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Capitals Extend GM Brian MacLellan; No Word On Barry Trotz

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March 9th: The Capitals have officially confirmed the extension to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.

March 4th: The Washington Capitals have signed general manager Brian MacLellan to a multi-year contract extension Saturday, according to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos. The next question is whether the team will extend head coach Barry Trotz as the coach is in the final year of his contract.

MacLellan has worked his way up the ladder with the Capitals having served as an assistant general manager for seven years with the organization before taking over general manager duties in 2014. While in charge, his teams have reached 100 points three consecutive years. The team’s lone issue has been its struggles in the playoffs as the team has failed to get out of the second round in each of those years.

Even this year, the Capitals are atop the Metropolitan Division this year with 81 points, despite losing a number of players due to their salary cap issues this year. The team lost several key players in the offseason, including defenseman Karl Alzner, Kevin Shattenkirk, Nate Schmidt as well as forwards Justin Williams, Marcus Johansson. Yet the team has continued to succeed with younger players and some veteran additions.

As for Trotz, there are questions whether the Capitals may move on from the veteran coach. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added on Saturday night’s Headlines segment on Hockey Night in Canada that the team might consider promoting assistant coach Todd Reirden. In the past, other teams have asked to interview Reirden for coaching jobs, including the Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres and the Florida Panthers.

“It’s gotten to the point where if he’s not signed soon … other teams are going to come out looking for him perhaps,” said Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston during Saturday night’s Headlines segment. “Barry’s future in Washington is very much uncertain.”

Snapshots: Senators, Seattle, Last Place

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Even though the NHL trade deadline has passed, the insiders are still hard at work for TSN. During tonight’s Insider Trading segment, Darren Dreger and Pierre LeBrun discussed several topics including the potential dilemma the Ottawa Senators face at the upcoming deadline. LeBrun outlines the situation Pierre Dorion finds himself in, as the first-round pick Ottawa sent to Colorado for Matt Duchene is top-10 protected this season but not in 2019.

LeBrun believes the Senators may consider letting Colorado have this year’s pick if it is in the back half of the top-10, to avoid the risk of giving up the first-overall selection (and the right to draft someone like Jack Hughes) in 2019. Ottawa is currently 28th in the league, but could fall as many as three spots depending on how the draft lottery plays out.

  • Dreger also suggested a few names that could be in play to lead the expansion Seattle franchise, including Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland, Vegas Golden Knights AGM Kelly McCrimmon, and super agent Pat Brisson. While Seattle is still several years from icing a team, the front office will begin to take shape as soon as the team is officially accepted by the NHL. There will likely be several unexpected names put forward, and it will be interesting to see if the franchise goes with an established name (like Holland) or someone that has little experience running a hockey club but an obvious connection to the game (Brisson).
  • At one point this season it looked obvious that the Arizona Coyotes were destined to finish in last once again and have the best chance at Rasmus Dahlin in the draft lottery. Now, that’s not so clear. After Arizona has played well the last few weeks while Ottawa and Buffalo have continued their inconsistency, there is now just a five point gap between the bottom three teams. There is a race for the bottom coming over the last month of the season, and one with another impressive prize. The draft lottery is shaping up to be another heartbreaking even for some teams, even though Filip Zadina, Brady Tkachuk and others aren’t bad consolation prizes.

Arizona Coyotes Sign Tyler Steenbergen To Entry-Level Contract

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The Arizona Coyotes have inked one of the best goal scorers in the CHL, signing Tyler Steenbergen to a three-year entry-level contract. Steenbergen currently plays for the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL, where he has put up another outstanding offensive season.

Though Steenbergen is used to scoring goals, with 95 over the last two seasons with Swift Current, none have come close to the importance of the gold medal-winning tally for Canada at the most recent World Juniors. Steenbergen, a surprise addition to the team after a scorching start in the WHL, was held off the board the entire tournament until 1:40 remained in a tied gold medal game against Sweden.

