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Metropolitan Notes: St. Louis, Mattheos, Patrick, Capitals

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It looks like the coaching career of former NHL star Martin St. Louis will be put on hold. The Hall of Famer, who had spent half of last season in an advisory role with the Columbus Blue Jackets last season, said that he won’t be back with Columbus in 2019-20, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required).

Blue Jackets’ head coach John Tortorella said that St. Louis’ situation will just be put on pause as he tends to family matters.

“I really enjoyed working with the team last year and want to thank Jarmo (Kekalainen, the general manager), (coach John Tortorella) and everyone at the Blue Jackets for the opportunity,” St. Louis said in a statement released via the team. “While I would have loved to do it again, my priority continues to be my family and those commitments would make it too difficult this year. They have a really good, young team and I wish them the best of luck.”

  • The Carolina Hurricanes got some good news today as prospect Stelio Mattheos returned to the ice today after the team announced last month that the 20-year-old would miss training camp after being diagnosed with testicular cancer and would need time to undergo treatment. Those treatments have now been completed and he’s ready to return to hockey, according to NHL.com’s Michael Smith. Mattheos, a third-round pick in 2017, had just completed two impressive years with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, where he combined for 87 goals and 186 points. He then joined the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL in their Calder Cup Championship run in which he scored three goals in 14 games and had hoped to challenge for a spot on the Hurricanes roster this summer. While he’s almost guaranteed to be spending much of the year with Charlotte, although he is now cancer free, which is great news.
  • Philadelphia Flyers center Nolan Patrick has been dealing with injuries on and off for years, but was listed was listed as week-to-week several days ago. Now, Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault told Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi that he doesn’t know if Patrick will be ready for the season opener. In fact, it looks unlikely that the 20-year-old will be ready for the start of the season. Patrick, the team’s second overall pick back in 2016, has struggled in his development over two years although injuries didn’t help that. However, the team finally went out and traded for the rights to center Kevin Hayes and then eventually signed him to be their second-line center, which would allow Patrick more time to develop as a third-line option instead. However, now an upper-body injury has held him back throughout training camp even though he has skated on his own since then, suggesting it could be another concussion-related injury, although nothing is confirmed on that. The team hopes Patrick will be back as quickly as possible.
  • Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan reports that two Washington Capitals skaters, including Lars Eller and Michal Kempny were skating Saturday. Eller has been out with a upper body injury, while Kempny has been dealing with a hamstring injury. No word on what their status will be for the start of the regular season.

 

 

Training Camp Cuts: 09/18/19

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Like always, we’ll keep track of all the training camp cuts right here. Keep checking back to see the updated list:

Arizona Coyotes (per team release)

D Kevin Bahl (to Ottawa, OHL)

Buffalo Sabres (per team release)

F Matej Pekar (to Barrie, OHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Tyler Angle (to Windsor, OHL)
D Eric Hjorth (to Sarnia, OHL)

Dallas Stars (per team release)

D Dawson Barteaux (to Red Deer, WHL)

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

F Luke Esposito (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Ostap Safin (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Beau Starrett (to Bakersfield, AHL)
F Nolan Vesey (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Vincent Desharnais (to Bakersfield, AHL)
D Jake Kulevich (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Los Angeles Kings (per team release)

F Aidan Dudas (to Owen Sound, OHL)
F Arthur Kaliyev (to Hamilton, OHL)
D Jordan Spence (to Moncton, QMJHL)
G Jacob Ingham (to Kitchener, OHL)
G Lukas Parik (to Spokane, WHL)
F Jonathan Yantsis (released from ATO)
D Billy Constantinou (released from ATO)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

D Gianni Fairbrother (to Everett, WHL)

New York Islanders (per Blainville-Boisbriand team release)

D Samuel Bolduc (to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)

F Egor Serdyuk (to Victoriaville, QMJHL)
D Egor Zamula (to Calgary, WHL)
D Mason Millman (to Saginaw, OHL)
D Wyatte Wylie (to Everett, WHL)
F Max Golod (released from ATO)
F Ben McCartney (released from ATO)
F Mika Cyr (released from ATO)
D Sean Comrie (released from ATO)

Tampa Bay Lightning (per team release)

