PHR Playoff Primer: New Jersey Devils vs. New York Rangers
With the start of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs just a few days away, PHR makes its first foray into playoff series analysis with our 2023 Playoff Primers. Where does each team stand in their series, and what storylines could dominate on and off the ice? We begin our look with the Metropolitan Division matchup between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers.
There was a time in the 1990’s where it seemed like the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils would meet in the playoffs every spring. Now in 2023, they meet in the playoffs for the first time in 11 years. The last time the two teams met it was a dramatic back and forth six game Eastern Conference Finals series that ended with an Adam Henrique overtime goal to catapult the Devils into the Stanley Cup Finals.
What a difference a decade plus makes. The Devils haven’t won a series since that dramatic overtime victory, while the Rangers have won a lot of playoff hockey but haven’t been able to capture hockey’s ultimate prize. The battle of the Hudson River has always been a bitter rivalry, but it’s been a while since so much has been on the line for both teams.
The Devils and Rangers enter the playoffs poised to make a deep run, but only one will be able to escape the first round. This matchup may not be the most anticipated series in the first round, but it does seem like the series most likely to produce fireworks. The Devils believe they are destined for greatness, and they probably are, but will that happen this year, or will the Rangers make another deep playoff run?
Regular Season Performance
New Jersey Devils: 52-22-8, 112 points, +65 goal differential
New York Rangers: 47-22-13, 107 points, +58 goal differential.
Head-To-Head
November 28, 2022: New York 3, New Jersey 5
December 12, 2022: New York 4, New Jersey 3 (OT)
January 7, 2023: New Jersey 4, New York 3 (OT)
March 30, 2023: New Jersey 2, New York 1
New Jersey takes the season series 3-0-1
Team Storylines
The Devils and Rangers franchises have had so much in common over the years, and even still do to some degree. Both franchises loaded up for these playoffs, can score in bunches and expect to go deep in the playoffs. But that is where the similarities end. They are built differently, have different experience, and have different strengths and weaknesses.
New Jersey plays with a ton of speed and skill, they push the pace and come at you in waves. But they are small. New York on the other hand plays big, they come at you with force and can crash over top of you. But they play slow in comparison. In a seven-game series it’s hard to predict who will bend first, will New York wear New Jersey down with their physicality? Or will the Devils tire out the Rangers with their pace? Advantage New Jersey.
On the backend, both teams boast strong blue lines. They both have shutdown defenseman, puck movers, point producers, speed, skill, and grit. The Rangers defense can do it all, they are one of the most elite units in the league, if not the most elite. They can’t move the puck quite as good as the Devils unit can, but they are much more physical. And in the playoff’s physicality can sometimes mean getting that extra inch of space to make a play, or providing that big hit that completely changes a series, just ask Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Advantage New York.
In goal, the comparisons dry up. New York boasts arguably the best goaltender in the world in Igor Shesterkin. But, after having a historic season last year, Shesterkin has looked human for much of this year. He has been up and down, evidenced by his drop in save percentage from .935 last year to .916 this season. For the Rangers to beat the Devils in a seven-game series, Shesterkin will need to play at a Vezina award winning level. Over in the Devils net Vitek Vanecek has given the Devils something they were desperately looking for, league average goaltending. Vanecek’s save percentage this year was .911 which was just a tick above his career average coming into this season. While Vanecek has never had an experience like this before and will have to deal with nerves, Shesterkin looked very human in last year’s playoffs and for long stretches of this past regular season. Despite his up and down play this year, one would have to believe that the goaltending advantage belongs to New York.
I mentioned star power earlier and both teams boast a ton of it up front and on the back end. The stars aren’t all home grown either, both teams have made significant trades over the last 12 months to bring in major pieces that they hope can give them that final push. The Rangers brought in Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko at the trade deadline, and while neither player his lit up the scoresheet, they have both provided secondary scoring. Kane has produced 12 points in 19 games since joining the Rangers, while Tarasenko has 21 points in 31 games. On the Devils side, they acquired arguably the biggest piece at the deadline in Timo Meier. Meier has also struggled to fit in but seems to be finally finding his footing. The former San Jose Shark has 14 points in 21 games since joining the Devils.
