East Notes: Flyers, WHL Trade, Sabres
After a summer that featured plenty of roster turnover, the results haven’t been much different for the Flyers in the early going this season. They missed the playoffs last season and sit seventh in the Metropolitan early on this year which has them out of the postseason mix for the time being. Despite that, GM Chuck Fletcher was preaching patience at a recent press conference (video link):
I’d really like to see what we have before we start making changes. I don’t feel I’ve been able to see that to this point in time. We’re always looking, I’m talking to teams every day. If there are ways to make us better, we’ll look at it. But right now, if you just look at how we played the first 10 games versus the last 10 games, clearly one segment was way better than the other.
So we’ve shown the ability to play better than how we are right now. That’s the most important thing, we’ve got to get back, we’ve got to get playing better. Then from there, we’ll get a sense of what we really are and then we can make those decisions.
Philadelphia has battled some injury trouble early on (including in tonight’s game with Joel Farabee leaving early) which hasn’t helped their cause and that’s clearly a point of optimism for Fletcher that as their players return, they could get back on track. However, if that doesn’t happen over the next couple of months or so, they could be a team to keep an eye on before the March 21st trade deadline.
More from the East:
- A notable trade occurred in the WHL today when Canadiens prospect blueliner Kaiden Guhle was dealt to Edmonton. The 2020 first-round was acquired for a package of four draft picks including two first-rounders plus two players, headlined by 2021 Senators fourth-round selection Carson Latimer.
- The Sabres are about to get some help from the infirmary as Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News relays that center Casey Mittelstadt will return on Thursday against Florida after being injured in the season-opener versus Montreal. Blueliner Jacob Bryson will also return after missing Monday’s contest with a nagging injury. Meanwhile, winger Alex Tuch skated in a non-contact sweater at practice as he works his way back from offseason shoulder surgery while goaltender Craig Anderson also accompanied the team on their road trip although there remains no timetable for a return from his upper-body injury that has kept him out for a month.
Free Agent Henry Rybinski Receiving Interest
Generally, the market for free agent junior players isn’t typically strong. Sure, the odd late-bloomer might make it through but more often than not, the more prominent free agents come from the college ranks. However, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest 32 Thoughts column, one CHL free agent that is generating interest is winger Henry Rybinski.
The 20-year-old was actually drafted by Florida back in the fifth round in 2019 (136th overall) but wasn’t signed by June 1st. Now that he’s too old to be drafted again, he can sign as a free agent.
Rybinski is off to a strong start in his final season with WHL Seattle, notching four goals and 11 assists in 13 games with the Thunderbirds. That’s a similar level of production to last season when he had seven goals and 21 helpers in 23 contests which wasn’t enough to get Florida to sign him.
What works in Rybinski’s favor is that Seattle has several quality draft-eligible players; they had four ranked in NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch headlined by defenseman Kevin Korchinski who is viewed as a possible first-round pick. That will keep scouts coming to watch the Thunderbirds play and keep Rybinski on the radar as a result.
While some players that sign contracts now have their deals sign a year, that wouldn’t be the case for Rybinski as he’s too old for that option. Meanwhile, if a team wants to sign him and ensure that they have him for three full years in their system, they’ll have to wait until future contracts (beginning the following season) can be signed on March 1st.
Red Wings Place Tyler Bertuzzi In COVID Protocol
The Red Wings will be without one of their top forwards for tonight’s contest against the Kraken as the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Tyler Bertuzzi has been placed in COVID protocol.
Bertuzzi is now the only remaining NHL player to decline the COVID vaccination which has prevented him from crossing the border to play road games in Canada this season. Despite that, he’s off to the best start of his career with nine goals and nine assists in 20 games, good for third on Detroit in scoring. That will obviously be put on hold again with him being added to the list of those in the protocol.
As is always important to note when a team places a player into protocol, it doesn’t mean that it’s a confirmed positive test. However, if it does turn out that he has tested positive, then Bertuzzi will be out for at least ten days. Detroit, who is carrying a full 23-player roster, would be eligible to designate him as non-roster status, allowing them to bring someone up from AHL Grand Rapids to take Bertuzzi’s place. With this announcement coming just before puck drop, that won’t be an option tonight but since they’re off until Saturday after this one, they’ll be able to add someone in time for their next game.
Brent Seabrook Joins Vancouver Giants As Assistant Coach
The playing career of Brent Seabrook is over, despite three years remaining on his contract. The veteran defenseman has been on long-term injured reserve for two seasons now and is not expected to ever play in the NHL again. That doesn’t mean he won’t be around the rink though, as Seabrook has accepted a position with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL as a volunteer/interim assistant coach. He’ll be behind the bench for the team helping while Michael Dyck is serving as an assistant with Canada’s World Junior team.
