Training Camp Cuts: 10/02/17
Training camp is over for all the clubs around the NHL, and the season begins on Wednesday. By tomorrow evening, all teams must submit their cap-compliant 23-man roster, meaning there will be several cuts today. We’ll keep track of them all right here, as teams try to slip players through waivers or send them back to junior and European clubs.
Anaheim Ducks
F Giovanni Fiore – San Diego (AHL)
F Kalle Kossila – San Diego (AHL)
F Scott Sabourin – San Diego (AHL)
D Jacob Larsson – San Diego (AHL)
Boston Bruins
F Jordan Szwarz – Providence (AHL)
F Tommy Cross – Providence (AHL)
F Jakub Zboril – Providence (AHL)
F Peter Cehlarik – Providence (AHL)
F Danton Heinen – Providence (AHL)
F Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson – Providence (AHL)
F Teddy Purcell – Released from PTO
G Malcolm Subban – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Calgary Flames
D Rasmus Andersson – Stockton (AHL)
G Jon Gillies – Stockton (AHL)
F Luke Gazdic – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Garnet Hathaway – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Carolina Hurricanes
F Lucas Wallmark – Charlotte (AHL)
F Phillip Di Giuseppe – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Chicago Blachawks
F Vinnie Hinostroza – Rockford (AHL)
F Jordin Tootoo – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Tomas Jurco – Waivers for purpose of assignment
G Jean-Francois Berube – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Colorado Avalanche
F Gabriel Bourque – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Dallas Stars
F Remi Elie – Texas (AHL)
F Roope Hintz – Texas (AHL)
F Jason Dickinson – Texas (AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Patrik Nemeth – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Detroit Red Wings
D Libor Sulak – Lahti (Finland)
F Matt Lorito – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Ben Street – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Brian Lashoff – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F David Booth – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Ryan Sproul – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Los Angeles Kings
F Brooks Laich – Released from PTO
Minnesota Wild
F Luke Kunin – Iowa (AHL)
D Ryan Murphy – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Montreal Canadiens
G Charlie Lindgren – Laval (AHL)
F Andreas Martinsen – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Byron Froese – Waivers for purpose of assignment
New Jersey Devils
F Brian Gibbons – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Brian Strait – Waivers for purpose of assignment
New York Islanders
F Devon Toews – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Stephen Gionta – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Steve Bernier – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Philadelphia Flyers
F Matt Read – Waivers for purpose of assignment
San Jose Sharks
F Brandon Bollig – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Brandon Mashinter – Waivers for purpose of assignment
G Troy Grosenick – Waivers for purpose of assignment
St. Louis Blues
F Sammy Blais – San Antonio (AHL)
D Jake Walman – Chicago (AHL)
G Jordan Binnington – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Tampa Bay Lightning
F Cory Conacher – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Toronto Maple Leafs
F Carl Grundstrom – Frolunda (SHL)
F Miro Aaltonen – Toronto (AHL)
F Frederik Gauthier – Toronto (AHL)
F Andreas Johnsson – Toronto (AHL)
F Kasperi Kapanen – Toronto (AHL)
F Tobias Lindberg – Toronto (AHL)
F Trevor Moore – Toronto (AHL)
F Nikita Soshnikov – Toronto (AHL)
F Dmytro Timashov – Toronto (AHL)
F Mason Marchment – Toronto (AHL)
D Travis Dermott – Toronto (AHL)
D Justin Holl – Toronto (AHL)
D Andrew Nielsen – Toronto (AHL)
D Michael Paliotta – Toronto (AHL)
D Rinat Valiev – Toronto (AHL)
G Kasimir Kaskisuo – Toronto (AHL)
F Colin Greening – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Chris Mueller – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Kerby Rychel – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Ben Smith – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
D Vincent LoVerde – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
G Garret Sparks – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
Vancouver Canucks
D Andrey Pedan – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Vegas Golden Knights
F Teemu Pulkkinen – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Washington Capitals
F Anthony Peluso – Waivers for purpose of assignment
Winnipeg Jets
F Jack Roslovic – Manitoba (AHL)
F Brendan Lemieux – Manitoba (AHL)
F Michael Spacek – Manitoba (AHL)
F J.C. Lipon – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
Vegas Has Tough Decision To Make On Hunt
- As if the Vegas Golden Knights didn’t already have too many defensemen to worry about, they have another problem, as 29-year-old minor league veteran Brad Hunt has played impressively well and there is growing fear the team could lose him if they put him on waivers, according to David Schoen of The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Few believed that Hunt would make the Golden Knights’ roster, but he leads the team in points (one goal, five assists) and may force Vegas to make another critical decision. Hunt has played 33 NHL games for three different franchises (not including Vegas).
