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Alex Chiasson

Edmonton Activates Ty Rattie From Injured Reserve

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Entering the 2018-19 season, forward Ty Rattie was labeled as one of the players who could make or break the Edmonton Oilers’ season. Any determination of Rattie’s impact on the campaign was put on hold in mid-October, when the 25-year-old was placed on the injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Expected to be out until later this month, it came as somewhat of a surprise this afternoon when the Oilers announced that Rattie has been activated from the IR and is set to return to the lineup. In a corresponding move, rookie forward Cooper Marody has been returned to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors.

After an incredibly productive preseason, Rattie was handed a coveted first-line slot on the right wing of superstar center Connor McDavid. It was a career-defining opportunity for Rattie, who has been little more than minor league depth thus far in his pro career. A second-round pick of the St. Louis Blues in 2011, Rattie played in only 30 NHL games in parts of four seasons in St. Louis, recording eight points. He was lost on waivers briefly to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016-17 and contributed two points in five games. Rattie opted to sign with Edmonton as a free agent in 2017 and played in a career-high 14 games last season, posting a career best 15:28 ATOI. It was far from regular NHL action, but was the first step toward taking a permanent role with the Oilers, and he made the most of it by posting nine points. Expected to take a step forward this year, Rattie notched a goal and an assist in his five games prior to the injury. While he’s not quite back at square one, he may very well have to work his way back into top minutes and first-line consideration.

If Rattie can find his scoring touch quickly, he should be back in the top-six as soon as possible. The Oilers have struggled with secondary scoring this season, with only McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins holding more than seven points on the year. The platoon on the right side is an especially troublesome situation, with Alex Chiasson, Drake Caggiula, Zack Kassian, and Jesse Puljujarvi all failing to make the most of their opportunities. Rattie’s addition would be a welcome addition to the competition for production and consistency at right wing.

Marody, a first-year pro out of the University of Michigan, skated in two games for the Oilers during Rattie’s absence. While he was limited to under nine minutes of ice time per night and held scoreless, he didn’t look out of place at the NHL level. A sixth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers acquired for a third-round pick last spring, Marody’s stock is clearly on the rise and he should see more action in Edmonton before the end of the season.

Alex Chiasson Signs With Edmonton Oilers

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The Edmonton Oilers have signed another player at the very last moment, inking Alex Chiasson to a one-year contract worth $650K at the NHL level. That deal matches the one given out to Jason Garrison, and will give the team another veteran option to start the year. The team also announced that Ethan Bear has been sent to the minor leagues (though his stint there was very short, given that Andrej Sekera has been placed on long-term injured reserve and Bear recalled), while Kris Russell will begin the year on injured reserve. Chiasson had been with Edmonton on a professional tryout, but has earned himself an NHL contract through an impressive preseason.

Chiasson, 28, won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals last season but ended up fighting for a contract after the team let him walk into unrestricted free agency. Catching on with the Oilers will allow him to avoid the minor leagues, a level he hasn’t played at since the 2012-13 season. Originally a second round pick of the Dallas Stars, Chiasson has bounced around the league as a bottom-six player who can provide a little offense and some size to any lineup. The Oilers struggled to get any offense from their forward group outside of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins last season, and will hope that Chiasson can return to the 35-point man he was in Dallas a few years ago.

Even if he doesn’t, there’s little risk for the Oilers with a signing like this. Chiasson will make the league minimum this season and would be taken entirely off the salary cap if sent to the minors. These two signings helped the Oilers take full advantage of the long-term injury rules, meaning they’ll have plenty of excess cap room now that Sekera has been re-designated. They’ll also provide valuable depth for a team that desperately needs a bounce back season in 2018-19.

Washington Capitals Returning Nearly Identical Roster

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The biggest news out of Washington Capitals’ training camp is that there isn’t any news. As the defending Stanley Cup champs face the Boston Bruins in the second meeting of the two teams already this preseason, there simply isn’t much to watch for in terms of camp battles and roster spots. GM Brian MacLellan and the Caps front office succeeded in keeping their championship roster together as well as any Cup winner in recent memory and are prepared to go for another title in 2018-19.