Seabrook, 36, is certainly experienced enough to help out a junior coaching staff, given his 1,114 regular season games in the NHL. A three-time Stanley Cup champion, he also suited up 123 times for the Chicago Blackhawks in the playoffs. A core piece of those championship clubs, Seabrook was a perfect complement to the smooth-skating Duncan Keith, adding some real power and physicality to the lineup every night. Even when they weren’t playing together, Keith calmly patrolled on one pairing while Seabrook punished attackers on another.
He recorded more than 2,000 blocked shots throughout his career, along with more than 2,100 hits, things that eventually took their toll on his body. After multiple surgeries that helped his quality of life, he won’t be back on the ice in the NHL. His deal, which extends through the 2023-24 season, was actually traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in July as part of the deal that brought Tyler Johnson to Chicago.
While Seabrook didn’t play for the Giants in junior, he’s from Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver. Giving a little back to your hometown club while Dyck, as Seabrook puts it, “goes for gold” makes sense for such a respected veteran. Perhaps this will even be the start of a second career for the Blackhawks legend.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Strome, Brodeur, Darche
The New York Rangers have begun talks with Ryan Strome on a new contract, according to Larry Brooks of New York Post. The 28-year-old is on the second season of a two-year contract that carries a $4.5MM cap hit and is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the summer. Strome’s connection with Artemi Panarin has led to some excellent numbers the last few seasons, including 14 points in 16 games this time around.
A long-term deal will be tricky though, given how much salary the team already has committed moving forward. With big extensions kicking in for Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox next season, the team already has more than $70MM on the books. That’s with some other key players still to sign down the road, which Brooks also examines in his latest column.
- Martin Brodeur isn’t going to be leaving the New Jersey Devils for the Montreal Canadiens general manager job, at least that’s what he told Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Brodeur is obviously more connected to the Devils than any other franchise in the league, and going to Montreal never did seem like a very good fit for the legendary goaltender.
- If Mathieu Darche wants to interview for that Montreal job, the Tampa Bay Lightning won’t stand in his way. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the Lightning will not block Darche, who serves as director of player development for the team, from interviewing for a GM opportunity even in-season.
AHL Shuffle: 12/01/21
It’s December and the NHL schedule has six games set to open the month this evening. That includes the league’s rookie of the month for November, Lucas Raymond of the Detroit Red Wings, who took home the award after scoring 12 points in 14 games. That’s consecutive awards for Red Wings youngsters after Moritz Seider won it for October. The Red Wings will take on the Seattle Kraken this evening.
As they and other teams prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor shuffling:
Atlantic Division
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Michael Hutchinson from the minor leagues once again, a curious move given that Jack Campbell and Joseph Woll appeared healthy. Perhaps it is just a paper move while Petr Mrazek joins the AHL club for a conditioning stint. (Update: Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweets that Woll is “banged up” and will not dress tonight).
Metropolitan Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have sent Max Willman to the AHL, but he isn’t going alone. Wade Allison has also been activated from injured reserve and will head to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the time being. Allison, 24, played in 14 games for the Flyers last season and had seven points, but has been injured to start the year.
Central Division
- Pavel Francouz has been officially added to the Colorado Eagles, as he works his way back from injury. The 31-year-old netminder hasn’t played yet this season and miss all of 2020-21. The last time he did play, during 2019-20 he was excellent, with a .923 save percentage in 34 appearances.
- The Arizona Coyotes have moved Hudson Fasching back to the AHL, after seven games with the NHL squad this year. The 26-year old forward failed to score a point in those games, but does have 10 in 10 appearances for the Tucson Roadrunners.
- After coming up yesterday, down goes Michael McCarron, who appears to be headed for the yo-yo treatment this season with the Nashville Predators. McCarron has already been involved in seven transactions since clearing waivers at the beginning of the year.
Pacific Division
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Buddy Robinson from the AHL, where he has played 15 games for the San Diego Gulls. The 30-year-old forward has just four points in those games, but offers a big body for the Ducks to plug into the lineup if necessary.
Christian Wolanin Claimed By Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings have claimed Christian Wolanin of waivers. Given that the team has immediately assigned him to the minor leagues, they were the only team to put in a claim. The Buffalo Sabres, who claimed Wolanin earlier this year, will lose him after putting him in the lineup just once.
This likely isn’t what Wolanin was expecting when he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Kings in July, one that came with a very healthy minor league guarantee of $400K. Instead of playing for the Ontario Reign so far though, he’s been in the NHL all year acting as a practice option. He has suited up for just a single game, that one in Buffalo, and it occurred back on November 8. He’ll now have to head to the minors and hope he can get back up to game speed quickly, if he wants to contribute at all for Los Angeles down the road.
