Snapshots: PWHPA, Barbashev, Hoglander
In May, some of the top women’s hockey players in the world announced the formation of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association in their ongoing fight for more resources and support for their sport. The same way that the NHLPA protects players’ rights and fights for larger pieces of the financial pie, the PWHPA was meant as a “a vehicle dedicated to promoting and supporting the creation of a single, viable women’s professional league in North America.”
Today, the PWHPA has announced that Jayna Hefford has been named operations consultant, essentially taking over leadership of the union. The legendary women’s hockey star has been at the forefront of the sport both on the ice and as a former commissioner of the CWHL before it’s dissolution recently. Hefford is one of the most decorated Canadian hockey players of all-time, taking home four Olympic and seven World Championship gold medals over her career. She was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.
- The St. Louis Blues still have some unfinished business this summer with unsigned restricted free agent Ivan Barbashev. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express passes on a report out of Russia that has Barbashev looking for a two-year, $4MM deal with the Blues, while the team has offered just a two-year, $2.6MM contract. A report recently had Barbashev looking at his overseas options, though no decision has been made at this point.
- Nils Hoglander will spend another season in Sweden according to Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet, who reports that the Vancouver Canucks discussed a contract with the young prospect but won’t sign him this offseason. The 18-year old forward was selected with the 40th pick of the 2019 draft and can continue to develop in the SHL in 2019-20.
Snapshots: Puljujarvi, Cassidy, Marner
Another day, another controversial translation regarding Jesse Puljujarvi and his future with the Edmonton Oilers. This time the unhappy restricted free agent spoke to Finnish television station Lamari, saying (through a translation of a Sporten article) that he wants a chance at playing a top-six role in the NHL with another team where he could get 15 minutes of ice time every game.
Despite the Oilers changing both their front office and coaching staff this offseason, it seems as though Puljujarvi and agent Markus Lehto have dug in and won’t return to the club regardless of potential contract offers. The 21-year old has played in 139 NHL games since being drafted fourth overall in 2016 but has just 37 points and failed to secure a top-six role in Edmonton even with their lack of talent on the wing. He will likely play in Finland if he can’t find a new club in the NHL or reach some agreement with the Oilers.
- Bruce Cassidy has done an excellent job since taking over as head coach of the Boston Bruins, leading the team to a 117-52-22 record. Now Joe McDonald of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that the team has started negotiating a contract extension that would keep him in Boston past the end of his current deal. Cassidy’s contract is set to expire after the 2019-20 season. While the team failed to secure the Stanley Cup this year after reaching the finals against the St. Louis Blues, there’s no doubting Cassidy’s influence and success so far. It seems almost inevitable that a deal will get completed to keep him with the Bruins at some point.
- Though today’s news that Mitch Marner has spoken to the Zurich Lions of the NLA came with plenty of suspicion that the representatives for the Toronto Maple Leafs forward are simply trying to move things along, Igor Eronko of Sport-Express rightly points out that the winger’s rights were never drafted in the KHL meaning he could potentially sign with any team there. That could potentially mean a bigger payday than the Lions could ever offer if Marner was really set on playing overseas, though obviously he has not been linked to the KHL at this point. James Mirtle of The Athletic was on TSN radio to discuss the restricted free agent situation, and still maintained that the Zurich news is likely “posturing.”
Snapshots: Rantanen, Grebeshkov, Sodergran
Reporters including Michael Chambers of the Denver Post caught up with Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic today at his celebrity golf tournament, and asked him about the ongoing contract negotiations with Mikko Rantanen. There were recently reports that things had barely started between the two sides, but Sakic confirmed he had personally agreed with Rantanen that a long-term deal is the way to go.
With both sides on the same page regarding term, there is one less thing to worry about in negotiations. Obviously salary is now the biggest question and you have to wonder if Rantanen’s side (and maybe the Avalanche too) want to wait and see where some of the other high-priced restricted free agents come in. At the very least, the fact that Rantanen wants to sign long-term in Colorado is a positive sign and one that should excite Avalanche fans.
