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Karel Plasek Signs Entry-Level Contract

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As expected, the Vancouver Canucks have come in under the wire with a contract for prospect Karel Plasek. The deal will keep Plasek from becoming an unrestricted free agent later today when his draft rights would have expired. The three-year entry-level contract will start next season and brings the Czech forward into the organization after an eye-opening season for Brno Kometa.

Plasek, 20, is expected to report to Abbotsford next season according to Thomas Drance of The Athletic, who notes that it is his hockey IQ that the Canucks are excited about. The young forward has been playing at the highest level in the Czech Republic for several seasons, recording 10 points in 44 games Brno this year. It’s not that he is expected to be an offensive leader in Vancouver, but a valuable depth player that can move around the lineup.

Obviously, that’s a far-fetched dream at this point, given how much development he still needs, but if Vancouver is going to really turn the ship around they’ll need to start producing their own homegrown bottom-six talent instead of paying for it on the open market. Plasek is exactly the type of prospect that can turn into that, but the organization and player have work to do in the coming years to get him there.

Pittsburgh Penguins Permit Jim Rutherford To Interview Elsewhere

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If there was a free agent market for front office executives, a Hall of Famer just became a UFA. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins have given teams permission to speak with Jim Rutherford before his contract expires later this month. As Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet wrote yesterday, there are no current general manager vacancies in the league, but Rutherford could be a fit in a different role.

After resigning from his position with the Penguins earlier this year, Rutherford’s name has been routinely brought up by insiders speculating on his next move. It has always seemed likely that he would return in some fashion, though it’s not clear if he’ll be taking over the day-to-day work of a GM or joining an organization in a president role. It’s also not clear which teams have spoken to him at this point.

Even if you disagree with some of his moves, it’s hard to see Rutherford as anything other than a legend in the sport. A three-time Stanley Cup winner as an executive, he has been a GM in the league since 1994. Known as a risktaker and willing trade partner, there have been some wild deals swung by Rutherford over the years. Even some of the moves that were lambasted at first, like acquiring Mike Matheson this past offseason, end up turning out okay in the end. That’s not to say he is infallible, but a team looking for stability in its front office could do much worse than bringing in someone with decades of experience.

Prospect Notes: Plasek, Walli Walterholm, Westerlund

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There are more than two dozen prospects that will see their draft rights expire if not signed by tomorrow afternoon, but for some of them the decision is already made. The Vancouver Canucks for instance are expected to sign Karel Plasek according to Thomas Drance of The Athletic. Drance notes that it’s Plasek’s hockey IQ that the team believes in and wants him to join their AHL team in Abbotsford next season.

The 20-year-old forward had six goals and ten points in 44 games with Brno Kometa this season and is two years removed from going 175th overall in the 2019 draft.

  • Not everyone is signing though, as Craig Morgan of AZ Hockey Now reports that Erik Walli Walterholm will not ink a deal with the Arizona Coyotes. Walli Walterholm was a seventh-round pick in 2017 and has experience at the SHL level, but played this season in the Swedish second tier. Though he scored just 14 points during the regular season, the 22-year-old forward turned things around in the playoffs, recording nine points in 15 games for Timra.
  • Perhaps more significant is the news on teammate Filip Westerlund, the Coyotes’ second-round pick, 44th overall in 2017. Morgan reports that he is also not expected to sign, making him a free agent. The 22-year-old defenseman had 21 points in 52 games during the regular season and was once regarded as a top prospect, even ranked 15th among international skaters by NHL Central Scouting in 2017. Of the nine players selected by the Coyotes that year, only two—Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Mackenzie Entwistle—have played in the NHL, but neither for Arizona.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Vasily Podkolzin To Entry-Level Contract

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May 31: Podkolzin told Sport24 in Russia that he is willing to play in the AHL if that’s what the Canucks management wants him to do and is not considering a return to Russia or using a European Assignment Clause. That’s good news for Vancouver, who can bring the teenaged forward along slowly if he’s not quite ready to make an impact at the start of the season.

May 30: The Vancouver Canucks announced they have signed top prospect Vasily Podkolzin to a three-year, entry-level contract. The winger was the team’s 10th-overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft. The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reports that the deal will be for the full $925K cap hit along with full Schedule A bonuses, making it a $1.775MM actual cap hit.

