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Snapshots: Alexander Nylander, Jon Gillies, Max Talbot

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19-year old winger Alexander Nylander may get his shot in Buffalo this season, according to Ian McLaren of the Score, who spoke with Nylander’s Swedish coach. Nylander was selected 8th overall in last year’s draft, and had a strong season in the AHL with Rochester. He saw action in 4 games for the Sabres, but tallied only one assist. He theoretically has the option to return to the Swedish Hockey League, for AIK, but there has been no indication he will do so. Nylander will have his work cut out for him if he hopes to crack the roster, however. The Sabres filled out their forward depth relatively well this off-season, adding Jason Pominville (right-winger) via trade and Jacob Josefson (right-winger) via free agency. He could likely find a home on the fourth-line, but he would likely benefit from more seasoning if he can’t force a decision outright. His older brother, William Nylander, did need parts of two seasons with the Marlies before he stuck with the Leafs. Alex Nylander’s dynamic offensive skillset is badly needed in Buffalo this season, however, especially when one considers the lean defense they will be trotting out.

  • When Flames’ goalie Jon Gillies was signed to a two-way contract a few weeks ago, many wondered how much that would impact the team’s future plans in net. Gillies had a solid win in his first NHL start last season, but struggled slightly in Stockton. The 6’6 goalie is a third-round pick from 2012, but was solid in Providence and has shown flashes of brilliance at only 23. Gillies will need to string together a solid performance at the AHL level and hope for either Mike Smith or Eddie Lack to falter or fall to injury, as the two acquisitions by GM Brad Treliving put him in an unenviable position. The possibility of a goaltending carousel in Calgary seems more possible than many are willing to admit, especially if Gillies or Tyler Parsons push the issue from the minors with stellar performance. This will only be Gillies’ second pro season, after all, and he has the talent to make things interesting.
  • With the certainty of NHL non-participation in the 2018 Olympics, it opens quite a few doors for players who have left the league for Europe or elsewhere. “Busts” and “has-beens” could make up a large portion of the U.S. and Canadian rosters, it seems. Today in Sochi, numerous ex-NHLers displayed their skills in hopes of impressing those who will choose the 2018 Olympic roster. A miniature tournament is essentially the beginning of the audition to be considered for the selection process. Canada faced off against Russia, and the teams will have friendly contests against one another later in August. According to Tim Wharnsby of CBS Sports, some of those hopefuls for Canada include Max Talbot, Gilbert Brule, and Rob Klinkhammer. Talbot was a gritty winger who clutched two goals against Detroit in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals for Pittsburgh. Brule is a former top pick of CBJ who floated from team to team without much success, and Klinkhammer was a fringe bottom-sixer who never truly found a home. Many players of this ilk could claim roster spots, and fans of the sport may have some names from the past resurface to prominence as we approach Pyeongchang.

Flames Sign Jon Gillies and David Rittich

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The Calgary Flames have announced deals to secure their organizational goaltending depth, by signing both Jon Gillies and David Rittich to one year, two-way contracts. Gillies and Rittich have 80 minutes of NHL game experience between them, but should constitute a solid duo in the AHL affiliate Stockton. Either could be called up in case of injury, but Gillies is the more intriguing signing of the two.

For an organization who needed to clear the pipes after an embarrassing first-round sweep at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks, the team found two capable goaltenders in Mike Smith and Eddie Lack. That said, it is important for the Flames to have options in the eventuality of injury and/or poor performance. Gillies in particular has the potential to improve mightily this year. He had his NHL debut, a 4-1 win, last season, in addition to splitting the starting role (39 GP) in Stockton. The Providence alum has impressive size at 6’6, which makes him quite appealing. If he were able to bring his save percentage up from last season’s .910, he could get his fair share of action in the near future. His biggest test will be the sheer amount of games he will be relied upon this year – he’s never played more than 39 games in a season, pro or college. He does have poise going for him, and the pedigree he brings as a third-rounder means GM Brad Treliving and crew will be keeping a close eye on his progression.

Rittich also saw NHL action this season, in relief for a single period against the San Jose Sharks in April, where he conceded only one goal. Rittich, 6’3, was signed last year from the Czech Extraliga, but came quite in handy when Gillies went down to injury. He posted better stats (.924 save percentage) through his 31 games, and became the starting goaltender for the team in the playoffs where the team was quickly bounced. The Flames will want to provide Gillies solid competition to regain his net, and Rittich certainly fits that bill. His athleticism is not nearly on par with that of Gillies, but the technical aspects of his game are more refined at present. Going undrafted and being nearly a complete unknown, Rittich will need to prove that last year’s performance wasn’t a fluke if he wants to secure his North American future.

