Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Nikita Tryamkin

Canucks’ Nikita Tryamkin Returning To KHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The KHL has claimed their first NHL victim, as Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman Nikita Tryamkin has re-signed with his old KHL club for next season. After repeating their desire to bring back some of their homegrown talent, the KHL has succeeded by baiting Tryamkin back after just one full season with the Canucks. The 22-year old defender was a restricted free agent this summer, and looked like he could be a part of the Canucks’ blueline for a long time.

Drafted in the third round in 2014, Tryamkin was always a risk to return to the KHL as he had previously warned that he would leave North America should he not stay in the NHL all season. His contract even contained an out clause should the Canucks try to send him to the AHL, likely signaling a hesitation to dedicate himself fully to the North American game. It’s hard to blame the big defender, who will be returning to play for his hometown team in Yekaterinburg.

The 6’7″ defenseman was a surprisingly good addition to the Canucks blueline this year, dealing out big hits and moving around the ice with ease. While he obviously needed some polish to his game, he could have easily turned into a solid piece on the blueline. Vancouver will now go forward without him, though they will retain his rights and keep him on their reserve list should he ever wish to come back. It’s not clear how long the contract is for, but with his youth and relative success this year, a return is not out of the question.

Canucks Notes: Goldobin, Markstrom, Tryamkin

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Vancouver Canucks will welcome the Montreal Canadiens to town tonight as they look to stay relevant in the playoff race. The team currently sits six points back of St. Louis and though it is a very outside possibility, they want to stay in it as long as possible. They’ll have to shake up their lineup tonight, as Loui Eriksson will be out for “a week to two weeks” according to Willie Desjardins. In his place, the newly acquired Nikolay Goldobin will get a chance to skate with Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi on the team’s second line. He’s excited about the prospect, and amazed at the amount of media talking to him prior to the game; “It wasn’t like this in San Jose!” he said before going on to say how happy he was to be in Vancouver.

  • The team also relayed the news that Jacob Markstrom is still “at least a week away”, but did skate before the practice by himself. Markstrom hasn’t played since February 16th but would be a big help to the Canucks down the stretch if he can get back. The 27-year old goaltender looks like he’ll get a shot at the starting job next year as Ryan Miller is a free agent this summer. Markstrom’s extension will come into play next year, which will see him paid $3.67MM per year for the next three seasons.
  • 22-year old Nikita Tryamkin has been a revelation for the Canucks this season, as he’s shown his capability to be a part of their defense going forward and showcased his big-hit ability early in the season. He has been out since February 19th though, and still isn’t quite ready to return. Despite skating earlier this morning with the team, he’ll miss his sixth straight game.

Vancouver Canucks Announce Mumps Outbreak Among Players

at CDT | by 3 Comments

UPDATE (2/27/17): The mumps didn’t stay quarantined in Vancouver for very long. As expected, the virus has spread, as the Minnesota Wild announced that Zach Parise and Jason Pominville have been diagnosed with the mumps and the team has begun measures to isolate the pair and examine and vaccinate the rest of the team. However, it will have to wait until tomorrow, as the team made the announcement not long before the puck-drop on their game against the Los Angeles Kings. For those worried about the Kings players being infected, the Wild are coming off of their bye week, have not played the Canucks since February 4th, and have not played any opponents who faced Vancouver any later than that, so direct exposure is not the problem.

In a story NHL fans know all too well, the Vancouver Canucks announced today that Troy Stecher has a confirmed diagnosis of the mumps, with several others presenting symptoms. Stetcher along with Chris Tanev, Nikita Tryamkin, Michael Chaput and Markus Granlund will all be quarantined and isolated for at least five days, and vaccines are starting to be administered to all the players that haven’t shown symptoms.

Because it’s not clear when the team discovered the virus, it’s not known how far into their isolation the players are. Ben Kuzma of Postmedia reports that all but Tanev are already ruled out for Saturday’s game, with him being questionable. The team has recalled Alexandre Grenier and Even McEneny to replace the sick players, and will bring up Jordan Subban should Tanev also miss the game.

The NHL has had mumps outbreaks before, on several teams around the league. It caught the attention of international health media in 2014 when Sidney Crosby conducted an interview with a face like a chipmunk, but has long been a problem. Teams have been given booster shots in the past even when they weren’t showing symptoms because of the risk involved. Mumps can result in a large number of symptoms and can even lead to meningitis, which is acute and possibly fatal. While the players are at very little risk of this, the fact that it is so contagious is alarming for Vancouver Coastal Health, who will be handling the situation.

