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Marcus Foligno

West Notes: Doughty, Foligno, Duchene, Virtanen

September 13, 2017 at 8:54 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 3 Comments

Last weekend, Kings defenseman Drew Doughty had some intriguing comments about his future in an interview with Matt Larkin of The Hockey News where he suggested that he could be okay leaving the team in pursuit of a contender if the team struggles over these next couple of seasons.  Speaking with reporters, including Curtis Zupke of the LA Times, Doughty clarified the statement and stated his desire to remain with Los Angeles long-term:

“You just never know what can happen … but I want to be here and I’m pretty sure that the L.A. Kings and all [my] teammates want me to be here, too. I’m sure something will happen and we will get it done.”

Doughty has two years remaining on his current contract with a $7MM cap hit and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2019.  The Kings already have more than $53MM committed to just 11 players for the 2019-20 season but undoubtedly will be prepared to make a significant offer to keep Doughty around well beyond then.

More from the West:

  • The Wild and RFA winger Marcus Foligno continued contract talks today, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). While it appears that talks are progressing, the two sides have yet to agree on a contract.  Earlier this week, it was reported that a three-or-four-year deal is in the works which would buy out multiple years of UFA eligibility.
  • It’s no secret that Avalanche GM Joe Sakic is seeking a big return for center Matt Duchene. Speaking with WGR 550 in Buffalo (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Avalanche are seeking one of Nashville’s top-four defensemen plus another asset in order to ship Duchene to the Predators.  While Duchene would certainly give them a top-six replacement for James Neal, that would certainly be a steep price to pay, especially with Ryan Ellis out until early 2018.
  • After reporting to training camp well past Vancouver’s targeted weight for him, Canucks winger Jake Virtanen has come to camp in much better shape this time around, notes Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province. At 215 pounds, Virtanen is well below the 231 he checked in at this time last year and that might help give him a leg up on a possible fourth line spot despite not exactly lighting it up in the AHL last season (he had 19 points in 65 games).  Head coach Travis Green acknowledged that the Canucks plan to give their fourth line a big workload this season which may make that role a better one for him over more playing time back with AHL Utica.

Colorado Avalanche| Los Angeles Kings| Minnesota Wild| Nashville Predators| Vancouver Canucks Drew Doughty| Jake Virtanen| Marcus Foligno| Matt Duchene

3 comments

Marcus Foligno Close To Signing With Minnesota Wild

September 11, 2017 at 12:50 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

Monday: Russo again writes that the contract should be done by Thursday at the start of camp, and that it will likely be either three or four years in length. Despite what CapFriendly says about the team’s current projected cap hit, Russo writes that the team has “roughly $3.7MM” in space before signing Foligno. There is some grey area depending on who the Wild keep out of training camp, but if the team carries any extra skaters (which they assuredly will) that room becomes even more constricted.

Friday: The last few restricted free agents are starting to sign around the league, with Bo Horvat going off the board today with the Vancouver Canucks. One of the remaining RFAs, Marcus Foligno told Michael Russo of The Athletic that he’s “very close” to signing, and that it would be done by the start of training camp.

Foligno was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres earlier this offseason in the Marco Scandella and Jason Pominville trade, and could be a solid addition to the Wild’s bottom-six. His game is based mostly around physicality and defense, and with the forward depth Minnesota already has in terms of skill, Foligno should fit in alongside Joel Eriksson Ek and Charlie Coyle as an impressive third line. The former Sabre set a career-high in goals with 13 last season, and could eclipse that this year depending on how much playing time he receives.

Interestingly, Foligno is coming off a salary of $2.25MM, which if matched would put the Wild over the salary cap at the time being. The additions of Kyle Quincey, Matt Cullen and the pair of Buffalo forwards, combined with extensions for Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund has put the team right up against the cap to start the year.

