Minor Moves: McKenzie, Green, Beauvillier, Hronek
As many non-professional seasons come to an end across North America and the world, players are starting to sign with their respective organizations to get a taste of the AHL and what lies beyond for them in their hockey careers. Here are some of the latest signings around the league:
- The Utica Comets have signed Brett McKenzie to an amateur tryout after his season ended in the OHL. The North Bay Battalion forward was a point-per-game player for the first time in his junior career and led his team in goals with 29. Selected in the seventh round last season in his final year of draft eligibility, McKenzie will try to adapt his all-around game to the AHL level.
- Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun reports that the Manitoba Moose have signed Luke Green an ATO. The third-round pick of the Jets this past draft had an outstanding year in the QMJHL, scoring 37 points in 60 games split between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Sherbrooke Phoenix. The 19-year old defenseman will have to return to the junior ranks next year if he doesn’t make the Jets out of camp—which would be quite a feat considering the names he would have to beat out on the right side.
- Wiebe also tells us that the Moose have given Francis Beauvillier an ATO, one of the first out of the CIS (Canadian University) ranks this season. Beauvillier was originally drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2012, but failed to sign with the team before heading to the University of New Brunswick. He even played eight games for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL in 2013 on a similar deal.
- The Detroit Red Wings have assigned both Givani Smith and Filip Hronek to Grand Rapids after their OHL seasons ended. Both players are already signed to their entry-level contracts, but will not burn a year due to their age as long as they stay in the AHL. Smith leaves the Guelph Storm after another season of moderate point totals and big penalty minutes. A second-round pick in 2016, the winger scored 44 points while collecting 139 penalty minutes in 64 games. Hronek on the other hand—also a second-round pick last summer—excelled in his first taste of North American hockey, scoring 61 points in 59 games. The Czech defenseman was the fourth-highest scoring defender in the OHL, showing his immense upside for the Saginaw Spirit.
- As expected, Adam Ollas-Mattsson has joined the Stockton Heat on an ATO, coming over from his Swedish team. The 20-year old was a sixth-round pick for the Flames in 2014, and has been playing professional hockey since he was 17.
Lightning Recall Joel Vermin From Syracuse
Update (11:00am CST): Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times relays word from Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper that Palat is indeed ready to go and will be in the lineup tonight. Subsequently, Vermin has been returned to Syracuse, according to this tweet from the Elite Prospects Twitter account. It would seem then that Vermin was up as a potential emergency recall as it’s unlikely he would have been reassigned to the AHL immediately upon word Palat was healthy enough to play had the team exercised one of its four recalls.
8:45am CST: The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced the call-up of winger Joel Vermin from their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch. Bryan Burns, who covers the club for the team’s official website, added via Twitter the recall was necessary due to Ondrej Palat being banged up and questionable for tonight’s tilt against the Washington Capitals. Again according to Burns, Palat’s status should be made more clear following the team’s morning skate.
Vermin is one of several players the Lightning have had to shuttle back-and-forth between the big club and the Crunch in a season mired by injuries. In 11 appearances on the year, the 25-year-old winger has registered three points, all assists, to go with two penalty minutes while averaging 11;20 of ice time per game. The Swiss-born Vermin was originally a seventh-round draft selection by Tampa Bay in 2013 and has turned in a solid campaign for Syracuse with 12 goals and 28 points in 43 games for the Crunch.
The Lightning, despite selling assets at the trade deadline, have managed to sneak back into the playoff race and are currently just one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for the final Eastern Conference wild card slot. Already without centers Cedric Paquette and Tyler Johnson, both out of action since March 9th, the Tampa may also have to make do without the versatile Palat, who has 14 goals and 36 points on the season.
All told, 2016-17 has been a disappointing year for the Lightning, who were expected to be among the league’s elite teams and a Stanley Cup contender. Injuries to key players, including a significant knee injury which sidelined team captain Steven Stamkos back in November, have been a major factor in the club’s struggles but a surprising run which has seen the team accumulate 27 standings points over the last 18 contests has provided hope the Lightning will overcome and make the postseason. Should they do so, the Lightning would be a team no one wants to face, particularly with Stamkos eyeing a return to the lineup.
