Nolan Patrick Out With Upper-Body Injury
The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that young forward Nolan Patrick will be out for seven to ten days with an upper-body injury suffered yesterday in Ottawa. Patrick played just 3:30 in the first period before leaving with the injury, one that only furthers the tough start to his 2018-19 campaign.
Selected second overall in 2017, Patrick was actually expected for quite some time to go even higher than that until several injuries ruined his draft season with the Brandon Wheat Kings. While Nico Hischier soared up draft boards in Halifax, eventually landing in the top spot, Patrick played just 33 games and was held completely out of the WHL playoffs. Still, he did make the Flyers out of camp last season and ended up playing 73 games, but didn’t have nearly the impact that Hischier enjoyed in New Jersey. In those 73 contests Patrick scored 30 points, but was limited to fewer than 13 minutes of ice time 24 times—something that Hischier experienced on just three occasions after quickly taking over as a top center option.
The comparison between the two will likely die down eventually, but Patrick hasn’t done much to quiet his critics early in the season. He’s been held scoreless in all four contest so far and before Wednesday’s short outing had registered a minus rating in every game. Though that certainly doesn’t tell the entire story, it’s obvious that the Flyers still don’t fully trust him as a top option down the middle. The fact that he’s now dealing with an injury is unfortunate given the rough start, especially as the team is also missing out on James van Riemsdyk and could use Patrick’s help on the powerplay.
Snapshots: Gagner, Despres, Flyers, Bruins-Red Wings
Count Sam Gagner among the many of us surprised by his waiver placement and subsequent loan by the Vancouver Canucks. Sportsnet’s Luke Fox recently sat down with Gagner, now re-located to Toronto to play for the AHL’s Marlies this season, and found that the veteran forward “didn’t see it coming”. Just one year into a three-year, $9.45MM contract, Gagner said he was “shocked” that the Canucks had decided to move on so quickly. “I came to camp prepared, I had a really good summer of work, I did well on the [fitness] tests, I thought I played pretty well in pre-season…”, but it was all for naught, as Vancouver decided to move forward with their young players, leaving Gagner as the odd man out. To make matters worse, the Toronto native had just re-located his young family to Vancouver, only to get reassigned to Toronto, where he currently lives with his parents. Gagner has been a serviceable albeit streaky player throughout his playing days, but after this surprising and unfortunate shift in his career, one can only hope that a more permanent solution for Gagner and his family comes around sooner rather than later.
- TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that veteran defenseman Simon Despres has opted not to sign with the AHL’s Laval Rocket. Despres, a former first-round pick and NHL regular with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks, struggled with injuries and was more or less forced out of the league in recent years. After finally returning to full health last season and performing well with the KHL’s HC Slovan Bratislava, Despres expressed an interest in returning to the NHL this year. Interestingly, he specifically mentioned his interest in the relatively new AHL franchise in his hometown of Laval and signed a PTO with the Montreal Canadiens this summer in hopes of landing a two-way contract where he could play in Laval and potentially work his way onto the Habs’ roster. He fell short of that goal, but a one-way AHL contract with the Rocket seemed like the next-best thing. Instead, Lavoie indicates that Despres has chosen the unknown over minor league certainty. He has no plans for the season right now, but won’t be accepting an AHL contract and could certainly entertain offers back in Europe.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have announced their support group for captain Claude Giroux, naming their alternate captains for the season. Wayne Simmonds, an impending free agent but a fan favorite and respected veteran, will wear the “A” at all times this year. On the road, the elder statesman of the blue line, Andrew MacDonald, will serve as an alternate. Back at home, 2017-18’s breakout star Sean Couturier will be the other alternate. With a substantial number of young players playing key roles for Philly, their leadership corps has an important role to play if the Flyers are to be contenders this season.
- The Bruins have made things easier for Boston sports fans this Saturday. With the Boston Red Sox eliminating the New York Yankees in the ALDS on Tuesday night, the team moves on to the ALCS to face the Houston Astros with Game One taking place on Saturday night. The Bruins were also scheduled to play on Saturday night, facing the Detroit Red Wings at 7pm ET. However, the team announced that they have re-scheduled the game for 3pm ET to avoid the conflict with the Red Sox game. Head coach Bruce Cassidy recently spoke about his support for the Bruins’ baseball counterparts and the privilege of coaching in a city with so much fan support and success across all four major sports.
