Headlines

  • Cale Makar Wins 2025 Norris Trophy
  • Ducks Nearing Deal To Acquire Chris Kreider From Rangers
  • Blue Jackets Expected To Pursue Mitch Marner
  • Stars Reportedly Open To Trading Jason Robertson
  • Canadiens’ Lane Hutson Wins 2025 Calder Trophy
  • Capitals’ T.J. Oshie Announces Retirement From NHL
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • MLB Trade Rumors
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors

Pro Hockey Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • Atlantic
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Central
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Dallas Stars
      • Minnesota Wild
      • Nashville Predators
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Utah Mammoth
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • Metropolitan
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Pacific
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Partners
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Matiss Kivlenieks

Overseas Notes: Merzlikins, Everberg, Bartulis, Boychuk

November 14, 2018 at 7:57 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets will apparently have another name to consider in net next season. The Swiss Hockey News reports that young goaltender Elvis Merzlikins is expected to make the jump to North America next year. Merzlikins, 24, was Columbus’ third-round pick in 2014 and has been a standout member of the NLA’s HC Lugano ever since. The Latvian keeper took over Lugano’s starting job in 2015-16 at just 20 years old and has performed admirably. So far this year, he has been especially impressive; though 16 appearances, Merzlikins holds a .932 save percentage and a 2.19 goals against average. Fortunately for him, Merzlikins is in the final year of his NLA contract and is reportedly bound for the next level once it expires. Given his impressive performance, Merzlikins is likely to compete for the starting role with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and push for NHL appearances. With only Joonas Korpisalo and untested Matiss Kivlenieks under team control beyond this season, the Blue Jackets face questions in net moving forward and hope Merzlikins could potentially provide some answers.

  • The Swiss Hockey News also relays the news that Dennis Everberg has quickly found a new home. Everberg cleared unconditional waivers and had his contract with the Winnipeg Jets terminated only this morning, but clearly had a new opportunity lined up. Everberg has signed with EV Zug of the NLA, with whom he is surely going to take a much larger role than he had relegated to the minors with Winnipeg. Ironically, Zug was in search of a top forward after another former NHL forward, Viktor Stalberg, departed the team for the KHL’s Avangard Omsk last month.
  • Oskars Bartulis continues to make the most of his post-NHL career. A third-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers back in 2005, Bartulis played in 66 games with the team but could never quite stand out. After spending much of his time in North America down in the AHL, Bartulis returned to Europe in 2012. Almost immediately, he began establishing himself as one of the top shutdown defenders in the KHL. Even thouhg his play has tailed off somewhat, Bartulis spent the last three years as the captain of Admiral Vladivostok and is still well-respected in the league. When he did not sign a new contract this off-season, there were questions about whether he was done. Yet, he’s back for another season at the age of 31. The KHL reports that Bartulis has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Kunlun Red Star and should fit in well on a roster that is chock full of talented former NHLers.
  • On the other end of the spectrum, former top NHL prospect Zach Boychuk has been released from his contract with the KHL’s Severstal Cherepovets. Boychuk had been disappointing this year, with just four points in 25 games. In his first season with Severstal, the team was not willing to wait any longer to see if his play improved. The long-time Carolina Hurricane has been overseas for three years now and was very effective just last season with HC Slovan Bratislava. It remains to be seen what the next step is in the career of the capable forward.

AHL| Columbus Blue Jackets| KHL| NLA| Philadelphia Flyers| Waivers| Winnipeg Jets Joonas Korpisalo| Matiss Kivlenieks| Viktor Stalberg

1 comment

Training Camp Cuts: 10/02/18

October 2, 2018 at 9:24 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

At 4pm today every team in the league must submit their final roster of 23 players, meaning several around the league still have a few final cuts to make before the season begins. As always, we’ll keep track of all those moves right here:

Anaheim Ducks (per team Twitter update)

F Joseph Blandisi (to San Diego, AHL)
D Jaycob Megna (to San Diego, AHL)

Calgary Flames (per team release)

F Andrew Mangiapane (to Stockton, AHL)
F Anthony Peluso (to Stockton, AHL)
D Rasmus Andersson (to Stockton, AHL)
G Jon Gillies (to Stockton, AHL)

Colorado Avalanche (per team release)

F Logan O’Connor (to Colorado, AHL)
D David Warsofsky (to Colorado, AHL)
D Mark Alt (to Colorado, AHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Alex Broadhurst (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Matiss Kivlenieks (to Cleveland, AHL)

Dallas Stars (per team release)

F Justin Dowling (to Texas, AHL)
D Gavin Bayreuther (to Texas, AHL)
D Joel Hanley (to Texas, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

F/D Luke Witkowski (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Joe Hicketts (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Filip Hronek (to Grand Rapids, AHL)

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

D Ethan Bear (to Bakersfield, AHL) – Immediately recalled after Andrej Sekera was placed on long-term injured reserve.

