Morning Notes: Poolman, McAvoy, Hextall
The other day, we reported that Winnipeg Jets prospect Tucker Poolman had suffered an injury that would keep him from signing his entry-level deal this season and getting into the Winnipeg lineup. According to Bob McKenzie of TSN, that shoulder injury requires surgery and will keep him out four to six months, and he agrees that it may impact his decision to hit free agency this summer.
Poolman would become a free agent in August and able to sign with any NHL team, though McKenzie wonders if he’d choose to go back to school for another year and come out in 2018 with no restrictions on what kind of contract he could sign. Like Matt Read of the Philadelphia Flyers, who avoided an entry-level deal when he signed in 2011, Poolman could get a one-way deal worth much more than a standard ELC.
- Charlie McAvoy is close to signing an amateur tryout with the Providence Bruins, but that doesn’t stop him from signing an entry-level deal this year if the Bruins feel they are desperate enough. As we discussed in the comments of the article yesterday, and confirmed by McKenzie in the video above, McAvoy would burn a year of his ELC if he should sign for this season despite being only 19. Because he turns 20 between September 16th and December 31st of this year, his contract wouldn’t slide even if he played fewer than 10 games. Like Colin White in Ottawa, this is still a possibility if the team feels as though they could help them win in the playoffs this season.
- Ron Hextall will likely be the GM of Team Canada at the upcoming World Championships, provided Philadelphia doesn’t make the playoffs. The team is currently six points behind Boston for the final spot, but have several teams in between them. Expect former NHL goaltender Sean Burke to also be part of the management team after his involvement in Hockey Canada over the past several years.
Metro Division Notes: Shattenkirk, Provorov, Konecny, Ryan
Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, in the midst of a career season offensively, is poised to become one of, if not the most sought after free agent of the 2017 offseason. We ranked the Capitals blue liner #1 in our mid-season free agent power rankings in January and since moving to Washington from St. Louis at the trade deadline, the 28-year-old has only helped his cause, tallying six assists in 10 games for his new employer. Shattenkirk reportedly rebuffed overtures from three different clubs since the 2016 entry draft who were interested in acquiring the seven year veteran on the condition they could lock him up to a contract extension. With nearly every team in the league looking for skilled, puck-moving defensemen, particularly those that happen to shoot right-handed, there figures to be a robust market for Shattenkirk’s services in July.
Elliotte Friedman, appearing on Toronto’s Sportsnet 590 Friday morning (H/T to Chris Nichols of Fan Rag Sports for the transcription), speculated that one team who may go all-in on Shattenkirk this summer is the New Jersey Devils. The Devils currently rank 28th overall in the NHL in scoring and have just one blue liner, Damon Severson, who has tallied at least 20 points on the season. Clearly they could use a point-producing defender and Shattenkirk will far and away be the top free agent option. Friedman notes that New Jersey will have the cap space ($19.5MM in projected cap space with 17 players under contract for 2017-18 according to Cap Friendly) to essentially outbid any other interested suitor if they so choose.
“I don’t know if Kevin Shattenkirk is going to go there – I still think he wants to be a Ranger. But I could see them throwing a big number at him. They’ve got a lot of cap room. They’ve got a spot for him on their blueline. He’s exactly what they need. It would not surprise me in the least if New Jersey is a team that goes out there and just throws bags of money at him and says, ‘Turn us down.’”
It’s interesting to note that Friedman also believes that Shattenkirk has his sights set on joining the Rangers. The Blue Shirts were among the teams that spoke to the Blues about dealing for the blue liner at the deadline but simply had no desire to meet St. Louis’ high asking price. The thought then was that they were content waiting for the summer when they can add the skilled blue liner without sacrificing any assets to do so. However, given the Rangers heavy, long term commitments to Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, it stands to reason they will have to be creative in fitting a projected Shattenkirk contract under the salary cap. That may mean trading or buying out one of the aforementioned duo.
Elsewhere in the Metro Division:
- While the Philadelphia Flyers are a likely bet to miss the playoffs this season, the development of Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny has been a bright spot, as Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes. Provorov, just 20, has recorded 28 points as a rookie blue liner and has shown the potential to be a top-pair defender for years to come. Konecny, meanwhile, has registered 11 goals with 16 assists and has the elusiveness and creativity the Flyers sorely lack on their roster, according to Carchidi. Flyers GM Ron Hextall wisely avoided the temptation to be a buyer at the trade deadline and instead chose to remain patient with his retooling. The continued development of Provorov and Konecny demonstrate that Hextall’s decision was the correct one.