These deals are interesting in part because it seems to indicate that Calgary is still not totally certain of its long-term future when it comes to goalies. Neither of these players are certainties, while both of their NHL goaltenders are on short-term contracts. Lack, 29, only has one year remaining, while Smith, 35, has only two. Naturally, the Flames have selected goaltenders in early rounds in the past few years to stock the pipeline. Their 2014 second-round pick was utilized on Mason McDonald, then of the Charlottestown Islanders, while their 2016 second-rounder was used on London’s Tyler Parsons. McDonald struggled quite mightily in his over-age years in Charlottestown, and only played one game for Stockton in 2016-17 before spending the season in the ECHL. With the Rittich/Gillies duo locked up, he doesn’t have much of a path forward. Parsons looks far more promising, as the starter for London showed a moderate improvement in numbers while holding steady through the team’s playoff run. Still, at only 19, it’s nearly impossible to determine how he will progress from here. He could theoretically turn pro this season, as mentioned by the team’s goalie coach, but these signings will provide him with stiff competition for playing time. Calgary is certainly hoping that he can shine in the near future, but there are no guarantees. Ultimately, it’s a goaltending free-for-all in the Flames organization, and management is  hoping that at least one of their prospects will pan out.

Red Wings Acquire Keeper Tom McCollum

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On the biggest signing day of the year, the Calgary Flames and Detroit Red Wings have instead been talking trade. The Flames have agreed to send goalie Tom McCollum, extended only for Expansion Draft purposes, to the Detroit Red Wings for a conditional seventh-round draft pick, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. The Flames, who have recently added both Mike Smith and Eddie Lack in net and have to also accommodate prospects Jon Gillies and Mason McDonald, were reportedly working to loan McCollum out to another AHL team anyway. Instead, McCollum will head back to Detroit, the organization who drafted him and where he spent the first seven years of his career, presumably to back up Jared Coreau in the AHL.

Snapshots: Sabres, Montgomery, Gillies, Henderson

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When the Buffalo Sabres fired both head coach Dan Bylsma and GM Tim Murray this morning, they effectively cleaned house and set themselves up to start all over again from the top down. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet now reports that it wasn’t just those two that were shown the door, but also Director of Pro Scouting Rob Murphy and Director of Amateur Scouting Greg Royce. It’s very surprising that these two would be let go so close to both the entry and expansion drafts, as whoever comes in will have to rely entirely on the scouts themselves to work through the process.

Perhaps Buffalo has a plan in place already, as both Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News and Chuck Gormley each have heard the name Norm MacIver in consideration for the position. Don’t count the Blackhawks’ assistant GM as hired yet, but he has long been thought of as a future GM in the league and would be a solid hire for the Sabres. For now, Sabres’ owner Terry Pegula will address the media tomorrow to explain all of the decisions, and likely give some insight as to where the team goes from here.

  • Jim Montgomery will interview for the vacant Florida Panthers position according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The college coach who led the University of Denver to victory over UMD in the NCAA Championship game, will meet with the Panthers in the next 7-10 days to see if there is a fit. Chambers says that Montgomery leaving could prompt several players to leave the school early and turn pro, as they committed to working with him and not whoever would follow in the position. Earlier this month it was reported that Henrik Borgstrom will return for his sophomore season, but he could easily follow Montgomery to Florida should he choose. The 19-year old was a first round pick of the Panthers last summer.
  • The Calgary Flames have sent Jon Gillies back to the Stockton Heat for their playoff series after he watched the Anaheim Ducks defeat his NHL club. Gillies was serving as the emergency goaltender in Calgary and will now return to Stockton where he played the majority of the year. The Heat also signed Tyler Parsons to an amateur tryout today, meaning the goaltending situation in Stockton is quite full. Gillies will likely get the lion’s share of the starts in the postseason.
  • In a story that just won’t go away, Don Henderson—the linesman injured by a blindside Dennis Wideman hit last season—has filed a $10.25MM lawsuit against Wideman and the Flames organization, according to Rick Westhead of TSN. Henderson has never returned to the league, and according to Westhead is now claiming he “has suffered a limitation of activities and loss of enjoyment of life” and a long list of medical symptoms from this incident.

Pacific Notes: Tryamkin, Parsons, Kase

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The Vancouver Canucks released a statement on the departure of Nikita Tryamkin, who left for the KHL earlier today. The team apparently offered a two-year deal to the young defender, but couldn’t persuade him to stay in North America. The full statement:

We are disappointed that Nikita chose to sign in the KHL, but also recofnize from what he told us in our exit meetings that this was a family decision first. He has a chance to be an impact player in the NHL and we offered him a two-year extension. But for now he is home and we will move ahead with building this team with other young players.

It is indeed disappointing for the Canucks, who had come to appreciate Tryamkin’s physical style on the back end as a possible future shutdown defender. Instead, they’ll have to hope that other defenders like Olli Juolevi, Jordan Subban and Troy Stecher develop like they expect. The Canucks will also likely hold one of the top few picks in this year’s draft, where they could look to acquire another high-end defender.