- Former NHL defenseman Denis Grebeshkov will join his old coach behind the bench in the KHL this season. He has been hired as an assistant to Craig MacTavish, who was the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers when the Russian experienced the most NHL success. Originally selected 18th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2002, the left-handed defenseman played several seasons for Edmonton and recorded 39 points in 2008-09. MacTavish left the Oilers this offseason to pursue an opportunity coaching Yaroslavl in the KHL.
- The Kings have confirmed to Jon Rosen that prospect Johan Sodergran will play in North America for the 2019-20 season, coming over from the SHL. Sodergran signed his entry-level contract in June after the Kings selected him in the sixth round in 2018 and comes with a fair amount of buzz after a successful season with Linkoping HC. Though he finished the year with just 13 points in 42 games, competing at all in that league at such a young age is an impressive feat. Sodergran also suited up for Sweden at the World Juniors last year and is expected to play for the Ontario Reign of the AHL despite not turning 20 until November.
Snapshots: Sharks, Prospect Pools, Flames
The San Jose Sharks are still expected to sign Joe Thornton at some point this offseason according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (subscription required). That might not be so for the other franchise icon that sits unsigned deep into August, Patrick Marleau who joined his former teammate for a skate at the San Jose facility this week. Kurz examines the situation for both men, pointing out that Thornton is completely committed to the team regardless of how much cap space they have left at the end of the summer.
Just recently we examined that cap space with a breakdown of the Sharks’ salary situation for the upcoming season. With just under $4.7MM to work with they could certainly bring in both Thornton and Marleau if they want to come “home,” but that wouldn’t leave much for upgrades to the rest of the roster. Most notably is perhaps in net where Aaron Dell remains the backup for the time being despite having just one year at $1.9MM left on his contract and the Sharks trying to trade him in the past. An improvement in net might cost the Sharks some of that room if they can’t find a taker for Dell in return.
- Sticking with The Athletic, resident prospect guru Corey Pronman has started to release (subscription required) his ranking of the 31 farm systems around the league. In last place sits the Calgary Flames, who have had several graduations recently including injured defenseman Juuso Valimaki. In the 2018 draft the Flames didn’t select a single player until the fourth round after trading away several picks, leaving a gap in their system they’ll have to work hard to refill. Pronman has released five other teams and will continue through the summer.
- Those Flames are now in the process of looking to add a defenseman instead of shopping one after Valimaki’s injury. GM Brad Treliving admitted to Eric Francis of Sportsnet that they hadn’t previously been considering an addition on the blueline, but is now after a depth option to help fill in. The rest of the league obviously noticed the situation the Flames are now in, with Treliving saying that his “30 other GM friends certainly have a lot of ideas for [him].”
Snapshots: 2020 Draft, Williams, Capitals
The 2020 draft is shaping up to have some incredible talents available, and Craig Button of TSN shared some of his thoughts on the most impressive young players today. In fact, Button believes that there are six different players who could all challenge for first overall, a spot that has had Alexis Lafreniere penciled in for years. Button lists Hendrix Lapierre, Quinton Byfield, Cole Perfetti, Lucas Raymond and Yaroslav Askarov as the other top prospects and reveals some of his scouting takes on each one.
Not surprisingly, that group were some of the standouts at the recent Hlinka-Gretzky tournament that ended in a gold medal for Team Russia. Askaraov, the young Russian goaltender who has been dubbed the next great net prospect, stood on his head in the gold medal game leading Russia to a 3-2 victory despite being outshot 37-13. With so much talent at the top of the draft you can bet bubble teams will be hesitant to give up first round picks that could give them a chance at the draft lottery next year.
- Justin Williams still hasn’t decided whether he is coming back for another season, GM Don Waddell explained to reporters today including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. Williams came second to Joe Thornton in our recent poll about veteran free agents and would be a big addition if he decides to return for the Carolina Hurricanes this season. The 37-year old scored 23 goals and 53 points last season and was his usual excellent self in the postseason.
