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Frans Nielsen

Henrik Lundqvist, Zdeno Chára, Frans Nielsen Elected To IIHF Hall Of Fame

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Before yesterday’s gold medal game between Team Switzerland and Team USA for the 2025 IIHF World Championships, the international hockey administration inducted its 2025 Hall of Fame class. As announced by the Federation, Kai Hietarinta (Finland), Kim Martin Hasson (Sweden), and Vicky Sunohara (Canada) were all inducted, as were NHL veterans Zdeno Chára (Slovakia), Henrik Lundqvist (Sweden), Frans Nielsen (Denmark), and David Výborný (Czechia).

There’s a case in which Lundqvist is one of the most accomplished international netminders of all time, making his induction one of the easiest to pick. Lundqvist won a bronze medal in the U18 World Junior Championship, two silver medals in the World Championship, one Olympic silver medal, one gold medal in the World Championship, and a gold medal from the 2006 Olympic Games.

Throughout three Olympic Games, Lundqvist compiled a 12-3-0 record with a .926 SV% and 1.80 GAA, along with four shutouts. In the World Championships, six of which he’s been a part of, Lundqvist managed a 22-7-2 record with a .911 SV% and three shutouts.

Chara hasn’t accrued as many medals as Lundqvist, but his longevity was unmatched. Chara particpated in three Olympic Games, scoring one goal and six points in 17 games while being Team Slovakia’s captain in 2010 and 2014. In the World Championships, Chara scored eight goals and 14 points in 55 games over seven tournaments, helping Slovakia to their only silver medals in 2000 and 2012. The longtime captain for the Boston Bruins also captained Team Slovakia at the World Championships in 2012 and 2014.

Lastly, Nielsen’s Hall of Fame resume is highlighted by being the first NHL player native to Denmark. Despite participating in nine World Championship tournaments, scoring 11 goals and 26 points in 58 games, the crowning jewel to Nielsen’s international career came in 2022. Nielsen helped Denmark qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time in history, scoring two goals and one assist in five contests.

Frans Nielsen To Retire After World Championships

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Via a news release from his DEL team, Eisbaren Berlin, long-time NHL center Frans Nielsen will retire from professional hockey after representing his native Denmark at the upcoming 2022 IIHF World Championships. Nielsen played the 2021-22 campaign overseas in Germany after the Detroit Red Wings bought out the final year of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Nielsen retires as the all-time leader among Danish NHLers in games played (925), goals (167), assists (306), and points (473). However, Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers is poised to break the goals mark next season, as he sits three back with 164. Nielsen’s, Lars Eller’s, Jannik Hansen’s, and Mikkel Boedker’s emergence in the late 2000s and early 2010s ushered in the most successful era in Danish hockey history, at least as it relates to the NHL. They paved the way for players such as Ehlers and Oliver Bjorkstrand to take the leap and become the next faces of Denmark hockey.

Earlier this year, Nielsen was a flag bearer and alternate captain for Denmark as the men’s hockey team made its first Olympic appearance in history. Nielsen registered two goals and an assist in five games.

Drafted 87th overall in 2002 by the New York Islanders out of a stellar season in the Swedish top junior league, he developed into a skilled two-way forward and playmaker at his peak with the Islanders. One of the most underrated all-around players in the game during his prime, Nielsen broke into the NHL full-time in 2008-09 as a 24-year-old. He would spend 10 seasons total and 606 games in an Islanders uniform before departing for the Red Wings in free agency during the 2016 offseason.

Nielsen wouldn’t repeat his 20-goal, 50-point per year success in Detroit, but still managed 124 points across 319 games in Detroit.

Snapshots: Denmark, Harris, Muzzin

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Denmark is the latest participant to announce an Olympic roster for next month’s event, but their’s is a bit more historic. This will be the first time that Denmark has ever participated in hockey after failing to qualify year after year. Last August, Denmark beat Noway in a winner-goes-to-Beijing game that landed them a spot for the first time in history.

The roster includes some familiar names like Mikkel Boedker, Frans Nielsen, Patrick Russell, and Nicklas Jensen, but they will be in a tough group with the Russian Olympic Committee, Czechia, and Switzerland. The full roster can be found here.