- Carolina center Derek Ryan has taken an unusual route to becoming a NHL regular, playing professionally in both Austria and Sweden prior to joining the Hurricanes organization. Ryan, who played for current Hurricane head coach Bill peters for the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs, went undrafted and spent four seasons playing collegiate hockey at the University of Alberta before turning pro. Now the 30-year-old rookie is Carolina’s nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, writes Chip Alexander of The News & Observer. Playing on a one-year, two-way contract this season, Ryan has registered 11 goals and 24 points while playing all over the Hurricanes lineup and has likely earned a raise on his $600K salary when he reaches free agency this summer. While he doesn’t qualify as a game-breaking talent, Ryan has proven he belongs in the NHL and is a solid, bottom-six contributor.
Minor Moves: Fischer, Moose, Friedman
The Arizona Coyotes have decided it’s time for Christian Fischer to try and make his mark at the NHL level. The team recalled Fischer today and moved Laurent Dauphin down to the AHL. Fischer, the 32nd-overall pick in 2015 has done nothing but score this season for the Tucson Roadrunners. With 43 points in 51 games, the big offensive upside he showed in Windsor last season—when he scored 90 points in 66 games—hasn’t diminished at all.
Scoring two goals in his first three games earlier this year wasn’t a bad start, but he’ll try to prove he deserves a full-time role on the NHL team as soon as next season. As Sarah McClellan of AZCentral notes, this represents the Coyotes’ fourth and final call-up for the rest of the season, meaning they’ll only be able to bring up players on emergency conditions.
- The Manitoba Moose, affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, have signed two players to professional tryouts for the remainder of the season. Kale Kessy and Rob Flick will join the squad from their respective ECHL teams. Kessy, a former fourth-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes has tried to turn himself into more than an enforcer over the years, and scored 23 points in 32 games for the Tulsa Oilers this season. Flick, a former selection of the Chicago Blackhawks, actually has had success in the AHL before, but found himself in the lower level this season. His scoring dominance there—59 points in 59 games—came paired with a penchant for fighting, and 160 minutes in penalties.
- Mark Friedman has signed with the Philadelphia Flyers, and will report to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms for the remainder of the season. The third-round pick had another impressive season in college and continues to draw comparisons to Shayne Gostisbehere in path and pedigree. While they don’t quite play the same style, Flyers fans should be excited by another puck-moving defenseman who will make his mark on the NHL before long. Though Philadelphia has had trouble solidifying their blue line in recent years, the emerging group led by Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov look like they will fare quite a bit better over the next several seasons.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Mark Friedman To ELC
Tuesday: Kevin Gordon of the Bowling Green State site reports that Friedman has signed the contract this morning and will be going pro.
Monday: According to Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post, the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to sign third-round pick Mark Friedman out of Bowling Green State. The defenseman just completed his junior year, meaning he would be leaving school early to sign with the Flyers.
Friedman, 21, is another one of the sub-six foot defenders coming out of the college ranks who has succeeded in spite of his height. The puck-moving defenseman has always had loads of talent with the puck, but has trouble in his own end at times. With 26 points in 40 games this year, he’s proven once again he can contribute offensively—though that has never really been in doubt.
Should the Flyers pluck him out of school early, they can start giving him important minutes with Lehigh Valley immediately, and try to coax another NHL defender out of a mid-round pick. Shayne Gostisbehere was also a third-round pick that played three seasons in the NCAA before making an immediate impact last season. Perhaps Friedman, who is built much the same, can follow a similar path.
Morning Notes: Giroux, White, Tkachuk
If Philadelphia Flyers fans are wondering where this Claude Giroux has been all season—the captain has points in eight of his last eleven games—they might not be shocked to find out that he’s been playing injured. Marc Narducci of The Inquirer reports that despite telling media members that he was fully healthy prior to the start of the season, he has been anything but 100% this year. The hip that required surgery last spring has bothered him all year, restricting his ability to “try to make plays you used to make.”
Giroux only now is starting to feel like himself, and it’s showing on the score sheet. It might be coming just a little too late though, as the Flyers remain five points back of the Maple Leafs for the final playoff spot, despite having played one more game. There are just eleven contests left for Philadelphia, who sit 33-30-8 on the year.
- Decision day is looming for the Ottawa Senators and prospect Colin White, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. The first-round pick from 2015 has just finished his sophomore season with Boston College, and is looking to go pro. As Garrioch writes, Ottawa doesn’t want to sign him to an entry-level deal for this season and burn a year over the last few weeks. They’d rather go the more common route of an amateur tryout for the rest of the year, and start his ELC in 2017-18. They’ll likely come to some sort of an agreement soon, as it doesn’t seem like either side is expecting him to head back to BC next season. The 20-year old center had 33 points in 35 games this season, actually a slight step back from his production as a freshman. He is as blue-chip a prospect as the Senators have (right alongside Thomas Chabot), and they will carefully consider their options before agreeing to anything.
