Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Canucks Rumors

Top-10 Finalists Announced For 2018 Hobey Baker

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Hobey Baker Memorial Award is given to the most outstanding player in collegiate hockey, and has a long list of excellent NHL players among previous winners. Will Butcher, Jimmy Vesey, Jack Eichel and Johnny Gaudreau are the latest to take home the award, while others like Brendan Morrison, Paul Kariya and Chris Drury have been honored in the past.

Earlier this year, 67 players from the NCAA ranks were nominated for the award, and today that number has been reduced to just ten. These ten players will be narrowed to just three, a process that anyone can be a part of by participating in the fan vote. Votes will be added to the decision from a selection committee to produce three finalists, from which a winner will be crowned.

The top-10 finalists are as follows, with the NHL organization who owns their draft rights in parenthesis:

Henrik Borgstrom, University of Denver (Florida Panthers)

Ryan Donato, Harvard University (Boston Bruins)

Matthew Galajda, Cornell University

Adam Gaudette, Northeastern University (Vancouver Canucks)

Dylan McLaughlin, Canisius College

Cale Morris, University of Notre Dame

Colton Point, Colgate University (Dallas Stars)

Jimmy Schuldt, St. Cloud State University

Dylan Sikura, Northeastern University (Chicago Blackhawks)

C.J. Suess, Minnesota State University-Mankato (Winnipeg Jets)

Pacific Notes: Arizona Ownership, Klefbom, Pettersson, Gaudette, Hague

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

With the state of the franchise constantly in question, Arizona Coyotes chairman and governor Andrew Barroway is looking for potential partnerships for his ownership of the franchise and has spoken to several interested investors, according to Arizona Sports Craig Morgan.

While it’s too early to know what role or control the other investors would have over the Coyotes, Morgan writes that there is no timetable on when or if there will be a new ownership structure in Arizona. The idea of adding investors to its ownership group would be able to infuse the struggling franchise with more money, but it could also help the team to tackle bigger needs, such as building a new arena or even a new practice facility.

Ironically, Barroway has only been the team’s sole owner for less than a year. He bought out the previous ownership group, IceArizona, that bought the team back in 2013. He did say when he completed the buyout that he’d be open to adding investors.

  • The Edmonton Oilers could find themselves looking hard to find a puck-moving defenseman this offseason in hopes of replacing Oscar Klefbom, who has been struggling after being their No. 1 guy a year ago during their playoff run. The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) writes that the Oilers must decide whether injuries have slowed Klefbom’s success or whether he isn’t the player they thought he was. The 24-year-old put up 12 goals and 36 points last year, but his numbers have dropped to just four goals and 19 points this season. Mitchell writes the team will look at several options to add to their defense, including potentially trading for Carolina’s Justin Faulk, Colorado’s Tyson Barrie and Boston’s Torey Krug. If Klefbom can regain his form from the 2016-17 season, he does have a affordable contract which will count $4.17MM per year until the 2022-23 season. However, if he continues to play like he did this season, Klefbom’s contract doesn’t look nearly as good.
  • Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal spoke to Vancouver Canucks scout Lars Lindgren about the impressive play of the team’s 2017 first-round pick Elias Pettersson, who won the SHL scoring title Saturday. A rookie in the SHL, the 19-year-old put up 24 goals and 56 points this season, but the question is when will he be ready to join Vancouver? “Tough question, impossible to say,” Lindgren said. “When you look at him he still needs to build power but he is such a smart, smart player. Hopefully he becomes a franchise player. He does not collect all his points on the power play and his plus minus is great and that is a very good sign for me. He has a little Nicklas Backstrom in him and I like that. It is a big summer for him to get to the next level.”
  • Another top Canucks prospect, center Adam Gaudette, broke the 30-goal barrier this year with Northeastern University, according to Dhaliwal. He is just the seventh player in the NCAA to reach the 30-goal plateau since 2012-13. Vancouver hopes to convince the college junior to sign with the team after his season is over. The former fifth-round pick in 2015 has put up 68 goals in three seasons with the Huskies.
  • Vegas Golden Knights defensive prospect Nicholas Hague has been making a name for himself, according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The 2017 second-round pick broke the 30-goal mark last month with his OHL team, the Mississauga Steelheads, and became the first OHL defenseman since 2000 to reach that plateau. Already signed to an entry-level deal back in September, the 6-foot-6, 215 pound defender is another significant asset for the Golden Knights.

Snapshots: Emergency Goalie, Lundqvist, Pettersson, College Free Agents

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Winnipeg Jets may have called up Michael Hutchinson on paper, but they weren’t actually able to get him on the roster in time for their game tonight against the New Jersey Devils. According to the team, Hutchison’s flight into New York was delayed and he was unable to arrive to the game in time. As a result, the Jets were forced to sign an emergency backup to a tryout deal. The man behind Connor Hellebuyck tonight will be Zane Kalemba, a New Jersey native and a friend of Winnipeg captain Blake Wheeler. Kalemba played junior hockey with Wheeler for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers and went on to star for Princeton University. Kalemba only retired from hockey in 2016, having spent time in the ECHL, CHL, and several European leagues. An experienced keeper who, most importantly, was nearby, will have to do for the Jets tonight.

