Atlantic Notes: Krug, Fabbri, Moore
While there has been plenty of debate on what the Boston Bruins should do with pending UFA defenseman Torey Krug this summer, there are other factors that the team must consider besides the team’s salary cap situation in the future.
The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa (subscription required) writes the Bruins also need to consider the upcoming Seattle expansion draft as well. The scribe writes that if Krug is retained, the team is more likely to protect four defensemen in Krug, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo and Matt Grzelcyk. The problem is the team would then only be able to protect four forwards, including Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak and either Charlie Coyle or Jake Debrusk. One of those two would likely be picked by Seattle.
However, if the team opted not to brink back Krug, the team might be able to choose the 7-3-1 protection format instead, which would allow Boston to protect those three defensemen (minus Krug) and then protect up to seven forwards, which might include two more forwards such as Danton Heinen and Anders Bjork as well.
- Despite expecting to have some cap space this offseason, the Detroit Red Wings do have an inordinate number of restricted free agent forwards. In fact, the team has 11 RFAs they will have to deal with this summer. The Athletic’s Max Bultman (subscription required) examines some of the forwards and what their chances of coming back are. While Anthony Mantha‘s status isn’t in doubt and Andreas Athanasiou status could end in a trade, there still are a number of forwards who could be fighting for a contract. The scribe writes that of all those forwards, many who must have solid campaigns this season, Robby Fabbri has definitely earned himself another contract with the Red Wings. The 23-year-old has established himself immediately with the team, posting 10 points in his first 13 games with the franchise. While it remains a long season and his offense could drop off, he has enough potential that it’s very likely the team will bring him back.
- Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said the team could be getting back forward Trevor Moore soon, according to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. The 24-year-old has been out since Nov. 15 with a shoulder injury, but Keefe said that Moore could make his return by the end of the team’s current four-game road trip that starts today, which could put him on schedule to return at some point next week. Moore has averaged 14:00 per game and has three goals and five points in 21 games as a bottom-six forward.
Poll: What Should The Seattle Team Be Called?
We’re still nearly two years away from seeing the Seattle expansion franchise in action, but fans across North America and abroad are already extremely excited for the NHL’s next team. The same thing happened with the Vegas Golden Knights, with plenty of speculation leading up to their November 2016 announcement.
That was a little under a year before the Golden Knights debuted in the NHL, meaning we might have to wait quite a while to learn of Seattle’s moniker. Still, today we got a little closer when the team announced that they had sealed the final five options in the Space Needle 100th anniversary time capsule. Unfortunately that capsule won’t be opened until 2062, meaning fans will have to wait and wonder what name they’ll be chanting during the 2021-22 season.
If you could name it, what would you choose? We’ll run another one of these polls in the future as we get closer to an announcement, but there’s nothing better than early speculations. We’ve included some of the most popular options down below, but make sure to leave your own ideas in the comment sections and explain why you’d choose it!
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Snapshots: Wright, Seattle, Percy
The Canadian rosters for the 2019 World U17 Challenge have been released, a group that includes 15-year old OHL star Shane Wright. Wright was granted exceptional status to join the CHL a year early, following the footsteps of John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid and Sean Day.
While it hasn’t worked out quite so well for Day yet—he continues to play in the New York Rangers minor league system—the other three were first-overall picks and quickly turned into NHL stars. Wright is trying to follow that path and he’s off to a great start, recording nine points in 12 games for the Kingston Frontenacs so far despite being more than five years younger than some of his opponents.
- The Seattle expansion franchise might not have a name just yet, but they’ve whittled down their options. The team announced today that the final five names were included in the Space Needle’s 100th anniversary time capsule, leading to a new round of speculation. There have been countless suggestions from fans since the team was officially announced, but there hasn’t yet been an indication of what it will be.