- With several NCAA players about to become unrestricted free agents, Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic gives us updates on the two that currently belong to the Washington Capitals. Chase Priskie was never expected to sign, but Steven Spinner will also not get a contract and will become a UFA at the end of the week. Spinner played four seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha but saw his offense completely dry up in 2018-19 when he scored just four points in 29 games. He still received a tryout with the Hershey Bears at the end of the year, but won’t be getting an NHL contract.
Snapshots: Brodie, Marner, Staal
The Calgary Flames still need to shed some more salary in order to fit in what is expected to be a big contract for Matthew Tkachuk, and Sportsnet’s Eric Francis suggests on radio that T.J. Brodie might have to be the one to go. The defenseman has been involved in trade speculation for some time and as Francis notes, the team has two up-and-coming options in Rasmus Andersson and Juuso Valimaki (not to mention Oliver Kylington, who is also pushing for an NHL spot.)
The Flames already shed themselves of some money by buying out Michael Stone recently, but project to have just over $7.75MM in cap space to sign both Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane. The 29-year old Brodie has just one year left on his current contract with a $4.65MM cap hit and is still an effective offensive option from the blueline. Francis worries that the Flames may have to part with another player to find a fit for Brodie after a deal earlier this offseason fell apart with the Toronto Maple Leafs thanks to Nazem Kadri‘s no-trade clause. With just a month left before training camps open, Flames GM Brad Treliving still has plenty of work to do.
- Speaking of the Maple Leafs, they too have an unsigned restricted free agent holding things up. Mitch Marner still doesn’t have a contract for the 2019-20 season, but linemate John Tavares doesn’t seem worried. Speaking with TSN this weekend, Tavares explained that “there’s still some time” for the contract to be worked out and is hopeful that Marner is there on the first day of training camp. The Maple Leafs currently project over the salary cap for the upcoming season but have more than $10MM tied up in Nathan Horton and David Clarkson who will be placed on long-term injured reserve at some point.
- Jared Staal has been hired by the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears as an assistant coach, transitioning to a new role in professional hockey. The younger brother of Eric Staal, Jordan Staal and Marc Staal played two games for the Carolina Hurricanes in 2012-13 but had spent most of his career in the minor leagues. His playing days ended after suiting up for the Edinburgh Capitals of the EIHL in 2016-17. The 28-year old was originally drafted in the 2008 second round, but couldn’t quite climb to the same heights as his brothers. Perhaps he’ll get to that level as a coach, something he’s obviously getting an early start on.
Snapshots: Barbashev, Johnson, Islanders, Louis
With Joel Edmundson now under contract following his arbitration award, the Blues can now turn their focus to their lone remaining restricted free agent in center Ivan Barbashev. Speaking with Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, GM Doug Armstrong classified discussions as being close enough that one phone call could get a deal done though that call may or may not take place before the start of training camp. The 23-year-old is coming off of a much-improved season that saw him collect 26 points (14-12-26) in 80 games, doubling his previous career high. Earlier this month, it was reported that he was seeking a four-year deal around the $1.75MM to $2MM range. St. Louis could still probably fit that deal in without too much difficulty although they’d be right at the Upper Limit if they did so.
More from around the hockey world:
- Still with the Blues, their farm team in San Antonio announced that they’ve hired Jim Johnson as an assistant coach for the Rampage. This will only be his second stint behind an AHL bench as he last worked in that league back in 2009-10. However, since then, he has parts of eight NHL seasons under his belt, serving as an assistant with four different organizations.
- The Islanders received some very good news on the arena front. They received word that their Belmont arena project has officially been approved and the team quickly revealed that their intention is to have it ready for the 2021-22 season. Newsday’s Jim Baumbach notes (Twitter link) that the arena portion of the $1.3B project will cost $955MM. For comparison purposes, the recently-approved arena in Calgary is expected to cost $550MM.
