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Pheonix Copley Headlines Three Players On Waivers

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Thursday: Copley has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. The other two have also cleared.

Wednesday: The Washington Capitals have seemingly decided to make the switch to Ilya Samsonov as their backup goaltender. Pheonix Copley has been placed on waivers, along with New York Islanders forward Scott Eansor and Carolina Hurricanes forward Max McCormick. Eansor recently announced he would be retiring from professional hockey, meaning this placement will probably precede a mutual contract termination.

Copley,  27, was just signed to a three-year $3.3MM extension in February, though that was at least in part due to the upcoming expansion draft. The backup goaltender played in 27 games with the Capitals last season and recorded a 16-7-3 record with a .905 save percentage, but is a little too pricey for the team right now with his $1.1MM cap hit. Samsonov, who carries just a $925K cap hit on his entry-level deal, is one of the top goaltending prospects in the world and should get his first taste of NHL action this weekend.

The 22-year old Samsonov dominated the KHL for three straight seasons between 2015-18, but struggled somewhat in his first season in North America. Posting an .898 save percentage for the Hershey Bears, he showed some inconsistency even behind a strong group. Despite those disappointing stats, he still possesses all the potential in the world and could push for a starting role at some point in the future. Seeing exactly what they have will be important to the Capitals, who have starter Braden Holtby approaching unrestricted free agency and in line for a huge raise on the open market.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/01/19

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Even with the season starting tomorrow, teams still have some final cuts to make today. Rosters have to be cap compliant by the end of the day. though with so much talent on waivers there might still be some last-minute moves. We’ll keep track of those right here. Keep checking back throughout the day for updates.

Arizona Coyotes (per team release)

D Ilya Lyubushkin (to Tucson, AHL)

Buffalo Sabres (per team release)

F Remi Elie (to Rochester, AHL)
F Curtis Lazar (to Rochester, AHL)
F Scott Wilson (to Rochester, AHL)
D Casey Nelson (to Rochester, AHL)

Calgary Flames (per team release)

F Alan Quine (to Stockton, AHL)
F Zac Rinaldo (to Stockton, AHL)
F Dillon Dube (to Stockton, AHL)
D Andrew MacDonald (released from PTO)

Carolina Hurricanes (per team release)

F Clark Bishop (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Julien Gauthier (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Brian Gibbons (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Gustav Forsling (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Roland McKeown (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Anton Forsberg (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Max McCormick (placed on injured/non-roster)
D Trevor van Riemsdyk (placed on injured/non-roster)

Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)

G Collin Delia (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kirby Dach (placed on injured/non-roster)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Marko Dano (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Andrew Peeke (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Liam Foudy (placed on injured/non-roster)

Colorado Avalanche (per team release)

F Jayson Megna (to Colorado, AHL)
D Kevin Connauton (to Colorado, AHL)
D Calle Rosen (to Colorado, AHL)
D Ian Cole (placed on injured/non-roster)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

D Jared McIsaac (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Chase Pearson (placed on injured/non-roster)

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

F Sam Gagner (to Bakersfield, AHL)

Minnesota Wild (per team release)

F J.T. Brown (to Iowa, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (per team release)

F Ryan Poehling (to Laval, AHL)

Nashville Predators (per team release)

F Miikka Salomaki (to Milwaukee, AHL)
D Steven Santini (to Milwaukee, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (per team release)

D Matt Tennyson (to Binghamton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Spokane, WHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)

D John Marino (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Casey DeSmith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

F Nicolas Roy (to Chicago, AHL)
D Nicolas Hague (to Chicago, AHL)

Washington Capitals (per team release)

F Liam O’Brien (to Hershey, AHL)
F Michael Sgarbossa (to Hershey, AHL)
D Christian Djoos (to Hershey, AHL)
D Michal Kempny (placed on injured/non-roster)

Winnipeg Jets (per team release)

D Sami Niku (to Manitoba, AHL)

Max McCormick Signs With Carolina Hurricanes

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The Carolina Hurricanes have added some more forward depth, signing Max McCormick to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry a $700K salary at the NHL level. GM Don Waddell released a short statement:

Max is a hard-nosed forward who has shown a scoring touch and an ability to kill penalties at the AHL level. This signing adds depth to our forward group.