Los Angeles Kings (per team release)

F Emerson Etem (released from PTO)

Minnesota Wild (per team release)

D Ryan Murphy (to Iowa, AHL)
F Matt Read (to Iowa, AHL)

New York Islanders (per team release)

F Jan Kovar (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Devon Toews (to Bridgeport, AHL)

Ottawa Senators (per team release)

D Christian Jaros (to Belleville, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)

F Taylor Leier (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

San Jose Sharks (per team release)

F Dylan Gambrell (to San Jose, AHL)
F Lukas Radil (to San Jose, AHL)
G Antoine Bibeau (to San Jose, AHL)

St. Louis Blues (per team release)

F Chris Thorburn (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Zachary Sanford (to San Antonio, AHL)
D Jake Walman (to San Antonio, AHL)
G Ville Husso (to San Antonio, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

F Daniel Carr (to Chicago, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (to Chicago, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team release)

D Jonas Siegenthaler (to Hershey, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (per team release)

D Logan Stanley (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Tucker Poolman (to Manitoba, AHL)

AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Calgary Flames| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Minnesota Wild| New York Islanders| Ottawa Senators| Players| San Jose Sharks| Vegas Golden Knights| Winnipeg Jets Andrew Mangiapane| Antoine Bibeau| Christian Jaros| Jan Kovar| Jon Gillies| Logan Stanley| Matiss Kivlenieks

0 comments

Columbus Sends Several Players To World Championships

April 26, 2018 at 2:01 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Every year when a team is eliminated in the first round, calls come in from the various World Championship teams to see if they are willing (and healthy enough) to suit up for their respective countries. For the Columbus Blue Jackets, many players in the organization received those calls.

Brian Hedger of NHL.com relays the list from GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Ryan Murray (Canada), Pierre-Luc Dubois (Canada), Cam Atkinson (USA), Dean Kukan (Switzerland), Markus Nutivaara (Finland), Alexandre Texier (France) and Matiss Kivlenieks (Latvia) will all be playing in the tournament.

The appearance will be a first for Dubois, who just last season was competing for Canada at the World Junior Championship. 2017-18 saw a huge leap in his development, as he went from an inconsistent junior year to a reliable top-line center on a playoff team. With four points in his first taste of the NHL postseason, Dubois is set up for a long career of impressive moments. The 19-year old could add another one by playing a big role on Team Canada.

For Atkinson, it will be only his second appearance at the tournament despite some great seasons over the past half decade. Though he was only able to play in 65 games for the Blue Jackets this year, he once again showed that he can be a top offensive producer and earned himself a seven-year extension. Atkinson’s small stature hasn’t slowed him down against top competition, and he’ll likely be asked to play a big role for USA Hockey over the next few weeks.

The tournament starts on May 4th, in Denmark.

Columbus Blue Jackets Cam Atkinson| Dean Kukan| Markus Nutivaara| Matiss Kivlenieks| Pierre-Luc Dubois

0 comments

Minor Transactions: 01/11/18

January 11, 2018 at 9:07 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Another slow night in the NHL this Thursday as only three games are on the schedule, but as we saw with the Anthony Duclair trade yesterday a move can come at any time. We’ll keep track of all the minor comings and goings around the league right here. Make sure to refresh throughout the day to keep track of your favorite team.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have swapped goaltenders again, bringing Joonas Korpisalo back up after getting a start in the minor leagues last night. Korpisalo was never in danger of losing his backup role, but the team wanted him to stay fresh. Matiss Kivlenieks, called up in his absence, has been returned to the Cleveland Monsters.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs head into their bye week after a disappointing loss to the Ottawa Senators, and have loaned Travis Dermott and Frederik Gauthier back to the AHL to continue to get into some games. Dermott and Gauthier have made solid impacts on the team since joining recently, but are still young enough to benefit from continued ice time and development. When the Maple Leafs come back in five days, you can bet both players will get the recall.

