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Snapshots: Gaudreau, Wingels, AHL Signings

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Johnny Gaudreau was on Philadelphia CBS radio this morning, and gave a quote that partially stopped the hearts of many Calgary Flames fans listening in.

I’ve got a ton of family here, all my friends…all my friends come back here, all my good friends and kids that I’ve played with my whole life are from South Jersey. It would be sweet to play here some day. You never know in sports, but there’s a lot of support back here in South Jersey and the Philly area.

This can probably be put up there with Drew Doughty’s comments on playing in Toronto from earlier this offseason, as something said just to appease the listeners of the radio program Gaudreau was on at the time. After all, he did sign a long-term deal with the Flames last summer and said at the time that he’d like to play his whole career with Sean Monahan in Calgary if he could. Still, it’s something to remember for the summer of 2022 when a 28-year old Gaudreau is destined to be an unrestricted free agent.

  • The Blackhawks got some bad news today, as Tommy Wingels suffered a broken foot during his offseason training and will miss 6-8 weeks of the offseason. He is still expected to be ready for training camp, though missing two months of his offseason is never a good thing. Wingels was brought in on a one-year deal by the Blackhawks this summer to help fill out their bottom six with affordable veterans, after a season in which he produced just 12 points. It’s been a steep fall from his career-high of 38 in 2013-14, and he is best suited to a fourth line role at this point.
  • The Toronto Marlies added a player from development camp earlier today, and also re-signed Alex Gudbranson to a two-way minor league deal. Gudbranson spent a few games with the Marlies at the end of last season on loan from the Minnesota organization, but will join Toronto full-time next year.
  • Darryl Sutter won’t be in the Los Angeles Kings organization next season, but his son will. Brett Sutter, the former Calgary Flames prospect has re-signed with the Ontario Reign on an AHL contract. He scored 36 points with the Reign last year, after coming over from the Iowa Wild in 2016.

Snapshots: Tatar, McNeil, Umberger, Tuulola

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Tomas Tatar’s arbitration hearing took place this morning, at the conclusion of which the arbitrator was given 48 hours to reach a decision on his salary for next season. Tatar cannot be awarded a two-year contract through arbitration since he will reach unrestricted free agency next year, but as Craig Custance of The Athletic points out could still work out a long-term deal with the Red Wings before the decision come in. We saw a similar situation play out in 2014 with P.K. Subban, who had his hearing with the Montreal Canadiens before signing an eight-year contract a day later.

Last week it was reported the two sides were still quite a bit away in terms of an agreement, with Tatar turning down a five-year $25MM contract. While they may have worked closer to a deal, a one-year decision through arbitration would likely spell the forward’s end in Detroit. Tatar would immediately hit the trade block if he hadn’t already, with many teams likely after him as a rental piece as the season went on. If Ken Holland and the Red Wings didn’t think they could get a deal done, they would have to look long and hard at any proposals for Tatar that would improve the club long-term.

  • The Syracuse Crunch have signed Reid McNeill to an AHL contract, taking him away from the St. Louis organization where he spent 2016-17 and adding him to the Tampa Bay Lightning affiliate. McNeill was a sixth-round pick of the Penguins in 2010, but has never been able to turn his size and defensive ability into a tryout at the NHL level. In 61 games last year split between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and Chicago Wolves, he registered ten points.
  • Dallas Stars beat writer Mike Heika of SportsDay held a Q&A with readers and answered all sorts of questions regarding the Stars and their big offseason moves. One of them revolved around R.J. Umberger, who has signed a professional tryout with the team after a full year away from the game. Heika believes the invitation to camp is more of a friendly opportunity handed out by Umberger’s former coach in Ken Hitchcock than a real tryout for the Stars this season. If Umberger can show he’s healthy and rejuvenated, a successful camp under a familiar system could look good around the league. Now 35, Umberger could potentially sign a one-year contract with performance bonuses, though those kinds of deals come with risks as well.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have re-signed Yannick Veilleux on a two-way minor league deal. The contract will pay different amounts depending on whether Veilleux plays in the AHL or ECHL this season. Veilleux spent last year in the Montreal system bouncing between the two leagues, finding some success with St. John’s. Selected in the fourth round by the St. Louis Blues once upon a time, he’s still waiting for his first chance at the NHL level.
  • The Calgary Flames will watch Eetu Tuulola return to Finland for the upcoming season, leaving the Everett Silvertips where he had played in 2016-17. Tuulola was a sixth-round pick of the Flames in 2016 and tried his hand in the Canadian junior ranks with 31 points in 62 games. He’ll play for HPK in Finland’s Liiga next year, a professional team that can offer a bit more development opportunity than Everett.