  • The Calgary Flames may have been eliminated from the playoffs in part due to poor goaltending, but they have better days ahead in that position. The team announced today that Tyler Parsons will join Stockton for their playoff run after his London Knights were eliminated from the OHL postseason. As Darren Hynes of of Canadian Press points out, Parsons, Jon Gillies and David Rittich form a pretty promising young trio for the Flames. The problem is, none of them look ready to take over NHL duties next season.
  • Anaheim has reassigned Ondrej Kase to the San Diego Gulls after eliminating the Calgary Flames last night, though he may return for round two. The Gulls will start their series with back-to-back games Friday and Saturday before five days off before game three. The 21-year old Kase had 12 points in 14 games for the Gulls this season.

Minor Moves: Gillies, Ullmark, Bondra, Morin

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According to John Shannon of Sportsnet, the Calgary Flames will recall goaltender Jon Gillies prior to their game in Los Angeles tomorrow night. The Flames sent Chad Johnson home for precautionary reasons following his lower-body injury on Tuesday night. Even though the last two games are very important for the Flames in determining their playoff seeding Shannon wouldn’t be surprised to see the team give Gillies the start tomorrow.

Gillies, 23, had an outstanding career at Providence College before debuting in the AHL last year. A hip injury derailed his rookie season, needing surgery in December of 2015 to correct a long-standing issue. This year his game hasn’t come all the way back, posting just a .909 save percentage through 38 games at the AHL. He remains one of the top goaltending prospects in the league though, and may get his chance to start a game in the NHL for the first time tomorrow night.

  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Linus Ullmark for much the same reason, with Anders Nilsson suffering a minor injury. Robin Lehner will get the start tonight again Montreal, as the team winds down their season. Ullmark, still just 23, hasn’t gotten back on the ice in the NHL this season despite his impressive 20-game stint with the club last year. Registering a .913 save percentage in those games, the former Swedish pro has shown that he can handle the NHL game. This season hasn’t gone as well in the AHL, but he still remains part of the Sabres future in net going forward.
  • Scott Powers of The Athletic tells us that Radovan Bondra will join the Rockford IceHogs for their last few games before negotiating an entry-level contract. The 20-year old power forward had 63 points in 62 games split between the Vancouver Giants and Prince George Cougars of the WHL. At 6’5″ 220-lbs, the Slovakian winger already has more than enough size for professional hockey, but actually needs to improve his consistent physical game as he floats to the perimeter at times.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced today that Kyle Capobianco will join the Tucson Roadrunners for the end of the season. Capobianco already signed his entry-level deal in October, and has just completed his fourth season with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. The defenseman racked up another 45 points this season, his third straight excellent offensive campaign for the Wolves. While the defensive game is still a big question mark for Capobianco, his size and skating ability should lend itself to a solid development path as he inches towards the NHL. He’ll be 20 next year and will probably play all season with the Roadrunners.
  • Samuel Morin and Colin McDonald are on their way back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, though one or both could be back in time for Saturday’s matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Morin debuted successfully on Tuesday night, skating almost 18 minutes alongside Shayne Gostisbehere and registering seven hits in the game. While his game still needs work—as even he admitted after the game, saying that he still needed to mature physically—he provides hope for Flyers’ fans for the future of their blue line.
  • The Blue Jackets have assigned Oscar Dansk to the AHL following his season with Rogle of the Swedish Hockey League. The second-round pick from 2012 has continued to develop in Sweden while the Blue Jackets kept Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg here in North America. The three young netminders represent one of the strongest goaltending pipelines in the league at the moment, as each has shown high potential at times. They’ll compete for the NHL backup spot next season, and for starts in the AHL.

Minor Transactions: 3/18/17

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Here is where we’ll keep tabs on today’s minor roster moves:

  • Tomas Nosek’s stint in Detroit only lasted a few hours as the Red Wings announced that he had been returned to Grand Rapids of the AHL after being recalled on an emergency basis this morning. The forward has yet to get into any games with the Wings this year but sits fifth in scoring with the AHL’s Griffins with 15 goals and 24 assists in 48 games.  Considering Darren Helm went down with an injury against the Avalanche this afternoon, there’s a chance Nosek could be back up with the big club before long.
  • With defenseman Paul Postma set to miss tomorrow’s game and Jacob Trouba out on more than a day-to-day basis, the Jets announced that they have recalled blueliner Brian Strait from AHL Manitoba. After spending the past three seasons exclusively in the NHL with the Islanders, the 29 year old has yet to suit up with Winnipeg this season.  In 50 minor league contests, Strait has two goals and 10 assists.
  • Flames goalie Brian Elliott returned to the lineup last night and as a result, they terminated the emergency recall conditions on Jon Gillies and assigned him back to Stockton of the AHL. Gillies is in his second professional season and has played in 34 games this season for the Heat, posting a 14-14-1 record with a 2.97 GAA and a .909 SV%.

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