Justin Abdelkader

Minor Transactions: 04/18/23

April 18, 2023 at 7:41 pm CDT | by Ethan Hetu 1 Comment

It’s a busy day across the hockey world, with a group of first-round NHL playoff series set to begin tonight and a few European leagues playing finals games. In the NHL, the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils are beginning what is likely to be a heated series between two rivals, while the Seattle Kraken are making their playoff debut in a game against the Colorado Avalanche — with former Colorado netminder Philipp Grubauer in the crease.

In Europe, Djurgarden defeated MoDo in a significant matchup in their battle for promotion to the top-tier SHL, while in Germany ERC Ingolstadt made a crucial late push to defeat EHC Red Bull Munchen and avoid falling into a 3-0 hole in the DEL finals. In Austria, HC Bolzano managed a 4-3 victory over Red Bull Salzburg to force a deciding seventh game in the ICEHL’s finals. As fans all around the world enjoy the important games on the schedule today, many offseason moves are being made by teams whose seasons have ended. We’ll keep track of those transactions here.

739-game NHL veteran Justin Abdelkader will not return to EV Zug, the team he played 2022-23 for, according to a team social media post. The 36-year-old played 24 games in his second tour with Zug, having skated nine games for them before in 2020-21. Abdelkader scored two goals and five points this season and added three points in five playoff games. Without a team at the moment for next season, it doesn’t seem out of the question that Abdelkader could end up retiring, though it’s also certainly possible that he decides to continue his pro career. In any case, should Abdelkader choose to keep playing his next season won’t be with EV Zug.
Brynas IF has secured a major contract extension for their quest to be promoted back to the SHL. The team announced a three-year contract for former NHLer Johan Larsson, who ranked second among forwards in team scoring with 31 points in 45 games. (Former Toronto Maple Leaf Dmytro Timashov led the team with 33 points) It’s a significant signing for Brynas, who were relegated just recently. It’s also interesting to note that Larsson will be playing second-division hockey in Sweden just a year after he was traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a third-round pick. A third-round pick is what the Carolina Hurricanes paid this deadline to acquire Shayne Gostisbehere, a 40-point NHL defenseman, highlighting how recently the 30-year-old Larsson was viewed as a valuable NHL rental. It also illustrates how loyal Larsson seems to be to the club he won the Swedish championship with in 2011-12, as he’s willing to play in his country’s second tier of hockey and likely forgo greater outside offers in order to help the Brynas earn promotion back to the SHL.
Former top prospect David Rundblad is among the players who will not be returning to Karpat next season, per an announcement from the Liiga side. The 32-year-old, who is perhaps best known for bringing Vladimir Tarasenko to the St. Louis Blues and Kyle Turris to the Ottawa Senators via trade, had a solid first season in Finland after six seasons in the KHL. Rundblad scored 26 points in 60 games this season and helped Karpat reach the playoff qualifiers.
Former New Jersey Devil Janne Kuokkanen is headed to Sweden to continue his pro career. The 24-year-old 2016 second-rounder made a strong impression in his return to European pro hockey, scoring 31 points in 42 games for Switzerland’s HC Fribourg-Gotteron. He’s a major addition for Malmo, who just barely staved off relegation to HockeyAllsvenskan this season by defeating Brynas.
The KHL’s Ufa Salavat Yulayev have re-signed 29-year-old Sergei Shmelev to a two-year contract extension. Shmelev ranked 16th in the entire KHL in scoring this season, leading Ufa in points with 51. He showed chemistry with former San Jose Shark Sasha Chmelevski and now is rewarded with a contract extension with the hope of helping lead Ufa back to the KHL’s playoffs next season.
Longtime KHL star and former Ottawa Senator Stephane Da Costa signed a two-year contract extension with the KHL’s Automobilist Yekaterinburg. The 33-year-old scored 20 goals and 56 points in 54 games this season, leading the team in scoring and to the playoffs. The three-time KHL All-Star last played in North America in 2013-14, when he scored 58 points in 56 games for the Binghamton Senators in the AHL.
