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Scottie Upshall

Canada Announces 2019 Spengler Cup Roster

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Dec 23: Canada has added Mathew Maione and Blair Riley to the club, two more players with plenty of international experience.

Dec 19: While most fans of international hockey are paying attention to the upcoming World Junior Championship, there is actually another high-level tournament that starts at the same time. The Spengler Cup, where several club teams from around the world gather to compete is held every year just after Christmas. Canada also submits a team in the tournament, and this year’s edition has quite a few names that should be familiar to NHL fans.

The full roster:

G Brendan Burke
G Zach Fucale
G Matt Tomkins

D Paul Postma
D Ian Mitchell
D Alex Grant
D Patrick Wiercioch
D Andrew MacDonald
D Maxim Noreau

F Adam Tambellini
F Kris Versteeg
F Dustin Jeffrey
F Eric Fehr
F Justin Danforth
F Scottie Upshall
F Cory Emmerton
F Daniel Winnik
F Kevin Clark
F Ben Maxwell
F David Desharnais
F Josh Jooris
F Chris DiDomenico

Mitchell immediately stands out in the group, given that unlike many of the other former NHLers, he hasn’t even had his chance at the highest level so far. The Chicago Blackhawks draft pick is still just 20 years old and in his junior year at the University of Denver.

Obviously the Spengler Cup doesn’t come with a whole lot of name recognition, but some of these players could be considered at the next Olympics should the NHL decide not to attend in 2022.

The tournament kicks off on December 26th in Davos, Switzerland.

Scott Darling, Scottie Upshall Sign In Europe

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A pair of veteran NHL players have decided to take offers overseas, as Scott Darling has signed with HC Innsbruck of the Austrian EBEL and Scottie Upshall has inked a deal with HC Ambri-Piotta of the Swiss NLA. Darling’s contract is for the rest of the season, while Upshall is only inked until Christmas.

Once a Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks, Darling’s career quickly unravelled over the last few seasons. A big contract with the Carolina Hurricanes put pressure on him to finally become a starting goaltender in the league, a position he was unable to hold for very long. By the second year of the deal Darling was already buried in the minor leagues, only to see his contract bought out this summer.

The 30-year old should be able to find success in Austria and is still young enough to potentially convince an NHL team he can be a backup again at some point in the future. For now though he’ll have to focus on getting his game back on track.

For Upshall, things are very different. Now 36, he will just try to keep his playing career going for another season after failing to earn a contract despite attending training camp with the Dallas Stars. The sixth-overall pick from 2002 never became a top player in the league, but did suit up for 759 regular season NHL contests. It’s hard to imagine he’ll ever be back, but Upshall has proven his doubters wrong before.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Corey Elkins Among Several Dallas Camp Invites

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Scottie Upshall and Stefan Noesen won’t be the only one fighting for a contract when training camp opens for the Dallas Stars. While the the duo had previously been announced as joining Dallas on PTO’s, the team released their camp roster today, which features several other tryout candidates beyond the Texas-native Noesen long-time veteran Upshall. Of that list, the most recognizable name was forward Corey Elkins, who returns to North America for another try at the NHL.

Elkins, though never drafted, was a standout at Ohio State University in the mid-2000’s and was once considered a legitimate NHL prospect. Signed by the Los Angeles Kings out of school, Elkins began his pro career with back-to-back 40+ point campaigns and strong playoff showing for the AHL’s Manchester Monarchs. The power forward even played in three games with the Kings and netted his first (and only) NHL goal. However, Elkins’ efforts were not enough to earn another contract from L.A. nor garner an NHL deal elsewhere. He took his talents to the Czech Republic for a year before returning to the AHL in 2012-13. Yet, midway through the season he left for Europe again, signing with HIFK of the Finnish Liiga. Elkins would become a core member of HIFK, playing in parts of five seasons with the club and producing consistent offense. The draw of the NHL brought him back though, as he earned a PTO with his hometown Detroit Red Wings prior to the 2017-18 season. While Elkins failed to make the team, he played yet again in the AHL, this time for the Grand Rapids Griffins.  It was a nice season for the aging forward, but not enough to draw interest at the top level. Elkins signed with Germany’s Grizzlys Wolfsburg last year, but suffered a season-ending injury before ever suiting up. He now enters camp with the Stars likely looking at his last chance to make it back to the NHL, or at least to secure AHL employment and extend his career.

