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Montreal Canadiens Recall Arber Xhekaj

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Though it was already expected, the Montreal Canadiens have officially placed Paul Byron on long-term injured reserve and recalled Arber Xhekaj from the minor leagues. Byron is now out for at least 24 days, though his actual return is still completely indefinite.

The 33-year-old has been crushed by injuries the last several seasons, an unfortunate end to what was a pretty impressive story. Selected in the sixth round in 2007, he was an undersized offensive player from the QMJHL that needed to revamp his game to make it in the NHL. After several years grinding through the minor leagues in the Calgary Flames organization, he found a home and quickly became an NHL regular.

In 2016-17, he reached a career-high with 22 goals and 43 points, becoming a reliable even-strength scoring threat for the Canadiens. Overall, he has 98 goals and 208 points in 521 games. His contract, which carries a $3.4MM cap hit, will expire at the end of the season.

Xhekaj, meanwhile, has been the talk of training camp with the Canadiens. The 21-year-old undrafted defenseman is a mean, physical presence on the ice that seems to have absolutely no fear. The 6’4″ bruiser may not ever be a Norris candidate but with excellent skating ability and NHL size and strength, he quickly became a fan favorite in Montreal.

With the team focused on the future, young players like Xhekaj will get a great opportunity with the Canadiens this season. Byron’s contract gives the team a little more flexibility to work with, at least until he finds a way to get back on the ice.

Tyson Hinds Signs With Anaheim Ducks

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Tyson Hinds to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. Financial terms have not been disclosed.

Hinds, selected 76th overall by the Ducks in the 2021 NHL Draft, has been an impressive performer throughout rookie camp and preseason. The team made an extra effort to select him at the draft, trading their 2022 third-round selection to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for the pick.

A 2003-born player, Hinds will return to the QMJHL for 2022-23, where he’s spent the last three seasons of his career with three different teams (Shawinigan, Rimouski, Sherbrooke). In 2021-22, split between Rimouski and Sherbrooke, Hinds had 12 goals, 23 assists, and 35 points in 61 games. He added a goal and three assists for four points in 11 playoff games for Sherbrooke.

Training Camp Notes: Stone, Biakabutuka, Mangiapane

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Injury troubles plagued the Vegas Golden Knights last season, something they can ill-afford a repeat of in 2022-23. There’s some good news on that front regarding one of their star players, though, as right wing Mark Stone skated in a contact jersey today for the first time during training camp.

The Golden Knights will count on Stone to have a rebound year as their captain, especially with their offensive depth thinning. The 2021 Selke Trophy finalist and 2019 runner-up played in just 37 games due to injury last season, registering nine goals, 21 assists, and 30 points. Hopefully, the serious back injuries that plagued him last season don’t become a long-term issue for the 30-year-old.

  • Somewhat of a rarity these days, a player attending camp on an amateur tryout might do well enough to earn a contract within the organization. Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes that the Red Wings have been impressed with defenseman Jérémie Biakabutuka, with head coach Derek Lalonde complimenting his skating and compete level. The 20-year-old is set to return to the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders next season but could receive an NHL entry-level contract from Detroit or receive an AHL offer from the Grand Rapids Griffins when his season is over.
  • Calgary Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane was a full participant in camp today after missing the first four days of group skates with what the team called a “minor lower-body injury.” He made his return to scrimmages skating on a line with newcomer Nazem Kadri, a role he’s likely to reprise in the regular season as well. Mangiapane is coming off a career-high 35 goals and 55 points.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/24/22

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As the preseason begins today, some teams are beginning to immediately trim their rosters as we inch closer to the start of the regular season next month. At this point in time, most cuts will be teams returning players to their junior or European teams as those leagues get their seasons underway. While some players’ training camp stays may just be a day or two, it’s still an invaluable experience for both the player and team to be active in their development.

Calgary Flames (via team release)

F Jack Beck (to Ottawa, OHL)
F Cole Huckins (to Sherbrooke, QMJHL)
D Cole Jordan (to Moose Jaw, WHL)
D Cameron Whynot (to Halifax, QMJHL)
F Evan Boucher (released from ATO, to Halifax, QMJHL)
D Jake Lee (released from ATO, free agent)
D Christoffer Sedoff (released from ATO, to Red Deer, WHL)
F Cooper Walker (released from ATO, to Guelph, OHL)

New York Rangers (via team Tweet)

F Sam Alfano (to Erie, OHL)
F Maxim Barbashev (to Moncton, QMJHL)
F Jayden Grubbe (to Red Deer, QHL)
F Bryce McConnell-Barker (to Soo, OHL)

This page will be updated throughout the day

Yevgeni Kashnikov Signs In KHL

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The San Jose Sharks will have to wait to see Yevgeni Kashnikov in North America again. The 2021 draft pick has signed a two-year contract with Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk of the KHL, ending his time in the QMJHL.