Snapshots: Shattenkirk, Fortin, Klee

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While it had been rumored for quite some time before Kevin Shattenkirk signed with the New York Rangers that the free agent defensemen only wanted to play in the Northeast because of the proximity to his home, he mentioned two other things when discussing his decision at a press conference today. One, the potential for the Rangers to really compete right away in the Metropolitan division, and two the chance to play with Ryan McDonagh.

As Matt Calamia writes for NHL.com, Shattenkirk and McDonagh have played together at various tournaments for many years, and the newest member of the Rangers is excited to get started. It doesn’t hurt that legendary New York defenseman Brian Leetch was his favorite player growing up, someone many Rangers fans hope he emulates for the next four years.

  • Chicago Blackhawks prospect Alexandre Fortin is three weeks removed from sports hernia surgery according to Scott Powers of The Athletic, but is expected to be ready for the start of training camp in September. Fortin was invited to the Hawks’ development camp last summer and earned himself an entry-level contract despite having been passed over in multiple drafts. Now 20, Fortin has an outside chance at even making the Chicago roster out of camp if he shows up and impresses as much as he did last year. More likely he’ll head to the AHL and keep developing, waiting for a chance with the NHL roster.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have hired Ken Klee as an assistant coach for their AHL squad this season, his first coaching job in men’s professional hockey. Klee had been the head coach for the US Women’s National Team for several years coaching them to gold at both the 2015 and 2016 World Championships. In 934 NHL games, Klee registered 195 points and 880 penalty minutes.

Snapshots: Yakupov, Olympics, Meier

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When Nail Yakupov didn’t receive a qualifying offer from the St. Louis Blues this spring, many people around the league believed it may take a move overseas to find new life in his career. We even wrote on the subject here on PHR, saying that a move back to the KHL seemed like his best option. Yakupov was clear that wasn’t his goal, and instead he secured a one-year, $875K contract from the Colorado Avalanche who may prove to be an even better fit.

Andi Duroux of BSN Denver takes an incredibly thorough—and extremely insightful—look into the career of the 2012 first-overall pick, and how that career can get back on track with last year’s last place team. Yakupov should have every opportunity in Colorado to show he can still produce offensively, but will need to show he can play in both ends of the rink to take advantage of his immense potential. If he does, he could be in for a big raise next summer.

  • While rumors of the NHL having a backup plan to still possibly go to the 2018 Olympics seem far-fetched, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet does bring us some news on that front. It looks like players that are on AHL-only contracts will be allowed to represent their country in the games, but not those on two-way deals currently playing in the AHL. It will be interesting to see if a player who has signed his entry-level contract but is playing in the junior ranks would be included in this, but either way that leaves some interesting names for the potential squad. While Team USA may be made up of many collegiate players, other more veteran options with international experience like Peter Mueller, who was playing on an AHL deal with the Providence Bruins last year could be considered. For Team Canada, recent CHL free agents like Darren Raddysh and Stefan LeBlanc could join the veterans playing internationally.
  • A question that has come up several times in our Live Chats is that of a potential replacement for Patrick Marleau in San Jose. After the long-time Shark signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency, fans of the team were looking around hoping someone would be brought in to replace his spot in the top six. Kevin Kurz of CSN was asked a similar question about how the lines will shake out, and he projected Timo Meier to take the left wing spot beside Logan Couture on the second line. That would be a big responsibility for the 20-year old Meier, after making his NHL debut this season with just six points in 34 games. The ninth-overall selection in 2015, he has all the makings of a top-line power forward but has yet to put it all together and find any consistency in his game.

Snapshots: Vegas, Hajt, Zalewski

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If you hadn’t heard yet, the Vegas Golden Knights are doing just fine financially. Owner Bill Foley made that abundantly clear in a recent interview with Mark Ewing of Forbes, saying that the team has already sold 13,500 season tickets for this season, plus all the luxury suites and most of the opera boxes. Foley claimed that the Golden Knights are ahead of teams like the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins in terms of ticket revenue at this point, ranking number “five, six or seven” in the entire league.

Obviously, a brand new product in a city that has been waiting for professional sports for some time is going to be a hot ticket. How the Golden Knights perform in the first five years will make a huge impact on how the fan base grows organically, but they have at least one thing going for them when Foley said clearly: “There is no budget.”