Pacific Notes: Virtanen, Neal, Slepyshev, Sekera
One preseason game remaining and Jake Virtanen remains with his team. The former sixth overall pick in 2014, has failed to crack the Canucks roster, but a solid training camp has many believing he has a good chance to become a regular in Vancouver this year, according to NBC Sports Cam Tucker.
After getting into 55 games two years ago with Vancouver in an underwhelming season, he managed to make just 10 appearances last year and even struggled with the AHL’s Utica Comets, scoring just 19 points in 65 games. However, his skills are obvious. Canucks GM Jim Benning has stated that his size and speed just need developing. At 6-foot-1 and 229 pounds and only 21 years old, Virtanen is trying to establish himself now, but is also trying not to think about whether he makes the roster this season. He has focused on his play instead and has already notched three preseason goals.
“I’m not going to worry about that,” Virtanen said of the team’s upcoming roster decisions. “I love when I can get in games. Whatever opportunity you can get, you want to make the most of it.”
- Vegas Golden Knights’ forward James Neal, who has been out with an injured hand, is reportedly practicing today without a red jersey, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. That suggests the top scorer might be ready for the regular season next week. The 32-year-old wing, one of the team’s top players, put up 23 goals last year and is considered to be a key trade chip at the trade deadline later this season.
- The Edmonton Oilers tweeted that forward Anton Slepyshev is expected to make his preseason debut tonight in Vancouver. “We’ve got to get him up and running,” said coach Todd McLellan. Slepyshev has missed all of training camp with an ankle injury. The 23-year-old wing scored four goals in 41 games for Edmonton last year.
- The Athletic’s Sunil Agnihotri (subscription required) writes that Edmonton’s choice to not bring in a veteran defenseman to help the team out while Andrej Sekera is out until January with a torn ACL is a big mistake. The scribe details how relying on internal options to replace him such as Darnell Nurse, Matt Benning or Yohann Auvitu is unreliable as the team hopes one of them makes a jump in their development. One example in his breakdown is Sekera’s success on the power play, which the young candidates have a combined 78 minutes of experience playing there.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Nicolas Hague To ELC
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed Nicolas Hague to a three-year entry-level contract. The second-round draft pick from this summer is already back with the Mississauga Steelheads of the OHL, where he will continue to serve as alternate captain. The Steelheads project to be one of the better teams in the OHL this season, with Hague providing a solid two-way leader on the back end.
The 18-year old Hague was expected to be drafted in the first-round this year, before slipping just slightly to 34th overall. That drop allowed the Golden Knights to add him to what was already shaping up as an excellent draft group, joining Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom from the first round. That quartet will form the backbone of the Golden Knights’ prospect ranks for the time being, especially if they continue to develop at the rate they showed last year.
Hague came into last year with some mobility issues, but worked hard to put them behind him and start to unlock the offensive potential he’d shown as a youngster. Playing a pretty determined two-way game, he registered 46 points in 65 games and showed off what should be an NHL-capable shot from the point. While there is still a lot of development to go, Hague is an intelligent, instinctive defender that could easily have a top-4 future.
Because of his age and the fact he’ll spend the year in junior, the first year of his contract will not be burned this year. Depending on how his game progresses he’ll likely head back to Mississauga again in 2018-19, but there is huge potential buried in his 6’6″ frame.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Dylan Ferguson To ELC
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed goaltender Dylan Ferguson to a three-year entry-level contract after starring for them in training camp. The 19-year old was selected in the seventh round by the Dallas Stars this summer, but immediately flipped to the Golden Knights as part of the Marc Methot trade.
Ferguson is already back in Kamloops for this season, where he was part of one of the best tandems in the league last year. Splitting time with Connor Ingram (a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect), Ferguson recorded a .922 save percentage in 31 games. While Ingram got most of the headlines as a third-round pick and starter for the Canadian World Junior team, Ferguson slowly developed into a legitimate goaltending prospect.
He’s still a long way from the NHL, but Ferguson will be given the reins in Kamloops—Ingram, 20, has moved on to the Syracuse Crunch—this season to try and show what he can do. It’s unlikely that he’ll get a chance to represent Canada at the World Juniors without something catastrophic happening to the other candidates, so instead he’ll just focus on trying to make the WHL playoffs.
