- Thomas Drance of The Athletic highlights (subscription link) an interesting factor for Vancouver’s decision-making between the pipes down the stretch. The Canucks will need a lot of help to make the playoffs but they have two back-to-back sets left and Thatcher Demko struggled the last time he played in a back-to-back. Jaroslav Halak has been better as of late but only needs to improve his save percentage by six points (from .899 to .905) to trigger a $250K performance bonus which, by virtue of Vancouver being in LTIR all season, will count against the cap in 2022-23. Demko could use the rest but it could come at a cost for next season.
Canucks Rumors
Canucks Notes: Boudreau, Horvat, Karlsson
Bruce Boudreau’s future in Vancouver has been a frequent talking point in recent weeks with the Canucks holding a team option on his contract for next season and a different management group in place since the bench boss was hired. However, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports in the latest Insider Trading segment that there’s a strong chance the 67-year-old will be retained. He certainly has earned another opportunity with the team posting a 29-13-8 record since he took over to at least have an outside shot at making the playoffs. However, a final decision won’t come until after the season the team does a full organizational review so it will be a few more weeks at least before anything is made official on that front.
More from Vancouver:
- While center Bo Horvat left Thursday’s victory against Arizona after taking a shot off his leg, Boudreau told reporters including Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston that the decision to keep him out of the game was precautionary with Vancouver holding a lead at the time. However, Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre adds (Twitter link) that the captain isn’t expected to play in their next game on Monday and is listed as out day-to-day.
- Canucks prospect forward Linus Karlsson will be joining the Swedish National Team in preparation for the upcoming World Championships, notes Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic (Twitter link). The 2018 third-rounder impressed in his first SHL season, tallying 26 goals and 20 assists in 52 games. He has to sign his entry-level deal by June 1st or Vancouver will lose his rights. Worth noting is that Karlsson is already under contract with Skelleftea for next season but that wouldn’t prevent him from signing an NHL contract.
Vancouver Canucks Extend Spencer Martin
April 8: Martin has indeed signed a one-way contract, and a two-year deal at that. The team announced the contract today, with general manager Patrik Allvin releasing the following statement:
We’re pleased with the success Spencer has had this season, not only in the American Hockey League but also during his stint with Vancouver earlier this year. He has been very reliable for Abbotsford, contributing greatly to their Calder Cup Playoff berth earlier this month, and has shown an ability to perform in high-pressure situations.
Dhaliwal reports that the deal will carry the league minimum of $750K in 2022-23 and $775K in 2023-24.
April 7: For three games in January, the Vancouver Canucks were forced to rely on minor league journeyman Spencer Martin in net. All he did in those games was stop 113 of 118 shots, including a 47-save performance to secure a point in overtime against the Edmonton Oilers. Now, he may end up with his reward. Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV reports that the Canucks are discussing a new contract with Martin, who could become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and that the expectation is it would be a one-way deal.
Martin, 26, was a third-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2013, but has bounced around the minor leagues without a lot of extended success. He’s played for the Fort Wayne Komets, San Antonio Rampage, Colorado Eagles, Orlando Solar Bears, and Syracuse Crunch before reaching the Canucks, only ever entering three NHL games back in 2016-17.
Last year, he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning and then was traded just a few months later for nothing more than future considerations. That move has proved a savvy one for the Canucks, who not only received those three NHL performances, but also a goaltender that has put up a 17-4-2 record in the minor leagues with Abbotsford.
The Canucks, meanwhile, have received inconsistent backup play from Jaroslav Halak, who is also a pending unrestricted free agent and will turn 37 next month. A potential extension for Martin could put him in line to be the regular NHL backup next season, or at very worst a strong third-string option. If he does earn a one-way contract, it will be for the first time in his career.