“Vasily is a competitor who plays an aggressive game,” said Canucks general manager Jim Benning. “He’s effective using his size and skill to get to the net and produce offensively. We’re pleased to sign him today and look forward to adding him to our young core of skilled players.”

The winger should provide the team with an impressive power forward for years to come, although his height is debated with his KHL team listing him as 6-foot-3, while the Canucks have him at 6-foot-1. Regardless of his exact size, his high-end skating and his physical make-up present the team with one of their more interesting prospects. He likely will be an immediate fit in Vancouver’s top-six and will be a top Calder Trophy candidate.

The 19-year-old Podkolzin is coming off a full season in the KHL where he scored five goals and 11 points in 35 games with SKA St. Petersburg in limited minutes. He also captained Team Russia in the World Junior Championships, scoring two goals and four points in seven games as Russia lost in the bronze medal game to Finland.

There was speculation during the season that Podkolzin might come over to Vancouver in April after his KHL season ended and burn the first year of his entry-level deal. However, the youngster opted instead to stay in Russia and focus on making Russia’s World Championship roster, which he did not make. However, the chances that Podkolzin would have seen much action after having secured a work visa and sat through quarantine seemed unlikely.

Canucks Will Face A Bonus Penalty Next Season

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The Canucks are a team that’s going to be looking to free up some cap room this summer and their situation for next season just got a bit more challenging.  PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that as a result of Quinn Hughes maxing out on his bonuses and Nils Hoglander hitting a games played-related bonus, Vancouver will be facing a $649K bonus overage penalty heading into next season.  With the team being in LTIR for the entire year, they were unable to bank any cap room throughout the season which means that full amount is added to their 2021-22 payroll.

Vancouver Canucks Open To Moving Nate Schmidt

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The Vancouver Canucks didn’t have the type of season they were hoping for. The team finished in last place in the North Division, even behind the rebuilding Ottawa Senators — a far cry from their strong playoff performance a season ago. While the team lost several free agents in goaltender Jacob Markstrom, winger Tyler Toffoli and defenseman Chris Tanev, the hope was that others could step up in their place, including Thatcher Demko, Nils Hoglander and trade acquisition Nate Schmidt, who they picked up from Vegas for a 2022 third-round pick.

Of course, things didn’t work out for Schmidt, who just didn’t seem to be a good fit with Vancouver this year. The 29-year-old played in all but two games for the Canucks, but couldn’t get it going offensively with just 15 points in 54 games, quite a difference from the 31 points he posted in 59 games with Vegas in 2019-20. That’s not exactly what Vancouver envisioned when it took on Schmidt’s contract, which suddenly doesn’t look so good on their payroll as Schmidt still has four more years at $5.95MM.

The Province’s Patrick Johnston writes that the Canucks will likely have to do a major shakeup of their blueline this offseason with only a few players considered key pieces to their puzzle. The belief is the team would prefer to move Schmidt and his contract to free up some cap space, although that could prove challenging, according to The Athletic’s Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal  (subscription required). While the contract is somewhat front-loaded, the base salary for this next year is still $6MM and only drops slightly over the next three years.

What that type of cap hit in a flat cap world, only a handful of teams are likely willing to take on four more years of Schmidt and the Canucks could be forced to send a sweetener if they hope to move the blueliner. All three scribes suggest that Schmidt is a likely trade candidate, but also admit that Schmidt may be difficult to unload and therefore might just have to be an expensive second-pair defenseman, who the team hopes can rebound and have a big season.

Benning: Canucks Expect To Announce The Hiring Of The Sedins Over The Next Couple Of Weeks

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While the exact role has yet to be determined, Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin will be returning to the Canucks. GM Jim Benning indicated in a recent appearance on CHEK’s Donnie and Dhali show (audio link) that talks about a reunion are ongoing with an announcement hopefully coming over the next couple of weeks.  The twins each played 17 years with Vancouver after being selected second and third overall back in 1999 and hung up their skates in 2018.  Benning hopes to have the Sedins get their feet wet with several different aspects of the organization and given their commitment as players, this could be the beginning of another long run with the team.

