Trevor Smith Signs AHL Contract With San Antonio
Journeyman forward Trevor Smith will be back in the AHL next season, but for the first time in his career it won’t be on an NHL contract. The long-time pro has played on a one- or two-year two-way contract since his first full season in 2007-08, but that streak has come to an end. Smith has signed a one-way minor league contract with the San Antonio Rampage, the AHL announced today.
Smith, 33, has been a constant presence in the AHL for a long time, with at least one game played in eleven of the past twelve years, for a total of 593 games. During that time, he has also skated in 107 NHL games, including a career-high 54 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2014-15. The University of New Hampshire alum signed with the New York Islanders to begin his pro career and has since signed contracts with the Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and most recently a two-year deal with the Nashville Predators. Smith has always had incredible production in the AHL – 438 total points and .75 points per game – but transitioning that offense has been a constant struggle; Smith has only 20 career NHL points and has never cracked double-digits in a single season.
As such, it is no surprise that the aging Smith is no longer considered a valued NHL asset. Although just last season he scored 43 points in 66 games in the AHL, he has only one scoreless NHL game on his resume over the past three years and has a history of being a non-factor at the top level. Nevertheless, he will still be a major boost for the Rampage in 2018-19. The former captain of both the Toronto Marlies and Milwaukee Admirals will play an important leadership role in San Antonio and his offensive experience and ability will help the team succeed as well as assist in the development of top young St. Louis Blues forward prospects like Jordan Kyrou, Klim Kostin, Erik Foley, and Nolan Stevens. Smith’s NHL days may be over, but he can still be a difference-maker in the AHL, where he has thrived for more than a decade.
New York Rangers, Kevin Hayes Far Apart In Negotiations
Given the number of unsigned restricted free agents that the New York Rangers had on their plate to begin the off-season, it’s impressive that they have already locked up the bulk of those young players without much issue. However, Ryan Spooner and Kevin Hayes still remain without an extension and are slated for a salary arbitration hearings later this week. It seems at least one of those cases is likely to make it through to the arbitrator’s decision, as the New York Post’s Larry Brooks reports that Hayes and the Rangers are not close to a long-term extension.
According to Brooks, little progress has been made between the two sides in recent weeks and with Hayes’ hearing scheduled for Thursday, August 2nd, it seems the best case scenario now is a one- or two-year deal negotiated post hearing, while the more likely result is simply accepting the one-year award. Hayes is believed to be seeking between $5.5MM and $6MM per year on a long-term contract, which Brooks believes he could get on the open market. However, the Rangers don’t seem likely to make a commitment of that magnitude for Hayes and that might be a good call. The 26-year-old is a well-rounded center, but the Rangers are deep down the middle – for now – and Hayes has yet to crack 50 points in a season through four NHL campaigns and could regress from many of the career-high marks he set last season.
However, this still adds a new obstacle to the Rangers’ rebuild. A one-year contract for Hayes would make him an unrestricted free agent at the end of next season and thus a major trade deadline piece should New York struggle again in 2018-19. He would join Mats Zuccarello and possibly Spooner as impending free agents next summer who would be likely trade bait. The only problem is that trio could also be among the Rangers’ top scorers next season and could set the rebuild back even further if they end up making progress during the campaign, only to be dealt for picks and prospects. The Rangers rebuild was never going to be neat and tidy given their current composition, but after a smooth off-season to this point, Hayes is the first obstacle that signals some difficult choices coming up for New York.
Pacific Notes: Golden Knights Prospects, Juolevi, Gaudette
The Vegas Golden Knights are coming off an impressive inaugural season, capped off by a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. However, with the team adjusting its original five-year plan to a much shorter one, which was proven when they traded their 2018 first-round pick to Detroit to acquire Tomas Tatar, one would think that Vegas lacks quality young prospects. However, that’s far from the case.
