Snapshots: Cousins, Soderstrom, Avalanche, Pellerin
Winger Nick Cousins remains unsigned as we approach six weeks into the free agent market. Accordingly, he has decided the time is right to change representation as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that he has changed his agent from Octagon’s Andy Scott to Newport’s Craig Oster. The 31-year-old spent the last two seasons with Florida but saw his offensive output dip from 27 points in 79 games in 2022-23 to 15 in 69 contests in 2023-24, his lowest full-season point total. Cousins also suited up in a dozen playoff contests along the way to the Panthers’ first Stanley Cup title. The veteran has 180 points in 592 regular season appearances in his 10-year NHL career so far and should be able to land a PTO agreement at a minimum in the coming weeks.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Rasmus Kagstrom of Hockey Sverige relays that goaltender Linus Soderstrom attracted some recent interest in North America before opting to sign a one-year extension with SHL Skelleftea back in March. The 27-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Islanders in 2014 and received his entry-level deal but played only four games in their system during that time. Since then, Soderstrom has become one of the top-performing netminders in the SHL, putting up a 1.63 GAA with a .929 SV% in 30 appearances in 2022-23 and a 2.03 GAA with a .913 SV% in 36 games in 2023-24. He bettered those numbers in the postseason, including a .944 SV% in 14 contests last season. Another showing like that could have him on the NHL radar again next spring.
- Colorado’s AHL affiliate announced the signing of three players to contracts for the upcoming season, forwards Tye Felhaber and Keaton Mastrodonato along with defenseman Bryan Yoon. Felhaber, 26, spent the last two seasons with AHL Milwaukee and recorded 23 points in 50 games with the Admirals last season. Mastrodonato, meanwhile, spent most of last season, the 23-year-old’s first full professional campaign, with ECHL Idaho where he put up 24 goals and 18 assists in 48 games. As for Yoon, the 26-year-old spent most of his first full pro season in the ECHL as well with Utah, recording 17 points in 35 appearances.
- The Canadiens have invited undrafted forward Maxime Pellerin to their upcoming rookie camp, per a note from his junior team in Victoriaville (Twitter link). The 21-year-old spent his entire five-year QMJHL career with the Tigres and is coming off his second straight year of averaging more than a point per game, notching 73 points in 67 regular season games plus 21 more in 14 playoff contests. Pellerin is ineligible to return to junior so he’ll be hoping to land a professional contract off this tryout.
New York Islanders Announce Qualifying Offers
The New York Islanders have tendered qualifying offers to several players ahead of the upcoming free agent period. Mathew Barzal, Kyle Burroughs, Joshua Ho-Sang, Grant Hutton, Ryan Pulock, Devon Toews, Mitch Vande Sompel, and Parker Wotherspoon have all received qualifying offers. After re-signing Sebastian Aho to a two-year deal, that leaves just Linus Soderstrom unqualified. Soderstrom will become an unrestricted free agent on Friday.
While Soderstrom’s exclusion may raise some eyebrows, the most surprising decision here may be to qualify Ho-Sang. The Islanders and their enigmatic prospect have never really seen eye-to-eye and it appeared as though the two sides were going to finally have a chance to part ways. Instead, Arthur Staple of The Athletic reported last week that New York actually would be qualifying the 24-year-old, keeping him in the organization that drafted him six years ago.
It’s not just that Ho-Sang hasn’t made an impact at the NHL level, it’s that he has constantly clashed with the Islanders coaching staff and management teams on his career path. The first-round pick has believed he deserved more time in the NHL to show what he could do and this year even officially requested a trade and was told not to report to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Ho-Sang ended up playing six games for the San Antonio Rampage, the AHL affiliate of the St. Louis Blues before the season was canceled.
Obviously, it is difficult to see a path forward between the two sides, but that doesn’t mean Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello is going to throw away an asset (regardless of value).
Islanders Prospect Linus Soderstrom Signs In Finland
Linus Soderstrom’s first season in North America didn’t go particularly well and the Islanders prospect won’t be sticking around for a second one. Instead, he is heading to Finland as Assat Pori of the SM-liiga announced that they’ve signed the goaltender to a one-year contract.
It was only a few years ago that the 23-year-old looked like an up-and-coming prospect. He posted a stellar 1.34 GAA and .943 SV% in 22 SHL games back in 2016-17 which helped him earn his entry-level contract with New York. Unfortunately, injuries limited him to 14 games in 2017-18 while on loan back to Sweden and wiped out his season entirely in 2018-19.
Soderstrom stayed healthy this season but was a victim of a numbers game as the Islanders had six goalies under contract in the pros. As a result, he was frequently relegated to backup status at the ECHL level and accordingly, he only got into four games and struggled to a 4.49 GAA with a .870 SV%.
