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Snapshots: Johnson, Price, Lehner

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Jack Johnson is in Colorado Avalanche camp on a professional tryout, but that could be converted to an NHL deal before long. Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports that things are “trending in the direction” of a new contract, though nothing has been filed just yet. An injury to Devon Toews has opened a potential spot for the veteran defenseman, who, according to Baugh’s source, had interest from other teams before deciding to head to Colorado.

The 34-year-old is coming off a one-year, $1.15MM deal with the New York Rangers, but is still earning a little more than $916K from the Pittsburgh Penguins in each of the next five seasons, thanks to a buyout in 2020. It’s been a brutal few years for Johnson, who has played in 950 regular season games over a long career but has posted terrible analytics for many of them. In a depth role perhaps he can be effective for the Avalanche, but there’s little chance of him being a real impact player for them at this point.

  • The Montreal Canadiens were hoping that Carey Price would be ready for the start of the regular season after undergoing knee surgery earlier this offseason, but that may not be the case. Head coach Dominique Ducharme told reporters including John Lu of TSN that Price is currently dealing with a non-COVID illness that is keeping him off the ice and the team is “less confident now” that he’ll be ready for the first game. The fact that the Canadiens claimed Sam Montembeault off waivers this weekend makes sense if that’s the case, though Price is still not expected to miss a huge chunk of the regular season schedule.
  • Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner stirred up hockey Twitter this weekend with a series of tweets alleging various wrongdoings across the league and tagged both the NHLPA and NHL to offer to speak directly to them. League commissioner Gary Bettman joined Jeff Marek on Sportsnet radio this afternoon and commented on the situation, explaining that the league will soon speak directly to Lehner to “hear his concerns directly” and then “follow up to see what merit there may be.” So far, the league has not announced any official investigations into any of the concerns raised by the veteran goaltender, which included allegations of team personnel providing benzodiazepines and Ambien to players.

Snapshots: Olympics, Eichel, Cirelli, Knyzhov

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While the Olympics are still a few months away, each participating country will have to submit their long list of eligible players on October 15th, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic (Twitter link).  That list could contain 50 or more players per country with some having more than others.  The full squads will be announced at some point in January with the exact date to be determined.  At this point, the NHL and NHLPA are discussing whether to do it all in one day or spread it out to add some more buzz.  There will be an extended break in the schedule this season to accommodate both the All-Star Game and the Olympics with most teams only having a small handful of games in February as a result.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • While it will ultimately cost him some money in the end, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News argues that Sabres center Jack Eichel should ultimately go ahead with the surgery he prefers. He would be suspended, would have to pay for it out of pocket, and wouldn’t be paid while suspended but the risk is lessened since Buffalo almost certainly wouldn’t terminate his contract with how high the asking price in a trade remains.  The artificial disc replacement carries a quicker recovery time and as soon as he’s able to show that he’s healthy, it might help the trade process along which is what he ultimately wants.
  • Lightning center Anthony Cirelli left Thursday’s exhibition game early due to a lower-body injury and will be out at least one week, relays Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 24-year-old is coming off a quiet year offensively that saw him put up 22 points in 50 games last season.
  • The Sharks are hoping that defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov will be able to start skating next week but his availability for the start of the season is in question, notes Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link). The 23-year-old had sports hernia surgery over the summer after playing through it last season.  Knyzhov still managed to play in all 56 games in 2020-21, picking up 10 points while averaging 16:45 per contest.

Snapshots: Blackwood, Coyotes, Dach

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The New Jersey Devils were one of the teams to announce during the start of training camp that a player in their organization was unvaccinated, and today Mackenzie Blackwood confirmed that it was him. When speaking with media including Greg Wyshynski of ESPN, Blackwood explained that he hasn’t decided whether or not he will be vaccinated in the future, but has “a couple of health concerns and health reasons” why he has not received it yet.

Though Blackwood will be held to stricter protocols because of his status, the Devils won’t be forced to go without him at the start of the season like some other teams with unvaccinated players. New Jersey is not scheduled to travel to Canada until a December 3 game against the Winnipeg Jets, meaning there would still be time for the young goaltender to receive a league-approved vaccine in time to accompany them on the road trip if he chooses to do so. Blackwood was one of the players to test positive for Coronavirus earlier this year, missing several games.

