Dylan Strome Loaned To AHL, Mario Kempe Recalled
The Arizona Coyotes have sent top prospect Dylan Strome to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL, while recalling Mario Kempe. Strome played just 11:46 in Arizona’s loss to Vegas this weekend, a relatively low number for a young player of his potential. The team likely wants him to get a bigger workload as they try to develop him into the type of player they believe him to be.
Strome, 20, was selected third-overall by the Coyotes in 2015 ahead of players like Mitch Marner, Noah Hanifin and Pavel Zacha. Though his development has come along slower than those three, he was expected by many to spend much of this season on the NHL roster. Last year, Strome was sent back to junior after just seven games in the NHL, but dominated upon his return. With 109 points in just 57 games (including playoffs), Strome showed he had outgrown the OHL.
Still, he hasn’t shown enough just yet to warrant an NHL roster spot every night. Though a move to the AHL is disappointing, he’ll be able to work on his game and skate against professionals on a nightly basis. Should he show he can dominate at that level, he’ll be back in the NHL before long.
Kempe was an interesting name this summer when the Coyotes decided to sign him and bring him back to North America. The 29-year old was a prospect of the Philadelphia Flyers previously, but has spent the last decade in European leagues. Last year, he played 56 games in the KHL recording 34 points. He signed a one-year two-way contract with the Coyotes this summer, worth the minimum $650K at the NHL level.
2017-18 Primer: Arizona Coyotes
With the NHL season now underway, we continue our look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in 2017-18. Next up in our team-by-team primers is the Arizona Coyotes.
Last Season: 30-42-10 record (70 points), sixth in Pacific Division (missed the playoffs)
Remaining Cap Space: $15.9MM per CapFriendly
Key Additions: D Adam Clendening (free agency, NY Rangers), F Nick Cousins (trade, Philadelphia), D Jason Demers (trade, Florida), D Niklas Hjalmarsson (trade, Chicago), G Antti Raanta (trade, NY Rangers), F Zac Rinaldo (free agency, Boston), F Derek Stepan (trade, NY Rangers)
Key Departures: F Alexander Burmistrov (free agency, Vancouver), D Anthony Deangelo (trade, NY Rangers), F Shane Doan (retirement), F Peter Holland (free agency, Montreal), F Josh Jooris (free agency, Carolina), F Jamie McGinn (trade, Florida), D Connor Murphy (trade, Chicago), F Teemu Pulkkinen (expansion, Vegas), G Mike Smith (trade, Calgary), F Radim Vrbata (free agency, Minnesota)
[Related: Coyotes Depth Chart From Roster Resource]
Player To Watch: G Antti Raanta – After spending the past four seasons as a backup (including two years with the Rangers where he was well above average), Raanta is getting his first real chance to be an undisputed number one goalie. He’s also getting the opportunity in a contract year as he’ll become an unrestricted free agent in July.
In particular, it will be interesting to see how he holds up with the workload of a starting netminder. He hasn’t surpassed the 40-game mark since 2012-13, his last season in the Finnish SM-liiga before signing with Chicago. Even at a time where most backups are being asked to play more often, starters around the league play beyond 50 games so his endurance as the season progresses could be an issue.
With so many youngsters in the lineup, expectations are that Arizona will take some steps forward this year simply based on that. If Raanta can come close to maintaining his level of play from the past two seasons as well, he will position himself for a big payday on the open market in July while likely keeping the Coyotes close to the playoff picture.
Key Storyline: It would be easy to talk about the continued youth movement that is in place with Arizona having a lot of talented youngsters up front. Between that and Raanta giving them a new starter between the pipes, the work GM John Chayka has done to their defensive corps in a short period of time has largely gone under the radar.
The acquisition of Hjalmarsson gives the Coyotes a dependable stay-at-home partner that should allow Oliver Ekman-Larsson to get more involved offensively. Alex Goligoski was brought in last summer to give the second pairing an above average threat and adding Demers last month gives them another proven option, especially with Jakob Chychrun – a 2016 first rounder – out indefinitely.
