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Snapshots: McClement, Sabres, Garteig, Campbell

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As part of their quest to replenish their center depth following the departures of Nick Bonino and Matt Cullen via free agency, the Penguins announced that they have brought in veteran Jay McClement on a professional tryout deal.

McClement has spent the past three seasons with Carolina but has seen his role dip in recent years.  In 2016-17, he collected just five goals and three assists in 65 games while his 48.2% success rate at the faceoff dot was well below the 55% marks he put up the previous two seasons.  McClement will likely battle Carter Rowney for a spot on Pittsburgh’s fourth line but the Penguins will undoubtedly continue their search for someone to play behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on their third trio.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • The Sabres had expressed interest in college free agent center Blaine Byron, notes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. However, Byron ultimately chose to take a minor league deal with Florida in the hopes of earning a spot on Canada’s Olympic team.  Had he signed a two-way NHL pact, he wouldn’t have been eligible.  Buffalo only has 43 committed contracts out of the limit of 50 at the moment so it’s not surprising to see them active in this segment of free agency.
  • After spending last season on an entry-level deal with Vancouver, the Canucks have brought back goalie Michael Garteig on a minor league deal, their affiliate in Utica announced. Garteig wasn’t able to build on his strong numbers over four years with Quinnipiac in the NCAA and spent the bulk of last season with ECHL Alaska, posting a 3.11 GAA and a .906 SV% over 22 appearances.
  • The Red Wings have retained some depth at the minor league level as their farm team in Grand Rapids announced the re-signing of center Colin Campbell to a two-year deal. He signed an entry-level deal back with Detroit back in 2014 out of college but has been kept around on minor league deals since that ELC expired a year later.  Last season, he had a career best 20 points in 56 games.

Snapshots: Vanek, Duchene, Kerfoot, Tolvanen

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We saw Drew Stafford go off the board earlier today in a late-summer free agent signing, and now Darren Dreger of TSN told The Instigators on WGR 550 in Buffalo that he believes the Detroit Red Wings still have interest in bringing back Thomas Vanek.

Vanek’s name is at the top of the page. I think that Detroit legitimately does have interest in Vanek. Between Florida and the Red Wings he scored what, 17 goals last year? I think they’d like to add him, but at what cost—they don’t have a lot of cap space.

We’ve discussed many times the cap trouble that the Red Wings are in as they start their rebuild, but there remains this underlying hope that the team can get back to the playoffs this year. Vanek could legitimately help that cause, and be a potential trade deadline flip should the Red Wings fall out of it again. The team would likely need to make a subsequent move in order to fit him in.

  • Dreger also speaks on the potential of a Matt Duchene trade, saying that the Avalanche still want a top young defenseman in return. Dreger has said in the past that it would be awkward for Duchene and Colorado to start the season together, but makes it clear that the forward is a professional and would not make a public show of his frustration. Nashville and Montreal are mentioned as possible destinations, but not as anything more than speculation from the insider.
  • CapFriendly sorted out the details on Alex Kerfoot’s entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche, reporting that it will be for the maximum $925K each season (salary+signing bonuses) while it also carries $212.5K in performance bonuses. With Kerfoot likely to jump right to the NHL, many of the bonuses will be in his reach, which could cause his cap hit to creep over $1MM.
  • Eeli Tolvanen got off to a great start with his KHL team, and the Nashville Predators’ prospect spoke about where his future lies as he continues to develop. Tolvanen was denied admission to Boston College just before the draft, likely causing him to fall to the Predators at 30th-overall. Tolvanen says that Boston College told him he could join the university after Christmas, but he’s now dedicated to Jokerit where he’s playing against other professionals. Tolvanen has one of the most remarkable wrist shot releases in this year’s draft class, but he won’t compare himself to the best just yet: “When I was young, I dreamt about shooting like [Alex] Ovechkin. Hope that one day I can be at his level.”

Snapshots: Demers, Upshall, McDavid

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Various players were in Toronto today for the BioSteel Camp, which gave savvy media members a chance to talk to them individually and away from the normal post-game scrum. One of them, Luke Fox of Sportsnet, caught up with Florida Panthers defenseman Jason Demers and asked about the report from earlier this summer that he blocked a trade to the Vancouver Canucks. Demers definitely didn’t deny the report, saying that Pierre LeBrun of TSN has “got his sources.”

Regardless, Demers is still playing in Florida this season and is getting ready to try and bounce back from what was a disappointing year. The right-handed defenseman was one of the best two-way options on the open market in 2016 when the Panthers snatched him up for five years and $22.5MM but scored just 28 points and wasn’t as effective in his own end. It will be interesting to see if he becomes available once again if the Panthers get off to a bad start, or if the right deal comes along to pry him out of Florida. His no-trade clause covers just eight teams around the league.

