Colton Sceviour Re-Signs In Switzerland
It was quite the European debut for long-time NHL forward Colton Sceviour in 2022-23. Joining SC Bern of the Swiss NL, the gritty forward put up 19 goals and 19 assists for 38 points, only trailing other foreign-born skaters Chris DiDomenico and Oscar Lindberg.
The club was clearly impressed, as they have inked Sceviour to another one-year contract for 2023-24. Team director Andrew Ebbett called him one of their most “consistent” players, a work ethic that he was well known for in North America as well.
Now 34, Sceviour played over 500 games in the NHL, never scoring more than 11 goals or 26 points in a single season. But he maintained his spot in the lineup—playing for the Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Edmonton Oilers—through attention to detail, a willingness to engage physically, and never-ending energy on the penalty kill.
It appears, with this new contract, that we can close the book on his NHL career. Sceviour scored 66 goals and 156 points over his 535 regular season games.
PHR Mailbag: Devils, Coyotes, Blue Jackets, Wild, Wright, Robertson, Thunderbirds, Top Pick
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include New Jersey’s goaltending situation, Jason Robertson’s quiet start to the playoffs, and much more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back later on as due to the volume of questions submitted, we’ll be running two more mailbags between now and next weekend.
SpeakOfTheDevils: What do the Devils do at the goalie position this summer? Obviously, Bernier retires, Blackwood isn’t qualified, do we run a Vanecek/Schmid platoon or trade Vanecek for someone like Saros or Hellebuyck?
First, I’ll agree with you on the first two. Jonathan Bernier has been out for over a year and a half so he clearly isn’t returning. I still think Mackenzie Blackwood can be a good NHL goalie but after being relegated to third-string status for the playoffs plus his $3.36MM qualifying offer, he’s not coming back either.
I’ll start my answer to your question with another question. Do the Devils think they can re-sign both Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier? Neither are goaltenders obviously but they’re going to have an impact on what does – or doesn’t – happen between the pipes.
There’s only so much cap space to go around and a lot of what they have is going to have to go to those two, probably somewhere around $18MM, give or take. If those two sign and they have big contracts on the books already in Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Dougie Hamilton, can they afford another big one? Juuse Saros and Connor Hellebuyck aren’t on contracts at that level yet but will be soon enough and I’m not sure it’s justifiable to make a move for one of them without being prepared to pay up for their next, much more expensive, deal.
Right now, I think New Jersey’s intention is to re-sign both wingers and that will more or less force their hand into going cheap between the pipes with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid so that’s what I’ll go with as an answer. But if talks with one of them fall through and they wind up getting moved, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were to take a run at a goaltending upgrade.
PyramidHeadcrab: What’s the long-term plan for the Arizona Coyotes and Columbus Blue Jackets?
Arizona has become a dumping ground for bad contracts, and they trade away every quality asset they develop. They’re playing in an OHL-sized arena and icing a team that has no chance of competing. Are they built to serve other teams? I don’t see the goal here.
Columbus has flirted with the playoffs and hosted some genuine star talent at points, but they seem to be cursed with injuries and mediocre depth/prospects. Does Columbus ever pull it all together and reliably compete, or do they simply continue to exist in perpetual suffering?
This is certainly a topical question with the arena proposal for the Coyotes getting voted down earlier this week (and it was particularly timely as it came before the news broke). Franchise-wise, I do think the team is going to take a serious look at trying to find a Plan B that works in the desert over the next eight-to-ten months. If nothing presents itself, then relocation could very well be on the table with a new owner in place.
But as you noted in your follow-up comment, you were looking at more of the on-ice element for both teams. For Arizona, they’ve made it clear that they haven’t had much desire to win for the last several years and based on GM Bill Armstrong’s comments earlier about where they are in that process, probably a few more. I don’t think they’re concerned about not having an overly competitive team; their goal is competing a few years from now with a bunch of promising prospects growing together into a sustainable contender. Taking on injured players allows them to keep net payroll costs down (they’re paying considerably less than the AAV after insurance) which is particularly important playing in the arena they’re currently in. There’s an end game for this, it just won’t be seen for a little while longer.
