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Morning Notes: QMJHL Awards, Bartkowski, Doan

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The Golden Puck awards were last night in the QMJHL, and some big prospect names were read out. Nico Hischier, expected to go in the top two selections in this summer’s entry draft, was awarded Rookie of the Year after his 86 point season. As expected, Hischier also received the Best Professional Prospect award. Vitaly Abramov was named the Most Valuable Player, which will be music to Columbus Blue Jackets’ fans ears after selecting him 65th overall in the summer. Abramov’s 104 points were actually only 11 more than last season, as he has shown dominance since the moment he stepped into the Q.

Another big winner was Ottawa Senators prospect Thomas Chabot, who took home Defenseman of the Year and Personality of the Year. The 20-year old had an outstanding year both for Saint John and Team Canada at the World Juniors, but it is the Paul-Dumont Trophy for personality that will really excite his franchise. “Chabot demonstrated exemplary behaviour during the season,” reads the award announcement that has an exceptional history of talented players. Sidney Crosby, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jonathan Drouin, Jonathan Huberdeau, Kris Letang, Simon Gagne and Brad Richards are just some of the names that have taken home the award.

  • The NHL decided yesterday to rescind the instigator penalty given to Matt Bartkowski and fine imposed on coach Glen Gulutzan on Tuesday night, according to John Shannon of Sportsnet. The penalty comes with an automatic one-game suspension, but is always reviewed by the league. Bartkowski earned the penalty after Korbinian Holzer took a run at Matthew Tkachuk in the open ice, as the game had started to get out of hand after Mark Giordano’s hit on Cam Fowler. No suspensions will come out of the game.
  • Shane Doan has trouble balancing the thirst for a Stanley Cup victory with the desire to play for only one franchise his whole career. He tells Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press that “the honor of being able to play with the same organization my whole career is something that I don’t take lightly.” Whyno goes on to write though, that winning a Stanley Cup isn’t something Doan can do in Arizona, and that he is currently considering retirement. While some Coyotes fans may think he should have been traded at the deadline for an asset, it is refreshing to see a player with such dedication to his organization.

Minor Moves: Gillies, Ullmark, Bondra, Morin

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According to John Shannon of Sportsnet, the Calgary Flames will recall goaltender Jon Gillies prior to their game in Los Angeles tomorrow night. The Flames sent Chad Johnson home for precautionary reasons following his lower-body injury on Tuesday night. Even though the last two games are very important for the Flames in determining their playoff seeding Shannon wouldn’t be surprised to see the team give Gillies the start tomorrow.

Gillies, 23, had an outstanding career at Providence College before debuting in the AHL last year. A hip injury derailed his rookie season, needing surgery in December of 2015 to correct a long-standing issue. This year his game hasn’t come all the way back, posting just a .909 save percentage through 38 games at the AHL. He remains one of the top goaltending prospects in the league though, and may get his chance to start a game in the NHL for the first time tomorrow night.

  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Linus Ullmark for much the same reason, with Anders Nilsson suffering a minor injury. Robin Lehner will get the start tonight again Montreal, as the team winds down their season. Ullmark, still just 23, hasn’t gotten back on the ice in the NHL this season despite his impressive 20-game stint with the club last year. Registering a .913 save percentage in those games, the former Swedish pro has shown that he can handle the NHL game. This season hasn’t gone as well in the AHL, but he still remains part of the Sabres future in net going forward.
  • Scott Powers of The Athletic tells us that Radovan Bondra will join the Rockford IceHogs for their last few games before negotiating an entry-level contract. The 20-year old power forward had 63 points in 62 games split between the Vancouver Giants and Prince George Cougars of the WHL. At 6’5″ 220-lbs, the Slovakian winger already has more than enough size for professional hockey, but actually needs to improve his consistent physical game as he floats to the perimeter at times.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced today that Kyle Capobianco will join the Tucson Roadrunners for the end of the season. Capobianco already signed his entry-level deal in October, and has just completed his fourth season with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves. The defenseman racked up another 45 points this season, his third straight excellent offensive campaign for the Wolves. While the defensive game is still a big question mark for Capobianco, his size and skating ability should lend itself to a solid development path as he inches towards the NHL. He’ll be 20 next year and will probably play all season with the Roadrunners.
  • Samuel Morin and Colin McDonald are on their way back to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, though one or both could be back in time for Saturday’s matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Morin debuted successfully on Tuesday night, skating almost 18 minutes alongside Shayne Gostisbehere and registering seven hits in the game. While his game still needs work—as even he admitted after the game, saying that he still needed to mature physically—he provides hope for Flyers’ fans for the future of their blue line.
  • The Blue Jackets have assigned Oscar Dansk to the AHL following his season with Rogle of the Swedish Hockey League. The second-round pick from 2012 has continued to develop in Sweden while the Blue Jackets kept Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg here in North America. The three young netminders represent one of the strongest goaltending pipelines in the league at the moment, as each has shown high potential at times. They’ll compete for the NHL backup spot next season, and for starts in the AHL.