SinBin’s Ken Boehlke breaks down the team’s top 21 skaters and top four goaltending prospects. The scribe’s criteria for qualifying includes prospects under 23 years of age, who have played fewer than 10 NHL games. However, while many people might be expecting center Cody Glass to hold the top spot, that isn’t the case. Boehlke hands that award to 2017 first-round defenseman Erik Brannstrom instead. The 5-foot-10, 173-pound blueliner is an outstanding skater who excels at stretch passes, something that the Golden Knights are very high on. He posted solid numbers in the SHL and is ready to come over to North America. Brannstrom has a chance to win a spot on the team, but due to Vegas’ depth on defense, it’s more likely that Brannstrom will start his season off in the AHL.
- With Vancouer’s Quinn Hughes planning to return to the University of Michigan, The Province’s Jason Botchford writes that 2016 first-round pick Olli Juolevi could get a chance to make the team now. With other bigger-named rookies like Elias Pettersson and Hughes around, Juolevi has been an almost forgotten man. However, Juolevi must prove that he belongs as the former fifth-overall pick has struggled with both the OHL London Knights as well as his TPS Turku team in the top league in Finland last season. However, Sami Salo, one of his coaches in Finland said that by the time the playoffs rolled around, Juolevi was the team’s top defenseman, suggesting he might be ready to come to the NHL and with a team full of average defenseman, he might just make it.
- NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin profiles the Vancouver Canucks’ Adam Gaudette, who has made it clear that he wants to make the Canucks roster out of training camp this year. The 21-year-old out of Northeastern University played five games for Vancouver after signing with the team, but failed to register a point. He will have his work cut out for him as the team signed three veterans to the team, which will likely force several youngsters to play in the AHL next season. However, Gaudette feels he’s ready. “I’ve always been kind of a guy who’s been looked down on, that won’t really get anywhere, but I embraced that, took that in and turned it around and used it as motivation,” Gaudette said. “I think that, no matter what, people are going to doubt [me] at every level. I’ve already heard it about the NHL and nothing would make me more satisfied than to just go in and prove them wrong.”
Central Notes: Blackhawks Propsects, Kane, Allen
The Chicago Blackhawks have come a long way over the last few years as the franchise has been forced to look for ways to develop young talent as their NHL club sits overloaded in bloated, unmovable contracts. Regardless, the team has done a solid job of integrating talent, including several key additions last year, most especially from Alex DeBrincat and the team was rewarded with a 28 goal season.
With the team’s development camp completed, The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required) ranks all 59 of Chicago’s prospects, which he defines as players who have played less than 82 NHL games and haven’t clinched a full-time role with the team yet. One area the team has focused on has been signing collegiate undrafted free agents and Powers’ top prospect is Northeastern University signee Dylan Sikura, who signed with the team on March 25. The 23-year-old winger completed four years at Northeastern, posting 43 goals in the final two seasons and added three assists in five late-season games with the Blackhawks. The scribe expects Sikura to establish himself immediately in the team’s top-six and be a permanent fixture for a long time.
- While not yet lumped in with likes of Brent Seabrook, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane saw his numbers decline a bit this past season, which the 30-year-old star has taken note of, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Jimmy Greenfield and Shannon Ryan. Kane played a full season, posting solid numbers with 27 goals and 76 points, but those numbers pale in comparison to the 34 goals and 89 points in 2016-17 or the 46 goals and 106 points in 2015-16. In fact, Kane failed to post a point a game for the first time since the 2011-12 season. Regardless, Kane has worked hard since the World Championships (after being named MVP) and has focused his training on lateral movement, speed and explosiveness. “The way players train now it’s unbelievable the amount of preparation and work that goes into an offseason,” Kane said. “But you’re definitely going to see results.”
- Although St. Louis Blues goaltender Jake Allen had said in April that he doesn’t intend to change his offseason training regimen after another turbulent season, the 27-year-old goaltender recently admitted that he has made some changes to his training this summer, according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (subscription required). Allen, who has seen his numbers get worse every year since he posted a 2.28 GAA in 37 games in 2014-15, to the point in which he had a 2.75 GAA last season, refused to admit what changes he’s made to his routine this year. “I’m not going to get into it too much, but there’s definitely a different mantra for me this summer,” Allen said. “It’s not wrapped around a specific time (of the season) or moment, but I’m really taking a lot of responsibility this summer for improving those things. I’m definitely trying a new approach this summer, and to be honest, things have actually been going really well — better than I thought I was going to take it, because I’m a pretty laid-back guy.”
