Snapshots: Olympics, Outdoor Game, Eichel
Fresh off the field for next year’s Olympic tournament being set, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports (Twitter link) that an official decision on NHL participation is expected at some point this week. Octagon Hockey player agent Allan Walsh adds (Twitter link) that the decision will be that the league does allow their players to participate with an announcement being imminent.
While an allowance was made in the CBA for Olympic participation, it wasn’t set in stone that NHL players would be permitted to play but rather that an attempt would be made. Talks have gone well beyond the original window but it appears that barring a last-minute change of direction, the league will indeed shut down for the bulk of February.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- The Maple Leafs and Sabres are expected to play in an outdoor game in Hamilton, Ontario in March, reports Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. The two teams were supposed to be playing an game in Buffalo in mid–March but that contest was absent from the season ticket packages from last week. Instead, the Sabres would be the home team in what technically would be a neutral site game but with Hamilton close to Toronto geographically, the ‘visitors’ for the Heritage Classic event would likely receive the majority of the fan support.
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in the latest 31 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that representatives from the Sabres, the NHL, the NHLPA, plus Jack Eichel and his now-former agents had a meeting around the middle of this month to try and come to an understanding on Eichel’s pending neck surgery. The team wants a more traditional fusion surgery which carries a longer recovery time and a fairly high chance of another procedure being needed down the road while Eichel prefers artificial disc replacement which hasn’t been done on an NHL player before. There was clearly no resolution on the matter and the wait for a trade continues.
Notes From The Jesperi Kotkaniemi Offer Sheet
Offer sheets in the NHL are few and far between which makes it notable any time one is signed. Rarer still is one that has a player signing for as much above market value as Jesperi Kotkaniemi did when he signed his one-year, $6,100,015 tender from the Hurricanes on Saturday. Here are some notes from around the hockey world on the move.
- Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic mentions (Twitter link) that Carolina and Montreal did have trade talks regarding Kotkaniemi although clearly, they weren’t able to come to an agreement.
- Sportsnet’s Eric Engels writes that Montreal’s decision is a lot harder than the one the Hurricanes had two years ago when the Canadiens tendered an offer sheet to Sebastian Aho. He suggests Arizona’s Christian Dvorak as someone they’d be wise to have discussions about over the one-week matching period to see if some of the draft capital they’d get by not matching could be flipped for him.
- Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports relays (Twitter links) that league executives pegged Kotkaniemi’s actual value on a one-year deal no higher than $2.2MM, providing some perspective on how much of a perceived overpayment this contract is. He adds that the idea to tender Kotkaniemi the offer sheet came from Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon, not GM Don Waddell.
- Arpon Basu of The Athletic writes (subscription link) that Montreal’s bigger concern should be that Kotkaniemi, who had spoken about wanting to stay with the Canadiens for the long haul in the past, was willing to go along with the offer sheet. He feels Montreal is in a no-win situation by either needing to pay Kotkaniemi well above market value and potentially messing up their salary structure or losing someone they hoped would be a franchise cornerstone for somewhat of an underwhelming return.
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in the latest 31 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that Montreal wasn’t close on a contract with Kotkaniemi’s camp and was focused on a bridge contract which is something the 21-year-old wasn’t interested in. He also believes that Carolina had discussions with Kotkaniemi on the framework of a long-term extension that could be signed once eligible that would come with a price tag below this one. Of course, Kotkaniemi wouldn’t have to agree to that knowing that he’ll need to be qualified at $6.1MM next summer.
- While Carolina would technically be over the salary cap if the Canadiens don’t match, Sara Civian of The Athletic suggests (subscription link) that it may not be too difficult for them to get back under by clearing out the remaining two years at $4MM on defenseman Jake Gardiner’s contract. Considering he has cleared waivers before, they’d likely need to provide some retention on that contract to make a trade work.
Ottawa Senators Sign Filip Gustavsson
6:00 PM: The Senators have officially announced the signing. GM Pierre Dorion released the following statement about his young netminder:
We were very pleased with Filip’s performance last season. After spending the early part of the year playing in Sweden, it was evident to us that he is committed to continually improve his overall game. He’s someone we regard as a high-end talent and we’re looking forward to seeing his progress in 2021-22.