Snapshots: Rutherford, Urquhart, COVID Protocol

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It sure doesn’t sound as though former Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford is done with hockey. The 72-year-old Hall of Fame executive left the Penguins abruptly back in January and it felt as though it could be the end of an illustrious front office career. However, it didn’t take long for speculation to mount that Rutherford wanted to get back into the management game. Now, his interest is official. PBI Sports Agency has announced that they now officially represent Rutherford, who is looking for new “NHL management opportunities.” The GM and President of the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes for 20 years and GM and Executive Vice President of the Penguins for another seven, not to mention considerable time spent in the OHL, there are few in hockey with as much front office experience as Rutherford. If he wants a new job in the league, PBI shouldn’t have a hard time finding him one.

  • San Diego Gulls assistant coach David Urquhart is moving to the college game and returning to his old stomping grounds. The Anaheim Ducks’ affiliate has announced that Urquhart has accepted the head coach position at McGill University, where he was an assistant for four years before joining the Gulls in 2018. Urquhart also played at McGill and was one the rare four-year Canadian collegiate players to go on to have an extended pro career, playing three seasons in the AHL and another three in Italy. While USports pales in comparison to its American counterpart, the NCAA, McGill is one of its most highly regarded institutions and based in a high-publicity area in Montreal. While Urquhart’s move was clearly impacted by loyalty to his university, it could also lead to greater heights in his career, especially if he finds success in his first head coaching position.
  • The NHL is loosening it’s COVID Protocol restrictions as it relates to fans. With many playoff teams having already received permission from local authorities to host increasing amounts of fans, the league is moving forward with improving that spectator experience. The NHL has announced that, beginning in the second round, fans will no longer be required to wear masks at games. Individual teams may still enforce a mask mandate if local health policies insist, but the league will no longer do the same. Additionally, the glass behind the penalty boxes and benches, initially removed to allow for more breathing room for teams, can also be removed if teams are 85% vaccinated. This will be the case for most remaining American teams.

Elias Pettersson To Rehab Wrist Injury, Won't Undergo Surgery

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  • Although he missed the final two months of the season with a lingering wrist injury, Canucks center Elias Pettersson won’t need to undergo surgery to repair the issue, notes Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston. While surgery was discussed at one point with team doctors, they decided that simply rehabbing it would be the better way to go.  He enters restricted free agency this summer coming off a bit of a disappointing campaign that saw him miss 30 games although he still managed to pick up 10 goals and 11 assists in the 26 contests he was able to suit up for.

North Notes: Weber, Oilers, Tkachuk, Hamonic

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The Department of Player Safety announced that they have fined Montreal Canadiens defenseman Shea Weber $5,000, the maximum fine allowable in the CBA,  for cross-checking Toronto’s Wayne Simmonds Saturday during Game 2 of the playoffs.

The veteran forward was not assessed a penalty against Simmonds on the play, but did receive a two-minute minor for cross-checking on Toronto’s Pierre Engvall during the third period and later received a 10-minute misconduct. Montreal received seven minor penalties during their 5-1 loss to Toronto.

  • The Edmonton Oilers look to be making several lineup changes after falling 2-0 to the Winnipeg Jets in their first-round matchup, according to Oilers insider Bob Stauffer. With the hope of being faster on the ice, the team is scratching James Neal, Dominik Kahun and Alex Chiasson, while bringing Tyler Ennis, Gaetan Haas and Devin Shore. The team has also split up defensemen Tyson Barrie and Darnell Nurse, while demoting forward Kailer Yamamoto to the third line.
  • Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk, who is eligible to sign an extension with the team, tells Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg that he hasn’t spoken to Flames’ management about a new contract. The 23-year-old has one more year remaining at a $7MM AAV, but also will have a qualifying offer of $9MM when he becomes a restricted free agent. That’s a lot of money for a player that hasn’t taken that next step the team was hoping for. Tkachuk scored 34 goals and 77 points during the 2018-19 season and looked to be developing into a star player. However, those numbers have dropped to 23 goals and 61 points in 69 2019-20 and then 16 goals and 43 points in 56 games this season. There’s even been talk of Calgary making major changes this year, which could, in theory, include Tkachuk as well.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have high hopes they can re-sign defenseman Travis Hamonic to a new contract for the upcoming season. Hamonic, who will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, played 38 games for Vancouver, mostly pairing with Quinn Hughes and fared well, despite dealing with injuries and rust. However, The Province’s Ben Kuzma reports that general manager Jim Benning said that there is interest in bringing back Hamonic, assuming the two sides can reach a reasonable deal. The 30-year-old signed a one-year deal worth $1.25MM in hopes of staying in Western Canada, suggesting a deal is legitimately possible.

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