  • A goalie in the tri-state area with a little more experience than Kalemba is New York Rangers superstar Henrik Lundqvist. In fact, when Lundqvist takes the ice tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, he will tie former Tampa goalie Nikolai Khabibulin for the most NHL starts by a foreign-born goalie. The Rangers report that Lundqvist’s appearance, his 799th, is enough to share the top mark. When the Swedish keeper makes his next start, which could be as early as Saturday, he will not only reach a benchmark 800th appearance, but will also become the most experienced foreign keeper in NHL history.
  • Another Swede setting records is Vancouver Canucks prospect Elias Pettersson. Pettersson, who was selected fifth overall last year by Vancouver, has been playing in the top Swedish pro league, the SHL, this season. After a four-point outburst today, the Canucks pointed out that Pettersson’s 55 points on the year set a new record for the most points by a player under 20 in SHL history. The Vaxjo Lakers forward snapped a 42-year-old record while also taking over the league scoring lead. That’s not too shabby for a young player who looks to be an absolute stud-in-the-making for the Canucks.
  • Some other young players looking to make an impact in the pros is the 2018 crop of college free agents. While Zach Whitecloud’s deal with Vegas today was the first NHL deal so far, a few other NCAA prospects have already hooked up with AHL teams for contracts and tryout agreements for the remainder of the season and could earn big-league deals if they impress. These transactions include Whitecloud’s Bemidji State teammate Kyle Bauman joining the Ontario Reign (LAK), the San Jose Barracuda (SJS) inking Alaska-Fairbanks’ Zach Frye, Yale’s Ryan Hitchcock going nearby to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (NYI), the Chicago Wolves (VGK) adding Wisconsin’s Ryan Wagner, and both Derian Plouffe of Niagara and Josh Kestner of Alabama-Huntsville signing with the Toronto Marlies (TOR).

Canucks Extend Defenseman Ashton Sautner

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Armed with an extension of his own, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning has security in his future and has shifted his attention beyond 2017-18 to the future of his team. He has already signed defensemen Erik Gudbranson and Alex Biega to extensions in the last month, and now adds another blue liner to his plans moving forward. The Canucks announced this evening that Ashton Sautner has agreed to terms on a new two-year, two-way contract with a cap hit of $675K.

Sautner, 23, was undrafted coming out of the WHL, but after back-to-back impressive campaigns with the Edmonton Oil Kings to cap off his junior career, earned a three-year entry-level deal from Vancouver in 2015. Three years later, Sautner has been a reliable member of the AHL’s Utica Comets. While his offensive totals from his junior days have come down considerably in the pros, his defensive game continues to shine through. Sautner has 11 points through 53 games this season, but more importantly has shown his solid play through a team-leading +12 rating.

A leader in Utica and one of the more experienced players on the Comets’ blue line, Sautner is the next man up for the Canucks. He seems extremely likely to make his NHL debut over the course of these next two years of his extension. In the team release, Benning said of Sautner that “Ashton has developed into a good pro and has shown continual growth over the past three seasons… He has provided stability to the defense and played important minutes in Utica. We’re excited to have him in our organization providing further depth to our blue line.” Those kinds of accolades from the man in charge, especially for a team that has had their fair share of struggles on defense, would seem to indicate that Sautner is in line for a role in Vancouver sooner rather than later.

Canucks Notes: Boeser, Archibald, Tryamkin

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Canucks have had their season turned upside down of late, with Brock Boeser injured for the rest of the year. The star rookie is out for at least four weeks with a small fracture in his lower back, which could cost him more than just the last month of the season.

Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 reports that it is “highly unlikely” Boeser plays in the World Championships this year, though the Vancouver reporter wouldn’t rule it out entirely. Boeser would be one of the top options for the US squad, but might want to just heal completely before getting back on the ice. The tournament starts on May 4th, about eight weeks from the injury.

  • Dhaliwal also updates on the status of Darren Archibald, who is a pending unrestricted free agent. Apparently the Canucks have not approached the gritty forward with extension talks so far, but his strong recent play has put him in a good position for any future negotiations. The 28-year old has never been given much of a chance at the NHL level, but now has five points in 12 games with the Canucks and doesn’t look completely out of place in this league.
  • Lastly, Dhaliwal also spoke with Alexei Volkov, the GM of Nikita Tryamkin’s KHL team. Tryamkin also likely won’t be heading to the World Championships, and definitely isn’t on his way back to Vancouver. Volkov—who obviously must be taken with a grain of salt since it’s in his interest to keep Tryamkin around—told Dhaliwal there is “zero chance” the hulking defender would be returning next season. Tryamkin has two years remaining on his KHL contract, but could negotiate a buyout to return to the NHL if both sides were open to it.

Brock Boeser Diagnosed With Small Fracture, Out Four To Six Weeks

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Though he won’t suit up again for the Vancouver Canucks this season, the news is still relatively positive regarding Brock Boeser. The rookie phenom will make a full recovery in just four to six weeks after suffering a soft tissue injury and small non-displaced fracture in his lower back.