While there could have been a path to more playing time next season with their top two AHL netminders (Christopher Gibson and Jared Coreau) both unrestricted free agents, the delayed start to next season at the lower levels in North America makes sense as he’ll have more of a guaranteed path to playing time. Considering how little he has played over the last three years, simply getting some game action to try to get his development back on track is a wise move.
New York can retain Soderstrom’s NHL rights with a qualifying offer this summer and considering he has already signed, there is little risk in doing so even though things certainly haven’t gone well the last few years.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/19/19
Like always, we’ll keep track of all the training camp cuts right here. Keep checking back to see the updated list:
Calgary Flames (per team release)
D Eric Gryba (released from PTO)
Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)
G Alexis Gravel (to Halifax, QMJHL)
Edmonton Oilers (per team release)
G Stuart Skinner (to Bakersfield, AHL)
New York Islanders (per team release)
F Steve Bernier (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ryan Bourque (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Erik Brown (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Travis St. Denis (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Ryan MacKinnon (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Colin McDonald (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Justin Murray (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D David Quenneville (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Parker Wotherspoon (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Jakub Skarek (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Linus Soderstrom (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Evan Buitenhuis (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Felix Bibeau (to Quebec, QMJHL)
F Cole Coskey (to Saginaw, OHL)
F Blade Jenkins (to Saginaw, OHL)
F Brett Neumann (to Oshawa, OHL)
F Reece Newkirk (to Portland, WHL)
D Samuel Bolduc (to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)
San Jose Sharks (per team release)
F Dillon Hamaliuk (to Kelowna, WHL)
F Jacob McGrew (to Spokane, WHL)
Vancouver Canucks (per team release)
F Vincent Arseneau (to Utica, AHL)
F Jonah Gadjovich (to Utica, AHL)
G Michael DiPietro (to Utica, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
F Connor McMichael (to London, OHL)
F Aliaksei Protas (to Prince Albert, WHL)
F Eric Florchuk (to Saskatoon, WHL)
D Alex Kannok-Leipert (to Vancouver, WHL)
F Damien Riat (to Biel, NLA)
F Casey Bailey (to Hershey, AHL)
F Kale Kessy (to Hershey, AHL)
F Chris McCarthy (to Hershey, AHL)
F Matt Moulson (to Hershey, AHL)
F Matthew Weis (to Hershey, AHL)
F Steven Whitney (to Hershey, AHL)
D Erik Burgdoerfer (to Hershey, AHL)
D Tommy Hughes (to Hershey, AHL)
G Logan Thompson (to Hershey, AHL)
G Beck Warm (released from ATO)
G Hayden Hawkey (released from ATO)
Metropolitan Injury Notes: Ladd, Soderstrom, Boyd, Sprong
Islanders winger Andrew Ladd continues to miss practice due to an undisclosed injury but GM Lou Lamoriello told reporters, including Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link), that although Ladd won’t be ready to start the season, LTIR is not a consideration at this point. The veteran has been skating on his own at times but the issue does not seem to be going away.
Meanwhile, it will be a while before the team gets a look at goalie prospect Linus Soderstrom. Arthur Staple of The Athletic notes (via Twitter) that the 22-year-old hasn’t skated in months due to injury and remains in Sweden working with a medical trainer. Accordingly, there is no timetable for when he will be able to play. Once he’s cleared, he’s expected to suit up with the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
More injury notes from around the Metropolitan Division:
- Washington center Travis Boyd is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury and will likely not be ready to start the season, notes Mike Vogel of the Capitals’ team site (Twitter link). That will open up a spot for Nic Dowd to take the fourth-line spot down the middle to start the campaign, filling the vacancy created by Jay Beagle when he signed in Vancouver. The two had been battling for that position with the other likely to be an extra player on the roster.
- Penguins winger Daniel Sprong is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, the team announced on Twitter. There’s no word yet as to whether or not he’ll be available to start the season. The 21-year-old is looking to crack Pittsburgh’s lineup on a full-time basis although he has spent a good chunk of the preseason in a depth role. However, he has shown flashes of offensive upside dating back to his time in junior and could be an intriguing player if he can eventually grab a hold of a spot on an offensive line.
Islanders Notes: Seidenberg, Skarek, Soderstrom
The New York Islanders may have a familiar face join them in training camp, as Arthur Staple of The Athletic tweets that Dennis Seidenberg is expected to sign a professional tryout. Though there has been nothing confirmed from the team, bringing Seidenberg back makes some sense for an Islanders team that currently only has seven defensemen on one-way contracts. After losing Calvin de Haan and Brandon Davidson this summer, the team could potentially bring the 37-year old Seidenberg back as a depth option.
