Snapshots: Nylander, Senators, Memorial Cup
Despite the Toronto Maple Leafs first win of the season last night, the team is still embroiled in a contract negotiation with star forward William Nylander that hangs over the club and draws daily questions from the media. For his part, Nylander hadn’t said much other than the fact that he wanted to be in Toronto for a long time and was letting his agent deal with the negotiations. That was before the season started though, so when he was quoted today by Swedish news outlet Aftobladet it drew quite a lot of attention.
Nylander is training in Sweden and told the reporters that he has still let his agent do all the talking between his side and the Maple Leafs, admitting that he hadn’t spoken to Toronto personally at all. Though Nylander isn’t receiving money that he could be earning had he signed before the season started, he explained that he has to worry about his long-term future in the league and not just what is going on right now. That comes just after team President Brendan Shanahan spoke to the media in Toronto and explained that the team expects their young players to want to win more than make the most money possible, and that leaving some on the table was basically a requirement to keep everyone together. Nylander, as a restricted free agent, has to sign a contract by December 1st or be declared ineligible to play in the NHL this season.
- The Ottawa Senators are getting ready to open their season tonight, and have added to their scouting staff for the upcoming season. The team announced the hiring of Rob Murphy to the pro scouting group, who brings a wealth of experience along with him. Murphy was most recently the director of scouting for the Buffalo Sabres, and had previously worked with the Senators and Arizona Coyotes. GM Pierre Dorion released an enthusiastic statement on the hiring, explaining that Murphy is “another important step” in the team’s rebuild.
- While this year’s Memorial Cup will be held in Halifax, the CHL announced that the Kelowna Rockets will host the 2020 tournament that pits the best of the best in Canadian junior hockey against each other. Kelowna will get an automatic entry into the tournament as the host city, and will face off against the WHL, OHL and QMJHL champions for the prestigious trophy.
Erik Karlsson: “They Probably Would Have Traded Me Anyway”
In a spectacular interview with Sportsnet’s Christine Simpson, San Jose Sharks defenseman opens up about his exit from the Ottawa Senators and what exactly went on between him and management over the last few months. Karlsson confirms that a deal was extremely close at the trade deadline—though doesn’t give any hint on who would have acquired him—and discusses the contract offer that the Senators did make when he became eligible for an extension.
Yeah they did [make an offer]. They did.
I don’t think it ever got to the point where I had an option to sign anything, it never even got close to that. And even if I would have signed, they probably would have traded me anyway and I would have been somewhere else.
The Senators traded Karlsson, who was their captain at the time, on September 13th just as training camp was set to open and claimed that it was necessary for the rebuild that they are beginning. The team received a large package of assets including Chris Tierney and Dylan DeMelo, while the Sharks were happy to add Karlsson to a defense corps that already included Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic.
Karlsson also spoke a little bit on the off-ice drama between his family and that of former teammate Mike Hoffman, explaining that no one else in the dressing room knew about the problems between them. Senators GM Pierre Dorion had claimed that the dressing room was “broken” at times last season, something that also needed to be addressed this summer.
Though the trade took quite a long time to actually be finalized, it seems as though—from Karlsson’s point of view at least—the Senators had made the decision to move on from their franchise defenseman months ago. A two-time Norris Trophy winner and one of the most dynamic players to ever play for Ottawa, he is still set to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason and could be out of the Senators’ price range altogether. Karlsson has been rumored to be after a Drew Doughty-like extension for his next deal, a contract that is worth $88MM over eight seasons. The Sharks can’t actually sign him to an eight-year deal until after this trade deadline given the current CBA, though they can certainly discuss it with him or ink a seven-year pact.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/02/18
At 4pm today every team in the league must submit their final roster of 23 players, meaning several around the league still have a few final cuts to make before the season begins. As always, we’ll keep track of all those moves right here:
Anaheim Ducks (per team Twitter update)
F Joseph Blandisi (to San Diego, AHL)
D Jaycob Megna (to San Diego, AHL)
Calgary Flames (per team release)
F Andrew Mangiapane (to Stockton, AHL)
F Anthony Peluso (to Stockton, AHL)
D Rasmus Andersson (to Stockton, AHL)
G Jon Gillies (to Stockton, AHL)
Colorado Avalanche (per team release)
F Logan O’Connor (to Colorado, AHL)
D David Warsofsky (to Colorado, AHL)
D Mark Alt (to Colorado, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)
F Alex Broadhurst (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Matiss Kivlenieks (to Cleveland, AHL)
Dallas Stars (per team release)
F Justin Dowling (to Texas, AHL)
D Gavin Bayreuther (to Texas, AHL)
D Joel Hanley (to Texas, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
F/D Luke Witkowski (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Joe Hicketts (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Filip Hronek (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
Edmonton Oilers (per team release)
D Ethan Bear (to Bakersfield, AHL) – Immediately recalled after Andrej Sekera was placed on long-term injured reserve.