McCormick, 27, spent most of his professional career in the Ottawa Senators organization before a trade last year took him to Colorado. In Ottawa, he received 71 NHL opportunities over the years in which he scored ten points and registered 78 penalty minutes. The feisty winger has been more effective in the minor leagues, meaning he’ll probably end up playing with the Charlotte Checkers this season.

The Hurricanes have improved their group up front considerably since this time last year, bringing in names like Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Dzingel, Erik Haula and Brian Gibbons, meaning there might not be much opportunity for McCormick in the NHL. If you were to pick an AHL organization though, why not head to the defending Calder Cup champions. The Checkers lost their head coach and GM when Mike Vellucci left for the Penguins, but should still be a force in the AHL’s Eastern Conference.

Ottawa Senators Trade Max McCormick

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The Ottawa Senators have traded Max McCormick to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for prospect Jean-Christophe Beaudin. Beaudin will be assigned to the Belleville Senators.

McCormick, 26, was never really able to find his footing in Ottawa after signing out of Ohio State University in 2014. The sixth-round pick was known for his blend of feisty, physical hockey and offensive ability, but instead couldn’t bring the second part of that mix to the NHL. Recording just 10 points in 71 career games with Ottawa, McCormick will move on with just a few months before he becomes an unrestricted free agent once again. He had previously his Group VI free agency in 2017 and signed a two-year deal with the Senators that had guaranteed him a one-way salary of $650K this season.

Beaudin meanwhile is another lottery ticket for the Senators, given his struggles since making the jump from junior hockey. Originally selected in the third round of the 2015 draft, Beaudin was a big scoring threat in the QMJHL but has failed to bring that offense to the minor leagues. In 42 games for the Colorado Eagles this year, the 21-year old winger has 13 points.

Joel Hanley Placed On Waivers

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Tuesday: Hanley has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Monday: With several defensemen approaching a return from injury, the Dallas Stars have placed Joel Hanley on waivers. That’s according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who also reports that Max McCormick of the Ottawa Senators has cleared. McCormick was subsequently assigned to the minor leagues.

Hanley, 27, is no more than a seventh defenseman for the Stars, playing in 15 games this season but seeing relatively little ice time. The undrafted UMass-Amherst graduate has suited up 37 times in the NHL between the Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes and Stars, while recording six points. None of those points have come since the start of the 2016-17 season, and Hanley is still looking for his first NHL goal.

With a two-way contract that brings just a $650K cap hit at the NHL level there may be some interest in Hanley, but the likely outcome is his assignment to the Texas Stars of the AHL. The veteran will serve as some help to that group while being able to come back up to Dallas at a moment’s notice. Connor Carrick, John Klingberg and Stephen Johns meanwhile will continue their recovery, and likely get into the lineup over the next few weeks. All three were present at practice this morning, though Klingberg is the only one facing an imminent return. Marc Methot, also dealing with an injury, still has no timetable for return according to Sean Shapiro of The Athletic.

Ottawa Places Max McCormick On Waivers

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With a number of players coming back from injury, the Ottawa Senators have decided to make some room on their roster as they placed winger Max McCormick on waivers, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

McCormick didn’t get much playing time with the Senators as he has only appeared in 14 games this season. Even when he did, Senators head coach Guy Boucher wasn’t big on handing him much playing time as he averaged just 7:30 of ATOI this season. He did play in the three recent games (albeit not the previous two) and got even less time as he averaged under six minutes a game. He has one goal this season.

The forward could be a cheap option for another team, although it would seem unlikely any team would want to take a chance on him. McCormick does make just the minimum $650K and will be an unrestricted free agent after this year. He played 30 games with Ottawa last season, producing three goals and five points.

Minor Transactions: 10/16/18

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Eight more games are on tap for tonight, including the red hot Carolina Hurricanes travelling to Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning. While teams get ready for their Tuesday night matchups, we’ll keep track of all the day’s moves right here.