  • One of the most interesting things on Kent Hughes’ to-do list as he takes over as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens is trying to sign Jordan Harris, a top collegiate player, captain of Northeastern, and third-round pick that could become an unrestricted free agent later this year. As Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic points out though, Hughes seemingly has a few advantages–or at least some familiarity–in that negotiation. Hughes coached Harris for a time with the Boston Jr. Eagles several years ago, and two of the young defenseman’s college teammates at Northeastern happen to be related to the Montreal GM. Riley Hughes, a seventh-round pick of the New York Rangers (when they were run by Canadiens VP of hockey operations Jeff Gorton, no less) is an alternate captain at Northeastern, while Jack Hughes is a freshman with the potential to be a first-round pick this spring. With the Canadiens already tweeting out highlights of Harris, you can bet they’ll put on the full-court press to get him signed in the coming months.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will travel to New York to take on the Rangers without Jake Muzzin, as the veteran defenseman suffered a concussion against the St. Louis Blues. Mark Masters of TSN reports that Rasmus Sandin will move up to the second pair in Muzzin’s absence, with Alex Biega re-entering the lineup. Since Justin Holl is still in the COVID protocol, the Maple Leafs will be relying heavily on Sandin and Timothy Liljegren, consecutive first-round picks that haven’t made a huge impact to this point.

Frans Nielsen Signs In Germany

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After not catching on with an NHL team for training camp, Frans Nielsen has opted to head back overseas as Eisbaren Berlin of the DEL announced that they’ve inked the 37-year-old to a one-year deal.

Nielsen spent the last five seasons with the Red Wings after spending a decade as a member of the Islanders.  When he first joined Detroit, he was a capable two-way center that gave them some extra depth in the top six.  He wasn’t bad in the offensive end in his first two seasons there, notching 17 and 16 goals respectively but his production fell off sharply after that.  Last season, Nielsen suited up in just 29 contests, scoring only once while chipping in with five assists in a little over 12 minutes a game on average.

That type of production is hardly worth the $5.25MM AAV he was carrying which resulted in Detroit buying him out this summer.  The cumulative cap hit ($4.25MM this season, $500K next) is almost the same and the move only saved them $500K in actual money plus a contract slot but it was a move that still made sense for them with how far his stock had fallen.

Considering he didn’t have any takers for a PTO and will turn 38 in April, there’s a very high chance that this is the end of the line for Nielsen in the NHL.  Assuming that is the case, he’ll finish up with 473 points in 925 games between New York and Detroit.  Not a bad career for a late third-round pick (87th overall) back in 2002; Nielsen has the sixth-most points and the eighth-most games played of anyone from that draft class.

Poll: Best Available PTO Candidate

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There were some hints that the PTO market was about to open up. Within the first week of September, the Colorado Avalanche penciled in Artem Anisimov and Jack Johnson and the Pittsburgh Penguins brought in local product Matt Bartkowski. However, with the New Jersey Devils announcing three PTO’s today, including two forwards who played in 45+ games this season in Jimmy Vesey and Mark Jankowski, the floodgates have officially opened on the tryout market. Once the PTO ball starts rolling, it usually only picks up steam. With plenty of talent still available among unsigned unrestricted free agents, this season should be no different. Rather than who will be next to sign, as many names could shortly come off the market (at least temporarily), who would you want your favorite team to bring to camp?

What makes a PTO different than a signing is the lack of commitment. Sure, a low-salary contract that can be buried in the minors is reasonably similar, but even that is a commitment to using up a limited number of roster slots and taking play time from prospects in the AHL. A PTO is merely a training camp invitation to see whether an available player could be a fit for your team. Perhaps it is a veteran who may have gas left in the tank – or may not. Or perhaps it is a young player who has hit a rough patch in his development but just needs a chance to show his upside. It could also be a role player in his prime who just needs a chance to prove he can be useful to the organization.

It’s hard to ignore some of the future Hall of Famers who fit the first description. 44-year-old Zdeno Chara, 41-year-old Patrick Marleau, and 36-year-old Eric Staal each played more games this past season than any other player still available. The question is, can they do it again? Fortunately, a PTO doesn’t require that question to be answered without getting an early look. All three of Chara, Marleau, and Staal have seemingly done more than enough in their respective careers to earn a contract if they want one, but after each had a down year entering a tight, flat-cap market, could they settle for a PTO? Travis Zajac may not be headed for the Hall, but the respected veteran is coming off of a better year than anyone else still unsigned and was expected to command a contract. Could he too end up on a tryout?

Other veterans who might be more likely to take a tryout to extend their careers could include Jason Demers, Bobby Ryan, James Neal, Frans Nielsen, or Devan Dubnyk. Demers and Dubnyk are both arguably the best players still available at their respective position, but that isn’t saying much for an early-September market. It still may not hurt for a team to try to lock up that security on a PTO in case depth is needed. Ryan was playing very well with the Red Wings last season before his season was derailed by injury. At 34, coming back from a long-term ailment could be difficult, but a PTO would allow teams to check on his health. Neal and Nielsen have fallen far from their spots as elite NHLers in the past few years, but could they still have a resurgence left?