4:59 PM: The Ottawa Senators have inked young goaltender Filip Gustavsson to a two-year contract according to CapFriendly. The deal will be two-way in 2021-22, paying him $750K at the NHL level and $125K in the AHL before turning to a one-way, $825K contract in 2022-22. That means Gustavsson’s new average annual value and cap hit are set at $787,500 moving forward.
Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of a three-way deadline deal in 2018, Gustavsson represents the future of the Senators’ crease. Though the team has Matt Murray locked up at a high price for the next three years, it was Gustavsson who was most impressive this season and subsequently protected in the recent Seattle Kraken expansion draft.
Though he played just nine games, the 23-year-old netminder posted a 5-1-2 record and a .933 save percentage for the Senators, showing that he’s already ready for an NHL role of some sort. Whether that comes this season is actually not clear though, as the team obviously has Murray installed and signed Anton Forsberg to a one-year deal in May.
One of the biggest things in Gustavsson’s favor is actually the fact that the Kraken selected Joey Daccord through expansion, taking one of the organization’s other young goaltenders out of the picture. It’s still a crowded depth chart though, with three other young netminders signed to their entry-level deals. Daccord was the only one anywhere near the NHL level though, meaning with him gone it’s just Gustavsson if the team wants to make a switch at some point.
The fact that Senators GM Pierre Dorion got him to agree to a second year seems like a big win, as there’s no doubt he’ll be ready to at least serve as a backup in 2022-23. That means the team has already secured a cheap complementary piece to Murray, or even potentially a new starting option if the veteran continues to struggle. Murray has posted a save percentage under .900 in each of the last two seasons, including a dreadful .893 mark in 2020-21 with Ottawa. If that number doesn’t improve, there’s no way the Senators can realistically take a step forward in their rebuild without handing the crease to someone else. The waiver-exempt Gustavsson will certainly be waiting for his next opportunity and he may not give it back if he’s given the chance.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Prospect Notes: Tuomaala, Mercuri, St. Louis
Philadelphia Flyers fans could get a closer look at recent second-round pick Samu Tuomaala much sooner than expected. Speaking at the team’s development camp today, Tuomaala told the media including The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor that he will be playing in North America this season. The Finnish forward actually hopes to play in the AHL (or NHL), but if not will suit up for the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, his CHL right holder. O’Connor speculates that a decision could be made shortly, with it being more likely he plays junior rather than pro as an 18-year-old, but Tuomaala could have the opportunity to change minds in training camp as well. The No. 46 overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, Tuomaala was a first-round caliber talent. A gifted shooter with speed and aggression, the only knocks on Tuomaala are his size and hockey IQ both of which could hinder him in the AHL and hurt his development. Sometime pure talent comes out on top though. Keep an eye on Tuomaala this fall.
- Do the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs know something that no one else does? Or are they simply enamored with a 2020 Carolina draft pick? The Sea Dogs have announced that they have acquired Hurricanes prospect Lucas Mercuri as well as fellow forward Olivier Picard and a 2024 seventh-round pick from the Val-d’Or Foreurs in exchange for a 2022 second-round pick and 2024 fifth-round pick. This trade would be more than fair given Mercuri’s ability (36 points in 45 USHL games last year) if not for one crucial detail: Mercuri is committed to UMass and is expected to play in the NCAA this season. There has been no word to the contrary, as by all accounts Mercuri is enrolling in Amherst and playing for the Minutemen this year. After spending the past three years in U.S. playing prep school hockey in Connecticut and then suiting up for the USHL’s Des Moines Buccaneers last season, it certainly seems that the Montreal native is committed to an NCAA development path. So then why give up a top pick? The answer is not Picard, who has 15 points in 77 career QMJHL games, so Saint John either sees enough in the upside of Mercuri to take a shot or they have inside information about a potential unexpected move to the major junior ranks.
- A new Boston collegiate rivalry is brewing. Lucas St. Louis, son of Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis, has committed to play his college hockey at Harvard. St. Louis’ USHL team, the Dubuque Fighting Saints, announced that their incoming recruit has made his commitment to the Crimson, though the 16-year-old will very likely play at least two USHL seasons before joining Harvard in 2023-24. However, older brother Ryan St. Louis will still be in town, as he is joining Northeastern this season. A graduate of the USNTDP and a surprise absence from the 2021 NHL Draft, St. Louis is a major recruit for the Huskies and could be drafted in 2022 but will very likely play all four years at Northeastern. That will provide some crossover for the brothers as they compete for cross-town rivals. Though Harvard and Northeastern do not share a conference, they do compete in the Beanpot Tournament each year and could easily have scheduled non-conference matchups or NCAA Tournament regional clashes. The sons of an electrifying NHLer, the St. Louis brothers bear watching over the next several years, both as college contributors and potential future pros.