Early Notes: Prospects, Moore, Matthews
The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has released his Top-50 NHL Prospects ranking (subscription required), listing the best drafted players under the age of 23. Wheeler’s list includes a short paragraph on every single one of the ranked players, and nearly 70 honorable mention players. There are some rankings that may surprise fans, but Wheeler explains that the biggest factor in his rankings is high-end skill, not necessarily proximity to the NHL or likelihood of getting there.
Number one on his list should come as no surprise, given that Rasmus Dahlin has been termed a “generational talent” by people all around the NHL over the past few months. While Wheeler isn’t comfortable handing out that exact term, he does rave about the Buffalo Sabres prospect and his potential to become the “best defenseman in the world.” That should bring a wave of smiles to Sabres fans, who have another prospect near the very top of the list as well.
- Dominic Moore is hoping to play again in 2018-19, but he doesn’t think it will be with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After suiting up for 50 games with Toronto last season, Moore was essentially replaced by Tomas Plekanec at the trade deadline and is still waiting for an opportunity around the league. He told TSN 1050 radio that he’s just being patient, given that he’s had long offseason waits before. Moore has played nearly 900 regular season games in his NHL career, and had 12 points last season for the Maple Leafs.
- Speaking of the Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews has begun talks with the team on a contract extension according to several reports including Luke Fox of Sportsnet. Matthews is heading into the final season of his entry-level contract and became eligible to sign an extension on July 1st. The star center is likely going to command a huge contract similar to the ones Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel have signed in past seasons, though the new Maple Leafs front office will have work to do making sure everything can fit into their salary cap. The team already handed out an $11MM cap hit to John Tavares and are still in negotiations with restricted free agent William Nylander on his next deal.
Are There More Moves Coming In Minnesota?
On Wednesday, the Minnesota Wild did what many thought wasn’t possible when they locked up high-scoring forward Jason Zucker on a long-term deal without putting themselves in an impossible situation with the salary cap. The team somehow managed to re-sign two young stars, both Zucker and Mathew Dumba, to a combined $11.5MM cap hit as well as add free agents Greg Pateryn, Eric Fehr, Matt Hendricks, J.T. Brown, Matt Bartkowksi, and Andrew Hammond all while maintaining some semblance of cap space. The team is projected to enter the season with $1.77MM in cap space and a roster that added talent while only losing the likes of Daniel Winnik and Matt Cullen.
The question now is: is it enough? While it never hurts to return the majority of a roster from a playoff team, there is some question as to whether the Wild are keeping up in the Western Conference arms race. The team has been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in each of the past three seasons and has still won just four playoff series in its 18-year history. Fans are clamoring for more than just regular season success and Minnesota – and new GM Paul Fenton – have instead opted to return the same team so far in an off-season where major changes were expected. Although the new contracts for Zucker and Dumba were more than fair and the team addressed needs for more physicality on the blue line with Pateryn and another option in net with Hammond, as well as adding veteran depth pieces, there will be some who are critical of an otherwise quiet summer.
With so little cap space, the Wild may find it difficult to make many additions in-season as well. As the projected 23-man roster currently stands, Minnesota does not seem to be facing many holes and will get an injection of youth in the form of full seasons for Jordan Greenway and Nick Seeler. However, after getting a glimpse of other prospects like Luke Kunin, Louis Belpedio, and Carson Soucy last season, the team will undoubtedly want to avoid leaving them in the AHL all year. The trio all carry $925K cap hits that exceed the salaries of those on the roster they are most likely to supplant and the result will be even more cap space eaten up. Without moving out some salary, Minnesota will be left hoping their young talent can make a major impact as they will otherwise struggle to add veteran difference-makers over the course of the year.
While observers will always point to the massive contracts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise as the contracts that Minnesota could most benefit from moving (although Suter is still one of the most reliable defensemen in the league), the team has also entertained offers for Jonas Brodin and Nino Niederreiter in the past and could do so again. While Eric Staal has been a revelation for the team, they could also look to move the pending free agent if they get off to a slow start and can land a younger asset in exchange. At the end of the season, it could be that this same Wild lineup plus some free agent additions and young players is enough to reverse their postseason fortunes. However, if they fall short again or, even worse, miss the playoffs, the team will finally have to make some major changes. It’s possible that the team gets ahead of that possibility by making some moves this off-season instead.