Of the 25 players who took the ice in the postseason for the Capitals, 21 return this season. The glaring absence is obviously backup goaltender Philipp Grubauer, who was traded away to the Colorado Avalanche early this off-season. Another name who Washington fans were upset to see go was career Capital Jay Beagle, who signed with the Vancouver Canucks after ten seasons in D.C. Outside of that duo, the other two players who saw playoff action for the Cup winners were defenseman Jakub Jerabek, who played in two postseason games, and forward Alex Chiasson, who saw less than nine minutes of ice time in the playoffs. The team also lost regular season contributors Taylor Chorney, Tyler Graovac, and Anthony Peluso. 

When any team can return 21 players to a roster limited to just 23, the result of few departures is few opportunities in camp. Rather than sign or acquire a backup of similar pedigree to Grubauer to backup starter Braden Holtby, the team seems content to let veteran minor leaguer Pheonix Copley try his hand at the job. With only youngsters Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek, neither of whom have made an NHL appearance, also under contract, there really is not much of a competition to replace Grubauer. On the blue line, the top-four will line up exactly as they did in the postseason and Christian Djoos will pair with either his postseason partner, veteran Brooks Orpik – who was traded away and then re-signed this summer, or his frequent regular season partner, Madison Bowey. Orpik versus Bowey is one situation that could potentially be defined as a camp battle, although both are guaranteed roster spots. Up front, the top-nine is also locked in as the same group who dominated in the playoffs, leaving only fourth line and an extra skater spot or two up for grabs. The team has shown a commitment to Devante Smith-Pelly and Chandler Stephenson and the pair are almost certainly the energy liners on opening night. The one true position battle is at the final spot, where Travis Boyd and free agent addition Nic Dowd will fight it out to skate on that fourth line. The loser is likely to begin the season as an extra skater beside import winger Sergei Shumakov.

If you’ve been keeping count, that’s the entire roster: almost all familiar names and only one or two spots up for grabs. There won’t be many questions in need of answering out of Capitals camp, but the big question remaining is whether failing to insert some fresh legs or properly replacing Grubauer will come back to bite Washington in their attempt to repeat.

Alex Chiasson Signs Professional Tryout With Edmonton Oilers

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The Edmonton Oilers have signed Alex Chiasson to a professional tryout agreement, inviting him to challenge for a job at their upcoming camp. Chiasson spent last season with the Washington Capitals but was allowed to walk into unrestricted free agency this summer.

Chiasson, 27, will have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup along with the rest of the Capitals despite not actually suiting up during their series against the Vegas Golden Knights. The journeyman forward has never played more than two full seasons with an NHL team, suiting up for Dallas, Ottawa and Calgary before his stint in Washington. In 61 games with the Capitals last season he recorded nine goals and 18 points, though three of those points did come short-handed. There is a potential for him to carve out a role like that in Edmonton, especially given they’re not exceedingly deep up front.

Fellow Oilers PTO Scottie Upshall has a similar set of skills and will likely be in direction competition with Chiasson, but neither seem like locks to earn an NHL deal. Still, Edmonton desperately needs all the help they can get as they try to rebound from an extremely disappointing season and will turn over every rock in search of a valuable NHL player.

Poll: How Many Remaining Veteran Free Agents Will Sign?

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With just one day left in July, free agents have had a month to find employment in the NHL. Last summer, there were less than 20 unrestricted free agents signed after the end of July through the beginning of the regular season. This off-season, there are a plethora of notable names left on the market, but at this point is is unlikely that they all find a new home in the league. The question now is how many of these top names get lucky.

Rick Nash could find a landing spot if he wanted to. The six-time All-Star is currently evaluating his future in hockey versus his health after suffering yet another concussion this season. Should he decide to return, he would likely have more than a few teams interested in a short-term deal.

If Nash opts not to return, the top-scoring forward from last season left on the market is actually Mike Cammalleri. Cammalleri, 36, quietly put up 29 points last season after a hot start with the Los Angeles Kings and then a trade to the Edmonton Oilers. The former point-per-game player is not quite that kind of scorer any more, but could still contribute to a number of teams.