Los Angeles Kings (per team release)
F Emerson Etem (released from PTO)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
D Ryan Murphy (to Iowa, AHL)
F Matt Read (to Iowa, AHL)
New York Islanders (per team release)
F Jan Kovar (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Devon Toews (to Bridgeport, AHL)
Ottawa Senators (per team release)
D Christian Jaros (to Belleville, AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)
F Taylor Leier (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
San Jose Sharks (per team release)
F Dylan Gambrell (to San Jose, AHL)
F Lukas Radil (to San Jose, AHL)
G Antoine Bibeau (to San Jose, AHL)
St. Louis Blues (per team release)
F Chris Thorburn (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Zachary Sanford (to San Antonio, AHL)
D Jake Walman (to San Antonio, AHL)
G Ville Husso (to San Antonio, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)
F Daniel Carr (to Chicago, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (to Chicago, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
D Jonas Siegenthaler (to Hershey, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets (per team release)
D Logan Stanley (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Tucker Poolman (to Manitoba, AHL)
Eastern Notes: Tkachuk, Formenton, Nylander, Carrick, Bobrovsky, Knight
The Ottawa Senators were always planning on bringing in a group of young talent to join their NHL team this year and when Senators’ head coach Guy Boucher said that his forwards were set to start the year, Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukauskas tweets that means that forwards Brady Tkachuk and Alex Formenton made the team.
While neither player’s appearance on the roster is much of a surprise, the team has been impressed with Tkachuk’s offensive and physical play as well as the impressive speed that Formenton adds. Tkachuk, the team’s fourth-overall pick in the 2018 draft, and Formenton, a second-round pick in the 2017 draft, both are expected to take on significant roles for a team that many feel could finish at the bottom of the league this season. Formenton made the team out of training camp last year, but appeared in just one game before being returned to his junior team.
- The Hurricanes were among the teams to inquire regarding the availability of Maple Leafs winger William Nylander, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported in an appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link). However, Toronto GM Kyle Dubas informed them (and other seekers) that they have no intention of dealing the restricted free agent. LeBrun also suggested that an offer sheet for the 22-year-old is quite unlikely given Toronto’s cap space for 2018-19 and the fact that a lot of the teams that could afford him and have the requisite picks to surrender are far from postseason locks; they probably won’t want to risk potentially losing a lottery pick.
- The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel reports that Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said that he will know his roster by tonight, with final cuts coming tomorrow. One person who has an uncertain future with Toronto is defenseman Connor Carrick, who according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton, is facing an uphill battle to making the team. When asked if he’s spoken to Babcock, Carrick’s responded: “We haven’t talked much. I’m not sure there’s a ton to talk about.”
- Brian Hedger of NHL.com asked Columbus Blue Jackets’ goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who could be a potential unrestricted free agent next season, whether it is easy to keep the business and hockey sides separate. His answer: “Yeah, well, we’ll see. I’m a human too. I’ve developed some skills, some mental skills, some technical skills, so I’m a human … it is what it is.” The 29-year-old Bobrovsky is believed to be asking for a contract equal or surpassing the eight-year, $84MM deal that Montreal handed to Carey Price last offseason. Negotiations haven’t gotten very far.
- Despite an impressive preseason, veteran AHL’er Corban Knight will not make the Philadelphia Flyers’ opening day roster after all after the team announced that Knight will miss the next three weeks with an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old forward has played in 291 AHL contests over his career, compared to just 29 NHL games and was one of the last players fighting for a roster spot before being injured.
Training Camp Cuts: 9/28/18
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)
Minor Transactions: 9/26/18
As some players move from NHL camp to AHL camp or are released from tryouts, it can open up new opportunities for the coming season. Everyone would prefer to land with a big league team, but that simply doesn’t happen. Instead, they embrace their new role and the challenge of getting to the top level. There are still gaps to fill on many teams throughout the minor leagues and Europe. Keep up with all of those moves today right here:
- The AHL’s Belleville Senators, Ottawa’s affiliate, has inked a pair of veteran minor leaguers. The team announced that goaltender Jake Paterson and forward Francois Beauchemin have earned contracts. Paterson, a former Detroit Red Wings prospect, has played almost exclusively in the ECHL since turning pro three years ago and has struggled in his short AHL stints. Paterson will almost certainly return to the ECHL this year, with recently announced affiliate the Brampton Beast. However, it makes sense for Belleville to add some experienced depth, given that Mike McKenna could see NHL action this year should aging Ottawa starter Craig Anderson get hurt and AHL option Filip Gustavsson is in his first season in North America. Beauchemin, not be confused with newly retired defenseman Francois Beauchemin, had a tough first year at the pro level in 2017-18 but was reliable producer and two-way player for years in the QMJHL. They’ll give him another shot to show he can hack it in the AHL.
