Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Noel Acciari

Noel Acciari Undergoes Surgery, Out Six Weeks

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Bruins winger Noel Acciari has undergone surgery to repair a left index finger fracture, the team announced.  As a result, he is expected to be out of the lineup for the next six weeks.  The injury was sustained in their season opener back on October 5th.  He becomes the second winger that Boston has lost this week after David Backes was diagnosed with diverticulitis.

Acciari had cracked the opening night lineup after splitting last season between the Bruins and their AHL affiliate in Providence.  He played in 29 NHL games in 2016-17, recording five points (2-3-5) and 16 penalty minutes while also collecting a goal in four postseason contests.

While the team will have an open roster spot when he’s placed on injured reserve, they sit just $270K under the salary cap at the moment which doesn’t give them enough room to call anyone else up unless they choose to place Acciari on long-term injury reserve.  However, they should have Patrice Bergeron (lower body) back soon while Austin Czarnik (illness) skated with the team today so they shouldn’t need to call anyone up right away to take Acciari’s place.

Bruins Notes: Pastrnak, Beleskey, PTO Candidates

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The negotiations between the Boston Bruins and 21-year-old superstar David Pastrnak have dominated the headlines in recent weeks, despite the fact that there has been little substance to the actual news. Pastrnak is a restricted free agent coming off of a break-out 70-point campaign and is looking for a long-term contract. The Bruins would like to provide him with one and reportedly made an offer of six or seven years worth $6MM per season earlier this summer, after which there has not been much of a response. While that does seem to be somewhat below market value, especially in light of Leon Draisaitl’s new deal in Edmonton, any report that Pastrnak’s side is unhappy with the offer or unwilling to deal with GM Don Sweeney or President Cam Neely is nothing more than speculation.

Well, it seems that some clarity – and perhaps a conclusion – could soon be on the way. Pastrnak’s agent, J.P. Barry, arrived in Boston yesterday to meet with the Bruins’ brass to discuss the situation. By all accounts, this is the first in-person discussion that the two sides have had this summer, perhaps lending to the idea that the delay in the new contract could be due more to scheduling than anything else. The Bruins still appear certain that they will be able to come to terms on a new deal with Pastrnak, with Neely telling Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald that “David has expressed that he loves it here and wants to play here. We want him here for as long as it makes sense for us.” If Pastrnak continues to produce like he did in 2016-17, what “makes sense” for the Bruins is to keep him as long as possible. With that in mind, they should be flexible to an extent on the salary demands. On the other hand, Neely points out that, outside of the deals signed by former Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli in Edmonton, the market has not changed all that much and their offer to Pastrnak is within reason compared to contracts signed by similar players in recent years. There seems to be a mutual interest between both sides on getting a new deal done and a resolution could be reached in the coming days, finally putting to end a news cycle of fear mongering regarding Boston and their top young scorer.