2022 Winter Olympics Tournament Field Set
After several years of qualifying tournaments dating all the way back to November 2019 and delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the final three entries into the 2022 Winter Olympics Men’s Hockey Tournament are now set with less than six months to spare. The closing tournaments took place over this past week and came to a close today with Slovakia advancing past Belarus, Austria, and Poland, Latvia overcoming France, Hungary, and Italy, and Denmark upsetting host Norway to win the group that also included Slovenia and South Korea. The results are the following groups for the 2022 Games, with the three qualifying teams joining the IIHF’s top eight ranked nations and host China (with IIHF ranks):
Group A: (1) Canada, (6) United States, (7) Germany, (32) China
Group B: (2) Russia, (5) Czech Republic, (8) Switzerland, (12) Denmark
Group C: (3) Finland, (4) Sweden, (9) Slovakia, (10) Latvia
The inclusion of Slovakia, the top non-autobid nation in the IIHF, Latvia, and Denmark is a strong result for the competitive balance of the Olympic field, which was especially needed this time around to compensate for the drag of China’s participation. It also could allow for a pair of veteran NHLers who are currently unsigned to potentially ride off into the sunset with a final performance for their country. Zdeno Chara will be expected to lead a Slovakian entry that will have a mix of experienced veterans and promising youngsters, while Frans Nielsen will likely be the leader of the Danish squad, which will have more prime participants like Nikolaj Ehlers and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Latvia will bring a young roster built from the net out with Elvis Merzlikins. Lost by the final qualifying results are Olympic appearances from NHL stars like Anze Kopitar (Slovenia) and Mats Zuccarello (Norway) or young players leading their teams such as Alexandre Texier (France) and Marco Rossi (Austria). However, this for the best with the three teams who advanced clearly appearing to be the best choice on paper.
Of course, this all assumes that the NHL permits participation in these Olympic Games. While the league released a regular season schedule that allows for an Olympic break and the IIHF has reportedly met all demands of the league and the players’ association, there still has not been an official announcement. At this point, it is expected that NHL players will participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics, but concerns remain surrounding COVID-19 and China that could reverse course. The tournament field will not change regardless of whether the NHL sends players or not, but it will certainly impact how the Olympics are viewed this winter.
Keith Petruzzelli Signs With AHL’s Toronto Marlies
In a somewhat stunning turn of events, highly-touted goalie prospect Keith Petruzelli will not be playing in the NCAA nor on an NHL contract this season. The 2017 third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings had parted ways with his rights holder, allegedly by his own choice, and was believed to be looking for a new NHL home or else returning for a fifth year at Quinnipiac University. Instead, the AHL’s Toronto Marlies have announced that they have signed Petruzzelli and to a two-year deal at that. It is quite the unexpected outcome for the decorated NCAA goaltender.
Petruzzelli, 22, is coming off of an excellent collegiate season in which he was named an ECAC first-team all-star, ECAC goalie of the year, a finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA’s best goaltender,and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s most outstanding player. He posted a .926 save percentage and 1.89 GAA while leading the Bobcats to a conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance. This was reasonably expected to boost his value as an NHL prospect. After all, recent Richter winners include top young pro keepers like Jeremy Swayman, Cayden Primeau, and Thatcher Demko. Petruzzelli was in a unique situation as well. Having played four seasons in the NCAA, Petruzzelli could watch the Red Wings’ draft rights expire in August and sign elsewhere. However, he was also granted an additional fifth year of NCAA eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic that would have allowed him to return to Quinnipiac if the NHL market did not develop as he had hoped and test free agency next summer instead. When August 15 came and went, as well as a development camp appearance with his hometown Boston Bruins, and there was no contract announcement, it seemed likely that a collegiate return was likely.