Steenbergen was selected in the fifth round in 2017 after going undrafted in his first round of eligibility. He’s done nothing but produce since, and could turn into a legitimate prospect for the Coyotes down the road. Now 20, he’ll join the Tucson Roadrunners next season to see if that scoring touch will carry over to the professional ranks. Though he’s not armed with any one standout skill, he always seems to be in the right place at the right time and can get off his shot quickly even while pressured.

Undrafted Free Agent Signings Dominating Juniors

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Given that each team generally has seven chances to makes a pick in the NHL Draft each year resulting in, until recently, 210 selections, and now 217 moving forward, the bulk of top players in the league come through the draft process. However, no matter the level – Canadian juniors, American juniors and the NCAA, and Europe – there are always players that slip through the crack. Sometimes those particular players don’t slip too far. Case in point: take a look at some of the top players in the CHL this season. A significant proportion of 2017-18’s most valuable players in the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL are not just undrafted, but have also already signed with an NHL team.

In the Ontario League, Aaron Luchuk is the poster boy for the year of undrafted signings. The 20-year-old Barrie Colts center signed an entry-level contract with the Ottawa Senators back in December. He’s rewarded them for taking a gamble on him by leading the league with 105 points thus far, including a league-leading 45 goals. This has been a major step up in his production of 60 points in 68 games in 2016-17. The 5’10” forward’s next step will be trying his hand at the AHL next season. Not far behind Luchuk is Sam Miletic, a fellow 20-year-old forward playing for the Niagara Ice Dogs. Miletic is fifth in the OHL with 86 points and also brings a good defensive sense to his game. Miletic signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in September after recording 55 points in 65 games with the London Knights last season; Miletic had 54 points in just 35 games with London prior to being traded mid-season. Undrafted netminders are also making a splash in the OHL. The Detroit Red Wings signed 19-year-old Kaden Fulcher back in October and the Hamilton Bulldogs goalie has since been a top goalie in the league, currently fourth in goals against average and seventh in save percentage among starters. Boston Bruins prospect Kyle Keyser is right there with him, as the Oshawa Generals keeper is sixth in save percentage and seventh in goals against average among starters.

The Western League is littered with undrafted free agent signings among its top scorers. The Moose Jaw Warriors’ Brayden Burke has joined that group, having just signed with the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. Burke, 21, is tied for second in league scoring with 113 points in just 61 games, a pace of nearly two points per game this season. Burke is undersized at 5’10”, 165 lbs., but has done well for himself in the WHL, which is traditionally a heavier league, and will soon turn his sights on the pros. Also in the top ten in scoring are another Penguin, Jordy Bellerive, and the Colorado Avalanche’s Ty Lewis. Both forwards signed prior to the season and have each taken a big step in 2017-18, currently tied for eighth with 89 points. Bellerive, who is only 18, jumped on the opportunity to sign with the defending Cup champs after being passed over in the draft, and the Lethbridge Hurricanes center is now making the Penguins just as excited about the deal. Lewis, 20, has stepped into the top scorer role for the Brandon Wheat Kings left behind by Nolan Patrick and has excelled. Cameron Hebig of the Regina Pats is next in line with 88 points on the year, after signing with the Edmonton Oilers. The WHL also features an impressive undrafted goalie of their own in Cole Kehler, a 20-year-old for the Portland Winterhawks who inked a deal with the Los Angeles Kings in December as well. Kehler has a big frame and a quick glove, which has helped him maintain the best goals against average and fourth-best save percentage among goalies with at least 40 appearances this year.

While the Quebec League doesn’t count as many exciting undrafted prospects among its best, it does feature two consistent torrid scorers who, until recently, had been ignored due to their small stature. Alex Barre-Boulet joined the pro-bound on March 1st, when the Tampa Bay Lightning signed him to an entry-level deal. Barre-Boulet, 20, may stand only 5’10”, 165 lbs., but he is enjoying his third-straight 80+ point campaign. In fact, he is far beyond that in 2017-18, with a league leading 109 points that dwarfs the next-best scorer by 15 points. The Blainville-Boisbriand Armada star has at least earned a shot at the NHL. So too has Maxime Fourtier, the Halifax Mooseheads captain who has at least 70 points the past three years. Fourtier is slightly bigger that Barre-Boulet and has clearly focused on rounding out his game this season, after signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in November.