Seidenberg played just 28 games for the Islanders last year before captaining Germany at the World Championships, and doesn’t have anywhere near the upside he once carried. A rock solid two-way defender for parts of his NHL career, he actually had a sort of renaissance in 2016-17 with the Islanders when he recorded 22 points. That kind of performance can’t be expected, but if new GM Lou Lamoriello wants to bring back some experience to guide a club that is heading into the season without their long-time captain, there could be a fit.
- Andrew Gross of Newsday reports that goaltender Jakub Skarek won’t be staying in North America long, and is expected to head back to Finland in the coming days. Skarek, a 2018 third-round pick, signed his entry-level contract earlier this offseason but will play in the Finnish Liiga this season. The Czech goaltender is an interesting prospect in a pipeline that is filling up quickly with talent, something the Islanders have lacked at the NHL level for the last few years.
- Speaking of that goaltending pipeline, Linus Soderstrom may not be available for Islanders camp according to Gross. The 22-year old Soderstrom is expected to play in the AHL this season but is still recovering from surgery and is considered “day-to-day” at the moment. The 6’4″ Swedish netminder struggled last season in the SHL, but has previously posted huge numbers there and was named the World Junior Championship top goaltender in 2016.
Snapshots: Niemelainen, Mantha, Hurricanes, Soderstrom
The Oilers are not expected to sign 2016 third-round pick Markus Niemelainen, reports Postmedia’s Jim Matheson. The 19-year-old was the 66th overall selection out of Saginaw of the OHL that year but he had a tough post-draft season and wound up being loaned to HPK of the SM-liiga for 2017-18 where he posted three points in 42 games.
Meanwhile, Matheson notes that the blood clot that Edmonton defensive prospect Ryan Mantha sustained earlier this season could be a career-ender. Mantha was originally a fourth-round pick of the Rangers back in 2014 but did not sign with them and wound up joining the Oilers in March of 2017. He last suited up for their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield in early February and tallied ten points in 41 contests.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- With the report last week that the Hurricanes are open for business when it comes to player movement, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted during a segment with Sportsnet 960 (audio link) that they will be willing to retain on contracts to improve their return, particularly with winger Jeff Skinner. They already have one of their three retention slots used up when they held back 10% of center Marcus Kruger’s contract in the trade with Arizona earlier this month. He also suggested that while winger Sebastian Aho may be considered the lone untouchable off the active roster, center Martin Necas, their 2017 first-round pick, also has that distinction and that teams have been calling regarding his availability.
- After spending this past season on loan with HV 71 of the SHL, Islanders goalie prospect Linus Soderstrom is expected to play in North America next season, notes Newsday’s Andrew Gross. The 21-year-old had stellar numbers in 2016-17 but a shoulder injury didn’t help his cause in 2017-18 as he wound up getting into just 14 games and had a save percentage that was 49 points lower than the previous campaign. With both Kristers Gudlevskis and Christopher Gibson eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency in July, there should be plenty of playing time available with their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
Offseason Keys: New York Islanders
While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning. What storylines lie ahead around the league? Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the New York Islanders.
While the season for the Islanders started on a high note, especially on offense, the New York Islanders came back to earth in the second half as the Islanders limped to the finish line knowing they had no chance to compete for a playoff spot. Injuries to the defense as well as goaltending troubles haunted them for much of the year.
Sign John Tavares
Perhaps when the team was winning early on and the offense was one of the best in the NHL or when the team won their bid on the Belmont properties and started plans to build a new stadium there, the Islanders might have felt confident about re-signing star center John Tavares. However, after one stretch in which the team won just 17 of 55 games, the star may be ready to move on to a team that has a better shot at being making the playoffs on a more continuous basis.
Regardless, the Islanders didn’t even consider the idea of trading Tavares at the trade deadline to a point that there were few to no rumors flying around at that time. Do they have an idea that he has always intended to sign? Or is the team just hoping he will return to the franchise?
While most experts are starting to believe that Tavares is likely to move on, it also wouldn’t be that surprising if he opted to sign a long-term, maximum deal and stay on Long Island for the rest of his career. Regardless of his decision, the Islanders will either move forward with him or without him, then placing Mathew Barzal at the forefront of the franchise.
Upgrade their defense
The Islanders had few positives when it came to their defense. Looking like geniuses when they traded veteran Travis Hamonic to the Calgary Flames for a boatload of draft picks, the Islanders defense then faltered when Johnny Boychuk and Calvin de Haan went down with injuries for large chunks of the season. Instead, the Islanders found themselves with few top-four defensemen for much of the season and struggled giving up goals.