Among other tryout names on Dallas’ roster is forward Brad McClure, who split last season between their affiliates, the AHL’s Texas Stars and ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads. McClure signed on for another year with Texas after recording  11 points in 30 AHL games, as well as near point-per-game production in the ECHL, in his first pro season out of Minnesota State. He’ll be looking to show that he’s worthy of an upgrade to an NHL contract. Idaho teammate Tomas Scholl will also be in camp as an extra goalie. Forward Diego Cuglietta, who finished his year with AHL Texas after wrapping up an impressive senior season at Lake Superior State University, will be in camp on an amateur tryout. College teammate Anthony Nellis, who began his pro career last year with the ECHL’s Fort Wayne Komets, will also be in attendance. Parker MacKay, the captain of the National Champion University of Minnesota-Duluth, will also participate after signing with AHL Texas this off-season.

Scottie Upshall To Sign PTO With Dallas Stars

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The team at the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast have now moved on to breaking news, as they reported this weekend that veteran forward Scottie Upshall would be attending Dallas Stars camp on a professional tryout. Today, Sean Shapiro of The Athletic confirmed the report.

Upshall, 35, didn’t play last season thanks to a knee injury that caused him to fail his physical with the Edmonton Oilers in training camp. He had been signed to a PTO by the Oilers as well, something that he’s used to at this point after going through it several times in the last few years. There’s good reason for interest in Upshall even without any games played last season as he was previously a pretty effective bottom-six player for more than a decade.

Originally drafted sixth overall in 2002, Upshall never did quite live up to the high expectations put on him after an excellent junior career with the WHL. Even without his offensive game really blooming at the NHL level however, the feisty forward carved out a long career and played 759 regular season games for six different teams. Most recently he suited up 63 times in 2017-18 with the St. Louis Blues and recorded 19 points.

A PTO certainly does not guarantee Upshall a spot on the Dallas roster, but it does provide a place for him to show he can still hack it at the NHL level and perhaps secure a contract somewhere around the league. If the Stars believe he could be a valuable depth option perhaps it will be them who would offer that deal, but you can bet several teams will be keeping an eye on him.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Upshall, Nylander, Hutton

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Although Scottie Upshall was released from his PTO by Edmonton on Monday as his leg injury continues to linger, his time with the organization may not be over just yet.  Postmedia’s Robert Tychkowski reports that the Oilers have offered him the chance to rehab in Edmonton and an opportunity to play with their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield once he gets the green light to return to game action.  Upshall has yet to decide whether or not to take them up on their offer.  If he wants to return to the NHL this season though, it’s likely that he will need to spend some time at the minor league level to show he’s fully healthy.

More from around the hockey world:

  • While shifting the focus to a bridge deal with winger William Nylander might help get him locked up before the season starts, Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas stated in an interview on Sportsnet 590 (audio link) that doing so would be a “sub-optimal” He reiterated that both sides’ preference remains to get a long-term deal done although there is still a sizable gap to be bridged.  Dubas also acknowledged that they have received inquiries from other teams regarding Nylander’s availability but emphasized that they are not shopping the 22-year-old.
  • It’s never too early to think about the next college free agent market and 11 teams have already expressed some interest in Miami (Ohio) defenseman Grant Hutton, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Among those teams is Ottawa, as GM Pierre Dorion met with the 23-year-old.  Hutton is entering his senior year and is coming off of a productive junior campaign with 13 goals and 14 assists in 36 games.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Scottie Upshall To PTO

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September 13th: Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reports that Upshall failed his physical with the Oilers today. Upshall has been dealing with a knee injury and did not report to training camp at full strength. While this does not cancel out his PTO, it certainly hurts his chances of landing a contract, despite Edmonton’s need for veteran leadership and penalty killing ability. It is uncertain when Upshall will be ready to fully participate, with Spector speculating it could be “a few weeks”. In the meantime, Upshall will be unable to show that he is still in NHL shape and will likely lose his roster spot to a younger player or potentially another veteran brought in to replace him.

