Emil Andrae Taken To Hospital In Sweden
- Flyers prospect defenseman Emil Andrae was taken to the hospital after taking a puck to the face in an SHL preseason game today, notes HockeyNews’ Mattias Ek in Sweden. The 20-year-old had a strong showing at the World Juniors and should have an opportunity for a big season with HV71 in 2022-23 before coming to North America. His availability for Saturday’s regular season opener is in question.
Examining The Recent History Of Montreal Canadiens Captains
When any NHL team names a captain, it’s big news — but even more so when it’s the most storied franchise in the history of the sport. That’s what happened today when the Montreal Canadiens named Nick Suzuki the 31st captain in team history, the first captain of Asian descent in team history (and only the second ever in the NHL after Paul Kariya), and the youngest Canadiens captain in quite some time at 23 years old.
11 months to the day after signing an eight-year extension to stay a Hab well into his prime, Suzuki adds his name to a storied list that’s worth taking a look at. While doing so would be a nearly academic-length exercise if done all the way back to the beginning of the franchise, taking a look back at the leaders of the Canadiens in recent memory still helps offer some context for the type of echelon Suzuki joined today.
Perhaps the most universally beloved Habs captain in recent memory is Saku Koivu. Serving from 1999 to 2009, his nine-year shift as captain is the longest for a Canadien since Jean Beliveau held the role from 1961 to 1971. Despite some great memories, though, Koivu’s era was not defined by playoff success. The team failed to make it out of the second round despite three appearances in that timeframe (2002, 2004, 2008). In the regular season, the Koivu-captained Canadiens had a 324-290-44-62 record, good enough for a .535 points percentage.
Ironically enough, the Canadiens finally made it to the Conference Final in 2009-10 after Koivu’s departure for the Anaheim Ducks. In their first season without a captain in their entire franchise existence, the Habs went on a memorable Cinderella run as the eighth seed, bowing out to the Philadelphia Flyers in five games in the Eastern Conference Final.
Next up at the helm was Brian Gionta, the first American to serve at least a full season as captain in franchise history. Gionta, a free agent signing prior to the 2009-10 season, was the captain for 2010-11 through 2013-14. In 242 games as captain, Gionta scored 69 goals and 127 points, a step back from his previous production in New Jersey and during his first season in Montreal. The Canadiens did make it back to the Eastern Conference Final in the last season of his tenure, though, this time losing to the New York Rangers with Carey Price injured during the final series.
After another vacant season in 2014-15, another American took the helm: Max Pacioretty. The team’s 2007 first-round pick had come off back-to-back 60-point seasons and was even named to the US Olympic team in 2014, cementing himself as one of the top players in the game at the time. He continued that production in his first two seasons as captain, rattling off 30-goal and 35-goal seasons, before taking a serious step back in 2017-18. His goal total dipped to just 17 in 64 games and he had just 37 points total on the year. The team also made just one playoff appearance with Pacioretty as captain, where he had just one assist in six games.
It turned out to be a captain-for-captain swap the following offseason, as a summer 2018 deal sent Pacioretty to the young Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a package that included then-prospect Nick Suzuki. Four years later, Suzuki has cemented himself as the future of the franchise long-term with a captaincy and long-term extension in place.
In the bridge between Pacioretty and Suzuki, the now retired-due-to-injury Shea Weber served admirably in the meantime. His last act as captain will be remembered for years, leading the 16th-seeded Canadiens all the way through to the Stanley Cup Final in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season before bowing out to career-ending injury.
Couturier, Hayes Ready For Start Of Season
Last season was filled with injury and disappointment for the Philadelphia Flyers but with a new head coach in town, they are ready to try again. One of the biggest question marks was the health of Sean Couturier, who underwent back surgery in February.
All clear, says the veteran center, who spoke with the media today and explained that while there were “a lot of ups and downs” in his recovery, he is fully healthy and cleared for training camp. Couturier played just 29 games last season, recording 17 points.
Waiver Watching: Sizing Up The Goaltender Market
With training camps on the horizon, there are still some goaltending situations around the NHL that are unsettled. Accordingly, those teams may be planning on picking up a second goaltender on waivers during the preseason as Montreal did with Samuel Montembeault last season. With that in mind, let’s examine who might be looking for a goalie and which teams have a netminder that could be of interest.
Potentially Looking
Arizona: The Coyotes have one of their two goalies locked up for three years in Karel Vejmelka but after that, there is nothing but question marks. Farmhands Jon Gillies and Ivan Prosvetov have some NHL experience but Gillies struggled last season with New Jersey and Prosvetov hasn’t posted a .900 SV% in the last two seasons in the minors. Cap space isn’t an issue for them so they can look at any of the options available on waivers or take on a bad contract for additional compensation.
Chicago: Right now, Alex Stalock is their backup goalie. He has missed most of the last two seasons battling his way back from myocarditis and struggled considerably in the minors last year. Granted, the Blackhawks certainly aren’t in win-now mode but in a perfect world, they’d like Arvid Soderblom to have an uninterrupted year with AHL Rockford. Currently, he’s third on the depth chart but if there’s a chance to bring in a low-cost second-stringer and push Stalock into the spot of being the one to be recalled if an injury arises, they might want to take it. The waiver wire could be the chance to add that.