- Carolina’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte announced that they’ve signed winger Anthony Louis to a one-year, AHL deal. The 24-year-old had a decent season with Chicago’s farm team in 2018-19 with 34 points in 74 games but it wasn’t enough to stick around as the Blackhawks decided to non-tender him back in June.
Snapshots: Shattenkirk, Miller, Malik
There appears to have been more interest in Kevin Shattenkirk than most anticipated, making his one-year, $1.75MM pact with the Tampa Bay Lightning all the more interesting. Earlier today, it was reported that the Lightning and the Arizona Coyotes were just two of eleven teams that reached out to Shattenkirk. Now, The Fourth Period’s Dennis Bernstein states that the Anaheim Ducks went so far as to make Shattenkirk a formal, multi-year contract offer. He notes that the Los Angeles Kings also entered the mix. Colleague David Pagnotta adds that the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, and Winnipeg Jets were also serious contenders. As for some of the other possible suitors, there was rampant speculation that both the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers would have interest in Shattenkirk. At the end of the day, the veteran puck-mover clearly chose what he felt was his best opportunity to return to form as a high-scoring, dynamic defenseman, playing with the uber-skilled Lightning. There were surely offers for more money and term than what Shattenkirk ended up accepting to go to Tampa, and what remains is to make the most of that gamble by asserting himself as a top option on a crowded blue line and padding his stats before hitting the free agent market again next summer.
- Despite Shattenkirk’s ties to the city during his collegiate career, it’s safe to assume that the Boston Bruins were not one of the teams interested in his services. The Bruins are having a hard enough time getting their own right-handed defensemen under contract with limited cap space, never mind adding another to the mix. Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo remain unsigned and the team has acknowledged that one or both may miss time during training camp due to to the rigors of difficult negotiations. Barring some magic from GM Don Sweeney and company, Boston will likely have to make a move to free up cap space. While many hope that it would be overpaid and ineffective veteran David Backes leaving town, such a trade would be hard to make and/or would cost the Bruins too much in picks or prospects. NBC Sports’ James O’Brien writes that defenseman Kevan Miller is instead the most likely casualty. Miller is a strong two-way defenseman who can make an impact on any team, when healthy. The problem is that he is not healthy as often as the Bruins have liked, leading them to invest heavily in defensive depth, such as signing John Moore last summer and extending Steven Kampfer and Connor Clifton in recent months. The Bruins have the depth to survive next season without Miller, after which he is likely to leave as a free agent anyway. Eliminating Miller’s $2.5MM cap hit may give the team just enough wiggle room to sign McAvoy and Carlo to long-term contracts. Meanwhile, even with so many teams facing salary cap issues, there would be a market for Miller’s services as a year-long rental to play a shutdown role for a contender.
- NHL scouts will have to travel to the Czech Republic to evaluate one of the 2020 draft class’ top goaltenders in-person this upcoming season. 17-year-old Nick Malik, son of former NHL defenseman Marek Malik, was drafted by the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in this summer’s CHL Import Draft, but will not sign with the club. His Czech junior team, HC Ocelari Trinec, announced today that their starting goaltender will be staying through the 2019-20 season. Malik is considered one of the top handful of goaltenders early on in the 2020 evaluation process, with one scouting source, Future Considerations, naming him their No. 2 goalie and No. 59 overall prospect in their preliminary rankings last month. The Czech keeper, who was actually born in Raleigh, North Carolina while his dad was playing for the Hurricanes, has turned heads with his calm demeanor and lightning reflexes in net and performed very well at the U-17 World Junior Championship last year. Rather than split time with new Greyhounds acquisition Christian Propp, who made 51 appearances for the North Bay Battalion last season, Malik will likely be the undisputed starter for Ocelari and will have the chance to make more appearances in the Czech secondary pro league.
Snapshots: Shattenkirk, Schuldt, Maroon
The Tampa Bay Lightning snapped up Kevin Shattenkirk this morning on a one-year deal and the veteran defenseman is determined to make it pay off for both sides. Looking to re-establish himself in the NHL he told reporters including Joe Smith of The Athletic that he was “pissed off” when he received his buyout and now has a “huge chip” on his shoulder.