2018-19 NCAA Players To Watch
Just like their professional and junior counterparts, the college hockey season is underway. With each passing year, the NCAA’s influence on the world of hockey grows. The NHL boasts more than a few top rookies fresh out of the college ranks this season and those still in school in 2018-19 will soon join them. This year’s crop of talent is sticking with the trend, with several players in need of watching:
The Recent Draft Picks
D Quinn Hughes, Michigan (VAN): Hughes very nearly signed his first pro contract with the Vancouver Canucks this summer before deciding to return to Michigan. The seventh overall pick back in June, Hughes was the second defenseman off the board behind top pick Rasmus Dahlin, and many even saw No. 7 as being a steal for Vancouver. An electric skater who can’t help but draw the eyes of spectators as he moves effortlessly around the ice, Hughes pairs his skating ability with the vision and positioning that makes him a threat in all three zones. Hughes also has an NCAA season under his belt already and should be even more prepared to dominate opponents this season. Hughes is a complete two-way defenseman and the centerpiece of a Wolverines team that was a Frozen Four finalist last year. Hughes himself could be eyeing the Hobey Baker Award this season. Michigan almost had Hughes’ younger brother and presumptive top 2019 pick Jack Hughes joining them this season, before he decided to stick with the U.S. National Development Program for another year before almost certainly turning pro.
F Oliver Wahlstrom, Boston College (NYI): Perhaps the most gifted goal scorer of the 2018 draft class, Wahlstrom was a late addition to BC’s freshman class, changing his commitment from Harvard, and the Eagles could not be happier. Wahlstrom is a rare combination of both high-end skill and hard-nosed play who dominated with the U.S. National Development Program last year. The right winger has had the attention of scouts for his puck-handling ability since he was nine years old, but as he’s grown up he has also filled out his frame and added a menacing physical element to his game. Wahlstrom can skate and possess the puck as well as anyone, but is even more of a threat as the go-to shooter, which he will be skating with a roster of play-makers up front for BC. Wahlstrom could be the next big NHL power forward and may very well be one-and-done in the NCAA if he continues to score at a torrid pace this year and force the hand of the rebuilding New York Islanders, who selected him with the eleventh pick this past year.
F Joel Farabee, Boston Univ. (PHI): Wahlstrom’s teammate with the U.S. National Development program last season, Farabee was the one feeding Wahlstrom most of the time with 43 assists to his linemate’s 48 goals. Farabee is now a cross-town rival of Wahlstrom’s as he joins the uber-talented BU Terriers. Farabee is a threatening presence in the offensive zone, but is even more dangerous due to his two-way ability. An extremely intelligent winger who is beyond his years in terms of decision-making and positioning, Farabee is as responsible a freshman forward as you can find in the NCAA. He may not light up the score sheet right away this year, but will no doubt make a difference for the title-chasing Terriers. Farabee’s style bodes well for an NHL career in Philadelphia, after the Flyers used the No. 14 pick on him in June.
F Jay O’Brien, Providence (PHI): Some considered it a reach when the Flyers used their second first-round pick on O’Brien, another college-bound forward and one who was coming from the prep school ranks with Thayer Academy. However, the 19th overall pick more than earned his draft slot after scoring 80 points in 30 games while also displaying an impressive two-way game. O’Brien now bring his talents to Providence, a program that lost their top two scorers from last season and are looking for their next star forward. O’Brien could emerge as both the top scoring threat and dependable defensive forward for the Friars in his first collegiate season. O’Brien is also ready to take on Hockey East competition with a gritty games that all Philly and Providence fans will appreciate.