Alexander Radulov And The Eight-Year Ask
After it broke last month on Hockey Night In Canada that Alexander Radulov was looking for a deal up to six-years long, many fans rolled their eyes. Sure, Radulov has had an outstanding season for the Montreal Canadiens in his return from the KHL, but it is never a good idea to give term of that length to a player on the wrong side of 30. Radulov will turn 31 in July, and will likely command upwards of $6MM per season on the open market this summer. It seemed like a bad idea, but many others wanted the team to ignore their hesitation and pay up, hoping that the current incarnation of the Canadiens could compete for a Stanley Cup over the next few years and make it worth it.
Then, when Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet relayed that the six years might actually be the low end of Radulov’s ask, people started to laugh. Eight years? Surely Marc Bergevin wouldn’t give him something like that, not at his age. Today there was a report out of TSN that Radulov’s agent has indeed put forth an eight-year demand to the Montreal front office. While clearly that still just a starting point, and as Friedman puts it “common negotiation strategy is not to undercut yourself, so the first ask is always big,” that does seem like an absurd starting point for a player who would turn 39 a few days after they stop paying him. 
So even if the eight-year ask is a starting point that Radulov is willing to come down from, let’s look at the six year bottom end as the eventual deal he’ll receive. The Canadiens currently have only two players under contract for more than the next four seasons, Andrew Shaw—who will be paid $3.9MM until 2022—and Shea Weber. Weber’s deal, signed under the old CBA, will see him cause a cap-hit of just over $7.85MM each season until 2026. That contract is often pointed to as one of the worst in the league, and it doesn’t look great, but remember that after next year the actual salary paid out drops to $6MM per season from 2018-22, and then down to just $1MM per year for the last three seasons. If Weber declines but the Canadiens need the cap space, they’ll be able to trade him to a team that needs help getting to the cap floor, without costing them much in return.
It’s something to think about with Radulov’s new deal. If structured similarly (though not exactly the same due to harsher restrictions on salary discrepancy), the Canadiens could take on relatively little risk over the final years of the deal, while paying Radulov most of the deal up front. Fans are likely much less worried about the actual salary paid to the player, than the cap-hit down the road. The Canadiens are clearly wealthy enough to do it if they so decide.
Radulov wants certainty, sure, and no-movement clauses are included in almost all the free agent deals around the league. But as we’ve seen time and time again, they are often waived near the end of a player’s career so he can go to a better situation. Radulov would likely be no different, and the Canadiens could move him at the right price. In today’s NHL where the gap between cap-floor teams and cap-ceiling teams continues to grow through salary manipulation, big market teams like Montreal can afford to give out deals that pay a little more upfront to keep their talent around. The smaller markets benefit by acquiring draft and prospect assets when the time comes, and both find parity in different ways.
So when you hear about Radulov’s huge ask, don’t fret. As long as they play their cards right in the negotiating room, they won’t be left with a 36-year old Radulov destroying their cap situation. They’ll just be able to remember a 31-year old playmaker who made their top-line more dangerous than it has been in years.
Morning Notes: Byron, Eichel, Kozun
The rich got richer yesterday, as the Pittsburgh Penguins signed Zach Aston-Reese, arguably the top college free agent in this year’s class. The Northeastern forward led the nation in scoring, and should follow nicely in the footsteps of other NCAA free agents to find success in Pittsburgh. That doesn’t sound like it will be the case for Blaine Byron though, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports the University of Maine star will likely wait to become a free agent in August.
Byron was a sixth-round pick of the Penguins in 2013, and broke out this season as a senior for Maine. With 41 points in 36 games, the small center easily paced his team for the second straight year. Incredible vision off the rush is Byron’s calling card, though he will need to add strength to compete at the next level. He’ll likely have several teams after him in the summer, though it shouldn’t be as insane as last year’s Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes.