Philadelphia: With Ivan Fedotov being blocked from going to North America this season due to a military commitment, the Flyers are going to have to turn to Plan B. Felix Sandstrom is currently their second option but he has just five career NHL appearances under his belt. They’re looking to be more competitive this season so this could be a spot for an upgrade. Granted, Sandstrom would then need to be waived to be sent back to Lehigh Valley but that would have been the case if Fedotov had been able to play so it’s a risk they might be comfortable with.
Of course, an injury or two during the preseason could add to the list of suitors in the coming weeks as well.
Teams That Could Lose A Goalie
For the purpose of this exercise, the focus is going to be on either young goalies that could be appealing or veterans with some recent NHL experience that could fill a gap.
Buffalo: Malcolm Subban was brought back to be the veteran to partner with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in AHL Rochester but he has 86 games of NHL experience under his belt and a deal that’s only $100K above the league minimum. He has been a full-time backup going back to his time with Vegas which would also bolster his chances of potentially being claimed.
Dallas: Right now, Anton Khudobin appears to be the odd one out again with Jake Oettinger and Scott Wedgewood set to be the goalie duo for the Stars. Khudobin is now in the final year of his deal that carries a $3.33MM AAV. It wouldn’t be shocking if he cleared waivers but if Dallas wants to free up a bit of extra money for Jason Robertson’s contract, they’ll be calling Arizona to see what it would cost for them to take that contract on.
Los Angeles: Pheonix Copley has cleared waivers without any concerns the last couple of years but also was on a pricey contract for a third-string option. Now, he’s on a much more palatable deal ($825K) and is coming off an impressive season in AHL Hershey. The 30-year-old was the backup for the Capitals back in 2018-19.
Nashville: This is the most interesting one to keep an eye on. Although Connor Ingram held his own in the playoffs for the Preds, they still went and brought in Kevin Lankinen on a one-year, $1.5MM deal. That’s a lot to pay a third-string option so it could put Ingram in jeopardy. However, if they try to sneak Ingram through, there’s a very good chance he’ll be claimed, especially with an AAV that’s below the minimum. Carrying three goalies is a possibility but generally not ideal so something might have to give here.
New York (R): The Rangers went and brought in Louis Domingue on a two-year contract to be their insurance policy but he might appeal to some other teams as well. He did alright in the playoffs for Pittsburgh and has 142 games of NHL experience over parts of two seasons. Both years are one-way which was likely to try to deter other teams from claiming him but with an AAV of just $775K, he may attract some interest.
Seattle: With Martin Jones joining the Kraken as their backup, that’s going to push both Joey Daccord and Magnus Hellberg to the waiver wire. Daccord was viewed as a possible NHL option not long ago and at 26, there could still be some upside after a strong season with AHL Charlotte. Hellberg, meanwhile, has been dominant in the KHL the last few years which prompted Detroit to give him a brief look down the stretch last season. Other teams might want to take a look as well depending on how things go over the next few weeks.
Winnipeg: Mikhail Berdin is the one goalie on this list that doesn’t have any NHL experience but at 24, he’s also the youngest in this group. If a rebuilding team wants to take a look at a younger backup to see if there’s something there, this is the type of goalie they’d probably want to go for.
Of course, there will be other goalies that will hit the waiver wire in the coming weeks that could be of interest to teams as well depending on what transpires over the preseason. There won’t be a ton of waiver activity between the pipes – there rarely is – but one or two of these players could be changing teams in the coming weeks.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Hayden Hodgson
After working his way up from the low minors to earn an NHL contract last season, Hayden Hodgson has cashed in again. The Philadelphia Flyers have signed Hodgson to a two-year contract that will carry an average annual value of $800K in the NHL. The deal is two-way in 2022-23, meaning he will earn a lower number when playing in the AHL, and one-way in 2023-24.
If you want a story of perseverance, look no further than the 26-year-old Hodgson, who was a third-round pick in his OHL draft, went undrafted by NHL teams, and spent parts of four seasons in the ECHL before becoming an AHL regular in 2021-22.
Because of his outstanding play for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, he earned an NHL contract in March and played six games with the Flyers down the stretch, scoring three points and racking up 11 penalty minutes.
The 6’2″ winger blends skill, work ethic, and physicality to provide a pretty interesting late-blooming package, one that has a chance to play more regular minutes with the Flyers this season.
Landing a one-way contract is no joke for a player who had bounced around the ECHL up until a year ago, playing for the Florida Everblades, Manchester Monarchs, Wichita Thunder, Reading Royals, Wheeling Nailers, and Utah Grizzlies (not to mention Detva HC of the Slovak league) between stints in the AHL.
It also takes care of the last remaining RFA for the Flyers, who signed Wade Allison and Linus Hogberg yesterday.