F Gabriel Fortier (to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
F Maxim Cajkovic (to Saint John, QMJHL)
D Quinn Schmiemann (to Kamloops, WHL)
F Eli Zummack (released from ATO)
D Louis Crevier (released from ATO)
D Cody Donaghey (released from ATO)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

D Xavier Bouchard (to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
D Connor Corcoran (to Windsor, OHL)
D Kaedan Korczak  (to Kelowna, WHL)
F Mason Primeau  (to North Bay, OHL)

Philadelphia Flyers Agree To Terms With Travis Konecny

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The Philadelphia Flyers have locked up their final restricted free agent, this time agreeing to terms with Travis Konecny. The young forward will sign a six-year contract that will carry an average annual value of $5.5MM. Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher released a short statement on the deal:

We are happy to have Travis under contract for the next six seasons. Travis has shown progression in each of his three seasons and is an integral part of our group of young forwards. His speed, skill and tenacity sets him apart in today’s NHL.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic—who accurately suggested Bo Horvat’s six-year $33MM deal was a comparable this morning—provides the full breakdown:

  • 2019-20: $1.0MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
  • 2020-21: $3.0MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
  • 2021-22: $5.25MM salary
  • 2022-23: $3.75MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $6.0MM salary
  • 2024-25: $4.0MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus

Konecny, 22, was the 24th overall pick in the 2015 draft but quickly acclimated himself to the NHL level. Playing a full season in 2016-17 he showed off some impressive playmaking skills, and has now posted consecutive 24-goal campaigns over the last two years. The talented forward still hasn’t been able to break 50 points in a single year, but at least some of the reason for that is a simple lack of opportunity. Konecny averaged just over 15 minutes of ice time last season which was actually a career-high, and wasn’t a regular member of the first powerplay unit.

There’s no real guarantee that the man-advantage opportunity will increase for Konecny this season, but he should see more time at even-strength. He now slides in as the fifth-highest paid forward on the team, and with a huge investment in him the Flyers should be giving him every chance to succeed. If they do, that $5.5MM cap hit could become a bargain very quickly, especially compared to some of the other numbers his 2015 draft-mates are starting to pull in.

For the Flyers, they now have several pieces of their offense locked in long-term, but will have one more key negotiation coming up next summer with Nolan Patrick. Konecny joins Jakub Voracek, Kevin Hayes, Ivan Provorov, Shayne Gostisbehere and James van Riemsdyk with deals that carry through at least the 2022-23 season, while Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux still have three years each on their respective contracts.

Still, the team doesn’t have much cap space as they head into the season. Currently projected at just over $80.3MM in salary commitments for 21 roster players, the team may have to move players up and down regularly to accrue any additional room.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Draft Rankings, Konecny, Laine

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With training camp underway and the 2019-20 regular season just around the corner, Bob McKenzie of TSN has released his annual preseason draft rankings. This list is compiled from the opinions of ten active scouts around the league and given context by McKenzie, who will update throughout the year. It comes as little surprise to find Alexis Lafreniere leading the group, though none of them listed him as “in a class by himself.”

That may raise some eyebrows after Lafreniere took home the CHL Player of the Year award following his 105-point season with the Rimouski Oceanic, but it speaks to the strength of the players behind him. Those nipping at Lafreniere’s heels? They include power forwards, pure goal scorers, talented playmakers and even a potential franchise goaltender.

  • After the trio of high profile restricted free agents all signed contracts over the past week, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) examines what that will mean for next year’s crop. Mikhail Sergachev and Thomas Chabot are the focus of his musing, each in very different situations in Tampa Bay and Ottawa. LeBrun also gives an update on the ongoing negotiations with Philadelphia Flyers Travis Konecny, noting that there is “at least a path ahead” and giving a potential comparable of Bo Horvat’s $5.5MM average annual value. Horvat signed a six-year, $33MM deal in September 2017 following his first 20-goal campaign.
  • Patrik Laine has begun practicing with SC Bern of the Swiss NLA as expected, explaining that he knew the coaching staff and thought it was a perfect place to stay in shape. The team’s head coach is Kari Jalonen, who had Laine on the Finland World Championship roster in 2016 where they won a silver medal. Laine was named the Most Valuable Player of that tournament, scoring seven goals in ten games.