Snapshots: Hughes, Hurricanes, Ekman-Larsson

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It’s not a name that you may be familiar with just yet, but Jack Hughes is one to remember. The 15-year old was captain of the Toronto Marlboros, one of the best midget teams in the country and expected to go first overall in the upcoming OHL draft to the Barrie Colts. Eligible for the 2019 NHL entry draft, Hughes is an early (very early) favorite for the top few picks.

Instead, Darren Dreger of TSN is reporting that Hughes—born in Orlando, Florida—will sign with the US National Development Team for the next part of his hockey career. As Dreger says, it will be interesting now to see how far he falls in the OHL draft as there have been examples before of players telling the league they would be heading somewhere else, only to sign with a stronger team (see: London Knights) after falling in the draft. Regardless of where he plays, Hughes is a phenom that deserves attention even at a young age.

  • In addition to recalling Bryan Bickell less than five months after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the Carolina Hurricanes have brought up Andrew Poturalski from Charlotte and sent Lucas Wallmark and Phillip Di Giuseppe to the AHL. Poturalski went undrafted and signed with the Hurricanes last spring out of the University of New Hampshire. He has shown immense promise in his rookie AHL season, scoring 48 points in 69 games.
  • Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s season has come to an end early, as the team granted him early release to head home and deal with the death of his mother. She had been fighting a battle with cancer all season, something that has weighed on Ekman-Larsson throughout the year. “This has been a very difficult year for me personally,” said Ekman-Larsson in a statement on the team website. “I’d like to thank the Coyotes organization and all of my teammates for their incredible support all season long. I’m sorry that I’ll miss our last three games but family comes first.”
  • The Coyotes won’t be the only team without a top defender for the last few games, as the Florida Panthers will likely shut down Aaron Ekblad for the remainder of the season according to George Richards of the Miami Herald. Ekblad returned from a concussion on March 21st—a move that seemed reckless at the time—only to suffer headaches immediately after the game, causing coach Tom Rowe to admit his mistake. For the Panthers, who are eliminated from playoff contention, protecting your superstar defenseman is more important than winning some meaningless games down the stretch.

Snapshots: Zaitsev, Richardson, Flames Arena

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Earlier this week, news broke that the Maple Leafs were closing in on a seven-year extension for defenseman Nikita Zaitsev.

The deal is expected to be around $4.5MM per season, which would be a big raise for the 25-year-old rookie coming off his entry-level deal. The expected terms would be comparable to at least 20 top-four defensemen, at around 5-7 per cent of the salary cap and 5-8 years.

Zaitsev has been a solid addition to the Maple Leafs’ blue line, with four goals and 30 assists so far. He’s closing in on Borje Salming’s record of 33 assists for a rookie defenseman. He’s also leading the team in average ice-time, at 22:16 per game. Despite his good season paired with Morgan Rielly, the Maple Leafs need to be careful. The contract would take him to age 32, an age where defensemen begin to physically break down. In addition, Zaitsev has played just 76 games in the NHL. That’s not a long track record; Shayne Gostisbehere was very good in his rookie year but hasn’t found the same dominance this season as opponents figured out how to shut him down more effectively. The two defensemen play different styles, but the comparison illustrates the potential risk of judging a player based on one season. While a bridge deal minimizes that risk, the team then risks having to pay the player more should he develop further.

The rumored cap hit of $4.5MM is fair value for a top-four defenseman, but the term is risky. Nothing has indicated Zaitsev will struggle, but seven years is a long time.