As for Columbus, I’m not particularly bullish on their future. I get that landing Johnny Gaudreau resulted in them trying to expedite things but clearly, it didn’t work. They’re going to get a high-end talent with the third pick next month at least and they have some quality youngsters headlined by David Jiricek and Kent Johnson. With them, Gaudreau, and Patrik Laine, there’s a good foundation. But unless their new head coach can elevate their play to another level, this feels like a franchise whose peak might be a second-round exit or two. That’s not terrible but while I wouldn’t necessarily say they’ll be perpetually suffering, I don’t see them getting over the proverbial hump anytime soon.
Zakis: What youngsters make the Wild opening day roster next year and what kind of impact do you think they can make? To piggyback on a comment, what is the role of a POHO? More focused on the on-ice product or business side? Thanks as always.
Let’s start with Brock Faber. He didn’t look out of place in the playoffs and with Mathew Dumba and John Klingberg heading for unrestricted free agency in July, there should be a spot in the lineup for him. Next season, I don’t think he’s going to make a huge impact right away but I could see his ATOI getting into the 16-18-minute range which would be a solid rookie year.
Up front, I think Marco Rossi breaks camp at least with Minnesota. Now with basically two full AHL seasons under his belt, they need to get a feel for where he is development-wise. If he winds up back on the fourth line eventually, then they can send him back down but I suspect he’ll get a look. His impact might wind up being negligible, however.
I see the Wild being a team that could be active in free agency in September. There are always free agent bargains to be had at that point and they might bring in a veteran or two that could push someone like Samuel Walker or Adam Beckman back to Iowa to start. If you want a dark horse forward to break camp, I’ll throw out Caedan Bankier. If they go young on the fourth line, his defensive game is good enough to stick while providing some offensive upside. A good camp could have him in the mix.
As for the role of a President of Hockey Operations (or POHO), it varies from team to team. Some are really involved in the day-to-day operations to the point where they could have the final say on strategy and personnel moves with the GM then going out and executing them. Some teams don’t have a President of Hockey Operations, they just have a President (Minnesota is one of those with Matt Majka). Some have a POHO on paper but in reality, they’re not overly involved with on-ice elements. In those instances, they’re heavily involved in business strategy, marketing, and revenue growth.
aka.nda: Been wondering about Shane Wright’s next few seasons. Would a trade scenario be unconscionable? If not, what is his value like? Who would be a good fit and why?
It would be a bit of a shock to see a fourth-overall pick traded one year later but I suppose it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility. For it to happen, Seattle would need to be convinced that he’s not going to pan out as they hoped a year ago which frankly, would be a particularly aggressive conclusion to draw for someone who has less than 30 games of professional experience under his belt. GM Ron Francis is patient and this would be the opposite of that. The other element required here would be another team would need to feel the other way, that he is still a high-quality center prospect. That one is easier to see happening as I’m sure plenty of teams would want to get their hands on him.
From a trade value perspective, I’d peg it somewhere around what the tenth pick would fetch in a trade. Last year wasn’t the deepest of drafts and his post-draft year wasn’t great (though it wasn’t bad either, by any stretch) so I think his value would be down slightly relative to a year ago. From the fit side of things, anyone who needs a young center would be a fit on paper. That’s a lot of teams.
I’m trying to think of a scenario that could make Francis pull the trigger and this is the best I could come up with. A team makes a promising young center that’s 21 or 22 and either already in the NHL (or should be next season) available. That player doesn’t fit the trading team’s timeline as they’re in a rebuild but Wright does. I’m not sure there’s a team in a rebuild right now with someone that age with that much control and upside that could be made available in this scenario. But that’s my guess on what it would take for them to move Wright that quickly.
jacl: What the hell is going on with Jason Robertson? This is two years in a row he has disappeared in the playoffs.
As much as Robertson has struggled to score, he still sat second on the Stars in points heading into the start of their series against Vegas at just under a point per game. That’s not terrible. I’d suggest that he has been better this year than 2022, his first taste of postseason action so that’s a step in the right direction, if nothing else.
It’s a simple answer but sometimes, it takes players a while to adapt to the different way that playoff hockey is played. In particular, smaller offensive players can deal with some challenges with the tighter checking and greater physicality; look no further than Dallas’ first-round opponent in Minnesota who didn’t get a lot from Kirill Kaprizov that series. Robertson enters this series with 19 playoff games under his belt which isn’t a whole lot. There’s still a lot of time for him to figure out the nuances of playoff hockey, not just this year but beyond. But it looks like it’s going to take him a bit longer to play at his regular season level in the postseason.
Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Dmitri Voronkov
After waiting several years for his contracts overseas to expire, the Columbus Blue Jackets have finally signed Dmitri Voronkov to a two-year entry-level deal. The Russian forward has been approved for a work visa, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, though it is still unclear when he will travel to Columbus.
Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen released a statement on the signing:
Dmitri is a big, strong forward who can play at center ice or on the wing and is coming off an outstanding season in the KHL. He is a skilled player that has shown an ability to score goals while playing a physical two-way game. We believe he has tremendous upside and are looking forward to his joining our group and continuing his development as a Blue Jacket.
Voronkov, 22, was the 114th overall pick in 2019 but quickly shot up prospect lists with a solid showing in the KHL as a rookie and an outstanding performance in the 2020 World Juniors. While his offensive output (and playing time) has wavered at times at the Russian professional level, there were flashes of a potential breakout on the horizon.
That breakout happened this season, when Voronkov scored 18 goals and 31 points in 54 games for Ak-Bars Kazan before adding eight goals and 12 points in 24 postseason matches—barely missing out on a league championship.
A member of the 2022 Olympic team, he is coming to the Blue Jackets as a potential day-one option for their 2023-24 roster. He can contribute in a variety of ways and should give Columbus another piece to try and fit into their rebuild.
Buffalo Sabres Sign Viktor Neuchev
This afternoon, in a flurry of activity surrounding the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs mixed with some extensions signed by other players, the Buffalo Sabres have entered the mix, announcing that they have signed forward Viktor Neuchev to an entry-level contract. Neuchev recently finished his last season in the KHL, playing for Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg.
Originally drafted 74th overall by the Sabres in the 2022 NHL Draft, Neuchev finished his last season with Yekaterinburg playing in 57 games, scoring four goals and eight assists. In his draft year, Neuchev played in the MHL for Avto Yekaterinburg, playing in 61 games, scoring 40 goals and 27 assists in the 2021-22 season.
Neuchev’s scouting report primarily centers around his strong skating ability and his pro-level shot already. His edge work is always noted, highlighting his ability to change direction and weave through an opposing team’s defense. As the Sabres seem like a team poised to finally take the next step into the playoffs, Neuchev will be another strongly skilled forward they can now add to the mix.
Ryan Siedem Enters Transfer Portal
Mark Divver of NHL.com is reporting that NCAA defenseman Ryan Siedem has entered the college transfer portal. Siedem is a senior at Harvard and just completed a season in which he registered 17 points in 34 games for the Crimson.
In college hockey the transfer portal is an online database that allows student athletes to declare their desire to transfer to a different school. Divver reports that he has heard rumors that Michigan is the favorite to land the 22-year-old New Jersey native.
Siedem was never drafted but he did attend the Washington Capitals 2022 development camp. He didn’t walk away with a contract or any type of a guarantee, but now as he finds himself in the transfer portal, it is being reported that he does have some AHL offers.
Siedem won’t put the puck in the net very often, in fact his lone goal this season came by the way of an empty netter. Looking back, he hasn’t put up more than four goals in any season since 2014-15. While he isn’t a shooter, he is a strong passer and can facilitate breakouts utilizing a good first pass.
David Carle Named Head Coach of U.S. National Junior Team
In some exciting news for next season in the international scene, USA Hockey announces that David Carle will lead the 2024 U.S. National Junior Team from the bench. Carle, who is still only 33 years old, has been at the helm of the Denver University Pioneers for the last five years.
In every season since taking over as head coach, Carle has led the Pioneers to the Frozen Four Tournament every year, winning the title over Minnesota State during the 2021-22 season. Throughout his head coaching career, he has accrued an overall record of 116-53-13, giving him a career-winning percentage of .637.
For the United States National Junior team in particular, since the 2015 tournament, the team has earned two gold medals, one silver medal, and three bronze medals. Typically engaging in legendary battles with Canada’s National Junior team, if Carle’s college pedigree is any predictor, the United States might be an even tougher challenge to the back-to-back defending champions.
The tournament will start later this year, starting on December 26th and ending on January 5th of 2024. The tournament will be played in Sweden, and the United States will be in Group B, including Czechia, Norway, Slovakia, and Switzerland.
Avalanche Sign Sam Malinski To Two-Year Pact
The Colorado Avalanche announced the signing of former Cornell University defenseman Sam Malinski to a two-year contract to begin next season, the team announced on Twitter.