  • Scottie Upshall is waiting for another NHL opportunity after scoring 18 points last season for the St. Louis Blues, and he told John Matisz of Postmedia that he already has offers from the KHL and Europe in hand. Upshall, like James Wisniewski earlier today, still believes he can help an NHL team, but is also excited about the possibility of playing in the Olympics should he be playing in a European league come February. Upshall never did reach the high potential he showed to be selected sixth overall, but has been a solid contributor and fan favorite for nearly 700 games. Only 33-years old, he could be in for a professional tryout like in 2015 when he ended up signing with the Blues on October 5th.
  • Of course, no media day would be complete without talking to the reigning league MVP Connor McDavid, and Kristen Shilton of TSN asked him several questions at the BioSteel camp. When asked about being called the best player in the league, McDavid immediately deflected the praise to Sidney Crosby, saying that “at the end of the day everyone knows who the best player in the league is, and it’s not me.” Many fans would disagree with that, but McDavid went on to say that he wants to work on the things that make Crosby so dangerous, namely scoring from in tight and on deflections. Edmonton Oilers fans will be happy to hear that the $100MM contract he signed hasn’t made McDavid rest on his laurels, and that he’s working to come back even stronger next season.

Snapshots: Jagr, Keenan, Team USA

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Jaromir Jagr remains unsigned now deep into August, and though the second all-time leading NHL scorer wants to play again this year there hasn’t been a ton of interest just yet. Elliotte Friedman joined NHL Network yesterday and said that a few teams have reached out, including the Calgary Flames. The Flames are led by a former Jagr coach in Glen Gulutzan, but nothing sounds imminent with any team so far.

Jagr has joked about playing for his own Czech club to start the year, and that would allow him to play in the Olympics. The Czech Republic have several players in this situation, but could see some late-summer signings rob them of Olympic talent.

  • Kunlun Red Star of the KHL have fired their General Manager just a few months after installing him in March, and have given the reins to Mike Keenan who will remain on as head coach as well. Keenan is a legendary NHL and KHL coach who made big waves after going to China, and will now have full control of the organization.
  • Andy Strickland of Fox Sports reports that USA Hockey is considering Troy Terry, Jordan Greenway, Ryan Donato and Adam Fox for their Olympic team, which comes as little surprise. The quartet of college players are all outstanding options that could likely find great success on the international circuit. Greenway already represented the US at the recent World Championships, while Donato, Fox and Terry were among the best college players in the country last season.

Snapshots: Butcher, Beauchemin, Rampage

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Will Butcher is still taking things slow in regards to his first professional destination, as Kevin Allen of USA Today reports that he’ll soon narrow down his list of teams from 12 to three or four. Those teams will each get a personal visit, after which he’ll make a decision. Allen suggests the process could take “a week or so.”

Butcher has been connected to the Blue Jackets, Devils, Golden Knights, Penguins, over the past week and some speculation that he’d already met with the Buffalo Sabres. The reigning Hobey Baker trophy winner is arguably the most interesting NCAA free agent on the market this summer, and could find an NHL opportunity right away.

  • Francois Beauchemin is going back to the Anaheim Ducks, and in a conference call this afternoon told Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register that he was prepared to retire before the team reached out. He had turned down interest from several other teams which he had no history with, but was “thrilled” that Anaheim expressed interest. Beauchemin thinks it is likely that 2017-18 is his final season in the NHL.
  • The San Antonio Rampage have signed a pair of veteran minor leaguers, inking goaltender Sam Brittain and defenseman Josh Atkinson to AHL deals. Brittain was a fourth-round pick of the Florida Panthers 2010 but has yet to make it to the NHL. He spent last season split between the Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) and Manchester Monarchs (ECHL), and became a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer. Atkinson has spent almost all of his professional career in the ECHL, but got a two-game chance in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves after scoring 50 points in 66 games last season. The offensive explosion was a new development for Atkinson, who didn’t register more than 16 points in a single season at the University of Alaska.

Snapshots: Hanifin, Jagr, Ferland

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While the Hurricanes have moved quickly to ink blueliners Brett Pesce (six years. $4.05MM AAV) and Jaccob Slavin (seven years, $5.3MM) to long-term extensions this summer, it doesn’t appear the same will be happening for defenseman Noah Hanifin in the near future.  Speaking with Chip Alexander of the News & Observer, GM Ron Francis noted that the team is open to working on an extension but there have yet to be any negotiations on a new deal with his agent.