The Kings do have defensive injuries, even though they got Drew Doughty back last night. Adding some experienced depth like Wolanin is important, especially now that they can hide him in the minors until needed. It’s been a long time since he even played regularly there, with only 12 AHL games since the end of the 2018-19 season.
New Jersey Devils Sign Shakir Mukhamadullin
It’s not exactly the $64MM deal that Jack Hughes landed yesterday, but the New Jersey Devils have signed another contract. Shakir Mukhamadullin, one of the team’s 2020 first-round picks, has inked his entry-level contract. The team has immediately loaned him back to Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL, where he will finish the season.
At the time of his draft, some questioned the Devils’ decision to take Mukhamadullin so high, selected 20th overall with the team’s third first-round pick. The young defenseman had been ranked 17th among international skaters by NHL Central Scouting and was expected by some to drop to the second round. The Devils obviously saw something that other scouts didn’t, as Mukhamadullin has not only shown an interesting mix of size, skating ability, and skill, but is also carrying himself quite well in the KHL playing against professionals.
Now 19, the 6’4″ defenseman already has 100 KHL contests under his belt and took part in the World Juniors last year for Russia. He’ll likely be there again this time around, though Ufa will be sorry to lose him. Unlike some teenagers that barely see the ice in the KHL, Mukhamadullin takes a regular shift and is also on the team’s powerplay unit. That’s where all three of his goals this year have come from, already matching his total from last season.
The timing of a contract like this is curious though, as KHL players do not often sign NHL contracts mid-season. It’s good news for the Devils, who will not have to fight to get Mukhamadullin over to North America when he’s ready, but it also means that his contract can slide since they got it done before the calendar flipped to 2022. Had they waited until the spring, when his KHL season ended, Mukhamadullin could have potentially negotiated a deal that burned the first year of his ELC in 2021-22 even without playing games.
Still, it will be interesting if he does come over when the KHL season ends and if so, where he’ll be assigned. He could get a handful of games in with the AHL club, or potentially even test himself at the NHL level down the stretch. Either way, Devils fans no longer have to worry about getting Mukhamadullin into the organization.
Several Players Removed From COVID Protocol As Islanders Resume Season
The New York Islanders will be back on the ice tomorrow against the San Jose Sharks, resuming their schedule after missing the last two games due to a COVID outbreak. Not only that, they’ll have a good amount of reinforcements for the group as well. Anders Lee, Josh Bailey, Adam Pelech, Andy Greene, and Ross Johnston are all out of the COVID protocol, according to head coach Barry Trotz, who spoke with reporters including Andrew Gross of Newsday. Trotz expects four of those five to play tomorrow night.
That’s everyone but Kieffer Bellows, who was the last to enter the protocol before the team was shut down. It also means that if Lee plays tomorrow as expected, it will be the first time the Islanders’ faithful will get to see their captain at the new UBS Arena. Lee has only played on the road so far this season, scoring four goals in 12 games.
“Our playoffs are now” said Trotz today, as the Islanders resume their season looking up from the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. They’ve only played 17 games, six fewer than the division-leading Washington Capitals, but have just five wins and 12 points. They’ll be looking to crack an eight-game losing streak and somehow get back into the mix despite a brutal start to the year.
NHL Postpones Islanders Games Through November 30
Dec 1: The league has announced that the Islanders are now cleared to resume their schedule and will play on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks. Revisions of the rest of the schedule will be announced when completed.
Nov 27: With the Islanders getting hit hard with a COVID outbreak, the league has decided to pause things for a few days as they announced that they’ve postponed their games through November 30th. The games affected are Sunday against the Rangers and Tuesday versus Philadelphia. If they’re able to return to action after that time, their first game back will be Thursday when they’re scheduled to host San Jose. The league is in the process of reviewing and revising their schedule.
Per the league’s announcement, another player entered COVID protocol today, giving them eight players potentially unavailable to play. While they didn’t reveal who it was, GM Lou Lamoriello told Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link) that forward Casey Cizikas is the one who tested positive today. The other seven that aren’t available are forwards Josh Bailey, Kieffer Bellows, Ross Johnston, and Anders Lee plus defensemen Zdeno Chara, Andy Greene, and Adam Pelech.
The Islanders are the second team to have COVID-related postponements as the Senators had three games postponed due to their outbreak earlier this month. As a result of that, the NHL’s ability to opt out of playing in the upcoming Olympics was activated and while there’s no indication that they’re leaning in that direction at this time, the more games they have to postpone will certainly affect their final decision on that matter.