The Soon-To-Be NHLers
D Cale Makar, UMass (COL): Few will argue that Makar isn’t the best prospect in the NCAA, if not the best drafted player not playing in the NHL. The smooth-skating defenseman was the fourth overall pick in 2017 by the Colorado and would be skating on the Avs’ top pair right now if he had not committed himself to Amherst and to entering the pros as well-rounded as possible. Makar possesses elite puck-handling skills and vision and can out-skate almost anyone in the college ranks. Makar should improve upon his 21 points in an up-and-down freshman campaign and could flirt with point-per-game production from the blue line. The newly-named UMass captain, along with talented fellow defenseman Mario Ferraro (SJS) and top forward John Leonard (SJ) have the Minutemen thinking NCAA Tournament for the first time in years, while Makar could easily be a Hobey Baker candidate.
G Jake Oettinger, Boston Univ. (DAL): Oettinger nearly turned pro this off-season, but returns to BU with his sights set on backstopping the team to a national championship. A first-round pick at No. 26 in 2017, Oettinger was selected by the Dallas Stars with the expectations that he would be the heir apparent in net. Even with the emergence of Colton Point, the Dallas job is still there for the taking. The team’s veteran duo of Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin won’t be around forever and Oettinger could conceivably compete for starts as early as 2020. Expect the big goaltender to put up stellar numbers behind a deep Terrier defense this season before joining the pro ranks next year.
F Ryan Poehling, St. Cloud (MTL): Poehling was drafted for his intelligent, professional, two-way style and Montreal hoped he would develop into a capable bottom-six center. However, they have to be pleased with the improvement in his offense, after he registered 31 points in 36 games for a St. Cloud team that was top seed in the NCAA Tournament. Poehling lacks the high-end skill of other first-round prospects, but the 2017 No. 25 pick makes up for his skating and hands with positioning and composure. Poehling should again improve this season while maintaining his elite defensive play and could be in the running for the Hobey Baker Award, especially if the Huskies are dominant yet again. The Canadiens prospect should then compete for a roster spot right away next season.
The Trade Return
F Josh Norris, Michigan (OTT): The recent centerpiece prospect of the Erik Karlsson trade, a lot of eyes in Ottawa will be on the performance of Norris this season. The entire top line of the Michigan Wolverines’ Final Four roster has moved on to the pros, leaving Norris as the team’s top center. The No. 19 pick in 2017 by the San Jose Sharks, Norris is a freak athlete who can hold his own against anyone in the NCAA. The Senators’ new addition also has a deceptively quick release on his shot and is deadly accurate with both passing and shooting. Norris simply needs to embrace his role for Michigan, both carrying the puck and shooting more often. Some more experience, specifically as the team’s top scoring option, should go a long way for the promising center’s development.
F Shane Bowers, Boston Univ. (COL): Of course, who can forget the top center prospect that Ottawa recently traded away themselves. Bowers, part of the regrettable package that the Senators sent to the Colorado Avalanche for Matt Duchene, is set to be the go-to guy up front for BU this season. Bowers’ 32 points in 40 games last season ranked third last season for the Terriers, but with Jordan Greenway and Brady Tkachuk now gone, Bowers should be the top option and could be a dark horse Hobey Baker candidate on a talented BU team that should provide plenty of scoring chances. Bowers is quick-thinking and quick-skating offensive presence who is especially dangerous on the power play and works the puck down low perhaps better than anyone in the college ranks. A breakout campaign for Bowers should give the 2017 No. 28 pick an opportunity to compete for a spot among the Avs’ young forward corps next year.
D Adam Fox, Harvard (CAR): Fox, entering his junior year with the Harvard Crimson, has already seen his NHL rights traded. Fox had allegedly expressed a resistance to signing with the Calgary Flames, but so far no such sentiment has been associated with his new team, the Carolina Hurricanes. Fox is a mature, intelligent defender who has been a point-per-game player in college and especially excels as a power play quarterback. However, Fox is more than capable on the back end as well. Assuming he is yet again producing a Hobey Baker campaign for Harvard this year, Fox seems like a prime candidate for a late-season contract and brief tryout with the Hurricanes. Carolina’s depth on defense may block him from being a full time NHLer for a few years, but when Fox finally does land that job, he has the complete game to be a dangerous presence on any blue line.