When they’re a fully-healthy group, that’s four of their top-five that have been acquired since last summer which is quite the overhaul in a pretty short amount of time. It’s also a pretty strong collection of defenders on paper that has the potential to be one of the better groups in the West. With the additions they’ve made, Arizona could wind up being an intriguing sleeper team in the Pacific Division if everything comes together as planned.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coyotes Name Two Of Three Alternate Captains
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.
Final Training Camp Cuts: 10/03/17
Hockey is back. Tomorrow night the NHL will begin its 2017-18 season and the long wait will be over. Today, however, teams have one last job to do: reduce their roster to a cap-compliant 23 players by 5pm EST. Several teams are already there, but many have one or two more cuts to make. None of this means those players can’t be called back up quickly, but these are the rosters teams will head into opening night with. We’ll keep you up to date right here with all the official final transactions.
Arizona Coyotes
F Mario Kempe – Tucson (AHL)
G Marek Langhamer – Tucson (AHL)
Buffalo Sabres
F Alexander Nylander – Rochester (AHL)
F Brad Malone – Rochester (AHL)
Calgary Flames
F Luke Gazdic – Stockton (AHL)
F Mark Jankowski – Stockton (AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes
D Jake Bean – Calgary (WHL)
Chicago Blackhawks
F Tomas Jurco – Rockford (AHL)
F Alex DeBrincat – Rockford (AHL)
D Gustav Forsling – Rockford (AHL)
G Jean-Francois Berube – Rockford (AHL)
Colorado Avalanche
D David Warsofsky – San Antonio (AHL)
D Duncan Siemens – San Antonio (AHL)
G Joe Cannata – San Antonio (AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets
F Tyler Motte – Cleveland (AHL)
Detroit Red Wings
D Ryan Sproul – Grand Rapids (AHL)
Edmonton Oilers
F Anton Slepyshev – Bakersfield (AHL)
Montreal Canadiens
F Andreas Martinsen – Laval (AHL)
F Byron Froese – Laval (AHL)
Nashville Predators
F Frederick Gaudreau – Milwaukee (AHL)
F Vladislav Kamenev – Milwaukee (AHL)
New Jersey Devils
F Joseph Blandisi – Binghamton (AHL)
F Nick Lappin – Binghamton (AHL)
F John Quenneville – Binghamton (AHL)
D Brian Strait – Binghamton (AHL)
New York Islanders
F Steve Bernier – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Stephen Gionta – Bridgeport (AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers
F Matt Read – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
San Jose Sharks
F Marcus Sorensen – San Jose (AHL)
F Brandon Bollig – San Jose (AHL)
F Adam Helewka – San Jose (AHL)
F John McCarthy – San Jose (AHL)
F Daniel O’Regan – San Jose (AHL)
F Brandon Mashinter – San Jose (AHL)
F Filip Sandberg – San Jose (AHL)
D Joakim Ryan – San Jose (AHL)
D Nick DeSimone – San Jose (AHL)
D Cavan Fitzgerald – San Jose (AHL)
D Radim Simek – San Jose (AHL)
G Troy Grosenick – San Jose (AHL)
Toronto Maple Leafs
D Calle Rosen – Toronto (AHL)
D Timothy Liljegren – Toronto (AHL)
D Roman Polak – Released from PTO
Vancouver Canucks
F Darren Archibald – Utica (AHL)
D Olli Juolevi – Turku (Finland)
Vegas Golden Knights
F Tomas Hyka – Chicago (AHL)
F Teemu Pulkkinen – Chicago (AHL)
Washington Capitals
D Madison Bowey – Hershey (AHL)
Winnipeg Jets
F Kyle Connor – Manitoba (AHL)
Ekman-Larsson Skates; Likely To Be Ready For Opener
Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson could be hearing from the Department of Player Safety again after boarding St. Louis Blues’ Samuel Blais during the Capitals final preseason game on Sunday. The 23-year-old wing, known for his physicality, just served a two-game suspension during the preseason for interference on St. Louis’ Robert Thomas on Sept. 23.
According to Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post, the hit is already reviewing the incident and the penalty could be much harsher this time as Wilson will no be categorized as a repeat offender. Wilson is no stranger to the penalty box, having spent 619 minutes of his four year career there, including 133 a year ago.