Minnesota Wild| RFA Marcus Foligno

2 comments

Wild Did Not Push To Sign Kirill Kaprizov

August 11, 2017 at 6:31 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

Despite rumors earlier this off-season that Kirill Kaprizov, one of the top prospects of the Minnesota Wild, was potentially looking to make to the jump to the NHL, the young Russian scorer ended up re-signing in the KHL. The 20-year-old inked a three-year deal with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, with the new contract finally being made official yesterday. The term of the deal surprised many, as – barring a player buyout – Kaprizov’s highly-anticipated NHL debut would not be until 2020. However, in an interview today with Soviet Sports (link in Russian), Kaprizov lent some reasoning to his new contract. It seems that the Wild were not all that interested in bringing him overseas this off-season after all.

When the reporter asked “Minnesota showed great interest in you?” (translated), Kaprizov replied honestly that he has not had any direct contact with the team. He stated that Wild representatives last spoke with his agent at the 2017 World Juniors, but had not reached out since. Kaprivoz’s understanding was that Minnesota was simply waiting for his arrival “one day”, which flies in the face of speculation that the team had reached out to the 20-year-old this summer. While some have opined that the negotiations were effected by outside intervention, seemingly supported by Kaprizov’s previous reluctance to confirm a new KHL contract and an assumption that he was waiting for an offer from Minnesota, Kamprizov had the chance to say as much today and failed to do so.

While Kaprizov was just only a fifth-round pick in 2015, he has already greatly outperformed his draft slot. At just 19 years old last season, Kaprizov registered 42 points in 49 games for the KHL’s Salavat Yulaev Ufa, second only on the teams to former NHLer Linus Omark, and then added another 12 points in seven games in an impressive World Junior showing. Why then did Minnesota not reach out to the high-scoring youngster? Kaprizov was asked in his interview if he had given any thought to the difficult task of breaking into a Wild top six of Zach Parise, Eric Staal, Mikko Koivu, Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, and Jason Zucker, to which he of course replied that he had not thought of since Minnesota had not yet offered him the chance to play for the team, but the reported does make a valid point. Even with Alex Tuch and Erik Haula now in Vegas, Kaprizov stood little chance of cracking that top six and may have even struggled to beat out Charlie Coyle, rookie Luke Kunin, or recent additions Marcus Foligno and Tyler Ennis for a top nine role. Rather than waste Kaprizov on a checking line role or put him in the AHL, it seems likely that the Wild would simply rather let him continue to develop in the KHL. As for the three-year term, Minnesota and Kaprizov both realize that getting out of KHL contracts is relatively easy and should a spot open up for him sooner than three years, don’t be surprised to see the two sides finally come together. Even if he does play out his contract with CSKA, the reporter notes that Kaprizov would still be only 23 years old, the same age that Artemi Panarin came over from Russia and won the Calder Trophy.

The bridge is far from burnt between Kaprizov and the Wild, but it is interesting to note that the information surrounding their relationship appears to have been way off. For now, Kaprizov will continue to be just a “prospect” of the Wild, but with a shallow pipeline of talent in Minnesota and a point-per-game player continuing to grow and develop in arguably the second best hockey league in the world, it seems likely that these two sides will be joined sooner rather than later.

KHL| Minnesota Wild| Prospects Alex Tuch| Artemi Panarin| Charlie Coyle| Eric Staal| Erik Haula| Jason Zucker| Luke Kunin| Marcus Foligno| Mikael Granlund| Mikko Koivu| Nino Niederreiter| Tyler Ennis| World Juniors| Zach Parise

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NHL Snapshots: Ennis, 2018 NHL Draft, Minor Signings

July 29, 2017 at 8:51 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 3 Comments

The Minnesota Wild didn’t make too many changes to a team that finished with 106 points in the Western Conference last season. However, one major move was to move defenseman Marco Scandella and veteran Jason Pominville to Buffalo for Marcus Foligno and Tyler Ennis. While the team has high hopes for the 25-year-old Foligno, still a restricted free agent, could have a breakout year and he has predicted a 20-goal season, the team is even more focused on Ennis returning to form.