Boeser fell hard into the open bench door after receiving a check from Islanders’ forward Cal Clutterbuck, and immediately clutched his back in pain. He was taken to hospital in an ambulance from the rink, but appears to have avoided serious injury.

The 21-year old winger was having a Calder-worthy season with 55 points in 62 games, but will unfortunately not be able to add to those numbers for the rest of the season. While that may confirm Mathew Barzal as the rookie of the year, Canucks fans will be happy that the injury won’t affect Boeser’s ability to contribute next season.

Poll: Which Club Is Most Likely To Bounce Back?

at CDT | by 9 Comments

The 2017-18 season has not been good to preseason prognosticators. No one saw the Vegas Golden Knights going from expansion to excellence, and few could predict the disappointing seasons in Edmonton, Ottawa and Montreal. Many even had the Oilers as a Western Conference favorite before the season began, thanks in large part (or entirely) to Connor McDavid’s ascent to the top of the league.

Now, as we head into the last few weeks of the regular season, it’s becoming clear who will finish the year at the very bottom. Amazingly, the Colorado Avalanche are not among the worst teams in the league despite having a historically-bad season in 2016-17. That bounce back is exactly what every non-playoff club will attempt next season, hoping that a few tweaks and some natural progression will get them right back into the hunt.

Of those teams already considered out of the running, which one is most likely to make the playoffs next season? Is it Edmonton, thanks once again to McDavid’s skill? Or a team like Vancouver who have their own young talents to build around? Will success ever come to Arizona or Buffalo?

Vote below, and make sure to list your reasons in the comments.

Which team is most likely to bounce back?
Chicago Blackhawks 38.10% (653 votes)
Edmonton Oilers 28.70% (492 votes)
Montreal Canadiens 7.88% (135 votes)
Buffalo Sabres 7.58% (130 votes)
Detroit Red Wings 6.24% (107 votes)
Arizona Coyotes 4.14% (71 votes)
Ottawa Senators 3.91% (67 votes)
Vancouver Canucks 3.44% (59 votes)
Total Votes: 1,714

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Vancouver’s Baertschi Likely Done For Season

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green announced that winger Sven Baertschi has a separated shoulder and is most likely done for the season. The injury occurred in the Canucks game against the Nashville Predators Friday when Baertschi was took a hit from Predators’ defenseman Alexei Emelin early in the game and was forced to leave.

The 25-year-old Baertschi has struggled with injuries this season as he missed almost a month in December when he was hit in the jaw with a puck. He has had a good season when healthy as he has 14 goals and 15 assists in 53 games, which was on pace for a career high. However, he has never played a full season in the NHL as 69 games is his career high, back in 2015-16. He missed almost a month last season when he suffered a concussion.

The injury may also not help him in his negotiations with the Canucks as Baertschi will be a restricted free agent this summer. The team must decide whether Baertschi is part of the team’s future or whether they should move him. He is wrapping up a two-year, $3.7MM deal he signed in 2016.

 

Vaxjo GM Hopes Elias Pettersson Stays In Sweden For Another Season

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Among the most interesting prospect storylines this year has been the play of Elias Pettersson. When Pettersson was selected fifth-overall last summer by the Vancouver Canucks, no one knew just how well he’d transition to the highest level of hockey, given that he’d only played in the Swedish second league to that point. That the Canucks selected him ahead of WHL forward Cody Glass and impressive USHL scorer Casey Mittelstadt showed just how confident they were in his abilities.

Pettersson has not disappointed. After making the jump to the SHL this season, he took off scoring at a league-leading pace until departing the Vaxjo Lakers for the World Junior Championships. After collecting a silver medal for Sweden, he has returned and picked up right where he left off. Now sitting second in league scoring despite the missed time, Pettersson just passed Peter Forsberg for second all-time in points from a junior-aged player in the SHL. His 50 points in 40 games is an incredible testament to his skill at such a young age.

Still, those in Vancouver might have to wait a while to see him up close. Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 spoke with Vaxjo GM Henrik Evertsson today, who told him that he believes Pettersson still needs time to physically mature and hopes he’ll stay in Sweden next season. Evertsson believes that his star rookie will be suiting up for the World Championships this spring, meaning a ATO with the Utica Comets is likely out of the question.

All of that is up to Pettersson though, who has yet to sign an entry-level contract with the Canucks. Standing 6’2″ but only 165-lbs, Evertsson may have a point about his physical maturity. Perhaps another season away from the Canucks will make him even more dangerous when he finally makes his NHL debut.

Jokinen's Inclusion In Vanek Deal Due To 50-Contract Situation In Columbus

at CDT | by 3 Comments

  • The inclusion of winger Jussi Jokinen in the trade that saw Thomas Vanek join Columbus came as a bit of a surprise considering he had cleared waivers mere hours before the swap was announced. Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet notes that the Blue Jackets insisted that the Canucks take him as part of the deal to help free up some wiggle room under the 50-contract limit.  Meanwhile, instead of assigning the 34-year-old to the minors as they are free to do since he went unclaimed, Vancouver has opted to keep him up with the big club although it remains to be seen how much ice time he will actually receive down the stretch.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top