Among young players looking for another chance is Alex Galchenyuk, 27, who had the makings of a breakout season brewing after a move to the Toronto Maple Leafs last season and could be ready to build on that momentum. Galchenyuk can be a tough system fit, but a PTO would allow for a team to test his abilities with their personnel. At just 25, Michael Dal Colle may actually be the best young hidden gem among unsigned players. In fact, it is surprising to 2014 top-five pick still available, especially given that he showed signs of improvement in 2019-20 before the Islanders’ depth forced him to take a back seat role last season. Dal Colle could be worth the look, but could a team glean enough in camp without much NHL experience to rely upon as supporting evidence. The same could be said for Frederik Gauthier. One of the biggest forwards in the NHL and good defensive forward, Gauthier’s played sparingly last season within the Coyotes organization and was limited exclusively to fourth line minutes prior in Toronto. Could a brief training camp appearance prove to a team that he is not one-dimensional?

As for those players in their prime who don’t have to prove that they can play in the NHL or can still play in the NHL, it is more about showing that they possess the tools to fill a specific role for a team. Those looking for some stability and minutes on the blue line should show interest in Sami Vatanen, Erik Gustafsson, or Ben Hutton, who have both shown that they can still play. However, are they a better option than what most teams already have on their bottom pair or waiting for opportunity in the AHL? Up front, a team in need of skill could eye Nikita Gusev or Alex Chiasson while those seeking defense have options such as Colton Sceviour and Tobias Rieder. Like the defensemen, all of these forwards surely could play in the NHL this season, but are they superior options to what teams already have? And can a PTO prove otherwise?

There are strengths and weaknesses to all of these players, as well as to what they would be able to prove on a training camp tryout. At the end of the day, at this point in the season value is subjective based on what each team feels could be an area of need in the coming season and who they feel could prove themselves worthy of a contract with just a short PTO. So what say you? Who would you most like to see your favorite team bring in on a PTO?

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Detroit Red Wings To Buy Out Frans Nielsen

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Aug 20: Nielsen has cleared unconditional waivers and will be bought out.

Aug 19: The Detroit Red Wings gained access to a second buyout window after settling their arbitration case with Adam Erne, and they’re going to use it. CapFriendly reports that the team will buy out the final year of Frans Nielsen’s contract. Nielsen was owed $5.25MM this season. The team will have the following cap penalties:

  • 2021-22: $4.25MM
  • 2022-23: $500K

Nielsen has been placed on unconditional waivers.

The move will only save the Red Wings $1MM in cap space this season, but more importantly, will only cost them $500K in actual salary over each of the next two years. Nielsen’s six-year, $31.5MM contract had just $3MM left owed to him in the final year after being heavily front-loaded. It also will open another roster spot for a young forward looking to establish himself on the rebuilding club. The 37-year-old Nielsen is a shadow of his former self and has just five goals and 15 points over the last two seasons, despite playing in 89 games.

Even landing another NHL contract seems unlikely for the veteran forward, who is just 75 games away from 1,000 for his career. His play has declined significantly and the Red Wings weren’t even comfortable with him playing center this season. Once an annual Selke candidate as one of the most consistent two-way centers in the league, Nielsen’s best days are long behind him.

Again, this move isn’t really about the cap space for the Red Wings, who were already more than $18MM under the upper limit. While they continue to rebuild the roster and develop young players, GM Steve Yzerman isn’t committing any long-term money to the current group.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Expansion Primer: Detroit Red Wings

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Over the next few weeks, we will be breaking down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Which players are eligible, who will likely warrant protection, and which ones may be on the block to avoid the risk of losing them for nothing? Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4:00 PM CDT on July 17th. The full eligibility rules can be found here, while CapFriendly has an expansion tool to make your own lists.

The last time we gathered here to determine the Detroit Red Wings’ expansion draft considerations, the team was in a steep downward decline. Yet they still ended up losing a bit of a diamond in the rough, as the Vegas Golden Knights selected forward Tomas Nosek. Nosek’s been a contributor in a bottom-six role every season in Vegas’ history, robbing Detroit of some quality depth. Now, with Detroit having hit the rock-bottom of their rebuild, their expansion situation looks fairly clear-cut this time around. With a lot of young talent exempt (and no Jimmy Howard/Petr Mrazek goalie controversy), the Red Wings and general manager Steve Yzerman are in a good position coming into 2021’s Seattle expansion draft.