Ennis, who has battled the injury bug for the last two years has only played in 74 games during that time. Last year, he missed time due to groin surgery and only played in 51 games. Before those injuries, the 27-year-old wing scored 41 goals in two seasons between 2013-15. However, since then, he has tallied just eight goals. NBC Sports Adam Gretz writes that Minnesota Wild coach Bruce Boudreau has high expectations for Ennis this year and believes that if Ennis can remain healthy, he expects to see a resurgence like the one that veteran Eric Staal did last year.

Staal scored 28 goals last year for the Wild a year after he was coming off a lackluster 13-goal season between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers. Yet Boudreau believes Ennis could duplicate that kind of comeback performance in Minnesota.

“Tyler Ennis, I’ve seen and talked to and met,” Boudreau said. “I don’t want to put pressure on him, but three years ago, he was a great player in this league. He’s missed 90 games in the last two years due to injury. If we can keep him healthy, I think he’s going to have a rebound year like Eric Staal had. I’m very excited about having him. In our top-9 forwards, I think we’re as strong as anybody in the league.”

Of course Ennis’ personal high is 21 goals, and while he has hit 20 goals three times in his career, it’s unlikely to see Staal-like numbers.

  • The Dallas Stars tweeted they will host the 2018 NHL Draft at American Airlines Center next season on June 22-23. It was held this year in Las Vegas.
  • The Tucson Roadrunners, the AHL team of the Arizona Coyotes, signed three more players along with the reported signing of Ryan Culkin earlier today. The minor league affiliate also inked goaltender Michael Houser and wingers Scott Allen and Trevor Cheek, according to SB Nation. Houser played most of last season with the ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones finishing with a 2.58 GAA in 41 games. Allen played 57 games for the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL and finished with eight goals and 11 assists, while Cheek split time between both the AHL and the ECHL.

Bruce Boudreau| Dallas Stars| Minnesota Wild| Uncategorized| Utah Mammoth Eric Staal| Jason Pominville| Marco Scandella| Marcus Foligno| NHL Entry Draft| Tyler Ennis

3 comments

Wild Still Searching For Right Offensive Mix

July 16, 2017 at 7:05 pm CDT | by Seth Lawrence 1 Comment

Perhaps a bit buried in Elliotte Friedman’s always phenomenal 30 Thoughts for Sportsnet, the Minnesota Wild may not yet be done performing “roster surgery” up front. They added Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno while subtracting Jason Pominville and Marco Scandella, but that may merely be the beginning of a season-long search for more dynamic and hard-nosed offensive players. Pominville himself is no slouch in terms of playmaking, so with his subtraction the team could still be on the hunt for something more.

Like a lot of other teams who were heavy competitors last season, the Wild have little cap space to play with. With RFAs Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter  looking to consume much of that $15.79 MM the team currently has, they will likely end up with a $3 MM buffer, or slightly less to sign 4 roster players. It’s not a lot to add a huge name, but there are capable offensive players out there who could be acquired on the cheap. The organization prides itself on solid defensive play, but Thomas Vanek is a sure bet to pot quite a few goals. Jaromir Jagr is a still dynamic possession monster and could provide a boost if he were to take his seemingly inevitable paycut.

It looks probable that Minnesota will keep their options open on the trade market. If they didn’t like what July 1st offered, there are options available. Toronto’s James van Riemsdyk is supposedly available and could fit the mold of what the offense is trying to accomplish. Detroit’s Gustav Nyquist isn’t exactly a bruiser either but he would come cheap, or GM Chuck Fletcher could take a gamble on an older player in a struggles-for-struggles swap. There are plenty of teams that would be interested in Eric Staal, but it would be tough to fill that center hole internally. Their defense remains their greatest asset, and moving Jared Spurgeon is still a possibility, but do they trust Mike Reilly or Kyle Quincey to slot up if need be? The team could even opt to move Neiderreiter if another team is highly intrigued by his upside and they see a hockey deal.