August 19th: It’s officially PTO season. After the Florida Panthers made Mark Letestu the first notable name signed to a professional tryout agreement this off-season with an agreement last week, the Edmonton Oilers have now joined in on the action. The team announced this afternoon that they come to terms with veteran forward Scottie Upshall on a PTO. The Oilers are not overflowing with forward depth, making the Alberta native’s odds of landing a contract relatively good.

This move comes as little surprise in regards to Upshall. The 34-year-old has been down this road before; he played on not one but two PTO’s last fall, first joining the Vancouver Canucks before eventually returning to the St. Louis Blues and earning a contract. He again stands a good chance of winning a spot, this time with Edmonton. Gone are the days when Upshall could produce 30+ points every year, but he still does everything else well. A smart, hard-working forward, Upshall can still give a team modest offense – he scored 19 points in 63 games last year – but it is his two-way play that keeps him valuable. Upshall was one of the Blues’ primary penalty killers last season and still plays with energy, grit, and toughness.

Ironically, Upshall’s frequent running mate in St. Louis, both five-on-five and shorthanded, was Kyle Brodziak, who signed with Edmonton earlier this summer. It seems likely that the Oilers considered that when inviting Upshall to camp. St. Louis was not a league leader in killing penalties or fourth line production last season, but the chemistry between Upshall and Brodziak would nevertheless be a major boost for Edmonton. In moving on from Letestu, the Oilers lost their leading penalty killer from last season. They would also likely enjoy not having to deploy Ryan Nugent-Hopkins while man-down as frequently as they did in 2017-18. Upshall could fit in nicely alongside Brodziak both on the bottom line and the PK, so long as he looks like he can still keep up in his sixteenth year in the league. This could end up being a shrewd PTO pickup by GM Peter Chiarelli and company.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Jason Garrison To PTO

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The Edmonton Oilers are out ahead of the crowd when it comes to locking up tryout candidates this off-season. After adding experienced two-way forward Scottie Upshall on a PTO last week, the team has now added another veteran to the mix. The Oilers have announced a PTO agreement with former Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jason Garrison. With more than 500 NHL games under his belt, Garrison could help to make up for the loss of blue line leader Andrej Sekera if he performs well enough in camp.

Garrison is looking for any opportunity to get his career back on track. Once considered an elite defenseman, as evidenced by the six-year, $27.6MM contract that just expired, Garrison has been anything but in recent years. After his play slipped in his final years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team arranged for Garrison to be selected by Vegas in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, even giving up the rights to KHL star Nikita Gusev and a pair of high picks to do so. Garrison then skated in just eight games with the Knights last season, clearing waivers twice over the course of a campaign spent almost entirely in the AHL.

At 33 years old, Garrison is hoping to show that he can still make a difference in the NHL. It is no surprise that the free agent market was quiet for the struggling defender, but he may have found a great option in a PTO with the Oilers. Since Sekera went down, there has been almost unanimous agreement among hockey pundits that Edmonton needed to make an addition. While the team has since added Jakub Jerabek, it would not be a shock to see the older, more experienced Garrison win a roster spot on a blue line that features an average NHL games played of 260 among the currently-slated starters. Garrison could not only make the team, but be a locker room leader for a squad that fell well short of expectations last year and could use some guidance in their effort to return to the postseason.