  • The Buffalo Sabres announced the coaching staff that will join Phil Housley behind the bench next season, bringing back Tom Ward and hiring Chris Hajt as assistant coaches. Hajt has been working with the Manchester Monarchs and Ontario Reign of the AHL the past few seasons, but has strong ties to Housley and the team. Hajt’s father Bill played for the Sabres with Housley, and was even his defense partner for a time.
  • After the Vancouver Canucks decided not to issue a qualifying offer to Michael Zalewski this summer, the 24-year old has taken his talents to Europe and signed with the Straubing Tigers of the German DEL. Zalewski got into one game with the Canucks this year, but hasn’t been able to make an impact at the NHL level. The undrafted forward will play with his brother, former New Jersey Devils pick Steven Zalewski in Germany for the upcoming season.

Snapshots: Umberger, O’Brien, McLean

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After a full year away from the NHL, R.J. Umberger has signed a professional tryout with the Dallas Stars for camp this fall. Umberger was bought out of the last year of his deal in 2016, but according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch will be brought in with former coach Ken Hitchcock to training camp.

It would be quite a story to see Umberger get back on the ice, as he at one point was one of the more consistent scoring wingers in the league. In the four seasons stretching from 2008-2012, Umberger scored 94 goals and 198 points and was a shining star in Columbus. His career quickly fell apart after heading to Philadelphia, before a buyout would push him out of the league entirely. Now 35, he’ll try to show that he has a bit left in the tank.

  • The Washington Capitals have signed their last remaining restricted free agent, inking Liam O’Brien to a one-year two-way contract. O’Brien will earn $650K at the NHL level, but that would be a big jump for the undrafted forward. O’Brien has just 14 NHL games to his name, and just a single one over the past two seasons. It’s hard to see him making enough of an impact to get a bigger role for the Capitals this season.
  • The Iowa Wild have hired Brett McLean as an assistant coach for this season, giving him his first crack behind the bench. McLean just finished his playing career after a couple of seasons in Austria, the last stop on a long winding road. Drafted by Dallas in 1997, McLean never played for the Stars but did suit up for 385 NHL games. An incredibly talented offensive player, he was undersized before it was common in the league, and would eventually take his talents to Europe and be a big part of the developing Swiss NLA. He’ll come in and help the Minnesota Wild’s AHL franchise now, trying to pass on a little of that offensive knowledge to their young players.

Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Gonchar, Canucks

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have been the subject of much confusion this summer, as the team works under the confines of the salary cap despite two huge contracts for players that won’t play this season. Joffrey Lupul and Nathan Horton and their $10.55MM combined cap hit are destined to sit out the season with long-term injuries, but many believed that the Maple Leafs had work to do to be cap compliant before the season began.

As James Mirtle of The Athletic explains, and GM Lou Lamoriello confirmed to reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN today, the team is using off-season LTIR for at least one of those players in order to remain under the cap. That means Toronto’s cap ceiling is increased, leaving room for a new Connor Brown contract at some point this summer.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have added another former player to their coaching staff full-time, bringing Sergei Gonchar in as an assistant. Gonchar had already been working as a part-time development coach for the club, but will join Mark Recchi and Jacques Martin as assistants next year. Even after losing Rick Tocchet to the Arizona Coyotes, the Penguins have an extremely experienced staff that should be able to fill the roles quite well. Gonchar, 43, is only a few years removed from an outstanding playing career that saw him suit up for over 1300 games.
  • The Vancouver Canucks will have a new ECHL affiliate this season, inking a one-year deal with the Kalamazoo Wings. The Canucks had been affiliated with them before, though the last two seasons the K-Wings have been tied to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning. They’ll house some distant prospects for the Canucks next season, and try to get back to the playoffs for the fifth straight season.

Snapshots: Sieloff, Archibald, Buchberger

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The Ottawa Senators have announced an extension for defenseman Patrick Sieloff. The two sides have agreed to a one-year, two-way deal worth $650K at the NHL level. Sieloff, 23, has just one NHL game under his belt, back with the Calgary Flames in 2015-16, but the  stay-at-home defender posted a career-high 12 points last year with the AHL’s Binghamton Senators this past season. A second-round pick in 2012 and the sole return for the Senators from the Alex Chiasson trade, it makes sense that Ottawa would like to retain the valuable Sieloff, even if he is developing slowly. However, there are sure to be many Sens fans upset at the extension news. Sieloff is best known in Ottawa as the player who boarded Clarke MacArthur, just returning from missing most of the 2015-16 season with a concussion, during a Senators’ preseason scrimmage, causing yet another concussion which kept him out most of 2016-17 as well. It was not the best start to Sieloff’s Senators tenure, but clearly not enough for the organization to turn on him.

