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Philadelphia Flyers Claim Zack MacEwen

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The Philadelphia Flyers have claimed another player off waivers, this time grabbing Zack MacEwen from the Vancouver Canucks. The Flyers added Patrick Brown earlier this week.

MacEwen was basically pushed out of the Canucks’ lineup by Alex Chiasson, who finally signed an NHL contract after attending training camp. The 25-year-old forward has never shown much offensive upside at the NHL level with just nine points in 55 games, but does bring a high level of physicality and size. The 6’3″ power forward recorded 65 hits in 34 games for the Canucks last season despite averaging fewer than nine minutes a game, racking up 44 penalty minutes in the process.

Undrafted, he actually has shown a strong offensive touch in the minor leagues, scoring 22 goals and 52 points in the 2018-19 season. But MacEwen isn’t being brought into Philadelphia to play in the top six or the powerplay. Instead, if he gets into the lineup at all he’ll likely be a fourth-line player. The question now is how he fits in, given Brown’s recent addition. Both have experience at center and could be in direct competition for ice time while the team continues to deal with the absence of Kevin Hayes. Hayes was included on the team’s opening night roster but has been moved to long-term injured reserve as he recovers from core muscle surgery.

Both claims, Brown and MacEwen, would need to pass through waivers in order to be assigned to the minor leagues. Should the Flyers place them on waivers, their previous teams would have a chance to nab them and send them directly to the AHL, should they be the only team to submit a claim.

Mikko Lehtonen Suspended; One Of Four Players On Waivers

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Oct 13: MacEwen was claimed by the Philadelphia Flyers, but the other three have cleared.

Oct 12: The Columbus Blue Jackets have suspended Mikko Lehtonen for failing to report to the AHL after he was assigned to the Cleveland Monsters this week. The team has also placed him on unconditional waivers and will terminate his contract. Lehtonen isn’t alone though, as the Chicago Blackhawks have also placed Matej Chalupa on unconditional waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Zack MacEwen of the Vancouver Canucks and C.J. Suess of the Winnipeg Jets are also on regular waivers.

Lehtonen, 27, was expected to make a big impact at the NHL level after putting up strong numbers in the KHL, even winning that league’s Defenseman of the Year award in 2020. Instead, he struggled to crack the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup on a regular basis and then was sent to Columbus, where he signed a new one-year, $900K deal this offseason but still failed to make the team out of camp. Instead of going to the AHL, he’ll likely head back overseas where he can once again star as a top-four puck-mover. His NHL career could very well end with just 26 games and six points.

Chalupa meanwhile is just 23, but apparently isn’t going to spend another year in the minors trying to establish himself as a call-up option for Chicago. He played 27 games for the Rockford IceHogs last season and scored seven points, but he too is likely headed back overseas. Both contracts will come entirely off the books for the Blue Jackets and Blackhawks.

MacEwen, 25, will lose his spot to Alex Chiasson, who the Canucks signed today to a one-year deal. The depth forward has actually played in 55 games for the Canucks over the last three seasons, but isn’t much of an offensive contributor at the NHL level and is unlikely to be claimed.

The same can be said about Suess, who has just one NHL game under his belt and is likely headed to the Manitoba Moose. Suess has been dealing with an undisclosed injury throughout training camp and won’t even be the first call-up option for the Jets this season.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Alex Chiasson

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As expected, the Vancouver Canucks have reached an agreement with veteran forward Alex Chiasson on a one-year contract. The deal will carry a salary of $750K. Chiasson was in Canucks camp on a professional tryout but did enough to earn a contract with the team. GM Jim Benning explained exactly how:

Alex is an established veteran who plays a physical game and brings a valuable net-front presence to our team, particularly on the power play. He’s a bigger player that doesn’t shy away from the tough areas of the ice and has fit in well with the rest of our forward group so far.

This isn’t the first time Chiasson has earned his way onto a roster through a PTO. In 2017 he joined Washington Capitals training camp on a tryout basis and quickly landed a contract, and in 2018 did the same with the Edmonton Oilers. A versatile player that set a career-high with 22 goals and 38 points in 2018-19, he actually could step directly into a pretty substantial role with the Canucks, at least at the start of the season.

In fact, he’s been skating next to Elias Pettersson in recent days, suggesting that he very well may start the season there when the Canucks kick things off tomorrow night. He’ll be in a familiar stomping ground, as Vancouver travels to Edmonton where Chiasson has spent the last three seasons.

Brandon Sutter Out Indefinitely For Vancouver Canucks

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The Vancouver Canucks aren’t expecting Brandon Sutter back anytime soon. The veteran forward is dealing with long-term symptoms from COVID-19, general manager Jim Benning told reporters including Thomas Drance of The Athletic, and will be out “for a while.” The team is focused on getting Sutter back to full health before putting him on the ice.

