Prospect Notes: Lazar, Mantha, Frk
On the last day before the regular season starts, some final cuts are making their way down the wire. In Ottawa, Curtis Lazar has been assigned to the Binghamton Senators of the AHL as he continues to recover from a bout of mono he’s suffered through this summer. Lazar, 21, has played the last two seasons exclusively in the NHL and shouldn’t be down for long. His 20 points were a solid building block in his development as he continues to grow into his frame.
This is good news for Tom Pyatt, who will debut on the Sens third line according to Brent Wallace of TSN. Pyatt has spent the last two seasons playing in Switzerland, where he found quite a bit of success. 62 points in 92 games there hearkened back his junior days for Saginaw, where he was an effective offensive centerman, even scoring 43 goals one season. The Sens will see if he can contribute on their bottom six as a strong defensive winger who can maybe chip in a few goals.
- In Detroit, the team has finally made the decision to send Anthony Mantha to Grand Rapids official. Many had hoped the former first-round pick would crack the roster this year and make his presence felt as a power forward in the NHL, but he’ll have to wait just a little bit longer. Mantha, 22, has found success at the AHL level the past two seasons and made his debut last year for the Red Wings in a ten-game cup of coffee. He’ll need to develop some more consistency in both ends of the rink in order to get into Jeff Blashill’s lineup, but still has quite a bit of time to develop; power forwards often take a little longer.
- Newest Carolina addition Martin Frk hit the ice for the first time today according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, skating alongside Bryan Bickell and Jay McClement on the fourth line. A former Grand Rapids Griffin himself, Frk is still just 23 years old and possesses a nose for the net. His 27 goals last season put him second on the AHL squad, while chipping in another four points in four playoff games for the Detroit affiliate.
Training Camp Cuts And Waiver Wire Placements: 10/10/16
Keeping track of all the training camp cuts and waiver placements today before tomorrow’s NHL 23-man roster deadline.
Anaheim Ducks
F Michael Sgarbossa (waivers -> San Diego Gulls, AHL)
Arizona Coyotes
D Zbynek Michalek (waivers -> Tuscon Roadrunners, AHL)
D Klas Dahlbeck (waivers -> Tuscon Roadrunners, AHL)
Boston Bruins
RW Tyler Randell (waivers -> Providence Bruins, AHL)
RW Seth Griffith (waivers -> Providence Bruins, AHL)
C Tim Schaller (waivers -> Providence Bruins, AHL)
D Christian Ehrhoff (released from PTO)
Buffalo Sabres
D Justin Falk (waivers -> Rochester Americans, AHL)
Calgary Flames
F Brandon Bollig (waivers -> Stockton Heat, AHL)
F Chris Higgins (released from PTO)
Chicago Blackhawks
F Alexandre Fortin (returned to Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, QMJHL)
F Brandon Mashinter (waivers -> Rockford Ice Hogs, AHL)
F Mark McNeill (waivers -> Rockford Ice Hogs, AHL)
G Ivan Nalimov (returned to Vladivostok Admiral, KHL)
Colorado Avalanche
D Duncan Siemens (assigned to San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
F Gabriel Bourque (waivers -> San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
F Michael Sislo (waivers -> San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets
C Gregory Campbell (waivers -> Cleveland Monsters, AHL)
Dallas Stars
D Mattias Backman (waivers -> Texas Stars, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings
F Teemu Pulkkinen (waivers -> Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL)
F Ben Street (waivers -> Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL)
Edmonton Oilers
F Anton Lander (waivers -> Bakersfield Condors, AHL)
Florida Panthers
F Paul Thompson (waivers -> Springfield Thunderbirds, AHL)
Los Angeles Kings
D Rob Scuderi (waivers -> Ontario Reign, AHL)
C Michael Latta (waivers -> Ontario Reign, AHL)
Minnesota Wild
G Alex Stalock (waivers -> Iowa Wild, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens
F Michael McCarron (assigned to St. John’s Ice Caps, AHL)
G Mike Condon (waivers -> St. John’s Ice Caps, AHL)
New York Islanders
F P.A. Parenteau (waivers -> Bridgeport Sound Tigers, AHL)
New Jersey Devils
G Scott Wedgewood (waivers -> Albany Devils, AHL)
