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Reid Boucher Close To Deal With Vancouver Canucks

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While Vancouver Canucks fans wait for any crumb of information on Brock Boeser’s new contract, they’ll at least get some good news soon on a different restricted free agent forward. Gerry Johansson, agent for Reid Boucher, was on Sportsnet radio today with Rick Dhaliwal and explained that they are close to a deal with the Canucks. Boucher filed for arbitration last week, but apparently will avoid the process with a new deal.

The 25-year old Boucher may have played only one game for the Canucks last season, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a big part of their organization. The former New Jersey Devils prospect was one of the most effective offensive players in the entire AHL, scoring 31 goals and 62 points in just 56 games. That marked his second consecutive season scoring better than a point-per-game for the Utica Comets, while also serving as important injury insurance for the Canucks.

It is unlikely that Boucher will play a huge role in the NHL next season, but re-signing him gives the team some strong minor league depth up front. In 133 career NHL games he has recorded 42 points.

AHL Notes: Graham, Archibald, Thunderbirds

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The Dallas Stars are making an addition to their AHL coaching staff and doing so by promoting from within. The Texas Stars announced today that Neil Graham has been named as an assistant coach for the team, leaving his previous post as head coach of the organization’s ECHL affiliate, the Idaho Steelheads. During his tenure with Idaho, Graham led the Steelheads to a 166-91-31 record over four seasons, including three consecutive 40+ win seasons and playoff berths. The 34-year-old is climbing through the pro coaching ranks quickly after spending just one year as an assistant at Mercyhurst College before taking the same role with Idaho for three seasons before his promotion to head coach. A standout player at Mercyhurst in the late 2000’s, Graham played three seasons in the minors before turning to coaching. He has an opportunity with Texas, replacing the departed Bob Jones, to learn under the tutelage of Derek Laxdal and continue growing as a coach in what appears to be a promising career in the making.

  • Veteran grinder Darren Archibald has been on and off NHL contracts throughout his pro career, often having to settle for AHL contracts with a chance to earn his way back to the top level. After playing in a dozen games last season split between the Vancouver Canucks and Ottawa Senators, recording just two points, Archibald entered the UFA market again facing the tough task of landing another two-way deal. As a result, it’s not surprising that Archibald has settled for a one-year deal with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, the team announced. As far as AHL opportunities go, the Marlies tend to be one of the more talented, veteran-laden clubs with substantial media attention, giving Archibald as good a chance as anywhere in the league to prove he can still play in the NHL. In the meantime, the big winger will continue to be both a physical threat and net-front scoring force at the minor league level.
  • The Springfield Thunderbirds have announced extensions for end-of-the-year additions Liam Pecararo and Dylan MacPherson. The duo each signed one-year AHL contracts with Springfield back on April 3rd, and have now renewed those same one-way minor league pacts. Pecararo, 23, wrapped up his NCAA career with 30 points in 37 games for Northeastern University last year and recorded a point in his AHL debut. The Massachusetts native stays close to home in Springfield and hopes to be a force up front. MacPherson, 21, has great size for a defenseman and showed over the past two years with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers that he is capable of consistent offense as well. A right-handed shot who can both move the puck and defend in his own end, MacPherson is a valuable commodity for the Thunderbirds.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Francis Perron

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After acquiring his rights at the draft from the San Jose Sharks, Francis Perron has signed with the Vancouver Canucks. The prospect has inked a one-year two-way contract with the Canucks. Perron was a restricted free agent but not eligible for salary arbitration.

Perron, 23, was originally selected in the seventh round by the Ottawa Senators five years ago, but ended up shipped out to the Sharks in the Erik Karlsson deal. While at that point he may have just seemed like an underperforming minor league forward that was included as a contract dump, he broke out last season for the San Jose Barracuda and earned himself another NHL deal. Perron had 18 goals and 47 points in 63 games for the Barracuda, good enough for second on the team.

The former QMJHL star will fight for an NHL role on the Canucks in training camp, but will more likely find himself on waivers to start the year. That will give other teams a chance to grab him, but if he clears he can head to the Utica Comets and try to replicate his excellent 2018-19 season. At the very worst, the Canucks have secured another shifty minor league scorer for their AHL club.

Snapshots: Puljujarvi, Broberg, Aho, Eriksson

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A return to the Edmonton Oilers for restricted free agent Jesse Puljujarvi is getting less and less likely. Despite hope that new general manager Ken Holland and head coach Dave Tippett might be able to give the 21-year-old a fresh start, Puljujarvi hasn’t shown much interest in returning to the team since he requested the team trade him to give him a new start elsewhere.

“Although the Oilers have a new well-respected GM and a new coach the team is still pretty much the same,” said Puljujarvi’s agent Markus Lehto (in a Finnish publication via Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins. “Sometimes a player and a team are not a fit. This seems to be the case here. Nothing radical about it.”

While Leavins leaves the quote open to interpretation, especially the part where he said, “… the team is pretty much the same.” However, it’s clear that Puljujarvi has little interest in returning to Edmonton, leaving him with two options, waiting for Edmonton to find a trade partner or allowing him to leave and play overseas next season. Finding a trade partner has been challenging as the team wants good value back for a player who has just 17 goals over three full seasons.