  • Arizona Coyotes forward Brad Richardson will not play again this season, the team announced Saturday. Richardson hasn’t played since mid-November, when he broke his tibia and fibula in a collision with Canucks defenseman Nikita Tryamkin. GM John Chayka said Richardson underwent a procedure to “remove hardware” from the previous surgery. He’s expected to be ready for training camp. Richardson was having a very good season before the injury, with nine points in 16 games.
  • The same week that his team clinched a playoff spot, the Calgary Flames President and CEO Ken King made some less-than-popular remarks on Fan 590. Should the team and the city be unable to agree on a new arena deal, then King said “there would be no threat to move, we would just move, and it would be over” (via CBC). It’s not an unprecedented strategy to get public money for a new arena – Edmonton owner Darryl Katz publicly visited Seattle in 2012, months before the deal was finalized to build Rogers Place. Even so, it’s a risky ploy, especially as the team begins selling playoff tickets.

Minor Moves: Kase, Fischer

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The Anaheim Ducks have re-assigned Ondrej Kase to the San Diego Gulls after bringing him up just two days ago. He didn’t get into a game this time around, but has played 51 for the Ducks this season. With 14 points in this his rookie season, Kase has already eclipsed even the highest of expectations from when he was picked in the seventh-round of the 2014 draft. An effective bottom-six player, his possession numbers have been excellent in his short career.

Kase is just 21, and should find his way back to the NHL at some point. The Ducks will likely need him at some point in the playoffs as the grind of the long season takes its victims. Just one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers for first place in the Pacific, Anaheim has a long road ahead of them if they want to get back to the Stanley Cup final for the first time since 2007.

  • The Arizona Coyotes have sent Christian Fischer back to the AHL after a four-game stint. At seven games total on the year, the 19-year old Fischer will see his entry-level contract slide once again, meaning he won’t become a restricted free agent until the summer of 2020. Selected in the second round (but 32nd overall) in 2015, Fischer has dominated the AHL as a rookie. In 51 games at the lower level, the big winger has scored 43 points. He even registered three goals in his short NHL stint this year, despite playing only 12 minutes a night. As he turns 20 next season, his contract will no longer slide and the Coyotes may decide to install him full-time in the NHL. His talent could lead to a top-six future, though he’ll likely have to impress even more to be handed that role right from the start of the season.

Coyotes Exploring Ownership Restructure

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It was reported earlier today that Randy Frankel, a minority shareholder for the MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays, was considering buying into the Arizona Coyotes. Sportsnet’s John Shannon believed that Frankel could be a potential partner for the ’Yotes current majority owner, Andrew Barroway, as some part of larger shakeup. However, an article released later in the day by Arizona Sports’ Craig Morgan reveals that there are much bigger dealings afoot.

Morgan reports that the minority owners in Arizona have extended an offer to Barroway to buy out their shares of the organization. Barroway allegedly has until June 6th to raise the capital for a takeover and become sole owner of the Coyotes or at least leader of a new ownership group. As Shannon noted, Frankel is in the mix as a potential financial backer of the sale, as is his fellow Rays minority shareholder Tim Mullen. Morgan adds that, if Barroway chooses not to take advantage of the option, the minority owners will then be given the opportunity to buy out Barroway’s majority stake. It is also possible that neither sale occurs.

It is no surprise that the Coyotes are an organization in flux, as they have had highly-publicized issues for years with the state of Arizona. After the city of Glendale, their current home, recently terminated the team’s long-term arena lease, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman made it clear that the “Arizona Coyotes must have a new arena location to succeed. The Coyotes cannot and will not remain in Glendale.” Bettman has been poignant in his remarks about how arena relations have gone for the Coyotes in Arizona, and has reached out to state leadership directly to discuss alternative options. So far, his efforts have been futile. A plan to construct an arena complex with Arizona State University in Tempe fell through, a privately-funded offer to build a new arena on an Indian reservation outside of Scottsdale has failed to gain steam, and most recently the team had been exploring the option of building a new home alongside the MLB’s Chicago Cubs’ spring training facility in Mesa. As always, there have been continuing rumors about relocation outside of Arizona as well, most of it geared toward a move up the west coast to Portland, Oregon or Seattle, Washington.

One thing is certain: finding a new home would be the core objective of any new majority ownership group for the Coyotes. Their relationship with the city of Glendale is ruined and the team ranks last in the Western Conference in attendance. An organization that is loaded with skilled, young talent has a bright future ahead of them, but can only maximize that success in a new location. This is a story that won’t be going away any time soon.

Snapshots: Coyotes, Zykov, Kapanen

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The Arizona Coyotes have been embroiled in a battle for their future for years, most recently leading to an exchange of angry words between league commissioner Gary Bettman and the state legislature. Now, John Shannon of Sportsnet reports that Randy Frankel may be a new name stepping into the ownership circle in the desert.