  • Once Pastrnak is signed, Bruins fans can turn their frustration and anxiety to a new target, which will more than likely be Matt Beleskey. With Jimmy Hayes gone, Beleksey will now face the full ire of the Boston fan base some training camp. Admittedly, Beleksey is fresh off of a very disappointing season. The veteran winger was plagued by injury and ineffectiveness in 2016-17, playing in just 49 games and recording only eight points. While his $3.8MM cap hit is manageable, more is expected at that price tag. However, many are quick to forget that Beleskey’s first season in Boston, 2015-16, was the best of his career. The big forward set a career high with 22 assists and 37 points and skated in a career best 15:51 minutes per game. Beleskey’s 260 hits were also tops on the team, helping to make up for the loss of Milan Lucic, a fan-favorite. In fact, Beleskey had “new fan-favorite” written all over him heading into last season, but that has surely changed. Yet, Beleskey told CSNNE’s Joe Haggerty that he plans to stick to his game this season. Beleskey has spent much of the off-season training in Boston and working to improve his speed, but has no intention of cutting back on any of his trademark physicality. If he is fully healthy and re-focused, as Haggerty sited a “touch of complacency” last season, then bringing that physical edge back to the Boston lineup would be a welcome addition. Yes, Beleskey faces stiff competition this fall for a top-nine spot from Frank Vatrano, UFA add Kenny Agostino, and promising prospects Anders Bjork, Jake DeBrusk, Peter Cehlarik, and Danton Heinen, but his size and strength match up with the historical preference in line mates of second-line center David Krejci, who played his best hockey alongside Lucic and Nathan Horton years ago. If Beleskey really can return to form, he will certainly be given a shot at a scoring role and could find a good fit alongside Krejci and David Backes. 
  • The two themes of the Bruins’ summer have been 1) the team wants to give the kids a chance to make the team this season and 2) the off-season priority is an extension for Pastrnak. That combination has led to speculation that the Bruins would have interest in a late-summer signing or PTO for veteran wingers, after Pastrnak had signed and the up-and-coming forwards had gotten a look. Until recently, Drew Stafford, who performed well in Boston at the end of last season and kept in touch with the team all summer, and Thomas Vanek, whose career has pitted him against Boston many times, were considered two of the top candidates. Now, both have signed with other teams for the coming season and the Bruins’ options are getting thin. Between the aforementioned Bjork, DeBrusk, Cehlark, and Heinen on the left side and top forward prospect Zach Senyshyn on the right, as well as center Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson potentially pushing Ryan Spooner to the wing or sliding outside himself, the Bruins could easily plug their holes internally. However, if they think that those young players need more seasoning, Beleskey, Vatrano, Agostino, Spooner, and Riley Nash are a group that could use some more competition for top-nine spots. The last thing the team needs is to push natural checking line players, like Noel Acciari and Tim Schaller, into the top nine like they did last year.  Depth on the right side is more concerning and the likes of Alex Chiasson or Teddy Purcell could be intriguing PTO candidates, while a high-ceiling scorer like P.A. Parenteau or Jiri Hudler may also be worth a look. With the recent influx of PTO agreements, the Bruins may need to enter the fray before the Pastrnak negotions are over, or else risk missing out on a closer look at one of these options.

Boston Bruins Youth Movement Starting To Pay Off

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Boston Bruins have always been able to stay relevant with their use of veteran players and an influx of young talent. That was more than evident last year when the team got quite a few contributions from their young players, including David Pastrnak, Brandon Carlo and Charles McAvoy as regular contributors, while others like Noel Acciari, Sean Kuraly and Frank Vatrano have all helped out the team on the lower lines.

Pastrnak is a perfect example of using a first-round pick wisely as the Bruins selected the now 21-year-old wing with the 25th overall pick. He scored 10 goals that first year after being drafted, improved to 15 one year later and broke out with a 34-goal season this year. Carlo, a former second-round pick in 2014, had a solid season on defense in his rookie campaign this year, while McAvoy, the 14th overall pick in 2016, played a full season for Boston University last year on defense, played four games for the AHL Providence Bruins and then had three assists in six playoff games for Boston to end the season.

Acciari contributed in 29 games for the Bruins last season, scoring two goals, but also helped out in the playoffs, playing in four of the team’s six playoff games and even scoring a goal. Kuraly, who was acquired in a trade a year ago after four seasons at Miami (OH) University, put up 14 goals for Providence in the AHL before getting a late season call. He played eight regular season games and then surprisingly got placed into the lineup during four playoff games, scoring two goals in the playoffs. Vatrano put up 10 goals last year in injury shortened season with the Bruins. The undrafted free agent is still only 23 years old and should be a regular contributor.

More youth is on the way, according to CSNNE’s Joe Haggerty, who profiles the Bruins’ top prospects and believes that Anders Bjork is ready to make immediate contributions to the Bruins lineup this season. Bjork, a fifth-round pick in 2014 has developed in three years at Notre Dame, finishing last season with 21 goals and 31 assists for the Fighting Irish. His combination of speed, skill and grit could make him a top candidate to make the team as either a wing for Patrice Bergeron or David Krejci. The key is whether he can prove that he can make the jump from the NCAA to the NHL without time in the AHL. Haggerty believes Bjork, who signed his entry-level deal on May 30, should be able to make the team out of training camp and has a chance to be a 20-goal scorer quickly.