Defenseman Eero Teravainen, the brother of Carolina Hurricanes star Teuvo Teravainen, signed a contract extension with Liiga’ KooKoo Kouvola. The 24-year-old spent two seasons playing in North America for the USHL’s Lincoln Stars from 2016 to 2018 before heading back to his native Finland. He’s recently established himself as a regular in Finland’s top league, and helped KooKoo win the Liiga bronze medal last season.
Ludvig Larsson, a solid middle-of-the-lineup scorer for Rogle BK, has signed a two-year contract to transfer to SHL rival Orebro. The 27-year-old spent the last two seasons with Rogle, scoring 15 goals this season and helping the team win the Champions Hockey League last year. The 27-year-old last played in North America in 2019-20, when he split time between the AHL’s Binghamton Devils and ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder.
A former First-Team All-Star in Finland’s second division (Mestis) will join his fourth Liiga club in two seasons. Samuel Salonen, 23, scored 34 points in 29 games for Jokipojat Joensuu in 2020-21, earning him a chance in Liiga for the following season. The right winger scored seven points in 29 games for Tappara Tampere and played several games on loan for two other Liiga clubs: Lukko and JYP. He spent this season with JYP and scored just nine points in 40 games, paving the way for a transfer to Jukurit that was announced today.
The SHL’s HV71 has signed a two-year contract with Olle Strandell, a standout defenseman for Mora IK in HockeyAllsvenskan this year. He scored 28 points in 51 games and helped bring Mora to the brink of the promotion finals before they were eliminated by MoDo. HV71 sign this deal hoping Strandell can help infuse some youthful energy into their blueline and bring them back to the SHL’s playoffs after finishing near the bottom of the standings this season.
Daniel Fischbuch, a veteran of over 500 games at the top level of German hockey, is transferring after three seasons with Dusseldorf. The 29-year-old has signed a two-year deal to play for Adler Mannheim, who just recently lost to Ingolstadt in the DEL semifinals. Fischbuch scored 16 goals and 37 points for Dusseldorf this season and will join a strong Manneheim team that boasted several former NHLers this season, including Korbinian Holzer, Nigel Dawes, Joseph Cramarossa, and Jordan Szwarz.
Switzerland’s HC Lugano signed point-per-game QMJHL overage Cole Cormier to an entry-level deal. Cormier scored 71 points in 66 games this season but was passed over in each NHL draft he was eligible for. Now, he’ll begin his professional career with Lugano, who ranked 10th in the Swiss National League this season.
Former St. Louis Blues prospect Niklas Lundstrom will not return to HockeyAllsvenskan’s AIK for next season. The 30-year-old played in 38 combined regular-season and playoff games for the club, posting an .899 save percentage in the regular season and a grisly .873 mark in the playoffs. Lundstrom has spent the last two seasons with AIK, and before then he had a stop in Austria, struggled in 2020-21 as an SHL starter for Linkopings HC, and saw time in North America in the AHL and ECHL.
Former Colorado Avalanche prospect Michael Clarke is transferring from the DEL’s Augsburg Panthers to the Straubing Tigers, per a team announcement. The 28-year-old 2012 fifth-rounder has played the last three season with Ausburg and the last five in the DEL, compiling a total of 71 points in 201 games. With this move, Clarke moves from one of the worst-performing teams in the top division of German hockey to one of the strongest, as Straubing placed fourth in the regular-season standings while Augsburg were on the brink of relegation in 14th.
Hungary’s ICEHL team, Fehervar AV19, made two major moves today. First, they locked up starting netminder Olivier Roy (a 2009 Edmonton Oilers draft pick) to a contract extension. Roy posted a strong .918 save percentage and 2.32 goals-against-average in the regular season and a .909 in six playoff games. Before this year, Roy spent five seasons with Augsburg in the DEL. In their second major move, Fehervar brought defenseman Josh Atkinson back to the team after a year spent in Germany with the Bietigheim Steelers, who were the club relegated to the second-division DEL2. Atkinson spent 2021-22 in Hungary and posted 38 points in 44 regular-season games and an impressive 11 points in 13 playoff contests.

Justin Abdelkader Signs In Switzerland

November 21, 2022 at 8:51 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The journey continues for a veteran NHLer, as Justin Abdelkader will be playing in Switzerland for the rest of the season. EV Zug of the Swiss National League has signed Abdelkader through the end of the season after Carl Klingberg went down to injury.