  • The AHL’s Utica Comets, the minor league affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, announced that they have re-signed forward Darren Archibald to a one-year deal. Archibald, a big, physical right wing, also found his scoring touch last season, setting the Comets’ franchise goal-scoring record with 23 goals. Although Archibald was only in the NHL for 16 games, a brief stint with the Canucks during the 2013-14 season, he’s made a name for himself with their affiliate. Archibald is second in team history, albeit for a young Comets franchise, in games played, goals, and points and first in penalty minutes. Another strong season on both offense and defense could earn Archibald another NHL look.
  • The New York Islanders made official the hiring of Kelly Buchberger as an assistant coach today, a move that has been in the works since before the end of the 2016-17 season. Buchberger, like Archibald, was a big, physical right wing with a knack for scoring goals, only Buchberger did it in the NHL for 17 years. He has also served as an assistant coach and vice president of player development for the Edmonton Oilers in recent years, the city he played in for the bulk of his career. A two-time Stanley Cup winner and a former NHL captain, Buchberger bring experience and leadership to Doug Weight’s young coaching staff.

Snapshots: Hyman, Mazanec, Faksa, Avalanche

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The Maple Leafs handed out a four-year contract for one of their depth players on Wednesday, inking Zach Hyman to a $9MM deal. While the deal will keep him as one of the lower paid forwards on the team, CapFriendly reports that it also includes a limited no-trade clause in the final two seasons.

Hyman will submit a list of ten teams that the Maple Leafs cannot trade him to, a clause it seems is included in every contract given out this year. The 25-year old winger grew up a Leafs fan in Toronto and has strong ties to the community, and has been clear this is where he wants to play out his career if possible.

  • Marek Mazanec has cleared waivers, giving the Nashville Predators even more leverage in his soon to be scheduled arbitration hearing. The Maple Leafs employed a similar tactic with Peter Holland last season before his arbitration hearing, eventually signing him to a $1.3MM deal that was closer to their submitted $900K offer than his requested $2.1MM. The Minnesota Wild did a similar thing with Jordan Schroeder before getting him to agree to a two-way deal. It had been previously suggested that the Predators were going to move on from Mazanec, but after issuing him a qualifying offer and him filing for arbitration, it’s unclear where the two sides stand.
  • Sean Shapiro of NHL.com speculates that Radek Faksa’s next deal will be of the bridge variety and come in around $2.5MM per season. The young center is coming off his first full season with the Dallas Stars, in which he registered 33 points and became a big part of their forward group. The 23-year old is still not arbitration eligible, and is several years away from unrestricted free agency. A bridge deal of two years would allow both sides to re-evaluate where his career stands at 25, and negotiate a long-term deal that would buy out free agent years. The Stars also don’t have much cap room for anything longer, as they find themselves close to the upper limit after signing Martin Hanzal and Alexander Radulov.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have hired Ray Bennett as an assistant coach, and Jussi Parkkila as the team’s new goaltending coach. Parkkila has been rumored for a while, as he is close with Semyon Varlamov and has worked extensively with him in the past. Bennett on the other hand comes from the St. Louis Blues organization after a decade with the club, and brings a long track record of NHL experience.

Snapshots: Kane, Mazanec, Dineen

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In one of the latest examples of using analytics to suss out extra information about the NHL’s top players, Travis Yost of TSN tries to determine who the league’s best overall shooter. Combining both volume and shooting percentage, Yost comes to a conclusion of Chicago’s Patrick Kane as the top sniper.

Interestingly, seeing names like Jannik Hansen on the bottom of the list underlines why analytics are such a divisive subject around the hockey world. While some teams may see that as an opportunity for an under-utilized scorer, others may point to his inclusion as evidence that the “eye-test” is more reliable. Whatever you believe, the article is an interesting look into what makes an elite shooting threat in today’s NHL.

  • Marek Mazanec finds himself on waivers today according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports, just a day after filing for arbitration with the team. The Predators were expected to part ways with Mazanec after signing Anders Lindback and Matt O’Connor, making his arbitration filing odd in the first place. Though Lavoie did not expand on the transaction, the waivers could precede a release from the organization though why the team extended him a qualifying offer in the first place is still unclear.
  • The Rochester Americans have hired an assistant coach to work with Chris Taylor this season, bringing Gord Dineen in from the Toronto Marlies. Dineen has been in the AHL as an assistant or head coach for the past 15 years, and will join his eighth different club. The Amerks will try to turn things around under new leadership, as recently Randy Sexton was lured from the Pittsburgh Penguins to be the club’s new GM.

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