Pacific Division Snapshots: Vermette, Heed, Mueller, Tryamkin

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

It came as a bit of a surprise when the Arizona Coyotes bought out the final season of forward Antoine Vermette’s contract. Joining the ranks of the unemployed in August is not ideal for any free agent as most teams have already expended their available salary cap space and have essentially finalized their rosters by that point. Fortunately for Vermette, Anaheim decided to roll the dice and add the veteran pivot, signing him to a two-year deal with an AAV of $1.75MM. As Sarah McLellan of AZ Central writes, while Vermette was certainly disappointed to move on from Arizona, the situation in Southern California has worked out quite well for the former Coyote, Blue Jacket, Senator and Blackhawk.

Through 41 games with the Ducks, Vermette has scored seven goals and registered 18 points while winning 64.3% of the faceoffs he has taken. Anaheim head coach Randy Carlyle is glad to have the veteran two-way center around.

“We’re lucky to have him,” Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. “He fits in with our group. He displays a work ethic, and (he’s) a true professional day-in, day-out. So (he) can’t help but be positive for our group.”

The buyout surprised Vermette but he focuses on the positives of his time in the desert and not the way it ended.

“I made some good friends,” Vermette said. “I had some good times. We had our share of success. Good memories collectively and personally, also. That’s not going to take it away. Obviously, I would have liked it to be different at the end, but that was absolutely out of my control and you gotta move on.”

Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:

  • It’s been a busy week for San Jose Sharks defenseman Tim Heed. The 25-year-old was recalled from the AHL Thursday, reassigned to the Barracuda Friday, then brought back to the Sharks on an emergency basis in advance of Saturday’s game against Detroit. Fortunately Heed didn’t have to travel too far as both the Barracuda and Sharks were playing at home this weekend. Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer thought about inserting Heed into the lineup tonight in place of former first-round draft pick Mirco Mueller but ultimately decided against it, according to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. “We think Mirco deserves a chance to play again here, but there’s people knocking on the door for that opportunity too,” DeBoer said, “and Mirco needs to understand that.” DeBoer’s remarks should be taken as a warning to Mueller that he isn’t performing up to expectations. However, Mueller is still just 21-years-old and has only two games of NHL experience this season. Defensemen tend to take longer to develop than forwards so there is still plenty of time to find his way in the league.
  • Nikita Tryamkin, whose development into a reliable blue liner has been a bright spot this season for Vancouver, had trouble cracking the club’s lineup early in the campaign and at one point refused to accept a conditioning assignment to Utica, as the opt-out clause in his contract allowed him to do. Tryamkin believed in himself and knew he was able to contribute at the NHL level and as Jason Botchford writes in a piece for The Province, it’s now clear the Russian defenseman was correct. However, if Vancouver had not relented and had instead kept Tryamkin in the press box, it’s possible the young blue liner would have considered a return home. Fortunately for both parties, injuries on the blue line created an opportunity for Tryamkin and he has taken advantage of it. The 6-foot-7 defender is one of only two Canucks with a plus rating and has added five points in 31 games. One thing that made an impression on Canucks bench boss Willie Desjardins was Tryamkin’s work to get into game shape “You look where he is now, and you have to think he did a great job (of handling it),” head coach Willie Desjardins said. “He wanted to play. He did not want to sit. He was not happy when we didn’t play him. I felt, for him to be his best, he had to change his (fitness) to be ready. It’s not that he ever accepted it, but he worked at it and did it.” 

 

Pacific Notes: Eberle, Tryamkin, Ducks

at CDT | by 1 Comment

It has been a struggle in recent weeks for Oilers right winger Jordan Eberle.  He has been held goalless in his last 12 games and has recently been dropped to the third line.  As a result, the trade speculation has started to swirl once again, something that has been quite common for Eberle in recent years.  Speaking with TSN Radio 1260 in Edmonton, TSN’s Darren Dreger expects teams to start inquiring on his availability.  However, he expects the price to remain quite high (transcription via Fan Rag’s Chris Nichols):

“The ask for Jordan Eberle has always been high, understandably so, because he’s been one of the Edmonton Oilers’ players that is a big part of the core. But if he’s no longer that, even on a short-term basis, that’s going to ignite some kind of short-term market. But that doesn’t mean the Oilers are any more willing to trade him, unless the value is there.”

Eberle has two more years remaining on his contract after this season with a cap hit and salary of $6MM.  With his offensive track record (20+ goals in four of the last five years), there’s sure to be some interest throughout the league though the Oilers would most likely have to take a sizable contract back in return given the cap crunch many teams are facing.

Elsewhere around the Pacific:

  • Earlier this season, Canucks defenseman Nikita Tryamkin refused to report to the AHL, even for a brief conditioning assignment. Considering how he has played since getting into the lineup on November 3rd, Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province argues that the controversial decision was the right one all along.  Since that first game, he has yet to be scratched since and has fit in nicely on Vancouver’s third pairing while head coach Willie Desjardins has praise for his improvement when it comes to his fitness.
  • Is the glass half full or half empty in Anaheim? Heading into their midway game of the season, there have been quite a few struggles along the way, as Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register notes.  They’ve won just two of ten games that have made it to overtime (both coming in the shootout), their goaltending has been up and down, while Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have both struggled to put the puck in the net, combining for just 12 goals.  Despite all that, they find themselves tied for first in the division with San Jose and find themselves seven points ahead of where they were in the standings through 40 games last season.