The Top Prospect
D Ben Brinkman, Minnesota: If there is one thing that the 2018-19 NCAA class lacks, it is many standout draft-eligible prospects. Brinkman alone is a candidate for early selection next June, but the Minnesota native is a surefire first-rounder. The Gophers have rarely given a true freshman defenseman the role and minutes expected of Brinkman this season, but the teen blue liner is a special talent. A smooth skater who excels with the puck on his stick, it will be no surprise to see Brinkman frequently carry the puck up and start the rush for Minnesota and he should see ample power play time as well. Brinkman is no slouch in his own zone either, as he plays a competent game that allowed him to shut down high school competition. The adjustment to the college level will come with some lumps for the young defenseman, but Brinkman should emerge from this season as a bona fide NHL prospect.
James Van Riemsdyk Out Five To Six Weeks
James van Riemsdyk‘s latest tenure with the Philadelphia Flyers isn’t off to a good start, as the team announced today that the forward will miss the next five to six weeks with a lower-body injury. The injury was sustained in the Flyers’ recent game against the Colorado Avalanche.
The return of van Riemsdyk to Philadelphia, where he was drafted 11 years ago was supposed to be a triumphant one after six excellent seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 29-year old winger registered 154 goals during his time in Toronto, including 36 last season. A dominant presence within five feet of the net, van Riemsdyk can provide the Flyers with a different offensive weapon to support the other superstars up front. Unfortunately the team will now have to wait quite a while to see his first goal back in a Philadelphia uniform, as five weeks takes them into the middle of November.
Philadelphia is off to a 1-1 start this season after a pair of 5-2 games and will welcome the San Jose Sharks in on Tuesday to continue their season. After an impressive year in 2017-18, Claude Giroux will be looking to lead them back to the playoffs and perhaps a Metropolitan Division crown. Their big offseason addition won’t be able to help for now, but hopefully van Riemsdyk can return to full health this season and contribute towards those goals.
Morning Notes: Mason, Van Riemsdyk, Hutchinson, Maroon
While there are a few free agents still out on the market, one may not be coming back. Free agent goaltender Steve Mason may be ready to hang up his skates despite having received an offer from an NHL team looking for a backup, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston on Saturday Headlines.
“He had a ton of injuries last season, he had concussion and knee issues, he’s been through a lot in his career, and the sense is he may actually be done in the NHL,” Johnston said.
Mason signed a two-year, $8.2MM deal last offseason with the Winnipeg Jets, but was limited to just 13 games due to multiple concussions and a knee injury. He finished the season with a 3.24 GAA and a .906 save percentage. The Jets, looking to free up some cap space, sent Mason, Joel Armia and two draft picks to Montreal for prospect Simon Bourque (who has since been released) to unload him. Montreal bought Mason out not long thereafter, making him a free agent.
- The Philadelphia Flyers will have to wait until Monday to find out the injury status of marquee free agent James van Riemsdyk, who was hit in his right knee during the first period of Saturday’s game against Colorado and was forced to leave the game, according to Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi. The 29-year-old posted 36 goals last season for Toronto and would be a big loss if he had to miss any stretch of time. “I’m concerned he wasn’t able to come back,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “I don’t know the extent of it.”
- The Athletic’s George Richards reports that the Florida Panthers intend to recall Michael Hutchinson from Springfield of the AHL at some point in the next few days, but with the team not playing again until Thursday, the team doesn’t have to make an immediate move. The Panthers signed Hutchinson this offseason, who has more than 100 games of NHL experience, as the team’s third-string goalie for this reason as Luongo has a long injury history. Hutchinson played 26 games for the Manitoba Moose of the AHL last season and boasted a .936 save percentage. Due to injuries, however, he only made three appearances with the Jets last year.
- St. Louis Blues’ Pat Maroon could be playing himself into a long-term extension with his play Saturday night, according to The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (subscription required). The 6-foot-3, 225-pound power forward dominated the game for the St. Louis Blues, despite eventually falling in overtime to Chicago. Maroon, who signed a one-year, $1.75MM contract to return to him hometown, could walk away with a more lucrative deal after the season is over if he continues to play the way he did Saturday.
