Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Thomas Chabot

Snapshots: Keller, Letourneau-Leblond, Elias

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The 2017-18 season will again have plenty of intriguing rookies entering the NHL. However, unlike most years, there won’t be a consensus pick for the Calder Memorial Trophy, for the player who is most proficient in his first year of competition. Most people believed that the award would end up in the hands of Toronto’s Auston Matthews last year and it did. This year, however, it won’t be as easy to predict a winner.

There are many top rookies that are ready to step into the league this year, ranging from 2017 first-overall pick Nico Hischier (New Jersey Devils) and second-overall pick Nolan Patrick (Philadelphia Flyers) to young forwards like Minnesota’s Joel Eriksson Ek and Arizona’s Clayton Keller. Several defensemen could step up as well such as Boston’s Charlie McAvoy and Ottawa’s Thomas Chabot.

Matt Larkin of The Hockey News makes his predictions for the top candidates, citing Keller as the most likely to win the award. Keller, the seventh-overall pick in the 2016 draft, scored 21 goals and added 24 assists as a freshman last year at Boston University and then signed with the Coyotes, playing three games for the team and tallying two assists.

Larkin writes that not even the addition of other top scorers like Derek Stepan, Dylan Strome or Christian Dvorak should stop Keller from reaching his potential next year. Regardless of what position he plays for the Coyotes, the scribe believes he will play on a top line and should put up solid numbers. He lists numerous others candidates, making for an interesting read.

  • Enforcer Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond announced his retirement on Twitter today, reported by James O’Brien of NBC Sports. The journeyman forward played hockey for 12 years in 12 different cities. Originally drafted in the seventh round of the 2004 draft by the New Jersey Devils, Letourneau-Leblond spent most of his career in the AHL, but did manage to get into 41 NHL games, mostly with the Devils. He accumulated 101 penalty minutes and three assists in those 41 contests. Last year, the 32-year-old played 37 games for the Syracuse Crunch and one game for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. He finished his season with one goal, four assists and 128 penalty minutes.
  • Speaking of the Devils, the team announced that they will retire Patrik Elias’ No. 26 on Feb. 24, 2018, according to Chris Ryan of NJ.com. Elias retired in March when he decided to end his comeback attempt despite trying to come back from knee surgery, but he neither practiced or played last season before hanging it up. The 41-year-old forward, who spend his entire career in New Jersey, finished as the Devils all-time leader in goals, assists, points and hat tricks.

Early Look At Some 2017-18 Impact Rookies: Part II

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Last week we took a look at some of the most interesting rookie names around the league, profiling Clayton Keller, Dylan Strome, Tyson Jost, Brock Boeser, Charlie McAvoy and Julius Honka. Each of those names have a chance at making a real impact for their respective clubs in 2017-18, and at least a few could be in the running for a Calder trophy as Rookie of the Year. Again, this series is avoiding the 2017 draftees as they’ll be profiled individually as we get closer to camp and have a better idea of who will be staying in the NHL right away.

For this part, we’ll take a look at some other young players who may not have the same draft pedigree of Strome, or early impact that Boeser, McAvoy and Honka have shown.

Josh Ho-Sang – New York Islanders

Josh Ho-SangOne of the most mentioned names in comments after releasing the first group of players was Ho-Sang (along with Mathew Barzal). While part one was certainly not meant to rank any of the upcoming young players, Ho-Sang’s exclusion was certainly noticeable. After making his NHL debut this season under some (silly) controversy, Ho-Sang is ready to take the next step and be a full-time contributor to the Islanders this year. Regardless of the number on his back, he showed during his 21 game stint that he can compete at the highest level and registered 10 points. No one would be shocked by a 40-point season from the young forward, and if given a full-time opportunity in New York’s top six he could push even higher than that.