AHL Shuffle: 04/07/22
While the majority of attention in the hockey world is on the four schools taking part in tonight’s 2022 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four, there’s still a lot of NHL action on this Thursday. And, while transactions between teams and their minor league affiliates generally calm down as roster limits go away after the Trade Deadline, teams are still looking to tinker with their rosters and give young players a chance during the home stretch. Keep up with today’s list of AHL transactions:
Atlantic Division
- Per the team, the Detroit Red Wings reassigned forward Kyle Criscuolo to the Grand Rapids Griffins today. Criscuolo has played two NHL games this month with Detroit, his first two since a pair of games in mid-December. The 29-year-old AHL veteran has two assists in his four games with the big club this year, but he returns to Grand Rapids now, where the alternate captain is sixth on the team with 32 points in 49 games.
- Forward Cole Reinhardt will make his NHL debut for the Ottawa Senators tonight against the Nashville Predators, as the team recalled him today upon learning Tim Stützle would be unavailable with a lower-body injury. Reinhardt, a sixth-round pick in 2020 (two years after he was eligible), is in his second professional season. With the Belleville Senators this season, he has 11 goals, 15 assists, 26 points, and 56 penalty minutes in 60 games.
Metropolitan Division
Central Division
- The Winnipeg Jets have swapped defenseman, calling up Dylan Samberg on an emergency basis while returning Ville Heinola to the Manitoba Moose, as the team tweeted today. Samberg has the chance to get into his first NHL game since January, where a weeks-long call-up saw him get his first two NHL assists in six games. Heinola is somewhat mysteriously sent down after registering three points in his last four games.
Pacific Division
- The Vancouver Canucks announced that they have recalled forward Sheldon Dries from Abbotsford of the AHL under emergency conditions ahead of tonight’s game at the Arizona Coyotes. In a related move, the Canucks have reassigned defenseman Jack Rathbone to Abbotsford. This season, Dries has played in just two games for the Canucks, but has had a stellar season for Abbotsford, recording 35 goals and 27 assists in 54 games. Rathbone has played in nine NHL games this season for Vancouver, but has not played since November 11th.
This page will be updated throughout the day
NCAA Notes: Marlies, UMass, Transfers, Smilanic
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made their first foray into the college hockey free agent market this year with a pair of AHL signings. The Toronto Marlies have announced that defenseman Michael Joyaux and forward Nolan Walker have been signed to AHL contracts for the 2022-23 season, as well as tryout deals for the remainder of this season. Joyaux, 25, may be an older prospect but is nevertheless coming off of his best collegiate season at Western Michigan with 32 points in 35 games, almost more than his first three years of scoring combined. As the Broncos marched to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Joyaux was one of the leaders with the second-most assists on the team, behind only standout free agent Drew Worrard and ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers’ Ronnie Attard. Defense is not Joyaux’s greatest strength, but the Leafs have been willing to take a shot on puck-moving college defensemen in recent years. Walker, 23, leaves St. Cloud State after four productive seasons, totaling 87 points in 135 games. Though Walker never topped his freshman season, when he made the NCHC All-Rookie Team with 27 points, the play-making forward has continued to develop his all-around game with the Huskies and appears ready for the next level.
- Two members of the 2021 National Champion Massachusetts Minutemen are ready to begin their pro careers on amateur tryouts. Forward Oliver Chau, who actually joined Quinnipiac this season as a graduate transfer, has signed with the Tuscon Roadrunners, his college team announced. While Chau was critical to UMass’ run to a title last year, he had his best season to date with the Bobcats this year, finishing third on the talented team in scoring with 33 points in 42 games. Next up for the undersized forward is the challenge of translating his game to the pros. Goaltender Matt Murray is also on the move. After a full five years at UMass during which he recorded an excellent .629 winning percentage, .916 save percentage, 2.23 GAA, and 11 shutouts in 121 games, Murray is off to Texas. The AHL Stars announced that they have inked the experienced netminder to an ATO. While Murray had previously been linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins after attending development camps with the team, Murray opted not to land behind Filip Lindberg on the depth chart once again and should have more opportunity with Texas, where a contract offer seems likely.