Metropolitan Notes: Namestnikov, Copley, Hagg, Sanheim
The New York Rangers and new head coach David Quinn sent an early message to forward Vladislav Namestnikov Saturday when the team benched him in favor of veteran Cody McLeod for today’s game against Buffalo. While Quinn said the move was meant more to reward the play of McLeod, it’s obvious the team’s new coach is sending a message to Namestnikov, according to New York Post’s Larry Brooks.
The scribe believes this is Quinn’s message to the team to play physical “in your face” hockey and not doing that, is unacceptable. Namestnikov didn’t make that adjustment in his game against Nashville on Thursday and hasn’t played physically all preseason. Enter McLeod, the 34-year-old veteran.
“Cody had a good camp, he played well, and I think he will bring a little more pace and energy to the group,” Quinn said before the optional morning skate. “This will give him a chance to continue to build off his camp. Vladdy and I had a good conversation. He’s still fighting his way through it.”
- The Athletic’s Chris Kuk, in a mailbag piece (subscription required) writes that while the Washington Capitals could have considered going after a backup goaltender in the waiver wire last week, the team’s No. 1 priority was going after a forward to replace the loss of Tom Wilson, who was suspended for 20 games. They did that when they claimed Dmitrij Jaskins. However, Kuk doesn’t believe the team would have gone after a goaltender anyway as they feel that starter Braden Holtby can take a bigger load early in the season as the team monitors the play of Pheonix Copley. If they feel at the trade deadline that Copley isn’t the answer, they can trade for one then.
- While the Philadelphia Flyers have little to worry about when it comes to offense when it has two players capable of putting up 30 goals in James van Riemsdyk and Wayne Simmonds, the team does have to worry about its defense. Even with two of the top young defenders on their roster in Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov, the team really needs to develop second year players Robert Hagg and Travis Sanheim, according to Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi. Both players had their ups and downs last year. The physical Hagg started the season strong, but struggled as the season wore on, while Sanheim was sent to the AHL early on in the season last year and came back much improved. If the two can show some consistency this year, the Flyers chances of a playoff run could be much improved.
Anthony Stolarz Clears Waivers
Oct. 6: Stolarz has cleared waivers, reports Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post. That will pave the way for him to be assigned to Lehigh Valley of the AHL.
Oct. 5: The Philadelphia Flyers claimed Calvin Pickard earlier this week when the Toronto Maple Leafs were forced to waive him, and have now done it to their own relatively young goaltender. The team has placed Anthony Stolarz on waivers today, risking him to the rest of the league. The Winnipeg Jets have also placed Simon Bourque on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.
With the selection of Pickard it was obvious that the next move would have to be Stolarz, unless the team wanted to carry three goaltenders for the next little while. With Michal Neuvirth eventually returning, Pickard may actually face the same fate down the road which would allow the Maple Leafs a chance to reacquire him. For Stolarz, there could be another team waiting for a chance to snatch up a young goaltender, though we’ll have to wait and see.
The 24-year old has battled injury for more than a year, playing in only four minor league games last season and somewhat derailing the solid career he’d had up to that point. In 2016-17 when he made his NHL debut, Stolarz impressed with a .928 save percentage in seven appearances and looked like the potential goaltender of the future for the Flyers. He had after all been selected in the second round in 2012 and showed good skills at the minor league level. Since that debut though, undrafted college goaltender Alex Lyon had shown himself a capable prospect in his own right who took the Flyers net for 11 games last season, and uber prospect Carter Hart won his second and third WHL Goaltender of the Year awards.
Hart—and to a lesser degree Felix Sandstrom—is now the future in net for the Flyers despite the fact that Stolarz and Lyon are still both relatively young, leaving little opportunity in the organization for development. The Lehigh Valley Phantoms will want to get Hart as much experience as possible, in order to prepare him to take over the Philadelphia net before long. There’s reason to believe that Stolarz could thrive elsewhere, but he’d need someone to take a chance on him and keep him on the NHL roster. If he is claimed, that team wouldn’t be able to put him in the minor leagues until he cleared for them, giving the Flyers a chance to reacquire him at some point this year. With the Carolina Hurricanes already snatching Curtis McElhinney from the Maple Leafs, and the Chicago Blackhawks closing in on a healthy return for Corey Crawford, there aren’t many obviously needy franchises.