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards:
Riley Barber, Tyler Bertuzzi, Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Dylan Larkin, Frans Nielsen, Richard Panik, Vladislav Namestnikov, Michael Rasmussen, Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov, Hayden Verbeek, Jakub Vrana

Defense:
Dennis Cholowski, Danny DeKeyser, Christian Djoos, Filip Hronek, Gustav Lindstrom, Troy Stecher

Goalies:
Kaden Fulcher, Thomas Greiss

Notable Unrestricted Free Agents

F Valtteri Filppula, F Sam Gagner, F Luke Glendening, F Darren Helm, F Bobby Ryan, D Alex Biega, D Marc Staal, G Jonathan Bernier

Notable Exemptions

F Joseph Veleno, F Filip Zadina, D Jared McIsaac, D Moritz Seider, G Filip Larsson

Key Decisions

The key decisions start with Detroit’s young forward group. They’ll undoubtedly be going with the seven forwards/three defensemen protection scheme. Four of those forward spots are relatively clear-cut, with Larkin, Bertuzzi, Fabbri, and recent acquisition Vrana being protection locks. That leaves three spots remaining, but with a mix of four veterans and young forwards competing for them.

The veteran of those candidates is Namestnikov. Signed to a two-year, $4MM deal prior to 2020-21 to provide some veteran presence during their rebuild, Namestnikov had his worst offensive season to date with just 17 points in 53 games. His defensive metrics were mediocre, which is on-brand for the versatile Russian forward. Detroit was Namestnikov’s fourth team since the beginning of 2019-20, and if left unprotected, Seattle could be his fifth.

However, there’s a trio of three younger forwards who could also vie for those spots. Erne, Rasmussen, and Svechnikov all looked good with the Wings this season. It was an especially important season for Svechnikov, who’s struggled with frequent injuries. He rebounded this year for eight points in 21 games while posting incredibly impressive possession metrics. Erne had a nice rebound season after a ghastly 2019-20 performance, scoring 11 goals and 20 points in 45 games. While his 15.5% shooting rate doesn’t scream sustainability, the 26-year-old showed nice flashes this season. There’s also Rasmussen, who’s still a developing project despite already playing in over 100 NHL contests. Drafted ninth overall in 2017, Rasmussen’s now totalled 30 points in 102 NHL games, including 12 points in 40 games last season. He’s consistently posted decent possession results, suggesting that the goal-scoring touch he had in juniors could be coming.

Detroit faces a similar quandary on defense with three names fighting for two spots. Hronek’s protection is a foregone conclusion, but Stecher, Cholowski, and Lindstrom are names that could fall into those last two spots.

Stecher sits as effectively a more impressive Namestnikov. Joining Detroit as a free agent prior to this season, Stecher settled nicely into a top-four role, posting admirable defensive metrics considering the hacked-together situation that was Detroit’s defense. However, like Namestnikov, he’s under contract for just one more season and there’s no guarantee that he stays. There’s also a pair of younger defenders in Cholowski and Lindstrom. Cholowski was a first-round pick in 2016 and showed great potential in his 2018-19 rookie season, but has stagnated at all levels since then. Detroit is willing to play the wait-and-see game with the young defender, who may see a full-time role again next year after just 16 games played in 2020-21. Lindstrom’s a year younger and doesn’t have as much upside, but he’s cobbled together four assists in 29 NHL games and could have third-pairing potential.

Projected Protection List

F Tyler Bertuzzi
F Adam Erne
F Robby Fabbri
F Dylan Larkin
F Michael Rasmussen
F Evgeny Svechnikov
F Jakub Vrana

D Dennis Cholowski
D Filip Hronek
D Troy Stecher

G Thomas Greiss

Skater Exposure Requirement Checklist

When Vegas had their expansion draft, a minimum of two forwards and one defenseman had to be exposed that were under contract and played either 40 games in the most recent season or 70 over the past two combined.  Due to the pandemic, those thresholds have been changed to 27 games played in 2020-21 or 54 in 2019/20 and 2020-21 combined.  In creating our expansion list for each team in this series, we will ensure that these criteria are met.