Smith also reports that Shattenkirk had 11 teams reach out to him once he became an unrestricted free agent, and Richard Morin of AZ Central Sports tweets that the Arizona Coyotes were one of them. The defenseman was close to joining the Lightning in the past when he was on the trade block but wouldn’t sign an extension with Tampa Bay, but now will have the chance to show the organization what he is capable of.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have most of their offseason business dealt with, but Jimmy Schuldt remains unsigned after burning through his entry-level contract in the last few weeks of the 2018-19 season. Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports that negotiations with the young defenseman only recently started, perhaps delayed because of all of the other moves the team needed to make. After trading away the likes of Nikita Gusev, Erik Haula and Colin Miller the Golden Knights got themselves under the salary cap, but not by a ton. It will be interesting to see what kind of salary Schuldt can command after playing just a single NHL game. The St. Cloud State standout signed with the Golden Knights after an excellent college career and could see regular time on their blueline this season.
- Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the St. Louis Blues and Pat Maroon “remain on one another’s radar” even this late into the offseason. Maroon remains an unrestricted free agent for the time being after playing a year with the Blues last season at a discount in order to be closer to family. That decision worked out for him in terms of team success at the Blues went on to win the Stanley Cup, but one has to wonder if a multi-year deal is still the expectation for the power forward. Maroon scored just 10 goals and 28 points for the Blues in 74 games but was a physical force in the playoffs and ended up poking home one of the most memorable game-winning tallies of the entire postseason.
Snapshots: WJSS Top Performers, Compher, Stralman
The World Junior Summer Showcase just ended and there were plenty of highlights and impressive performances among all the countries that participated. While there were many top performers, NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman picks out 10 players who stood out at the WJSS, putting quite a bit of emphasis on the play of Montreal Canadiens and U.S. prospect Cole Caufield, who tied for the WJSS lead with four goals and seven points, including three highlight-reel goals in each of his final three games. Early indications might suggest that the Canadiens may have gotten a steal with the 15th pick in this year’s draft after slipping a bit because of his size (5-foot-7).
While a number of first-round picks from both the 2018 and 2019 drafts are mentioned in his top 10, three players from the incoming 2020 draft were also on his list, including projected top pick Alexis Lafreniere as well as Alexander Holtz and Lucas Raymond, both who are considered potential top-10 picks next season and were considered to be some of the most gifted forwards on Sweden’s team.
The only non-first-rounder mentioned in his top 10 was forward Sampo Ranta, a fourth-round pick in 2018 by the Colorado Avalanche. Raanta was the final player to get cut from last year’s Finnish WJC gold medal team and scored four goals and six points for Finland last week. He will return to the University of Minnesota, but could be a top prospect for the Avalanche to keep an eye on.
- Speaking of the Avalanche, the Denver Post’s Mike Chambers writes that trainer Ian Mack, who is known for helping Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane last summer have a career-high 110-point season last year, is working with a number of prospects, including Colorado Avalanche forward J.T. Compher. The 24-year-old forward has yet to have that breakout season the team has been waiting for since the team acquired him in the Ryan O’Reilly trade in 2015. A second-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres back in 2013, Compher finished last year with 16 goals, but is hoping that Mack will get him to another level after he signed a four-year, $14MM extension this summer. “I worked out with him for a full month before I got on the ice,” Compher said. “Once I got back on the ice, I felt more explosive and better on my lateral movements — and even better on my edges. I can move quicker.”
- In a Q&A with new Florida Panthers defenseman Anton Stralman, The Athletic’s Joe Smith (subscription required) writes that the blueliner claims to be healthy after an injury-plagued year with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. Stralman, who had surgery in May on both sides to correct a sports hernia injury that he tried to ignore, but was forced to sit out some time at the end of the season last year. Stralman finished the season playing just 47 games last year and only appeared in two games after March 5. He hopes he can make a difference with the Panthers defense after signing a three-year, $16.5MM deal this summer.