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Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Granlund, Shipachyov

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The Toronto Maple Leafs assigned Martin Marincin to the minor leagues earlier today, recalling Calle Rosen to take his spot. It won’t be in the press box though, as Mike Babcock told reporters that Rosen would be in the lineup for the team’s home opener tomorrow night. He’ll take young Andreas Borgman’s spot on the third pairing with Connor Carrick.

Babcock also confirmed that Dominic Moore would be inserted into the lineup as the fourth line center, taking Eric Fehr’s job on Saturday night. This early rotation shows that the Maple Leafs are willing to be fluid with their lineup early on, and also demonstrates the depth they’ve built through free agency. Though the club saw very few injuries last season, they are more prepared to replace players this year as they try to contend for the Atlantic Division crown.

  • Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports that Mikael Granlund wasn’t at Minnesota Wild practice this morning after being spotted limping after the game last night. The Wild won lost to the Detroit Red Wings and Granlund played more than 16 minutes, but we’ll have to wait and see if he returns to the ice tomorrow morning. The Wild take on the Carolina Hurricanes on what is a three-game road trip to start the season.
  • Vadim Shipachyov isn’t with the team for the Vegas Golden Knights season opener according to SinBin.vegas, which means his $4.5MM contract will continue to be buried for the time being on the AHL roster. Shipachyov came over from the KHL this season after a long professional career, but surely wasn’t expecting to be in the minor leagues on opening night. One thing is clear though, the Golden Knights are willing to do anything to protect assets in their inaugural season. While the team continues to carry nine defensemen on the roster—Brad Hunt, Jon Merrill and Griffin Reinhart are all scratches tonight—Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com tweets that they are still looking to make a trade of some sort.

Snapshots: Eichel, Gaborik, Kelly, Anderson

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A big part of the decision to sign Jack Eichel to an eight-year, $80MM extension now instead of waiting until next offseason was the fact that there aren’t going to be any comparable contracts signed during the course of the season, GM Jason Botterill told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required).  This contract was going to be more of a precedent setter than a trend follower so instead of risking the asking price going higher if Eichel has a strong season as they’re hoping for, they now have their franchise player locked up now for the better part of the next decade.

More from around the league:

  • Although Kings winger Marian Gaborik hasn’t skated over the past week as he recovers from lingering knee issues, the team isn’t saying that he has suffered a setback in his recovery, notes Curtis Zupke of the LA Times. Head coach John Stevens would only say that team doctors decided he should have some maintenance days but the fact that he has shut it down for the time being doesn’t bode well for a return to the lineup anytime soon.
  • The Oilers have asked center Chris Kelly to remain with the team as an unsigned player, notes Paul Gazzola on the Oilers’ team website. While he won’t be able to play in any games, he’ll be able to practice with the team and can continue to battle for a roster spot that way.  This is the same approach that Toronto had with Brandon Prust last season while Brooks Laich has a similar arrangement with the Kings this year.
  • Blue Jackets winger Josh Anderson is in the middle of going through the immigration process (which was required once his new contract was signed) and as a result, he will not be in their lineup on Friday night against the Islanders, reports Andrew Erickson of the Columbus Dispatch. However, since his contract is now active, he is counting against their 23-man active roster even though he’s not with the team.

Snapshots: Pittsburgh, Whitney, Ducks

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have been tied to the Detroit Red Wings for some time, with rumors swirling around Riley Sheahan and Andreas Athanasiou as potential trade candidates. Athanasiou remains unsigned, and as Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest “31 Thoughts” for Sportsnet, the Penguins have seemingly moved on.

Pittsburgh has been after a new third-line center for some time, with GM Jim Rutherford last saying they had three targets in mind. One of the rumored names, Jordan Staal, appears to be off the table as Friedman writes that Carolina had “no interest” in moving the two-way forward. Staal obviously has ties to Pittsburgh after beginning his career there, but the Penguins will have to look elsewhere to fill their needs. For now, Greg McKegg has been practicing between Carl Hagelin and Tom Kuhnhackl on the third line, with Carter Rowney centering the fourth.