James Neal Returns To Practice
- Golden Knights winger James Neal skated with the team for the first time on Tuesday as he continues to recover from surgery on his hand, notes Steve Carp and David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Head coach Gerard Gallant acknowledged that there is no firm timeframe for when the 30-year-old will get the green light to get into a game. As Neal heads into the final year of his contract and Vegas expected to struggle in their first season, he will likely be one of the more sought after rental players on the trade market.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/26/17
There were some impressive performances last night in the hockey world, as Auston Matthews scored a preseason hat trick while the New Jersey Devils split squad dropped eight on the Ottawa Senators. Late last night the Vegas Golden Knights released some more cuts, which is what we’ll start with here. Make sure you keep refreshing throughout the day to find out the latest names sent packing.
Arizona Coyotes
F Ryan MacInnis – Tucson (AHL)
F Nick Merkley – Tucson (AHL)
D Kyle Wood – Tucson (AHL)
D Kevin Ekman-Larsson – Tucson (AHL)
D Andrew Campbell – Tucson (AHL)*
Boston Bruins
F Ryan Fitzgerald – Providence (AHL)
D Jeremy Lauzon – Providence (AHL)
Calgary Flames
F Brett Pollock – Stockton (AHL)
F Morgan Klimchuk – Stockton (AHL)
F Ryan Lomberg – Stockton (AHL)
F Spencer Foo – Stockton (AHL)
G David Rittich – Stockton (AHL)
F Dillon Dube – Kelowna (WHL)
D Juuso Valimaki – Tri-City (WHL)
F Emile Poirier – Stockton (AHL)*
D Hunter Shinkaruk – Stockton (AHL)*
D Tyler Wotherspoon – Stockton (AHL)*
Colorado Avalanche
F Reid Petryk – San Antonio (AHL)
F Dominic Toninato – San Antonio (AHL)
D Conor Timmins – Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets
F Paul Bittner – Cleveland (AHL)
F Jordan Maletta – Cleveland (AHL)
D Ryan Collins – Cleveland (AHL)
D Jacob Graves – Cleveland (AHL)
D Blake Siebenaler – Cleveland (AHL)
D Doyle Somberby – Cleveland (AHL)
G Matiss Kivlenieks – Cleveland (AHL)
F Alex Broadhurst – Cleveland (AHL)*
D Andre Benoit – Cleveland (AHL)*
D Cameron Gaunce – Cleveland (AHL)*
F Carter Camper – Released from tryout
F Brett Gallant – Released from tryout
F Miles Koules – Released from tryout
F Bobby MacIntyre – Released from tryout
D Scott Savage – Released from tryout
G Ivan Kulbakov – Released from tryout
G Brad Thiessen – Released from tryout
Snapshots: Duchene, Athanasiou, Vegas, Belmont Park
Matt Duchene has been suiting up in the preseason for the Colorado Avalanche despite continuing trade speculation, and Adrian Dater of BSN Denver has now been told it’s very likely the unhappy forward will begin the year with the team. That does seem like the only option at this point, as a team has still yet to step forward and meet GM Joe Sakic‘s asking price.
Some of the hesitation to pony up for Duchene comes from his disappointing season a year ago, when he scored just 18 goals and 41 points. Those numbers were both career-lows in full seasons, and there has been some debate over whether Duchene can handle top center duties any longer. From all accounts, the 26-year old has looked great in training camp so far as he tries to prove that he can still help turn the tide for any organization.
- Unsigned restricted free agent Andreas Athanasiou hasn’t spoken to the Detroit Red Wings in almost ten days according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. St. James says that since a face-to-face meeting on September 16th, there has been “nothing but silence.” It’s starting to look like Athanasiou will not start the season with the Red Wings, despite multiple offers extended from the team. Holdouts rarely end in big raises for players involved in them, and it’s not clear exactly why the two sides are so far apart.
- Jason Pothier of SinBin examined the history of George McPhee when he was the GM of the Washington Capitals, and shows that if he’s operating similarly a trade may be coming in the next few days. McPhee has completed eight trades in the last week before the season in the past, and since there still seems to be too many NHL-level defensemen in town, it could happen once again.
- As expected, there will be at least one other bid for the Belmont Park location is a potential spot for a new New York Islanders’ arena and it will indeed be New York City FC. Jim Baumbach of Newsday reports that the soccer franchise will submit a bid, but it’s actually not the team’s preferred location. We’ve heard before that it could take months to be given a decision, but proposals must be officially submitted by Thursday afternoon.