Ottawa Senators
F Fredrik Claesson (waivers -> Binghamton Senators, AHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning
RW Erik Condra (waivers -> Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
LW Cory Conacher (waivers -> Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
RW Joel Vermin (waivers -> Syracuse Crunch, AHL)
Washington Capitals
D Aaron Ness (waivers -> Hershey Bears, AHL)
F Zach Sill (waivers -> Hershey Bears, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets
F Andrew Copp (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Marko Dano (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Chase De Leo (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Anthony Peluso (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
F Nic Petan (assigned to Manitoba Moose, AHL)
D Julian Melchiori (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
D Brian Strait (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
G Ondrej Pavelec (waivers -> Manitoba Moose, AHL)
Snapshots: Korpisalo, Russell, Downie
News and notes from around the NHL this evening:
- Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo will be out for at least four weeks after suffering a groin injury Tuesday, reports the Columbus Dispatch’s Tom Reed. Korpisalo was favored by many to backup Sergei Bobrovsky this season, but the preseason injury opens up that spot to Anton Forsberg or Curtis McElhinney. Korpisalo had a terrific debut last season, earning a 2.60GAA and .920Sv% in 31 games for the Blue Jackets. He’ll likely have the backup job when he returns.
- The Ottawa Senators are reportedly out of the Kris Russell sweepstakes. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reported that Sens GM Pierre Dorian is set with his eight defenseman and implied that they will not seek additional help via free agency. Russell still remains a free agent after failing to find a deal in the off-season. Time is ticking for the shot-blocking defenseman to find a home before the regular season begins. Russell is arguably the best UFA remaining, but with rosters all but finalized it will be hard for him to find a team willing to come close to his demands. Four teams are reportedly still in the mix, according to TheScore’s Cory Wilkins, but it is not known what offers are on the table.
- Steve Downie, another unsigned UFA, is mulling over an offer to play in the KHL, per his agent (via SportsNet). Downie last played with the Arizona Coyotes, scoring 3G and 3A in 26 games. He had some success two seasons ago with the Pittsburgh Penguins—scoring 14G and 14A in 72 games—but could never duplicate his 2009-10 season with the Tampa Bay Lightning. That year he scored 22G and 24P in 79 games while racking up over 200 penalty minutes. Discipline issues have dogged Downie his entire career, however, which may explain NHL GMs’ reluctance to sign him.
Training Camp Battles: Jets, Blue Jackets, Caggiula, Chabot
Jets coach Paul Maurice isn’t ruling out carrying three goalies (Ondrej Pavelec, Michael Hutchinson, and Connor Hellebuyck) to start the season, writes Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun. Hellebuyck is viewed as Winnipeg’s goalie of the future but is the only waiver exempt goalie of the three. It’s uncommon but not rare for teams to carry three (the Islanders did for the bulk of last year) as not only does it mean that one is in the press box every night, it also prevents the team from carrying another extra skater which is often more desirable.
Pavelec is entering the final year of his contract which carries a cap hit of $3.9MM. However, he struggled last year with a save percentage of just .904 with a GAA of 2.78 which would make it very difficult to trade him.
Hutchinson, meanwhile, signed a two year deal this offseason with a more manageable cap charge of $1.15MM. While his numbers weren’t much better than Pavelec’s last year (a slightly worse GAA while being three points higher in save percentage), he likely slots in as the backup moving forward and doesn’t appear to be a candidate to be traded.
If they do keep all three up to start, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Winnipeg shuffle Hellebuyck back and forth between their AHL affiliate, who plays out of the same area as the Jets.