Most likely, the Wild will resign themselves to simply adapting their offensive strategies after being absolutely shut down in the playoffs by St. Louis’ Jake Allen. 6 goals in 5 games while heavily out-shooting the opposition, cannot merely be blamed on poor luck and a hot goalie. The team will need its forwards to penetrate the tough areas of the ice more reliably and discourage perimeter play. Foligno is definitely a step in the right direction on that front, but look for Fletcher to add more grit and production up front, whether at the deadline or over the course of the year

Minnesota Wild| Players| RFA Elliotte Friedman| Eric Staal| Gustav Nyquist| Jake Allen| James van Riemsdyk| Jared Spurgeon| Jaromir Jagr| Jason Pominville| Kyle Quincey| Marco Scandella| Marcus Foligno| Mikael Granlund| Mike Reilly| Nino Niederreiter

1 comment

Wild Re-Sign Kurtis Gabriel

July 8, 2017 at 9:42 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The Minnesota Wild have reportedly come to terms on a new deal with gritty forward Kurtis Gabriel. While the team has yet to make the contract official, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie believes that the ink has dried on a one-year, two-way contract worth $715K at the NHL level for the restricted free agent. With several frequent fourth liners in 2016-17 now gone – Tyler Graovac (traded to Washington), Erik Haula (selected by Vegas), Jordan Schroeder (traded to Columbus), Ryan White (will not be re-signed) – Gabriel will be given every chance to earn a regular spot in the lineup next season.

A 2013 third-round pick, Gabriel has not been able to come close to the offense he showed with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack in his three years of pro experience. Gabriel has just one point in 16 NHL games over two seasons and 40 points in 190 career AHL games. The value that Gabriel does bring to the table is his toughness and two-way ability. Gabriel averaged two hits per game in his brief NHL stints in 2016-17 and racked up more than two penalty minutes per game. That was in just about 5 minutes of ice time per game too. At 6’4″, 211-lbs., the big winger is a force to reckon and, given the proper amount of ice time, could be one of the most ferocious checkers in the NHL. He also wins battles along the boards and is an above-average shot blocker. Increasing his offensive output or at least working on a horrendous possession game would help Gabriel’s chances of sticking with the Wild next season, but fourth-line opportunity and physical domination often go hand-in-hand regardless.

Gabriel is locked up for next year, but the off-season is far from over for GM Chuck Fletcher and the Minnesota front office. They still have major restricted free agents to sign in Mikael Granlund, Nino Niederreiter, and Marcus Foligno, as well as competition for Gabriel on the checking line in Zack Mitchell, not to mention an ongoing search for a reliable back-up goalie behind Devan Dubnyk. It’s nice to have one box checked off, but the Wild brass have their work cut out for them this summer.

AHL| Minnesota Wild Devan Dubnyk| Erik Haula| Jordan Schroeder| Marcus Foligno| Mikael Granlund| Ryan White| Tyler Graovac| Zack Mitchell

0 comments

Buffalo Sabres Acquire Marco Scandella, Jason Pominville From Minnesota

June 30, 2017 at 10:39 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

Seconds after publishing the note about Marco Scandella and the Buffalo Sabres, the two consummated the deal. Scandella will be heading to the Sabres along with Jason Pominville and a 2018 fourth-round pick, in exchange for Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno and a 2018 third-round draft pick. There is no salary retained on either side. Scandella has been rumored to be on the block for some time, with the Montreal Canadiens being the first club linked. "<strong

At first glance, this deal offers clear benefits for both sides. For Buffalo, Scandella represents a clear upgrade on their blueline and won’t cost as much as Kevin Shattenkirk on the open market. Scandella has three years left on his current contract at $4MM per season, and is a solid two-way option. At 27, he’s not much of an offensive threat buck can consistently retrieve and move the puck out of his own end. He joins newcomer Nathan Beaulieu to improve the defensive group, and could pair with top defender Rasmus Ristolainen in Buffalo.