  • With several days off until their next game, the Ottawa Senators have sent Christian Jaros and Nick Paul back to the AHL. In doing so, the team dropped below the minimum number of roster players and were forced to activate Max McCormick from injured reserve. The Senators don’t play until Saturday, at which point they’ll likely make some more recalls.
  • The St. Louis Blues have officially swapped Chris Thorburn for Zach Sanford, bringing up the younger forward to help them on their current road trip. Sanford, acquired from the Washington Capitals in the Kevin Shattenkirk trade, is coming back from an injury-plagued 2017-18 and is looking to prove that he’s a full-time NHL player.
  • Corban Knight has been activated from his non-roster status by the Philadelphia Flyers, and is available for their game tonight. The 28-year old center hasn’t played in the NHL since 2015-16 with the Florida Panthers, but has been a good soldier for the Lehigh Valley AHL organization the last two seasons.
  • After going down earlier this month Dylan Gambrell is on his way back to the San Jose Sharks according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. Gambrell hasn’t suited up with the Sharks this season, but does have five points in two minor league contests. The 22-year old is a very interesting prospect for the team, and getting him into some NHL action before Joe Thornton returns might be the Sharks plan.

Ottawa Senators Recall Paul Carey

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The Ottawa Senators are bringing in some early season reinforcements, recalling veteran Paul Carey from the AHL’s Belleville Senators. The gritty, versatile forward is likely to compete for a job on the Senators fourth line. Carey, 30, recorded career highs across the board in 2017-18 with the New York Rangers and was Ottawa’s most notable free agent addition this off-season.

Despite skating in 60 games with the New York Rangers last season and posting seven goals and seven assists, as well as finishing among the Rangers’ forward leaders in hits, Carey has not seen the expected bump in attention paid his way this off-season. Carey was without any one-way offers on July 1st, signing a two-way contract with Ottawa in order to join a scenario where he felt he could find significant play time. He was then a relatively early cut from training camp, placed on waivers back on September 24th. Although Carey is almost exclusively an off-the-puck style player who was exposed at times last year and certainly benefited from an inflated shooting percentage, he is nevertheless an experienced, hard-nosed forward who can line up at all three positions and contribute to both special teams units. Even after a strong campaign in New York, Carey is still on the hunt for respect this season with Ottawa.

If he can find his niche with the Senators, he does have a chance to play an important role. Ottawa’s current fourth line of Tom Pyatt between Max McCormick and Magnus Paajarvi won’t strike fear into many opponents and Carey would seem to be an upgrade over either wing. Carey also could work his way into a regular short-handed role. With McCormick presently listed as day-to-day with a lower body injury, Carey likely will get his first chance to show that he can be a permanent fixture on the checking line when the Sens square off with the Toronto Maple Leafs tomorrow night.

Ottawa Senators Preparing For Huge Roster Turnover

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Late last night after much of the hockey news had died down for the day, the Ottawa Senators released a video of defenseman Mark Borowiecki and owner Eugene Melnyk discussing the future of the organization. Touching on subjects from dressing room leadership to overcoming the low expectations for 2018-19, Melnyk made clear he would be staying with the franchise for a long time and will not move it from Ottawa. He also noted an interesting point about roster construction, explaining how quickly the rebuild will get underway:

This coming year we’re going to have 10 out of the 22 players are going to be new. Meaning they’re either rookies or they’ve played maybe under 10 games last year. Then the following year, it’s going to go up to about 15 of the 22, maybe 16. So that’s a total turnover you know, which is exactly what should be in a rebuild. 

Stripping your roster down to the studs and letting a group of young players grow and mature together is often a strategy for struggling teams who want to rebuild, and the Senators saw a similar situation play out just down the road in Toronto a few years ago. In fact, when the Maple Leafs traveled to Ottawa to open the season in 2016 they had seven rookies in the lineup including Auston Matthews, who scored four times despite the loss. That would appear to be the blue print for Melnyk and the Senators as they look to pull a similarly speedy rebuild.