Other training camp battles to follow:
- Still with goaltenders, there is a battle brewing for the number two job with Columbus, notes Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. Sergei Bobrovsky is the surefire starter but incumbent Curtis McElhinney plus youngsters Anton Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo are both in the mix as well. Of the three, only the 33 year old McElhinney would have to clear waivers. Forsberg has had the best preseason but if the team decides that it’s best for their young players to play more in the AHL than dress as the backup with the big club, they may opt to keep the veteran around to start the season and see if one of the youngsters forces his way into the role midseason or as a spot starter.
- Edmonton rookie center Drake Caggiula has turned heads at camp, writes Robert Tychkowski of the Edmonton Sun. The Oilers signed the small but highly coveted college UFA late last season and he has made a run at a roster spot. Tychkowski opines that his strong play could allow the team to bump Leon Draisaitl up to the wing to further strengthen their second line.
- 19 year old defenseman Thomas Chabot has made the opening Ottawa roster, according to a tweet from his junior team in Saint John. Chabot was Ottawa’s top pick in 2015 (18th overall) and had 45 points in 47 games at the QMJHL level last season. He’s eligible to play in nine NHL games before burning the first year of his entry-level contract.
Poll: 2005 NHL Draft Take Two: Ninth Overall Pick
Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
We’re looking back at the 2005 NHL Draft, which kicked off the salary cap era and ushered in many of the current NHL superstars. The question we’re looking to answer is knowing now what we didn’t know then, how different would this draft look now with the benefit of hindsight?
Here are the results of our redraft so far:
1st Overall: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2nd Overall: Carey Price (Mighty Ducks of Anaheim)
3rd Overall: Anze Kopitar (Carolina Hurricanes)
4th Overall: Jonathan Quick (Minnesota Wild)
5th Overall: Kris Letang (Montreal Canadiens)
6th Overall: Tuukka Rask (Columbus Blue Jackets)
7th Overall: Bobby Ryan (Chicago Blackhawks)
8th Overall: Marc-Edouard Vlasic (San Jose Sharks)
Now we move forward to the ninth pick, which was held by the Ottawa Senators.
To recap how this works:
- We will go through the 2005 NHL Draft and have our readers select, through a voting process, who they think should have been taken with the selection.
- The entire first round will be redrafted, spanning picks one through thirty. The new selection is chosen by the majority of votes.
Back in 2005, the Senators selected blueliner Brian Lee with their top pick. He was coming off an injury-marred season with Lincoln of the USHL which had him under the radar but the Sens were hoping that he’d become a solid two-way blueliner. While he has over 200 NHL games under his belt, Lee never really became more than a depth defender and five years later, Ottawa dealt him to Tampa Bay for Matt Gilroy, who came to the NHL as a coveted NCAA free agent signing but he too never panned out. Lee last played in 2012-13, splitting the season between the Lightning and their AHL affiliate.
With the ninth pick of the 2005 NHL Draft, who should the Ottawa Senators select? Cast your vote below!
Mobile users click here to vote.
Training Camp Cuts: 10.05.16
We’re now a week away from the beginning of the NHL regular season. Teams are getting closer to their final rosters, and with that comes more cuts.
Here are the cuts made on October 5, 2016:
Carolina Hurricanes (via General Fanager):
G Michael Leighton (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Charlotte, AHL)
D Keegan Lowe (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Charlotte, AHL)
C Brody Sutter (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Charlotte, AHL)
D Matt Tennyson (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Charlotte, AHL)
LW Brendan Woods (on waivers for purpose of assignment to Charlotte, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release):
D Keith Aulie (released from PTO)
D Marc-Andre Bergeron (released from PTO)
RW Mike Brown (released from PTO)
C Jarret Stoll (released from PTO)
RW Daniel Zaar (assigned to Cleveland, AHL)
Atlantic Division Notes: Sergachev, Redmond, McKenna, Condra
With Shea Weber, Alexei Emelin and Andrei Markov all absent due to their participation in the World Cup, the Montreal Canadiens have had a chance to get long looks at other blue liners during training camp. As the Montreal Gazette’s Pat Hickey writes, several players have taken full advantage of the opportunity and impressed the team’s coaching staff.