This is no longshot though. The organization is already very familiar with Abdelkader, who played for them in the 2020-21 season and helped win a league championship. Arriving late in the year he was tremendous for the club in the playoffs, scoring six goals and nine points in 13 games (while racking up an impressive 47 penalty minutes). He was good again last year for HC Lugano’s playoff run, while also competing for the U.S. at the Olympics.

Now 35, Abdelkader’s NHL career is long past. He finished with 739 games played, all of them for the Detroit Red Wings, and racked up 252 points. Not bad for a kid from Muskegon, after starring at Michigan State. Abdelkader also captained Team USA at two different World Championships and suited up for his country at the 2016 World Cup.

Finishing off your playing days in Switzerland certainly doesn’t sound like the worst experience, and he’ll go for another league title this year with Zug.

Justin Abdelkader Released From PTO, Will Join U.S. Olympic Team

January 27, 2022 at 4:50 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 8 Comments

Jan 27: After just three games with the Griffins, Abdelkader is off to Beijing. He has been released from his PTO and will join the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing as an alternate. Abdelkader could be added to the roster if the team runs into injury or COVID-related issues. He did not record a point in his three AHL contests.

Jan 21: It’s been more than a decade since Justin Abdelkader last took the ice for the Grand Rapids Griffins. That stretch will end in the coming days after the veteran forward signed an AHL professional tryout with the Detroit Red Wings affiliate.

Abdelkader, 34, played last season for EV Zug in Switzerland and last suited up for an NHL game during the 2019-20 season. The veteran forward spent his entire career with the Red Wings organization, playing in 739 regular season games and racking up 252 points. A member of Team USA several times, Abdelkader served as captain for last summer’s World Championship squad that finished third, taking home a bronze medal in the process.

This might have seemed like an attempt to get onto the U.S. Olympic squad had it happened a few weeks ago, but the roster for that group was already announced. Instead, it appears more like a comeback attempt for a player who isn’t so far removed from NHL action.

Still, Abdelkader was a shell of his former self in 2019-20 with the Red Wings and failed to record a single goal in 49 outings. A stint with the Griffins won’t necessarily turn into anything more than that.

Snapshots: Development Camps, IIHF, Lundell, Abdelkader

June 5, 2021 at 1:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

While vaccination rates continue to grow across the NHL’s 32 cities, it doesn’t seem as if one of the staples of the offseason won’t be happening this year either. Player agent Andy Scott of Octagon Hockey told Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch that he doesn’t expect Development Camps to be held due to the various travel and quarantine restrictions. To that end, some rookie tournaments could also potentially be in jeopardy or will need to be shortened unless things open up considerably over the next couple of months. It will be a compressed summer schedule with the draft and free agency being later in July but there could be a couple of notable events that are absent from the usual offseason calendar.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

The IIHF announced that they have made several changes to their rulebook in an attempt to amalgamate those used in the NHL and various international leagues. Among the changes that will be noticeable is the institution of the trapezoid behind the net, expanded video review and challenge options, plus the adaptation of the NHL’s offside rule which allows for a player to be onside as long as the skate is over the plane of the blue line instead of having to have the skate touch the line. These changes will be in effect for the Women’s Worlds which were recently moved to Calgary in late August as well as the upcoming Olympic qualification tournaments.
The Panthers intend to have 2020 top pick Anton Lundell at training camp in the fall, GM Bill Zito told David Furones of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. The center was picked 12th overall and is coming off a strong season with HIFK in the SM-liiga while being Finland’s leading scorer at the World Championships. It’s worth noting that Lundell has not yet signed his entry-level deal but with Zito’s comments, it appears they expect to get him signed by then.
Winger Justin Abdelkader was on Team USA’s entry at the Worlds before suffering a lower-body injury in their round robin victory over Germany. GM John Vanbiesbrouck told Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen that the veteran will need to have some work done to fix the injury which is speculated to be a knee issue. That could make it tougher for him to return to the NHL for next season which is his intention. The 34-year-old was productive with EV Zug in the Swiss League, notching eight points in nine regular season games plus nine more in 13 playoff contests.

USA Hockey Announces World Championship Roster

May 13, 2021 at 9:29 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 9 Comments

The IIHF World Championship roster is always a little different. Because the tournament takes place during the NHL playoffs, many players are unable to attend. Many others choose not to participate because of injuries they sustained during the season, meaning there are often some interesting choices that compete for their country.