  • A Swedish website, Hockey Svervige (translation required) reports that Edmonton Oilers first-round pick Philip Broberg, who recently signed his entry-level deal, will play for Sweden’s Skelleftea in the SHL this year alongside fellow Oilers’ prospect Filip Berglund, rather than come over to North America immediately. The Edmonton Journal’s David Staples adds that Holland’s main objective was to put him in a position to get the most minutes possible, which was the main reason for wanting him to come to North America and play in the OHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs. However, while there is no guarantee of playing time with Skelleftea, the team could always send him down to the Allsvenskan and have him return to his old team, AIK Stockholm.
  • In a tweet sent out by Carolina Hurricanes newly signed forward Sebastian Aho, the 21-year-old makes it clear that he only hoped to settle his restricted free agency as quickly as possible and had no interest in leaving Carolina. “I am grateful for the offer from the Montreal Canadiens, but it was always my hope to return to the Hurricanes,” Aho said. “As a restricted free agent, I had limited options for moving along the process to get a deal done. It was always important to me to be on the ice for the first day of training camp. This entire situation has been difficult for me and my family, and I am happy it is at an end.”
  • Patrick Johnston of The Province writes that it is becoming less and less likely that the Vancouver Canucks will be unloading the contract of veteran Loui Eriksson this offseason. The scribe writes that general manager Jim Benning has not been able to reach Eriksson to talk to him about the situation, it is clear he doesn’t intend to request a trade and isn’t planning on retiring. There are fewer and fewer options to find a team with the salary cap needed to take on his three years and $6MM AAV and with a full no-trade clause, he doesn’t have to accept a deal anywhere either. So unless, Benning can make an impressive maneuver, it looks like the Canucks are stuck with him.

Evening Notes: Sharks Lineup, Gaudette, Johansson

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The San Jose Sharks had to cast off a number of forwards this offseason after they inked star defenseman Erik Karlsson to an eight-year, $92MM contract three weeks ago. The team let Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi off and there continue to be rumors that they may have to trade off Melker Karlsson later on this summer to free up more cap room.

Of course, San Jose is expected to re-sign Joe Thornton and are likely to also bring back Patrick Marleau. Yet, despite those signings, there are likely going to be some holes in their lineup. In fact, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that there could be a major change in the top-six. The scribe writes that San Jose might look to its prospect depth to fill one of the wing positions on the second line this season as Sasha Chmelevski and Ivan Chekovich could be the beneficiaries of that job.

Chmelevski, a sixth-round gem found in the 2017 draft, has scored 70 goals and 151 points in the past two seasons with the Ottawa 67s of the OHL. Chekovich, a seventh-round stud picked up in the 2017 draft as well, scored 43 goals and 105 points last season in the QMJHL, but also gotten some time in the AHL with three goals and seven points in nine AHL games. Kurz writes that the only way they would make the team is if one of them played on the second line. A spot on the bottom-six would make less sense, however, as they could get valuable minutes with the San Jose Barracuda instead.

  • The Vancouver Canucks have been quite active this offseason and have added quite a bit of depth to their team. However, Patrick Johnson of the Vancouver Sun writes that the team will have a significant roster jam at the forward position this fall. The team currently has 13 healthy forwards under NHL deals and still have to sign Nikolay Goldobin and Brock Boeser to deals. Throw in the injured Antoine Roussel, the team has a lot of forwards with only 12 spots. That could put the spot of Adam Gaudette, who many people feel deserves a spot as the team’s third-line center, in jeopardy as the 22-year-old is the only player on the team (minus Elias Pettersson and Boeser) who can be sent down without having to pass through waivers. Unless Gaudette can have a dominant camp and beat out some of the others like Brandon Sutter, he could find himself starting the year off in Utica of the AHL.
  • The two-year deal that winger Marcus Johansson signed Saturday with the Buffalo Sabres includes a modified no-trade clause, according to CapFriendly. Johansson has the ability to provide Buffalo with a list of 10 teams he cannot be traded to during both his seasons. That’s an improvement on his previous deal where for the past two years he could submit five teams he couldn’t be traded to.

Benning: Canucks To Restructure Scouting Department

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  • Vancouver’s amateur scouting department is undergoing some changes for next season. Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston notes that the Canucks have parted ways with a trio of scouts.  One of those, Chris MacDonald, has left for a post with another team but has yet to officially be announced.  GM Jim Benning indicated that there will be some further restructuring to the scouting staff in the weeks to come as some of their scouts are shifted into different positions.

Vancouver Canucks Sign Josh Leivo

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The Vancouver Canucks have come to an agreement with another one of their restricted free agents, signing forward Josh Leivo to a one-year contract worth $1.5MM. Leivo was eligible for salary arbitration, and will be an unrestricted free agent when this contract expires. GM Jim Benning explained what he likes about Leivo’s game:

Josh made a positive addition to our roster last year. He has a versatile game, is a strong two-way player and generates offence throughout our lineup. We’re excited to have Josh sign as a member of the Vancouver Canucks.