Hickey specifically identified Nathan Beaulieu and Greg Pateryn as having “stood out” so far, while 2016 first-round pick Mikhail Sergachev and free agent signing Zach Redmond were both impressive in the team’s recent game against Ottawa.
Redmond has scored a goal in each of his preseason appearances and has shown a physical element. He was added in the offseason to provide depth and a solid camp might earn him a spot on the regular season roster.
Sergachev would have to really impress in order to stick. Montreal likely wishes to see the young Russian defender, who just turned 18 in June, get lots of quality ice time and the best chance for that would be if he was returned to junior.
Beaulieu and Pateryn are both already penciled into the club’s top-six and Montreal has to be pleased at their play so far. The Habs were recently said to be taking calls on the 23-year-old Beaulieu but if he’s been as impressive in camp as Hickey suggests it seems unlikely Montreal would be too keen on moving him. With a healthy Carey Price set to return from injury and an improved defense, it wouldn’t be hard to project a return to the playoffs for Montreal.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- When Florida went out and acquired Reto Berra and James Reimer – via trade and free agency respectively – this summer, Mike McKenna‘s prospects of winning the Panthers backup goalie job dried up. But as George Richards of the Miami Herald writes, McKenna has been down this road before and knows all it takes is an injury to give the 33-year-old another opportunity between the pipes in South Florida. McKenna: “No matter what the situation looks like with contracts, you always want to put your best foot forward. You never know what will happen through the course of a season. I’m just trying to go in the right direction.” Last season, McKenna was called up from the AHL when Al Montoya went down with an injury, though he didn’t see any NHL action. As it stands, Roberto Luongo will be the starter with Reimer serving as his understudy. That would seem to put Berra in position to be the starter for the Panther’s AHL affiliate in Springfield but the 29-year-old veteran would have to clear waivers before being sent down and could conceivably be claimed by a team in need of an experienced backup. That would again elevate McKenna to third overall on the organization’s goaltending depth chart and would put him in line for promotion should Luongo or Reimer suffer an injury.
- Tampa Bay is looking for depth scoring and one player who could help address that need is Erik Condra, as Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times writes. Condra had a disappointing first season with the Lightning, scoring just six goals and 11 points in 54 games after signing a three-year, $3.75MM deal with Tampa. Condra twice hit the 20-point plateau as a member of the Senators and the Lightning would likely be content with that level of production. Smith also lists Cedric Paquette and Cory Conacher as two more players who could also offer some scoring punch in the bottom-six. Conacher had by far his best NHL season during the 2012-13 campaign which he began with the Lightning. That season, Conacher tallied 29 points in 47 games – 24 in 35 with the Lightning. Conacher was dealt in-season to Ottawa in a deal that brought Ben Bishop to Tampa Bay in what has turned out to be quite the steal for the Bolts. Paquette saw his goal output decrease from 12 in 2014-15 to just six last season. Tampa would surely benefit from a return to double-figures in goals scored from the grinding Paquette.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/1/16
With the turning of the calendar to October, the regular season is now less than two weeks away. Accordingly, teams continue to pare down their training camp rosters. Here are today’s cuts:
(Players denoted with an asterisk will be assigned if they clear waivers on Sunday.)