- As CapFriendly reports, Jack Eichel triggered a bonus last night when he scored his 20th goal. The Buffalo Sabres forward could receive a $2MM escalator should he finish the season in the top-10 of points per game. He currently sits ninth in the league, meaning the Sabres may face a overage penalty next season. They currently have just under $1.4MM in cap space remaining, meaning the other $600K would be applied as a penalty to next season. While that’s not crippling for a team, it is important to note as the Sabres go into this summer looking to compete next season.
- Brandon Kozun, a former Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, has re-signed with his KHL team according to Andrew Walker of Sportsnet. The diminutive forward has found immense success in Russia, scoring 56 points in 59 games this season for Yaroslavl Lokomotiv. A team featuring several former NHL players and prospects, Kozun easily led the squad this year.
- The United States Women’s National Hockey Team will boycott the upcoming World Championships, as they fight for equitable support. The team released a statement today through several players, including Megan Bozek, the NWHL’s reigning winner of Best Defender. The team simply wants better financial support for their players who dedicate years of training to the international competitions. According to ESPN, the women are given $1,000 for each of the six months of Olympic residency, and nothing during the remainder of the four years of training. If the US team were to not compete in the tournament, it would be a huge blow. The matchups between Canada and the United States are the big draw for the tournament, and without one of the two powerhouses it will likely be a romp for the Canadians through to the gold medal.
New Jersey Devils Recall John Quenneville From Albany
The New Jersey Devils have decided it’s time for John Quenneville to make his mark. The former first-round pick and top prospect has been recalled from the AHL and will join the team at practice this morning. With the Devils losing their 10th straight game and dropping to last place in the Eastern Conference, they received a bit of respite yesterday when their game against the Winnipeg Jets was postponed due to weather.
A former first-round pick (30th overall) in 2014, Quenneville was a former teammate of expected first-overall pick Nolan Patrick during his junior career for the Brandon Wheat Kings. A solid prospect, the young Devils center has found success at the AHL level this season with 41 points in 52 games. That’s good enough to lead the baby-Devils, and has been a big part of their success this season.
Part of the successful Quenneville clan of hockey players and coaches, John is actually the second-cousin of Chicago Blackhawks’ coach Joel Quenneville. He’s also the nephew of Johnny Boychuk, a player he may have to face off against sooner than later in the Metropolitan Division. Boychuk is currently dealing with an injury, but the two teams face off twice more (March 31st and April 8th) before the end of the season.
Quennville is a playmaking center that seems to find his teammates whenever they separate themselves from a defender. His work in the corners and his own end will allow him to compete at the next level even if his skating is still a work in progress. Though not as tall as you might like a power center to be, he is solidly built and can use his frame well to muscle players off the puck. His creativity is there, as some fans may remember his between-the-legs breakaway goal from the Memorial Cup.
If the Devils give him the rest of the season, they would get a good look at a player who will be challenging for a full-time role on the squad as soon as next season. With New Jersey struggling so much to score goals, an infusion of talent from a young prospect might be exactly what they need. He did get into two NHL games in December, but was given less than 10 minutes of ice time in each.
Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Josh Archibald From AHL
The Pittsburgh Penguins may have another young winger ready to make an impact for them down the stretch. Today they called up Josh Archibald from the AHL prior to their game against the Calgary Flames tonight. The Penguins are on a five game winning streak and just a point behind the Metropolitan-leading Washington Capitals for first place in the entire NHL.
Archibald is a 24-year old winger who was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. After completing—and dominating in—three seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Archibald has steadily climbed through the ranks of the Penguins’ minor league system. Earlier this year he played two games for Pittsburgh, scoring two goals in a February 11th overtime loss against Arizona. Amazingly, he has scored on each of the only two shots he’s taken during his three game NHL career.
As Pittsburgh has shown over the years with the emergence of Bryan Rust and Conor Sheary, the team isn’t afraid to put young players into key roles during a playoff stretch. After seasoning them at the AHL level, they can find ways to let them impact the game without exposing their inexperience. While Archibald isn’t guaranteed to play that role for the Penguins this season, his ability to penalty kill and play a solid defensive game may lend itself to some fourth-line minutes down the stretch and into the postseason.