Minor Transactions: 10/05/18
Another outstanding set of season openers last night brought some incredible saves and exciting performances. Now as teams get ready for the weekend, we’ll be watching all the minor moves around the league.
- The St. Louis Blues have called up Chris Thorburn after clearing waivers just a few days ago, and decided to send Niko Mikkola down to the AHL. Mikkola didn’t play in the Blues opener, in which they were defeated 5-1 by the Winnipeg Jets. Thorburn, a veteran forward with 800 games under his belt, may be inserted to give the team a little more experience in their next matchup. The Blues have also shuffled their goaltending assignments. Their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, announced that Evan Fitzpatrick has been reassigned to the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers. With Jordan Binnington and Ville Husso manning the net in San Antonio, the first-year pro Fitzpatrick will see far more play time with Tulsa.
- Rasmus Andersson will get his chance at the NHL a little sooner than expected this season, as he’s been recalled by the Calgary Flames after just one game. Travis Hamonic suffered a facial fracture in the season opener for Calgary when he was fighting Erik Gudbranson and will be out for at least a week. The 21-year old Andersson played 10 games for the Flames last season, and performed quite well in the preseason.
- The Boston Bruins have sent Urho Vaakanainen back to Providence to play for their AHL team, delaying his NHL debut a little longer. Vaakanainen, the Bruins first-round pick from 2017, will start his North American career in the minor leagues and try to make an impact right away. The smooth skating defenseman is fairly polished in his own end already, and should be able to provide a boost to the Providence blue line this season.
- Collin Delia didn’t even get time to unpack his bags for the Chicago Blackhawks, as the team has sent the young goaltender back to the minor leagues. Delia came up to fill in for an injured Anton Forsberg, who took a puck up high in practice, but will return to his place with the Rockford IceHogs this season.
- Former Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Philip Samuelsson has signed with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the team announced. Samuelsson, 27, was a second-round pick of the Pens back in 2009 but has never been able to live up to that billing. He has bounced between the Arizona Coyotes’ and Carolina Hurricanes’ organizations over the past few years, but still has just 13 NHL games to his credit. Unable to find a new NHL opportunity this off-season, Ulf Samuelsson‘s son will try to repair his image with a strong minor league campaign this year in hopes of one day returning to the NHL.
- The Arizona Coyotes have sent forward Laurent Dauphin to the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners on a conditioning stint. Dauphin, 23, missed the final 15 game of the regular season last year with a lower-body injury and rehabbed this summer, but remained limited during the preseason. To get him back to full strength, the ‘Yotes will give Dauphin some time to get his legs going in the minors. There won’t be a corresponding call up to Arizona, as players reassigned for conditioning purposes continue to count against the NHL roster.
Canucks Loan Sam Gagner To AHL’s Toronto Marlies
To add insult to injury, Sam Gagner will not start the 2018-19 with the Vancouver Canucks or with their fellow depth options on their AHL team, the Utica Comets. Gagner, who cleared waivers today, has been loaned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, the Canucks announced. Vancouver retains the right to recall Gagner, but normally a reassignment like this is an indication that ties have been cut between the player and the organization.
To be clear, this loan is a favor to the veteran forward. While it stings that Gagner, 29, is not in the Canucks’ plans moving forward, they did him the courtesy of sending him home to Toronto, where he and his wife are raising a young family. A reassignment like this is rare, but not unheard of; for the second season in a row, the Buffalo Sabres sent forward Matt Moulson to the Ontario Reign of the AHL, the Los Angeles Kings’ affiliate, to be closer to his family in California. There is no exchange of assets and no financial strings attached in such a move, as Gagner will simply log his AHL minutes for the Marlies instead of the Comets while counting for $2.125 against Vancouver’s salary cap as a buried player, as opposed to his full $3.15MM cap hit.
