Senators Notes: Nilsson, Hainsey, Prospects
The Ottawa Senators will be without Anders Nilsson for a while, as GM Pierre Dorion told TSN radio that the goaltender has suffered a concussion. Nilsson has been excellent for the the Senators this season even with a leaky defense corps, putting up a .909 save percentage and 9-9-2 record.
Craig Anderson will be back in the net for the Senators, but Nilsson is going on injured reserve.
- The team also is dealing with a minor injury to Ron Hainsey, after the 38-year old logged at least 24 minutes in each of his last four games. Hainsey is going to be out until after Christmas, a tough break for a Senators group that is already missing Nikita Zaitsev and Dylan DeMelo. Maxime Lajoie will be recalled to give them another option on the roster.
- Still, that leaves the Senators without many healthy defensemen on NHL contracts in the organization. With that in mind, Dorion admitted that they are considering recalling Lassi Thomson or Olle Alsing, who are both playing in Europe. While the team obviously doesn’t want to give up future assets for NHL players right now, they may be forced to if the injuries continue.
Coyotes Notes: Hall Extension, Burke, Soderstrom
Taylor Hall stated in his conference call with the media this afternoon that he was excited to be joining the Arizona Coyotes and would be open to an extension with the team prior to July 1st. Of course, no one would’ve expected any less from the blockbuster acquisition. In reality, there is likely some work to be done before Hall would agree to a long-term deal in the desert. In fact, he stated outright that he and Coyotes GM John Chayka have a mutual understanding that they will let things play out before beginning contract talks. First and foremost, the team’s playoff pursuit will play a major role in how Hall enjoys his time with the team this season and how he views their Stanley Cup odds moving forward. Hall mentioned several times in his call that he was looking forward to the prospect of getting back to the playoffs and was excited by the jump from the basement-dwelling Devils to the Pacific-leading Coyotes. The star winger has played in just five postseason games in his NHL career and joining a club that looks destined not only to make the playoffs, but potentially even win a round, could be enough to hook Hall in to a longer stay. However, how Arizona makes the playoffs will matter as well. While the ‘Yotes have held their own so far this season, if Hall feels like he had to carry the team into the playoffs as he did the 2017-18 Devils, he could look to move elsewhere to a more balanced roster. For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski says that the vibe he got from Hall on the conference call was that Arizona was not going to be a long-term stay, but Wyshynski acknowledges that there is still plenty of time for him to change his mind. “It’s always nice to feel wanted,” Hall stated, which is a sentiment that will likely only grow as Hall finds his place on an upstart Coyotes franchise that, like himself, is lacking in playoff experience and excited at the potential of this season, especially after swinging this deal.
- CapFriendly was quick to point out after the Hall trade was consummated that, even with New Jersey retaining 50% of his salary, the team was over the salary cap ceiling as currently constituted. The team resolved that situation shortly thereafter, announcing that forward Brayden Burke has been reassigned to the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners. Burke, 22, had been on a tear in the minors with 24 points in 24 games to open the season. He had only just earned his first NHL call-up on Friday and had yet to make his Coyotes debut. But when a star like Taylor Hall is available, plans change and Burke will have to wait to show what he can do at the top level.
- With many not so impressed by the return the Devils received for Hall, several sources have stated that the Coyotes top prospects, Barrett Hayton and Victor Soderstrom, were never even on the table. Soderstrom, the team’s 2019 first-round pick, is likely even more untouchable after today’s trade. Having dealt Pierre-Olivier Joseph to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Phil Kessel trade and now Kevin Bahl to New Jersey, the team’s defensive pipeline has lost two of its biggest names. Soderstrom and Filip Westerlund now sit atop a list that otherwise counts long-term collegiate projects as its top talent. In all likelihood, Arizona will not be looking to make a major deal including prospects of Soderstrom’s caliber any time soon, but you can be sure that the young Swedish defender isn’t going anywhere regardless.