Thomas Chabot – Ottawa Senators

One of the most impressive players in junior hockey last year, Chabot spent a single game with the Senators and is just about ready to take the NHL by storm. It’s hard for a defenseman to step right into a big role in the NHL, but with Erik Karlsson and Cody Ceci still around Chabot can easily be sheltered to start his career. It’s unclear where exactly he’d fit though as the team still has Chris Wideman, but if given the opportunity Chabot could provide a dynamic option on the right side. The Senators also brought in Johnny Oduya and have at least eight names that could take up six spots, so that opportunity may have to wait for an injury.

Anders Bjork – Boston Bruins

The Bruins team bus will be a rowdy place this year given how many rookies and young players could be on the roster, and Bjork isn’t one to overlook. The fifth-round pick dominated for Notre Dame as a junior before signing this spring, and looks ready to jump right into a top-six role with the NHL club. There seems to be a natural fit for him across from David Pastrnak to make a dynamic second unit for the Bruins, but how it all shakes out still isn’t clear. It’s not even set that he’ll start the year in the NHL, but after 52 points on a Fighting Irish club that relied almost solely on his production and Cal Petersen’s outstanding goaltending he sure seemed ready to take the next step.

Zach Aston-ReeseZach Aston-Reese – Pittsburgh Penguins

Another college name, this time of the free agent variety continues to impress in Aston-Reese. A finalist for the Hobey Baker trophy, Aston-Reese has done nothing but score since being passed over in the draft several times. The 22-year old put up 63 points in 38 games for Northeastern, before jumping right into the AHL and showing off with eight points in 10 games. He’s big enough to play in Pittsburgh’s bottom-six right away, and there is a glaring hole at center that the team still needs to address. Pittsburgh is notorious for turning college players into immediate producers, and it could be no different for the bang-and-crash two-way player in Aston-Reese. The forward depth of the Penguins could lead to big minutes with players like Phil Kessel or Patric Hornqvist, a situation no young player would pass up.

Alex DeBrincat – Chicago Blackhawks

78 goals, 165 points and the disappointment of being cut from the US World Junior team and losing the Memorial Cup should be more than enough motivation for DeBrincat coming into Blackhawks camp, who will try to crack the squad at 19 and show that his small stature doesn’t hold him back on the ice. In junior he was almost always the most skilled player in the game and has showed it by scoring more than 100 points in three straight years. There are doubts about his durability and even some about his top-end speed—though his first-step acceleration and quickness was among the best in the OHL—but it’s clear that he knows how to score. For a team desperate for cheap forward options that can play up with their top names, DeBrincat could come into a perfect scenario and compete for the rookie scoring title.

*Note: There are many other rookies that have impact potential that will be profiled throughout the summer as we approach the season. These are in no particular order or ranking.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Evening Notes: Hurricanes’ Ownership, Oduya, Dumoulin

at CDT | by 4 Comments

For anyone trying to pay attention the Hurricanes’ ownership struggles, another chapter has been added to the ongoing saga. The team, currently owned by a group headed by Peter Karmanos, Jr., has been rumored to be up for sale for some time. The financial situation of the team is difficult, as attendance issues over the past few years have brought monetary losses and concern from other owners around the league. Still, it seems that Carolina is nowhere near the dire situation of the Arizona Coyotes, whose decade-plus-long fiasco has bewildered onlookers and hockey fans for quite some time.

Not long ago, a potential buyer for the Hurricanes, one Chuck Greenberg, supposedly offered $500 MM to acquire the franchise. This was reported by Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg and The Denver Post, and confirmed by others. Afterwards, the Karmanos group responded by saying the reports were essentially misleading, and then were called “fake news” in an article published by Forbes. Technically, it was a non-binding letter of intent and not an official offer, but that shouldn’t discount the strong possibility of an impending team sale.

Today we learned that Greenberg showed up at the team’s practice facility, thanks to some wonderful reporting by The News & Observer’s Chip Alexander. Greenberg stopped by the Raleigh Center Ice location, and essentially conducted a “fact-finding trip”. The whole situation is confusing largely because the franchise’s estimated value has plummeted and the offer is exceptionally fair. Additionally, the Karmanos group has been looking to sell the Canes for years to a team that will keep them local. This was reported yet again this January by NBC’s Adam Gretz, and it’s no secret there is desire from the fanbase for a change in direction. Greenberg seems to be a perfect solution to the situation, as he has local investors involved and stated no plans for relocation. As of now, there seems to be a lot going on behind the scenes, and many moving parts. Still, a change in ownership seems more likely today than it did yesterday.

