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Spengler Cup

Snapshots: Blues, Bieksa, Bakos

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For fans of the Blues, hoping that the team can turn the season around, as well as fans of other teams hoping for a chance at acquiring their top players, today’s news comes as a welcome change to the status quo in St. Louis. The Blues announced that three players were back at practice today and looking healthy and ready for game action. Alex Pietrangelo, Carl Gunnarsson, and Robby Fabbri all took the ice today and are expected to return to the lineup as early as tonight, when St. Louis takes on the Edmonton Oilers on the road. “Obviously we missed those guys tremendously”, said teammate Patrick Maroon, one of a number of Blues players who spoke about their excitement to have three difference-makers back at practice. Pietrangelo is clearly the greatest addition to the lineup, but Gunnarsson is also a regular on the Blues blue line and Fabbri has struggled with constant injurie issues for parts of three seasons and St. Louis would like to see him stay healthy for the rest of the campaign. At full strength, the Blues do have plenty of talent on paper and could put together a comeback of sorts this season. However, if that doesn’t happen, the team will continue to take calls on nearly anyone on the roster. GM Doug Armstrong won’t trade anyone whose value has dipped, so getting Pietrangelo and company back to health also improves his asking price should he decide to make some moves down the stretch.

  • On a recent appearance on the “31 Thoughts” podcast with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek, veteran defenseman Kevin Bieksa made it clear that he is not retired. In fact, Bieksa has already committed to play with Team Canada at the Spengler Cup in Switzerland later this month. A strong performance from the 37-year-old could earn him a contract from a contender for the second half of the NHL season. Brian Gionta and Chris Kelly accomplished similar feats after the Olympics last year and Bieksa has the experience and claims to still have the physical conditioning to follow suit. The long-time Vancouver Canuck and Anaheim Duck was unwilling to sign long-term with any team far from his family in California this off-season, but on a half-season deal he will likely be more open to taking the offer that gives him the best chance at an elusive Stanley Cup title.
  • After his time with the Boston Bruins didn’t go according to plan due to an early-season injury and a lack of opportunity, Martin Bakos had his contract terminated last week after clearing unconditional waivers. He’s now on to a new opportunity, as HK Sochi of the KHL announced that they have inked Bakos to a contract for the remainder of the season. Bakos has several seasons of KHL experience on his resume, but this is first time playing for one of the league’s many Russian squads after previous stints with HC Bratislava in his native country of Slovakia, as well as a year in China with the Kunlun Red Star. Bakos only managed to record four points in 16 games with the AHL’s Providence Bruins, a skilled minor league squad, so it will be interesting to see how he performs on a Sochi roster that lacks much talent up front. Bakos joins recent NHLers Jyrki Jokipakka and Yohann Auvitu in Sochi, hoping to push for a playoff spot with the team this season.

Prospect Notes: Demko, Makar, Laaksonen

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After the Vancouver Canucks used a second-round draft pick on Thatcher Demko in 2014, following a breakout freshman campaign at Boston College, and he proceeded to improve over his next two seasons with the Eagles, many expected that it wouldn’t take long for him to take over as the starter for Vancouver. Now in his third pro season, Demko has suited up for only one game with the Canucks and continues to sit behind the likes of Jacob Markstrom and Anders Nilsson, who have been far from spectacular in that time. With the Vancouver duo currently combining for a save percentage below .900 and a goals against average over 3.00, this season would seem to be a prime opportunity for Demko to finally break through as an option at the NHL level. However, a concussion in training camp derailed the beginning of the season for the young keeper and he has only recently returned to the net for the AHL’s Utica Comets. The Athletic’s Jason Brough recently caught up with Demko to get an update on how his return from the “scary” injury has gone so far. Demko stated that he really wanted to take his time and ensure he was 100% before returning from the concussion, but feels good now. Demko continued that he has been working closely with the Canucks’ new goalie coach, Ian Clark, and is anxious to get his chance in Vancouver this season. Six games into his season in the AHL, Demko’s numbers aren’t as stellar as they were last season, but as he grows healthier and more comfortable in net, he’s likely to return to that high-level performance. Assuming he does, Demko should have far more than one NHL start on his resume by the end of this season.