AHL| Columbus Blue Jackets| Schedule| Toronto Maple Leafs| Transactions Frederik Gauthier| Joonas Korpisalo| Matiss Kivlenieks

0 comments

Minor Transactions — 1/7/18

January 7, 2018 at 11:11 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

After a nine-game schedule Saturday, the NHL has another busy day of action today as 20 teams will be on the ice. There have already been a few moves made and many more are likely:

  • The Winnipeg Jets have activated veteran defenseman Tobias Enstrom off of injured reserve. The 33-year-old went down with a lower-body injury back on Nov. 18 and was deemed out for eight weeks. Slightly ahead of schedule, the defensive-minded Enstrom should improve the defensive play of Winnipeg, especially since they also just got back defenseman Dustin Byfuglien five days ago.
  • The Colorado Avalanche announced they have made a three moves this morning, as defenseman Andrei Mironov and winger A.J. Greer and goaltender Andrew Hammond have all been assigned to the San Antonio Rampage. It’s likely that all three are being sent down to get regular playing time while the Avalanche begin their five-day bye week. The Avalanche don’t play again until next Saturday.
  • After sending this group down one day ago, the Columbus Blue Jackets recalled center Zac Dalpe, defenseman Dean Kukan and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, while returning goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks to the Cleveland Monsters. All were sent down to get in some playing time in the AHL in Cleveland’s 4-3 shootout loss to Rockford. Dalpe scored a goal, Kukan added an assist and Korpisalo stopped 37 shots on goal.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled goaltender Jared Coreau from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. He will serve as the emergency backup for Petr Mrazek after it was reported Saturday that starter Jimmy Howard will sit out today’s game with a lower-body injury. Coreau played 14 games for the Red Wings last year, but hasn’t had as good of a season in Grand Rapids as he did a year ago. The 26-year-old netminder has a 2.77 GAA in 25 games so far this year with the Griffins. It will likely be a one-game stint for Coreau as the Red Wings go on a bye week and won’t play again until next Saturday.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced that they have reassigned winger Reid Boucher to the Utica Comets today. Boucher has been with the team since Dec. 13, but has appeared in just three games with the team. He has been a healthy scratch in five of the team’s past six games. The 24-year-old returns to Utica where he has 13 goals and 25 points this year in 25 games.
  • After sending Marcus Sorensen down Friday night, the San Jose Sharks have recalled the young forward back to the team, according to CapFriendly. Sorensen has three goals in 13 games with the Sharks.  Defenseman Dylan DeMelo was placed on IR to make room for Sorenson on the roster.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have sent Jonny Brodzinski and Kevin Gravel to the minor leagues after losing yesterday to the Predators. The Kings are headed into their bye week, and won’t play again until next Saturday night.
  • Following their game this afternoon, the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have returned winger Tyrell Goulbourne to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.  He played in two games while on recall, averaging 5:34 per game.  The Flyers are also heading into their bye week and could potentially bring Goulbourne back up next weekend.
  • The New York Islanders also made several roster moves following their matinee against the Devils.  Forwards Anthony Beauvillier and Tanner Fritz as well as defenseman Sebastian Aho have all been sent down to Bridgeport.  There is a good chance some of them will be recalled following the bye week.

AHL| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Detroit Red Wings| Injury| New York Islanders| Philadelphia Flyers| San Jose Sharks| Vancouver Canucks| Winnipeg Jets A.J. Greer| Andrei Mironov| Andrew Hammond| Dustin Byfuglien| Jared Coreau| Jimmy Howard| Joonas Korpisalo| Marcus Sorensen| Matiss Kivlenieks| Petr Mrazek| Reid Boucher| Zac Dalpe

0 comments

Minor Transactions: 11/26/17

November 26, 2017 at 11:42 am CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg Leave a Comment

After two full days of hockey, only six teams play on Sunday, but many teams may be looking to make moves to shape up their rosters after a busy few days after Thanksgiving. Keep track of all the moves made today:

  • Brian Hedger of NHL.com tweets that goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and winger Markus Hannikainen were both recalled from the Cleveland Monsters as both players played in Saturday’s AHL matchup with the Texas Stars. Both players were assigned to Cleveland Saturday for the purpose of getting more playing time. Korpisalo allowed three goals on 23 shots in the loss to Texas, while Hannikainen got off two shots on goal, but didn’t pick up any points. Korpisalo played well, according to Hedger. The 23-year-old backup goaltender has only appeared in four games for Columbus, posting a disappointing 3.27 GAA. Hannikainen has seen partial playing time with the Blue Jackets this year. The 24-year-old has two goals and two assists in 12 games. The Columbus Blue Jackets also announced that goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks, who served as an emergency backup Saturday, will be returned to Cleveland.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced they have recalled Nikolay Goldobin from the Utica Comets today. With Vancouver’s Brandon Sutter banged up after Friday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, the team needed to add another player. Goldobin’s recall has been long awaited as the 22-year-old winger has been dominating in the AHL. He has seven goals and 12 assists in 18 games played, which is first on the team in points scored and second on the team in goals scored. The former 2014 first-rounder looks to have taken the next step at the minor league level and has been waiting for his chance to play in Vancouver this season. He has played in 23 NHL games in his career. Probably not coincidentally, Goldobin’s agent Igor Larianov stated earlier this week that his client has no interest in returning to Russia and intends to stay with the process, after recent defections from Vancouver players Anton Rodin and Nikita Tryamkin. Goldobin is not expected to play today against the New York Rangers, according to Sportsnet’s John Shannon.
  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have assigned winger Nick Paul and defenseman Thomas Chabot to the Belleville Senators today. Both were scratched for Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders. Paul was recalled on Nov. 16 and played in four games for the Senators, but failed to register a point. Chabot, the team’s 2015 first-round pick, was recalled from Belleville on Nov. 20 and played in two games for Ottawa, picking up an assist and a -2 plus/minus rating. He was a healthy scratch last night.
  • Florida Panthers general manager Dave Tallon announced that forward Chase Balisy has been loaned to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds today. The 25-year-old wing has been up and down most of the season. He has played in eight games for Florida with no points, but has also managed to play in 13 games for the Thunderbirds and has four goals and five assists with the AHL club.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and general manager Steve Yzerman announced the team will assign center Cory Conacher to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. Conacher was recalled Friday when the team placed defenseman Jake Dotchin on injured reserve. The 27-year-old played in Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and scored a goal. The assignment might suggest that Dotchin might be ready to return on Tuesday as he is eligible to come off IR at that time.

AHL| Columbus Blue Jackets| Dale Tallon| Florida Panthers| Ottawa Senators| Steve Yzerman| Tampa Bay Lightning| Transactions| Vancouver Canucks Brandon Sutter| Chase Balisy| Cory Conacher| Jake Dotchin| Joonas Korpisalo| Markus Hannikainen| Matiss Kivlenieks| Nick Paul| Nikolay Goldobin| Thomas Chabot

0 comments

Minor Transactions: 11/25/17

November 25, 2017 at 10:36 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Despite a busy Friday, there is a large slate of games on the schedule for Saturday which means there should be several roster moves made leading up to puck drop.  We’ll keep tabs on those here.

  • The Blue Jackets have once again shuffled their backup goaltenders, announcing that Joonas Korpisalo (along with forward Markus Hannikainen) have been assigned to Cleveland of the AHL while netminder Matiss Kivlenieks has been recalled. Korpisalo has only played in four NHL contests this season which isn’t ideal for a waiver-exempt goalie so this will allow him to get a game or two in at the minor league level before swapping back in the near future.  As for Hannikainen, he has been in and out of the lineup this year and has four points in 12 games despite playing just over eight minutes per game.
  • The Bruins announced that they have recalled winger Jordan Szwarz on an emergency basis and have returned defenseman Rob O’Gara to AHL Providence. Szwarz rejoins Boston after being sent down back on Wednesday.  He has played time times with the big club in 2017-18, collecting three assists but has been quite productive in Providence, picking up eight points in only six games.  Meanwhile, O’Gara has split the season between the NHL and AHL so far.  In eight appearances with Boston, he has been held off the scoresheet while logging 10:59 per night and has collected two assists in seven minor league contests.
  • Chris DiDomenico’s debut with Tampa Bay will have to wait a while yet as the team has assigned him to Syracuse of the AHL on a conditioning stint, per the AHL’s Transactions Page.  The Lightning claimed him off waivers from the Senators on Friday but he hasn’t played in nearly a week.

Boston Bruins| Columbus Blue Jackets| Tampa Bay Lightning| Transactions Chris DiDomenico| Joonas Korpisalo| Jordan Szwarz| Markus Hannikainen| Matiss Kivlenieks| Rob O'Gara

0 comments

Blue Jackets Send Three To AHL

November 19, 2017 at 9:15 am CDT | by Zach Leach 1 Comment

11/19 – 12:00: Carlsson has now been reassigned to Cleveland again. Quite the stretch for the young defender.