Philadelphia Flyers Sign Wade Allison, Linus Hogberg
The Philadelphia Flyers have finalized contracts with two of their restricted free agents, per a team announcement. The Flyers have signed winger Wade Allison to a two-year deal with a $785K AAV, and defenseman Linus Hogberg to a one-year, two-way $750K deal. Allison’s deal is a two-way deal next season and a one-way deal in 2023-24. These two deals leave Hayden Hodgson as their final RFA left to sign.
Allison, who will be 25 this upcoming season, was one of three Flyers second-round picks at the 2016 NHL draft, being selected by Philadelphia in that round alongside teammate Carter Hart and current ECHLer Pascal Laberge. Allison took a bit of a long route to the NHL, playing a four-year collegiate career at Western Michigan University before turning pro during the 2020-21 season. Last year Allison saw the most game action with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, scoring 17 points in 28 games.
Allison has struggled to stay healthy so far in his pro career, but when he’s played he’s shown promise. He plays a powerful game and has shown goal-scoring ability at every level he’s played at. On a Flyers team in desperate need of young players who can step up and become meaningful NHLers, Allison’s new deal gives him a chance to become a fixture in Philadelphia.
Hogberg, 23, was a fifth-rounder at the 2015 entry draft. Hogberg was an everyday defenseman in the SHL for the Vaxjo Lakers from 2016-2020, and came to North America to play with AHL Lehigh Valley in 2020-21. Hogberg made his NHL debut last season, skating in five games for the Flyers, and getting just over 17 minutes a night.
Hogberg’s eight points in 58 AHL games last season indicate that he’s not much of a scorer, but with this one-year deal he’ll have a chance to prove he can take the next step in his game and become an NHL option for the Flyers and new coach John Tortorella.
Flyers Add Ian McKeown To Organization In Health And Wellness Role
- Today the Philadelphia Flyers announced the hire of Ian McKeown to the newly created position of Vice President, Athlete Performance and Wellness. The Flyers state that in this new role, McKeown will “establish and oversee a comprehensive and coordinated health and wellness program for all players within the Flyers organization.” The health of Flyers players has been one of the numerous issues plaguing the team in recent years, so adding a new face in order to specifically address that issue is a good start for Philadelphia. The Flyers are desperate to return to contention after two difficult seasons, and a renewed focus on player health and wellness can do nothing but help them in that pursuit.
German Rubtsov Signs In KHL
2016 Philadelphia Flyers first-round pick German Rubtsov has signed a one-year contract with Spartak Moskva in the KHL, per the team.
Rubtsov, a 24-year-old center, was taken 22nd overall in 2016 with the upside of being a high-end, two-way middle-six center. Things have never quite panned out for him at the professional level, though, as his AHL production had steadily decreased over the past few seasons. The Flyers dealt Rubtsov to the Florida Panthers as part of the Claude Giroux trade last season.
Down the stretch, Rubtsov had just one goal in six regular-season and playoff games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. It wasn’t enough to convince the Panthers to issue him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer.
At 24, Rubtsov is nearly in his prime already. Although it is just a one-year deal, it’s extremely likely that Rubtsov’s chance at an NHL career, or even a career in North America, is completely gone. There’s always the chance that a move back home and a different system is able to help Rubtsov rediscover his game, but it would have to be a magnificent step forward for an NHL team to come calling for him next offseason.
Next season in Moscow, Rubtsov will join a Spartak team that’s made the playoffs for the past five seasons.
Ryan Ellis Unlikely To Be Ready For Season Opener
After two straight nightmarish seasons, the Philadelphia Flyers are desperate to return to contention in 2022-23. Last offseason, the Flyers acquired defenseman Ryan Ellis from the Nashville Predators, hoping that adding Ellis, a veteran top-pairing defenseman, would revamp their defense and help out young goalie Carter Hart. Unfortunately for the Flyers, though, Ellis’ health issues limited him to just four games in a Flyers uniform, and the Flyers in his absence struggled to keep pucks out of the net.
Now, it seems Ellis’ absence looks set to continue. When asked by NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman if Ellis would be ready for the team’s season opener, Flyers head coach John Tortorella responded “I doubt it,” and elaborated that despite Ellis’ best efforts it’s doubtful he’d be ready to even participate in training camp. Ellis is currently battling what he termed a “multilayered” issue involving his “whole pelvic region.” While it’s definitely possible that Ellis returns next season and gets into games with the Flyers, Philadelphia spent significant resources this offseason preparing to survive without Ellis. The team traded for and extended Tony DeAngelo to presumably partner with Ivan Provorov on the team’s top pairing, and they also signed Justin Braun to round out the right side of their defense. The Flyers are likely expecting to eventually see Ellis back on the ice, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem like that’ll happen any time soon.
Flyers Sign Ryan Fitzgerald To AHL Deal
- After spending the last two seasons with Philadelphia on an NHL two-way deal, the Flyers have brought back forward Ryan Fitzgerald on a minor league contract, per a team release from their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. The 27-year-old was limited to just four games last season after undergoing surgery on both hips back in September. The year before, he picked up 21 points in 28 games and a return to that level of performance could help secure him another NHL deal next summer.