- The NCAA Transfer Portal is buzzing these days with numerous daily additions from the top ranks of college hockey. A few notable names have already found new homes for next season, including Chayse Primeau and Matthew Thiessen (VAN). Keith’s kid and Cayden’s brother, Primeau has been a big name and big scoring presence for Omaha the past four years. While he may have been able to draw an AHL contract this year, Primeau will instead take his talents to Notre Dame with his sights set on a breakout season and NHL contract instead. Omaha beat writer Jordan McAlpine reports that Primeau’s decision is made and he is bounf for South Bend. A consistent, hard-working forward with size and skill, Primeau has the pieces to be a difference maker for the Fighting Irish and perhaps in the pros down the road. Thiessen, a Canucks pick, hypothetically has an NHL contract waiting for him, but has failed to show much for a poor Maine team over the past three years. Statistically, Thiessen has not looked like a pro prospect thus far in his collegiate career and shouldn’t have drawn much attention on the portal. However, a thin goalie transfer market has created far more demand than supply and Thiessen’s draft pedigree has earned him a new home with a power house rather than a non-contender. The 21-year-old keeper is headed for Minnesota-Duluth, per his own announcement, and will have a good shot to be the starter with Ryan Fanti (EDM) turning pro, one 2021-22 backup graduating and the other having struggled this season. Perhaps a bounce back and renewed pro ambitions await for the Vancouver prospect.
- The biggest transfer portal shock of the off-season arrived on Tuesday when Quinnipiac star Ty Smilanic (MTL) entered. Smilanic, 20, was a third-round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2020 (though many considered him a first- or second-round talent) and was just recently a key piece of the Ben Chiarot deadline deal. Through two seasons at Quinnipiac, he has recorded 27 goals and 44 points in 70 games, finishing among the top scorers for a National Championship contender both years. It seemed like 2022-23 could have been a breakout campaign for Smilanic at QU too; playing behind several veteran players over the past two years who will all be gone next season, Smilanic would have had the opportunity to take over. Instead, he will look elsewhere – and will receive considerable attention – for what could be just one final NCAA season.
Nils Hoglander, Tucker Poolman Could Be Out For Season
Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau spoke to reporters today, saying that he believes forward Nils Hoglander and defenseman Tucker Poolman could be done for the 2021-22 season with respective injuries.
Hoglander, 21, last played on March 15th against the New Jersey Devils. He was listed as day-to-day with a groin injury two days later, and his status was downgraded to week-to-week on March 30th. Poolman, a first-year Canuck, returned to the Canucks lineup on April 3rd after missing over two months but played just 4:25 in that game. He’s out with an upper-body injury.
While the Canucks, who now sit eight points out of the second Wild Card spot, had very little hope of making the playoffs, these compounding injuries worsen their scenario. While Hoglander has been in and out of the lineup, occasionally scratched, he still has more points this season than any current member of Vancouver’s bottom-six (10 goals, 18 points in 60 games). Not having him as an option for some depth goal-scoring takes away from a position of need.
Poolman, while many initially balked at his $2.5MM cap hit (and rightfully so), had put together by far the best defensive performance of his career so far prior to going down with an injury. He did have just three points in 40 games, but Poolman has never carried much of any offensive upside.
Canucks Activate Tucker Poolman, Jason Dickinson Off Injured Reserve
As the Vancouver Canucks attempt to chase down a Western Conference wild card spot, they are set to add two formerly injured players back into the fold. The team has announced that defenseman Tucker Poolman and forward Jason Dickinson have been activated off of injured reserve. Dickinson has been out since February 24th when he suffered a lower-body injury, and Poolman has been out since January 27th due to issues with headaches and migraines.