Benoit Pouliot was a perennial 30-point player until he turned 30 and has struggled the past two years. In the right situation, he could still make an impact. The same goes for Mark Letestu, Drew Stafford and Jannik Hansen. Ales Hemsky was highly productive before injuries derailed his career, but remains a possible high-ceiling gamble if back at 100%.

Other available forwards bring more of a two-way game such as Daniel Winnik, Scott Hartnell, Scottie Upshall, Chris Stewart, Antoine Vermette, Jussi Jokinen, Tommy Wingels, Jason Chimera, Joel Ward, Dominic Moore, Matt Stajan, and Lee Stempniak. There are also some younger options like Alex Chiasson, Nick Shore, Logan Shaw, Tomas Jurco, and Freddie Hamilton.

On the blue line, Luca Sbisa is reportedly drawing interest from several teams across the league. Although he suited up for just 30 games with the Vegas Golden Knights, he managed to register 14 points and plays a strong checking game. It would seem that Sbisa is in line for a contract at some point.

But what about Toby Enstrom? A free agent for the first time in his long career, the well-respected veteran was expected to land a contract early on but still remains unemployed. Enstrom has always been a reliable presence on the back end, but at 33 years old, he has shown signs of slowing down.

Other aging options on defense include Alexei Emelin, Johnny Oduya, Kevin Bieksa, Dennis Seidenberg, Kyle Quincey, Paul Martin, Josh Gorges, and Jason Garrison. However, experience may not be able to outweigh ability with many younger defenseman still out there. Brandon Davidson, Cody Franson, and Paul Postma seem like players who should be signed, while Justin Falk, Frank Corrado, Ryan Sproul, and Duncan Siemens are all intriguing targets as well.

In net, the options are pretty straightforward. One would think that Kari Lehtonen, Steve Mason, and Ondrej Pavelec had all done enough in their careers to earn a continued stay in the NHL, especially when there are no other legitimate goaltenders available at this point. Yet, its hard to pinpoint three teams that need another option in goal. These three keepers may need to wait until injuries strike to find work.

So, how many of these remaining free agents will sign before the season starts?

Eastern Notes: Backstrom, Burakovsky, Sabres Goaltending, Schneider

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With Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals approaching in a few hours and deadlocked at 2-2, the Washington Capitals will make a few lineup changes, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. The scribe writes that head coach Barry Trotz said he intends to return center Nicklas Backstrom to his second line to join T.J. Oshie and Chandler Stephenson. Backstrom, who finally returned for Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, played well in his return after a four-game absence. While he didn’t score any points, he played 18:51 of ice time and won six of nine faceoff attempts.

Gulitti also reported that Trotz said he will switch out Andre Burakovsky with the bigger, more physical Alex Chiasson on the team’s fourth line. Burakovsky has been back for four games after missing time with an injury. However, in those four games, he’s failed to score a point and only has had two shots on goal. In the last two games, he’s played just 7:26 and 8:30, respectively. Chiasson has one assist in three playoff games against the Lightning.

  • The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington writes that the prevailing belief is that the Buffalo Sabres do not have a No. 1 goalie within their organization, meaning the team will have to find one through free agency or via trade to join Linus Ullmark. Harrington writes its very likely the team has seen the last of Robin Lehner and Chad Johnson, last year’s goalie tandem. The 26-year-old Lehner will be a restricted free agent and is not expected to receive an offer, while Johnson will be unrestricted.
  • After New Jersey Devils goaltender Cory Schneider listed his New Jersey house on the market recently, there was some speculation that he might be moving on, but NJ.com’s Chris Ryan writes that he’s not going anywhere as he’s just buying another house in the area. A career dominating goaltender, Schneider has struggled the past two years due to poor team defense and injuries. After putting up a 2.82 GAA and a .908 save percentage in the 2016-17 season and a 2.93 GAA and a .907 save percentage in the 2017-18 season, Schneider underwent surgery to repair cartilage in his left hip and is expected to miss training camp and possibly the start of the season. The 32-year-old has four years remaining on his deal at $6MM AAV.

Alex Chiasson Signs With Washington Capitals

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The Washington Capitals have signed Alex Chiasson to a one-way, one-year contract worth $660K. Chiasson had been on a professional tryout with the team but was expected to earn a contract once the season began. Team writer Mike Vogel reports that the team will place Chandler Stephenson on waivers today to make room, with the intent of sending him to the Hershey Bears of the AHL.