- Emile Poirier is back in the Calgary system, at least temporarily. NHL.com’s Patrick Williams reports that the Flames’ 2013 first-round pick has been invited to camp by their AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat. Poirier was not qualified this off-season after another disappointing campaign in the minors. The talented forward struggled with consistency throughout his entry-level contract and a lack of production convinced the Flames to move on without him. It seems that the Heat are not as willing to let go though. While there are many intriguing veteran names already slotted for roles in Stockton, as well as other camp invites like Logan Shaw and Gilbert Brule, the familiarity that Poirier could bring to team that has seen much changeover could earn him a roster spot. Former University of Denver star goalie Tanner Jaillet and long-time NHL grinder Ryan White were also included on the camp roster for Stockton.
- Another interesting camp invite is journeyman defenseman Tim Erixon. The AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced today that they have added Erixon to their camp roster, bringing back a player who excelled on their blue line from 2015 to 2017 on a two-year, two-way contract with Pittsburgh. Erixon spent last year on AHL contracts with the Binghamton Devils and Springfield Thunderbirds and was again a productive player. Erixon, 27, is a former first-round pick with ample ability who simply struggled to compete at the NHL level and may never reach that level again, but has proven to be dependable on the AHL stage. It would be no surprise to see him stick with the junior Penguins.
- The Los Angeles Kings have recalled four recently-demoted players from the AHL’s Ontario Reign camp. The Kings announced that forwards Sheldon Rempal, a free agent addition out of Clarkson University, Drake Rymsha, a first-year pro, Matt Luff and Boko Imama, Reign veterans, have re-joined the team. It seems likely that one or more will suit up for the Kings tonight when L.A. squares off with the Anaheim Ducks.
Senators Had Trade Interest In Zack Smith But Didn't Want To Take A Contract Back
- The Senators had some trade talks regarding recently-waived center Zack Smith but Ottawa was hoping to avoid taking a contract in the return, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. Considering he has three years and $9.75MM left on his contract, it’s understandable to think that teams that have interest would want to offset the money somewhat which has led to the team putting him on waivers in the hopes that a team would assume the remainder of the contract for free. Garrioch spoke with some general managers around the league and they indicated that it’s unlikely that Smith will be picked up.
Ottawa Senators Agree To Affiliation With ECHL’s Brampton Beast
The Ottawa Senators have added another layer to their pipeline, announcing today that they have agreed to a one-year affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Brampton Beast. As with all NHL-ECHL relationships, the Ottawa Senators and AHL’s Belleville Senators will be able to assign players to Brampton in 2018-19. The Beast were most recently affiliated with the rival Montreal Canadiens and their AHL team, the Laval Rocket. However, Montreal will not have a specific affiliate this season, opting instead to send some players to Brampton and others to nearby clubs like the Maine Mariners.
Brampton is a logical fit for the Senators, located in Ontario not far from Toronto, a quick flight or manageable drive from Ottawa or Belleville. The Senators were formerly affiliated with the Wichita Thunder, but gave up that exclusive relationship prior to last season. Ottawa used Wichita sparingly, as well as Brampton, last year despite a lack of a formal relationship, and the Thunder took on a new parent club in the Edmonton Oilers. Now, the Senators are back in the ECHL officially and may use Brampton more frequently due to its proximity.
With this agreement in place, the number of unaffiliated NHL and ECHL clubs drops again. There has been much movement in the ECHL this off-season, but with the Vegas Golden Knights and Fort Wayne Komets linking up, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Orlando Solar Bears making a reasonable match, and the Atlanta Gladiators adding the Nashville Predators on alongside the Boston Bruins, very few teams have yet to be paired up with the season about to begin. Currently, the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, and San Jose Sharks are without an ECHL affiliate, while the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Rapid City Rush are without parent clubs. The Panthers and South Carolina-based Swamp Rabbits would seem to be an easy match, but only time will tell if and when any further relationships are formed this season.