For a team in need of wingers, the Bruins have quite a few prospects who could easily fill those roles next season. Jake DeBrusk, who was a first-round pick in 2015 and put up solid numbers in his first season in the AHL last year (19 goals, 30 assists) as well as putting up six goals for the Providence Bruins in 17 playoff games. Zachary Senyshyn, who went one pick later than DeBrusk in the 2015 first round, scored 42 goals for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL and played in four AHL playoff games last year. He will likely will need some time in the AHL to adjust to the speed of the game, but could earn a mid to late year promotion, according to Haggerty, and could be the best of the team’s top prospects.

Nevertheless, the future for a young Bruins squad looks bright. To see the rest of the list of top prospects, go here.

 

Boston Bruins Re-Sign Austin Czarnik

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Tuesday: The team has officially announced the signing.

Monday: A day after extending young goalies Zane McIntyre and Malcolm Subban, the Boston Bruins have come to terms with another one their restricted free agents. According to CapFriendly, two-way forward Austin Czarnik has re-signed with the Bruins on a one-year, two-way deal. Czarnik will make just $675K at the NHL level, which may end up being a bargain for GM Don Sweeney and company after a solid rookie season.

Czarnik, the former captain of the Miami University RedHawks and a highly sought-after college free agent in 2015, has found success in all aspects of the game so far in his pro career. In 2015-16, Czarnik, alongside Boston’s Frank Vatrano and former Bruin Seth Griffith, had a breakout campaign in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, scoring 61 points in 68 games in his first pro season. Czarnik led all AHL rookies in points, and that offensive production earned him an NHL shot last season. The small, shifty center took on an important bottom-six role for the first half of the season, recording 13 points in 49 games and leading the team’s third penalty kill unit. While Czarnik did not show the same offensive explosion, he proved that he had the intelligence, composure, and versatility to be an NHL player. Czarnik was eventually returned to Providence for much of the second half and the postseason, where he again was an offensive juggernaut with 23 points in 22 games, but has earned another shot in Boston in the near future. Czarnik is one of many young forwards who will fight for a roster spot this season, including fellow two-way forwards Noel Acciari and college teammate Sean Kuraly, veteran minor leaguers Tim Schaller and Kenny Agostino, and promising prospect scorers Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Zach Senyshyn, Jake DeBrusk, Anders Bjork, Peter Cehlarik, and Danton Heinen. Czarnik may need some luck to hold off a plethora of NHL-ready talent, but has the advantage of NHL experience on his side.

With Czarnik signed, the Bruins’ only two remaining restricted free agents are a couple of notable names: 21-year-old star winger David Pastrnak and play-making third-line center Ryan Spooner. While Boston is high on Czarnik and other young forwards, with more than enough competition as is, many also believe that they could stand to add another veteran winger into the mix as well. However, such a move will likely come after the extensions for Pastrnak and Spooner are over with. Negotiations with Pastrnak have been ongoing for a while now and Spooner has his arbitration date set for July 26th, so it’s only a matter of time before the Bruins have more news to announce. Re-upping Czarnik is another step in the right direction, but there’s still work to be done in Boston.

2017 NHL Free Agency Tracker

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Stay with PHR for all of the free agency signings this off-season. As of noon ET on July 1st, unrestricted free agency is open, but not before many extensions earlier in June. This page serves to organize everything in one spot, and are linked to the PHR story that corresponds with the signing. All July signings will be separated by date while June signings are organized alphabetically by team. It will be updated as soon as stories post.

Please note that signings on this list start on June 12.

July 1st:

Read more

Boston Bruins Sign Noel Acciari To Two-Year Deal

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Noel Acciari has signed a two-year one-way deal with the Boston Bruins that will pay him and average of $725K each season. Acciari was coming off his entry-level deal and was a restricted free agent.

Signed out of Providence College in 2015, Acciari has 48 games for the Bruins over the past two seasons. His contributions, limited as they are have apparently earned him a two-year deal. With arbitration rights, Acciari received a qualifying offer and could have taken the team to a hearing though this is likely better than any settlement would have been. Whether he plays a bigger role with the team is still to be seen, but he’ll be in contention for a role all season.

In those 48 games, Acciari has just six points and has been given very little ice time. That changed in the playoffs this year, when he stepped into a much bigger role in four games against Ottawa and even logged 28 minutes during a double overtime game that David Krejci suffered an injury when he collided with Chris Wideman. Though the Bruins would be eliminated from the series, perhaps that showed a look into the role Acciari will see next year under Bruce Cassidy.