Chiasson spent last season with the Calgary Flames, scoring 12 goals and 24 points in 81 games. The former Dallas Stars’ prospect has carved out a nice career so far as a defense-first winger, capable of adding a bit of secondary scoring when asked. His career-high of 35 points in 2013-14 isn’t expected, but he’ll help fill a role vacated by Daniel Winnik in the bottom-six. The Capitals have seen quite a bit of turnover in their forward ranks, but will rely on new players like Chiasson and Devante Smith-Pelly to pick up the slack behind their impressive top group.

Despite watching several high profile free agents walk this summer, the Capitals were still pressed right up against the cap and needed to find some cheap options that still had upside. Chiasson is exactly that, and after proving he hasn’t lost a step in camp he should fit right in. Once Stephenson is waives, the team will be approximately $80K short of the cap ceiling, which won’t allow them much room to operate in-season. Big contracts to T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov made sure of that, as the pair was handed more than $13.5MM to return this season.

Cody Franson And Alex Chiasson Should Sign Deals Soon

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TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted this evening that Cody Franson and Alex Chiasson are “more likely than not” to sign NHL deals this week. Both were unrestricted free agents who were unable to secure contracts this offseason.

Defenseman Cody Franson signed a professional tryout agreement (PTO) with the Chicago Blackhawks after failing to land a deal with another NHL team this summer. Franson last played for the Buffalo Sabres, scoring 3G and 16A in 68 games. His last contract with the Sabres was a two year deal worth $3.325MM a year. Part of the delay may be that the Blackhawks are waiting for the NHL to approve Marian Hossa’s IR status.

Forward Alex Chiasson signed a professional tryout agreement with the Washington Capitals this summer—a team effort to boost forward depth. Chiasson scored 12G and 12A in 81 games for the Calgary Flames. If Chiasson stayed with the Capitals, it would be his fourth team in five full NHL seasons (not including his 7 game rookie season). The Capitals will also have to engage in some creative cap maneuvering because they are currently $39K above the cap.

McKenzie did not specify which teams would sign the above players, but usually players sign with the teams who offered the PTO. Nevertheless—like Kris Versteeg last season—a player could use the PTO opportunity to garner offers from the rest of the league.

Alex Chiasson Signs PTO With Washington Capitals

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Forward Alex Chiasson signed a professional tryout agreement with the Washington Capitals, reports TVASports’ Renaud Lavoie. Chiasson played for the Calgary Flames last season and appeared in eighty-one games.

Chiasson scored 12G and 12A in those 81 games, but remained unsigned after finishing his one-year, $800K deal with the Flames. The former 2nd round pick (38th overall) in 2009 started his career with the Dallas Stars. He was then traded to the Ottawa Senators as part of a package for forward Jason Spezza. The Senators traded Chiasson to the Calgary Flames as a pending-RFA, who then declined to offer Chiasson a qualifying offer this offseason.

It is unclear why Chiasson did not secure a contract this season. Scoring 12 goals in the NHL is not worthless, and teams looking for depth forwards could do much worse. The Capitals may have found a reliable depth scorer for its 2nd-4th line in Chiasson, and Chiasson hopes to rehab his NHL image with an improved performance.

Bruins Notes: Pastrnak, Beleskey, PTO Candidates

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The negotiations between the Boston Bruins and 21-year-old superstar David Pastrnak have dominated the headlines in recent weeks, despite the fact that there has been little substance to the actual news. Pastrnak is a restricted free agent coming off of a break-out 70-point campaign and is looking for a long-term contract. The Bruins would like to provide him with one and reportedly made an offer of six or seven years worth $6MM per season earlier this summer, after which there has not been much of a response. While that does seem to be somewhat below market value, especially in light of Leon Draisaitl’s new deal in Edmonton, any report that Pastrnak’s side is unhappy with the offer or unwilling to deal with GM Don Sweeney or President Cam Neely is nothing more than speculation.