Metropolitan Notes: Jarry, Johnson, Patrick, Kempny

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have a goaltending dilemma approaching them. The team has three goaltenders who are competing for the two spots on the Penguins roster with Tristan Jarry battling with incumbent Casey DeSmith for the backup spot behind Matt Murray. However, while the competition was the exact same one year ago, the Penguins were able to keep all three by simply sending Tristan Jarry to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.

That may not be as easy this year, according to TribLive’s Seth Rohrabaugh. Jarry, who was waiver exempt last season, no longer will be, meaning Pittsburgh would have to pass him through waivers if they want to send Jarry back to the AHL. Rohrabaugh adds that the Penguins did attempt to move the 24-year-old this summer, but failed to get a decent return on any trade. However, general manger Jim Rutherford may have no choice but to look at trade options once again and even have to settle for a late draft pick as there is a good chance the team could lose him if Jarry can’t beat out DeSmith. Either way, there is a good chance Pittsburgh might lose one of their goaltenders before the season starts.

  • Sticking with the Penguins, The Athletic’s Rob Rossi (subscription required) writes that while Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson says he’s equal at playing on both sides of the defense, head coach Mike Sullivan says he intends to move him back to his natural left-side in hopes of getting more out of the 32-year-old blueliner. Sullivan prefers to keep all his defensemen on their natural side, if possible. At the moment, the coach has Johnson penciled in next to Justin Schultz, who brought out the best in him.
  • Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi reports that Philadelphia Flyers forward Nolan Patrick skated today and attended a team meeting, but the 20-year-old is considered week-to-week due to an upper-body injury. Patrick, who already moved back a line after the team signed Kevin Hayes this summer, must prove that he can avoid the injury bug as the center has struggled off and on with minor injuries throughout his first two seasons.
  • J.J. Regan of NBC Sports writes that Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny is doubtful to play in the preseason after undergoing surgery to repair a torn left hamstring in April, but the Capitals hope that he might be ready for the start of the regular season. Kempny, who has become one of Washington’s most reliable defensemen since they acquired him from Chicago at the 2018 trade deadline, but the 29-year-old hasn’t skated yet at any team practices.

Metropolitan Notes: Konecny, Kuznetsov, Rust, Van Riemsdyk

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There was some hope that after Ivan Provorov signed, the Philadelphia Flyers would put all their attention to their other unsigned restricted free agent, Travis Konecny with the hopes of getting him to training camp as quickly as possible. Instead, that hasn’t happened yet with Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi reporting today that no progress was made between the two sides on Saturday.

Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault expressed his disappointment that Konecny isn’t in camp yet as he will be missing valuable time learning the new coach’s system.

“I’m very disappointed that T.K. is not here,” Vigneault said after his first practice leading the Flyers (via NBC Sports’ Jordan Hall). “It’s the start of a new era, a new group, I felt that it was very important for everybody to be here.  With my time in the NHL, my experience, anybody that falls behind — whether it’s injury or in T.K.’s situation not coming to camp — usually it takes them a little bit of time to get back at it, especially at this time with a new coaching staff and new way of doing things. It’s unfortunate, but I’m going to work with the players that are here and going to work extremely hard with those players.”

Konecny could also find himself sliding down the lineup if he can’t get back to camp quickly. On day two of training camp, Vigneault used rookie Joel Farabee (in place of Konecny) with first-liners Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux, with the rookie faring quite well and getting praise from Vigneault.

“He showed that he belonged there,” said Vigneault.

  • With a three-game suspension hanging over Evgeny Kuznetsov to start the season for inappropriate behavior, Washington Capitals head coach Todd Reirden suggested that Kuznetsov is likely to get a lot of exhibition action during the preseason to make up for the three suspended games, according to Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan. NHL.com’s Tom Gulliti adds that Kuznetsov’s $7.8MM AAV will not against the Washington Capitals salary cap during the suspension, which could be a benefit to the team, which is currently over the cap.
  • The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) writes in his most recent mailbag column that the Pittsburgh Penguins most valuable and likely trade chip is forward Bryan Rust. The 27-year-old scored 18 goals and 35 points last season and is a key depth option, but at $3.5MM per season, Rust is the perfect candidate to solve some of the team’s cap issues, although the Penguins’ preference is to find a team that would be willing to take on Jack Johnson and his four years at $3.25MM AAV contract.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes revealed that they don’t expect defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to be ready for the start of the season, according to NHL.com’s Michael Smith. The 28-year-old van Riemsdyk underwent surgery on his left shoulder in May and has been cleared to begin skating without contact after team practices. “I don’t expect him to be ready for the start of the season,” Hurricanes President and General Manager Don Waddell said. “It just depends on how things go for him. There’s no reason to rush him back in game one or game two. It’s a long season. If we’re going to go deep, we’re going to need him. We’ll be very patient.”