Sutter, 32, signed a new one-year, $1.125MM contract with the Canucks this offseason to stay with the team he’s been a part of since 2015. The checking center had just nine goals and 12 points last season but is still an effective enough bottom-six option that can take some of the tough defensive matchups. Without him, the team has Nic Petan in the fourth-line center spot at practice.

Earlier this year, Sutter detailed his experience with COVID-19 to Drance after being one of the many Canucks that tested positive for coronavirus last season. He explained then that he had trouble catching his breath and experienced light-headedness. Benning explained as camp started that Sutter was experiencing “fatigue” and he has not joined the team since. The executive confirmed today that Sutter does not have myocarditis. Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet tweets that Sutter trained for most of the offseason without experiencing issues, but the fatigue “started to become debilitating” in mid-August.

Sutter will not be listed on the Canucks active roster and it is not clear when he will be available to the team this season.

Florida Panthers Acquire Olli Juolevi From The Vancouver Canucks

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Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports that the Florida Panthers are acquiring defenseman Olli Juolevi from the Vancouver Canucks. The move comes just two days ahead of the start of the regular season. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reports that Vancouver will receive forward Juho Lammikko and defenseman Noah Juulsen in return.

Drafted fifth overall in 2016, the 23-year-old Finn has failed to secure an NHL role up to this point in his career and made his NHL debut just last season. He’ll now look for a bigger role and a different, potentially more favorable system under coach Joel Quenneville in Florida. General manager Bill Zito spoke about the acquisition today:

We are excited to welcome another young defenseman like Olli to our organization. We look forward to Olli developing with our club as he joins our deepening core on the blueline.

Juolevi tallied just two goals and an assist in 23 games with Vancouver this season, averaging 13:13 per game. With Florida, it’s possible that he resumes a seventh defenseman role while he’s given more time to work with coaching staff.

When he is ready to enter the NHL lineup in South Florida, he’ll have to likely knock off one of Markus Nutivaara or Brandon Montour for a spot in the lineup. It won’t be an easy task, but it is possible if Juolevi begins to realize his top-ten pick potential.

Juolevi had been productive in the AHL over the past few seasons, tallying 38 points in 63 games with the Utica Comets from 2018-2020. If given more of a role in Florida, it’s likely that his offensive and defensive play would improve.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/9/21

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With the submission of season-opening rosters due on Monday, many teams should be making more cuts today.  We’ll keep track of those moves here.

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)

F Tyler Angle (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Josh Dunne (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Brendan Gaunce (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Carson Meyer (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Tristan Mullin (released from PTO, to Cleveland, AHL)
F Justin Scott (released from PTO, to Cleveland, AHL)
F Tyler Sikura (to Cleveland, AHL)

Florida Panthers (via WPLG’s David Dwork)

F Zac Dalpe (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Noah Juulsen (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Matt Kiersted (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Serron Noel (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Chase Priskie (to Charlotte, AHL)

Minnesota Wild (via team release)

D Calen Addison (to Iowa, AHL)
F Adam Beckman (to Iowa, AHL)
F Marco Rossi (to Iowa, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (via TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie)

F Jesse Ylonen (to Laval, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (via team Twitter)

F Joseph Gambardella (to Utica, AHL)

Ottawa Senators (via team Twitter)

F Parker Kelly (to Belleville, AHL)
G Mads Sogaard (to Belleville, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (via team Twitter)

G Felix Sandstrom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)

F Michael Chaput (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Juuso Riikola (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)

St. Louis Blues (via team release)

G Colten Ellis (to Springfield, AHL)
F Dakota Joshua (to Springfield, AHL)
D Scott Perunovich (to Springfield, AHL)

Vancouver Canucks (via team release)

F Carson Focht (to Abbotsford, AHL)
F William Lockwood (to Abbotsford, AHL)

San Jose Sharks Claim Jonah Gadjovich

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The San Jose Sharks have decided to claim Jonah Gadjovich off waivers, taking him away from the Vancouver Canucks according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. He was the only player out of the 30 on waivers yesterday to be claimed.

Gadjovich, 22, was a second-round pick in 2017, selected 55th overall by the Canucks. The 6’2″ winger is a true power forward that can use his size effectively around the net, though his skating ability is still questionable at the NHL level and has held him back to this point. He received just one game with the Canucks last season, his NHL debut, and managed to rack up 17 minutes in penalties after instigating a fight with Calgary Flames’ Connor Mackey following an illegal hit.