  • The Arizona Coyotes have hired David Oliver and Scott Pellerin as pro scouts, adding to a scouting department that has experienced a complete overhaul since general manager Bill Armstrong took over the front office. Oliver has spent the last several years as an assistant coach with the New York Rangers, and before that worked for years with the Colorado Avalanche organization. Pellerin meanwhile was previously the Toronto Maple Leafs’ director of player development and had been with the club for seven years.
  • While Kirby Dach is busy preparing for an important season with the Chicago Blackhawks, little brother Colton Dach is heading to a new team in the WHL. The 18-year-old forward, who was picked 62nd overall by the Blackhawks this year, has been traded from the Saskatoon Blades to the Kelowna Rockets. Colton Dach has not yet signed his entry-level with the Blackhawks, but is another big-bodied two-way player that has a legitimate future in the middle of the ice. He had 11 goals and 20 points in 20 games for Saskatoon last season, but will try to build on that this time around in Kelowna.

Snapshots: Lundqvist, Caufield, Popugaev

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Immediately after Henrik Lundqvist announced his retirement last month, the New York Rangers confirmed that they would be retiring his number. They’ve now announced that on January 28, 2022, his No. 30 will be raised to the rafters and never worn again. Lundqvist is the franchise leader among goaltenders in games played, wins, saves, and save percentage (among those with at least 60 appearances).

He will become the 11th player to have his number retired by the team, joining Ed Giacomin (1), Brian Leetch (2), Harry Howell (3), Rod Gilbert (7), Andy Bathgate (9), Adam Graves (9), Mark Messier (11), Vic Hadfield (11), Jean Ratelle (19) and Mike Richter (35).

  • The Montreal Canadiens have confirmed that young star Cole Caufield will be out for a week with an upper-body injury suffered over the weekend. The 20-year-old played against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday and then was pulled from the warmup for an intrasquad game on Sunday. With how important he is going to be for the team this year, keeping him healthy to start the season is extremely important for the Canadiens.
  • It appears as though former New Jersey Devils prospect Nikita Popugaev has ended his hockey career, listing himself as an “ex hockey player” on Instagram. Popugaev was a fourth-round pick of the Devils in 2017, but never signed with the team and spent last season in the KHL. Though his rights are technically retained indefinitely by the Devils, it appears as though the 22-year-old will no longer be pursuing his career on the ice.

Snapshots: Vrana, Voracek, Augustana

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Hockey is back as the preseason enters its second day. While teams continue to announce roster moves and training camp cuts, there’s a variety of news and notes from around the league and sport that have come through the wire. The most notable takes us to the Detroit Red Wings, where head coach Jeff Blashill reports that forward Jakub Vrana will see a specialist on Monday for a shoulder injury suffered this week. After yesterday’s report from Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen that Vrana would be reevaluated later, this is a quick turnaround from such an uncertain timeline. Any absence would be a huge blow to Detroit, for whom Vrana scored at a point-per-game pace last season.

Some other news from around the hockey world:

  • The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline notes the discrepancy in the role that Jakub Voracek will carry during his second tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Voracek’s last season in Columbus came in 2010-11 at the age of 21, playing 10 seasons and 727 games in Philadelphia after a trade. Dealt back to Columbus this offseason in exchange for Cam Atkinson, Voracek now returns as the oldest player on the Columbus roster. He’ll be tasked with being a strong voice in terms of leadership to help gel a rebuilding squad. It’s something that Voracek says he’s “ready to fill” due to his experience in Philadelphia.
  • After announcing a move to create a Division I hockey program back in June, South Dakota’s Augustana University will announce the program officially on October 5. Including the groundbreaking of the team’s new arena, the event will mark history for hockey in South Dakota. It continues a recent tradition of lesser-known schools breaking into the Division I scene.