11/19 – 9:15: After all of that, the team has announced less than 24 hours later that all three players have been recalled to Columbus and Kivlenieks has been sent back down. It appears as though the entire noteworthy transaction was only to get the trio play time in last night’s AHL contest between the Cleveland Monsters and Milwaukee Admirals. Korpisalo performed admirably, stopping 32 of 33 shots in the win, but Milano and Carlsson had no points and did not record a single shot between them. Maybe the Jackets should have considered keeping them in the minors after all.

11/18: After just yesterday hinting at his disappointment with the play of Sonny Milano, head coach John Tortorella and the Columbus Blue Jackets have today announced him as one of a trio heading to the AHL. Joining Milano on their way to the Cleveland Monsters are backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo and rookie defenseman Gabriel Carlsson. 

After a hot start to the 2017-18 season offensively, Milano has tailed off and has just eight points in 17 games thus far despite ample top nine opportunity. However, the real issue of late, especially for Tortorella, has been Milano’s reluctance and inability to perform in his own end. The trip to the AHL, for one of the team’s top goal scorers, surely has to be in hopes of developing a superior two-way game. Korpisalo has also had his fair share of struggles this season. His 1-3-0 record accounts for nearly half of the teams losses thus far and his .896 save percentage and 3.28 GAA have been less than spectacular. Still just 23, Korpisalo is young to be a full-time backup and the Jackets’ hope is likely that some regular work can help him get back on track. Carlsson has also been the victim of a lack of opportunity. The 20-year-old rearguard has played in only eight of the team’s 20 games and averages only eleven minutes of ice time per night to boot. Carlsson, perhaps more than either of his transitioning teammates, simply needs to play more.

The only corresponding move made by the team was the recall of a replacement backup goalie in Matiss Kivlenieks. The young Latvian keeper is in his first pro season and has seen only modest action and results this year, but the club clearly wants to see what they have in up-and-coming undrafted goalie. With a superstar starter like Sergei Bobrovsky, Columbus can afford to give Korpisalo starts in the minors and leave the unproven Kivlenieks as the #2, at least for now.

AHL| Columbus Blue Jackets| John Tortorella Gabriel Carlsson| Joonas Korpisalo| Matiss Kivlenieks| Sergei Bobrovsky| Sonny Milano

1 comment

Free Agent Profile: The Goalie Market

July 23, 2017 at 3:18 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

More than three weeks into free agency, there are still several big names available on the market. Among PHR’s Top 50 Free Agents, you can still find Thomas Vanek (#8), Jaromir Jagr (#13), Andrei Markov (#14), Drew Stafford (#21), Cody Franson (#22), and many more without NHL homes. What you can’t find is a single goalie on that list left unsigned. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find a single free agent goaltender that the casual hockey fan would recognize.

The following is list of available keepers who were on NHL contracts in 2016-17: Daniel Altshuller, Mantas Armalis, Sam Brittain, Mac Carruth, Ryan Faragher, Michael Garteig, Jonas Gunnarsson, Matt Hackett, Jake Paterson, Mackenzie Skapski, Colin Stevens, and Stephon Williams. Are none of those names standing out? They shouldn’t. Not one of those 13 players made a single NHL appearance last season and only Altshuller, Brittain, and Garteig even sat on an NHL bench. Of the group, only Hackett and Skapski have ever played in the NHL and neither one has suited up since 2014-15. The group leaves little to be desired.

This could explain why many other teams have decided to reach overseas for goalie depth this off-season, with the Nashville Predators bringing back Anders Lindback, the Minnesota Wild signing Niklas Svedberg, the Vegas Golden Knights signing Oscar Dansk, the Florida Panthers signing Harri Sateri and, most recently, the New York Rangers bringing in young Alexander Georgiev. Yet, even the foreign market is drying up. The top leagues in Sweden and Switzerland have nothing to offer net-needy NHL team, while the best remaining free agent goalies in the KHL and Finnish Liiga are 37-year-old Alexander Yeryomenko and 34-year-old Pekka Tuokkola respectively. Other KHL free agents like Riku Helenius, Drew MacIntyre, Justin Pogge, and Kevin Poulin are all former NHL wash-outs themselves who have done little to improve their stock overseas and don’t present much of an upgrade over many of the North American options.