 

Training Camp Notes: Byfuglien, Dach, Perry

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The Winnipeg Jets today announced that Dustin Byfuglien has been granted a leave of absence from the team and will not be participating at the start of training camp. Head coach Paul Maurice and GM Kevin Cheveldayoff both explained that it is not injury related and that it is “nothing sinister.” There is no timetable for his return, but hopefully he can get whatever it is sorted out quickly.

More notes from around training camp:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have given an update on the status of top prospect Kirby Dach after he was removed from a game during the prospect tournament recently. Dach is in the concussion protocol and will not be in the Blackhawks lineup when they start their exhibition schedule. Philipp Kurashev, who left the same game (along with two others), will not practice today with left knee and shoulder contusions. Calvin de Haan, who is still recovering from shoulder surgery, also now has a groin strain and is expected to be out for another two to three weeks.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have officially announced that Zach Bogosian, Matt Hunwick, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Lawrence Pilut will not take part in training camp due to injury. These had been previously reported, but it is still disappointing for a player like Pilut who has a chance to make a big impact on the NHL club this season.
  • Nolan Patrick wasn’t on the ice when the Philadelphia Flyers opened camp, sidelined with an upper-body injury according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. After missing much of his draft season with various injuries, Patrick has battled minor ailments through each of his first two NHL seasons but still managed to play in 145 games. Still waiting for his breakout, missing camp would be a frustrating outcome for the 20-year old forward.
  • Though all the questions were about Julis Honka’s trade request, the Dallas Stars also announced that Corey Perry has a small fracture in his foot and will be reevaluated in two weeks according to Sean Shapiro of The Athletic. That isn’t a good start for Perry in Dallas where he’s trying to revitalize his career following a buyout from the Anaheim Ducks.

Philadelphia Flyers Re-Sign Ivan Provorov

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Deadlines bring action and with training camps set to open, yet another restricted free agent has agreed to terms on a new contract. The Philadelphia Flyers have re-signed defenseman Ivan Provorov to a long-term extension. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the full terms of the contract, which is six years and $40.5MM, a $6.75MM AAV. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic gives us the breakdown:

  • 2019-20: $6.75MM salary
  • 2020-21: $2.75MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
  • 2021-22: $4.125MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
  • 2022-23: $2.75MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $5.5MM salary + $3.0MM signing bonus
  • 2024-25: $6.625MM salary + $2MM signing bonus

After a drawn-out negotiation, the Flyers wind up with a very reasonable contract for Provorov. Among the top young defensemen in the NHL and certainly the No. 1 defenseman in Philadelphia, the 22-year-old Provorov nevertheless settles for a cap hit that ranks just 16th among fellow defenders, tied with veterans Mark Giordano and Ryan McDonagh. Figuring for cap inflation and the corresponding rise in salaries over the next six years as well, this should prove to be a bargain if Provorov continues to progress. He is already a proven workhorse when it comes to big minutes and has shown the ability to produce at a high level. For his new price tag, continued success in those areas could make his a steal.

Of course, there is still risk to the new pact for the Flyers. If Provorov does continue to improve, the team could risk losing him at the end of this contract. He will be an unrestricted free agent and, at 28 years old, it will be just in time for another long-term deal. Philly may have to pay up to keep the 2015 seventh overall pick with the team that drafted him. The flip side is that there is also a chance that Provorov has already reached the peak of his ability and, if so, this deal may not bring the value that the Flyers hope. Provorov still has several holes to his game, including struggles on the power play and matching up at even strength with tough competition. The team has to hope that he still has room to grow and learn over the course of the new deal to better reflect his new cap hit.

