Dumba, Gustav Nyquist and Oskar Sundqvist are all unrestricted, while defenseman Calen Addison and goaltender Filip Gustavsson are restricted free agents. Minnesota will likely have to make some tough decisions this summer, but with one of the best farm systems in the NHL, they should be able to remain competitive while getting younger and cheaper.

Montreal Canadiens Recall Lucas Condotta On Emergency Basis

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The Montreal Canadiens are rewarding a hard-working AHLer during the final game of their season. 25-year-old undrafted forward Lucas Condotta has been recalled on an emergency basis, allowing him to make his NHL debut tonight against the Boston Bruins.

Condotta signed with the Canadiens last March, inking a one-year entry-level deal. He earned the contract after a strong final season at UMass-Lowell, a year where he captained the team and scored 10 goals and 23 points in 33 games. Condotta had scored 10 points in his previous two seasons of college hockey and just nine points his freshman year, meaning his senior campaign represented a significant increase in both responsibility and production.

He made his pro debut last season with the Laval Rocket and skated in seven regular-season contests and 10 playoff games. While he struggled early and failed to leave a mark in the regular season, Condotta’s three points in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Springfield Thunderbirds nearly helped lift the Rocket to their first-ever Calder Cup Final.

This year was Condotta’s first full year as a professional, and he’s carried the momentum he built against Springfield to the Rocket’s regular season. He’s scored 16 goals and 30 points in 71 games, tied for fourth on the team in goal scoring with surprise standout Rafael Harvey-Pinard. Condotta stands six-foot-one, 223-pounds and brings the type of energy and physicality to the ice that quickly endears him to coaches.

While Condotta’s stay in the NHL might be brief, this recall serves as a concrete recognition of how well his debut pro season has gone. Should the Rocket make the playoffs this season, it’s likely that Condotta will be a forward to watch.

NHL Officially Announces Australia Global Series

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After many months of rumors, the NHL confirmed a set of Global Series games for Australia for the 2023-24 season late Tuesday night. The Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings are set to play the first-ever NHL games in the Southern Hemisphere in Melbourne, Australia, on September 23 and 24 during the preseason.

Set to take place at Rod Laver Arena, known as the main venue for the Australian Open, the games mark a significant step in the NHL’s mission to increase the sport’s global reach and expand its international strategy. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman offered a statement on the games:

The Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings are two of our League’s rising young teams and among our most innovative and adventurous franchises. We look forward to their two games at Rod Laver Arena and know this history-making visit will thrill our many avid fans in Australia and cause so many more throughout the sports-loving nation to be captivated by our great game.

This will not be the first international trip for either team. The Kings played two preseason games in China in 2017 and have played games in Austria, Germany, England, and Sweden. Meanwhile, Arizona has played one preseason game in Latvia and two regular-season games in Czechia, all in 2010.

The announcement reaffirms the NHL’s fervent approach to international exposure since intercontinental travel became viable after the spikes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Six teams made trips abroad last season, with a total of six Global Series games spanning the preseason and regular season.

San Jose Sharks Recall Nikolai Knyzhov, Tristen Robins

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The San Jose Sharks have recalled defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov and forward Tristen Robins to their NHL roster, according to a team announcement.

Knyzhov, a veteran of 68 career NHL games, last played in the NHL on March 23rd, while Robins, the 56th overall pick at the 2020 draft, hasn’t yet made his NHL debut.

This move comes after the Barracuda were eliminated from playoff contention last night, and they do not play another game until Friday. Seeing as the Sharks play three games this week and finish their season Thursday, these two recalls are a chance for the team to give some NHL games to players without costing them the chance to play in any AHL contests as well.

In 2020-21, Knyzhov looked like a promising up-and-coming defenseman who was playing an increasingly important role with the Sharks. That promising trajectory saw a major interruption because Knyzhov tore his Achilles tendon, and Knyzhov is still working his way back to where he was before suffering that injury.

He looked to be on the verge of establishing himself as an NHL regular, and now he’s played the majority of his games this year in the AHL (19) compared to the NHL (9). Knyzhov’s recent $1.25MM AAV contract extension was a show of faith from the organization to him, and these last few NHL games could help inform how the organization sees him heading into next year’s training camp.

As for Robins, this recall puts him in a position to play his first NHL game. The 21-year-old native of London, England was a second-round selection by the Sharks on the back of an impressive 2019-20 campaign for the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL. Robins scored 33 goals and 73 points in 62 games, and then scored 23 points in the WHL’s shortened 2020-21 season.

Last year, Robins had another strong campaign for the Blades, and showed himself to be ready for the rigors of pro hockey. Robins’ 17 goals and 38 points for the Barracuda this season is a solid showing for a young AHL rookie, and he ranks fifth on his team in scoring.

With the Sharks currently in the midst of a rebuild and looking for players who can be part of their next competitive core, this recall could allow Robins to play in his first NHL game and enter the offseason with a clearer picture and firsthand understanding of what it takes to become a full-time NHLer.

Montreal Canadiens Loan Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Three Others To AHL

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The Montreal Canadiens have loaned four players to their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, following yesterday’s 7-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs: Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Jesse Ylonen, Corey Schueneman, and Cayden Primeau.

Schueneman and Primeau were each recalled yesterday, and the former skated just over 10 minutes in the Canadiens’ contest yesterday.

The 27-year-old undrafted Western Michigan product has scored 21 points in 59 AHL games this season and is one of the Rocket’s most important defenders.

Primeau, 23, backed up Sam Montembeault yesterday and has spent most of the season as Laval’s number-one netminder. He’s posted a .905 save percentage in 38 games and is hoping to lead the Rocket back to the Calder Cup playoffs, a tournament they made a deep run in last season.

The two more significant names to be sent down, though, are Ylonen and Harvey-Pinard since they have each made their mark on the Canadiens’ NHL roster this season. Both players received NHL opportunities due to the significant injury issues that sprang up in Montreal, and both players have shown well in that opportunity.

Harvey-Pinard especially has made a name for himself, scoring 14 goals in 34 games, including a hat trick at the Bell Center. He’s a 2019 seventh-round pick who went undrafted in two straight years before hearing his name called by his boyhood club. Harvey-Pinard’s emergence as an NHL option comes after spending parts of the last three seasons in Laval, including last year where he led them in scoring with 56 points in 69 games.

While it might come as a surprise to many Canadiens fans to see Harvey-Pinard sent down after such a hot start to his NHL career, the circumstances Laval currently finds themselves in can serve as an explanation. The Rocket are just a point ahead of the Cleveland Monsters for the Northeast Division’s final playoff spot, and the Monsters have a game in hand.

Laval has a crucial game against the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins today, and perhaps the Canadiens organization deems allowing these players to play an important role in meaningful, late-season games to be a better developmental path than playing a few more potentially miserable NHL contests (like last night’s game) to finish out a lost Canadiens season.

The same logic applies to Ylonen, a speedy 2018 second-round pick who has scored a healthy 16 points in 37 games during his time in Montreal. The 23-year-old has scored 29 points in 36 games at the AHL level and is in his final year of waiver exemption.

Since the Canadiens are unlikely to entertain the possibility of losing him on waivers next season, this reassignment gives Ylonen possibly one last opportunity to make an impact at the AHL level before beginning his NHL career in earnest in the fall.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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