Ending up in Vancouver was the chance of a lifetime for Leivo, who had been previously stuck in a difficult situation with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite showing strong offensive numbers whenever he got the chance to play, Leivo was strapped to a press box seat on a nightly basis. He ended up playing just 34 games at any level over a two-year span between 2016-18, wasting two key years of his prime.

Now with the Canucks, he’s trying to make up for that lost time. After a trade from the Maple Leafs mid-season took him to the west coast, he was given the opportunity to play with some of the team’s best players and quickly started producing. While that rate didn’t continue for the whole year, he did finish with 18 points in 49 games for the Canucks. Add that to his 27 games in a Toronto sweater to start the year and Leivo more than doubled his NHL experience in one season. With a new one-year deal in his back pocket he’ll try to contribute even more and set himself up for a multi-year contract next summer.

Snapshots: Boeser, Cracknell, Jets

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The Vancouver Canucks and Brock Boeser are closer on a new contract according to Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet, though he notes there is still “work to be done and neither side [is] budging.” Boeser is part of the outstanding group of young restricted free agents looking for big deals this offseason, though it is important to note that he is not eligible for an offer sheet. Like Charlie McAvoy in Boston, Boeser is treated like an RFA but doesn’t have all of the same rights because of the way he burned through his entry-level contract, playing through the first year in just nine games after his 2016-17 college season ended.

That, combined with the fact that Boeser is not arbitration eligible, means this negotiation could potentially go on long into the summer if both sides aren’t willing to find some middle ground. The 22-year old forward is one of the most interesting cases this summer thanks to the injury trouble he has suffered through the early part of his young career. Though he has suited up just 140 times, Boeser has already scored 59 goals and 116 points.

  • Adam Cracknell will be taking his talents to China, as Kunlun Red Star of the KHL announced a one-year contract with the NHL veteran. The 33-year old forward has played 210 NHL games across a long professional career, an impressive accomplishment for a ninth-round pick. He suited up last season for the Toronto Marlies, San Diego Gulls and Anaheim Ducks, scoring a total of 38 points in 44 games in the minors and zero in his two NHL appearances. He was however a force in the playoffs with the Gulls, and could very well find success overseas playing in the KHL. He’ll join several other familiar names like Jake Chelios, Gilbert Brule, Spencer Foo and Wojtek Wolski on Kunlun.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have added a little bit of depth up front this free agent period, adding veteran center Mark Letestu to a one-year deal. They likely aren’t done there, as Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun is expecting the team to add another fourth-line forward at some point. That forward will likely have penalty killing experience and cost the team less than $1MM in salary according to Wiebe, which certainly doesn’t limit the field. There are plenty of free agent forwards still out there looking for work, including Winkler, Manitoba native Eric Fehr, coming off a solid season with the Minnesota Wild.

Justin Bailey Signs With Vancouver Canucks

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The Vancouver Canucks have picked up another depth forward, signing Justin Bailey to a one-year two-way contract. Bailey failed to receive a qualifying offer from the Philadelphia Flyers last month and became an unrestricted free agent.

Bailey, 24, was originally selected in the second round of the 2013 draft but has failed to establish himself in the NHL to this point. Playing 63 games for the Flyers and Buffalo Sabres, the 6’4″ forward has just nine points. If given a bigger opportunity in Vancouver there is a possibility he can produce a little more offensively, but the likelihood of him becoming an impact player seems low at this point.

Still, adding more depth for the bottom-six at a reasonable price is never a bad thing and Bailey has shown he can clear waivers in the past. That means he might end up ticketed for the Utica Comets if he can’t carve out a role in training camp. The Canucks do already have a huge number of forwards that will be competing for the final few spots, making Bailey’s chances even more slim. Not many of them have the size he brings however, something that head coach Travis Green might appreciate on his roster.

Vancouver Canucks Re-Sign Tyler Motte

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The Vancouver Canucks have signed restricted free agent Tyler Motte to a one-year, $975K contract. The deal will leave Motte a RFA again next summer, though he will have arbitration rights. GM Jim Benning explained the move:

Tyler plays a physical, two-way game that complements our forward group. He’s strong on the forecheck, helps our penalty kill and showed he can contribute offensively last year. We’re pleased to have Tyler continue his career as a member of the Vancouver Canucks.

Motte, 24, ended up playing in 74 games last season for the Canucks, scoring nine goals and 16 points in a limited role. He did however lead the team in hits by a good margin, sacrificing his own body countless times to hunt down pucks in the offensive zone. The problem with logging that many hits—200 in his 74 contests—is it usually means that you don’t have the puck much. Motte registered terrible possession numbers for the third straight season in his young career, something that will have to improve if he’s ever to make a big impact on the team.

He becomes the 11th forward on the Canucks roster with a one-way contract, and with three more restricted free agents to go—Brock Boeser, Josh Leivo and Nikolay Goldobin—the team will have to make some tough decisions on who stays and who goes down to the minor leagues. The only waiver-exempt forwards on the roster are Boeser, Elias Pettersson and Adam Gaudette, meaning Vancouver will be in quite the roster crunch when the season rolls around if they don’t make any trades this summer.

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