The Bruins still have several RFAs to sign, with David Pastrnak leading the way. With $12.7MM in cap space, it still seems likely that Ryan Spooner will be moved out instead of re-signed. If the Bruins want to be players in free agency, they’d need to move money out as Pastrnak and Spooner alone would take up the majority of the remaining cap space.

Iginla Eyeing A Return To Bruins?

at CDT | by 1 Comment

File this one under extreme speculation if you like, but future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, at the very least, is moving to Boston. Whether or not he’s playing for the Bruins in 2017-18 is another matter altogether, but the 39-year-old icon will be spending time in Boston one way or another, as he just purchased a $4.5MM home in the city. The six-bedroom house is located in Chestnut Hill, the home of the Boston College Eagles.

Now, this could simply mean that Iginla, an unrestricted free agent, enjoyed his time in Boston during the 2013-14 season and, facing a very real possibility that his career may be over, is investing a new place to spend his retirement years. Iginla did really like playing with the Bruins and would have liked to re-sign in Boston in 2014, but the Bruins did not have the cap space to meet his salary demands, due in part to the bonus overages from his incentive-laden $1.8MM contract from the year before.

However, it does seem strange that the Canadian winger, an Edmonton native who spent much of his career in his home province of Alberta with the Calgary Flames and the past three years in Colorado, would suddenly decide he wants to invest in real estate on the east coast. Could Iginla and the Bruins have a handshake agreement on giving the veteran scorer another shot at the Stanley Cup? It would seem to be a strange fit. After re-signing restricted free agents David Pastrnak and Ryan Spooner this off-season, the Bruins will already have eight “top nine” forward under contract: Pastrnak, Spooner, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Krejci, David Backes, Frank Vatrano, and Matt Beleskey. That’s not even including many forwards who made their NHL debuts in 2016-17 and will be looking for regular roles next season, including Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, Peter Cehlarik, Austin Czarnik, Danton Heinen, and Sean Kuraly, up-and-coming prospects Jake DeBrusk, Zach Senyshyn, Jesse Gabrielle, Ryan Fitzgerald, and (potentially) Anders Bjork, or fourth-line contributors with some top-nine upside in Riley Nash and Noel Acciari. Do they really need another forward, especially another big, slow body who fills a similar role to Backes and Beleskey? Probably not, but if Iginla is at the point in his career where he is willing to play for the veteran minimum just on the off chance that he can finally win that elusive Cup, the Bruins are a team that values veteran leadership and would be happy to help Iginla out.

Iginla scored just 14 goals this season and ended the year with only 27 points. However, just three years ago Iginla was a 30-goal scorer in Boston on his way to a 61-point campaign. Iginla and Krejci enjoyed playing together, as Krejci too had an excellent season with 69 points and a league-best +39 rating. The two would not necessarily play together again next season, but the possibility should not be ruled out. Iginla going back to Boston would be strange, and assuming it is happening based on a property transaction is certainly a reach, but stranger things have happened. Everyone in hockey wants Iginla to win a Cup. Why not return to the team he most recently found success with and city he really enjoyed playing in?

Minor Playoff Notes: Milano, Klefbom, Acciari

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • With the suspension of Matt Calvert, the Columbus Blue Jackets have promoted 2014 first-round pick Sonny Milano to take Calvert’s place in the lineup today for Game 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins today. The 20-year-old wing will make his playoff debut for the Blue Jackets despite only seven games of NHL experience. This season he played four games for Columbus without registering a point. He played 63 games for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, totaling 18 goals and 47 points on the year.
  • The Edmonton Oilers confirmed defenseman Oscar Klefbom is good to go and is expected to play today for Game 3 against the San Jose Sharks. Klefbom, who has been one of the Oilers’ top defensemen in a breakout season, took a puck off the side inside of his foot during Game 2 and never returned. He did not skate yesterday and was considered day-to-day. Due to concern he might not be available for today’s game, the Oilers called up Griffin Reinhart from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors as an emergency backup, but it doesn’t look like he will be needed. The Oilers also promoted goaltender Nick Ellis from Bakersfield as well. However, as the Condors’ season is over, he likely would have been promoted anyway.
  • Bruins’ fourth-liner Noel Acciari (upper body) is expected to play in Game 3 on Monday. Acciari, who missed the season finale and both Games One and Two against the Ottawa Senators this past week is instrumental on the team’s checking line alongside Dominic Moore and Riley Nash. Acciari tallied two goals in his final six games of the season before getting injured.