The scribe adds that if he does get suspended, the team could find itself in a bind financially as they might not have enough cap space to recall another player. Another complication for the Department of Player Safety is that the game wasn’t televised by either team, but the belief is they can get the footage from someone who filmed it. However, a lack of camera angles might stand in the way of the department being able to get a good look at the hit.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced on their website that defenseman Eric Gelinas has agreed to terms to sign a one-year, one-way contract with the Laval Rocket of the AHL. Gelinas, who attended the Canadiens’ camp on a PTO, scored one goal and four penalty minutes in three preseason games. The 26-year-old blueliner played 27 games for the Colorado Avalanche last season, putting up one assist. He also played 27 games for the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage, where he had three goals and nine assists.
- With health being the Los Angeles Kings’ primary concern, Los Angeles Times’ Curtis Zupke writes the team will be monitoring goaltender Jonathan Quick more this season. Coming off a major groin injury a year ago in the season opener, the team wants to manage his game schedule better this year as he also suffered a groin injury back in 2013. At 31, the team will need to rely on backup Darcy Kuemper just a bit more.
- The Philadelphia Flyers tweeted that general manager Ron Hextall announced that 2017 first-overall pick Nolan Patrick and defenseman Robert Hagg both made the team out of training camp. Patrick had three assists in six preseason games, while Hagg was scoreless in five games.
- Dave Vest of NHL.com writes that Arizona Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who has been been hampered with a lower body injury since early in camp, skated the entire practice with partner Niklas Hjalmarsson, which Vest says is a good sign he will be ready for the regular season opener on Thursday. As for Antti Raanta, who has also played little as he is recovering from a lower body injury, did practice, but still needs more time. If he is not ready for Thursday’s game, Louis Domingue will start in his place.
Broadcaster Dave Strader Passes Away at 62
Former Detroit Red Wings broadcaster Dave Strader passed away this morning at his home in Glens Falls, New York, at the age of 62, according to the Detroit Red Wings. He had been fighting a form of bile duct cancer. Known as “The Voice,” Strader called the Red Wings games from 1985 to 1996, but also worked as a broadcaster for the Arizona Coyotes, Florida Panthers and worked three Olympics. He received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Strader started his career as a broadcaster for the Red Wings’ AHL affiliate in Adirondack from 1979 to 1985, before taking over in Detroit. He eventually went on to cover national games in 1996 with ESPN, ABC and ESPN. He eventually took a full-time job in 2011 calling games for NBC Sports Group.
He spent the last two years calling games for the Dallas Stars even after being diagnosed with cancer in June of 2016. His Foster Hewitt Memorial plaque will go on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame on Nov. 13.
Training Camp Cuts And Recalls: 10/1/17
Today marks the end of the preseason for all those NHL teams who haven’t yet wrapped up their exhibition schedules. With games coming to an end, expect lots of action throughout the day and keep track of it all right here:
Arizona Coyotes
D Dakota Mermis – Tucson (AHL)
Colorado Avalanche
D David Warsofsky – waivers for purpose of assignment
Dallas Stars
D Chris Martenet – Texas (AHL)
Detroit Red Wings
F Colin Campbell – released from PTO
G Jared Coreau – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Matthew Ford – released from PTO
D Joe Hicketts – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Axel Holmstrom – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Filip Hronek – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Brian Lashoff – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Matt Lorito – waivers for purpose of assignment
G Thomas McCollum – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath – waivers for purpose of assignment
F P.A. Parenteau – released from PTO
F Michael Rasmussen – Tri-City (WHL)
D Dan Renouf – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Vili Saarijarvi – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Dylan Sadowy – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Dominik Shine – released from PTO
F Ben Street – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Dominic Turgeon – Grand Rapids (AHL)
Edmonton Oilers
D Mark Fayne – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Jesse Puljujarvi – Bakersfield (AHL)
Florida Panthers
F Brandon Pirri – released from PTO
F Harry Zolnierczyk – released from PTO
D Josh Brown – Springfield (AHL)
Los Angeles Kings