  • Colorado Avalanche top prospect and college hockey superstar Cale Makar was invited to play for Team Canada at the Olympics last year, but declined the opportunity. History has repeated itself this year, as The Athletic’s Julie Robenhymer reports that Makar was offered a spot on Canada’s entry into the Spengler Cup tournament in Switzerland later this month, but has again passed up the international experience. Robenhymer writes that Makar has opted to work on getting back to full health before the second half of the NCAA season begins in January. With UMass ranked as the top team in the country, they need their top defenseman ready to go as they chase a national championship this season. While the Avs may have liked to have seen Makar in a different context at the Spengler Cup, they won’t hesitate to sign him as soon as his college season is over regardless.
  • One defenseman who may not be so eager to make the jump to the NHL is Buffalo Sabres prospect Oskari Laaksonen. Laaksonen, 19, was a third-round selection by the Sabres in 2017 and is a well-regarded young puck-mover. However, Laaksonen is comfortable staying in his native Finland for the time being, as Ilves has announced a two-year extension with their young stalwart. While the press release included a quote from Laaksonen that he is happy to stay with the team until something happens in the NHL, Buffalo certainly wouldn’t mind if he wanted to log some time in the AHL beforehand and it would help Laaksonen reach to top level much sooner. With Rasmus Dahlin, Lawrence Pilut, and Rasmus Ristolainen all relatively young and seemingly locked in to long-term starting roles, Laaksonen likely sees a lack of opportunity right now in Buffalo. However, he does seem willing to make the move once the blue line opens up somewhat with the Sabres.

Snapshots: Team Canada, Fletcher, Kovar

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Held in the middle of the NHL season, the Spengler Cup in Switzerland is often an afterthought among international events. Yet, Team Canada has put together quite the formidable group to lead their entry into the late December tournament, in pursuit of a fourth consecutive title. Hockey Canada has announced that Sean Burke and Ron Francis will put the Spengler Cup team together as co-GM’s, while Kevin Dineen will lead the selections as the head coach. Not only does that trio have extensive NHL playing careers on their resumes, but each have had success in their off-ice roles as well. Dineen has spent 14 seasons behind an NHL bench, including three as the head coach of the Florida Panthers, and has international coaching experience as well. His assistants, Gordie Dwyer and Mike Kitchen, are no strangers to the job either. Burke, currently a scout for the Montreal Canadiens, is familiar with Team Canada, having served as GM for the 2018 Olympic team, part of the management group for past four IIHF World Championship entries, as well as the GM of the past two Spengler Cup teams. However, it is Francis that sticks out the most. The former Carolina Hurricanes GM is currently considered a candidate for the Philadelphia Flyers’ new vacancy and, should the position remain open through the end of the calendar year, Francis’ efforts to put together a winning Spengler Cup team could be seen as part of his case for the job.

  • Another candidate for the Flyers’ GM vacancy – and perhaps the favorite – is former Minnesota Wild GM Chuck Fletcher. Fletcher was let go by the Wild this off-season and joined the New Jersey Devils as an executive, but is still held in high esteem by most in the game. Many pundits have suggested that he is the front runner for the job and now TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the wheels appear to be in motion. The Devils have given the Flyers permission to speak with Fletcher, McKenzie says, and reiterates the sentiment that he would be the preferred hire. Although Minnesota was unable to reach the ultimate goal, Fletcher had the team on a six-season postseason streak when he was dismissed and the Wild, currently with the third-best record in the Western Conference, have a core of veteran and young contributors that was by and large put together by Fletcher. The experienced executive would be a more than capable GM for Philadelphia.
  • The Boston Bruins front office may soon be facing a decision, albeit to a much smaller extent. After he appeared to be weighing a return to Europe, Jan Kovar instead finds himself one step closer to his desired destination – another shot at the NHL. The Bruins announced this morning that Kovar, who has been playing with their AHL affiliate in Providence, was up practicing in Boston today. The question remains whether or not Kovar earns a contract with the Bruins, something that Lee Stempniak was unable to do despite ample practice time with the team. Boston is without Patrice Bergeron, but still has David Krejci and has been getting admirable efforts from rookie Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and veteran Joakim Nordstrom in his unnatural position. Yet, the team scratched Sean Kuraly in their last game and is still struggling to get secondary scoring. It may be the exact scenario that Kovar needed to get a second chance after quickly flaming out with the New York Islanders earlier this season.

Los Angeles Kings Fire Coach John Stevens

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The Los Angeles Kings announced that general manager Rob Blake has relieved coach John Stevens of his duties. The Kings have made Willie Desjardins as the interim coach for the rest of the season.