Ironically, the line that could set these teams apart might be a group of homegrown talent for the New York Rangers. Alexis Lafrenière, Filip Chytil, and Kaapo Kakko were dynamite together in the playoffs last season, particularly in the first round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. They were a difference maker on a nightly basis. This season all three players have hovered around the 40-point mark during the regular season. If the trio can dial it back to 2022 and produce anything close to last year’s playoff magic it could be the difference between a Rangers series win, or a Devils series win.
Prediction
It’s hard to predict who will win a series when the teams are this evenly matched. When a matchup like this does occur, you must imagine that it will come down to whichever team can get their goaltender on a heater. Last year the Rangers outlasted Pittsburgh because the Penguins had to rely on their third string goaltender. This year they’ll have to hope that Shesterkin can return to his Vezina winning form to get past the Devils.
The other element that comes into play is experience. New York has a ton of experienced playoff performers, and the Devils are green. In a toss-up, this could be the piece that pushes one team past the other.
The prediction: Rangers win in seven games.
Henri Jokiharju Won’t Return To Tonight’s Game
The Buffalo Sabres have announced that defenseman Henri Jokiharju won’t return to tonight’s game after leaving with a lower body injury. Jokiharju left the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets after logging just 2:43 of ice time a registering a single shot. The former first round pick will finish the season with 13 points in 60 games.
The 23-year-old is in his fourth season with Buffalo after coming over to the Sabres in a trade that sent Alexander Nylander to the Chicago Blackhawks. He established a career high in points last season with 19 points in 60 games. While he couldn’t produce the same offense that he did last season, he continued to kill a lot of penalties for the Sabres while providing a steady defensive presence.
Jokiharju has had issues staying healthy as he has never been able to play a full NHL season. Although he is unlikely to miss any time due to this injury, he did miss a month of hockey back in December with another lower body injury. That injury was from blocking a shot against the Pittsburgh Penguins, which isn’t that surprising for a penalty killing defenseman.
Jokiharju will be hoping for a full summer of rest and training as the Sabres look to take the next step in their rebuild. Buffalo didn’t qualify for the playoffs this season but were in the mix until the last week of the year. With much of their core coming back next season, and a potential franchise goalie now in the mix, Buffalo figures to be a team that can contend for a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference.
Snapshots: Trade Condition Updates, Andersson, Tkachev
The regular season is nearing its end and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are just around the corner. It is the most exciting time of year to be a hockey fan. While it is a quiet period in the hockey calendar for trades, there have been a handful of updates on trade conditions from previous deals that have been made. First of all, capfriendly.com confirmed the Chicago Blackhawks will be receiving the Tampa Bay Lightning’s first-round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft. This was part of the Brandon Hagel trade from a year ago. The condition on the deal was that it was a top-ten protected pick, but with the Lightning qualifying for the playoffs, the pick will be outside the top 16 and therefore transferred to the Blackhawks.
The San Jose Sharks will also officially receive the New Jersey Devils first-round pick in 2023 according to capfriendly.com. This was a part of the Timo Meier deal that saw a total of 13 pieces involved. One component was a conditional first-round pick that would top-two protected. Essentially, the Devils would have needed to completely fall apart in the second half, win the draft lottery and end up with a top-two pick in order to keep it. They of course did not, and will host a first round series next week, so their first-round pick will go to the Sharks.
The Arizona Coyotes will receive yet another second-round pick as well. Again, capfriendly.com points out that conditions in the Jakob Chychrun trade dictated the 2024 second-round pick that was included as part of the deal would move up to a first-round pick if the Ottawa Senators made it to the Eastern Conference final this season. The Senators did not make the playoffs, so their second-round pick goes to the Coyotes who now have ten second round picks in the next three drafts.
- Donna Spencer of The Canadian Press reports Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson does not require surgery in the offseason, but has been dealing with pain since a scooter accident in Detroit on February 8. The 26-year-old was riding a scooter to dinner that night when he was struck by a vehicle in a crosswalk. He went to hospital for observation but was released and he missed three games before returning to the lineup on February 16. He quickly returned to his role as a top-pairing defenseman, but did struggle down the stretch, scoring just one point in his final ten games.