- Stuart Percy has signed a professional tryout with the Belleville Senators, rejoining the team he spent part of last season with. Selected in the first round of the 2011 draft, Percy was once a promising young defensive prospect but never quite found his legs at the NHL level. The 26-year old has scored three points in 12 total games.
West Notes: Laine, Seattle, Strome
Jets winger Patrik Laine battled inconsistency throughout most of last season with a significant portion of his 30 goals last season coming in November where he scored 18 times. Beyond that month, he struggled considerably at times and admitted to NHL.com’s Tim Campbell that the stress of not having a contract beyond the end of the year was getting to him. With a lot of top players now bypassing the bridge deals altogether, there’s a lot more pressure knowing that the big money contract can be on the horizon. However, his inconsistencies ultimately resulted in him having to take a short-term pact but he certainly seems more comfortable now as his ten points in five games give him a tie for the early league lead in scoring.
More from the West:
- While Seattle has their GM in place already in Ron Francis, don’t expect them to be naming a head coach for a while. In an appearance on TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports that the window for the expansion franchise to name a head coach probably won’t open up until January 2021. That would still be three months earlier than when Vegas made Gerard Gallant their first bench boss.
- Blackhawks winger Alex DeBrincat wasted little time signing a three-year extension earlier this month but it appears that Dylan Strome will be waiting a while for his. Mark Lazerus of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that there have been no discussions regarding an extension between the team and Strome’s representatives. That shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise given that his track record of success is much smaller; it’s understandable that Chicago will want to see if his strong performance with them after joining them from Arizona carries over to this season before making a commitment towards getting a new deal done.
Pacific Notes: Seattle, Canucks, Puljujarvi, Palmu
The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft is still two full seasons away, but the Seattle expansion team is not messing around in the meantime. If early indications hold true, Seattle will make their presence felt in the NHL long before they actually become an official club. On Thursday night, the second night of the new campaign, Seattle is already out scouting the competition – or more likely the 2021 free agent class and possible Expansion Draft offerings. The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro reports that, presumably for the first time, a Seattle scout is at a game in an official capacity. Former NHLer Stu Barnes is set to watch the Boston Bruins and Dallas Stars square off, two talent-laden teams who will likely have tough decisions to make come expansion time. However, this is likely just the beginning. Expect Barnes and company to be a fixture at games for the next two years.
- With the Hurricanes’ Jordan Staal and Maple Leafs’ John Tavares recently joining the elite group that is NHL captains, the number of teams without a captain has shrunk even further. The Vegas Golden Knights have yet to name the first captain in franchise history, while the New York Rangers have also been without a captain since 2017-18. Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, and Vancouver Canucks have holdover vacancies from last season. However, this group is about lose yet another member. Canucks head coach Travis Green has stated that the team will formally announce their new captain ahead of their home opener on October 9. Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini confirmed as much today, stating that he, Green, and GM Jim Benning saw leadership begin to develop last season and feel they are ready to name a captain. Vancouver has already named four alternates – Alexander Edler, Bo Horvat, Brandon Sutter, and Chris Tanev – and the odds are that the new “C” will be one of the current “A”’s. If the team wants to reward loyalty and establish a veteran leader, Edler is the likely choice. If they want to anoint a young core player as the man to take the team into the future, Horvat will be the selection. Those two have a better chance than Sutter or Tanev, both of whom have seen their roles on the team questioned over the last year or so, but anything is possible.
- Speaking with Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes in his latest “31 Thoughts” column that it is his impression that the team is simply waiting and hoping for a better return on disgruntled prospect Jesse Puljujarvi. Puljujarvi followed through on his threat and signed in Europe this off-season when the Oilers wouldn’t trade him. Since then, Edmonton has shifted their focus solely to moving out the young winger, but only at a fair price. Friedman writes that Holland can only hope that Puljujarvi’s trade stock gets a boost from his performance in Finland. Thus far, Puljujarvi has seven points in eight games for the Liiga’s Karpat, which puts him in the top-20 scorers early on, but not exactly at the top. Friedman does mention some actual names – for the first time – that came up in trade talks this summer but were seemingly dismissed by Edmonton: a trio of forwards including the Carolina Hurricanes’ Julien Gauthier, the St. Louis Blues’ Klim Kostin, and the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Alexander Volkov.