  • The Department of Player Safety has made another intriguing hire, adding veteran NHLer Ray Whitney to the team. Whitney is a completely different kind of player than George Parros, who now runs the department, and will offer a very different insight into discipline around the league. Whitney scored 1,064 points in 1.330 games in the NHL, and received regular votes for the Lady Byng trophy which rewards sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct.
  • Patrick Eaves and Ryan Miller will both start the season on injured reserve according to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register, making it a crowded list for the Anaheim Ducks. With Ryan Kesler, Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen already there, the team could ill afford any other injuries. Eaves and Miller are both on the back half of their careers at ages 33 and 37 respectively, which obviously brings this kind of injury risk along with it. Signing the pair was meant to give the Ducks some depth at key positions, but now with so many injuries the team will start without any at all. At practice today Nick Ritchie skated with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on the top line, a trio that will be relied heavily upon until some of their other players get back.

Snapshots: Coyotes, Canadiens, Golden Knights

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Arizona Coyotes will have newly acquired defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson wear one of three ’A’s this season, reports AZCentral’s Sarah McLellan. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson will wear one of the others, but the final alternate captain has not yet been named. Head coach Rick Tocchet said that the team may name a captain, but not until some of the season plays out. Whoever the captain may be, he has big skates to fill. The team’s previous captain—longtime veteran Shane Doan—played his entire 21 year career with the team, including when the team was still in Winnipeg, MB.
  • The Montreal Canadiens saved an opening day roster spot for 19 year-old defenseman Victor Mete. The rookie defenseman—drafted 100th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft—impressed the organization that is in dire need of defensemen. The Canadiens lost Andrei Markov, Nathan Beaulieu, Alexei Emelin, and Mikhail Sergachev in the past year, and did little to replace them.
  • The NHL and the Vegas Golden Knights have jointly donated $300K to victim relief from Sunday night’s shooting in Las Vegas. According to a team press release, the team will honor victims at season-opening games and provide additional assistance through pledge drives and other ventures.

Snapshots: Juolevi, Wiercioch, Liljegren

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The Vancouver Canucks will be entrusting much of their success this year to young players, but fans of the team will have to wait at least one more year for a look at Olli Juolevi, the fifth-overall selection from 2016. The team announced today that they’ll be sending Juolevi back to Finland for this season to play for TPA Turku, where former Canuck Sami Salo is an assistant coach.

With Pierre-Luc Dubois set to make his debut this week with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Juolevi will be the final player in the top-10 without an NHL game under his belt. The two-way defenseman could have gone back to the London Knights of the OHL, but Vancouver prefers him to play against professionals to continue his development.

  • Still with the Canucks, the team has announced it will place Patrick Wiercioch on waivers tomorrow to make room for Derrick Pouliot who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier today. Wiercioch played 57 games with the Colorado Avalanche last season after several years in Ottawa, and was an early favorite for a spot on the Vancouver blueline. It will be interesting to see if anyone claims him, as he’s proven over the years he is at least capable of holding down a depth role in the NHL.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have decided something different with their prized European prospect, as Dhiren Mahiban is reporting that the team will keep 2017 first-round pick Timothy Liljegren in Toronto to play with the AHL Marlies. Liljegren could have returned to Sweden, but according to his agent it is a “very good situation” to continue working with the Maple Leafs’ development team. Liljegren showed better than expected in training camp, suiting up several times with the NHL club and not looking completely out of place. Though he still has trouble making the right decision at times, his skating looks every bit as excellent as promised. The AHL will be a daunting task for him, but the Maple Leafs staff can keep a closer eye on his development.

Snapshots: Brouwer, Kostin, LTIR

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With the addition of Jaromir Jagr to the Calgary Flames (which has still yet to actually be announced), there is something of a log jam for bottom-six wingers. Troy Brouwer, the most expensive one of the bunch, has now been rumored to be on his way out according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver. While Dhaliwal makes it clear that nothing is imminent, a Brouwer trade would make sense for the Flames.

Last year, Calgary spent a second-round pick to acquire Curtis Lazar with the hope that he could develop into more than just a fourth-line player. Mark Jankowski, another first-round pick who the Flames have been waiting on impressed in camp and has earned a spot on the team. When added with Matt Stajan, Kris Versteeg and Freddie Hamilton the team clearly has enough bodies to handle a trade. Whether they swing a deal for Brouwer and his hefty salary ($4.5MM for each of the next three seasons) is still unclear, but Calgary is definitely a team to watch in the coming days.