Gagner was the biggest surprise of this fall’s preseason waiver wire. The talented forward just signed a three-year contract with the Canucks last summer and registered 31 points in 74 games in his first season. His production was not incredible, but it was far from egregious. He managed to maintain a top-nine role and was one of Vancouver’s top shot-producers, with a 6.1% shooting percentage that was the worst of his career and was bound to regress positively. Gagner has proven throughout his up-and-down career to be perhaps the most system-specific player in the NHL. In the right role in the right scheme with the right mix of players, Gagner has been a potent play-maker and offensive asset. He set a career high of 50 points with the Columbus Blue Jackets just two years ago and was a perennial 40+ point player to begin his career with the Edmonton Oilers. Yet, his production tailed off in Edmonton as the team’s composition began to change and he struggled mightily with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2015-16, managing just 16 points. The remains of his current contract are not an attractive attachment, but it still remains a bit of a surprise that Gagner was unclaimed on waivers given his history of having a high scoring ceiling in the right system.
This very well might not be the end for Gagner, though. At just 29, he still has the potential to play for a lot longer. Like Moulson, he very well could be one of the top scorers for his on-loan club but, unlike Moulson, maintains value around the league and could use his minor league performance to his advantage. The defending champion Calder Cup winners will give Gagner the chance to show off his ability and, with or without an uptick in shooting luck, should be able to dominate at the AHL level. Meanwhile, the Canucks would have little reason not to entertain trade offers. Even in a potential trade with retained salary, Vancouver stands to benefit rather than his current cap hit as a buried veteran. Gagner will remain an intriguing name permanently on the trade block until there is a resolution to his current situation.
Four Players Claimed Off Waivers
The Toronto Maple Leafs came into today with some enviable goaltending depth, but will leave it with question marks at the minor league level. The team has lost both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard on waivers, claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers respectively. The Washington Capitals have also claimed Dmitrij Jaskin from the St. Louis Blues, while the Buffalo Sabres, with the first waiver selection and a need for healthy forwards, snatched Remi Elie from the Dallas Stars.
Gustav Olofsson, who was rumored to be available in trade recently, was placed on waivers today by the Minnesota Wild. The rest of the players from yesterday have cleared, and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.
You can bet the Maple Leafs were expecting at least one goaltender to be claimed, given that they chose to protect the younger Garret Sparks over the proven McElhinney when it came to deciding who would backup Frederik Andersen to start the season, but losing both on the same day does weaken their depth at the position quite a bit. That leaves Kasimir Kaskisuo and Eamon McAdam as the only two other goaltenders under contract, though former top pick Justin Peters was in minor league camp with their AHL club recently.
Both Carolina and Philadelphia are dealing with injury to their NHL netminders, with the Hurricanes in particular facing a stretch of “weeks” without Scott Darling. McElhinney will pair with Petr Mrazek for the Hurricanes for the time being, but after Darling is deemed healthy the team will have to deal with a similar situation to the one Toronto had this week. If the Hurricanes or Flyers try to waive McElhinney or Pickard at any point this season, the Maple Leafs could potentially reclaim them and send them directly to the minor leagues—provided they’re the only team making a claim at that time.
Jaskin and Elie may end up being even more important claims, as both provide some excellent depth for their new clubs for a reasonable price. Jaskin was an effective bottom-six checker for the Blues but didn’t have a chair when the music stopped this time around, given the glut of newcomers finding roles in St. Louis. His 17 points in 76 games last season don’t look like a lot, but given the role that he played and the one he’ll be asked to fill in Washington there’s no reason to believe he can’t still be successful.
Elie on the other hand is just 23 years old still and scraping the surface on his potential. The Sabres will hope they can coax out a legitimate third-line winger out of him down the road, but have once again improved their depth at forward without sacrificing much. Elie is signed for just $735K this season and will still be a restricted free agent next summer, and was picked 40th overall just five years ago. With Scott Wilson facing a long rehab after recent surgery, Elie will likely find himself in the lineup before long and given a chance to contribute on the remade Sabres.