Zack Smith, 17 Others Placed On Waivers
A substantial group of players again went untouched on the waiver wire yesterday, as there remains just one claim so far this season. Today, a new set of names become briefly available on their way down to the AHL. According to The Athletic’s James Mirtle, these 18 players have been placed on waivers by their respective teams today, highlighted by Ottawa’s longest-tenured player:
F Anton Blidh (Boston)
F Colby Cave (Boston)
D Jake Chelios (Detroit)
F Hudson Fasching (Arizona)
F Byron Froese (Montreal)
D Cody Goloubef (Boston)
F Ryan Haggerty (Pittsburgh)
D Brett Lernout (Montreal)
F Nick Lappin (New Jersey)
F Michael McCarron (Montreal)
F Mark McNeill (Boston)
D Robbie Russo (Arizona)
G Harri Sateri (Detroit)
F Hunter Shinkaruk (Montreal)
F Zack Smith (Ottawa)
F Jordan Szwarz (Boston)
F Chris Terry (Detroit)
D Rinat Valiev (Montreal)
Obviously, Smith is the star of this group and easily the biggest name to hit the wire so far this year. The decision to placed the veteran forward, a career Senator entering his eleventh season, on waivers is a curious one. Admittedly, Smith did not play well last season; beyond only recording 19 points in 68 games, he logged a brutal -32 rating, saw a drop-off in face-off success, and struggled in many possession metrics. Nevertheless, he remained a favorite of head coach Guy Boucher and saw a career high in ice time. After losing the likes of Erik Karlsson and Mike Hoffman this summer, Smith – while not the strongest player – was one of the few loyal locker room leaders left in Ottawa. There has already been a negative response, as Matt Duchene called the move “a kick in the balls” for the locker room, according to TSN’s Brent Wallace. For some reason, the team has decided to move on, one way or another. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Senators have been shopping Smith for some time and had trade interest, but were not able to come to an agreement with any of the teams not included on Smith’s limited list per his modified No-Trade Clause. Now, they will either lose him for nothing in return or have the ability to bury him in the minors if he clears. Such a demotion would clear $1.025MM in cap space of his $3.25MM salary. It is important to note when considering any potential claims, that Smith is signed for three more years, making his inclusion on waivers even more surprising.
The group of Canadiens could also offer some appeal, particularly the 23-year-old power forward McCarron. Although the 2013 first-round pick has not lived up to expectations yet, he has the one thing you can’t teach and that is size. At 6’6″, 230-lbs., McCarron has the frame to do some damage at his spot on the right wing if put in the right system with the right line mates. It hasn’t happened yet in Montreal, but some other team may be willing to take a shot. Veteran grinder Froese, who played in 48 games with the Habs last year, could also get a passing glance, while trade recent Montreal trade acquisitions Shinkaruk and Valiev are somewhat intriguing albeit not likely to be claimed.
Team in search of young, affordable fourth line help could look at the Bruins’ Blidh and Cave, although such a move is unlikely. The same goes for Haggerty, whose placement on waivers comes as surprise, given that no contract has of yet been announced with Pittsburgh for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguin.
College Notes: Perbix, Barnaby, Summers
Anaheim Ducks prospect Jack Perbix has made a decision on his hockey future. The Minnesota native announced on his personal Twitter yesterday that he has committed to the flagship school of his home state, the University of Minnesota. Perbix, who dominated Minnesota high school hockey last year with 61 points in 25 games at Elk River, earned himself a fourth-round selection back in June. He now heads to the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL this season, before joining the Gophers next year. The only question that remains is just how long Perbix remains at the college level. While he may not be an extraordinarily high draft pick, Perbix has the skill to break out in the NCAA and could then press for an opportunity in Anaheim. Right wing is a long-term position of need for the Ducks and one that would grow more dire should they lose Jakob Sifverberg to free agency this year. If Perbix continues to improve and show that he can handle tougher competition, he could be joining the NHL far sooner than after four years at school.
- Matt Barnaby, who shares his name with father and former NHLer Matthew Barnaby, has also committed to his school of choice. The 20-year-old forward announced via Twitter that he has decided to join Penn State University next season. While the Nittany Lions have vastly improved since joining the NCAA level in 2012, Barnaby is nevertheless one of the bigger names to join the program. Last season, Barnaby finished third in scoring in the junior-A Central Canada Hockey League, recording 76 points in 62 games for the Pembroke Lumber Kings. The Buffalo native has since joined the USHL’s Chicago Steel with high expectations for the campaign. Although Barnaby was undrafted through three years of NHL Draft eligibility, he will still join Penn State with substantial buzz and will be a player to watch for in the NCAA for years to come.
- Former Clarkson University standout defenseman Kelly Summers has not had the off-season that he hoped for or many expected. One of the top unsigned college free agents to hit the market in August, Summers was coming off a 30-point campaign for the Golden Knights and seemed headed for an entry-level contract or at least a promising AHL situation. After all, frequent Clarkson pair mate – and one with slightly less production – Terrance Amorosa signed with the San Diego Gulls early on. However, that never came to fruition and now Summers has had to settle for an AHL tryout, as he was included on the Belleville Senators’ camp roster. Ironically, Ottawa was the team that initially drafted Summers in the seventh round in 2014, so Summers really has not made much progress at all in a disappointing free agency experience.