  • After today’s earlier announcement of the Brian Dumoulin 6-year, $4.1 MM AAV signing, it has been revealed that the Penguins’ shutdown force played with a broken hand. The Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey reported that Dumoulin kept re-breaking the fracture before it could heal, during the course of normal play. He broke it after blocking a slapshot in the fifth game of the first round against Columbus, The dependable stay-at-home defender played incredibly well, often matching up against top opponents and maintaining solid body position boxing out attackers in front of his goaltenders. He even tallied two goals throughout the Stanley Cup run, so the nature of the injury does come as a little surprising. He and the Penguins medical staff considered the possibility of Dumoulin undergoing surgery this off-season to repair the damage, but it no longer seems necessary. Dumoulin believes the injury has healed well enough on its own and that he should be ready for action come season opener.
  • Johnny Oduya shocked many by signing a deal so soon for $1 MM and bonuses, as Ottawa had apparently been courting him since “July 2nd”. As I reported yesterday, interest for the player never really openly surfaced among the insiders of the league. Oduya comes at great value for the Senators, and GM Pierre Dorion expressed his glee at a press conference you can find partially transcribed by Craig Megdalia here. Essentially, Dorion felt the move was absolutely necessary considering the loss of veteran Marc Methot to expansion (before being shipped to Dallas), and although he has confidence in his younger players, he couldn’t miss the opportunity to bring in “a true pro”. By the sound of it, Dorion expects coach Guy Boucher to likely place Oduya in a prominent role, which could push out a younger player such as Thomas Chabot.

Montreal Canadiens Agree To Terms With Simon Bourque

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Montreal Canadiens have locked up a prospect of their own, giving Simon Bourque a three-year, entry-level contract. The contract will come into effect in 2017-18, and Bourque will likely stay with his CHL team for the remainder of the season.

A sixth-round selection in 2015, Bourque actually played three games for the Canadiens’ AHL team at the end of last season on an amateur tryout. The 20-year old defenseman is capable of putting up big minutes in the QMJHL, where he was traded midway through this season from Rimouski to Saint John. With 51 points in 57 games split between the two squads, Bourque is a big part of the blueline for the first place Sea Dogs and will be headed to the playoffs for a shot at the Memorial Cup tournament.

Bourque has turned himself from an offense-first defenseman to an all-around talent this year, capable of shutting down the opposition’s top line. Still an excellent contributor on the powerplay, his ability to feed passes through sticks and find open teammates is one of his strongest assets. Along with Thomas Chabot and Jakub Zboril, Bourque is part of a defense corps that can rival any in the CHL. His jump to professional hockey next season should be an interesting on to follow.

Snapshots: Avalanche, Ottawa Prospects, Rubtsov, Laine

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the likes of Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene making it into the rumor mill recently, GM Joe Sakic commented to Terry Frei of the Denver Post on what he’s looking to accomplish when it comes to any possible transactions:

“The only thing I’m going to do is what helps this franchise down the line. We’re not going to be looking to doing anything for just this year. When we talk trades with different teams, I’m looking at the future. That’s where we have to go. We have to get younger. We have some good young guys that hopefully can make the next step in the next year or two and that’s the direction we’re doing. We’re trying to build this up.”

With the idea of getting younger in mind, Sakic went on to note that forwards Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and 2016 first round pick Tyson Jost are all but untouchable in any deal.