Snapshots: Staal, Shootouts, IIHF, Canada-Russia

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Veteran center Eric Staal remains one of the more notable unrestricted free agents looking for a place to play this season.  As Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic detailed in TSN’s recent Insider Trading segment, Staal’s preference would be to play in the United States over returning to a Canadian-based squad.  The 36-year-old struggled considerably with Buffalo and Montreal last season although he managed to hold down a regular spot on the fourth line for the Canadiens in their run to the Stanley Cup Final.  Staal’s preference appears to be returning to Minnesota which is where he played from 2016-17 through 2019-20 but the Wild aren’t believed to have interest in a reunion at this time.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Don’t be surprised to see plenty of shootouts in the preseason. The league announced (Twitter link) that every game will have the potential to have a shootout and that it’s up to the teams to decide if they want to have one.  This was done back when the shootout first came into the league back in 2005-06 as an opportunity for teams to practice and they’ll now have the opportunity to work on that element in the coming weeks.
  • Rene Fasel’s time as IIHF President has officially come to an end after 27 years. The IIHF revealed its election results today and France’s Luc Tardif won in the fourth and final round of voting with Fasel not seeking re-election.  Tardif was born in Canada and briefly played in the QMJHL before moving to France in the late 1970s to play in France’s professional league.  Meanwhile, long-time NHL veteran Pavel Bure was elected to the IIHF’s Council.  Each will serve a five-year term that runs through 2026.
  • The CHL announced that the annual Canada-Russia series has been canceled for this season. The event, which sees some drafted and draft-eligible Russian prospects take on the best players from each of the three major junior leagues (mostly NHL-drafted players) in advance of the World Juniors, is expected to return for 2022-23.

Snapshots: Jets, Makar, Archibald

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The Winnipeg Jets have a deep forward unit, a revamped defense, and one of the best goaltenders in the world, yet they are still sometimes left out of the conversation when it comes to contenders for the 2022 Stanley Cup. Perhaps that’s because they’re from a market in snowy Manitoba that has less than a million people, but it’s also because this same core has disappointed over each of the last three postseasons, reaching the second round just once only to be swept out by the Montreal Canadiens.

If you think that the window may be closing on the key group in Winnipeg, you’re not alone–they know it too. Connor Hellebuyck told reporters today including Murat Ates of The Athletic that the Jets are “not getting any younger” and their “time is running out.” Captain Blake Wheeler will play this season at age-35, while he, Mark Scheifele, and Hellebuyck all have only three years remaining on their respective contracts. The rest of the roster isn’t as young as it once was and there’s no guarantee they are going to be better in the years to come than they are right now. There’s optimism that the Jets can be one of the best teams in the league this season, but they also have some pressure to perform while the clock is ticking.

  • When Cale Makar graced the ice today in a non-contact sweater, Colorado Avalanche fans panicked wondering what happened to their star defenseman. Head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Peter Baugh of The Athletic that Makar had a procedure in the offseason and the team will take their time getting him up to speed. Bednar didn’t seem concerned, explaining that Makar would be “good to go” soon enough.
  • Josh Archibald has been confirmed as the Edmonton Oilers player that has declined the COVID-19 vaccination, meaning he may miss 30 or more games this season depending on travel restrictions. Archibald wasn’t on the ice today as he finished a quarantine, but is expected to join his teammates tomorrow. Duncan Keith, who was recently vaccinated in the U.S., will not participate in camp until next Friday as he finishes his own quarantine.

Snapshots: Rielly, Tkachuk, Canucks, Memorial Cup

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Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly is heading into the final year of his contract and with a $5MM price tag on his current deal, it’s safe to say that he’s heading for a sizable raise on his next deal.  The blueliner spoke with reporters today including TSN’s Kristen Shilton to discuss his situation:

My approach this year is that I don’t really want to discuss it publicly. …You know how I feel about being a Leaf, but at the same time, it’s a business. But being a Toronto Maple Leaf is special to me. …  I’m not going to put any rules on [my agent]. And I’ll take care of what I can do hockey-wise. That’s the best approach for me.