This season is perhaps even more difficult for U.S. Men’s National Team general manager Chris Drury. Not only does he have injuries and the postseason to deal with, but many players haven’t seen their families for months and just want to spend some quality time at home. With that in mind, this year’s team has both players not yet drafted and others that have already aged out of the NHL.

The full roster is as follows:

G Jake Oettinger
G Cal Petersen
G Anthony Stolarz

D Adam Clendening
D Matt Hellickson
D Zac Jones
D Connor Mackey
D Matt Roy
D Ryan Shea
D Matt Tennyson
D Chris Wideman
D Christian Wolanin

F Justin Abdelkader
F Matthew Beniers
F Colin Blackwell
F Brian Boyle
F Sasha Chmelevski
F Ryan Donato
F Jack Drury
F Conor Garland
F Kevin Labanc
F Trevor Moore
F Jason Robertson
F Eric Robinson
F Kevin Rooney
F Tage Thompson

The U.S. team will be coached by Jack Capuano. The tournament kicks off on May 21 in Riga, Latvia.

Justin Abdelkader, Brian Boyle To Play For Team USA

May 11, 2021 at 10:44 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

Sometimes the IIHF World Championship is a great place for those playing overseas to show what they can do against NHL talent. It can operate as a springboard to a North American career for young undrafted talents, or act as a way to prove the worth of a former NHL regular. The latter will be what Justin Abdelkader and Brian Boyle will be after when the international tournament starts later this month. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that Abdelkader and Boyle will suit up for Team USA at the tournament with the hope of resuming their NHL careers.

Abdelkader, 34, was bought out by the Detroit Red Wings last year, ending his contract with three seasons remaining on it. He ended up playing the 2020-21 season for Zug EV in Switzerland, scoring eight points in nine regular season games and adding another six goals in 13 playoff appearances. Abdelkader was also his usual pesky self, racking up 47 penalty minutes in the postseason.

A return to the 20-goal player he was in 2014-15 seems impossible at this point, but perhaps he can show enough at the tournament to prove he still has some worth on an NHL fourth line. It’ll be a hard sell though; the last time Abdelkader played an NHL season he failed to score a single goal (and recorded just three assists) in 49 games.

Boyle meanwhile has been in contact with NHL teams all season according to Seravalli, with teams showing interest even up to the trade deadline. He didn’t end up signing with any, but hopes to earn a new deal at the Worlds. Boyle played 39 games during the 2019-20 season with the Florida Panthers, scoring six goals and 15 points. Now 36, his size (6’6″ 245-lbs) and playoff experience (118 career games) are certainly factors in his favor.

The tournament is set to begin on May 21, with the first U.S. game the next day against Finland.

Justin Abdelkader Signs In Switzerland

February 3, 2021 at 6:55 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

After being bought out by Detroit back in the offseason, veteran winger Justin Abdelkader has found a place to play. EV Zug of the Swiss NLA announced that they’ve signed the 33-year-old to a contract for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.

In his prime, Abdelkader was a capable top-six power forward, twice reaching the 40-point mark while recording at least 100 hits in all of his 11 full NHL seasons. However, his offensive production dried up considerably in recent years including a goalless 2019-20 campaign where he managed just three assists in 49 games which resulted in the Red Wings opting to pay him more than $6MM in total over the next six years to get out of his contract.

If Abdelkader can have some offensive success overseas, it’s not entirely implausible to think that a team could view him as a possible fourth line fit or PTO candidate for 2021-22 so there could be a lot at stake for him over the next couple of months. However, he’ll have to wait a little while before he can get overseas as he will now look to get his work visa approved.

NHL Requests Further Salary Deferral From Players In 2020-21

November 17, 2020 at 7:54 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments

As the NHL continues to work with the NHLPA’s Return to Play Committee on plans to begin the 2020-21 season, the league has requested more financial concessions from the players. Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the NHL is seeking an additional 13% of salary deferral on 2020-21 player salaries. This is in addition to a 10% deferral and 20% escrow written into the Collective Bargaining Agreement for the 2020-21 season.

