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Tomas Fleischmann

Red Wings And Canadiens To Clash At The Draft

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Before the 2018-19 season even begins, there will be some conflict between divisional foes. The Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings are both coming off disappointing seasons and are looking to reinforce their franchises with their own high draft slots as well as acquired picks. Both teams are hoping to cash in on several picks in the first and second rounds to find multiple players that will grow to become regular NHLers. However, they may have to battle each other to do so.

The Athletic’s Craig Custance published an article this week about Detroit’s possible plans and potential targets for a trio of picks in the 30’s. His colleague Arpon Basu was quick to respond with his own article about Montreal’s potential marks with their two picks in the early second round. Basu also added that the two teams share similar organizational needs. Among them, both the Canadiens and Red Wings could use a top-flight center and defenseman in the pipeline.

With no suitable centers available when either team picks in the first round –  the Habs at #3 and the Wings at #6 – what those teams do early on could dictate their priorities in the early second. Many expect that Montreal cannot pass up the elite forward talent that is winger Filip Zadina. The Canadiens (or Red Wings) could reach for center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, but it is unlikely. They could also take a defenseman, as there are plenty of supremely talented names available in this draft. After Rasmus Dahlin presumably goes first overall, most consider Quinn Hughes to be the next best name. Of course, Detroit is the heavy favorite to take the University of Michigan product if he’s still on the board. If Montreal chose to steal him, it would be the first conflict between these two teams.

Things heat up even more later on though. Detroit has a second first-rounder at #30, courtesy of the Tomas Tatar trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. While this is a prime position for the Wings to trade out of, they could also simply make the pick. It is here that the Red Wings could beat the Canadiens to one of the top available centers. Both Custance and Basu list Ty Dellandrea as a prime target in the late first and early second, and Basu also offers Isac Lundestrom and Jacob Olofsson as candidates if either is still available. Then, in the second, Detroit picks again at #33, the pick they received from the Ottawa Senators through the New York Rangers in the Brendan Smith deal. So while the Habs get the first shot at selecting ahead of the Wings early in the first round, Detroit then has the next three consecutive picks ahead of Montreal. Here, it would be easy to see the Red Wings double up on defensemen, aiming for a more physical specimen. Both Custance and Basu tab K’Andre Miller as a likely target, while Basu also lists Mattias Samuelsson and, if he’s still there, Jared McIsaac. Both writers are also intrigued by the boom-or-bust talent of defenseman Ryan Merkley, another swift puck-mover like Hughes. Don’t rule out Detroit looking his way as well. Finally, Montreal gets their next shot at #35 and Detroit picks right after at #36. Montreal may again have to pick up the scraps at #38, the selection they landed from the Chicago Blackhawks along with Phillip Danault in the very favorable Tomas Fleischmann/Dale Weise trade in 2016.

Montreal also has picks #56 and #62 later in the second round, leaving open a very real opportunity that they could change this whole dynamic by packaging multiple second-rounders – in a draft that many feel is homogeneous in the #20  to #60 range – to move back into the first round and ahead of Detroit at #30. It would then be the Canadiens who could take the best available center or defenseman and put the Red Wings in a tough spot.

It’s always a good time to see two Original Six teams battle on the ice, but the war for position brewing between Detroit and Montreal in the upcoming draft could be just as fun to watch.

Central Notes: Wiercioch, Fleischmann, Jets Goalies

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The biggest hockey headline out of Colorado this summer was the unexpected departure of head coach and VP of operations Patrick Roy. Mike Chambers of The Denver Post told PHR in an earlier interview that his belief was that Roy insisted on acquiring a top defenseman this summer, perhaps at the cost of one of their top young forwards, but that GM Joe Sakic and his “support staff” wanted to stick with the core. In fact, the only blue line addition of note was the signing of free agent Patrick Wiercioch, who wore out his welcome in Ottawa and was not qualified as a RFA. But as Chambers writes, Weircioch may come to Colorado with little fanfare but his skill set is exactly what the Avalanche needs.

Wiercioch is a big defenseman – listed at 6-foot-5, 202 pounds – who can move the puck and contribute on the power play. Chambers also notes that the five-year veteran is a quality stick-handler and passer, which will hopefully help the team’s transition game. According to Chambers, Wiercioch was looking for a fresh start after five mostly disappointing seasons in Ottawa, and is looking forward to again playing in Colorado, where he played his college hockey for the University of Denver.

“Even before the trade deadline we were talking about what our avenues were. We both kind of decided if nothing were to happen, it’s not the end of the world because I have a wife and kid and it’s a tough transition to pick up and move for eight weeks.”

“But going into the summer I think we were both ready for the next chapter — for their organization and my career as well. It ended up being Colorado. When we looked at the options and the offers with more money, this was the franchise I really wanted to come play for. I really wanted to be excited about the opportunity here.”