- Agent Shumi Babaev tweeted that his client, Vladimir Tkachev is not happy with Avangard Omsk’s latest offer to return to the KHL, so he will look to return to the NHL next season instead. Tkachev played his Junior hockey in the QMHL with the Moncton Wildcats and Quebec Remparts and played the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Kings and Ontario Reign of the AHL. He played four NHL games, scoring two points and had 29 points in 41 AHL games that season. He returned to the KHL for the 2022-23 season and scored 23 goals and 59 points in 64 games, leading Omsk and finishing second overall in the KHL. The 27-year-old is a skilled winger and will now look to sign with an NHL team this summer.
Anaheim Ducks Reassign Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Drew Helleson
The Anaheim Ducks have wrapped up their season, but their AHL affiliate isn’t done quite yet. The San Diego Gulls are receiving some reinforcement from the parent club late in the season. Per a team release, both Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Drew Helleson have been sent down to the Gulls. Unfortunately, not only have the Ducks finished last in the NHL standings, but the Gulls sit at the bottom of the AHL standings as well. They do have two games remaining against the Colorado Eagles this weekend before closing out their regular season schedule.
Groulx was a second-round pick of the Ducks back in 2018. The 23-year-old forward has played most of the past three seasons in the AHL, though he now has 20 NHL games under his belt as well. He has scored one goal and three points with the Ducks, and sits second in points on the Gulls roster this season. His 18 goals and 39 points in 61 games are decent production, but the fact he is second on the team in scoring with those numbers shows why the Gulls are sitting in the cellar of the AHL.
Helleson is a promising defenseman who was a second-round pick of the Ducks in 2019. He turned pro just over a year ago after a stellar NCAA career at Boston College. He is still learning the ropes of the pro game, but has shown he could become a dependable right-shot two-way defender for the Ducks down the road. He scored five goals and 18 points in 63 games for the Gulls this season, and suited up for three NHL games in the past week, scoring his first NHL goal against the Vancouver Canucks while averaging 13:39 per game.
Both players were called up in the past week as a late-season audition which is a good sign that the team thinks they could contribute at the NHL level in 2023-24. The Ducks remain in transition as they try to build a contending team for the future and Groulx and Helleson should get longer looks next season to see if they are capable of being NHL regulars.
Washington Capitals, Peter Laviolette Agree To Part Ways
The Washington Capitals and head coach Peter Laviolette have mutually agreed to part ways, per a team announcement. Laviolette’s contract was set to expire on June 30th.
Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan issued the following statement regarding Laviolette’s departure:
We are grateful for Peter’s leadership and dedication to our organization for the last three seasons. Peter is a first-class individual who has represented our club with integrity and guided our team through many difficult circumstances in his tenure as our head coach. We wish him all the best moving forward.
Laviolette, 58, has guided the Capitals for the last three seasons, posting a 115-78-27 record along the way. Laviolette was hired by the Capitals after former coach Todd Reirden’s two-year tenure. The Capitals had declined since their 2018 Stanley Cup championship under Reirden, and the organization wanted to go with a bench boss with more experience to lead a resurgence.
The 2020-21 season went relatively well for Laviolette. He helped the Capitals navigate the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and led them to a 36-15-5 record, which ranked them second in the MassMutual East Division.
His Capitals fell in the first round of the playoffs, though, and the main culprit responsible for the team’s demise was largely considered to be unreliable goaltending.
An inability to get reliable play in the crease plagued Laviolette’s second year in Washington to an even greater degree than his first. The player who started the most games for that Capitals team, Ilya Samsonov, posted a .896 save percentage and ultimately did not receive a qualifying offer in the summer. The other, Vitek Vanecek, posted a .908 save percentage but only played twice in the team’s first-round loss to the Florida Panthers, and ended up shipped to the New Jersey Devils in the offseason.
This year, significant injuries to key contributors such as John Carlson, Nicklas Backstrom, and Tom Wilson presented a significant challenge for Laviolette, and the Capitals ultimately did not have the organizational depth to cope with the extended absences of those franchise pillars.
With Alex Ovechkin chasing down Wayne Gretzky‘s all-time goals record and the club desperately seeking a first and now second Stanley Cup championship, the Capitals’ front office has been operating with a win-now mentality for quite a while. While that win-now mentality ultimately fueled the team’s eight-year playoff streak, most understood that the bill would eventually need to be paid.