While some of the goaltending play can be blamed as well, the defense is what struggled and with a number of their blueliners hitting unrestricted free agency, including de Haan and Thomas Hickey, the team has a few decisions to make as well as have to figure out how to upgrade it. Boychuk, when healthy is a solid top-four defender, but at age 34 and four years remaining on his contract at $6MM AAV, how much can they count on him? The team needs to either move some of its picks in trades for top veterans or sign some key free agents to fill some of those gaps.
Find their goaltender
While the Islanders are finally free of starting goaltender Jaroslav Halak‘s long deal and are unlikely to bring him back, the next question is where do they go to find a new starting goaltender. While they do have two talented prospects in Ilya Sorokin and Linus Soderstrom, neither is an answer for this upcoming season. Sorokin has already said he doesn’t intend to sign with the Islanders under entry-level contract conditions, while Soderstrom is coming off season-ending surgery at the beginning of 2018. Neither would likely have been ready to jump into the NHL anyway.
That will force the team to either trade for a goalie, such as Washington’s Philipp Grubauer, or more likely find a stopgap solution on the free agent market, although the free agent goalie market is quite weak this offseason. Players such as Carter Hutton or Robin Lehner aren’t sure things. The team had some success with AHL goalie Christopher Gibson, but he eventually struggled as well. The team does still have Thomas Greiss under contract for two more years, but that isn’t a better option.
Linus Soderstrom Loaned To HV71
Though it was expected that Linus Soderstrom would not come to North America right away, the New York Islanders made it official today when they loaned Soderstrom back to his Swedish club, HV71. The 20-year old goalie will try to build on his outstanding rookie season in the SHL, where he put up a .943 save percentage and won the league championship.
Soderstrom signed his entry-level contract in May after being drafted by the Islanders back in 2014, and now ranks as one of the top goaltending prospects in the world. His size and mobility will give him a real opportunity for success in the NHL, and it could come earlier than most goaltenders. Soderstrom is on just a one-year deal with HV71, and though there is no reason to rush his development he’s shown enough that he could come across in 2018-19.
The Islanders have struggled in goal for some time, and though they’re obviously not a lock to make or succeed in the NHL, Soderstrom and fellow prospect Ilya Sorokin could make up one of the best young duos in the league. Sorokin unfortunately signed a three-year extension recently in the KHL, meaning it will still be some time before a move to North America is even considered.
Ilya Sorokin Not Thinking About NHL Future
When the New York Islanders signed Linus Soderstrom earlier this month to his entry-level contract, they were avoiding the months of uncertainty they will now face with fellow goaltending prospect Ilya Sorokin. Both selected in the 2014 draft, Soderstrom and Sorokin have found incredible success in the SHL and KHL respectively, putting up ridiculous save percentages at extremely young ages.
Sorokin just finished his second World Championships with Team Russia, taking home another bronze medal while remaining perfect during his short stints in the tournament. Just 21, he has yet to take the mantle of starter though it looks like that may lie in his future. In the KHL this year he followed up a Goaltender of the Year award in 2015-16 with another All-Star appearance, and another solid .929 save percentage. He’s clearly one of the best young Russian goaltenders in a long time, and has an NHL future waiting for him if he wants it.
That’s where it gets tricky for the Islanders though, as Sorokin again told reporters at the end of the tournament that he was focused on his final contract year in the KHL, and hasn’t even considered a move to North America yet. On May 5th, it was announced that he had re-negotiated his deal to pay him more for this season after putting up such incredible numbers. His current deal will expire at the end of April 2018, giving the Islanders just a few weeks to get him under contract.
Since Sorokin was drafted in 2014, New York would lose his exclusive negotiating rights after June 1st of 2018, four years from when he was selected. While his intent isn’t clear, things can often change for prospects as they get closer and closer to the prospect of free agency. Should he ever make it to the open market every team in the league would be knocking on his door, a likely incentive to just wait a few more weeks. There is also the idea that the KHL would likely make him one of the highest-paid goaltenders in the league, trying to keep their talent at home for as long as possible. Though the Islanders sacrificed just a third-round pick on him in 2014, seeing his progression would make it extremely painful to lose him to free agency.
So now, though they don’t have to worry about Soderstrom the Islanders will have to keep an eye on Sorokin and try to persuade him to sign a deal next season. With uncertainty in the crease beyond 2020—if you can call an aging Thomas Greiss certain in the first place—the team would love to be able to pencil Sorokin in as a long-term option. If he’s serious about waiting until after his contract expires to even consider a move, they’ll have to work quickly to convince him.