Early Notes: Marchand, Upshall, Formenton

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There will be no suspension for Brad Marchand in his latest on-ice incident, instead receiving a $5,000 fine from the Department of Player Safety. Marchand appeared to cross-check a prone Andrew MacDonald in the face during the Boston-Bruins-Philadelphia Flyers game this weekend, but he will escape without missing any time.

This is the third time this season that Marchand has been given some form of supplementary discipline, after receiving a five-game suspension for elbowing Marcus Johansson and a $2,000 fine for a pair of diving/embellishment instances. This is the fourth such season with multiple incidents for Marchand, who despite being one of the best offensive weapons in the league has built quite a reputation for himself as a over-the-line player.

  • Scottie Upshall will not return for the St. Louis Blues this season, after suffering a lacerated kidney against the Arizona Coyotes. The injury occurred on a relatively innocuous-looking hit from Luke Schenn, but could mean some missed playoff time for the energy forward. Officially listed as out indefinitely, Upshall won’t be able to help the Blues attempt to catch Colorado or Los Angeles for one of the last few playoff spots.
  • Alex Formenton has been assigned to the Belleville Senators, now that his London Knights have been eliminated from the OHL playoffs. The 18-year old Formenton played one game for the Ottawa Senators at the beginning of the year, but was sent back to junior where he could suit up for Team Canada and register 48 points in 49 games for the Knights. He’ll get a chance to show what he can do at the AHL level before battling for a spot with Ottawa in the fall. If he doesn’t make the NHL team, another trip back to junior is a possibility.

Jay Bouwmeester Out Rest Of Season

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If the St. Louis Blues are going to make a late push for the playoffs, they’ll have to do it without their most experienced defenseman. The team announced today that Jay Bouwmeester will be out for the remainder of the season dealing with his hip injury, and faces a four to six month recovery timeline. Scottie Upshall is also in danger of losing the rest of the year, and will be re-evaluated in four weeks after suffering an MCL sprain.

Bouwmeester had been dealing with an injury to his hip for some time, but ended up leaving Saturday’s game against the Dallas Stars after playing just 9:46. The 15-year NHL veteran will have a long rehab in front of him, but hopefully will be ready for the beginning of the 2018-19 season. He’ll be 35 when the Blues start their year in October, and on the final season of his current contract that carries a $5.4MM cap hit.

Upshall, 34, turned a professional tryout with Vancouver into another contract with the St. Louis Blues this year after injury struck their team in training camp. Despite being expected to be an extra forward, he’s played in 61 games and actually has contributed 18 points. The physical, energy-filled forward has been an effective checking line player for his entire career, playing in 757 NHL games. He’ll have to fight to get another one-way contract next season, but has never been one to underestimate.

Jaden Schwartz Out Six Weeks

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The context behind the St. Louis Blues’ call-up of Ivan Barbashev is now clear. The Blues have announced that Jaden Schwartz suffered a right ankle injury in yesterday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. He will be re-evaluated in six weeks, during which time the team will have to lean on Barbashev or another AHL forward as his replacement.

This is a devastating blow for the red-hot Blues. Schwartz has struggled with injuries in the past but has always produced at a high level when healthy. Schwartz has 35 points in 30 games and an incredible +23 rating. Schwartz is currently second on the team in points, goals, and plus/minus behind only linemate Brayden Schenn and tied with Schenn for assists. His impact on special teams can also not be understated.

Schwartz’s absence will be quite the test for St. Louis. While they were fortunate to get Patrik Berglund back from injury before Schwartz went down and have also seen surprising production from the likes of Vladimir Sobotka, Scottie Upshall, and Dmitrij Jaskin, it will still be very difficult to make up for the loss of Schwartz for the next month and a half. Barbashev, the presumptive replacement for Schwartz as a top nine forward, had been held scoreless so far in the NHL this season and Wade Megan and Tage Thompson had the same luck in their short stints. One of those three young forwards needs to step up or else the Blues could see their lead in the Central slip away in no time, with the Nashville Predators and Winnipeg Jets right on their tail.

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