Prospect Notes: Clague, Romanov, Bilyalov
The Los Angeles Kings have recalled Kale Clague for the first time in his career, reassigning Paul Ladue to the Ontario Reign in the meantime. Clague, 21, is in his second professional season with the Kings organization after an outstanding junior career that saw him win two medals at the World Juniors (one gold, one silver as part of Team Canada), gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky tournament and earn the WHL Top Defenseman award in 2018.
The left-handed Clague was selected 51st overall in 2016 but has found plenty of success so far with Ontario, scoring 44 points in 79 games over his first two seasons. Though there is still room for development in the young defenseman, he’ll get a crack at the NHL for the first time.
- Speaking of young defense prospects, the Montreal Canadiens seem confident that Alexander Romanov will indeed come over to join their organization after his KHL contract ends this season. That’s what GM Marc Bergevin expressed to reporters today after recently visiting with Romanov in Russia. The 19-year old is under contract through April 2020 with CSKA Moscow.
- That’s not the only young KHL player who might be coming to the Atlantic Division. Luke Fox of Sportsnet reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs have shown interest in KHL goaltender Timur Bilyalov. The 5’10” netminder has been outstanding this season for Kazan Ak-Bars, posting a .957 save percentage through 16 games. He’ll turn 25 before the end of this season, but could potentially add some depth to a Maple Leafs goaltending depth chart that currently has a sizable gap between starter Frederik Andersen and 21-year old top prospect Joseph Woll.
Toronto Maple Leafs Loan Rasmus Sandin To Team Sweden
Despite some question as to his availability, the Toronto Maple Leafs have decided to loan young defenseman Rasmus Sandin to Team Sweden for the World Junior Championship after all. Sandin will return to the tournament after recording four points in five games for the Swedish entry last year.
After Maple Leafs defenseman Tyson Barrie suffered an injury on Saturday night, there were reports that Sandin may need to be called up to Toronto if the ailment proved serious. Sandin began the year with the Leafs, recording two points in six games, but the team opted to send him to the AHL Marlies where he could be guaranteed ice time and special teams responsibilities. Yet, he still remains one of the club’s top call-up options in case of injury. There has been no word on Barrie’s status yet, but clearly the team felt they could deal with any potential absence without Sandin’s assistance.
Sandin has played well in his second pro season, registering two goals and 12 points in 18 games with the Marlies. The 2018 first-round pick projects to be a top-four defenseman down the road, but for now the team does not need to rush him at the expense of proper development. Playing in hte WJC against similarly skilled young prospects will be another great opportunity for growth for Sandin. It will also give he and several teammates for Sweden a chance at redemption, after the team was stunned in the quarterfinals last season after entering the tournament as the favorites.
Adam Boqvist Not Joining Team Sweden
After already deciding that Kirby Dach wouldn’t be heading to the World Junior Championship later this month, the Chicago Blackhawks have come to the same conclusion regarding Adam Boqvist. The young defenseman will not join Team Sweden for the event and has been replaced by Arizona Coyotes prospect Victor Soderstrom on the roster.
Boqvist, 19, played his ninth game of the season for the Blackhawks last night, getting 15 minutes of ice time in a loss to the St. Louis Blues. The Blackhawks collapsed in the third period to blow a 3-0 lead and now sit at 12-15-6 on the season. Despite their team struggles, management has obviously decided that getting Dach and Boqvist more NHL experience is more important than any success they could have overseas against other junior-aged players.
Interestingly, the next game that Boqvist plays for the Blackhawks is an important one. It would trigger his entry-level contract for this season, making him a restricted free agent in the summer of 2022. That is already the case for Dach, who now has 27 NHL games under his belt since going third overall last June.