Instead, the curveball result is Petruzzelli signing an AHL contract and for two years instead of one. This cannot be the result that Petruzzelli’s camp imagined if and when they did spurn Detroit. It’s difficult to imagine that Petruzzelli did not receive an NHL contract, but his representation misread the market as most others did. The talented goaltender is now locked into a low-money, minor league pact when he ideally would have been on an entry-level contract with a shot at NHL starts. Toronto is also not a great landing spot in particular. The Maple Leafs will have NHL veteran Michael Hutchinson and signed prospects Joseph Woll and Ian Scott all battling for play time with the Marlies and Petruzzelli, who the team is not as invested in, could easily fall through the cracks. This may not provide enough exposure to garner NHL offers that could relieve him of his AHL contract. It’s a strange and surprising situation for a such well-regarded prospect and will be an interesting storyline to follow in the minors this season.
Minor Transactions: 08/29/21
The NHL world is focused on an offer sheet, but other leagues around the world are still making roster tweaks to get ready for the season. As always, we’ll have all the notable minor transactions right here:
- Mikhail Vorobyev, whose NHL rights are still owned by the Philadelphia Flyers, was involved in a KHL trade that saw him join SKA St. Petersburg. The 24-year-old forward received a qualifying offer from the Flyers last offseason when he bolted for Russia, meaning they will hold his exclusive NHL rights until his 27th birthday. In 35 games for the Flyers, he posted just five points.
- Salavat Yulaev Ufa, Vorobyov’s former team, has added their own NHL forward, signing Nikolai Kulemin to a one-year contract. Kulemin has played the last three seasons with Metallurg Magnitogorsk after a long NHL career that spanned more than 650 games. The 35-year-old had just seven points in 22 games last season.
- Former Philadelphia Flyer Roman Lyubimov is looking for work after leaving KHL club Ak Bars Kazan. The team announced that Lyubimov’s contract was mutually terminated, though did not offer any insight as to why. The 29-year-old stay-at-home defenseman only played in nine games with Ak Bars last season after coming over from Spartak Moscow, who he only just signed with as well. Lyubimov has bounced around since initially leaving CSKA Moscow back in 2016, spending one season in the NHL, one season back with CSKA, two seasons with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and then last year’s disjointed campaign. Who know where he may wind up next.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Morning Notes: Kotkaniemi, Tkachuk, Brown
The Carolina Hurricanes shot back at the Montreal Canadiens yesterday by submitting an offer sheet for Jesperi Kotkaniemi, but even if they hadn’t there was some concern over the young center’s future in Montreal. Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that earlier this summer, some close to Kotkaniemi predicted that he had already played his last game with the Canadiens. The interesting part, however, is that now he has signed an offer sheet, Montreal can’t trade him for a year even if they decide to match it.
As CapFriendly explains, it would basically mean that the young forward would get a no-trade clause for a year, meaning he’d be earning that entire $6.1MM contract in Montreal. The Hurricanes apparently tried to trade for Kotkaniemi before tendering the offer sheet, but have now tied the Canadiens’ hands in more ways than one.
- The Ottawa Senators have a restricted free agent of their own still to sign, as Brady Tkachuk still doesn’t have a deal for this season. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia writes that though things are quiet on that front, it is believed that the Senators are trying for an eight-year contract for their young winger. There’s a brand new comparable to bring up in those talks after Andrei Svechnikov signed his eight-year, $62MM extension in Carolina. Svechnikov was selected just two picks ahead of Tkachuk in 2018 and the two forwards have very similar career stats to this point. Garrioch suggests that if Tkachuk does sign an eight-year deal, it very well may come with the captain’s “C.”
- At the very end of his piece on Tkachuk, Garrioch includes another short note about RFA forward Logan Brown. The scribe suggests that Brown “could be dealt before camp” and remains unsigned at the moment. Now 23, the 11th overall pick from 2016 has just 30 games of NHL experience under his belt, something he and his agents have expressed frustration about in the past. The 6’6″ forward has played very well at the AHL level, racking up 79 points in 94 games, but has never received a lengthy chance in the NHL. It’s hard to see exactly where he fits in now that the Senators have so many other young forwards and Brown is now eligible for waivers. A fresh start makes sense, though obviously, it remains to be seen if GM Pierre Dorion feels the same.