Eventually, it was believed, the lack of high-end prospects and the depleting pipeline of talent between Washington and their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, would come back to bite the Capitals. This season was the year where the cracks in the foundation of the Capitals’ organization seemed to finally show, and prompted MacLellan and the team’s front office to make a pivot in terms of priorities.
As long as Ovechkin is chasing Gretzky’s record, a traditional rebuild is surely off the table. But what MacLellan did this season showed that the organization would prioritize acquiring NHL-ready young talent. He flipped the first-rounder he acquired from Dmitry Orlov to acquire Rasmus Sandin, a 23-year-old blueliner who had an impressive 15 points in 19 games after the deal.
It seems the Capitals’ priority is now infusing the team with younger players, and affording those young players the types of on-ice opportunities that might be reserved for veterans in seasons of true Stanley Cup contention.
For Laviolette, that new organizational priority is likely not what he signed up for, and as a veteran head coach who happens to be the winningest American bench boss in NHL history, it’s unlikely that he’d be the best fit for a developmentally-minded Capitals organization moving forward.
So with his contract set to expire and the Capitals headed in a new, more youth-focused direction, Laviolette’s exit from Washington is far from a surprise. The 2006 Stanley Cup champion ultimately didn’t accomplish what he was brought into Washington to do — deliver more playoff success than the team had under Reirden — but he nonetheless deserves commendation for leading the franchise through some significant challenges. He’s likely to be a top name on the offseason coaching market, should he want to immediately jump back into a new job.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
PHR Playoff Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
With the start of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs just a few days away, PHR makes its first foray into playoff series analysis with our 2023 Playoff Primers. Where does each team stand in their series, and what storylines could dominate on and off the ice? We begin our look with the Atlantic Division matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.
In what may be the most hotly anticipated series of the First Round, two teams with lofty expectations will clash for the second straight year. Both teams have seen significant roster turnover since last year’s battle, with many new depth pieces looking to make impacts for Toronto, while Tampa returns without some members of the ancillary core that has gotten them to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals.
The series presents a major test for both teams. They both enter the playoffs on wildly different trajectories based on the last few weeks of their regular season play — and those trajectories both contrast with the auras surrounding their recent playoff performance.
The potential reward for winning this war of attrition? The record-slaying Boston Bruins.
Regular Season Performance
Toronto: 50-21-11, 111 points, +57 goal differential
Tampa: 46-30-6, 98 points, +29 goal differential
Head-To-Head
December 3, 2022: Toronto 3, Tampa Bay 4 (OT)
December 20, 2022: Tampa Bay 1, Toronto 4
April 11, 2023: Toronto 4, Tampa Bay 3
Toronto takes the season series 2-0-1
Team Storylines
Anything else said about the immense pressure the Maple Leafs face to win a series would be a retread. How they avoid the mistakes of years past, though, combined with how they’ve addressed perceived weaknesses this season, is worth a deeper look.
In last season’s loss to the Lightning, Tampa held Toronto to four goals in Games 6 and 7. In 2021, Montreal held the Maple Leafs to three goals in the final two games. In the 2020 Qualifying Round against the Columbus Blue Jackets, they were shut out in the deciding Game 5. Offense evaporating at crucial times has kept the Maple Leafs from deep playoff runs.
The bulk of the pressure will again rest on the core four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander to keep up their production as the series progresses. But Toronto’s acquisition of Ryan O’Reilly before the trade deadline should not be overlooked as a potential antidote to their offensive woes. He’s seemingly recaptured some offensive confidence despite decreased ice time, registering 11 points in 13 games since the trade and six points in five games since returning from a hand injury that kept him out for most of March. Combined with his winning pedigree and playoff experience, he’s one of two main x-factors for Toronto in this matchup.
The other is goaltending — and the potential for a surprise Game 1 starter. While Ilya Samsonov is still expected to start after his breakout campaign, he missed the last two games with minor injuries and, in his place, rookie Joseph Woll has posted spectacular numbers in limited action (6-1-0, .932 SV%, 2.16 GAA). The chances of the 24-year-old seeing playoff action are greater than zero, especially given Samsonov’s brief and shaky playoff history with the Washington Capitals. If Matt Murray clears concussion protocol and can provide an experienced relief option, that’s a bonus.
For Tampa Bay, this series represents the start of what the team hopes will be another deep playoff run, one that results in the franchise’s third Stanley Cup championship in four years. The main factor Tampa has going for them? They were in this exact position one year ago, and found a way to fend off Toronto in a grueling series. They created a blueprint for themselves to follow, just as they’ve done for the numerous teams they’ve eliminated over the past three seasons. That year-to-year playoff consistency is what makes them such a daunting first-round opponent despite their relatively inconsistent regular season.
Just like it is for Toronto, a major storyline for the Lightning is goaltending, only for different reasons. For Toronto, the question is whether Samsonov’s regular season success will translate to the playoffs, where he has been shaky in the past. For Tampa, the main question will be if the team will be able to once again count on playoff brilliance from Andrei Vasilevskiy after a regular season that was, while strong, not the dominant year many might have expected from him. The Maple Leafs have a lethal set of forwards and impressive depth.
If Vasilevskiy can make scoring goals feel impossible in the most important moments — just as Carey Price did for the Canadiens in 2021 — then Tampa will once again triumph. But if he can’t, and he proves to be more the mortal, beatable goalie he was at times this regular season than the impenetrable brick wall he was in the Lightning’s two Stanley Cup runs, then the Maple Leafs could finally get the playoff series win they’ve been waiting for.
Prediction
As most playoff series typically do, this battle is likely to come down to goaltending. On paper, Vasilevskiy is easily the more accomplished and reliable goalie. And if he shuts down Toronto’s scorers and Tampa once again proves victorious, that wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
But Toronto came close last year. They drew blood and nearly knocked out the eventual Prince of Wales winners, pushing them to the brink in a way no other Eastern Conference team could. Now, they’ve added a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, revamped their defense, added experienced depth forwards, and have gotten some of the best goaltending they’ve seen since Frederik Andersen‘s departure.
This series could truly go either way, but at least at this moment, this year feels different. The prediction: Maple Leafs win in six games.
Injury Notes: Barzal, Romanov, Caufield, Forsberg, Norris
The New York Islanders have a tall task ahead of them in their first-round playoff matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, as they’re looking to eliminate a club many view as a Stanley Cup contender. They will get some crucial help, though, as one of the team’s top offensive players, Mathew Barzal, is set to return from injury for Game One. (via The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz) Barzal hasn’t played since a February contest against the Boston Bruins, and was on a hot streak with six points in four games before going down with his injury.
In total, Barzal scored 51 points in 58 games this season. He flashed chemistry with mid-season trade acquisition Bo Horvat, and is a proven playoff performer with 38 points in 49 career contests. As relayed by The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner, Barzal said today that he’d been feeling good for a while, but wanted to make sure he was 100% ready to return before entering the lineup once again.
Some other injury notes from across the league:
- Although the Islanders will get Barzal back in time for the playoffs, the same can’t be said for another one of the team’s young talents. Head coach Lane Lambert told the media today, including Kurz, that defenseman Alexander Romanov will not be available for the first game of their series against Carolina. Romanov has been skating by himself and is inching closer to a return, but remains unavailable. Acquired by the Islanders at the 2022 draft, Romanov last played on April 1st and has scored 22 points this season playing nearly 20 minutes a night.
- Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield updated the media, including Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, on the state of his injury recovery today. Caufield said that he’s cleared to play golf as of June 1st, and that he’d “definitely” be back to shooting pucks before then. Caufield’s rehab from the shoulder injury that ended his season is an important storyline for Canadiens fans to monitor, seeing as he’s one of the team’s brightest young talents and has an important summer of contract negotiations set to begin.
- As relayed by Sportsnet’s Wayne Scanlan, Ottawa Senators netminder Anton Forsberg is doing well in his recovery from his season-ending injury and will be back on the ice by July. Forsberg suffered a torn MCL in February, which ended his season. The 30-year-old signed a contract extension to remain a Senator last summer and should be expected to remain in the team’s offseason plans for its crease, assuming his recovery continues to move in the right direction.
- Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports word from Senators center Josh Norris that the 23-year-old’s shoulder is feeling good and that he expects to be back on the ice in the next month. Norris played just eight games this season due to a shoulder injury. It was initially reported that Norris would not need surgery, and the optimism that he could return peaked when he was activated and played three games in January. Norris did ultimately need to undergo shoulder surgery, though, and the operation ended his season. That means that 2022-23 ended up a lost season for Norris, who scored 35 goals and 55 points in 2021-22.
San Jose Sharks Sign Artem Guryev
The San Jose Sharks have signed a second 2021 draft pick to his entry-level deal today: fifth-rounder Artem Guryev.
Like today’s other signing, Ethan Cardwell, the Sharks’ exclusive rights to sign Guryev were set to expire on June 1st. After taking nearly all their allotted time to evaluate Guryev and determine whether to extend him an entry-level contract offer, the Sharks have ultimately decided he had earned the invitation to join their organization.
Sharks general manager Mike Grier had the following to say about the signing:
Artem is a gritty and competitive defender. He showed continuous improvement in the OHL and uses his size to his advantage against opponents.
Guryev, a Moscow native, will turn 20 in May. He’s a big six-foot-four, 215-pound defenseman and that size makes him an intriguing project player for the Sharks’ developmental staff. Guryev was included in the Flint Firebird’s blockbuster OHL trade alongside New York Rangers first-rounder Brennan Othmann, and ended up scoring 15 points in 38 games.
While Guryev’s offensive game is still a work in progress, he is, as Grier alluded to, an imposing physical presence. That will help him make an early impression in professional hockey, and likely make him an exciting player to watch for Barracuda fans.
His ultimate NHL upside is still an unknown, but now with this entry-level deal in hand, Guryev can either return to Flint for a final OHL season or turn pro with the Barracuda next year, looking to help them improve on what has been a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.
AHL Shuffle: 04/14/23
With just two games left on the regular-season schedule, today marks the first day of the offseason for quite a few clubs. As a result, many are sending players down to their AHL squads so that their affiliates can have as many reinforcements as possible for crucial late-season games. We’ll keep track of those moves here:
- The Montreal Canadiens have reassigned forwards Lucas Condotta and Joel Teasdale, along with defenseman Frederic Allard, to the Laval Rocket. Condotta memorably got his first NHL goal on his first NHL shift last night, and Teasdale got an assist on the play as well, which was his first NHL point. Allard, on the other hand, is still waiting for his first NHL point with four career games played. All three players will join the Rocket in their final regular-season game tonight, a crucial matchup against the Syracuse Crunch that Laval will hope to win to distance themselves from the Cleveland Monsters for the Northeast Division’s final playoff spot.
- The St. Louis Blues reassigned defenseman Tyler Tucker and goalie Vadim Zherenko to their affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. Tucker has played 26 games in the NHL this season and has 21 points in 39 AHL games, last playing for Springfield on April 8th. Zherenko, 22, has a .918 save percentage through 18 games for Springfield this season and was a 2019 seventh-round pick. The Thunderbirds have their playoff spot locked up but with three games remaining can still earn a higher seed.
- The Chicago Blackhawks reassigned forwards Buddy Robinson and Joey Anderson to their affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. The IceHogs are in pole position to claim the final playoff spot in the Central Division and can still feasibly catch the Iowa Wild for the number-four seed. Robinson, 31, is coming off an impressive two-game stretch with the Blackhawks where he scored three points, including his first goal of the year in Tuesday’s stunning 4-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Anderson, 24, was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Jake McCabe trade and scored six points in 24 games with Chicago.
- The Minnesota Wild reassigned Samuel Walker, Damien Giroux, Nick Swaney, and Marco Rossi to their affiliate, the Iowa Wild, and placed veteran forward Nic Petan on waivers for the purpose of reassignment. The biggest name here is Rossi, 21, the 9th overall pick at the 2020 draft who has 50 points in 51 games.
- The Washington Capitals have reassigned forwards Aliaksei Protas, Joe Snively, and Beck Malenstyn to the Hershey Bears. Hershey is gearing up for what they hope will be a long Calder Cup playoff run, and both Snively and Protas will likely be counted-on scorers for head coach Todd Nelson. Additionally, the Capitals reassigned prospect Alexander Suzdalev to Hershey from the WHL’s Regina Pats, whose reason recently ended. The 2022 70th overall pick scored 38 goals and 86 points this season playing alongside expected 2023 number-one pick Connor Bedard.
- The Boston Bruins reassigned goaltender Brandon Bussi to the Providence Bruins. Bussi, who was recently named to the AHL’s all-rookie team, backed up Jeremy Swayman yesterday during the team’s win over the Montreal Canadiens. The 24-year-old posted a 21-5-4 record and .925 save percentage this season for Providence, who still have a chance to take the number-one seed in the Atlantic Division.
- The San Jose Sharks reassigned forwards Thomas Bordeleau and Tristen Robins, two of the team’s top forward prospects, back to the San Jose Barracuda. The Barracuda are eliminated from postseason contention and have two games left in their season, each against the Tucson Roadrunners. Both players have had productive years, with Bordeleau scoring 22 goals and 41 points in 64 games and Robins netting 17 goals and 38 points.
- The Vancouver Canucks placed defenseman Christian Wolanin on waivers for the purpose of reassignment to their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Abbotsford is looking to seize the third seed in the Pacific Division from the Colorado Eagles and getting Wolanin back will absolutely help them do that, seeing as he’s scored 55 points in 49 games this season. The 28-year-old veteran of 86 NHL games is under contract for another season and will likely remain Abbotsford’s go-to offensive blueliner.
- The Winnipeg Jets reassigned forward Dominic Toninato to their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose. Toninato was recalled yesterday and played 11 and a half minutes in the Jets’ loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Toninato has 19 goals and 33 points in 49 games this season and will now be on hand to help the Moose for their Calder Cup playoff run.
- The Arizona Coyotes reassigned five players to the Tucson Roadrunners today: Victor Soderstrom, Michael Kesselring, Milos Kelemen, Jan Jenik, and Ivan Prosvetov. The Roadrunners are gearing up for the Calder Cup playoffs, and now get some important players back into their lineup, including Prosvetov, their starting goalie, and Soderstrom, the 11th overall pick of the 2019 draft.
This page may be updated throughout the day
San Jose Sharks Sign Ethan Cardwell
The San Jose Sharks have announced the signing of prospect forward Ethan Cardwell to a three-year entry-level contract.
The Sharks’ exclusive rights to sign Cardwell were set to expire on June 1st, which would have allowed him to re-enter the draft. That won’t happen now, though, as he’s earned the right to make his pro debut with the organization that selected him 121st overall at the 2021 draft.
San Jose general manager Mike Grier had the following to say about the signing:
Ethan had a significant improvement in his OHL career this past year being one of the go-to players for his team in nearly all situations. He has the ability to produce offensively and has helped be a driving force on a quality team as Barrie continues their postseason play.
Cardwell is a right-shot center who will turn 21 years old in late August. As an OHLer playing for the Barrie Colts, Cardwell’s junior career was disrupted by the pandemic-related cancellation of the 2020-21 OHL season.
Instead of getting the chance to be a leading player on an OHL franchise in the lead-up to the draft, Cardwell, like many other OHLers, went overseas. He played for Surahammars IF, a club in HockeyEttan, which is the third level of Swedish hockey below HockeyAllsvenskan.
His time in Sweden went well, and he scored 27 points in just 18 games, but without an OHL season his chance to truly rise on draft boards had been lost. He was selected in the fourth round, and went back to Barrie to play two more seasons.
Last year, Cardwell scored 23 goals and 58 points in 49 games, and then this season his production ramped up quite a bit to the tune of 43 goals and 90 points in 62 games. Cardwell’s strong OHL performances earned him recognition as the Sharks organization’s Prospect of the Year, and is likely what has earned him this entry-level deal.
With such a major offensive explosion last season, it’s likely that Cardwell is best served developmentally by turning pro in the fall. Playing in the AHL is quite a bit of a step up from the OHL in terms of competition, but Cardwell has risen to the occasion throughout his junior career and will be a prospect to watch for Sharks fans moving forward.