These two players have now been out for a not-insignificant amount of time just as the Canucks entered a crucial part of their season. They both are new arrivals to Vancouver, having each come aboard this past offseason. Dickinson was acquired from the Dallas Stars for a 2021 third-round pick, and Poolman was signed from the Winnipeg Jets as an unrestricted free agent to a contract costing $2.5MM against the cap each season through 2024-2025.
Before their injuries, each player was going through an underwhelming first season in Vancouver. Dickinson, 26, has only three goals and six points in his 49 games this year, which is 10 point pace, a significant decline from his usual form of around 20 points per season. Dickinson’s ice time has also declined from over 16 minutes per game last season to only 13:01 per game in Vancouver. Poolman, 28, is not known for his offense from the back end, and he has three points in 39 games this year. Poolman averaged just over 17 minutes per game before his injury and could help give coach Bruce Boudreau options on the team’s bottom pairing.
Both players are likely headed back into the lineup with significant motivations to salvage something positive from this season. The Canucks’ playoff odds are getting longer with each passing game, but they still have a chance. The impact of strong performances from any player is magnified in these circumstances, so as fresh arrivals off of injured reserve Dickinson and Poolman each have the opportunity to re-write the narratives surrounding their tenures in Vancouver, to improve their standing with fans who have been thus far left wanting more.
Boudreau's Future Uncertain
After an impressive run with the Vancouver Canucks since taking over as Head Coach on December 5th, Bruce Boudreau’s future with the Vancouver Canucks is still uncertain. As discussed earlier in the week, Canucks’ GM Patrik Allvin would not commit to keeping Boudreau behind the bench after this season, looking to further evaluate. On the 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night in Canada yesterday evening, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shined some light on what he believes the contract situation looks like and what could happen with Boudreau this summer.
Friedman believes Boudreau’s contract contains multiple options, one for the club and one for him. If Vancouver chose not to exercise Boudreau’s option, Friedman believes the Canucks would have to buyout Boudreau in some form. In addition, Boudreau may have an option not to stay, even if Vancouver chooses to keep him, but in that scenario, he would not be compensated. Debating whether or not to keep Boudreau may seem surprising, after the veteran coach has lead the team to a 24-13-7 record since taking over, however it is worth considering that Boudreau was not Allvin’s pick for head coach, as he was hired nearly two months after Boudreau. If the organization wishes to have Allvin’s vision be the future of the franchise, they may have to trust his preference for a head coach.
Update on Bruce Boudreau
Despite the resurgence of the team since his hiring, it does not look as though Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau is a lock to return for a second season. In a media appearance on Sportsnet 650 radio after the trade deadline, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin was asked about Boudreau’s future, and he gave a relatively non-committal answer, mentioning how the team will “look at” Boudreau’s contract situation after the season. It is believed that Boudreau is on a one-year contract with a team option for next season, meaning Vancouver does have the option to move on if they so choose. Given the recovery of the team’s form since Boudreau replaced Travis Green, it should raise some eyebrows that the Canucks’ brass has not been more definitive in their backing of their head coach.
The Canucks are 24-13-7 under Boudreau, a vast improvement from the team’s 8-15-2 record this season under Green. While the team is unlikely to make the playoffs at this point, Boudreau has breathed new life into their season and allowed the team to recover optimism about its long-term future. The performances of many key players such as Elias Pettersson have improved under Boudreau, and it looks as though with their current form the Canucks could indeed compete for a playoff spot next season. But based on Allvin’s comments and the overall sentiment (outside the fanbase) towards Boudreau’s future in Vancouver, it seems there is a chance that it could be another coach who is guiding the Canucks next season.
Matthew Highmore Out Week-To-Week
- Matthew Highmore’s upper-body injury will keep him out of Vancouver’s lineup on a week-to-week basis, relays Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650 (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has 10 points in 39 games this season. The Canucks recalled William Lockwood on an emergency basis last week to take Highmore’s spot but if they wanted to bring another player up for extra depth, they’d have to use one of their four post-deadline regular recalls.