Soderstrom meanwhile will get an exciting opportunity in Boqvist’s place. The 11th overall pick from 2019, Soderstrom is already one of the most polished two-way defensive prospects in the game. Already with most of a season under his belt at the SHL level a year ago, he’s back at the highest level in Sweden this season and finding great success. With nine points he leads all defenseman in scoring for Brynas, despite having played just 15 out of their 24 games. He’ll join an elite Swedish defense corps that still may get Rasmus Sandin from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Snapshots: Kings, Moore, Honka
Los Angeles Kings prospects Rasmus Kupari and Tobias Bjornfot were both named to their respective country’s World Junior rosters last week, but seeing as both are under contract and playing in the AHL, the duo had to officially be loaned by the Kings to participate. That permission officially came down today, as L.A. announced that Kupari would play for Finland and Bjornfot would play for Sweden in the upcoming WJC tournament. Bjornfot, a first-round pick back in June, played in three games with the Kings earlier this season and has eight points in 20 games with the Ontario Reign. The athletic defenseman joins an impressive unit on the blue line for Sweden at the WJC. Kupari, L.A.’s top pick two years ago, played for the Gold Medal-winning Finnish entry in last year’s WJC, recording five points in seven games, and overall enjoyed a strong season in his native country. However, his first season in North America has gotten off to a slow start, with just seven points in 24 AHL games for the talented forward. While there was no indication in the Kings’ release, Kupari could be a candidate to remain overseas following the tournament. But first he will join another star-studded Finnish roster in pursuit of a repeat title.
- With the Boston Bruins playing the Washington Capitals tonight in the first of a back-to-back set that includes a match-up with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, Connor Clifton has drawn back into the lineup. The Boston Globe’s Kevin Paul Dupont reports that John Moore, who just recently made his season debut following off-season shoulder surgery, will be eased back into regular action, according to head coach Bruce Cassidy. Splitting back-to-backs or occasional nights off could become commonplace for the veteran defender. The Bruins are more cognizant than most when it comes to the value of healthy defense, as they struggled with continuous injury issues on the back end last season and are still waiting on the return of Kevan Miller. Cassidy recently stated that the Bruins are a better team with Moore active, even though it causes a surplus of lefties in the lineup, but that could mean he prioritizes keeping Moore healthy long-term rather than playing him in every game and risking re-injury to his damaged shoulder. Fortunately, the team has the luxury of young Clifton, who played well in Moore’s stead to begin the year and is more than deserving of spot starts.
- Before the calendar flipped to December, making him ineligible to play in the NHL this season, it seems the trade market for unsigned Dallas Stars RFA defenseman Julius Honka was not as dead as it seemed. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that the Carolina Hurricanes were the team with the most interest in the enigmatic rearguard and were in heavy pursuit. However, the team ultimately decided that they were not willing to meet the Stars’ demand of draft picks or young, unsigned prospects rather than a fellow AHL prospect. Ironically, the Hurricanes drafted Honka’s younger brother, Anttoni, in the third round this past year, which could keep them interested in the elder Honka this off-season.
Trade Rumors: Hall, Galchenyuk, Penguins
While New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero has stated that he won’t pigeonhole teams into one specific type of return for superstar winger Taylor Hall, it’s safe to say that the eventual trade won’t be a one-for-one deal like the infamous trade that sent Hall to New Jersey in the first place. In fact, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that the belief around the league is that it will take at least four pieces to acquire Hall. That could be current NHL players, contracted prospects, prospect signing rights, or draft picks, but one way or another it seems that the Devils are seeking a large return not just in quality but in quantity for their best player. Of course, Johnston also adds that conversations thus far have mostly been one-sided, with Shero encouraging teams to make offers, but not yet diving in with any one suitor. That has not stopped rampant speculation though that the Colorado Avalanche are the heavy favorites to land Hall, given their contender status, ample cap space, and depth in picks and prospects. Not only does Johnston echo this sentiment, but he states that there is some belief that the Avs intend to try to land Hall prior to the league’s holiday trade freeze in late December. Other teams rumored to be in the mix include the Arizona Coyotes, New York Islanders, and a possible return to the Edmonton Oilers. But in all likelihood, the only team without some interest in having the Hart Trophy winner on their roster after the trade deadline is New Jersey.