“This is a critical time in our season and our results to date have fallen well below our expectations. With that in mind, this was a difficult decision but one we feel was necessary,” said Blake. “We have a great deal of respect and appreciation for John’s time with our organization. He was a key part of our past success, and we have tremendous gratitude for his many contributions.”

Despite picking up a 4-1 victory Saturday over the Columbus Blue Jackets, the victory didn’t do anything to allow Stevens to keep his job as the team remained 4-8-1 in the team’s first 13 games, giving them the worst record in league with the Florida Panthers the only other team that has nine points (although they have played two less games). Stevens, in just his second year as head coach of the team, took the team to the playoffs last year as the fourth-seed in the Pacific Division, but were swept in the first-round of the playoffs as the Vegas Golden Knights exposed their lack of speed.

Los Angeles responded by adding 35-year-old Ilya Kovalchuk through free agency this offseason and was expected to make a renewed run for a Stanley Cup title with the likes 30-somethings Jonathan Quick, Drew Doughty (he’s actually just 28), Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown, Trevor Lewis, Nate Thompson, Dion Phaneuf and Alec Martinez. The team was expecting some of their young players to step up, but players such as Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson have struggled under Stevens’ tenure and haven’t developed into the goal scorers that everyone had hoped for. The team also has been without Quick, their star goaltender, for much of the season and there is no word on how much time he might miss with his most recent injury. Throw in the lack of development of some of their prospects and the team was heading down the wrong path with many of their veterans under contract for three of four more years.

Desjardins, who has 20+ years of coaching experience, has been acting as Team Canada’s men’ head coach, including leading the team in the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, Korea. He served as head coach of the Vancouver Canucks for three seasons between 2014 and 2017, compiling a disappointing 109-110-27 record. He also led Team Canada to gold at the Spengler Cup in December of 2017. Desjardins also served eight years as head coach in the WHL with the Medicine Hat Tigers where he won two championships in eight seasons there.

The team also released fired assistant coach Don Nachbaur from his duties, who served as the team’s assistant since last season. The team has brought in current German National Team coach and former Kings player Marco Sturm. The team did retain assistant coach Dave Lowry.

One has to wonder what Stevens chances will be to get another head coaching position. He served as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers between 2006 through 2009, reaching the Eastern Conference finals once and a second playoff appearance. He has a combined record of 171-148-43.

Helene Elliott was the first to report the coaching change.

 

Minor Transactions: 01/09/18

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The NHL is back in action tonight with seven games on the schedule, including a battle for wild card positioning between Calgary and Minnesota. As always, we’ll keep track of all the league’s minor moves right here. Refresh throughout the day to stay informed.

  • The Belleville Senators have signed Chris Kelly to another professional tryout, after the veteran forward’s appearance in the Spengler Cup. It’s unclear what exactly that means for Kelly’s Olympic bid, but we’ll find out soon enough. The Canadian squad is expected to be released tomorrow, and Kelly is among those in consideration.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have assigned Ondrej Kase and Kevin Roy to the AHL while the team enjoys their mandated bye week. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the pair will suit up for the San Diego Gulls, but will at least remove their cap hits from the Ducks’ roster for the time being. The Gulls do have two home games this week while the Ducks are off, perhaps a good chance for Kase and Roy to keep sharp during the break.
  • Joonas Korpisalo won’t get to relax during the Columbus Blue Jackets two off days, as the goaltender has been sent to the AHL to get in some game action while the NHL club breaks. Matiss Kivlenieks has been recalled in his place to keep the roster compliant, but will be flipped back when the Blue Jackets return to action.

Jarome Iginla Will Not Play In Spengler Cup

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The Olympic dream for Jarome Iginla could be over, as the veteran forward will not be ready to play in the upcoming Spengler Cup according to Darren Dreger of TSN. Hockey Canada has been clear that they want to see Iginla playing at a high level before naming him to a potential Olympic roster, something that doesn’t seem likely to happen.

Jarome IginlaStill, there is an outside chance that Iginla could be a late-season addition to an NHL club. The 40-year old winger wasn’t able to secure a deal this summer, but did look sharp in his 19-game stretch with the Los Angeles Kings after a deadline deal. If it is the end for Iginla’s playing career, it comes with championships at every level except the NHL.

Iginla is a two-time Memorial Cup champion, a gold medalist at the Olympics (twice), World Cup, World Championship and World Junior Championship, and has won a long list of individual awards. He has scored 625 goals and 1,300 points during the regular season, adding another 37 and 68 in a relatively short playoff career. The Stanley Cup eluded him, despite coming within a disallowed goal of it in 2004.

