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Alex Turcotte

Injury Updates: Keller, Turcotte, Perfetti

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While Coyotes forward Clayton Keller won’t be ready to play at the start of the preseason, he told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti that he expects to be ready for Arizona’s season opener on October 13th.  The 24-year-old was well on his way to a career year last season with 63 points in 65 games but at the end of March, he fractured his leg which ended his campaign prematurely.  The original timetable for a return after surgery was four-to-six months and it appears this recovery will be on the long end with Keller likely to have a reduced workload in their exhibition games if he’s able to get into the lineup at all.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Kings center Alex Turcotte is on the roster for their rookie tournament but AHL Ontario head coach Marco Sturm told reporters, including Andrew Knoll of the Los Angeles Daily News, that Turcotte has not been cleared to participate yet. The 21-year-old sustained two concussions last season, the second of which came in the playoffs.  Evidently, the symptoms from that one are still lingering which could have his ability for the start of training camp next week in question.
  • Jets forward Cole Perfetti has been cleared to participate in Winnipeg’s rookie tournament contests after dealing with multiple injuries last season, relays Postmedia’s Scott Billeck.  The 20-year-old got into 18 games with Winnipeg in his rookie year and acquitted himself well with seven points while averaging over 14 minutes per game.  Perfetti suffered a shoulder injury back in February and while rehabbing it, he re-aggravated a back injury that needed several months to heal.  He’ll use this event as a tune-up for training camp.

Kings Name Marco Sturm Head Coach Of Ontario Reign

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While not quite on the same level, the Los Angeles Kings have decided to join in on this week’s coaching announcement fun. The team has appointed Marco Sturm as the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign.

Sturm has been a member of the Kings organization since 2018-19, serving as an assistant coach in that timeframe. The NHL veteran of 14 seasons and 938 games got into coaching just two years after his playing career ended in 2013, joining the German national team as a head coach and manager in various capacities. Sturm coached the Germans to an upset silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

While a good portion of the Kings’ stacked prospect pool has now graduated to NHL ice, there are still some important names slated to play next season in Ontario. Sturm will be in charge of managing the development of forward prospects like Akil Thomas, Alex Turcotte, Samuel Fagemo, and Tyler Madden. Defenseman Jordan Spence could also re-join the Reign after seeing a lot of NHL action at the end of 2021-22 due to injuries.

With Sturm’s emerging track record of success, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be in Ontario for too long before getting calls for NHL head coaching vacancies.

Los Angeles Kings Activate Drew Doughty, Place Two In COVID Protocol

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Defenseman Drew Doughty has exited the NHL’s COVID protocol, but the Los Angeles Kings added right wing Dustin Brown and defenseman Olli Maatta to the list today, per a team tweet.

In a corresponding move, the team assigned center Alex Turcotte, their fifth-overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft, to the taxi squad. Centers Quinton Byfield and Phillip Danault as well as goalie Cal Petersen remain in COVID protocol.

Doughty’s faced multiple injury and health concerns this season, but he’s been extremely productive for the Kings when in the lineup. He’s averaging 24:49 per game and has 13 points through 11 contests, and his return to the lineup will be hotly anticipated.

Brown has just four goals through 30 games and Maatta has struggled to stay in the lineup this year, but it’s still a hit to the Kings’ depth. They’ll likely miss the Kings’ next three games and are eligible to return on January 6 against the Nashville Predators.

Los Angeles Kings Make Several Roster Moves

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The Los Angeles Kings have completed several transactions, including recalls of Alex Turcotte and Vladimir Tkachev. Austin Strand and Kale Clague have both been loaned back to the Ontario Reign, while Drew Doughty has been moved to long-term injured reserve.

Before Kings fans get excited about a potential NHL debut for Turcotte, the fifth-overall pick from 2019, these moves could simply be in order to maximize the relief pool that Doughty’s injury provides. Sending both Clague and Strand to the minor leagues leaves the team with just five defensemen on the roster (compared to 15 forwards) and will likely mean another move comes before tomorrow night’s game.

Still, there could be a good reason to give Turcotte that debut pretty soon. The 20-year-old forward has five points in his first eight games for the Reign this season after racking up 21 in 32 last year. That was in addition to starring for the U.S. at the most recent World Junior Championship, where he helped secure a gold medal with eight points in seven games.