Hanifin has spent the last two years in Carolina after they drafted him fifth overall in 2015.  While his offensive numbers went up slightly last season (from 22 to 29 points), his defensive game still needs improvement and head coach Bill Peters wasn’t comfortable handing him a higher workload in his sophomore campaign as he averaged 17:55 per night, one second more than his average in 2015-16.  Accordingly, it’s easy to understand why the Hurricanes would like to get something done but from Hanifin’s perspective, it may make more sense for him to wait it out in the hopes of a big year before he hits restricted free agency.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • The Kings are not interested in signing unrestricted free agent winger Jaromir Jagr, GM Rob Blake noted to reporters, including LA Kings Insider Jon Rosen, at a State of the Franchise meeting. Los Angeles has been fairly quiet with their offseason movement up front as Mike Cammalleri is the only addition of note among the forwards.  Jagr’s 30 assists and 46 points would have ranked third on the Kings in scoring last season but his lack of speed appears to have really hindered his market this summer.
  • Despite the fact that Flames winger Micheal Ferland averaged less than 12 minutes per game last season, head coach Glen Gulutzan envisions Ferland as Calgary’s top-line right winger heading into training camp, notes Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun. [Related: Calgary’s Depth Chart]  The 25-year-old is coming off a career season offensively with 15 goals and 25 points and avoided arbitration with the team last month, agreeing to a two-year, $3.5MM contract.

Snapshots: Coyotes, Granlund, Horvat, Heeter

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The Arizona Coyotes are excited about their offseason moves, and perhaps none more than Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The Coyotes star defenseman has gained a friend and pairing in Niklas Hjalmarsson, who has played with him on the international stage in the past. The two Swedes will team up on Arizona’s first pair this season and try to make some noise in the Western Conference. Speaking with Dave Vest of NHL.com, Ekman-Larsson spoke about his new teammate:

I’m super excited about [playing with Hjalmarsson]. He’s super easy to play with. He talks a lot and he’s a good skater and moves the puck. I would say he’s underrated.

While Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook got a lot of the national press out of Chicago, any Blackhawks fan will tell you that Hjalmarsson was an integral piece to the three Stanley Cup teams. He was a defensive rock for the club for many years, and will try to allow Ekman-Larsson to open up his game a little bit while still taking on the tough matchups.

  • Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reports that Mikael Granlund rolled his ankle in Finland and has been seen on crutches, but is still expected to be ready for training camp. It will slow down the young forward’s offseason training, but luckily he seems to have escaped serious injury. Granlund will be relied upon heavily for the Minnesota Wild this season after signing a three-year, $17.25MM contract this summer.
  • In other Granlund news, Rick Dhaliwal of NEWS 1130 reports that Markus Granlund’s wrist is fully healthy and the Vancouver Canucks forward is already skating. Granlund underwent surgery in March to correct an ongoing issue, but is “100%” and ready for training camp. Coming off a 19-goal season, he could jump onto a top-line role once again for the Canucks.
  • Granlund also told Dhaliwal that he thinks Bo Horvat’s new contract will be done soon. Horvat is still sitting as a restricted free agent even though Canucks’ GM Jim Benning has been clear he wants to lock him up long-term. The young center will likely be the new face of the franchise in Vancouver once the Sedin twins leave town, and will be looking for a contract which adequately compensates him for that.
  • The Toronto Marlies have signed a goaltender to work with Garret Sparks this year. The team announced they’ve signed Cal Heeter to a one-year AHL deal, bringing him in after a solid end of the season with the Calder Cup champion Grand Rapids Griffins. Antoine Bibeau, the previous goaltender for the Marlies was not given a qualifying offer this spring and signed with the San Jose Sharks.

Snapshots: Penguins, Clifton, Kerfoot

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The Pittsburgh Penguins were in the running to the end on Matt Cullen before he decided to sign with the Minnesota Wild in order to allow his family to put down some roots, and though he wasn’t a perfect fit for their vacant third-line center he certainly would have been an option for a bottom-six role. Jonathan Bombulie of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review spoke to Penguins GM Jim Rutherford about the still vacant role, who once again said that he could trade right now for an “adequate” option but isn’t excited about it.

Instead, Bombulie tweets, Rutherford is waiting for a better option to come available or head into the season with some cap space in order to make a move at a later date. While no names are included, there is still a clear understanding of the biggest weak-spot on the Penguins roster. It will be interesting to see if another more “impactful” option shakes loose as training camp opens in September, or if the Penguins are forced to go into the season with Carter Rowney playing third-line minutes.