When he was without a contract at the end of the summer most hoped he would suit up one last time for Canada on the international stage, perhaps to bring some luck to what will be a lackluster squad pieced together from leagues around the world. It doesn’t seem like that will happen now, after his hip surgery has kept him out longer than expected.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ryan Malone Returns To Iowa Wild

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It wasn’t so long ago that Brandon Sleik and Michael Russo of The Athletic were reporting that Ryan Malone’s return to the Iowa Wild was far from guaranteed, but apparently the team has decided to bring him back for at least a little while longer. According to the AHL transactions page, Malone has once again signed a professional tryout with the AHL Wild as he continues to train to potentially play in the Olympics for Team USA.

Malone came out of retirement this summer to test the waters and try to either return to the NHL or make a bid for a spot on the Olympic team. His eight-game stint for Iowa before leaving for an international tournament with the National Select team wasn’t all that productive, as the 37-year old winger recorded just one assist and 16 penalty minutes while accruing a -8 rating.

Iowa has turned their season around recently with an 8-2 record in their last ten games, but often lose forwards like Luke Kunin and Joel Eriksson Ek to Minnesota between games. Malone can at least provide some stability and experience to the club until his next international test, which could be the Spengler Cup at the end of December.

James Wisniewski Signs in Germany

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Globetrotter James Wisniewski is back at it. The former high-scoring NHL defenseman split the 2016-17 season with clubs around the planet, beginning with Admiral Vladivostok of the KHL, a brief stop with Swiss club Lugano for the Spengler Cup, and wrapping up the campaign back home in the U.S. with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. With his pleas for NHL employment seemingly unanswered, Wisniewski is off to a new destination to begin what could be another whirlwind season.

Like fellow NHL veteran defenseman Mark Stuart, Wisniewski too has signed on in Germany for his next hockey adventure. However, the major – and surprising – difference between the two deals is that Stuart has joined German powerhouse Adler Manheim, while Wisniewski has agreed to terms with the Kassel Huskies of the DEL2, the second tier of German professional hockey. The team issued an excited press release announcing their big acquisition (link in German), as Wisnieksi is a caliber of player the likes of which has never been seen in Kassel, a small city in the center of the country. Wisniewski will be the first NHL veteran to ever suit up for the Huskies and one of only a small group to ever play in the league at all.

The strange fit for the talented Wisniewksi is made more sensible in the context of what promises to be another season of multiple stops. It has already been mentioned that Wisniewski is a likely candidate to put on the Team USA sweater at the 2018 Olympics and, following that international showcase, could easily return home to the states with many of his AHL-contracted teammates and may even perform well enough to draw interest as a stretch run addition in the NHL. Wisniewski continues to find unique ways to extend his playing career and, while he hasn’t played in an NHL game since he was injured in the Carolina Hurricanes’ season opener in 2015, his undeniable ability and dedication to the game will keep him relevant in the world of hockey. Until Wisniewski calls it quits (unlikely), it’s difficult to rule out a potential return to the NHL down the road. Only now, he’ll have the designation of being the first to work his way through the German minor leagues en route to his comeback.

Team Canada Wins Spengler Cup

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Lost in the shuffle yesterday against outdoor alumni games, U.S. vs. Canada at the World Juniors, and the clash of the titans of Minnesota-Columbus, was the finale of the Spengler Cup. An invitational tournament hosted by Swiss club HC Davos of the NLA and historically comprised of other European teams, the Spengler Cup has expanded into a much more international event with the addition of a Canadian exhibition team in 1984. Since then, the Canadians have won 13 championships. Last year, Team Canada came out on top again. So what of this year?

Armed with a roster of non-NHL/AHL players, consisting of Swiss pros like James Sheppard, Dustin Jeffrey, and Nick Spaling and displaced veterans like Gregory Campbell and Mason Raymond, Team Canada was able to defend its title and take home it’s 14th tourney championship. Facing another NLA squad, HC Lugano, who also sported a talented roster featuring former NHLers James Wisniewski and Maxim Lapierre, Canada came away with a 5-2 victory. HC Lugano found themselves on the wrong side of the championship game for the second year in a row, as they have been unable to slow down the Canadians’ offense.

Montreal Canadiens goalie prospect Zach Fucale, currently buried in the ECHL, had an incredible tournament and capped it off with a 40-save effort in the win. Spaling played a key role with a goal and two assists and former NHLers Andrew Ebbett and Chay Genoway chipped in goals as well.