Though there are concerns over whether he can truly become an impact player at the NHL level, he certainly was one for the Utica Comets last season. In 19 games at the AHL level he scored 15 goals, using that huge frame effectively in front of the net. He added just three assists to that total, indicating his offensive limitations, but for a bottom-six player, you could certainly do worse.

In San Jose, he could very well get a chance to fill a full-time role as the Sharks’ fourth line is not set in stone. The team is moving on without Evander Kane for the time being, meaning minutes have been opened up on the left wing. That’s exactly where Gadjovich could push for playing time, especially given his size. Alexander Barabanov, who is also in the mix for a bottom-six role, was absent from practice again today as he deals with a nagging injury.

Hughes, Pettersson Expected To Play In Final Two Preseason Games

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  • The Vancouver Canucks finally have their best two players joining camp after signing Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson, but they won’t be playing tonight or Tuesday at the team’s next preseason matches. Travis Green told reporters including Harman Dayal of The Athletic that the plan currently is for Hughes and Pettersson to play in the team’s final two games, Thursday and Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.

Vancouver Canucks Agree To Terms On Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes Contracts

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October 3: Darren Dreger of TSN has reported that the final contract structure of both deals is as follows:

Pettersson
2021-22: $3MM salary + $1MM signing bonus
2022-23: $7.8MM salary
2023-24: $10.25MM salary

Hughes
2021-22: $4MM salary
2022-23: $6.5MM salary
2023-24: $8.6MM salary
2024-25: $9.5MM salary
2025-26: $10.25MM salary
2026-27: $8.25MM salary

October 1: TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Vancouver Canucks have agreed to terms on multi-year deals with restricted free agents Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. Pettersson’s deal is for three years at an average annual value of $7.35MM, while Hughes’ deal is for six years at $7.85MM. LeBrun says that the contracts themselves have yet to be finalized.

Sportsnet’s Satiar Shah was the first to report last night that Hughes’ deal would be six years in length, while The Athletic’s Rick Dhaliwal reported a three-year deal for Pettersson.

Pettersson’s three-year commitment comes after scoring 153 points in just 165 games during his first three seasons in the league. The fifth-overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft continues to be regarded as a top-ten center in the league by some, but injury issues this season limited his production (and negotiation leverage) with 21 points in 26 games. Winner of the 2019 Calder Trophy, Pettersson’s contract is certainly of spectacular value to the Canucks at this time. The scoring and two-way game Pettersson brings to the table both make it seem like he’s earning about $1.5-$2MM less than he should.

Hughes, a year younger than his forward counterpart, has had a near equal amount of success and accolades throughout his young career. While the soon-to-be-22-year-old has only two full NHL seasons under his belt, his 53 points in 68 games (along with 21:53 average time on ice) in 2019-20 were good enough to place him second in Calder Trophy voting, even earning some Norris Trophy votes along the way. While his defensive game stumbled slightly this year, the point production kept up with 41 points in 56 games. A long-term commitment is key here for Vancouver, ensuring some cost certainty at a reasonable cap hit while he continues to develop.

Concerns were aplenty surrounding Vancouver’s ability to fit both Pettersson and Hughes under an $81.5MM salary cap this season, but with forward Micheal Ferland headed to long-term injury reserve, general manager Jim Benning appears to have successfully manipulated a tight financial situation. CapFriendly projects a current cap hit of $82.9MM with a full 23-man roster for the Canucks, exceeding the salary cap by much less than Ferland’s $3.5MM cap hit. While the specifics of how Vancouver can maximize cap relief haven’t been hammered out quite yet, they’ll at least rest now knowing they’ll be compliant for the start of the season.

These contracts set up an important season for this Canucks core, as they look to return to the playoffs after a surprise run in 2020. Pettersson will likely be reprising his role as the team’s first-line center, being flanked by J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser. The secondary scoring’s been bolstered by the addition of Conor Garland, while young wingers Nils Hoglander and Vasily Podkolzin could make big impacts.

Hughes comes in as the undisputed number one defenseman on the team after Alexander Edler’s departure in free agency to the Los Angeles Kings. While the additions of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Tucker Poolman to the blueline have been controversial from an outside perspective, the team still hopes bounce-back campaigns are in order for both of them. Hughes’ ice time will undoubtedly increase from the 22:48 he played last year, becoming an increasingly important fixture within the team.

Brock Boeser Out At Least A Week

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  • Canucks winger Brock Boeser will miss at least a week due to an undisclosed injury, relays Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston. He was a full participant in practice on Wednesday but hasn’t skated since.  With still more than a week left until the start of the regular season, Boeser should be ready to go on opening night as long as there aren’t any setbacks along the way.

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