As for Landeskog, Adrian Dater of Bleacher Report reports (Twitter link) that the Kings have strong interest in the Colorado captain.  Earlier this week, he linked the Bruins as another team that wants to bring him in.  While Boston has the cap space to do such a deal, the Kings do not and are currently in LTIR with Jonathan Quick on the shelf.  Landeskog has a cap hit that’s slightly over $5.5MM which could potentially be a complicating factor for the Kings to get a deal done.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • After a strong showing at the World Juniors where he was named the MVP, TSN’s Darren Dreger told WGR 550 in Buffalo that defenseman Thomas Chabot is now an untouchable player for the Senators. He suggested that Tampa Bay had inquired about his availability last season but that Sens were hesitant to move him then.  Dreger also noted that Ottawa had tried to convince their other first round pick from the 2015 draft, Colin White, to turn pro this season but he wanted to stay in college for at least one more year.  With that in mind, it’s likely that they will try to sway him to forego the rest of his eligibility once his college season comes to an end in the coming months.
  • While there have been rumblings that Flyers 2016 first round pick German Rubtsov has left the KHL to join Chicoutimi of the QMJHL, GM Ron Hextall said that they have not heard conclusively whether he is leaving or not, notes Tim Panaccio of CSN Philly. He adds that Rubtsov, who had two more years left on his deal in Russia when he was drafted, had his agent, Mark Gandler, request that his KHL contract be terminated.  Rubtsov is in Philly to have team doctors evaluate a nose injury sustained at the World Juniors; Hextall told reporters that a decision on whether or not it will require surgery will be determined in the next few days.
  • Jets star rookie Patrik Laine was injured in the third period this afternoon on a collision with Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe. He was motionless on the ice for a couple of minutes and needed assistance to get off the ice.  No further information is available at this time regarding his status – head coach Paul Maurice had no update after the game (via Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun).

Snapshots: Three Stars, World Junior Captains, Iginla

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The NHL has named Artemi Panarin, Henrik Lundqvist, and Eric Staal as its Three Stars of the Week.

Panarin had three goals and seven assists for 10 points in four games. He bookended two thee-point performances with a pair of two-point nights as the Blackhawks continued their five-game winning streak. Panarin now has 34 points in 34 games this season

This week marks the second consecutive week with a New York Rangers goaltender as the second star. Last week, Antti Raanta was the second star as he temporarily took over the starting role from Lundqvist, but now the man they call The King has taken back over. Lundqvist went 3-0-0 and allowed just three goals to go with his 0.967 SV%. He and Raanta combined for a shutout when Lundqvist was forced to leave a game after being run over by Cody Eakin (for which he was suspended).

Staal had four goals and five points in three games as part of a 3-0-0 week. The Wild have now won seven straight and Staal is leading the team in goals, assists, and points; he has 24 points in 30 games in his first year in Minnesota.

  • Hockey Canada has named its leadership core for the upcoming World Junior Championships. Arizona Coyotes prospect Dylan Strome will wear the C for Canada, while Mathew Barzal and Thomas Chabot will serve as alternate captains. All three players played for Canada at last year’s tournament and appeared in the NHL at the start of the season. While they combined for just 10 games and one assist in the NHL, all three are 2015 first-round picks and dominant CHL players. Strome has 295 points in 191 games with the Erie Otters; Islanders sixteenth-overall pick Barzal has 281 points in 174 games with the Seattle Thunderbirds; Chabot, a defenseman picked eighteenth overall by Ottawa, has 128 points in 182 games with the Saint John Sea Dogs.
  • The Vancouver Canucks most recent first-round pick, Olli Juolevi has been named captain of Team Finland. Juolevi had nine assists in seven games in last year’s tournament, as Finland won gold. So far, Juolevi has 21 points in 26 games with the London Knights.
  • Today marks 21 years since the Calgary Flames acquired Jarome Iginla from the Dallas Stars for Joe Nieuwendyk. The trade worked out pretty well for both teams: the Stars won the Stanley Cup four years later with Nieuwendyk playing a key role, and Iginla became the face of the Flames franchise. Nieuwendyk was in the prime of his career, while Iginla was an eleventh-overall pick playing for the Kamloops Blazers. Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com tweeted that Iginla initially thought he had been traded to the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. After turning pro, Iginla scored 1095 points in 16 years with the Flames, leading them to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004. He’s bounced around between Pittsburgh, Boston, and Colorado in the four years since he was traded. Iginla could be on the move again this year, as the Avalanche are one of the worst teams in the NHL and he could want to go to a contender for the end of his career.