Pominville isn’t much of an asset at this point because of his big contract, but he did still record 47 points last year and is returning to a team where he found his greatest success. Before spending time as the captain of the Sabres, Pominville developed from second-round pick to elite winger, scoring a career-high 80 points in 2007-08. He’s not that player anymore, but should still provide some offensive punch to the Sabres’ middle six. Pominville has two years remaining at $5.6MM, making him the most expensive piece in the trade.

Going the other way is Ennis, who is good friends with Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon and was even working out with him when the deal was broken. A few years ago, he likely would have been the biggest part of the deal after five straight successful seasons as a second line center. That play has dropped off a cliff recently though, limited by several injuries to just 74 games over the last two seasons. During that time he’s scored 24 points, but Minnesota will hope he can bounce back and give them some value for his $4.6MM cap hit. That contract will expire after the 2018-19 season, when Ennis is just 29.

"<strongFoligno, the best player in the deal for Minnesota, is an restricted free agent still but should provide some size and strength to the club. His 279 hits last season ranked second among all forwards last year, and he can chip in double digit goals from a bottom-six role. At 25, he’s a useful player for any team and will fit into a tough defensive team in Minnesota.

If Foligno is the best player in the deal for the Wild, the cap space cleared is the best asset. The Wild have to re-sign both Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund to big RFA deals, and open up a few million with this contract (depending on what Foligno earns on his next contract). They also might be opening up some room for free agency tomorrow.

In all, this deal seems like a win-win for both clubs with upside to make it a big win for either. Should Pominville mesh with the young forwards and bring a winning culture, or Scandella find chemistry with Ristolainen on the top pairing they could be a much improved club. Minnesota could easily get a bounce-back campaign from Ennis, or a Foligno offensive breakout.

Bob McKenzie of TSN first reported the deal, while Michael Russo of the Star Tribune helped with details. 

Buffalo Sabres| Newsstand| Transactions Bob McKenzie| Jason Pominville| Marco Scandella| Marcus Foligno| Tyler Ennis

2 comments

Free Agent Focus: Buffalo Sabres

June 11, 2017 at 7:48 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The free agent period is now less than one month away from opening up and there are several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of Buffalo’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents:

F Marcus Foligno – At just 25 years old, Foligno will enter his seventh season with the Sabres organization in 2017-18. While his development has been slow, it’s also been steady, finishing each passing season with more points than the year before. Foligno isn’t the player who showed flashes of as a rookie in 2011-12, scoring 13 points in 14 games, but he’s carved out an important role in Buffalo as a reliable top-nine winger. 2016-17 marked a career-high 13 goals for Foligno, helped along by a team-best 13.4% shooting percentage, as well as his first 80+ game season. As always though, Foligno’s true value comes in his physical two-way game, where he had a career-best and team-leading 279 hits, career-high 57 blocked shots, which led all Buffalo forwards, and was a vital member of the penalty kill. Las year, the Sabres signed Foligno to just a one-year, $2.25MM contract, but after again proving his worth as a defensive forward and top-nine contributor, new Buffalo GM Jason Botterill should have no problem giving the homegrown product a multi-year deal worth $2.5-$3MM annually. Even with fellow priority RFA’s Zemgus Girgensons and Johan Larsson in need of raises, the Sabres have plenty of cap space and will give Foligno what he’s worth.