Snapshots: Crosby, Morrissey, Cech
Will Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby be Captain Canada once more this year? The Athletic’s Rob Rossi believes that Hockey Canada has already tipped their hand prior to an official announcement. Rossi notes that as the organization begins to promote the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympic Games, Crosby has been participating in commercial shoots, print ad shoots, and today an actual in-person promotional appearance with the “C” on his jersey. Now, Crosby did serve as the captain in his last appearance at the Olympics with Canada in 2014, which could explain the “C”. However, it is also just as much evidence that he could serve as captain again, especially he also captained the 2015 World Championship team and 2017 World Cup team in last two international appearance. One of the best all-time, it would be no surprise if Crosby remains Canada’s captain until his playing days are over. To this point, that role is not official for the 2022 Winter Games, but all signs point in that direction.
- Mike McIntryre of the Winnipeg Free Press writes that perhaps Jets fans should lighten up on their criticism of top defenseman Josh Morrissey. Morrissey is coming off of a disappointing 2020-21 season after signing a lucrative long-term deal last off-season, leading many to call the blue liner out for taking his foot off the pedal now that he has his money. However, that may not be the situation at all. Morrissey’s father recently passed away from brain cancer and it was revealed that Morrisey was battling with that difficult personal issue all season. While professional athletes are expected to perform regardless of off-ice/field problems, it is only human for those things to weigh on them. Morrissey is a hard-working, two-way defenseman who has been a positive player that excels in all three zones for every season up until this past campaign. There is no reason to believe that the 26-year-old won’t bounce back this year, especially with the Jets bringing in some extra support on the blue line in Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon.
- Former all-world soccer goalkeeper Petr Cech is back for another run at hockey. After retiring from soccer, Cech made a highly-publicized transition to hockey in 2019-20, signing with the Guildford Phoenix of the NIHL second-tier league in England while concurrently working as an advisor to his long-time Premier League soccer club Chelsea. Cech played in six games with the Phoenix, recording two shutouts and a .934 save percentage – not bad for a 37-year-old rookie. After a year off, Cech is ready to get back in net (on the ice). The Phoenix have announced that they have signed Cech to a one-year contract as he continues to play out his lifelong dream of playing hockey, even after a historic career in soccer. Cech will remain employed by Chelsea in the meantime as well. The legend of the star Czech athlete continues to grow.
Minor Transactions: 08/28/21
The Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet aside, it has been a quiet stretch for NHL transactions and even for minor moves as the summer wears on. However, there are still plenty of notable names available and looking for work. Here are some recent signings from around the hockey world.
- Former Philadelphia Flyer Taylor Leier is staying in Germany, at least for one more year. Leier left North America ahead of the 2020-21 season after playing on an AHL deal the year prior. He initially signed on with HC Ocelari Trinec in the Czech Republic, but shortly after jumped to Adler Manheim in the DEL. Leier played well, recording ten points in 20 games and contributing in the post season. He seemingly caught the eye of a rival, as the Straubing Tigers have announced a one-year deal with the forward. Leier will jump right into the action, as Straubing has preseason games beginning this week. Leier, who recorded seven points in 55 games with the Flyers, will join other former Philly NHLers Jason Akeson and Brandon Manning on the Tigers roster.
- Justin Brazeau, who received considerable attention as an undrafted free agent out of the OHL back in 2019 but ended up signing an AHL contract, is looking for a fresh start after two quiet seasons to begin his pro career. After joining his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs (the parent organization at least), Brazeau will now jump to an arch rival. The New England Hockey Journal’s Mark Divver reports that Brazeau has signed a one-year deal with the Providence Bruins. The big winger plays a physical brand of hockey that meshes well with the Bruins’ historical preferences, but his skating issues have limited him from transforming into a true power forward, at least in the AHL thus far. In his final year in the OHL, Brazeau recorded 61 goals and 113 points in 68 games with the North Bay Battalion and in his first pro season with the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers, he notched 27 goals and 55 points in 57 games. Yet, he only has five points in 22 career AHL games. Playing at a level where just being 6’5″ and 220 lbs. is not enough (even for the Bruins who walked away from a similar style of NHL player in Nick Ritchie this summer, who ironically signed in Toronto), Brazeau will need to work on the finer points of his skill game in order to make an impact in Providence.
- Veteran forward Stephen Harper continues to climb the pro ranks. A former OHL first-round pick and once considered a likely NHL draft pick, Harper’s production and development flatlined over his junior career and he ended up going the collegiate route and playing four years at Acadia University. However, he signed on with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets last year and recorded 31 points in 43 games. It was enough to catch the eye of the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, who have signed him to a one-year deal. Harper will look to repeat those numbers in the AHL if he can and hopefully continue to elevate to that next level.