Atlantic Notes: Chabot, Panthers, Bergeron, Nylander, Leivo

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators are expected to make a decision in the next few days regarding what to do with defenseman Thomas Chabot, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports (Twitter link).  The 19 year old is one of several ‘slide-rule players’ who can play up to nine NHL games before the first year of their contract kicks in.

As Chabot was drafted out of the CHL, the Sens must return him to his junior team in Saint John (QMJHL) if they don’t want to keep him up with the big club; the AHL is not an option for him.  So far, Ottawa has played him just once and only gave him 7:09 of action in that lone appearance so at first glance, it would seem likely that he will eventually be heading back to junior.

If they were to send him back, Ottawa may be on the lookout for a veteran depth defender as they were back in the offseason.  Internally, a likely option to be recalled in the interim to take Chabot’s place would be Mike Kostka who spent time in that role with the Senators last season.

[Related: Senators Depth Chart]

More from the Atlantic:

  • The Panthers are getting great value from a pair of under the radar free agent acquisitions over the summer, writes George Richards of the Miami Herald. Wingers Colton Sceviour and Jonathan Marchessault were lost among the dozens of early signings on July 1st but have been key contributors for Florida this season.  Marchessault is tied for the league lead in goals while Sceviour is second on the team in points behind only Marchessault.  Both players signed for under $1MM (Sceviour $950K and Marchessault $750K, both for two years), giving the Panthers two of the best bargains in the NHL through the first month of the season.
  • Boston center Patrice Bergeron sustained a minor injury following Monday’s practice and is questionable for tonight’s game, reports CSNNE’s Joe Haggerty. The issue is not related to the lower body injury that he had earlier this season.  Head coach Claude Julien wouldn’t rule out Bergeron playing but the team has called up prospect Sean Kuraly from their AHL affiliate in Providence in case he is unable to go.  The team will also be without David Backes who recently underwent elbow surgery.
  • The league announced that Toronto center William Nylander has been named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month. While Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have garnered the most attention, Nylander is tied for the league lead in multi-point games this season with four.  He leads all rookies in scoring with 11 points (4-7-11).  The Leafs also announced that winger Josh Leivo has been sent to the AHL on a long-term injury conditioning loan.  This loan typically lasts a maximum of six days or three games.

Senators Notes: Chabot, Lazar

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Ottawa Senators rookie defenseman Thomas Chabot will be staying with the Ottawa Senators for the time being. Chabot made the Senators after a solid pre-season, but has only appeared in one game this season where he went -2 in seven minutes in a 7-4 win against the Arizona Coyotes.

Chabot still has one year of junior eligibility left, but Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch quoted GM Pierre Dorion as saying a decision doesn’t need to be made right now. Dorion believes being around the NHL club isn’t hurting Chabot’s development.

The Senators handling of Chabot appears to be similar to the St. Louis Blues handling of Alex Pietrangelo. Also a first round pick, Pietrangelo played 8 games in 2008-09 before being returned to junior in mid-November, then played 9 games in the first half of 2009-10 before being loaned to Canada at the World Junior Championships and subsequently sent back to the OHL. Pietrangelo played his first full NHL season in 2010-11 and had 43 points. If Chabot ends up even close to the player that Pietrangelo is, then the Senators will be very happy.

Meanwhile, another Senators first round pick remains in Binghamton with no timetable for his return. Curtis Lazar was assigned to Binghamton at the end of training camp after battling mono through the summer. Lazar has spent two seasons with the Senators, scoring 15 and 20 points respectively. While the totals are not what a team would like from a first round pick, Lazar is a smart two-way player who should develop into a good middle-six forward who can score reliably. Lazar scored 169 points in 199 games with the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings.

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