  • Klim Kostin was on track to make the St. Louis Blues team out of camp but has suffered an injury according to Lou Korac of NHL.com. The young forward is set to miss 7-10 days and could start in the AHL to get his legs back under him before making an impact with the team. The Blues are without so many of their forwards to start the year that Kostin and other young players will likely have to play a role earlier than the team had wanted.
  • Speaking of the St. Louis Blues and young players, the team has announced an entry-level contract for Tanner Kaspick after spending some time with the club in camp this year. Kaspick is already back playing with his Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, where he has four points in four games. Kaspick was a fourth-round pick of the team in 2016 but has shown that there may be more upside to his game than originally thought. In 49 games with the Wheat Kings last year he registered 45 points, and should be given even more responsibility this season as the new captain.
  • Chris Johnston of Sportsnet asked Lou Lamoriello of the Toronto Maple Leafs if his team had been given any sort of decision from the league on the Joffrey Lupul situation, to which the GM said no. The league is set to decide whether Lupul and Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa can be placed on long-term injured reserve, a decision that should be made before long. If they are, both Toronto and Chicago could get more salary cap relief. The Blackhawks did place one player on LTIR today, moving defenseman Michal Rozsival there to free up another roster spot. Rozsival signed a contract last season in order to help the Blackhawks become expansion draft compliant, but did not pass his physical at the beginning of training camp.

Snapshots: Gelinas, Harper, Iginla

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The Montreal Candiens have yet to cut defenseman Eric Gelinas, in camp on a PTO, but according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, an NHL contract is not on the table. Lavoie reports that instead Gelinas has been offered an AHL contract to play with the Habs’ new affiliate, the Laval Rocket. Lavoie is of the opinion that Gelinas will accept the contract and that it could be good for his career. After clearing waivers three separate times last season with the Colorado Avalanche, the league’s worst team, it’s clear that taking a step back and getting a fresh start is not a bad idea for Gelinas. Playing a leadership role in an AHL locker room for a whole season could teach Gelinas consistency and responsibility and a chance at making the Canadian Olympic team would give the 26-year-old the experience of playing an important role in meaningful games.

  • Shane Harper tried the PTO route like Gelinas, but rather than settle for an AHL deal, Harper has decided to take his talents overseas. For the Valencia, California native, who was in camp with the Los Angeles Kings, that means choosing to live in a foreign country rather than a half hour from his home town had he signed with the Kings affiliate, the Ontario Reign. Harper has signed with the KHL’s Lada Togliatti, according to a national news source (link in Russian), where he could easily be the best player on a club that has failed to make the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. Harper scored three points in his 14-game “rookie season” with the Florida Panthers in 2016-17 and added 22 more points in 58 AHL games. The article indicates that the KHL was Harper’s first choice once his NHL hopes were dashed this past week.
  • One player who has no plans to choose the AHL or KHL any time soon is future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla. In his “31 Thoughts” article this week, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reveled that the 40-year-old power forward has even denied having any interest in playing for Team Canada in the upcoming Olympics, as his sole focus is on finding a fit in the NHL. Despite a couple good seasons with the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche, the fact of the matter is that Iginla’s production has been steadily declining since he left the Calgary Flames back in 2013. Last season, Iginla only managed a career-worst 27 points, and that is including a strong showing with the Los Angeles Kings to close out the season. There is always the possibility that someone will come calling for the services – especially the leadership and experience –  that Iginla brings and remaining dedicated to playing one last season will only help his chances of being signed. However, with the regular season about to  begin, the hard truth is that we may have seen the last of Iginla in the NHL, even if he can’t yet accept that.

NHL Snapshots: Girard, Flyers Draft, Rosen, Borgman

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The Nashville Predators have some defensive issues to worry about with defender Ryan Ellis out for several more months due to knee surgery. However, one issue the team has is a good one as the play of Samuel Girard has impressed everyone. Suddenly, the issue is whether or not to keep him on their roster to start the season.

Girard, a second-round pick in 2016, is just 19 years old, but the gifted offensive defenseman has worked hard to show that he is ready for the NHL now. And with Ellis’ injury, might there be a place for him? The team has used him heavily in the preseason. He has played in all four games, logging more than 20 minutes in each game. According to Adam Vingan of the Tennessean, Girard is making a strong case to stay. His last game on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets with most of their opening-night starters on the ice, Girard played 24:02, second to Roman Josi.

The team is considering keeping him, knowing full well that if they don’t, he’ll return to his junior team and cannot be recalled until after their season is over. The team could also keep him for nine games without burning his first year of his entry-level deal.

  • Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that the Philadelphia Flyers could get a big break from the St. Louis Blues if their injuries continue to mount. The Flyers, who acquired the Blues 2017 and 2018 first-round picks from St. Louis for Brayden Schenn. They used that 2017 pick on Morgan Frost and were expecting a late first-rounder in next year’s draft. However, with some of the injuries that St. Louis has suffered, it will be Philadelphia that reaps the benefits if the Blues see a drop in the wins column. If it were to turn into a top-10 pick, the Blues would get the pick back. Carchidi writes that would be unlikely, however, as the Blues are still a solid team, but the injuries could improve the chances that their pick will be an even better one.
  • Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun writes that at least one of the two Sweedish defensemen pair of Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman are likely to make the team. Both had key moments in Friday’s preseason game and the two little-known blueliners are starting to make a name for themselves. Rosen, 23, is a gifted skater and passing defenseman, coming over from Sweden for the first time, while Borgman, the 2017 SHL Rookie of the Year, is a more physical defensive player.

Snapshots: Drouin, McNiven, Mariners

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Jonathan Drouin is getting a crack in the middle for Montreal this season, after the team traded away blue-chip prospect Mikhail Sergachev for him. Center isn’t a position that Drouin has spent much time at in the NHL, but he has obviously been taking notes on those he wants to emulate. Yesterday, he gave Eric Engels of Sportsnet some of his thoughts on the other top centermen around the Eastern Conference. On Patrice Bergeron in particular:

To me, he’s the best center in the league if you’re looking at the all-around 200-foot game. He’s tough to beat. He’s always competing for every loose puck, neutral zone, anywhere—he’s always on it. He’s somebody you hate to play against, and at the end of the day he still scores and produces points without cheating offensively.

The piece is a great read on how other players view some of the superstars in the league, including thoughts on lesser-known stars like Aleksander Barkov and Alexander Wennberg. Drouin will have a lot of pressure to perform in his first year in Montreal, after earning a big extension right away. The former Tampa Bay Lightning pick has all the talent to do it.

  • The Montreal Canadiens have recalled goaltender Michael McNiven from the Laval Rocket to serve as an emergency goaltender tonight. Charlie Lindgren is expected to be dressed for the game, but is coming off a minor injury and the team wants to make sure it has another option. McNiven was one of the first camp cuts last week, and will be spending his year in the minor leagues. Last year for the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL, McNiven posted an incredible 41-9-2 record with a .915 save percentage. McNiven went undrafted but earned an entry-level contract back in 2015. This will be the first real season under that deal, as it slid for two years while he finished his junior hockey career.
  • The new Portland ECHL team has chosen a name, and it will be familiar to those who were in Maine decades ago. The Maine Mariners are back for the third time, after first debuting in 1977. This new team will be the ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, after the team purchased the defunct Alaska Aces this summer and will join the league next season.

Evening Snapshots: Blackhawks, Faceoffs, Labonte

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned goaltender Collin Delia to the AHL Rockford IceHogs, the team announced today. The roster cut leaves the Blackhawks with 35 remaining players at camp, including 20 forwards, 12 defensemen, and 3 goaltenders. The Blackhawks signed Delia to a two-year entry level deal this summer worth $767K a year. Delia most recently played for Merrimack College in the NCAA, posting a 2.15 GAA and .927 SV% in 21 games. Delia was never expected to make the big team—Corey Crawford’s backup spot is between Anton Forsberg and Jean-Francois Berube—but will round out the AHL roster for now.
  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported today in his 31 Thoughts column that the impetus for the faceoff rules crackdown came from the competition committee. David Backes—a committee member—admitted to Boston media that faceoffs have devolved into scrums where the goal is to not lose rather than to win. Players were increasingly crowding the dot and focusing more on holding off the other center until a winger arrives. The tweaked enforcement standards hope to swing the pendulum back to skill-based faceoff wins.
  • One of Canada’s most prolific international goaltenders retired this week. Charline Labonte, a three-time Olympic gold medal winner, retired from hockey on Monday. Labonte is probably the most well-known female goaltender outside of Manon Rheaume, and like Rheume, Labonte made her mark early on by playing in the men’s QMJHL. She played two seasons with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL in 1999-00 and 2000-01 before eventually playing for Canada and McGill University. Labonte spent the last two seasons playing for the Montreal Canadiennes in the CWHL, and posted an astounding 1.53 GAA and .934 SV%. There is no doubt that the 34 year-old is leaving the game on a high note.

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