The Canadians will be back at the Spengler Cup next year with a chance to win their 15th title, the top mark currently held by host HC Davos, but accomplished in nearly three times as many years in the tournament. The Spengler Cup continues to be a great opportunity for players on the outside of pro North American hockey to get a chance to represent their country on the international stage and also show the world that they can still play.

 

Notable Players At The Spengler Cup

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While the World Juniors garner a lot of the international attention at this time of year, there is one other tournament going on at this time of year as well, the Spengler Cup.  The invitational tournament runs from today until December 31st in Davos, Switzerland and features some of the top club teams throughout international hockey.  Canada is also granted an entry into the tournament with their team typically being comprised of players throughout several international leagues as well as a handful of AHL players.

Usually, each team features some familiar faces, either former NHL players who may be looking to get back to North America the next season or some drafted prospects who teams will be looking to bring over in the near future.  Our Mike Furlano took a closer look at Canada’s entry last week; here are some of the notable players on the other five teams.

Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg (KHL):

LW Stanislav Chistov – Chistov was the fifth overall pick of Anaheim back in 2001.  He spent four years in North America with the Ducks and Bruins, getting into 196 NHL games.  Since then, he has been a part of five different teams back home in Russia.

LW Anatoli Golyshev – A fourth round pick of the Islanders back in June, the 21 year old winger finished fourth in KHL scoring last season.  Things haven’t gone as swimmingly for him this year as he has just four goals in 36 KHL contests.

HC Davos (NLA):

RW Adam Hall – The 36 year old played in 682 career NHL games and is in his third season in Switzerland.  He is on loan from Ambri-Piotta for the tournament.

LW Tuomo Ruutu – The former ninth overall pick of Chicago in 2001 was in the NHL as recently as last season with New Jersey and was with Vancouver back in training camp on a tryout deal.  After failing to sign with the Canucks, he inked a one year deal with Davos but the move has yet to pay off as he has just four points in 14 games this season.

C Drew Shore – The former Florida and Calgary prospect wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer by Calgary back in June, making him an unrestricted free agent.  Rather than signing back to likely play in the minor leagues, he inked a one year deal in the Swiss league where he sits tied for ninth in league scoring which could have him back on the NHL radar next offseason.  He is on loan from Kloten for the tourney.

HC Lugano (NLA):

C Maxim Lapierre – After failing to earn a deal with the Rangers in training camp, Lapierre returned to Lugano on a one year deal (plus an option).  He has 614 career NHL games under his belt and at the age of 31, is still young enough that he will likely get another tryout with an NHL team at some point.

G Elvis Merzlikins – A 3rd round pick (76th overall) of the Blue Jackets in 2014, Merzlikins posted the third highest save percentage in the NLA last season and also got into five games for Latvia at the 2016 World Championships.

D James Wisniewski – After being bought out by Carolina following a season where he played just one shift due to an ACL tear, the 32 year old was unable to crack Tampa Bay’s lineup in preseason.  He signed in the KHL shortly thereafter but left the team last week to take part in this tournament.

D Ryan Wilson – The 29 year old last saw NHL action back in 2014-15 with Colorado and has 230 career games under his belt.  His contract is up at the end of the season and is a decent candidate to get an NHL PTO for next September if he wants to try to get back to North America.

HK Dinamo Minsk (KHL):

D Marc-Andre Gragnani – After spending a couple of seasons overseas, Gragnani returned to North America last season, getting into four games with the Devils.  This year, he went back across the pond where he sits third among KHL blueliners in assists with 23 in 38 games.

LW Sergei Kostitsyn – The former Canadiens and Predators winger was looking to return to the NHL this past summer but was unable to find a taker.  He has 21 points in 30 games so far this season and is only on a one year deal so it’s likely that he will once again look to sign an NHL deal next summer.

G Ben Scrivens – After struggling upon being traded to Montreal following last year’s roster freeze, Scrivens has been a workhorse between the pipes in Minsk, already seeing action in 40 games while posting a 2.22 GAA and a .919 SV%.

HK Hradec Kralove (Czech Extraliga):

RW Jaroslav Bednar – The 40 year old was a prospect of the Kings (and for a brief time, the Panthers) in the early 2000’s, getting into 117 career NHL games, collecting 44 points.

LW Alexandre Picard – The former fourth overall pick of Columbus back in 2004, Picard struggled at the NHL level, posting just two assists in 67 career games.  After spending the last four years in Switzerland, he is currently on a tryout with Kralove.

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