Atlantic Notes: Price, Carlo, Krug, Acciari

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While Islanders center John Tavares is garnering the most attention publicly among the potential high-end unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2018, Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is set to head into the final year of his contract next season as well.  On a radio appearance with Sportsnet 590 in Toronto (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was asked about the possibility of Price hitting the open market (transcription via Fan Rag’s Chris Nichols):

“When I talked to him (GM Marc Bergevin) last year, he basically said he was going to do whatever he could to keep Price. I see no reason why that would have changed. The only reason that you could see them saying, ‘We’re not going to do it,’ is if they decide, ‘You know what? The money is going to be so much that we have to spread ourselves somewhere else. We have to decide to do different things.’

“But I know that every decision he was kind of making was with the idea that he knew he was going to have to pay Carey Price a lot of money, and he was prepared to do it.”

Price will earn $7MM in salary with a cap hit of $6.5MM next season.  It’s expected that a new deal for him will likely come in above the $8.5MM cap hit that Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is currently receiving to set the new benchmark for goaltenders around the league.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Boston defenseman Brandon Carlo is making good progress as he continues to recover from an upper body issue that is believed to be a concussion, reports CSN New England’s Joe Haggerty. Head coach Bruce Cassidy noted that the Bruins are hoping to have him back in the lineup “sooner than later”.  He was injured in the final game of the season against Washington after being the only defender to suit up in all 82 regular season contests.  There remains no firm timetable for his return to the lineup.
  • Also from Haggerty, things don’t appear to be as promising for bellow injured blueliner Torey Krug. Cassidy wouldn’t go as far as calling him anything more than day-to-day at this point (a common refrain at this time of year) but stated that he didn’t want to speculate on his situation.  Krug was seen with a brace on his right knee after being injured in the penultimate game of the season against Ottawa.  With Colin Miller (lower body) also out and Adam McQuaid (upper body) being banged up today, the blueline depth for the Bruins is really getting tested.  As for injured winger Noel Acciari, the team is hopeful that he will be able to dress for Game Three of the series on Monday night.  Acciari has skated with the team a couple of times this week but was still in a non-contract jersey on Friday.

Playoff Injury Notes: Senators, Bruins, Canadiens

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the long regular season finally over, a new challenge has appeared for sixteen teams. The Stanley Cup playoffs represent one of the toughest grinds in all of professional sports, where intensity and physical play is increased and players are expected to skate through injuries. That said, some of the teams will start the postseason nursing injuries to some of their biggest stars, while others will welcome them back into the fold after a short rest.  Here are some injury updates from around the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

  • The Ottawa Senators will welcome back Erik Karlsson and Zack Smith for game one of their series against the Boston Bruins, GM Pierre Dorion confirmed today. The team may also get Marc Methot back into the lineup, less than three weeks since his finger was “shattered” by a Sidney Crosby slash. Inserting those three into the lineup will give the Senators a huge boost at both ends of the ice, as they continue to try and play their shutdown style.
  • The Bruins on the other hand will be without Torey Krug for the entire first round, and miss Brandon Carlo for at least game one. The team signed and activated Charlie McAvoy earlier today to replace them, though losing Krug for the whole round is a devastating blow. Whether McAvoy makes an immediate impact or not, Krug has been the Bruins’ best puck-moving defenseman this year and will be sorely missed. Carlo on the other hand has looked like a veteran this year while paired with Zdeno Chara, making up for some of the captain’s decline in effectiveness. The team will also be without Noel Acciari for game one according to Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com.
  • Montreal welcomed back an important face to practice today, as Shea Weber rejoined the team in a regular jersey and is expected to play in the first game of their series against the New York Rangers. Weber hasn’t played since March 1st, but will be a huge part of a Canadiens blue line trying to slow down the high-powered Rangers. While technically Montreal is the much higher seed, the Rangers finished with just one fewer point than them in the standings and should be considered at least even odds going into the series. Montreal needs all hands on deck to brush off what has been a roller coaster season and find some success in the playoffs this year.

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

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top