Tkachev meanwhile has already played in four games this season for the Kings, registering two assists. The KHL veteran was signed to a one-year entry-level contract in May, one which does include a European Assignment Clause, which could be activated at some point if the 26-year-old stays in the minor leagues. A star overseas, it doesn’t make much sense for Tkachev to be playing for $80K in the AHL. For at least one day, he’ll earn his NHL salary with the Kings instead.

The two forwards each carry slightly higher cap hits at the NHL level than Clague and Strand, meaning they get the Kings a little closer to the cap ceiling. That’s the goal when you’re putting someone on LTIR during the season, as it gives you the largest relief pool to operate in. Given how little flexibility they had before, this will allow them to try out some of their young prospects whenever necessary.

Los Angeles Kings Recall Four Players

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4:05pm: The Kings have actually recalled three more players for tonight’s game, bringing Samuel Fagemo, Jordan Spence and Jacob Ingham up. The team also announced that Byfield will be out week to week, but further evaluations are still underway.

11:40am: Though they were already sent to the AHL and likely won’t be making the opening night roster, four young players are back up with the Los Angeles Kings for the time being. The team recalled Jaret Anderson-Dolan, Arthur Kaliyev, Rasmus Kupari, and Alex Turcotte ahead of their preseason game against the Anaheim Ducks tonight.

The recalls do follow an unfortunate injury to Quinton Byfield, who was caught up in an awkward hit with Arizona Coyotes forward Christian Fischer last night. He was helped off the ice and the Kings are expected to release an update on his status today. It wasn’t certain that Byfield would make the team, but he was making a great impression this preseason with his improved all-around play.

The four recalled today represent the prospect tier just under Byfield for the Kings, all players who have a legitimate shot at long NHL careers. Each should see some time with Los Angeles this season but it is unlikely that their performance tonight would propel them into a roster spot right away. That is of course unless the team suffers any further injuries; this group will likely be the first few names recalled in that case.

Snapshots: Giroux, Price, Turcotte

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The Philadelphia Flyers locked up Sean Couturier today a year before he reached free agency, but they won’t be doing the same for captain Claude Giroux. When GM Chuck Fletcher spoke with the media about the contract, he indicated that he would be waiting until after the season to speak about a new deal with Giroux. He didn’t mince words when explaining why the Couturier deal happened so early:

Sean’s our best hockey player right now, and he’s the key guy. If Sean had left, that would’ve changed the direction of the franchise. To lock him up was incredibly important for the short and long term. 

Fletcher did suggest that the relationship between the Flyers and Giroux could continue beyond this season, but both sides are happy to wait and see how the year plays out before making any decisions. The 33-year-old Giroux has played his entire career to this point in Philadelphia and had 43 points in 54 games this season. His eight-year, $66.2MM contract that was signed in 2013 will expire at the end of 2021-22, making him an unrestricted free agent.

  • There was a ton of speculation about the health of Carey Price this offseason, but head coach Dominique Ducharme told the media today including Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic that the veteran goaltender will be there when the Montreal Canadiens kick off training camp next month (or at worst join just a few days into it). Price’s health was a huge topic of conversation when he was left exposed to the Seattle Kraken in the expansion process, but more important is his impact on the Canadiens lineup. When healthy and playing his best, Price is still among the top goaltenders in the world. But injury issues have been a problem in recent years and he just turned 34. Price has five seasons remaining on the eight-year, $84MM deal he signed in 2017 and will earn a total of $13MM this season through signing bonuses and salary.
  • Alex Turcotte, who is hoping to make his NHL debut this season with the Los Angeles Kings, underwent successful surgery for acute appendicitis. The young forward is still expected to be recovered in time for the start of rookie camp in a few weeks. Turcotte, 20, was the fifth-overall pick in 2019 and scored 21 points in 32 games for the Ontario Reign last season in his first taste of professional hockey.