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that another name that has hit the rumor mill is Pittsburgh Penguins forward Alex Galchenyuk. Galchenyuk has been a poor fit in Pittsburgh since coming over in the Phil Kessel trade this summer, an idea all but confirmed by GM Jim Rutherford in recent comments about the team being unsure of his place in a healthy lineup. The impending UFA is being shopped and Friedman states that at least one team confirmed to be interested is the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres have been on the hunt for forward help all season and it makes sense that they could be intrigued by buying low on Galchenyuk. However, Buffalo is currently outside the playoff picture, tied for tenth in the Eastern Conference. If they were to acquire Galchenyuk, it would likely be a scenario that required an extension agreement. This could complicate the process and could lead the Penguins to consider other teams looking for a pure rental and able to make the deal sooner rather than later.
- Of course, the question would then become what the Penguins do next. Rutherford is not the type to squander excess cap space and would look to use Galchenyuk’s $4.9MM absence to his advantage. While the Penguins are currently short-handed on the blue line without the injured Brian Dumoulin, it is doubtful that they would have any interest in taking back a long-term defenseman. Instead, the Penguins could seek a rental defenseman (Buffalo’s Marco Scandella or Zach Bogosian perhaps?) or could try to add a forward who can replace the production that they expected from Galchenyuk this season. If the Penguins opt to replace Galchenyuk in a separate deal, the Rangers’ Chris Kreider and Senators’ Vladislav Namestnikov are players with similar cap hits and production profiles to Galchenyuk who will be available.
WJC Notes: Gustafsson, Switzerland, USA
With December underway, it is officially U-20 World Junior Championship season and teams have begun to announce their preliminary camp rosters for the tournament beginning later this month. When Sweden made its reveal on Wednesday, the roster was incomplete, as the team was hoping to add some other players to the list once they were granted permission to compete by their NHL clubs. Among those players the Swedes are hopeful to bring in is Winnipeg Jets forward David Gustafsson. Gustafsson, 19, played on the highly-hyped Swedish entry last year that faltered in the quarterfinal round of the tournament and the team would like to bring him back for another try. However, the 2018 second-round pick has surprisingly emerged as a regular in his rookie season with Winnipeg, already skating in 22 games. That’s not to say that Gustaffson is excelling in the NHL – he has just one point to date – but he is a piece that the Jets have relied upon. For that reason, The Athletic’s Murat Ates relays from head coach Paul Maurice that the team will put their own needs this season ahead of Gustafsson’s individual developmental needs when it comes to deciding whether or not to loan him to Team Sweden. If the Jets feel that they would be short-handed by losing the rookie for several weeks over the course of the WJC, the team will likely opt to keep him, despite his lack of production. However, Ates does not believe that this will be the case. Citing the recent waiver claim of Nick Shore and the improving health of several sidelined forwards, Ates feels that Winnipeg will wind up sending Gustafsson to the WJC, where they hope he can re-discover his scoring touch against more equal competition. After the tournament, the Jets could bring him back, but Ates would also not be surprised if he finishes the year out in Sweden, for the same developmental reasons. The decision will be made, one way or another, in short time.
- Switzerland has announced their preliminary roster for the upcoming World Junior tournament, which includes a number of NHL prospects. The Swiss made a surprise run to the semifinals last year with a young, unheralded roster. This year, they will bring much of that core group back in hopes of taking another step forward. Goaltenders Akira Schmid (NJD) and Luca Hollenstein will be back, as will top defensemen Nico Gross (NYR) and Tim Berni (CLB) and talented forward Valentin Nussbaumer (ARI). However, youth could be the x-factor again for the Swiss in the form of two highly-regarded draft prospects. Forward Simon Knak of the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks is expected to be a mid-round pick in 2020 and could play a key scoring role at the WJC. Potentially even more exciting is the inclusion of 17-year-old defenseman Giancarlo Chanton of the OHL’s Niagara Ice Dogs, already being talked about as a first-round pick in 2021. The Swiss will again be an intriguing dark horse in this year’s tournament.