Forwards (3): Vladislav Namestnikov, Frans Nielsen, Richard Panik
Defensemen (1): Danny DeKeyser

There are very few pickings here that the Kraken would be interested in, and Detroit is likely to emerge from the expansion draft unscathed. While Detroit will have some depth forwards exposed, Seattle can likely find cheaper and better options elsewhere. Seattle could end up taking an AHL skater with limited upside like Lindstrom or Smith, or take a pending UFA like Glendening if they really don’t like any of their options.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Minor Transactions: 02/05/20

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While the MLB dominates the newsstands with some blockbuster deals yesterday, hockey fans will soon turn back to their beloved NHL and the race to the trade deadline. Things are heating up around the league with rumors swirling around any team within a few points of the playoffs, and there is bound to be some movement in the coming weeks. As teams prepare for all that action they have games to play and minor moves to make in order to ice full rosters. We’ll keep track of all those smaller moves right here:

  • The Washington Capitals have returned Martin Fehervary and Vitek Vanecek to the minor leagues after just one game, which only the former took part in. Fehervary ended up playing nearly 20 minutes for the Capitals last night in their comeback win against the Los Angeles Kings, and will likely be back up at some point for the team. Vanecek meanwhile was just insurance after Ilya Samsonov left practice, but Braden Holtby got the start and stopped 29 of 31 shots.
  • Matiss Kivlenieks, Jakob Lilja and Andrew Peeke have all been sent to the AHL by the Columbus Blue Jackets, with some other names nearing a return. Josh Anderson and Ryan Murray are both close to jumping back into the lineup for the Blue Jackets, who outlasted the Florida Panthers last night for a 1-0 overtime win.
  • Taro Hirose and Gustav Lindstrom appear ready to get a chance at the NHL, after being recalled by the Detroit Red Wings. To make room on the roster both Frans Nielsen and Mike Green have been placed on injured reserve. Hirose has played 23 games for the Red Wings this season, but Lindstrom will be making his NHL debut whenever he gets in the lineup. The 21-year old defenseman was selected 38th overall in 2017 and is in his first year of North American professional hockey.
  • Speaking of making a debut, Andrei Chibisov has been recalled by the Winnipeg Jets for the first time this season. The 26-year old was signed out of the KHL last summer and has 24 points in 46 games for the Manitoba Moose. To make room, Cameron Schilling has been returned to the AHL.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Scott Wilson from the minor leagues, while sending Jean-Sebastien Dea back down. The Sabres are dealing with a long list of injuries at the NHL and AHL levels while also plummeting in the standings.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have assigned Mark Barberio to the AHL for a conditioning stint, while recalling Calle Rosen. Rosen, acquired last summer in the deal that brought Nazem Kadri to town, played eight games earlier in the season for the Avalanche and recorded two points.

Red Wings Get Back Athanasiou, Lose Zadina For 2-3 Weeks

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One forward in, one forward out. Head coach Jeff Blashill said that forward Andreas Athanasiou was ready to return to the team on Monday, according to NHL.com’s Dana Wakiji. However, the team also announced that young forward Filip Zadina will be out for the next two to three weeks after suffering a lower-body injury.

It’s believed that Athanasiou, who has been out since Dec. 29 with a lower-body injury, is expected to join the team and likely will take Zadina’s spot on the first line. Unfortunately for Athanasiou, the 25-year-old forward has struggled terribly this season after posting a 30-goal campaign in 2018-19. He currently has just five goals and 19 points in 36 games, far from the expectations that were set from their speedy forward. The team had hoped he had turned the corner, but now might even be a trade candidate as he will hit restricted free agency this summer and could require a significant payday even with his struggles so far. However, Detroit might still have some time to showcase him, especially if the forward has an opportunity to get first-line minutes for the next few weeks. The Red Wings will have to activate Athanasiou still, but that move may not come until Monday.

As for Zadina, it looks like the injury came Friday during the team’s 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers. However, Zadina played through the injury and played the full game on Saturday. In fact, Zadina broke the 20-minute mark for just the second time in his career on Saturday despite the injury. The timing, however, is disappointing as Zadina has seen an uptick in his minutes, while starting to produce like the player the team drafted in 2018 with the sixth-overall pick. He has five goals over the past 11 games and has established himself as a top-six player on a team that needs scoring.

Wikiji also notes that forward Frans Nielsen is expected to be out Monday with an upper-body injury, but is considered day-to-day.

Detroit Red Wings Activate Frans Nielsen, Trevor Daley

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The Detroit Red Wings are getting some of their veterans back today, as they have activated both Frans Nielsen and Trevor Daley from injured reserve. To make room, the team sent Evgeny Svechnikov to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Detroit is actually off to a nice 3-2 start so far this season on the backs of their young forward core, but will get some much needed help as they continue to try and surprise the Atlantic Division and earn a playoff spot. Even now at 35 years old, Nielsen can still lengthen out the forward group and add some secondary scoring for the group.

Daley too is nearing the end of his career, but will be an interesting player to keep an eye on at the trade deadline if he can stay healthy. He has just a 15-team no-trade clause and is making just $2.2MM in actual salary this season ($3.166MM cap hit). His playoff experience, which includes two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins, will be considered valuable if he can still log a few minutes on the back end.

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