Trade Rumors: Eichel, Blackhawks, Kings

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Jack Eichel remains the biggest name on the trade market and will remain as such until he is dealt. Or not dealt? The Athletic’s John Vogl spoke to both sides and found that GM Kevyn Adams and Eichel’s agent had a long, productive meeting on Wednesday. Eichel’s camp believes that the situation is “heading toward a resolution.” Read into that what you will, but the language at least hints at a possible reconciliation between the two sides. This report comes on the heels of TSN’s Darren Dreger reporting that the Sabres’ asking price of “the equivalent of four first-round picks” has depressed the market. If the Sabres are not willing to drop the price of this franchise-altering trade, they could instead try to make amends with their superstar. Then again, Vogl also notes that the Sabres have not changed their opinion on Eichel’s proposed controversial neck surgery, a line in the sand that could still split the two sides. “Resolution” could still mean that the team and the player are working toward finding a trade.

  • One team in on Eichel are the Chicago Blackhawks. Don’t mistake their openness to trading iconic defenseman Duncan Keith as transitioning into a rebuild. Dreger notes that they are big game hunting this summer and have talked to Buffalo about the star center. However, Dreger does not believe that adding Eichel to a roster that already has two top-tier forward contracts in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews is feasible from a cap perspective, even if Keith is moved. Instead, he believes that Chicago has a far better chance of landing one of their other two rumored targets: defensemen Seth Jones and Dougie Hamilton.
  • The equivalent of four first-round picks is a mighty big ask, but it won’t slow down the Los Angeles Kings if they want to add Eichel. L.A. has long been a rumored landing spot for Eichel and it seems there is mutual interest in a trade. As Vogl notes, the Kings’ ability to part with the pieces needed to land Eichel hasn’t changed with today’s deal for Nashville forward Viktor Arvidsson. L.A. parted with two valuable draft picks, but not a first-round pick nor any of their top-flight first-round prospects like Quinton Byfield, Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Turcotte, Rasmus Kupari, or Tobias Bjornfot. If Eichel remains on the market, the Kings will definitely be in play.

Snapshots: Bratt, WJC Prospects, Kerfoot

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The New Jersey Devils could be without Jesper Bratt to start the season, as the restricted free agent is still unsigned. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the 22-year-old forward is still in Sweden, noting that it would be tough even now to get in on time with visa complications and quarantine. Even those things would need a contract to be worked out first, something that may not be all that close. Friedman writes that though the two sides are still communicating there is “not a ton of talk, and there’s a bit of a gap at this time.”

Bratt, who was a sixth-round pick just a few years ago, has been one of the bright spots on a Devils team that has struggled the last few seasons. Though his play has certainly not been consistent, he still put up 16 goals and 32 points in just 60 games last season and figures to play a top-six role on the team this year once he signs. Of course, every day he misses leaves the door open for other players to impress, including newcomer Andreas Johnsson who has been skating next to Jack Hughes and Kyle Palmieri so far.

  • Speaking of missing time, several prospects at the World Junior Championship will waste none at all after their championship game this evening. Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, Arthur Kaliyev, and Tobias Bjornfot will all be on a chartered flight back to Southern California to join the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings respective training camps. Because they are coming out of the bubble and will not be flying commercial, McKenzie reports that these players will likely not have to quarantine for seven days (though they will still have to adhere to NHL testing protocols). The same process will take Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn to Buffalo Sabres camp.
  • Injuries are already popping up around the league and in Toronto the Maple Leafs could be without Alexander Kerfoot the next few days. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN that Kerfoot is day-to-day after suffering an injury today in practice. The Maple Leafs had split their training groups quite distinctly, meaning if Kerfoot is held out it would open the door for one of the expected non-roster players to get a chance.

Cam York Named Captain Of Team USA

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The World Junior Championship is set to start tomorrow and Team USA Now has a captain to lead them into battle against Russia in their first game. Philadelphia Flyers prospect Cam York has been given the “C” and he will be joined by alternates Cole Caufield and Alex Turcotte. Head coach Nate Leaman explained what an honor it is to be named captain:

It says a lot about this leadership group being voted in by their teammates. It’s a tremendous honor to be named captains and represent your country. This isn’t our team, this is their team. I believe our locker room is filled with leaders, and to be successful each guy will need to step up and be a leader in their own way, whether wearing a letter or not.

York, 19, was the 14th overall pick of the 2019 draft, selected by Philadelphia out of the USNTDP. He’s currently at the University of Michigan, where he earned conference All-Rookie honors last season and has five points in eight games this year. The smooth-skating defenseman was part of the U.S. team that disappointed a year ago but is back for revenge this time around.