- With Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, and Canada having already announced their preliminary rosters, attention now turns to the Americans. Team USA suffered a heart-breaking loss in the final last year to a Finland team that they had beaten earlier in the tournament and are out to get what narrowly eluded them this year. Following a historic 2019 draft class, this year’s entry could be an embarrassment of riches for the U.S. and the team is certainly making the most of their official roster announcement. USA Hockey will reveal their WJC squad on the NHL Network in a 4:00pm ET segement on Monday featuring head coach Scott Sandelin. The excitement will likely only continue to build after that until the puck drops on this year’s tournament.
Minor Transactions: 12/06/19
The NHL has just five games on the schedule for this evening, including Phil Kessel‘s return to Pittsburgh and a matchup of two last place teams in New Jersey. As teams prepare for a big weekend, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- The Florida Panthers have recalled Aleksi Saarela for the first time since acquiring him from the Chicago Blackhawks in late-October. Saarela has now amazingly been traded three times in his short career but is still waiting for his first NHL opportunity. The 22-year old was picked in the third round by the New York Rangers and was originally part of the deal for Eric Staal in 2016.
- Jonathan Davidsson, another one of the Ottawa Senators’ top prospects, has been recalled to the NHL once again. The 22-year old forward was part of the return for Matt Duchene last season and made his debut for the club earlier this year.
- Because the Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t playing today, they’ve sent Cory Conacher back to the minor leagues. Conacher has served as injury insurance the last while for the Lightning, but Alex Killorn was healthy enough to suit up last night.
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Filip Zadina as expected, after giving him the week with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Red Wings had several days off between games, during which Zadina played another AHL game to stay fresh.
- Boo Nieves is on his way back to the AHL, assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack by the New York Rangers today. Nieves has played four games in the NHL this season but is still more of a minor league depth option at this point.
- Cameron Schilling has been returned to the Manitoba Moose without playing in a single game for the Winnipeg Jets. The 31-year old defenseman has just ten NHL games over his career, four of which came last season with the Jets.
- Otto Koivula has been returned to the AHL after playing fewer than five minutes in his last game for the New York Islanders. The young forward is an interesting prospect, but was seeing so little ice time in his first NHL season that the minor leagues may still be best for his development.
- Nikolay Goldobin has been returned to the AHL after playing just a single game for the Vancouver Canucks since his recall two weeks ago. The 24-year old has been great at the minor league level once again, but can’t seem to get himself a chance at the NHL.
Top Prospects Lead Team Russia WJC Roster
The IIHF World Junior tournament is just a few weeks away, and after Finland and Canada released their rosters yesterday, Russia has followed suit today. The hockey powerhouse routinely uses a roster of almost all 19-year olds at the tournament, but one young goaltender will have a chance to show why he’s in contention for the first-overall draft pick in 2020.
The full training camp roster is as follows:
Goaltenders:
Yaroslav Askarov (2020 eligible)
Amir Miftakhov
Daniil Isayev
Defense:
Danila Galenyuk
Mikhail Gordeyev
Danila Zhuravlyov (COL)
Yegor Zamula (PHI)
Nikita Zorkin
Anton Malyshev
Daniil Misyul (NJD)
Daniil Pylenkov
Alexander Romanov (MTL)
Sergei Telegin
Forwards:
Nikita Alexandrov (STL)
Dmitry Voronkov (CBJ)
Maxim Groshev (2020 eligible)
Grigori Denisenko (FLA)
Pavel Dorofeyev (VGK)
Kirill Marchenko (CBJ)
Ivan Morozov (VGK)
Vasili Podkolzin (VAN)
Egor Sokolov
Nikita Rtischev
Maksim Sorkin
Lev Komissarov
Ilya Kruglov
Alexander Khovanov (MIN)
Zakhar Shablovsky