Frankel is a minor shareholder for the Tampa Bay Rays of the MLB, and has previously been connected to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. According to Shannon he would join as a potential partner to Andrew Barroway, the current majority owner of the Coyotes.

  • The Carolina Hurricanes have sent Valentin Zykov back to the AHL following his return from injury. The young forward was recalled earlier this month and played two games with the ’Canes before suffering an upper-body injury and sitting out for the past eight. The 21-year old scored a goal in his NHL debut, but will go back and refine his game further with a playoff run in Charlotte.
  • After Kasperi Kapanen was recalled by the Maple Leafs earlier today it wasn’t clear whether he would make his debut Tuesday night against Florida or not, as he bounced up and down the lineup during practice. There is no doubt now, as Kapanen himself told Kristen Shilton he’ll be playing. Kapanen had been waiting patiently for a call up after his taste last season, and will now finally get his shot. “It’s better now than never,” he told Shilton.

Prospect Notes: White, Stevens, Keller

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Even though Colin White signed an amateur tryout yesterday with the Ottawa Senators, it doesn’t necessarily preclude him from signing his entry-level deal this year and playing for the team down the stretch. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia is reporting that the front office will watch him play for Binghamton this week and continue negotiations.

For what it’s worth, Garrioch guesses that White will sign an ELC once the Senators have a playoff spot locked up. With the team currently eight points up on the ninth place team, it won’t take long. Should White sign his ELC for this year, he will burn a year regardless of how many games he plays.

  • The New York Islanders have signed John Stevens from Northeastern, inking the captain to a two-year entry-level deal. The son of the Los Angeles Kings’ associate head coach, Stevens scored 28 points in 25 games in his final year. A big defensive centerman, Stevens is a possible option for a bottom-six in the NHL down the road. While he doesn’t have the high-end offensive ceiling that some of his teammates have, his game will likely translate nicely to the professional ranks.
  • CapFriendly notes that newly signed Clayton Keller will earn a $25K bonus should he play five of the last seven games for the Arizona Coyotes. Despite not actually paying a ton of salary this season, the Coyotes are actually over the salary cap and are using long-term injured reserve space. This means Keller’s bonus would appear as a penalty for next season.

Clayton Keller Signs ELC With Coyotes

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The Arizona Coyotes have locked up one of their best prospects, signing Boston University center Clayton Keller to a three-year entry-level contract. The news comes via TSN’s Bob McKenzie.

Because the Coyotes have less than 10 games remaining this season, Keller will not burn the first year of his contract. The three-year term will keep him under contract until the summer of 2020.

Keller was the Coyotes first pick, seventh overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. He scored 21 goals and 45 points in 31 games with the Terriers; he lead the gold medal-winning Americans in scoring at the World Juniors with 11 points in seven games. Earlier this season, Keller was named the best prospect outside the NHL by ESPN’s Corey Pronman (Insider link). Pronman describes Keller as such:

“An elite playmaker with great feet and hands, Keller makes some of the more unique plays you’ll see outside the NHL ranks. Although he is small and slight, his IQ and skating allow him to be OK defensively too.”

Fellow Coyotes prospect Dylan Strome ranked third on Pronman’s list. Strome was the Coyotes first pick, third overall, in 2015 and went head-to-head against Keller in the World Juniors Final.

No word yet if Keller will make his NHL debut on Monday night, when the Coyotes visit the St. Louis Blues. Keller is from Chesterfield, Missouri, which is in St. Louis County.

East Notes: Crouse, Lappin, Addison

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When the Florida Panthers shipped Lawson Crouse off to Arizona in exchange for a pair of draft picks and the Coyotes taking on Dave Bolland’s cap hit, many people were shocked. Bolland was (and remains) on long-term injured reserve, without a clear picture on whether he’ll ever play hockey again. Crouse on the other hand was a 19-year old blue-chip prospect who looked like he had a long NHL career ahead of him as a prototypical power forward. Speaking to George Richards of the Miami Herald, Panthers GM Tom Rowe admitted it was tough to lose him:

We got criticized for giving up on a great young prospect but we had to. That contract was strangling us, cap-wise. When we traded him, our scouts were furious. I’m not going to lie. But we had to do something and that was trade Lawson.

Crouse has just 11 points this season for the Coyotes, but he’s gaining valuable experience as a teenager and still has a bright future ahead of him. Meanwhile the Panthers have already essentially used that cap space, as extensions for Aaron Ekblad, Vincent Trocheck, Jonathan Huberdeau and Derek MacKenzie kick in next year.

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