Aaron Ekblad Out
Florida Panthers defenseman and captain Aaron Ekblad left tonight’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning after suffering what looks like a head injury. Lightning forward Gabriel Dumont hit Ekblad in the corner and Ekblad immediately went down clutching his head. The Panthers later announced that Ekblad will not return tonight.
Losing Ekblad would certainly hinder the Panthers’ playoff hopes. The team sits 6 points out with 16 games remaining. Ekblad has 10G and 11A in 66 games. The Panthers have some backup with UFA signing Keith Yandle, but Ekblad leads all defensemen in goals, and all players in shots. With four teams to jump, the Panthers need to almost run the table for the rest of the season. Losing Ekblad makes that almost impossible.
The head injury is Ekblad’s second head injury this year, and third in 20 months. In September Ekblad suffered concussion-like symptoms at the World Cup of Hockey that the Panthers eventually called whiplash. Ekblad also suffered a concussion in January 2016. His injury history may worry the Panthers, expecially after signing EKblad to a eight-year, $60MM extension that kicks in next season.
Central Notes: Elie, Blackhawks’ Success, Jurco
The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Heika lists a number of quotes from Stars bench boss Lindy Ruff regarding rookie Remi Elie. Out of all the quotes, the one regarding Elie’s staying power with the big club was probably the most telling. Ruff via Heika:
“Well, I look at what we need on the road to be a better team, a harder team to play against. I think that he fits what I think can help us. I thought the line of Eakin, him and Hemsky did a real good job. You look at the number of chances he created, the duress he put their defense under and the fact that he’s a physical player. I think there’s been some situations where we haven’t been hard enough to play against. You take Roussel of our lineup and I think that’s a good replacement to continue down that path where we’re hard to play against.”
The Stars’ second round pick in 2013, Elie has appeared in only two games for the Stars, but from the sound of it, may be lacing up for more. Ruff said more about the rookie, saying that his speed is something Dallas has “missed” in its lineup and that with “more polish” in his game, Elie is the perfect fit for the Stars’ style of play.
- CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin details how the Chicago Blackhawks have hit their stride later in the season. Calling it “no surprise” that the Hawks are surging in early March, Benjamin points to a couple stalwarts upping their game, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane. Kane has tallied 21 points (14-7) while Toews has added 20 points of his own during Chicago’s 12-1 run. Corey Crawford, according to Benjamin, has been stellar in net while the Hawks have been “resilient” during a season that’s tested them with injuries to key players, and a defense that hasn’t included the dominant pairings of years past. Regardless, Chicago has been one of the better teams in the West this season and is certainly working itself into a good position for the playoffs.
- In other Blackhawks news, newly acquired forward Tomas Jurco is starting to acclimate himself with his new surroundings. Though head coach Joel Quenneville calls him a “work in progress,” CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers reports that Jurco is “thankful” to have a chance with the Blackhawks and that Jurco isn’t putting a time table on getting comfortable with his new team. Instead, the young forward has the backing of his coach and the front office, who are more than willing to give the promising 24-year-old more than enough time to catch on in Chicago.
Snapshots: Sopel, Sproul, Greene
In what has become a regular occurrence since they launched, The Players’ Tribune has released another unbelievably open and revealing article about a former NHL star. Brent Sopel pens a memoir of his time in the league and the struggles he faced growing up and well into his adult life. The article touches on his very late diagnosis of dyslexia, and ends with a call to action to help Sopel and his organizations get children the help they need growing up.
Like Corey Hirsch‘s incredible story about the depression he battled throughout his NHL career, and the revealing stories of Devin Setoguchi, Jordin Tootoo and the link between hockey and alcohol, Sopel allows the reader inside the life of a professional hockey player for a moment or two and shows it’s not just what is seen on the ice every night.
- According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, it’s the end of the line for Ryan Sproul this season, who has an ACL injury and will decide in two weeks whether it needs surgery. His season is over either way, meaning that recently recalled Robbie Russo will get an extended look for the Red Wings on defense. Russo will make his NHL debut tonight against the Maple Leafs.