- The hockey world was in a buzz this morning over the elbow of Matthew Tkachuk, after the Flames’ rookie sent it hard into the face of Drew Doughty in last night’s game. Doughty would drop to the ice immediately, while no penalty was assessed on the play. Tkachuk will receive a hearing with the league and though he has no official history of supplementary discipline, players around the league have come to expect things like this from him. As Doughty told Jon Rosen of FOX Sports after the game, “he’s a pretty dirty player, that kid. To be a rookie and play like that is a little surprising.”
College Notes: Vegas, Schuldt, Butcher, Flyers
Although many have speculated that the Golden Knights would be highly active in the college free agent market, that isn’t going to be the case, GM George McPhee told ESPN’s Craig Custance (Insider required). The team is focusing at this point on targeting players who they believe have NHL upside in the near-term instead of signing several to fill spots at the minor league level for next season.
Custance adds that one of the players that Vegas has interest in is defenseman Neal Pionk. The Minnesota-Duluth sophomore is expected to have quite a few teams interested in his services should he decide to turn pro. Although he’s undersized at just 5’11, he boasts a powerful shot that could make him a strong power play threat down the road.
Other news and notes from the NCAA:
- While he was likely to draw NHL interest, St. Cloud defenseman Jimmy Schuldt has decided to not go pro and instead return for his junior NCAA season, reports Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News (Twitter link). This isn’t the first time the 21 year old has spurned overtures to sign with an NHL team as he was one of the more sought after blueliners on the market last season. In 36 games with the Huskies this season, Schuldt had eight goals and 11 assists.
- The Avalanche plan to offer a contract to defenseman Will Butcher in the coming days, reports BSNDenver’s Adrian Dater. Colorado drafted the 22 year old back in the fifth round (123rd overall) back in 2013. If he doesn’t come to terms on a contract, he would be eligible for unrestricted free agency in mid-August. This season with the University of Denver, Butcher has six goals and 29 assists in 39 games.
- Flyers GM Ron Hextall landed one of the more notable college free agents last season in goaltender Alex Lyon and told CSN Philly’s Jordan Hall that he’s hopeful that they will be able to add someone in the coming weeks. However, he noted that Philadelphia’s depth of young prospects at all positions could ultimately work against them as players may opt to pursue a spot with an organization that doesn’t have as many youngsters to compete with for a spot.
Injury Updates: Stamkos, Ekblad, Luongo, Fast, Flyers
Lightning center Steven Stamkos participated in his first full practice on Friday as he continues his recovery from a torn meniscus, reports Bryan Burns on the Lightning’s team website. While it’s certainly a positive sign that he’s getting closer to returning to the lineup, there remains no timetable for him to suit up and head coach Jon Cooper was quick to caution that a return isn’t yet imminent. The original estimate was that he’d be back in four-to-six months.
Stamkos was injured back in November 15th so he’s just at the four month mark now and clearly isn’t ready to return just yet. If he is able to get the green light within the next few weeks, he’d be a big boost to a Tampa Bay lineup that is making a late push at the final Wild Card spot in the East. On the season, the captain has nine goals and 11 assists in 17 games.
Other injury notes from around the league:
- The Panthers will be without top blueliner Aaron Ekblad for at least another week, coach/GM Tom Rowe told Harvey Fialkov of the Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link). The 21 year old suffered a concussion on Saturday against Tampa Bay. Roberto Luongo’s return is still not close as Rowe noted that he will be out longer than Ekblad will. The veteran netminder re-aggravated a lower body issue back on March 2nd against the Flyers and the team has won just once in his absence to fall out of the playoff picture.
- Rangers right winger Jesper Fast will return to the lineup tonight against the Panthers after missing the last seven games with a shoulder injury, notes Justin Tasch of the New York Daily News. He’s expected to play on the third line and will force rookie winger Pavel Buchnevich to the press box for the time being as the team plans to keep Tanner Glass in the lineup. Through 59 games this season, Fast has five goals and 15 assists while logging just under 14 minutes a night in ice time.
- Flyers defenseman Brandon Manning missed his third straight game last night and remains day-to-day with an upper body injury (believed to be a shoulder), GM Ron Hextall told CSN Philly’s Jordan Hall. Recent call-up Jordan Weal returned to the lineup but admitted he’s still not fully recovered from his lower body issue. He took the place of forward Nick Cousins, who missed the game with an upper body problem. Like Manning, he’s classified as day-to-day. Still with Philly, goaltender Steve Mason left last night’s game due to cramping, adds Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post.
Snapshots: USA Hockey, Vecchione, DeMelo
After several members of the US Women’s National Team extended a message to USA Hockey about their boycotting the upcoming World Championships, the national program released its own statement on the subject. Understanding the frustration of the women who are reportedly given just $6000 each for their Olympic training and participation, USA Hockey stated that they have long supported their female athletes.