Pittsburgh Penguins Re-Sign Tristan Jarry
The Pittsburgh Penguins have their final restricted free agent wrapped up. The team has announced a two-year contract extension with backup goalie Tristan Jarry that carries a cap hit of only $675K: a $650K salary in 2018-19 and a $700K salary in 2019-20. On top of a friendly salary, the deal is also of a two-way nature this season before transitioning to a one-way contract next year.
It is unlikely that Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford could have done any better with this contract. The Penguins are perhaps in worse shape going up against the salary cap ceiling next season than any other team in the league. Pittsburgh currently has all but $1MM of their available cap space committed to a projected 23-man roster than looks unlikely to change much. The team already had to make a salary cap dump earlier this off-season, trading capable winger Conor Sheary to the Buffalo Sabres in order to also offload underacheiving defenseman Matt Hunwick. There have been some questioning how the team could re-sign one of the most well-regarded goalie prospects in the pros and not have to make another similar move. Yet somehow Rutherford was able to convince Jarry to sign a) for close to a minimum salary, b) for multiple years, and c) on a two-way deal in the upcoming year. For a 23-year-old former second round pick who has incredible AHL numbers and had a solid first NHL season in 2017-18 behind an injury-prone starter, that seemed impossible. If Jarry again appears in 26 or so games and posts a .908 save percentage and 2.77 GAA or better in either of the next two years, this contract will be an amazing value for the Penguins.
The Penguins may still not be off the hook, however. Jarry’s two-way contract and waiver exemption will make it easy for the Penguins to move him up and down through the organization to relieve starter Matt Murray and slated backup Casey DeSmith when necessary – and recent history has shown that Murray is likely to miss time at some point. Yet, call-up’s for Jarry, as well as players like Zach Aston-Reese, Jimmy Hayes, and Zach Trotman, will eat away at what little cap space the Penguins have. It may be possible for them to get through the season as currently structured, but if Rutherford wants some more flexibility to maneuver his roster, don’t be surprised if another cap-relieving trade is still completed at some point. Until then though, Rutherford deserves some credit for locking up all of his restricted free agents and putting together a well-rounded roster given his uncomfortable cap scenario.
Several NHL Prospects Included In Finland Summer Showcase Roster
The World Junior Summer Showcase rosters for USA Hockey have already been released, and today we got a look at one of the countries they’ll have to face next week. Finland has released their final roster for the tournament and it includes several players already drafted by NHL clubs.
Rasmus Kupari, the first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings this past June, is listed with the group and should have a good shot at being one of the leaders on the squad. His skill and ability at center ice should allow him to thrive, though he’ll still be just 18 when the winter tournament is underway. Interestingly Jesperi Kotkaniemi is not on the listed roster, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be on the World Junior team in December. There will still be plenty of changes to the roster, but this group will get the chance to prove their worth next week in Kamloops, British Columbia.
There are a pair of 2019 draft eligible standouts to watch in Anttoni Honka and Kaapo Kakko, as both are potential picks near the very top of the draft. Though there’s no guarantee the 17-year old players make the final cut, they are extremely exciting talents that should be interesting to see a glimpse of against some of their similarly-aged peers.