Colorado agree to a one-year deal with Wiercioch worth $800K after which he will again become a RFA, thus giving the Avalanche additional contractual control. Wiercioch may not be the big name Roy wanted but he’ll have a tremendous opportunity to play a significant role for the Avalanche and could end up being a nice free agent bargain.

Other notes from the NHL’s Central Division:

  • As we noted yesterday, Tomas Fleischmann, who had agreed to a PTO with Minnesota, failed his physical. Mike Russo of the Star Tribune provides a further update saying the Czech-born forward will not be attending camp with the Wild, according to GM Chuck Fletcher. Neither head coach Bruce Boudreau nor Fletcher specified what issue caused the failed physical though Russo speculated it might be a recurrence of blood clots that Fleischmann had been diagnosed with in the past. Fletcher said about the veteran winger: “He’s such a good person, it’s unfortunate. So I hope he catches on somewhere else. It’s just a disappointment. I like him enough that I want to see him succeed somewhere.” Russo inferred from these comments that whatever the issue, it doesn’t seem as if it would necessarily keep Fleischmann from playing elsewhere, if another opportunity presents itself.
  • Ondrej Pavelec and young Connor Hellebuyck are expected to compete for the starters job between the pipes for the Jets this season. Both goalies participated in the World Cup of Hockey – Pavelec for the Czech Republic and Hellebuyck as part of Team North America – and say that experience has helped them as they prepare to battle for the #1 job, writes Mitchell Clinton for the Jets team site on NHL.com. Pavelec, who finished with a disappointing 90.4% save percentage in 33 games – 31 of which were starts – and would appear to be behind Hellebuyck entering camp. The rookie, who was a two-year starter at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, made 26 starts for the Jets and recorded a save percentage of 91.8%. Michael Hutchinson, who has started 68 contests over the last two seasons, is under contract with Winnipeg for two more years and is a solid backup should the Jets choose Hellebuyck as the starter and find a way to move Pavelec’s contract.

 

 

Snapshots: Russell, Sproul, Fleischmann, Team USA

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TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie appeared on TSN 1260 on Monday morning, and commented on Kris Russell as an option for Edmonton’s “hole on defense”. On the weekend, TSN 1260 host Dustin Nielson tweeted that the Oilers had reached out to Russell and that he expected the two sides to exchange numbers sometime this week.

McKenzie believes Russell would “probably” be a “decent fit” for the Oilers, especially if it’s on a short-term contract. He brought up the abundance of “third-pairing guys” the Oilers have, and wondered who would play with Andrej Sekera on the second pair.

McKenzie also suggested he could see why Russell would have interest in a short-term contract with Edmonton, with an opportunity to possibly play some top-four minutes before becoming a free agent next summer after team’s lose defensemen to Las Vegas in the expansion draft.

However, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal opined that he doesn’t see Russell as being better than any of the Oilers current top four of Oscar Klefbom, Adam Larsson, Sekera, or Brandon Davidson. While McKenzie labelled the latter as a “third-pairing” defender, Davidson did impress last season, working his way into the Oilers’ top four. Staples said he’s “not sure of Russell, but I’m sure those four can all play the game.”

McKenzie said Russell is still talking with as many as eight teams, including the Oilers’ provincial rivals the Calgary Flames. Russell spent three seasons in Calgary before being traded at last year’s trade deadline. McKenzie expects Russell to sign a one-year contract in the neighborhood of $4-5MM.

  • Meanwhile, Ansar Khan tweeted a photo of Red Wings RFA defenseman Ryan Sproul skating with teammates at Joe Louis Arena. Khan noted that he expects Sproul to sign a one-year deal this week. Sproul is coming off his entry-level contract, where he went pointless in one NHL game and put up 93 points in 213 AHL games.
  • Michael Russo, of the Minnesota Star Tribune, confirmed Elliotte Friedman’s speculation regarding UFA Tomas Fleischmann with Wild GM Chuck Fletcher. Fleischmann will be attending camp in Minnesota on a PTO. He has previously played for Wild coach Bruce Boudreau when the pair were in Washington.
  • TSN’s Frank Seravalli was among those questioning Team USA’s new lines, asking if coach John Tortorella was “trolling the media” with the line of Justin Abdelkader, Derek Stepan, and Patrick Kane. The States face a must-win game versus northern rivals Canada tomorrow night.

Metro Notes: Weise, Giroux, Elias

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Dale Weise was in the midst of a career season with 14 goals and 26 points in 56 games with Montreal until a trade deadline deal shipped the rugged winger to Chicago along with Tomas Fleischmann for Phillip Danault and a 2018 second-round pick. Ordinarily, going from a non-playoff squad to a serious Stanley Cup contender is usually a desirable situation for any player. But Weise doesn’t necessarily feel that way about his move to Chicago. He saw his ice time cut by nearly 4 1/2 minutes per contest after the trade and netted just a single point, an assist, in 15 games for the Hawks.