  • A name we mentioned this morning as a possible early signing, Connor Clifton has signed an AHL contract with the Providence Bruins according to Mark Divver of the Providence Journal. The physical but undersized defenseman played with Quinnipiac the last four seasons and is a nice right-handed fit for the P-Bruins. His aggressive style can sometimes take him over the line into penalty trouble, but he could develop into a depth option for the NHL level.
  • According to Scott Powers of The Athletic, the Chicago Blackhawks have not reached out to free agent Alex Kerfoot yet. The Blackhawks have been linked to Hobey Baker award winner Will Butcher, but at this point don’t seem to have any interest in the former New Jersey Devils’ draft pick. Kerfoot met with Vancouver earlier today and has received interest from several other teams.

Snapshots: Desjardins, Iginla, Dahlstrom, Blue Jackets

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Willie Desjardins won’t be in the NHL this year, but he’ll still be one of the more talked-about coached in hockey. He’ll be leading Team Canada on their journey to the Olympics, this time without the benefit of NHL-level players. Speaking with Rick Dhaliwal today of News 1130 in Vancouver, Desjardins spoke about several players including Shane Doan and Jarome Iginla.

Confirming that the pair are still looking for NHL contracts, Desjardins also said that it would be tough for them to jump into the Olympic speed if they weren’t playing anywhere come February. That might be the case for one or both of them though, as there doesn’t seem to be much interest around the league for the aging stars. Iginla had some redeeming qualities at the trade deadline and picked up his play for the Los Angeles Kings down the stretch, but both are now 40-years old and would need a team to really go out on a limb to give them an NHL deal.

  • Scott Powers of The Athletic goes in depth on Chicago Blackhawks prospect John Dahlstrom, who you can no longer call Mr. Irrelevant in the NHL. The very last pick of the 2015 draft, Dahlstrom will return to Sweden instead of playing in the USHL this season, and try to earn an entry-level contract next year. The 20-year old forward recorded 30 goals and 59 points for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL this year, and has legitimate prospect status despite his draft pedigree.
  • Aaron Portzline made his much-anticipated debut for The Athletic’s Cleveland chapter, bringing his usual insight into the Columbus Blue Jackets and explaining all the upcoming decisions for the team over the next month. He includes an interesting quote from GM Jarmo Kekalainen, saying that he’s willing to make a trade or do whatever is needed regardless of whether the season has started or not. This was in response to some questions about Matt Duchene, a deal that Portzline still sees as a perfect fit between the two clubs.

Snapshots: Krueger, Cholowski, Datsyuk

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Over the past year, Ralph Krueger has been the subject of speculation surrounding just about every head coaching vacancy in the league. Offered at least two jobs, Krueger has turned down every opportunity to return to hockey and instead kept his position as Chairman of the Southampton soccer club in England. The Premiership offers Kruger a chance to be part of one of the biggest sporting leagues in the world, and he’s seemed very content with his position there.

Today, eighty percent of the Southampton organization was sold off for more than $270MM to businessman Jisheng Gao and his family. While a letter from former majority owner Katharina Liebherr states that she and Gao still have complete confidence in Krueger’s leadership, some like Bob Stauffer of 630 CHED in Edmonton believe it could inch him closer to an NHL return. If the new ownership wants to install their own chairman, Krueger could be on the top of many team’s lists in the hockey world.

  • Detroit Red Wings’ prospect Dennis Cholowski has officially signed a CHL contract with the Prince George Cougars, where he’ll likely spend this season. After playing one year at St. Cloud State in the NCAA, Cholowski signed his entry-level contract in the spring and spent some time with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 19-year old first-round pick will head to the WHL where he should dominate after already putting up impressive performances against much older players in the US college ranks. He could still be sent to the AHL or even make the NHL squad in training camp, but this signing lends more credence to the idea he’ll spend 2017-18 in the junior ranks. The left-handed defenseman has some of the best upside in the Red Wings’ organization, and won’t be rushed to the NHL for a team that is not expected to compete. Cholowski has a very good chance of representing Canada on the international stage at the World Juniors this year, after taking part in the Summer Showcase earlier this offseason.
  • After suffering an injury that forced him to watch as his team won the KHL’s Gagarin Cup, Pavel Datsyuk is healthy and back in the lineup for SKA St. Petersburg’s preseason game tonight. Datsyuk was an All-Star in his first year back in the KHL, and even at 39-years old should be a lock for the Russian Olympic team. The former Detroit Red Wings’ forward scored 42 points in 51 total games last year for St. Petersberg, and will try to take a depleted team back to the playoffs again. Both Vadim Shipachyov and Evgeni Dadonov left the team for the NHL this offseason, but they did add young defender and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Vladislav Gavrikov to the defense group.

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