Montreal Places Zach Redmond On Waivers
The Montreal Canadiens came into camp with quite a few players battling for spots on the blue line after adding Karl Alzner, David Schlemko, and Mark Streit this summer as well as Jordie Benn and Brandon Davidson late last season. With mainstays Shea Weber and Jeff Petry having spots locked in as well, the influx of talent was always going to push someone out. The process of picking their final seven is not yet over, but they have taken the first step, announcing the placement of Zach Redmond on waivers today for the purposes of reassigning him to their new AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
Redmond, 29, is the first notable player to hit the waiver wire this fall. With 130 NHL games under his belt, including a 59-game, 20-point effort as a top-four regular with the Colorado Avalanche in 2014-15, Redmond has proved himself to be a reliable AHL depth option over the past five seasons. Last season in Montreal, Redmond recorded five assists over 16 games and added another 18 points in 26 AHL games. Redmond largely played the seventh-man role in Montreal, spending the majority of the season with the Canadiens, but watching from the press box. However, his early release from camp likely means that isn’t the plan for 2017-18. If Redmond clear waivers, he could spend much of the season in Laval until injury or poor play strikes the Habs’ defensive corps. If Redmond doesn’t clear waivers (not an overwhelming likelihood but a definite possibility), it will be due to his ability to step in and play competent defense as that valuable dependable extra man.
Redmond is far from alone on waivers today; joining him are several Ottawa Senators – Patrick Sieloff, Erik Burgdoerfer, Chris DiDomenico, Daniel Taylor, and Ben Sexton, several Philadelphia Flyers – Corban Knight, Greg Carey, Phil Varone, Will O’Neill, T.J. Brennan, and Mark Alt, as well as Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Chris Casto, Minnesota Wild rearguard Zach Palmquist, New York Rangers forward Adam Chapie, and Chicago Blackhawks Jeff Glass and Kyle Baun.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/22/17
The cuts keep coming from training camps around the league as the season draws near, with less than two weeks from opening night. Teams are starting to whittle down the players they’ll take in the regular season. Like every day, we’ll keep track of all the cuts right here:
Anaheim Ducks
F Antoine Morand – Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
Colorado Avalanche
F Travis Barron – Ottawa (OHL)
F J.C. Beaudin – San Antonio (AHL)
F Julien Nantel – San Antonio (AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets
F Hayden Hodgson – released from PTO
Dallas Stars
F Nick Caamano – Flint (OHL)
Los Angeles Kings
F Shane Walsh – released from PTO
F Evan Weinger – released from PTO
D Clayton Kirichenko – released from PTO
Minnesota Wild
D Gustav Bouramman – Iowa (AHL)
D Dylan Labbe – Iowa (AHL)
D Hunter Warner – Iowa (AHL)
F Adam Gilmour – Iowa (AHL)
F Pavel Jenys – Iowa (AHL)
F Chase Lang – Iowa (AHL)
F Mario Lucia – Iowa (AHL)
F Gerald Mayhew – Iowa (AHL)
F Dante Salituro – Iowa (AHL)
G Adam Vay – Iowa (AHL)
Montreal Canadiens
F Niki Petti – Laval (AHL)
F Yannick Veilleux – Laval (AHL)
F Thomas Ebbing – Laval (AHL)
F Antoine Waked – Laval (AHL)
D Stefan Leblanc – Laval (AHL)
D Simon Bourque – Laval (AHL)
D Tom Parisi – Laval (AHL)
F Markus Eisenschmid – Laval (AHL)
G Michael McNiven – Laval (AHL)
New York Islanders
F Kieffer Bellows – Portland (WHL)
F Arnaud Durandeau – Halifax (QMJHL)
D David Quenneville – Medicine Hat (WHL)
New York Rangers
D Sean Day – Hartford (AHL)
D Sergey Zborovskiy – Hartford (AHL)
F Dawson Leedahl – Hartford (AHL)
Vancouver Canucks
F Carter Bancks – Utica (AHL)
F Wacey Hamilton – Utica (AHL)
D Jaime Sifers– Utica (AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights
D Dylan Coghlan – Tri-City (WHL)
F Bryce Gervais – Chicago (AHL)
F Cody Glass – Portland (WHL)
D Nicolas Hague – Mississauga (OHL)
F Stephen MacAulay – Chicago (AHL)
D Kenney Morrison – Chicago (AHL)
D Dmitry Osipov – Chicago (AHL)
F Nick Suzuki – Owen Sound (OHL)
Winnipeg Jets
F Patrice Cormier – Manitoba (AHL)
F Francis Beauvillier – Manitoba (AHL)
F Brody Sutter – Manitoba (AHL)
D Kirill Gotovets – Manitoba (AHL)
D Peter Stoykewych – Manitoba (AHL)
G Eric Comrie – Manitoba (AHL)