G Jack Campbell – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Justin Auger – waivers for purpose of assignment
New York Rangers
F Robin Kovacs – waivers for purpose of assignment
Ottawa Senators
D Thomas Chabot – Belleville (AHL)
D Ben Harpur – Belleville (AHL)
F Max McCormick – waivers for purpose of assignment
Philadelphia Flyers
F Oskar Lindblom – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
Tampa Bay Lightning
F Stefan Fournier – Brampton (ECHL)
Vancouver Canucks
G Richard Bachman – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Michael Chaput – waivers for purpose of assignment
F Jayson Megna – waivers for purpose of assignment
Recalls:
San Jose Sharks
D Nick DeSimone
D Cavan Fitzgerald
F Adam Helewka
F John McCarthy
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Arizona Coyotes
Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Arizona Coyotes
Current Cap Hit: $57,514,547 (under the $75MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Jakob Chychrun (Two years remaining, $925K)
F Lawson Crouse (Two years remaining, $894K)
F Max Domi (One year remaining, $863K)
F Christian Dvorak (Two years remaining, $839K)
F Clayton Keller (Three years remaining, $886K)
F Brendan Perlini (Two years remaining, $863K)
F Dylan Strome (Three years remaining, $863K)
Potential Bonuses
Chychrun: $425K
Crouse: $708K (AAV over the contract; amounts vary by year)
Domi: $500K
Dvorak: $268K (AAV over the contract; amounts vary by year)
Keller: $788K (AAV over the contract; amounts vary by year)
Perlini: $500K
Strome: $2.475MM
Total: $5.664MM
The Coyotes lead the league by a considerable margin when it comes to players on entry-level contracts which is why they find themselves so far under the Upper Limit. Domi was banged up last season but quietly played at a 50+ point pace once again. Repeating that would give himself a very good chance to skip the bridge contract and sign something long-term.
The other forwards aren’t quite in that spot (at least yet). Crouse was a regular last season but in more of a depth role and if that is the case again this season, he’s a candidate for a bridge deal in 2019. Dvorak had a strong rookie season and if he can build on that, he could conceivably get a long-term deal. Keller and Strome are just starting the first year of their contracts and while Keller projects to make an impact fairly quickly, that may not be the case for Strome. Lastly, Perlini was up and down at times in his rookie campaign. He should play more of a regular role this season but it’s still too early to tell whether or not he’ll be a regular top-six a couple of years from now.
As for Chychrun, he had a very strong rookie season which had him trending towards being a candidate for a long-term second contract. However, knee surgery has set him back somewhat as he’s still a long way away from being ready to play in 2017-18. If he picks up right where he left off, not only will he be likely to get a big second deal but it wouldn’t be surprising if Arizona were to try to extend him a year early. If he has some difficulties though, the early extension will certainly be off the table and it will be his play in 2018-19 that ultimately dictates which way his post-ELC goes.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
D Adam Clendening ($650K, RFA)
D Kevin Connauton ($1MM, UFA)
G Louis Domingue ($1.05MM, RFA)
F Anthony Duclair ($1.2MM, RFA)
G Antti Raanta ($1MM, UFA)
F Brad Richardson ($2.083MM, UFA)
F Tobias Rieder ($2.25MM, RFA)
D Luke Schenn ($1.25MM, UFA)
Rieder’s contract talks last offseason dragged out and his 2016-17 campaign was a lot like the previous year. If that happens again, he’s going to have a hard time getting a long-term deal. If there was ever a prototypical candidate for a bridge contract, Duclair was it. Two years ago, he was a legitimate top-six forward while last season, he struggled to produce in both the NHL and AHL. A big year from him would go a long way towards getting him some contract security. As for Richardson, he did well in limited action but spent most of the year on injured reserve due to a broken leg. He’s likely to have a minor role this season with the youngsters expected to get most ice time so he will probably have to settle for a lesser contract next summer.
Schenn is a typical depth/third pairing player who is best used in a sheltered role. He had to wait for several weeks last year in free agency to land this contract and there’s a good chance he’ll be holding out hope to simply land one at a similar rate next summer. Connauton battled injuries last season while playing a minimal role when he was in the lineup. A two-way contract at a lesser NHL salary is where he’s heading towards unless he can hold down a regular spot in 2017-18. Similarly, Clendening was mostly a spare part last year and wound up taking the league minimum early in free agency. He landed a one-way deal this time around but if he winds up being in and out again, he also could be a two-way candidate.