Buffalo Sabres (Via Team Release)
D Brady Austin (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
RW Justin Bailey (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
D Mac Bennett (released from PTO, will report to AHL camp)
LW William Carrier (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
C Daniel Catenacci* (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
C Eric Cornel (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
C Jean Dupuy (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
D Paul Geiger (released from PTO, will report to AHL camp)
RW Vaclav Karabacek (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
G Jason Kasdorf (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
C Justin Kea (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
LW Matthew Lane (released from PTO, will report to AHL camp)
G John Muse (released from PTO, will report to AHL camp)
LW Daniel Muzito-Begenda (released from PTO, will report to AHL camp)
D Brycen Martin (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
RW Evan Rodrigues (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
LW Cole Schneider* (assigned to Rochester, AHL)
Atlantic Notes: Senators, Marchessault, Reway
New Senators coach Guy Boucher intends to reduce players’ shift times this season, writes Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun. Last season, the two Stanley Cup finalists (San Jose and champion Penguins) had an average shift length of 41 seconds which didn’t go unnoticed by Boucher:
“It’s a pace game now. Can you sustain it, can you maintain it. The only way to maintain it is with energy. “Who won the Stanley Cup? The team that had the most pace. Period. That’s where we need to go.”
The trend towards short shifts was also present at the World Cup of Hockey, particularly with Team Canada who routinely had their players take shifts under 40 seconds (sometimes even under 30).
Ottawa had 23 players with an average shift length higher than 41 seconds last season, including defenseman Erik Karlsson, who led the league with an average shift of 1:04, eight seconds higher than any other player. While Karlsson has led all NHL blueliners in scoring in each of the last three seasons, the restrictions will apply to him, although Boucher noted that the 26 year old should still play the full two minutes on the power play (which will inevitably bring his shift average well about the league average once again this year).
Boucher hopes that keeping his players fresh will have some benefits on the defensive end as well:
“Usually problems happen in the extended part of your shift. That’s where you get tired, that’s where you get turnovers. That’s what we don’t want to get into.”
Other news from the Atlantic:
- Jonathan Marchessault’s decision to leave Tampa Bay for state rival Florida came down to playing time, he told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. Marchessault spent parts of the last two years with the Lightning but was in and out of the lineup frequently and was often scratched to allow the team to dress a seventh defenseman. With the Panthers, Marchessault is eyeing a spot on the third line as the team looks to bring more skill into their bottom six. He signed a two year, $1.5MM deal in Florida at the beginning of free agency.
- Montreal Canadiens prospect Martin Reway may not be able to play at all this season, reports Louis-Andre Lariviere of TVA Sports (link in French) who spoke with one of the 21 year old’s agents. Reway was hospitalized last month with a virus and at that time, it was announced that he wouldn’t be participating in training camp. The team would not comment on the report, only noting that there is no new information at this time.
- Senators right winger Mark Stone skated on Friday for the first time since he suffered a concussion last week, notes the Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren. He still hasn’t been green lit to receive contact nor has he passed the baseline test but he’s hopeful that he will be able to get into a preseason game next week.
Injury Updates: September 29, 2016
Many players are nursing off-season, World Cup, or training camp injuries as we get closer to Opening Night. Below are today’s updates for injured players in camp:
- Arizona Coyotes defenseman Kevin Connauton‘s recovery timeline remains the same, reports AZ Central’s Sarah McLellan, but he has been skating on his own throughout the recovery period. Connauton suffered a lower body injury during an informal skate early this month before training camp started. The Coyotes do not see the defenseman missing much time despite failing his physical.
- Arizona Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone is still recovering from surgery in April that repaired his left ACL and MCL. Stone has not been cleared to practice yet, and will most likely miss the season opener. According to Sarah McLellan, Stone is at home with his wife as they are expecting twins soon.
- Ottawa Senators forward Clarke MacArthur continues to rehab following a concussion sustained in a training camp scrimmage on September 25. MacArthur has a history of concussions, suffering four of them over an 18 month period, including one that sidelined him for most of last season. Despite concerns, however, reports indicate that MacArther does not plan on retiring.
- Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Mark Alt is out indefinitely with an upper body injury suffered in camp. Alt scored 4G and 15A in 72 games for the Flyers’ AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms.