Sharks Sign Scott Harrington
Scott Harrington‘s tryout with San Jose was a successful one as the team announced that they’ve signed the 29-year-old to a one-year contract. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed while he is the first player to get upgraded to a full contract from a PTO agreement. GM Mike Grier released the following statement:
Scott came into camp on a tryout, performed well, and earned his contract. He’s a high character person and we are excited to have him join the Sharks.
Harrington spent most of last season with AHL Cleveland, an affiliate of the Blue Jackets, where he got into 50 games, recording three goals and four assists. On the surface, nothing particularly special. However, it’s worth noting that it was his first taste of action in the minors since a pair of appearances in 2016-17. Between that time, Harrington had been a regular depth defender in Columbus.
For his career, Harrington has 210 NHL games under his belt between Pittsburgh, Toronto, and Columbus with only seven of those appearances coming last season. He has 38 points in those outings while averaging 13:37 per night in ice time. Harrington will still have to battle for a roster spot but there is definitely an opening with the long-term injury to Nikolai Knyzhov. Harrington could slot in as their seventh defender, a role he’s quite comfortable holding if nothing else. If the Sharks want to send him to their AHL affiliate to start the season, however, they will need to send Harrington through waivers over the coming weeks.
Waivers: 09/30/22
After waivers opened yesterday, quite a few players have ended up on the wire today. Teams keep making cuts to their rosters, and any veteran player needs to clear before being assigned to the minor leagues. Here are the names on waivers today.
Dallas Stars
Riley Barber
Ben Gleason
Tanner Kero
Jerad Rosburg
Joseph Cecconi
Rhett Gardner
Detroit Red Wings
Florida Panthers
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
San Jose Sharks
Tampa Bay Lightning
Daniel Walcott
Darren Raddysh
Maxime Lagace
Trevor Carrick
Washington Capitals
Michael Sgarbossa
Riley Sutter
Mike Vecchione
Hunter Shepard
Arizona Coyotes Claim Jonas Johansson
The Arizona Coyotes were waiting to see which goaltenders would end up on waivers at the end of training camp, and they’ve found one they like (for now). Jonas Johansson has been claimed off waivers from the Colorado Avalanche, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The other players from yesterday have all cleared.
Johansson, 27, had signed back with the Avalanche after playing this waiver merry-go-round last year, but will have to pack his things again. After being claimed by the Florida Panthers on December 13, 2021, he ended up playing in just two games for his new organization. He was being paid to stay in the NHL and serve as a backup, but the Panthers would routinely bring up Spencer Knight to actually play the games.
That’s sort of been the theme of Johansson’s career to this point. Since first being brought up in the 2019-20 season, he has just 32 appearances in the NHL, and no more than nine for a single team in a single season. Now, even as he goes to Arizona, he likely can’t unpack.
There’s no guarantee that Johansson is on the Coyotes’ roster by the time the season rolls around. As training camps close and roster crunches occur, they could just as easily select another netminder off of waivers. If he ends up back on, the Avalanche would have a chance to bring Johansson back and send him directly to the minor leagues, as long as they were the only team to put in a claim.
For now, he is part of the Coyotes organization and will potentially slot in as the team’s second NHL netminder. While many assumed Ivan Prosvetov would assume that role, he is still waiver-exempt and can play big minutes at the AHL level to continue his development, if they wish.
Carl Dahlstrom To Undergo Surgery
The Toronto Maple Leafs thought they had a bit of defensive depth going into the season but that is quickly evaporating. After having to play Alexander Kerfoot and Calle Jarnkrok on the blueline in their last preseason game, the team has announced timelines for two injured defensemen. Carl Dahlstrom will require surgery and be out six months after injuring his shoulder, while Jordie Benn is going to miss three weeks with a groin injury, according to David Alter of Sports Illustrated.
The injuries obviously aren’t ideal, but there at least was a bit of a silver lining in it for Maple Leafs fans. After seeing the team move forwards to cover those spots, restricted free agent Rasmus Sandin ended his contract negotiations and agreed to the deal that had been on the table for months. That softens some of the blow but losing Dahlstrom and Benn is still a problem, regardless of whether they were in line for big minutes.
With Jake Muzzin and Timothy Liljegren already dealing with injuries, and Toronto relying on Mark Giordano, the oldest skater in the league, the vibes in Maple Leafs camp certainly weren’t all that positive. With another injury or two, things could quickly look rather thin on the back end, if they aren’t there already. Victor Mete, another league-minimum signing, now looks like the default seventh defensemen, and that is if Muzzin is healthy enough to start the year.
Beyond him, the team’s depth is made up of unproven young players like Filip Kral and Mac Hollowell. In fact, there has suddenly been some chatter connecting Toronto with Jakob Chychrun, likely only because of these early injuries. Whether a deal of that magnitude is completed, or the team just goes and signs another veteran off the scrap heap, it does seem like the Maple Leafs will need to add someone to the organization.
Edmonton Oilers Sign Max Wanner
The Edmonton Oilers have rewarded a young defenseman after a strong camp, even though he’s headed back to junior hockey. The team has announced a three-year, entry-level contract for Max Wanner who was sent back to the Moose Jaw Warriors earlier this week.
Wanner, 19, was one of the last few picks of the 2021 draft, selected 212th overall. He made his preseason debut on Monday, and now goes back to the WHL with an NHL contract in hand. Standing 6’3″, Wanner has a blend of size and skating ability that should make him a dominant presence for the Warriors this year, even if he does still have some work to do before making an impact at the professional level.
Because of his age, Wanner’s contract will slide forward this year, meaning it extends through 2025-26. He won’t be eligible to play in the AHL until his season is over but can join the Bakersfield Condors in 2023-24. Not every seventh-round pick earns a contract, meaning the young defenseman is already ahead of projections. If he can continue to develop, perhaps the Oilers have found a bit of value at the end of the draft.
Carter Hart Expected To Be Ready For Season Opener
Of all the injuries that the Philadephia Flyers are already dealing with before the year even begins, Carter Hart‘s status might be the most important. The young netminder does not have a veteran backup to insulate him this season, and any hope the Flyers have of competing for the playoffs will likely come down to his performance.
It’s frightening then for Flyers fans when Hart is absent from practices or preseason games, as he has so far. Today, when meeting with the media, he explained to reporters including Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic that they are just being cautious and that he will be ready for the start of the season. The Philadelphia medical staff has deemed Hart (along with Joel Farabee and Cam Atkinson) has been cleared for non-contact practice, and he was on the ice today with the group.
After bursting into the NHL with an outstanding .917 save percentage as a rookie and following it up with a strong sophomore campaign, Hart hasn’t been quite that franchise-altering netminder that the Flyers were hoping for. In 2020-21 he posted an .877 save percentage in 27 appearances, and last season he had a .905 in 45. While a good chunk of that is due to the weak play from the skaters in front of him, there should be legitimate criticism of his performance as well.
If he can get back to the goaltender that he looked like a few years ago, the Flyers have a chance of really improving on their poor 2021-22 campaign. But given that it is Felix Sandstrom and his five NHL appearances behind him, any struggles could be devastating. Being cautious is certainly warranted, though fans won’t be very trusting of the Philadelphia medical staff after the past few years.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Artem Anisimov To PTO
Sep 30: After showing some early signs that he might be of use to the Flyers, Anisimov is now out with a lower-body injury and is not cleared to rejoin camp. The team has not yet announced an end to his PTO, though he hasn’t skated since the first exhibition game, according to Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Sep 19: The Philadelphia Flyers released their training camp roster today and along with Antoine Roussel, whose PTO was reported yesterday, they will also be bringing Artem Anisimov to camp on a tryout contract. Nolan Maier, Pat Nagle, and Tyler Wall are the other PTOs for the Flyers, all goaltenders who will be helping fill the crease for the next few weeks.
Anisimov, 34, has a history with new Flyers head coach John Tortorella going back to when both were with the New York Rangers. The veteran forward made his name there and was a key depth piece during their Conference Finals run in 2012. Anisimov then went to the Columbus Blue Jackets (though not at the same time as Tortorella), the Chicago Blackhawks, and appeared to have finished his NHL career with the Ottawa Senators.
After playing in just 19 games with the Senators in 2020-21, Anisimov played last season back in Russia, suiting up for his hometown team in Yaroslavl. That seemed a likely place for him to continue, with his NHL saga behind him.
Not so fast, as he’ll try to show he can still compete at that level and earn an NHL contract. There was a time when Anisimov was a solid two-way center that you could rely on for 20 goals and around 40 points, though that seems like quite a while ago now. The last time he broke that 20-goal mark was in 2017-18 with the Blackhawks, and even then he had just 31 points on the year.
There’s basically no risk to bringing him to camp though, and at the very least he will help fill up the veteran minimums for preseason contests. Perhaps there’s still something left in the tank, too, after he scored 19 points in 27 games for Yaroslavl last season.
Fabrice Herzog Signs Extension In Switzerland
One of the oddities of the NHL CBA is how it treats draft picks from countries and leagues without a transfer agreement. Often, if that player never comes to North America, their exclusive rights are held indefinitely, making for some funny-looking reserve list entries.
One such entry is Fabrice Herzog, a 2013 draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who is continuing to star overseas for Zug EV. Herzog, 27, notched the championship-winning goal earlier this year for his Swiss club, and was a dominant force in their playoff run, scoring seven goals and 14 points in 15 games. Despite coming over to play one season in the QMJHL and five games in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, Herzog never did sign an entry-level contract, meaning his rights will be held by Toronto until he does (or until he retires).
Today, Zug announced an extension for Herzog through the 2025-26 season. If there was any shred of hope that he would eventually try his hand in North America, that likely ends it. The two-time Olympian will play out his career at home, and remain on the Maple Leafs’ reserve list all the while.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Joe Fleming
The Vegas Golden Knights have made an addition to their prospect pool, signing defenseman Joe Fleming to a three-year entry-level deal, per a team announcement.
Fleming attended the Golden Knights’ development camp in July and had been at the team’s training camp until Tuesday when he was cut from the training camp roster.
Fleming’s performance in both development camp and training camp has seemingly impressed Golden Knights management enough for Fleming to earn this entry-level deal. Fleming will play the 2022-23 season in the QMJHL with the Sherbrooke Phoenix and spent last season playing at the USHL level for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. There, the 19-year-old blueliner scored 16 points in 60 games and spent a whopping 202 minutes in the penalty box.
Those penalty minutes are a bit of a tell as to Fleming’s play style, as well as why he is an appealing prospect to the Golden Knights management. Fleming stands six feet tall and weighs over 200 pounds, and uses that size to play a bruising physical game. He’s a handful for opposing players to deal with whenever they’re on the ice against him, and he’ll bring that imposing style to Sherbrooke.
One element to this signing that is notable is the similarities between Fleming and Montreal Canadiens prospect Arber Xhekaj. Fleming, like Xhekaj, is an undrafted blueliner who plays a physical, bruising style. As Xhekaj continues to get attention (and notoriety) this preseason for his “throwback” style of play, it’s possible that other teams could look to try to find their own versions of Xhekaj, which could be a factor at play with this signing.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported yesterday on Sportsnet’s broadcast of the Canadiens’ loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs that “a number” of NHL clubs share the attitude that they wish they had found and signed Xhekaj before the Canadiens did. So, with that in mind, it could be that this signing of Fleming signals a coming trend of teams looking to acquire the sort of physical, “throwback” defenseman that had gone out of style in recent years.
Evening Notes: Knight, Chychrun, Clark
The Florida Panthers recently re-signed goalie Spencer Knight to a three-year contract with a $4.5MM AAV. The contract raised some eyebrows due to its cost, as Knight’s extension will be more expensive than the recent Jake Oettinger deal, despite the fact that Oettinger seems to have firmly established himself as a quality starting netminder while Knight had an up-and-down 2021-22. Now that a few days have passed since the signing, though, we have some more context on why the Panthers felt comfortable taking a leap of faith with their extremely talented (but still relatively unproven) young netminder.
As Pierre LeBrun reported on TSN’s Insider Trading, the Panthers were “legitimately worried” about the possibility of another team offer sheeting Knight next summer, when he would have been a restricted free agent. The Panthers, who are paying starting goalie Sergei Bobrovsky $10MM AAV through the 2025-26 season, may not have been in a strong enough cap position to retain Knight at what his offer sheet may have cost. So, rather than risk losing the goalie they seem to firmly believe is their long-term future in net, the Panthers decided to sign Knight to this expensive bridge contract in order to ensure he remains in Sunrise for the foreseeable future.
Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:
- In another piece of information reported on today’s Insider Trading segment, TSN’s Darren Dreger shed some more light on the current situation with Jakob Chychrun and the Arizona Coyotes. Chychrun recently spoke on his desire to be traded to a contending team, and Dreger has reported that leaguewide trade interest in Chychrun is “intensifying.” Dreger specifically names the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and Columbus Blue Jackets as suitors for Chychrun, and notes that the Coyotes are apparently more willing to “take on a contract or contracts” in order to facilitate a deal. Given the issues the above-listed teams are facing with the flat salary cap, it seems that the biggest barrier to a Chychrun deal will be the complicated cap situation of the involved teams rather than the trade compensation package that will need to be agreed upon.
- The Montreal Canadiens have re-shaped the look of their organization under Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes’ new management, both on and off the ice. With the season about to begin, the Canadiens have made another off-ice move. In an interview on former NHLer Chris Nilan‘s Raw Knuckles podcast, Gorton said that the team would be “bringing on” former New York Rangers executive Gordie Clark. Before his contract was not renewed this summer, Clark had been working for the Rangers for two decades and will bring experience and leadership to this still-growing Canadiens front office.