Raanta enters this season with a lot to prove. He is getting his first chance to be a legitimate starting goaltender and if he can build on his time with the Rangers and maintain that with a number one workload, he’ll position himself to potentially be the top goaltender on the open market a year from now. With that, a major pay raise and job security would be in order. On the flip side, if he scuffles, he may slot in at a rate more comparable to the top backups which this summer checked in around $2.5MM. Domingue looked like he might be a goalie of the future for Arizona but his first full season as an NHL backup didn’t go well. He isn’t under the microscope as much as Raanta will be but his performance will determine whether he’s still part of their future plans or whether they may be better suited looking elsewhere for a backup.
Toronto Marlies With Several NHL Veterans In Camp
While many AHL camps have gotten underway in recent days largely with the early cuts from their NHL affiliates and ECHL hopefuls as “campers”, the Toronto Marlies drew some attention today when they announced a 40-man initial roster featuring several familiar names.
Among the many in attendance are NHL veterans Jordan Caron, Brandon Gormley, Matt Hackett, and Mackenzie Skapski. Caron and Gormley are especially interesting as past first-round picks, while Hackett and Skapski are two of the very few remaining free agent goaltenders on the market. All four players have value in their own right, yet end up not on NHL contracts, or in NHL camps, or even on AHL contracts. Why?
Skapski may be the easiest to explain. After two impressive spot starts at the young age of 21 with the New York Rangers in 2014-15, Skapski’s career has been in free fall. The next year, Skapski posted a 3.00+ GAA and nearly a .900 save percentage in the AHL and ECHL. Those numbers continued to plummet this past season, with Skapski making 13 rough starts in the AHL and spending the majority of the season in the ECHL.
The once-promising Hackett also made his NHL debut at 21 years old with the Minnesota Wild back in 2011-12. Hackett made 12 appearances with the Wild in his rookie season and had an impressive 2.37 GAA and .922 save percentage. While that level of performance was unsustainable, Hackett continued to make a living as a backup or third-string option for the Wild and Buffalo Sabres for years, before taking on more of an AHL depth role for the Anaheim Ducks since 2015. However, too much depth in net, as well as injury issues, limited Hackett to only seven starts last season, in which he was less than spectacular. More of an unknown commodity now than the future-starter tag from years ago, Hackett needs to prove himself once again at the pro level.
Gormley, the 13th overall pick in 2010 by the Arizona Coyotes, has not had the career expected of him when he was selected before fellow defensemen like Derek Forbort, Mark Pysyk, and Justin Faulk early in the draft. Gormley has just 58 games of NHL experience and has not played at the highest level since midway through the 2015-16 season. However, Gormley had been a productive AHLer, with 75 points, more than half a point per game, through his first three pro seasons. In the past two seasons? Only 21 points in 91 games. With the points disappearing, Gormley faces the possibility that his career could be coming to an end soon at just 25 years old. Gormley could use a big camp to keep that from coming to fruition.
Caron is probably the most notable player in any AHL camp on a tryout basis, not just the Marlies’, as the Boston Bruins’ 2009 first-rounder was a “black ace” call-up by the St. Louis Blues mere months ago. While Caron has the appearance of having stuck around the NHL, in actuality he has only played in four NHL games since the end of the 2014-15 season. Nevertheless, the 6’3″, 205-lb. power forward is still a veteran of over 150 NHL games and has shown flashes of ability from time to time. If any of these four player can make the Marlies – and make a difference – it is Caron.
Ekman-Larsson Injury Not Considered Serious
2:40: The Arizona Coyotes tweeted that Ekman-Larsson’s was examined by team doctors today and it was determined there is no structural damage and he is currently listed as day-to-day.
9:17: NBC Sports Cam Tucker writes that Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be re-evaluated today after suffering a lower-body injury during overtime against the San Jose Sharks in Saturday’s preseason game. The defenseman had to be helped off the ice. The 26-year-old has been one of the few bright spots on the Coyotes roster the last few years and was expected to lead a renewed effort to get out of the basement of the Western Conference. It’s also rumored that Ekman-Larsson is next in line to be named captain to replace long-time leader Shane Doan.