G Robin Lehner –  The Sabres have no interest in letting Lehner go, but this off-season they need to either commit to the 25-year-old as their surefire starter or establish that they feel he is just a timeshare goalie at this point. Just two years ago, Buffalo traded a first-round pick to acquire Lehner from the Ottawa Senators. In his first year with the Sabres, he was excellent, posting a .924 save percentage and 2.47 GAA… but in only 21 games. Injuries limited Lehner to only a brief showing in 2015-16, but this past season he was able to see action in 59 games and again played well with a .920 save percentage and 2.68 GAA. With Chad Johnson gone, many expected that Lehner would play more this past season though. However, trade acquisition Anders Nilsson routinely outplayed Lehner all season long. The margin between the two wasn’t wide, but enough so that Nilsson managed to make 26 appearances, including 23 starts. The team has nonetheless stated that Lehner is their guy, but actions speak louder than words. The value and more so the term of Lehner’s contract this summer, as well as their negotiations with Nilsson, will speak volumes about their commitment to their supposed #1.

Other RFAs: F Zemgus Girgensons, F Johan Larsson, F Justin Kea, F Jean Dupuy, F Evan Rodrigues, D Brady Austin, G Linus Ullmark

Key Unrestricted Free Agents:

F Brian Gionta – The Buffalo captain may be 38 years old and have over 1000 NHL games under his belt, but he also just completed a full 82-game season and seventh on the team in scoring. At this point in his career, Gionta is not looking to re-locate and perhaps no team could use his veteran leadership and hockey intelligence more than the Sabres, who have few forwards over 30 and certain players in need of mentoring (i.e. Evander Kane). The Sabres have plenty of cap space to play with and are expected to fill holes throughout the roster via free agency, but they’ll have room to bring back their captain who is still capable of scoring 30-40 points and can play in all situations. He probably won’t get another three-year, $12.75MM contract, but if Gionta wants to be back, he will be.

G Anders Nilsson – The flip side of the situation with Lehner is that of Nilsson. Just a little over a year older than Lehner, Nilsson was finally given legitimate responsibility for the first time in his NHL career in 2016-17 and he flourished. His .923 save percentage and .267 GAA were just marginally better than Lehner, but a major step up from his previous performances. Perhaps the Sabres, who truly do need to commit to Lehner or not, are afraid that re-signing Nilsson would send the wrong message, but he has definitely earned that consideration. If the Sabres don’t bring back Nilsson, they’ll have to search for a veteran backup to the oft-injured Lehner anyway. It’s not a simple problem and how Boterill solves it will impact his start with the organization.

Other UFAs: D Cody Franson, D Dmitry Kulikov, D Taylor Fedun, D Erik Burgdoerfer, D Mat Bodie, F Derek Grant, F Cole Schneider, F Cal O’Reilly

Projected Cap Space: The Sabres currently have only $50.2MM committed to 2017-18 contracts by way of 11 forwards and five defensemen. (CapFriendly) The extensions for RFA’s Lehner, Foligno, Girgensons, and Larsson, all of whom will be safe from expansion, as well as roster hopefuls Alexander Nylander and Brady Austin will eat up some of that space. However, even if the cap ceiling remains at $73MM, Buffalo has nearly $23MM of space to work with and if Matt Moulson is an expansion casualty, as has been rumored, there’s another $5MM in relief. That should give them more than enough space to accommodate those young players, re-sign Gionta, extend or replace Nilsson, and still have the flexibility to explore the free agent market for better fits on the blue line than Franson or Kulikov and a game-changer up front.

Buffalo Sabres| Free Agency| Jason Botterill| RFA Alexander Nylander| Anders Nilsson| Brian Gionta| Cody Franson| Derek Grant| Dmitry Kulikov| Evan Rodrigues| Evander Kane| Free Agent Focus| Linus Ullmark| Marcus Foligno| Matt Moulson| Zemgus Girgensons

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Snapshots: Lyubimov, Beck, Devils, Foligno

April 7, 2017 at 11:35 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Since the Olympic decision came down, details have continued to come out about Russian-born players and their desire (and pressure) to play in the Games anyway. We heard from Nikita Zaitsev on the matter yesterday, saying that it hasn’t changed his plans on staying in North America, but now one Flyers’ forward isn’t so clear. Roman Lyubimov, the former CSKA Moscow winger who signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia this summer and has suited up for 46 games told Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer that it will be a “tough decision” whether or not to return to the KHL next year.