Well, it seems that some clarity – and perhaps a conclusion – could soon be on the way. Pastrnak’s agent, J.P. Barry, arrived in Boston yesterday to meet with the Bruins’ brass to discuss the situation. By all accounts, this is the first in-person discussion that the two sides have had this summer, perhaps lending to the idea that the delay in the new contract could be due more to scheduling than anything else. The Bruins still appear certain that they will be able to come to terms on a new deal with Pastrnak, with Neely telling Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald that “David has expressed that he loves it here and wants to play here. We want him here for as long as it makes sense for us.” If Pastrnak continues to produce like he did in 2016-17, what “makes sense” for the Bruins is to keep him as long as possible. With that in mind, they should be flexible to an extent on the salary demands. On the other hand, Neely points out that, outside of the deals signed by former Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli in Edmonton, the market has not changed all that much and their offer to Pastrnak is within reason compared to contracts signed by similar players in recent years. There seems to be a mutual interest between both sides on getting a new deal done and a resolution could be reached in the coming days, finally putting to end a news cycle of fear mongering regarding Boston and their top young scorer.

  • Once Pastrnak is signed, Bruins fans can turn their frustration and anxiety to a new target, which will more than likely be Matt Beleskey. With Jimmy Hayes gone, Beleksey will now face the full ire of the Boston fan base some training camp. Admittedly, Beleksey is fresh off of a very disappointing season. The veteran winger was plagued by injury and ineffectiveness in 2016-17, playing in just 49 games and recording only eight points. While his $3.8MM cap hit is manageable, more is expected at that price tag. However, many are quick to forget that Beleskey’s first season in Boston, 2015-16, was the best of his career. The big forward set a career high with 22 assists and 37 points and skated in a career best 15:51 minutes per game. Beleskey’s 260 hits were also tops on the team, helping to make up for the loss of Milan Lucic, a fan-favorite. In fact, Beleskey had “new fan-favorite” written all over him heading into last season, but that has surely changed. Yet, Beleskey told CSNNE’s Joe Haggerty that he plans to stick to his game this season. Beleskey has spent much of the off-season training in Boston and working to improve his speed, but has no intention of cutting back on any of his trademark physicality. If he is fully healthy and re-focused, as Haggerty sited a “touch of complacency” last season, then bringing that physical edge back to the Boston lineup would be a welcome addition. Yes, Beleskey faces stiff competition this fall for a top-nine spot from Frank Vatrano, UFA add Kenny Agostino, and promising prospects Anders Bjork, Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, and Danton Heinen, but his size and strength match up with the historical preference in line mates of second-line center David Krejci, who played his best hockey alongside Lucic and Nathan Horton years ago. If Beleskey really can return to form, he will certainly be given a shot at a scoring role and could find a good fit alongside Krejci and David Backes. 
  • The two themes of the Bruins’ summer have been 1) the team wants to give the kids a chance to make the team this season and 2) the off-season priority is an extension for Pastrnak. That combination has led to speculation that the Bruins would have interest in a late-summer signing or PTO for veteran wingers, after Pastrnak had signed and the up-and-coming forwards had gotten a look. Until recently, Drew Stafford, who performed well in Boston at the end of last season and kept in touch with the team all summer, and Thomas Vanek, whose career has pitted him against Boston many times, were considered two of the top candidates. Now, both have signed with other teams for the coming season and the Bruins’ options are getting thin. Between the aforementioned Bjork, DeBrusk, Cehlark, and Heinen on the left side and top forward prospect Zach Senyshyn on the right, as well as center Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson potentially pushing Ryan Spooner to the wing or sliding outside himself, the Bruins could easily plug their holes internally. However, if they think that those young players need more seasoning, Beleskey, Vatrano, Agostino, Spooner, and Riley Nash are a group that could use some more competition for top-nine spots. The last thing the team needs is to push natural checking line players, like Noel Acciari and Tim Schaller, into the top nine like they did last year.  Depth on the right side is more concerning and the likes of Alex Chiasson or Teddy Purcell could be intriguing PTO candidates, while a high-ceiling scorer like P.A. Parenteau or Jiri Hudler may also be worth a look. With the recent influx of PTO agreements, the Bruins may need to enter the fray before the Pastrnak negotions are over, or else risk missing out on a closer look at one of these options.

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