With the price tag for number one defensemen going up considerably this summer, Rielly’s camp could push for a contract upwards of $8MM.  With nearly $68MM in commitments to just 14 players for 2022-23 per CapFriendly, they may have a hard time fitting that contract in with the Upper Limit likely only increasing by $1MM for that season.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • In his latest 32 Thoughts column, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wonders if the delay in discussions for Senators restricted free agent Brady Tkachuk is more about structure than actual dollars. Year-to-year distribution has become more important with a high escrow rate now while it declines in future years while signing bonuses and trade protection are always important elements in talks for core players.  Tkachuk is only eligible for trade protection in the UFA-eligible seasons of a long-term agreement and he’s four years away from getting to that point.
  • Canucks forward Justin Bailey will not be available at the start of training camp following a positive COVID-19 test, reports Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston (Twitter link). The 26-year-old played in just three games with Vancouver last season; he spent most of the first month of the year on the taxi squad before suffering a season-ending shoulder surgery.  Meanwhile, GM Jim Benning also indicated that center Brandon Sutter is dealing with some fatigue with the team not fully sure of what the cause of it is at this time but ruled out the possibility of it being the COVID-19 virus.
  • After the event wasn’t held the last two seasons due to the pandemic, the CHL announced that the Memorial Cup will return in 2022 and will be held in Saint John, New Brunswick, a QMJHL city. The event pits the host city against the champions from the QMJHL, OHL, and WHL in a short tournament that will take place in early June.

Snapshots: Petruzzelli, Lowe, Kimball

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When the signing deadline came and went for college draft picks without a deal for Keith Petruzzelli, it wasn’t clear what the plan was for the towering goaltender. The Detroit Red Wings had picked him 88th overall in 2017 and he had played four seasons at Quinnipiac University. Normally that would mean he would be forced to turn pro, but he actually could have returned to school for a fifth NCAA season because of the extra year of availability granted after COVID-19 caused many schools to pause their programs.

That’s exactly what the Red Wings wanted Petruzzelli to do, according to a report from Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, but the 22-year-old was ready to test himself at the next level. He signed a two-year AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies, joining a Maple Leafs’ organization that is still searching for its “goaltender of the future.” The 2021 Hobey Baker finalist explained to Wheeler exactly why he chose Toronto to start his pro career and went in-depth on the struggles he has had to add weight to his 6’6″ frame in the past. There’s still a long way to go for the young netminder, but an NHL deal at some point down the road seems likely.

  • Kevin Lowe, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame class of 2020 will have his No. 4 retired by the Edmonton Oilers on November 4. It’s fitting that the New York Rangers are in town on that night, as that’s the only other NHL team Lowe played for during his 19-year career. A veteran of 1,254 regular season games, Lowe was a core member of the Oilers teams that won five Stanley Cup championships in seven years and was still effective enough to help the Rangers take home the 1994 title at age-35. Lowe now serves as alternate governor for the Oilers after previously serving as head coach, general manager, and president of hockey operations for the club.
  • The Washington Capitals have named Dr. Aimee Kimball as the senior director of team and organizational development. Kimball has spent the last 15 years in the NHL, including the last four years with the New Jersey Devils as director of player development. The Capitals explain that in her role, Kimball will provide “skilled direction and support in the areas of player development falling outside the standard skills (strength, and on-ice training).” As a mental training consultant, Kimball spent a decade with the Pittsburgh Penguins, including during their championship seasons of 2009 and 2016. She also currently serves as a mental performance coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team as the prepare for the upcoming 2022 Olympics.

Snapshots: Canucks, Brown, Warner

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The Canucks remain a team to watch for with training camp fast approaching with their two prominent unsigned players in defenseman Quinn Hughes and forward Elias Pettersson.  Speaking with Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre, GM Jim Benning indicated that “there’s no angry sides” as they continue to talk either every day or every second day.  Vancouver has enough cap room to potentially sign one of the two to a long-term contract and the other a bridge deal but MacIntyre reports that at this point, short-term contracts for both are the current focus.  With both being represented by CAA, the discussions are basically intertwined.  Benning expressed a desire to have both stars signed before training camp starts so agreements will need to be in place soon for that to happen.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Senators Logan Brown is one of 11 remaining restricted free agents in the NHL but that shouldn’t be the case much longer. While both sides wouldn’t mind a change of scenery, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the expectation is that Brown will soon accept his qualifying offer and be at the start of training camp.  The offer, which technically has expired although players can still sign for that amount, is a two-way deal worth just over $874K.  Brown will require waivers to be sent back to the AHL this season and if he doesn’t make Ottawa’s roster in training camp, a waiver claim could wind up being how he goes elsewhere.
  • Former Wild defensive prospect Hunter Warner retired late last month at the age of 25 but as it turns out, he’s not leaving sports entirely. Instead, he has taken up boxing, notes Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press.  Warner was undrafted but signed with Minnesota in 2014 and played in parts of six professional seasons with AHL Iowa before hanging up his skates.

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