The league’s request means that players would see 23% of their salary, post-escrow, deferred to the future in order to help owners with the reality of reduced revenue in another season impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic. For those who like equations, that means players would be paid y=.77*(.8x), with x being the player’s total compensation in 2020-21. For those who dislike equations, they would be making about 62% of their salary this season, at least for those whose signing bonuses do not exceed 62% of their total compensation. Brooks writes that he is unsure whether this request is an ultimatum by the league or a starting point for negotiations. It is also unclear if the additional 13% of deferred salary would be treated the same as the initial 10%, which will be paid out to each player in three equal installments in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski adds that league sources have stated that under no circumstances will owners pay their players for a full 82-game season when it seems like a near certainty that the 2020-21 campaign will be considerably shortened. Of course, the existing 10% of salary deferral is already paying players for the equivalent of a 74-game season. An additional 13% of salary deferral would still pay players the equivalent of a 63-game schedule, which seems fair considering the minimum number of games has reportedly been set at 48 by the league while the hope is that it will be closer to 60 games. In either case, players will still receive their salary beyond what they would be paid on a per-game basis.

If deferred salary is still up for negotiation, the two sides need to get moving on hammering out the details. If the league hopes to begin on New Year’s Day, players have just a matter of weeks to return to their NHL cities to quarantine before training camps can open in December. There are still a lot of details to be worked out and the owners’ financial concerns are just one small part.

Fortunately, the two sides have been in communication and it seems the NHL and NHLPA have been in agreement on many goals and possible terms for a return to play. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun adds that the NHLPA’s player representatives on the Return to Play Committee are as follows: David Backes, Darren Helm, David Savard, Justin Faulk, Lars Eller, Sam Gagner, Justin Abdelkader, Ian Cole, Zach Hyman, Ron Hainsey, Claude Giroux, Ryan Dzingel, Andrew Copp, Alex Biega, Chris Kreider, Mark Scheifele. Hopefully this group can work with the league to get NHL hockey back as soon as possible and in a format that is safe and effective for the coming season.

Detroit Red Wings To Buy Out Justin Abdelkader

October 6, 2020 at 11:03 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 16 Comments

Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman continues his cleaning of the team’s cap situation, this time placing Justin Abdelkader on waivers for the purpose of a buyout. Abdelkader has three seasons remaining on his contract, meaning the Red Wings will incur cap charges for the next six years. Those charges will look like this:

2020-21: $1,805,556
2021-22: $2,305,556
2022-23: $2,305,556
2023-24: $1,055,556
2024-25: $1,055,556
2025-26: $1,055,556

There was a time not too long ago when Abdelkader looked like exactly the kind of powerhouse winger that every team was looking for. In 2015-16 he scored 19 goals and 42 points while racking up 120 penalty minutes and 207 hits. A wrecking ball on the ice with a scoring touch around the net was extremely effective and it landed him a new seven-year extension during that season.

Unfortunately when you play that style, if the goal-scoring falls off you’re suddenly just an overpaid fourth liner. That’s basically exactly what happened to Abdelkader, who almost immediately struggled under his new contract. Since the start of the 2016-17 season he has scored just 26 goals in 259 games despite averaging more than 15 minutes a night. Only 15 of those have come at even-strength and Abdelkader failed to score a single goal in his 49 games during the 2019-20 season.

That’s not to say this move comes without a bit of surprise. The Red Wings are not in any sort of cap trouble and could have kept Abdelkader on the roster as an overpaid veteran presence. But Yzerman has a clear plan to sweep out all the bad money and install his own vision of the Red Wings.

With Abdelkader gone, Dylan Larkin is the only player in the organization signed to a one-way contract through the 2022-23 season. Every other contract is either an entry-level deal or will expire by the summer of 2022. That freedom will allow Yzerman to do anything he wants to the roster, likely relying on the draft-and-develop strategy that served him so well in Tampa Bay.

2020 King Clancy Trophy Nominees Announced

July 27, 2020 at 3:20 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

The NHL has announced the 31 nominees for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually presented to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Last year’s winner was Jason Zucker of the Minnesota Wild.

Each team submits one nominee. This year’s are:

Anaheim: Cam Fowler

Arizona: Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Boston: Patrice Bergeron

Buffalo: Jack Eichel

Calgary: Travis Hamonic

Carolina: Jordan Staal

Chicago: Jonathan Toews

Colorado: Gabriel Landeskog

Columbus: Cam Atkinson

Dallas: Tyler Seguin

Detroit: Justin Abdelkader