- Another NHL prospect staying in Europe for a while longer is the Canucks’ Petrus Palmu. After news emerged on Wednesday that he was likely to be officially loaned to JYP of the Liiga, the Finnish club confirmed the transfer today. Palmu, a 2017 sixth-round pick who signed his entry-level contract in 2018 and played briefly in the AHL to begin last season, will continue to develop overseas for another year at least. Now officially signed with JYP, Palmu is set to make his season debut this weekend.
AHL Approves Palm Springs Expansion Club
The NHL may be moving into Seattle, but the AHL is headed to Palm Springs. The minor league Board of Governors announced today that the Seattle expansion group has been granted an AHL franchise located in Palm Springs, California that will begin playing in the 2021-22 season. AHL President David Andrews released a short statement:
On behalf of the AHL’s Board of Governors, I am thrilled to welcome the NHL Seattle and OVG ownership teams and the city of Palm Springs as the league’s 32nd franchise. Palm Springs has all the makings of an outstanding hockey market, and will further strengthen the growing base of our sport in California.
The team will give California another professional hockey team to continue the strong footprint the sport has developed across the state, while also providing another Pacific Division team for the AHL. Getting their own AHL affiliate from the very beginning was a priority for the Seattle group, who will use it to develop their young talent after they enter the league.
Minor league reporter Mark Divver tweets that the Palm Springs team will likely be allowed two additional veteran slots in their first year, also giving the Seattle team a chance to stock up on depth in the expansion draft and provide the AHL club with some experience and skill right from the beginning.
Seattle Hires Team Of Pro Scouts
The Seattle expansion franchise has hired a group of five professional scouts, adding more names to their growing front office. Stu Barnes, Ulf Samuelsson, Dave Hunter, John Goodwin and perhaps most notably Cammi Granato have all joined the team.
Granato becomes the first female pro scout in the NHL years after becoming one of the most decorated hockey players in USA Hockey history. The former forward captained team USA for many years and took home two Olympic and nine World Championship medals over her career. Granato is married to NHL analyst and former star forward Ray Ferraro and is the sister of Don and Tony Granato, both coaches after their own professional playing careers. The family is hockey royalty in the United States, and Cammi was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011.
The rest of the group includes several other familiar names, including Samuelsson who played his early career with the Hartford Whalers alongside Seattle GM Ron Francis. He also served as Charlotte Checkers head coach for a time while Francis was running the Hurricanes, and was last employed under Joel Quenneville with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Seattle Hires Ricky Olczyk As Assistant GM
The Seattle expansion team now has a third member of their hockey operations department. The club has hired Ricky Olczyk as an assistant general manager, serving under GM Ron Francis. Olczyk spent last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but has previous experience as an assistant GM alongside Francis with the Carolina Hurricanes and served for several years in the same capacity with the Edmonton Oilers. He’ll join Francis and director of hockey administration Alexandra Mandrycky in the expansion team’s front office for the time being.
Bringing in Francis with so much runway before their inaugural season in 2021-22 gave the Seattle group the ability to slowly watch the market and pounce on front office candidates that may come available, but the first hire is one that comes with plenty of familiarity. Olczyk (who is the brother of former NHL player Ed Olczyk) spent four years beside Francis with the Hurricanes, slowly building the foundation for the team that broke out last season and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Carolina minor league and development system was extremely strong during that time, though much of that credit has to go to former Charlotte Checkers coach and GM Mike Vellucci, who is now with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.