With both Provorov and Zach Werenski signed, the pressure is now on for Charlie McAvoy and the Boston Bruins to agree to a new deal, as he is the final big-name RFA defenseman available. McAvoy’s camp is likely ready to take the last best offer, after both comparable players signed team-friendly deals. McAvoy is a younger and more dynamic player than Provorov, but has more still to prove after struggling with injuries in his first two seasons. The young defenseman is a better fit for Werenski’s recent contract structure than the deal just signed by Provorov, but he and the Bruins now have to options to consider.

Morning Notes: Theodore, Flyers, Pettersson

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You can bet Shea Theodore didn’t have the summer he was expecting. After failing a random drug test at the World Championship because of an elevated hormone level, Theodore was informed that it was not because of a supplement but he in fact had testicular cancer and would need surgery right away. The Vegas Golden Knights defenseman opened up about the situation in an article for the Players’ Tribune today, explaining that though it was a frightful time in his life he has fully recovered.

Theodore said that Phil Kessel reached out this summer to give his support, given that the veteran forward dealt with the same diagnosis years ago. Theodore credits that drug test with potentially saving him from a battle that would have much more difficult, and implores everyone to get checked regularly and be open with your physician.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers are getting closer to a deal with Ivan Provorov, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. The two sides are still working through the negotiation and both three and six year deals are on the table, but things have turned positive in recent days. It seems as though things aren’t so rosy for the other Flyers’ RFA, as McKenzie tweets that Travis Konecny is not close to a new deal. The pair are huge parts of the Philadelphia future and will hopefully join the team in training camp soon with freshly inked deals.
  • That’s exactly what is happening for Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson, who is joining the team and expected to sign in the “next day or so” according to McKenzie. The deal will be a short-term contract, but would mean the team has their full complement of players in camp. The Penguins do appear to have too many NHL-caliber defensemen on the roster at the moment, meaning a trade or waivers is coming for at least one. Of course, that is contingent on the rest of the group staying healthy through camp, which is not a certainty anywhere around the NHL.

Latest On Ivan Provorov

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1:25pm: Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the two sides had been working on a six-year deal, but that things may have changed since Werenski’s signing. He adds that Provorov will not sign the same three-year, $15MM contract and noted in response to a reader that a six-year at $7MM per season “may get it done.”

9:35am: After Columbus Blue Jackets’ defenseman Zach Werenski agreed to a three-year bridge deal in order to get a new deal signed before training camp started, heads turned to Charlie McAvoy of the Boston Bruins and Ivan Provorov of the Philadelphia Flyers to see who would be next. Both young defensemen are in similar situations to Werenski, looking for big raises after solid starts to their careers. For Provorov at least, it seems to have moved things along. His agent Todd Diamond spoke to Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet today and reported that they and the Flyers were closer yesterday on a contract than they had been for weeks, and that things are starting to move in the right direction.

Provorov, 22, was taken just ahead of Werenski in the 2015 draft and has played all 246 games for the Flyers over the last three seasons. The former Brandon Wheat Kings superstar took almost no time at all to adjust to the speed of the NHL, recording 30 points and playing 22 minutes a night as a rookie. That ice time has only increased, to the point where Provorov was averaging more than 25 minutes a night in 2018-19, putting him sixth in the league in that category. Unfortunately his offense took a step backwards last season and the left-handed defenseman recorded just 26 points including just two on the powerplay. Granted, Shayne Gostisbehere is the lead dog when the Flyers have a man-advantage, but if Provorov is ever to become that Norris-caliber defenseman that some believed he could be, he’ll need to create more offense in one way or another.

Still, there’s no doubt that he is one of the most important players on the Flyers roster. Depending on term, he very well could become the highest-paid defenseman on the team, eclipsing Matt Niskanen’s $5.75MM cap hit. Whether he follows Werenski down the path of a bridge deal is unclear, but that would at least give the two sides more time to negotiate a long-term deal down the road.

If a bridge deal does come out for Provorov, it will be important to note his salary in the final season. That will determine the qualifying offer that follows the deal, which could—like Werenski—walk him right into unrestricted free agency. Provorov is currently scheduled to reach UFA status in the summer of 2023.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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