Kashnikov, selected 199th overall last year, was already an overage prospect who will turn 20 in December. He recorded 13 goals and 32 points in 62 games for the Gatineau Olympiques last season, playing both defense and forward. His 6’6″ frame and love of physical hockey made him a feared opponent (especially at the junior level), as Jacob Mathieu found out in March, when the two dropped the gloves.

With his return to Russia, Kashnikov’s exclusive draft rights will now be held indefinitely, meaning the Sharks can wait and see if he turns into something worthy of an NHL contract. For a seventh-round pick that is nothing more than a lottery ticket, this is actually sort of a beneficial thing for the team. Had he stayed in North America, Kashnikov’s rights would have expired next June as a player drafted out of the CHL.

Now, he’ll get to use that size in the KHL and see if he can develop a bit more, while the Olympiques gain another import slot to fill. Marcel Marcel, who they selected 42nd overall in this year’s import draft, arrived yesterday.

Calgary Wranglers Announce Name, Sign Five Players

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After announcing their name yesterday, Calgary’s AHL affiliate has signed five players to AHL contracts for 2022-23. Formerly known as the Stockton Heat, the Calgary Wranglers will begin play at the Scotiabank Saddledome next season.

The five players signed were goalie Daniil Chechelev (whose NHL rights are owned by Calgary), defenseman Simon Lavigne, center Mitch McLain (signed to a two-year deal), defenseman Rhett Rhinehart, and center Brett Sutter.

Chechelev, just 21, was Calgary’s 96th overall selection in the 2020 draft. He played last season in Stockton on an AHL deal, having yet to sign his entry-level contract. He was sent to the ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks for the vast majority of the season, where he compiled a 12-12-5 record, 3.64 goals against average, .894 save percentage, and one shutout. He sits fifth on the organization’s depth chart behind Oscar Dansk and Dustin Wolf, and he’ll likely be loaned back to the ECHL this season.

Lavigne joins the Wranglers after serving as the captain of the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada last season, notching six goals and 30 assists for 36 points in 65 games. McLain, 28, signs a two-year pact in Calgary after scoring 17 goals in 76 games last season with the Milwaukee Admirals. Rhinehart posted 27 points in 53 games last year as an alternate captain with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades. Sutter joins his father’s organization after spending the last five seasons as the captain of the Ontario Reign.

Looking Back At The First Round Of The 2005 NHL Entry Draft

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On this date 17 years ago, the first round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa. It was the league’s first major event since the lockout that cost them the entire 2004-05 season ended just over a week prior, and considering the draft’s top prize, there was added intrigue.

With the lack of regular-season standings to determine the draft order, the league implemented a snake draft system to make things more equitable for teams in later rounds that didn’t fare so well in the draft lottery. One team that did fare well that night, though, was the Pittsburgh Penguins, who cemented a 15-plus year run of success by drafting future captain Sidney Crosby with the first overall pick.

Five players selected that night went on to appear in at least 1,000 NHL games, including Crosby. One was 2022 Stanley Cup Champion Jack Johnson, taken third overall by the Carolina Hurricanes. Johnson never played a single game for Carolina, though, as he was traded the following offseason to the Los Angeles Kings along with defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky in exchange for defenseman Tim Gleason and center Eric Belanger.

Johnson wasn’t the only player from the first round to play meaningful games for the Kings, though. The team selected two-time Stanley Cup champion and future captain Anze Kopitar with the 11th overall selection. Another thousand-gamer was selected directly after him when the New York Rangers picked defenseman Marc Staal 12th overall, while Johnson’s teammate on the 2022 Avalanche, forward Andrew Cogliano, was selected 25th by the Edmonton Oilers.

One name from that night who could still join the 1,000-game club was St. Louis Blues selection and current Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie. Taken 24th overall, he only needs 100 more appearances to hit the mark.

Future Stanley Cup-winning skaters weren’t the only future legends drafted that night, though. Two of the greatest goalies in recent memory were drafted that night, with the Montreal Canadiens selecting Carey Price with the fifth overall pick and the Toronto Maple Leafs selecting Tuukka Rask with the 21st overall pick, of course prior to trading him to the Boston Bruins the following season.