So which keepers are the best of this rag-tag bunch? The short answer is that none are ready to make NHL starts any time soon. Every NHL free agent either spent time in the ECHL in 2016-17 or should have because of unsightly AHL numbers, whereas none of the KHL free agents were particularly impressive this past season either.

Poulin is the most likely of any to earn an NHL contract for next season, as he has more NHL experience than everyone else on this list put together – with just 50 appearances. The 27-year-old went back and forth between the New York Islanders, who drafted him in 2008, and their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, from 2010 to 2015. In that time, Poulin had an 18-25-3 record with an .899 save percentage and 3.07 GAA. While it isn’t the best NHL stat line, it isn’t the worst either. Outside of the NHL, Poulin has always posted a save percentage of .909 or better, including a .909 exact and 2.66 GAA with Barys Astana of the KHL last year. For a team in need of a goalie, even just for AHL depth, Poulin isn’t a terrible option.

Hackett would be next on the list and also has the second-most NHL games played. Once considered the “goalie of the future” for the Minnesota Wild after a spectacular rookie season in 2011-12, the now 27-year-old’s career has gone in the opposite direction. Pedestrian play in the AHL and inconsistency in his NHL efforts took Hackett out of the running as an NHL starter, but he’s still been able to find work as a third-string backup after Minnesota with the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks. Even after an AHL season where he was passed up on the depth chart, saw only seven games of action, and posted poor numbers, Hackett still seems like a safe bet to find a new deal somewhere.

Beyond Poulin and Hackett, a contract for any of the other free agent goalies would come as a surprise. At 23 years old, Paterson is the youngest of the free agents and has put up strong numbers in each of his first two pro seasons. However, those numbers have come in the ECHL rather than the AHL. Paterson’s junior numbers in the OHL aren’t spectacular, so the competition level of the ECHL may simply be where he’s best suited. Nevertheless, he has the most room to grow of anyone available. On the flip side, the 37-year-old Russian keeper Yeryomenko is by far the most talented goalie available statistically. The KHL veteran was arguably the best goalie in the league last year, posting a .950 save percentage and 1.29 GAA in 37 starts. There is no reason to think that Yeryomenko is eyeing a move overseas at this point in his career nor that he could adjust to the NHL’s pace of play at his age, but if he is open to it, he could be a low-risk gamble as a stop-gap veteran backup in the AHL for some team.

Potential Suitors

Luckily, most NHL teams are not in dire straits in net that they should have to be taking a long look at the current free agent market. Nearly every viable name has already been scooped up and few teams have a pressing need. However, it never hurts to have several fallback options in net, and even teams with three or four solid players can end up scooping up that one extra keeper as the off-season goes on.

The one team that really must make a move is the Columbus Blue Jackets. Yes, they have the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, Sergei Bobrovsky, and promising young backup Joonas Korpisalo, but after trading Anton Forsberg away this summer, the Blue Jackets are lacking in depth. The only other goalie under contract is Matiss Kivlenieks, who is entering his first pro season out of the USHL. Kivlenieks is probably not suited to even start at the AHL level yet, nevertheless be the next man up for Columbus. The Blue Jackets could stand to add two goalie even, though their need is great enough that they could be scouring the trade market instead for their third-stringer.

Even after replacing Ryan Miller with Anders Nilsson in free agency, the Vancouver Canucks could still use another goalie. Thatcher Demko is a stud prospect and ready to carry the bulk of AHL starts, and Richard Bachman is a good veteran AHL option capable of making an NHL spot start too. However, should Jacob Markstrom or Nilsson, both injury-prone and relatively new to their 2017-18 roles, struggle or be sidelined, Demko or possibly Bachman will be ready to go, but without much reliable backup depth in Utica. Vancouver could simply re-sign Garteig, who was in the system last year, but may want to go with a superior talent given the unproven nature of their top three goalies at the NHL level.

Expected Contract

It might be a stretch to assume that any of the goalies remaining on the free agent market, NHL or international, will sign an NHL deal this summer. If they do, it will surely be a one-year, two-way deal worth the minimum $650K or simply a minor league AHL deal. There’s not much left to offer on the market, but with some holes still in need of filling across the league, understanding the strengths and many, many weaknesses of the goalie market could help to make sense of any upcoming deals.