Malinski, 24, recently completed his senior season, during which he served as captain, and recorded 8 goals and 18 assists for 26 points in 34 games. He is set to join the Colorado Eagles for the remainder of this season on an amateur tryout, and will join the team for its AHL playoff run.
Malinski will turn 25 in July, making him ineligible to sign a three-year entry level contract. He joins an Avalanche organization that has a lack of defensive prospects, and will likely need to show out early with the Eagles to climb the organizational depth chart.
As an undrafted free agent out of the NCAA, Malinksi is further along in his development than players who join the pro ranks at a younger age, but being more experienced, he will be expected to try and carve out a meaningful role with the Eagles before being considered for an NHL call up in the coming years.
Injury Notes: Buchnevich, Thomas, Chabot, Cole
The St. Louis Blues will be without top forward Robert Thomas tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks with an upper-body injury, the team announced Wednesday. Thomas scored a goal in the Blues win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, and has had a strong season, with 17 goals and 46 assists for 63 points in 70 games. Thomas is now one of the core pieces up front for the Blues, and is set to begin an eight-year contract with an AAV of $8.125MM, which could soon be a bargain for a player of Thomas’ caliber. Thomas is third on the Blues in points this season.
- Sticking with the Blues, they will also be without winger Pavel Buchnevich tonight against Chicago. The winger will miss the game with an upper-body injury. He had a goal and an assist against Vancouver on Tuesday, and is second on the Blues in scoring with 25 goals and 41 assists for 66 points in 59 games. Buchnevich scored 57 goals in his final three seasons with the New York Rangers, but has 55 goals for the Blues in the past two seasons, making the acquisition look like a boon for the Blues.
- Ottawa Senators defensemen Thomas Chabot will not play tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. Chabot played on Monday for the Sens, recording an assist in the 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers. As the Sens try to make a late playoff push, losing Chabot on the blueline won’t help matters. He has 11 goals and 30 assists this season in 68 games.
- Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ian Cole will return to the lineup as the team hosts the Washington Capitals, according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. The veteran defenseman missed Tuesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes and returns as the Bolts are set to host the Washington Capitals tonight.
Minnesota Wild Sign Hunter Haight
The Minnesota Wild have inked another prospect, signing Hunter Haight to a three-year, entry-level contract that starts in the 2023-24 season. Haight plays for the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL, where he will remain through the end of the season.
Unlike many of the prospects signed over the last few days, Haight isn’t your mid-round overage draft pick. The 18-year-old forward has been a top prospect in Ontario for years and was selected 47th overall last summer after a solid rookie campaign with the Barrie Colts.
This season, after a slow start with Barrie, a trade brought him to the Spirit where his game has flourished. Through 33 games with Saginaw, the brilliant stick handler has 36 points, and still has plenty of time to round out the rest of his game.
Despite the contract “starting” next season, Haight will almost certainly be returned to junior in 2023-24, meaning it will slide forward another year. While he has shown well at Minnesota development camp, it is extremely unlikely that he makes the jump right to the NHL.
Since he’ll still be only 19, he isn’t eligible for AHL play, meaning it’s back to the OHL where he’ll try to make Canada’s World Junior team and continue his upward trajectory.
Follow The NBA Trade Deadline At Hoops Rumors
Deadline day is finally here! NBA teams will have until today at 2:00 pm CT to finalize trade agreements, and our sister site Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors on Twitter) has all the latest news, rumors and transactions for each of the league’s 30 teams!
It has already been an extremely eventful trade season, due in large part to the Nets, who traded star guard Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks on Sunday and reached a blockbuster agreement late on Wednesday night to send Kevin Durant to the Suns.
The Lakers, Jazz, and Timberwolves have also agreed to a major three-team trade that will see Russell Westbrook, Mike Conley, and D’Angelo Russell end up in new homes, while Jakob Poeltl and Josh Hart are among the other notable players reportedly changing teams.
Even with all that action so far, there are still plenty of storylines to keep an eye on as Thursday’s deadline nears. Hoops Rumors has provided a trade primer to help follow along.
For the latest updates on the NBA trade deadline, check out Hoops Rumors today! Last season saw a total of 20 in-season trades — including 10 on deadline day alone — and this season could be just as action-packed! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter – @HoopsRumors.