The 2017-18 season shows that the draft is not the end of the line. These standouts make up only a fraction of the talented undrafted players skating in the CHL, some of whom are soon to be signed, and an even smaller fraction of undrafted players across the globe. Talent is always there to discover, even if it doesn’t fully manifest by the age of 18, and these players are proof. Expect to see many of them at the NHL level some time in the not-to-distant future.

Poll: Which Club Is Most Likely To Bounce Back?

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The 2017-18 season has not been good to preseason prognosticators. No one saw the Vegas Golden Knights going from expansion to excellence, and few could predict the disappointing seasons in Edmonton, Ottawa and Montreal. Many even had the Oilers as a Western Conference favorite before the season began, thanks in large part (or entirely) to Connor McDavid’s ascent to the top of the league.

Now, as we head into the last few weeks of the regular season, it’s becoming clear who will finish the year at the very bottom. Amazingly, the Colorado Avalanche are not among the worst teams in the league despite having a historically-bad season in 2016-17. That bounce back is exactly what every non-playoff club will attempt next season, hoping that a few tweaks and some natural progression will get them right back into the hunt.

Of those teams already considered out of the running, which one is most likely to make the playoffs next season? Is it Edmonton, thanks once again to McDavid’s skill? Or a team like Vancouver who have their own young talents to build around? Will success ever come to Arizona or Buffalo?

Vote below, and make sure to list your reasons in the comments.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Minor Transactions: 3/4/18

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The NHL continues its busy schedule Sunday with seven games after an eight-game showcase on Saturday, including a rare outdoors game in which the Washington Capitals defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 in the Stadium Series at the U.S. Naval Academy. With so many games, teams will continue to make roster moves throughout the day, so check back to see what teams are doing.

  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled defenseman Andrew Campbell from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. The 30-year-old veteran has been recalled several times this year by the Coyotes as an emergency defenseman, but has not made it into a game this season. He has played 42 career NHL games and has two goals and four assists in 47 games for the Roadrunners. AZ Sports Craig Morgan writes that Campbell was recalled as defenseman Alex Goligoski is expected to miss Monday’s game as he and his wife are expecting the birth of their second child.
  • The Buffalo Sabres announced they have recalled forward Kyle Criscuolo and defenseman Brendan Guhle from the Rochester Americans of the AHL. Criscuolo, who signed a two-year, $1.3MM contract with the Sabres this offseason has put up solid numbers with Rochester as he’s put up 15 goals and 34 points in 50 AHL games. The 25-year-old out of Harvard University has appeared in eight games with Buffalo, but hasn’t gotten on the scoreboard yet. Guhle, the team’s second-round pick in 2015, is having a solid season in Rochester as well as he’s scored eight goals and 16 assists in 48 games. He has one assist in two NHL games he played in January. The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington showed surprise at the transaction as the team indicated that they were not going to make any recalls. As reported earlier, defenseman Marco Scandella looked ready to go in practice Sunday despite suffering an upper-body injury on Friday. Evan Rodrigues is still suffering from an upper-body injury he sustained Wednesday, but the team was using Benoit Pouliot at center out of position. No word if another injury has altered the team’s plans.