Zaitsev of course has a huge contract extension waiting for him, while Lyubimov has been a healthy scratch for much of the year. The 24-year old forward likely isn’t sure of his place in the NHL after struggling this year and sometimes only seeing five minutes of ice time. He’s a restricted free agent at the end of the year, and if there isn’t a clear role for him in Philadelphia, it may just not fit for him anymore.

  • Taylor Beck has been recalled by the New York Rangers for the first time since being acquired at the trade deadline. The 25-year old forward is having a huge year at the AHL level, with 63 points in 54 games. He’ll likely draw into the lineup as the Rangers give some key players the night off heading into the playoffs.
  • The New Jersey Devils, on the other hand have sent both Steven Santini and Luke Gazdic back down to the Albany Devils as they prepare for the Calder Cup playoffs. The AHL Devils are in third place in the North division but haven’t actually locked up a spot just yet as Utica and St. John’s are right on their tail. With just five games remaining for the team before the end of the regular season, both Santini and Gazdic will help their chances of making it into the postseason.
  • Marcus Foligno’s season is over, according to John Vogl of the Buffalo News. The forward has been given a 7-10 day timeline on his knee injury, which will take him through the end of the year. Foligno set a career high in goals with 13 and has found a niche as a fast, physical presence in the league. His 279 hits rank fifth in the league and second among forwards behind only Matt Martin of the Maple Leafs. A restricted free agent in the summer, he’ll be looking for a slight raise over the $2.25MM he earned this season, and could earn a long-term deal if he agrees to a sub-$3MM salary.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have sent their only player to the Chicago Wolves on a professional tryout, as Reid Duke starts his journey into pro hockey. The Wolves have been long rumored as the future affiliate of the Golden Knights, and though this doesn’t guarantee that it is another hint that there is already a handshake deal in place. Duke should get used to his surroundings, as he’ll have a tough time cracking the NHL roster next year even if his name is already in the history books.

AHL| Injury| KHL| New Jersey Devils| New York Rangers| Philadelphia Flyers| Snapshots| Vegas Golden Knights Luke Gazdic| Marcus Foligno

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Sabres Notes: Kulikov, Expansion, Petersen

March 21, 2017 at 5:07 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Buffalo Sabres haven’t had a good season. Struggling to get anything going through injury after injury, and seeing players fail to meet expectations on a regular basis has sent them to the bottom of the standings once again. GM Tim Murray took to the airwaves today to talk about the season so far and John Vogl of the Buffalo News and Joe Yerdon of NHL.com relayed the information on Twitter.

One name mentioned in particular was Dmitry Kulikov, who Murray said he expected to play like a top-3 defenseman this year. Admitting that it “didn’t work out” is putting it lightly, as Kulikov has just two points in 39 games and is a -17. Injury and inconsistency have both plagued the former Florida Panther this year, as he heads into unrestricted free agency this summer. After earning $4.3MM per year on his current three-year deal, Kulikov will be hard pressed to find a similar pay day on the open market.

  • At the expansion draft in June, Murray expects to go with the seven forward, three defense option. In fact, he has already reached out to Vegas GM George McPhee on who he doesn’t want to lose. At first glance, it appears as though Buffalo may be at risk of losing a player like Marcus Foligno or Zemgus Girgensons, though they could easily make a deal with the Golden Knights to take someone else instead.
  • The Sabres are hoping that Calvin Peterson will turn pro after Notre Dame finishes their college season. The NCAA goaltender has been one of the best in the country the last three seasons, recording .919, .927 and .928 save percentages. A fifth-round pick of the Sabres in 2013, Murray says there is opportunity in net in the Sabres organization and feels there is a solid relationship between the two sides.

Buffalo Sabres| Expansion| Free Agency| George McPhee| Injury| NCAA Dmitry Kulikov| Marcus Foligno

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