- Though he missed practice yesterday, the Red Wings will have Gustav Nyquist in the lineup tonight. The forward returned from his six-game suspension on Saturday night, but played less than 14 minutes for the team. With just 29 points in 57 games this season, it looks like the 27-year old Nyquist will take a step back this season after posting three consecutive years with at least 17 goals and 43 points.
- Thoughts go out to New Jersey Devils captain Andy Greene and his family, as the defenseman is at home following the passing of his father. Andrew Gross of The Record reports that he’s expected to be back with the team on Thursday, though obviously it’s still undecided.
Will The 2017 Draft Class Be Better Than People Think?
FanRag Sports’ Hannah Stuart pens an article wondering if the 2017 NHL Draft class is actually not as bad as many think it will be. Coming off two drafts with all-world talents–Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel in 2015 and Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine in 2016–anything less of that type of talent would be considered “worse” by definition. Clouding judgement has been the lack of what many analysts believe to be at least one generational player, and a muddled class after the first seven-eight players in most mock drafts. But is it a fair assessment?
Stuart cites ESPN’s Corey Pronman, who put together his ranking of the prospects and even wrote in his opening paragraph that its one of the weakest drafts in the cap era. He goes as far as to say it’s in the same category of the 2011 and 2012 drafts, which in his opinion, didn’t yield much in the way of top tier talent. Pronman lists Halifax’s Nico Hischier as his top prospect, with Brandon Wheat Kings center Nolan Patrick second and Mississauga’s Owen Tippett third. Pronman does write that it’s essentially a toss-up as to who can be the #1 overall pick in the draft–Hischier or Patrick, and that whoever is taken first will be a benefit to his new team.
Looking at the two drafts that Pronman mentioned, the 2011 did feature a slew of players chosen in the top 10 who have been productive in the NHL. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins went first overall, and while he hasn’t produced in the way that Matthews or McDavid have, many analysts (and fans) blame his development by the Oilers as a culprit for his stunted growth. Other notables in the 2011 draft–by draft order–are Gabriel Landeskog (#2), Jonathan Huberdeau (#3), Adam Larsson (#4), Ryan Strome (#5), Mika Zibanejad (#6), Mark Scheifele (#7) Sean Couturier (#8), Dougie Hamilton (#9), and Jonas Brodin (#10). There are a number of strong players in the ten, and while viewed as a “weaker” draft, it at least paid dividends for those teams that drafted them–or acquired them later via trade.
It thins out from there, but there were certainly notables later in the first round or later in the draft. Brandon Saad was taken in the second round by the Blackhawks and he was clutch for Chicago until they were forced to deal him away due to cap issues.
2012’s draft was somewhat weaker one-through-ten, but saw some return in the middle of the first round, namely with Filip Forsberg being taken 11th by the Capitals. Nail Yakupov was taken first by the Oilers, and he certainly hasn’t been the players the Oilers envisioned–but again, that may go back to development questions. Hampus Lindholm (#6) and Jacob Trouba (#9) are the headliners of a defensive heavy top ten. But a look through the rounds and it’s pretty telling that the 2012 edition was not only weaker than 2011, but possibly one of the weakest in the salary cap era.
Stuart makes an extremely important point about drafting: it’s a crapshoot.
A player can make a bad first impression or be a weak skater and be completely written off by certain scouts. However, maybe that player has an excellent hockey IQ, and a team recognizes that and drafts them in a later round. If the team works with them to fix the deficiencies in their skating, there’s every chance they could develop into an effective NHLer. On the other hand, let’s take what we’ll call the Oilers model. A team might consistently draft high, taking players who show elite skill and throwing those players into the NHL before they’re ready rather than taking time to develop weaknesses in their game.
Stuart continues to argue that since the drumbeat has been steady in saying this draft class will be weak, it’s been all but believed by those on the internet. But as she points out, it isn’t so much the drafting as much as it is the development and scouting staff that every team employs.