Coyotes Unsure If Strome Will Be Called Up For The Stretch Run

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Injuries haven’t been kind to Golden Knights defenseman Luca Sbisa this season.  He has dealt with multiple lower-body injuries already (costing him a combined 16 games) while missing another 16 due to a hand issue.  He had just got back into the lineup two weeks ago and now will be on the shelf again.  The team announced (Twitter link) that Sbisa will be “out for a while” with an undisclosed injury so as a result, he will likely be heading to the injured reserve list once again.  When healthy, the 28-year-old has put together a decent season with 14 points (2-12-14) in just 30 games while averaging 19:31 per night, his highest average since 2012-13.  Unfortunately for him, his trouble staying healthy enough to play will likely undo overshadow that as he gets set to hit the free agent market in July.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • Although the Coyotes find themselves well out of a playoff spot and have top center prospect Dylan Strome lighting it up in the AHL, assistant GM Steve Sullivan acknowledged to Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan that there is no firm plan in place to recall the soon-to-be 21-year-old for some more NHL time down the stretch. Strome has been unproductive in his appearances with the big club over his career and has just a single point in 11 games this season.  However, he has shown that he is among the top players at the minor league level with 48 points in just 41 games.  He remains a big part of their future plans so it seems likely that he will get another look over the next few weeks.
  • The inclusion of winger Jussi Jokinen in the trade that saw Thomas Vanek join Columbus came as a bit of a surprise considering he had cleared waivers mere hours before the swap was announced. Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet notes that the Blue Jackets insisted that the Canucks take him as part of the deal to help free up some wiggle room under the 50-contract limit.  Meanwhile, instead of assigning the 34-year-old to the minors as they are free to do since he went unclaimed, Vancouver has opted to keep him up with the big club although it remains to be seen how much ice time he will actually receive down the stretch.

Coyotes Sign Brayden Burke To An Entry-Level Contract

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The Coyotes have put pen to paper with one of the top scorers in the Western Hockey League, announcing that they have signed forward Brayden Burke to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The 21-year-old went unclaimed through three NHL Entry Drafts but it hasn’t been for a lack of scoring.  Heading into this season, Burke had amassed an impressive 219 points in 177 games but it still wasn’t enough to get him signed.  However, he has taken his play to another level entirely this season, scoring 31 goals while adding 81 assists in just 59 contests; his 112 points rank second in the league.

What likely hurt Burke’s draft stock is his smallish stature as he stands just 5’10 and 170 pounds.  As much as smaller players have made their mark more and more frequently in recent years, some like Burke still fall through the cracks.  He will finish up his season with Moose Jaw (where he is currently battling a lower-body injury) and will likely begin his professional career next year at the minor league level with AHL Tucson.

Trade Deadline Recap: Western Conference

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After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Western Conference:

Deadline Day

Winnipeg Jets receive:
F Paul Stastny

St. Louis Blues receive:
F Erik Foley
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2020 fourth-round pick

 

Vegas Golden Knights receive:
F Tomas Tatar

Detroit Red Wings receive:
2018 first-round pick
2019 second-round pick
2021 third-round pick

 

Nashville Predators receive:
F Ryan Hartman
2018 fifth-round pick

Chicago Blackhawks receive:
F Victor Ejdsell
2018 first-round pick
2018 fourth-round pick

 

San Jose Sharks receive:
F Evander Kane

Buffalo Sabres receive:
F Danny O’Regan
Conditional 2019 first-round pick
Conditional 2020 fourth-round pick

 

Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera

New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner

 

Vegas Golden Knights receive:
D Philip Holm

Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Brendan Leipsic

 

Winnipeg Jets receive:
D Joe Morrow

Montreal Canadiens receive:
2018 fourth-round pick

 

Calgary Flames receive:
F Nick Shore

Ottawa Senators receive:
2019 seventh-round pick

Read more

Nashville, Arizona Make Four-Player Minor League Deal

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Another late trade has come through, as the Arizona Coyotes continue to focus on strengthening their farm team, the Tuscon Roadrunners, who currently sit atop their division with an eye on the Calder Cup this season. The Tennessean’s Adam Vignan relays that the Nashville Predators have sent Pierre-Cedric Labrie and Trevor Murphy to Arizona for Tyler Gaudet and John Ramage. 

The deal appears to suit both teams well, as Murphy appears to be the prize for Arizona, enjoying a great year with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, while Gaudet and Ramage have NHL experience that could prove useful to Nashville the rest of the way if injuries occur.

 

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