Caufield, one of the most-hyped prospects in college hockey, returns to the tournament after scoring just a single goal last year. The undersized forward is an incredible sniper that is able to put the puck in the net in a thousand different ways and will be extremely difficult to contain at the event. Selected 15th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 2019, he could be operating at the sidewall of an NHL powerplay before long.

Turcotte, the highest drafted of the three, went fifth overall to the Los Angeles Kings in 2019 and was a teammate of Caufield at Wisconsin last season. The 19-year-old signed his entry-level contract in March and will attempt to make the Kings out of training camp this year, but first has his eye on gold at the upcoming tournament.

Even though they were denied access to some top names, the U.S. squad looks extremely dangerous this time around. Caufield was named player of the match in the team’s exhibition game against Finland earlier this week when they won 3-2, with Trevor Zegras dazzling with his playmaking once again.

USA Hockey Announces Final World Junior Roster

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A number of final rosters for the upcoming 2020 World Junior Championship have been revealed this morning, as the best U-20 players in the world prepare to compete later this month. Team USA gets us started, as USA Hockey has announced their finalized group. The roster is entirely comprised of NHL draft picks and presumptive 2021 selections, including sixteen players drafted in the first or second round, as well as 22 NCAA players. Below is the final roster:

F Matthew Beniers, Univ. of Michigan (2021)
F Brett Berard, Providence College (NYR)
F Matthew Boldy, Boston College (MIN)
F Bobby Brink, Univ. of Denver (PHI)
F Brendan Brisson, Univ. of Michigan (VGK)
F Cole Caufield, Univ. of Wisconsin (MTL)
F Sam Colangelo, Northeastern Univ. (ANA)
F John Farinacci, Harvard Univ. (ARI)
F Arthur Kaliyev, Hamilton Bulldogs (LAK)
F Patrick Moynihan, Providence College (NJD)
F Landon Slaggert, Univ. of Notre Dame (CHI)
F Alex Turcotte, Los Angeles Kings
F Trevor Zegras, Boston Univ. (ANA)

D Brock Faber, Univ. of Minnesota (LAK)
D Drew Helleson, Boston College (COL)
D Ryan Johnson, Univ. of Minnesota (BUF)
D Tyler Kleven, Univ. of North Dakota (OTT)
D Jackson LaCombe, Univ. of Minnesota (ANA)
D Jake Sanderson, Univ. of North Dakota (OTT)
D Hunter Skinner, London Knights (NYR)
D Henry Thrun, Harvard Univ. (ANA)
D Cam York, Univ. of Michigan (PHI)

G  Spencer Knight, Boston College (FLA)
G Logan Stein, Ferris State Univ. (2021)
G Dustin Wolf, Everett Silvertips (CGY)

The roster, which includes eight holdovers from last year’s squad and Knight returning for a third go-round, includes few surprises. As expected, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson will not be a member of the team as he is instead expected to compete for a roster spot in NHL camp, anticipated to begin toward the conclusion of the WJC. The L.A. Kings’ Turcotte was not given the same treatment, as he will compete for Team USA and then head to camp.

The other glaring omission is Boston Bruins prospect Johnny Beecher, who played for the WJC entry last year and had been in camp this year. The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter reports that Beecher tested positive for COVID-19, ending his bid for a roster spot. The loss could hurt the U.S., as teammate Caufield told The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently that he expected Beecher to play a big role for the team this year.

While the University of Michigan boasts an impressive three WJC selections for Team USA, Beecher and Thomas Bordeleau (SJS) were among the final cuts. The other player left off the final roster was undrafted defenseman Cam McDonald, who would have been the third inclusion from Providence College to join head coach Nate Leaman’s WJC team. Wheeler reports that Team USA GM John Vanbiesbrouck would have preferred 14 forwards and eight defenseman to their 13 forwards and nine defensemen, but that COVID protocols led to this final roster, insinuating that Beecher’s positive test likely led to roomate Bordeleau’s cut as well.

Among the 15 NHL teams represented on Team USA are four prospects from the Anaheim Ducks, a trio from the L.A. Kings, and four other clubs with multiple selections.

 

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