Canucks Sign Ben Hutton To Two-Year Extension

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Vancouver Canucks have found some certainty during this difficult season. Today they announced that they’ve signed Ben Hutton to a two-year extension that will pay him $2.8MM annually. The deal will kick in at the start of the 2017-18 season.<a rel=

After selecting Hutton in the fifth-round of the 2012 draft (147th overall), the Canucks couldn’t have envisioned his quick rise to the NHL blueline. At just 22 last season, Hutton led all Vancouver defensemen in points with 25, in what would be an excellent rookie campaign. While he has only four points this season, he’s been relied upon even more, logging over 21 minutes a night.

With the Canucks floundering somewhere between contending and rebuilding, Hutton is a shining light for the future. The team will, however, be spending quite a bit of money on their defense next season as Erik Gudbranson and Nikita Tryamkin are up for new contracts and Alexander Edler, Chris Tanev and Luca Sbisa already cost $13MM combined.  It’ll be an interesting offseason for a team who put money up this summer to try and compete during the closing Sedin window, but have gotten off to a tough 8-10-2 start.

With Hutton signed, GM Jim Benning says next on the list is former first-round pick Bo Horvat, a player he’d like to sign long-term if possible. The Canucks have roughly $55MM committed to just 15 players for next season, meaning that they’ll have somewhere around $18-20MM (depending on where the cap lands) to fill out their roster. Horvat, Gudbranson, and Tryamkin join many other including Brendan Gaunce and Michael Chaput on the team’s long list of RFAs this summer. If Horvat does indeed get a long-term deal, he’ll substantially eat into that cap space.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Brad Richardson Undergoing Surgery

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The week of major injuries continues.

Arizona Coyotes forward Brad Richardson was stretchered off after suffering an ugly leg injury during Thursday night’s 3-2 OT loss in Vancouver.

After scoring the first goal of the game in the second period against the team he played two seasons for, Richardson took a hit from Nikita Tryamkin along the sidewall. His right leg buckled under him as the 6’7, 265 lbs Tryamkin fell on top of him. The medical staffs from both teams assisted Richardson as he was strapped into a stretcher.

The 31-year-old Richardson has a broken tibia and fibula, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. He’ll have surgery on his right leg on Friday morning. Coyotes GM John Chayka confirmed McKenzie’s report to Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan. Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic reports that Richardson is currently stabilized at a Vancouver hospital. There is no timeline for Richardson’s recovery, according to Chayka.

The Coyotes had a 2-0 lead at that point, but the Canucks scored twice in the next six minutes to tie the game before winning it in overtime.

Richardson has been off to a good start this season, with nine points in 16 games so far this season. He’s coming off a career-high 31 points in 2015-16, his first season with the Coyotes. While there’s no timeline for Richardson’s return, it will clearly be a long-term injury. With Coyotes center and pending-UFA Martin Hanzal already on the trading block, Chayka will likely look to add some depth down the middle. Perhaps rookie Dylan Strome will get a bigger role after playing just seven games out of 16 and averaging only 13:41 per game.

Nikita Tryamkin Will Not Report To The AHL

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Tryamkin is exercising a clause in his contract to deny Vancouver’s request to send him to the AHL, reports Iain MacIntyre of the Vancouver Sun.  GM Jim Benning commented on the decision:

“We’ve explored that. We’ve talked to him and his agent and he has said no. In a perfect world, we’d like him to get some games (in the minors). But it is what it is. He is working hard in practice and doing extra work.”

Tryamkin was drafted in the third round (66th overall) by the Canucks in 2014 in his third year of eligibility.  He spent parts of the last four years in the KHL before signing a two year, entry-level contract worth $925K per season late last year.  The deal contains a European Assignment Clause which means he can veto any attempts to send him to the AHL.  Benning noted that the clause was a requirement in order for Tryamkin to sign.

After signing last year, the Canucks put the 6’7 blueliner into the lineup right away, playing in 13 games to finish the season.  He had a goal and an assist in those games along with 31 hits and 23 blocked shots while averaging 17:31 per game.  However, he has not yet played this season as he sits eighth on the depth chart on Vancouver’s back end.

The team has expressed concern with Tryamkin’s fitness level, something that isn’t going to improve without getting into some game action; there’s only so much work that can be done off the ice.  They were hopeful that the 22 year old would be open to a temporary conditioning stint in Utica but it would appear that he’ll remain in the press box in Vancouver until injuries arise, hardly an ideal situation for the Canucks or for Tryamkin.

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

scroll to top