The question though becomes how do they achieve the goal of having 10 rookies on the roster at the beginning of the year. The team currently has at least 19 players—Mark Stone, Bobby Ryan, Matt Duchene, Zack Smith, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ryan Dzingel, Tom Pyatt, Magnus Paajarvi, Max McCormick, Colin White, Marian Gaborik, Erik Karlsson, Cody Ceci, Chris Wideman, Ben Harpur, Thomas Chabot, Craig Anderson, Mike Condon and Borowiecki—who played more than 10 games for the organization last season and should at the very least be battling for roster spots. While perhaps Melnyk was exaggerating and players like White and Chabot would still be considered “rookies” given their relative youth and inexperience, it seems likely that there will be substantial turnover in the rest of the group.

We’ve heard for months that Karlsson may be on the block, speculation that will only increase given his complete absence from this video, but other players including Stone and Duchene are both heading into the final years of their contracts and could be shipped out for prospects and picks. If the Senators are committed to a full scorched earth rebuild, they are powerful assets in trade.

At the very least, we should expect the Senators to be involved in trade talks all season. Even though Melnyk and Borowiecki seem excited about playing the underdogs this year, the amount of roster turnover that the owner mentions isn’t possible without some transactions coming through the pipe quickly. Camp starts in just a few days and Senators rookies should be licking their chops on the opportunity that is apparently there for the taking.

Eastern Notes: Carlo, Tkachuk, Dobson, Chaput

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The Boston Bruins dealt with numerous injuries over the course of the 2017-18 season, but that didn’t stop the team from getting into the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last season. One injury that truly crippled the team was the loss of defenseman Brandon Carlo right at the end of the season with a broken fibula. While the team is solid on defense, the presence of the 6-foot-5 blueliner has been critical to their team.

Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont writes that Carlo injury is fully healed as x-rays were clean and the 21-year-old has already been skating for more than a month. Not an offensive defenseman, Carlo has had trouble adjusting to the NHL physical game, having spent his rookie campaign next to Zdeno Chara and then being teamed up as the defensive presence to offensive sparkplug Torey Krug. However, Carlo said he’s added close to 10 pounds of muscle to his frame this offseason and is ready to take the bulk of another full campaign in Boston.

“I think last year was good for me in an aspect,” Carlo said, “to learn so much about myself and my game. Coming into this third year, I have really high expectations for myself. I expect to be back on track with helping out in every aspect that I can. I think overall I have to come in with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder and have a little more confidence in myself and my overall game.”

  • While there are many people who feel that winger Brady Tkachuk, who announced his intention of going pro Saturday, might be better served playing with the OHL London Knights or the AHL’s Belleville Senators next year to continue his development, Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun writes that Tkachuk actually has as good a shot of anyone on the roster to make the NHL squad out of training camp. The team isn’t deep at the left wing position, which includes players such as Ryan Dzingel, Mikkel Boedker, Max McCormick, Magnus Paajarvi, Tom Pyatt and Zack Smith. Not exactly top of the line. Considering that Smith is likely to move to center next year and Pyatt could move to the right side, if needed, there is plenty of space for Tkachuk if he impresses in training camp.
  • Historically, players picked at No. 12 in the NHL Draft usually don’t end up with their NHL time right away in their first season, but that could be a possibility when it comes to New York Islanders 2018 first-round pick Noah Dobson. The 18-year-old prospect showed off his skills with a dominant performance at the World Junior Showcase for Canada by posting five goals in three games. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple (subscription required) writes another impressive showing at training camp in front of coach Barry Trotz could force the team’s hand to keep him, considering the team’s lack of depth on defense.
  • While the Montreal Canadiens didn’t make too many waves this offseason, the team did sign several smaller names, including Michael Peca, Xavier Ouellet, Kenny Agostino and Michael Chaput. The 26-year-old Chaput is an interesting case as he’s played 135 NHL games already in his career, but with the exception of a 68-games season back in 2016-17, the center has spent most of his career in the AHL. Now, with many openings potentially available in Montreal, Chaput feels he’s got a great shot a full-time role with Montreal this year, according to NHL.com’s Matt Cudzinowski. “My mindset is to try and make this team. I want to play for the Canadiens. That’s my main goal. That’s what I’m working towards,” said Chaput.

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