Even including that run with the Hurricanes however, Olczyk’s time as an NHL assistant GM hasn’t been very successful. Hired by the Oilers in 2007, Olcyzk was part of an organization that had continual turnover and that failed to reach the postseason in any of his six years with the team. In fact, given that the Hurricanes only made the playoffs after he left the organization, Olczyk’s career as an AGM still doesn’t have a single postseason appearance in it. The blame for both team’s failures obviously can’t be placed on Olcyzk alone, but he’ll have to hope that a fresh start in Seattle will bring more success.
Morning Notes: Seattle, Matthews, Tkachuk
The Seattle expansion franchise have announced few new employees including GM Ron Francis, but fans across the hockey world are waiting for another kind of announcement–the team’s name. That might be coming sooner than you think, as CEO Tod Leiweke explained on a Facebook Live broadcast yesterday (via NHL.com):
We’re working on it every day. I think it’ll be the first quarter of next year, perhaps around the All-Star Game (Jan. 24-26 in St. Louis) when there’s a reveal.
I had names a year ago that if pressed into launching in 2020, we would have been ready. But we’re so much better positioned because we’re now learning not just what we are, but what we’re not, and that’s really going to inform the name.
The team’s nickname has been a constant question from readers here at PHR, with suggestions like Kraken, Metropolitans and Sockeyes all thrown around. We’ll have to wait just a little longer to find out who will be hitting the ice in 2021 alongside the league’s other 31 teams.
- Auston Matthews is ready to take over as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs if the team decides to offer it to him, but he’s happy if someone else is the choice. The Maple Leafs center spoke with Craig Morgan of The Athletic (subscription required) while practicing at home in Arizona and noted that there are several excellent options to be the next Toronto captain. The team has operated without one since trading away Dion Phaneuf in 2016, but now that their young core has a little more experience in the NHL it may be time to sew on the “C.” Among other things, Matthews also explains that his biggest goal for this season is staying healthy and playing in all 82 games, something he has failed to do the last two years.
- Speaking with TSN at the Hockey Night In Brampton event this week, Calgary Flames forward Sean Monahan gave his thoughts on the ongoing Matthew Tkachuk negotiations. Monahan says he’s “not too concerned” about the fact that Tkachuk is unsigned and believes that the young forward won’t want to miss any of training camp. The 21-year old Tkachuk exploded offensively last season, racking up 77 points in 80 games while still being the irritating physical presence he has become known for.
Snapshots: Djoos, Seattle, Hyman, Oilers
The one-year, $1.25MM contract that Capitals defenseman Christian Djoos received from an arbitrator came in a little higher than the team hoped given their current salary cap situation. That has led some to speculate that Washington may look to move the blueliner but NBC Sports Washington’s J.J. Regan cautions that it’s an unlikely scenario. The 24-year-old is coming off of a tough injury-plagued season so his trade value isn’t particularly high at the moment. If the Caps decide to try to waive Djoos to bury most of that contract in the minors (something they might do with recently re-signed center Chandler Stephenson), any interested team may simply wait to pick him up for free over parting with a negligible asset to get him.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- With Seattle now having their GM in place in Ron Francis, the focus has shifted back towards what the team name will be. Francis told NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika that the hope is to have that in place by early next year while also mentioning that they’ve received no shortage of interest from people looking to work for the expansion franchise. While they don’t begin playing until the 2021-22 season and won’t be able to draft anyone until 2021, Francis has already started his scouting duties at the ongoing World Junior Summer Showcase.
- Maple Leafs winger Zach Hyman told the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan that his recovery from ACL surgery is going well but stopped short of suggesting he’d be ready to go by training camp. He underwent the procedure in late April and it carries a typical six month recovery period. Even if he winds up recovering ahead of schedule, the prudent move may be for them to still have him start the season on injured reserve to be on the safe side.
- The Oilers are expected to invite undrafted prospect Jaxon Bellamy to their upcoming rookie camp, notes Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal. The 18-year-old spent last season with Sherbrooke of the QMJHL, recording 16 points and 48 penalty minutes in 60 games.