The full roster is below:
G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (BUF, 54th overall, 2017)
G Lassi Lehtinen (undrafted)
G Filip Lindberg (undrafted)
D Toni Utunen (VAN, 130th overall, 2018)
D Santeri Salmela (undrafted)
D Aleksi Anttalainen (undrafted)
D Saku Vesterinen (undrafted)
D Otto Latvala (undrafted)
D Oskari Laaksonen (BUF, 89th overall, 2017)
D Joona Riekkinen (undrafted)
D Anttoni Honka (2019 eligible)
F Ville Petman (undrafted)
F Erkka Seppala (undrafted)
F Eetu Pakkila (NJD, 203rd overall, 2018)
F Aleksi Klemetti (undrafted)
F Teemu Engberg (undrafted)
F Linus Nyman (undrafted)
F Jesse Koskenkorva (undrafted)
F Sampo Ranta (COL, 78th overall, 2018)
F Aarne Talvitie (NJD, 160th overall, 2017)
F Kristian Tanus (undrafted)
F Kaapo Kakko (2019 eligible)
F Rasmus Kupari (LAK, 20th overall, 2018)
F Olli Maansaari (undrafted)
F Janne Jokinen (undrafted)
Matvei Guskov Signs With London Knights
It’s never too early to start keeping tabs on the top prospects for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, and now teams around the league will be able to get a much closer look at one of the very best. Matvei Guskov, who could potentially go in the first handful of selections next June, has signed with the London Knights of the OHL for the 2018-19 season, according to agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey. Guskov fell to 42nd in the recent CHL import draft because of doubts he would come to North American this season, but is an incredibly skilled center prospect that should find success quickly in the junior ranks.
This comes after the Knights also convinced Chicago Blackhawks top prospect Adam Boqvist to sign for this season, giving them another elite weapon on the blue line. Evan Bouchard, the team’s captain will also be back after being selected 10th overall by the Edmonton Oilers, unless his training camp is good enough to earn him a spot in the NHL right away. The Knights are notorious for getting players to sign with them unexpectedly, and have developed countless NHL players throughout the years.
Central Notes: Blackhawks, Toews, Kyrou, Makar
For a rare change of pace, the Chicago Blackhawks prospect camp was dominated by the team’s defensive prospects, which included several big names including 2018 first-round pick Adam Boqvist. The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required), who posts his 20 takeaways from development camp, writes the most important fact is that of all their blueline talent, four of those players have the potential to develop into top-four talent, including Boqvist, 2017 first-rounder Henri Jokiharju. 2018 first-rounder Nicolas Beaudin and 2017 second-rounder Ian Mitchell.
That’s a big improvement for a club that hasn’t produced a top-four defenseman since they drafted Niklas Hjalmarsson back in 2005. The team has had multiple failures when drafting defenseman in the first two rounds since then or have traded them in deals to improve their NHL club instead, including Simon Danis-Pepin (2nd-2006), Akim Aliu (2nd-2007), Dylan Olsen (1st-2009), Justin Holl (2nd-2010), Stephen Johns (2nd-2010), Adam Clendening (2nd-2011), Dillon Fournier (2nd-2012) and Carl Dahlstrom (2nd-2013).
- NHL.com’s Tracey Myers writes that Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews hit the ice for the second time this offseason last week and said he is working on little parts of his game to improve after a slightly down season last year that saw the Blackhawks miss the playoffs. While his 20 goals and 52 points were solid, his progression has shrunk in each of the last two seasons. “I think the biggest thing is just feeling good and getting back to feeling strong and fast,” Toews said. “As I’ve mentioned a few times, it’s just getting rid of old injuries and just feeling healthy again. I’m kind of taking advantage to work in that area.”
- In a mailbag series, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeff Gordon writes that top prospect Jordan Kyrou, who has finished up his junior career, will have a tough time earning a spot in the St. Louis Blues’ rotation next season after the team went out and acquired David Perron, Tyler Bozak, Patrick Maroon as well as the potential return of Robby Fabbri from injury. With the exception of an amazing training camp, Kyrou is likely to start the season with the team’s AHL affiliate. Kyrou, who posted 39 goals and 109 points with the OHL’s Sarnia Sting last season, should be ready contribute soon as injuries at some point will likely allow the team to give Kyrou some time with the NHL club.
- Rick Sadowski of NHL.com writes that Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar believes he needs more time in college before he is ready to step into the NHL. Makar, the Avalanche’s 2017 first-round pick (fourth overall), struggled out of the gate at the University of Massachussetts – Amherst, but started to pick it up in the second half of the season and improved even more after a stint at the World Junior Championship. “I had very high expectations going into my first NCAA season,” said Makar. “I’m very tough on myself. I think I’m my biggest critic. I want to work on my consistency. I struggled with that a little bit last year.”