Just three players selected that night, all taken within four picks of each other, would never make an NHL appearance. Slovak forward Marek Zagrapan, drafted 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres, played just three years in the organization with two different AHL affiliates, scoring 20 goals there just once. At 35 years old, Zagrapan is still active, playing the 2022-23 season in the French Ligue Magnus.

Directly after him, the Washington Capitals took Canadian defenseman Sasha Pokulok with the 14th overall pick. The first overage player taken in the draft, he’s arguably the biggest bust of the night. He never spent a full season in the AHL, bouncing up and down between there and the ECHL for four seasons after turning pro in 2006. He failed to make a notable impact in Europe, too, only lasting one season in the DEL (2010-11) before floating around various lower-level leagues in Eastern Europe and Quebec.

Lastly, there’s Canadian winger Alex Bourret, taken by the Atlanta Thrashers at 16th overall. A short but strong power winger, Bourret had a very successful junior career in the QMJHL that just didn’t translate. His North American career fizzled out quickly after a strong start in the AHL, but after being traded twice (first to the Rangers, then to the Coyotes), he had just 14 points in 48 AHL games during his final season there in 2008-09.

Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Maatta, Nadeau

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With the Maple Leafs showing as being over the cap by nearly $1.5MM per CapFriendly, many expect them to be among the teams looking to make a cap-shedding trade over the coming weeks.  However, Sports Illustrated’s David Alter suggests that such a move isn’t necessarily needed right away, even when RFA defenseman Rasmus Sandin re-signs.  With the offseason cushion in place for another couple of months, there’s still some time to work with and by the end of training camp, things could change from an injury standpoint.  Alternatively, Toronto could opt to carry a 20-player roster which, depending on which players are waived and potentially sent down, could narrowly get them compliant to start the season, especially if Sandin settles for a low-cost one-year deal.  At this point, it’d be a little surprising if Toronto didn’t find a way to create a little cap flexibility but they still have some time to work things out.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Although Olli Maatta signed a one-year deal with the Red Wings, he told reporters including Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press that his intention is to be with Detroit for the long haul. The 27-year-old has seen his value dip in recent years compared to his early seasons with Pittsburgh although he was still able to get $2.25MM from Detroit and a chance at a spot in their top four.  Top prospect Simon Edvinsson might be up with the Red Wings at some point next season so Maatta will have a limited window to show that he’s worthy of that role and a longer-term agreement with Detroit.
  • Sabres prospect Olivier Nadeau underwent shoulder surgery last week and will miss the next four-to-six months, reports Jean-Francois Plante of Le Droit. The 19-year-old had a strong showing with QMJHL Shawinigan last season with 78 points in 65 games while adding four goals and two assists at the Memorial Cup.  Nadeau was traded to Gatineau this summer but some of that return will be rescinded as a result of the extended absence; a clause was put into the trade in case surgery was needed.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Josh Jacobs, Spencer Smallman

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As the reigning Stanley Cup Champions worked on bringing back two key players in Valeri Nichushkin and Josh Manson, they also brought in two depth pieces in that of forward Spencer Smallman and defenseman Joshua Jacobs, the team announced. Smallman’s contract runs for two years, while Jacobs’ is just for one. The Jacobs contract is a two-way deal, worth $750K at the NHL level and $265K in the minors, says PuckPedia. Smallman’s contract is worth $750K in the NHL this season, rising to $775K next season, according to PuckPedia. In the minors, the contract will pay Smallman $350K this season and $400K next season, but does guarantee him $400K this season regardless.

A fifth-round pick of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015, Smallman has spent his professional career between the ECHL and AHL levels in the Hurricanes’ system. This season, the 25-year-old had 27 points, 10 goals and 17 assists, in 65 games for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Prior to his pro career, Smallman spent five years as a member of the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, his best and final season coming in 2016-17, where he notched 30 goals and 49 assists in 60 games.

Once a top prospect in the New Jersey Devils organization, Jacobs hasn’t lived up to the expectations set for him after he was drafted 41st overall in 2014. Quite the opposite of Smallman, Jacobs made his way through three leagues before turning professional, starting with two seasons in the USHL as a member of the Indiana Ice before heading to college at Michigan State University for a season, finishing his amateur career with a season in the OHL as a member of the Sarnia Sting. Since then, Jacobs has spent most of his career playing in the AHL with the Devils, making a couple of appearances in the NHL with New Jersey. 2021-22 was Jacobs’ first season outside of the Devils organization, as he played for the Chicago Wolves, an affiliate of the Hurricanes.

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