AHL| Columbus Blue Jackets| ECHL| Free Agency| KHL| Players| Vancouver Canucks Mac Carruth| Matiss Kivlenieks| Matt Hackett

0 comments

Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks

May 25, 2017 at 1:19 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Columbus Blue Jackets have won the bidding for 20-year old goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks, signing him to a three-year entry-level contract. Kivlenieks played for the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL this season and was named both Player and Goaltender of the Year. The Latvian goaltender had committed to Minnesota State University, but will now enter the Blue Jackets system instead.

For a team that is in no short supply of good young goaltenders, Kivlenieks just adds to their pipeline. As Anton Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo continue to fight for NHL time as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky, Kivlenieks will try to find his way in the minor leagues. The goaltender put up a .932 save percentage and 1.85 GAA in the USHL, leading the league in both categories. Oscar Dansk, another young netminder played this season in Sweden but returned to North America after his season finished, and will need a new contract this summer.

There is a possibility that the Blue Jackets lose one of their three current young goaltenders in the expansion draft, which would leave room for Kivlenieks to start in the AHL. Otherwise, he may actually need to head to the ECHL to start the year as there won’t be enough spots for all the talent Columbus has collected. Either way, this adds to an impressive group that allows the team to deal from strength if they so choose. As goaltenders develop it is tough to get a read on whether they’ll make it at the highest level, so bringing in several highly-touted prospects to see who is left is often a good strategy. The Blue Jackets are well prepared for a possible departure of Bobrovsky in two years, when his current contract ends and he hits unrestricted free agency at the age of 30.

Columbus Blue Jackets Matiss Kivlenieks

0 comments
« Previous Page
    Top Stories

    Cale Makar Wins 2025 Norris Trophy

    Ducks Nearing Deal To Acquire Chris Kreider From Rangers

    Blue Jackets Expected To Pursue Mitch Marner

    Stars Reportedly Open To Trading Jason Robertson

    Canadiens’ Lane Hutson Wins 2025 Calder Trophy

    Capitals’ T.J. Oshie Announces Retirement From NHL

    Full 2025 NHL Draft Order

    Islanders Continue To Lean Toward Matthew Schaefer At First Overall

    Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Uncertain For Game 3

    Teams Not Expecting Sam Bennett To Reach Free Agency

    Recent

    Cale Makar Wins 2025 Norris Trophy

    Ducks Nearing Deal To Acquire Chris Kreider From Rangers

    Eetu Mäkiniemi Signs One-Year Deal With Liiga’s TPS

    Offseason Checklist: Colorado Avalanche

    Mac Hollowell Signs In Russia

    Free Agent Focus: New York Islanders

    Red Wings Sign Michal Postava To Entry-Level Contract

    Oilers’ Jake Walman Fined Twice For Game 3 Incidents

    Atlantic Notes: Marchand, Peterka, Giroux

    Flames Sign Adam Klapka To Two-Year Contract

    Rumors By Team

    Rumors By Team

    • Avalanche Rumors
    • Blackhawks Rumors
    • Blue Jackets Rumors
    • Blues Rumors
    • Bruins Rumors
    • Canadiens Rumors
    • Canucks Rumors
    • Capitals Rumors
    • Devils Rumors
    • Ducks Rumors
    • Flames Rumors
    • Flyers Rumors
    • Golden Knights Rumors
    • Hurricanes Rumors
    • Islanders Rumors
    • Jets Rumors
    • Kings Rumors
    • Kraken Rumors
    • Lightning Rumors
    • Mammoth Rumors
    • Maple Leafs Rumors
    • Oilers Rumors
    • Panthers Rumors
    • Penguins Rumors
    • Predators Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Red Wings Rumors
    • Sabres Rumors
    • Senators Rumors
    • Sharks Rumors
    • Stars Rumors
    • Wild Rumors

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Sam Bennett Rumors
    • Nikolaj Ehlers Rumors
    • Mitch Marner Rumors
    • Marco Rossi Rumors

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    Pro Hockey Rumors Features

    • Support Pro Hockey Rumors And Go Ad-Free
    • 2025 Free Agent Focus Series
    • 2025 Offseason Checklist Series
    • 2025 NHL Free Agent List
    • 2026 NHL Free Agent List
    • Active Roster Tracker
    • Coaching Staff Directory
    • Draft Order 2025
    • Trade Tracker
    • Pro Hockey Rumors On X
    • Pro Hockey Rumors Polls
    • Waiver Claims 2024-25

     

     

     

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives

    PHR Info

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Commenting Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

    scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version