The support USA Hockey is implementing in order to prepare the Women’s National Team for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games includes a six-month training camp, additional support stipends and incentives for medals that could result in each player receiving nearly $85,000 in cash over the Olympic training and performance period. The sum is in addition to a housing allowance, travel allowances, meal expenses, medical and disability insurance and the infrastructure that includes elite-level support staff to train and prepare the players.
The statement goes on to explain that the organization was “disappointed” in the player’s demands and will continue to keep dialogue open in hopes they’ll play in April. The players shot back at the release, with captain Meghan Duggan telling Bob McKenzie of TSN it was “incredibly dishonest and misleading”. As McKenzie notes, the two sides seem ready for a battle over their compensation leading up to next year’s Olympics.
- After the Pittsburgh Penguins added Zach Aston-Reese yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers are hoping for some help from the college ranks of their own. Sam Carchidi of The Inquirer opines that the team may have interest in both Spencer Foo and Mike Vecchione of Union College. The team is familiar with the school from the years Shayne Gostisbehere spent there, including one season with Vecchione in 2013-14. The pair of undrafted forwards are among the highest scoring in the NCAA, with 59 and 62 points respectively. If the Flyers want to keep pace with what has been a busy Metropolitan Division—the Capitals also inked a couple of forwards earlier this month—they would do well with Vecchione. The 24-year old senior is considered by some even better than Aston-Reese, and ready to step into the NHL right away. Anyone will have to wait for Union’s season to be over though, as they’re still alive in the ECAC playoffs.
- Kevin Kurz of CSN reports that David Schlemko rejoined his teammates in practice today for the first time in nearly two weeks. The defenseman is getting close to a return, but Dylan DeMelo has used the opportunity to show that he’s ready for an NHL role. DeMelo tells Kurz that getting back into the lineup is “definitely a lot better playing than sitting out for seven weeks. I’m just happy to be back in the lineup and [helping] the team win.” DeMelo had surgery to repair a broken wrist in January and only returned to the lineup on March 5th.
Injury Notes: Calvert, Carrick, Senators
The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated Matt Calvert off injured reserve as they get ready to play the Philadelphia Flyers tonight. After getting word that Ryan Murray will be out for four to six weeks, Calvert’s return should be welcome news in Columbus. The 27-year old winger hasn’t played since February 17th, out with a strained oblique muscle. Though he only has 11 points on the season, Calvert is a big part of the Blue Jackets’ bottom-six and penalty kill.
Following Calvert’s return, the Blue Jackets have sent T.J. Tynan back to the AHL. The diminutive forward had played three games for the team but rarely saw the ice. With less than eight minutes a night, Tynan was being wasted at the NHL level and instead will return to continue his excellent minor league season. With 30 points in 55 games, Tynan ranks second on the Cleveland Monsters in scoring and has shown a consistent ability to find his teammates.
- Connor Carrick was back skating with the Toronto Maple Leafs today, after missing the past eight games. According to James Mirtle of The Athletic, he likely won’t play tomorrow night against Florida but could make his return soon. The Maple Leafs have been flipping between Alexey Marchenko and Martin Marincin in his spot, both of whom have been largely ineffective.
- Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun gives us a report on the injured Senators, with some bad news surrounding Mark Stone. The forward is out on a week-to-week basis with a lower-body injury and will miss at least the next three games. Kyle Turris and Bobby Ryan are both close to a return though, which will provide some respite for a bruised and battered top-six. Ryan has been out since February 18th with his second broken finger of the year, and had been given a three to six week timetable.
- George Richards of the Miami Herald confirms what was expected, that both Aaron Ekblad and Denis Malgin will be out for seven to ten days with concussions. As with any concussion, that is a very rough estimate and either or both could last much longer. Not like a healing bone, brain injuries often react differently to different people. For now, Jakub Kindl will draw in tomorrow night against the Maple Leafs.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Greg Carey To Contract Extension
According to a team release, the Philadelphia Flyers have extended minor league forward Greg Carey. Financial details have not been disclosed. Carey was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Carey is in the midst of his second straight excellent AHL season, scoring 26 goals and 43 points through 57 games. The undrafted forward has matched his output from last year in seven fewer games and is becoming more and more confident at the professional level. Originally signed by the Arizona Coyotes prior to the 2014-15 season, Carey wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer the following summer and played on an AHL contract last year. Last summer he was given a two-way contract worth the league minimum, though hasn’t yet suited up for an NHL game.
Carey never did play in the CHL growing up, instead spending time in the OJHL before heading to St. Lawrence University for four years. Setting several school records and leading the team in scoring all four seasons, he ranks second in the Saints’ history for points scored. A finalist for the Hobey Baker award in 2014—when the trophy was awarded to Johnny Gaudreau—for the Nation’s top player, Carey has worked incredibly hard for everything he’s done in hockey. While he is likely a career AHL forward, don’t be surprised if he’s given a few games in the NHL this season as a reward should the Flyers fall out of playoff contention.