Weise would use the word “disaster,” to describe his move to Chicago in a piece appearing on Philly.com, written by Sam Carchidi.

“I had 14 goals by mid-February. Going to Chicago was a disaster because I played like five minutes a night. [Actually it was just under 10 minutes, which is still a paltry average.] It’s pretty tough to do anything when you play so little. It was a new experience for me.”

After signing a four-year deal worth $9.4MM with the Philadelphia Flyers in the offseason, Weise credited GM Ron Hextall with selling him on the opportunity to play in the City of Brotherly Love.

“I’m really excited. I really like what Hexy had to say and what he thought about my game. He was very honest, and I liked that we’re on the same page. I think I can play on any line and play in any role.”

Whether or not Wiese can be a consistent offensive producer for the Flyers remains to be seen – though it should be noted he did tally 29 points in 2014-15 offering some hope for solid future production. Regardless, the gritty winger will add size, toughness and versatility to the Flyers lineup and it’s pretty clear Weise feels as if he is in a better situation now than he was in Chicago.

Elsewhere around the NHL’s Metro Division:

  • Sticking with Philadelphia, Flyers fans were undoubtedly worried about the health of #1 center Claude Giroux after he missed a Team Canada practice Monday and was announced as a scratch for the team’s final exhibition match on Wednesday. Giroux absorbed a big hit from Team USA’s Joe Pavelski in Friday night’s tilt and appeared shaken up afterwards. However, quelling fears of a potentially lengthy absence, Hextall said today that his star center was fine and equated the injury to that of a normal bump or bruise a player would experience during the season, according to Tim Panaccio of CSN Philadelphia.

“There’s a difference between, well, he’s not injured. Throughout the year, you get a bump or bruise and that’s the case there.”

  • Even though veteran forward Patrik Elias is technically a UFA, it’s been widely assumed he would retire rather than play for anyone other than the Devils. Currently, there has been no indication from New Jersey on whether they will offer the franchise’s all-time leading scorer a contract for 2016-17. In his Fire and Ice blog, Andrew Gross also indicated that there is no time table to make such a decision, as Elias is still rehabbing from offseason knee surgery and won’t be ready for the start of training camp. Elias has spent his entire 20-year NHL career with the Devils, winning three Stanley Cups along the way. He’s also the franchise’s all-time leader in many offensive categories including: goals (408), assists (617) and power play goals (113). Even though the Devils have already added LW Taylor Hall via trade and are expected to give young forward Pavel Zacha a chance to earn regular time on the port side, it seems likely they would still welcome Elias back to the fold if the longtime Devil is healthy and wants to return.

Canucks Ink Sheppard, Ruutu To PTO’s; Eight Teams Interested In Fleischmann

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The Vancouver Canucks have agreed on tryout contracts with free agent wingers James Sheppard and Tuomo Ruutu, GM Jim Benning confirmed to Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province.

Sheppard spent last season with the Kloten Flyers of the Swiss NLA, recording 11 goals and 24 assists with 67 PIMS in 37 games.  He also represented Team Canada at the Spengler Cup back in December.

Originally a first round pick (ninth overall) of Minnesota back in 2006, Sheppard hasn’t had much in the way of NHL success so far.  He has suited up for three different teams (the Wild, Sharks, and Rangers), last seeing NHL action in 2014-15.  In 394 career games, he has 23 goals and 68 assists.

As for Ruutu, he has spent the last three years with the Devils but has seen his role decline sharply in that time.  He played in just 33 games last year, recording only a single assist.

He has two 50+ point seasons in his 12 year NHL career with Chicago, Carolina, and New Jersey but he hasn’t hit 30 points in four years.  In 735 NHL games, the ninth overall pick back in 2001 has 148 goals and 198 assists.

Both players will likely contend for a fourth line/reserve spot with the Canucks.

Another player receiving interest for a PTO is left winger Tomas Fleischmann.  His agent, Rich Evans, was on News 1130 in Vancouver and reported that eight teams have expressed an interest in bringing in the 32 year old to training camp.  He declined to confirm or deny if Vancouver is among those eight teams.

Fleischmann is no stranger to this situation as he attended Montreal’s training camp on an invite last year, eventually earning a one year, $750K contract.  He got off to a strong start with the Canadiens but tapered off and was eventually dealt before the deadline to Chicago where he collected five points in 19 games.

Fleischmann has 657 games of NHL experience under his belt with Washington, Colorado, Florida, Anaheim, Montreal, and Chicago, recording 137 goals and 198 assists but hasn’t hit the 30 point plateau since 2012-13.

It’s likely to be a busy week for tryout deals with training camps kicking off next week.  Keep track of who is trying out where with our Invite Tracker.

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