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Snapshots: Gregory, Johansen, Canada-Russia

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Legendary NHL executive Jim Gregory passed away today at the age of 83. The former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager joined the league offices in 1979, coming to shape both the Central Scouting Service and the overall hockey operations department. Not only was he instrumental in building the NHL into what it is today, but Gregory was revered by almost everyone who knew him as one of the most gentlemanly people associated with the sport, and in general.

A beloved figure in the hockey community, Gregory was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. Everyone at PHR gives their best to his wife and family.

  • The Washington Capitals don’t have much opportunity for young players thanks to a cap situation that limits movement, and Lucas Johansen knows it. The 2016 first-round pick is stuck in a rotation in the AHL and spoke to J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington, explaining that he hopes to find a way to the NHL with the Capitals but knows that chance may come somewhere else. The 21-year old will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season and to this point hasn’t had a sniff of NHL action.
  • The Canada-Russia series begins next week, and each of the three CHL leagues have named their captains for the short showcase. Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Aidan Dudas will lead Team OHL, New Jersey Devils prospect Ty Smith dons the “C” for Team WHL, and top 2020 draft prospect Alexis Lafreniere captains the QMJHL contingent. Dudas may not have the sort of name recognition of the other two after falling to the fourth round of the 2018 draft, but the Owen Sound Attack forward is off to a great start and has routinely represented Canada through his junior career.

Snapshots: Capitals, World Juniors, CBA Talks

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Two of the biggest names among impending unrestricted free agents belong to the Washington Capitals. Long-time cornerstone Caps and Stanley Cup winners Nicklas Backstrom and Braden Holtby will both see their current contracts expire this summer, barring an extension before then. Yet, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that there has been little in the way of contract talks between Washington and either Backstrom or Holtby. LeBrun states that the team has decided to be patient with the decisions, letting the season play out as a way to better gauge their needs moving forward. He adds that the team is on the same page with both camps in this regard as well. It could be that the team waits through the whole season before making a call on Backstrom and Holtby, taking both individual and team performances into account. Thus far, Holtby, 30, has struggled in net – for the second year in a row at that – posting an .884 save percentage and 3.60 GAA in eight games for the Capitals, losing three starts to 22-year-old Ilya Samsonov. Continued poor performance, especially in light of Samsonov’s strong play, could convince Washington GM Brian MacLellan that he does not need to pay the premium price required to retain the 30-year-old Holtby. Meanwhile, Backstrom is still playing at the same elite level, recording nine points in eleven games so far and leading all Capitals forwards in even strength ice time. The 32-year-old has been the epitome of consistency throughout his whole career, recording 882 points in 906 career games while skating in less than 90% of Washington’s games in a given season just once. It’s hard to say that Backstrom has ever had a bad season and it may be difficult for MacLellan and company to say goodbye to a player who has never given any indication that his days and an impact player are anywhere close to being over, unless they determine that the Capitals days as true contenders are over and the team is in need of transition. The salary cap will of course play a major role in these decisions as well. Washington has $63.5MM tied up in just 14 players next season, and likely lack the space needed to re-sign both Holtby and Backstrom while filling out the rest of the roster. Which way they go, re-signing on or the other or perhaps neither, will be a tough call and the Capitals are smart to use all of the information available, including this season’s results, to make that decision.

  • TSN colleague Bob McKenzie also notes today that Hockey Canada is in the beginning stages of forming their official roster for the 2020 World Junior Championships later this winter and are hoping that they can count on the three players currently in the NHL who also qualify for inclusion on the U-20 roster: the Coyotes’ Barrett Hayton, the Blackhawks’ Kirby Dach, and the Islanders’ Noah Dobson. The pair of centers and dynamic defensemen are each of their respective team’s top prospects, but their usage so far this season has been minimal. All three of Hayton, Dach, and Dobson have played in just two NHL games so far this year and are still eight games away from burning a year on their entry-level contracts. However, for Hayton and Dobson, McKenzie does not believe that the ten-game limit is a concern, as he doesn’t feel Arizona nor New York plan on sending their promising prospect back to the junior level. That doesn’t mean that they can’t still be loaned to Team Canada for the WJC though; it is not an uncommon practice for young pros in need of experience playing at different levels of competition instead of solely in the NHL to briefly leave their clubs for the international exhibition. With that said, both the ‘Yotes and the Isles hope to be playoff teams and may be unwilling to give up top young players mid-season, especially if they have become regular contributors. As for Dach, it is still unclear what Chicago’s intentions are this season. The youngest of the group, the No. 3 overall pick in June, Dach has spent some time in the AHL this season and has seen limited ice time in his two games with the Blackhawks. The team could still decide he would be better off with another year in the WHL, although McKenzie believes they are not yet ready to make that decision. Either way, Dach stands the best chance of participating in the WJC, given his current role in Chicago and the expectations of the team this season.
  • LeBrun also reports that, while there haven’t been any in-person meetings this month, collective bargaining continues between the NHL and NHLPA. Back in September, both the league and the players’ association declined to use their opt-out clause in the CBA, which would have prematurely ended the current agreement after this season. The decisions extended the CBA through the 2021-22 season, giving the parties plenty of time to work through their issues. However, both sides felt comfortable in declining their opt-outs as a result of positive ongoing talks and all stakeholders of hockey wanted to see that progress continue. LeBrun writes that those talks have not stalled, but are simply now ongoing in a more behind-the-scenes fashion. The hope is that the NHL and NHLPA can sort out a new collective bargaining agreement long before the September 2022 expiration date of the current deal and put to rest any thoughts of another work stoppage. Continued talks are a good sign that labor peace will come easier this time than in years past.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Spooner, Okulov

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, and Boston Bruins fans will be happy to know that David Pastrnak’s performance was not overlooked. The young forward took home the top spot after scoring seven goals in three games including a four-goal performance against the Anaheim Ducks. Pastrnak is now tied with James Neal for the league lead in goals with nine.

Not to be forgotten however are John Carlson and Carter Hutton that took home second and third respectively. Carlson continues to lead the NHL in scoring with 18 points (including eight last week) and has been an absolute force for the Washington Capitals early. Hutton meanwhile stopped all 72 shots he faces last week including 47 in a single game to shutout the Los Angeles Kings. If the Buffalo Sabres netminder can continue to provide this kind of performance, the team may well have a chance to fight for that divisional playoff spot that they’ve coveted for so long.

  • Ryan Spooner has changed teams again, but that doesn’t mean he’s coming back to North America. The former NHL forward will join Dynamo Minsk in the KHL for the rest of the season, leaving HC Lugano of the Swiss NLA. Spooner is still just 27, but spent time with three different NHL organizations last season and can’t seem to find a home anywhere.
  • Following up on the recent report linking the Toronto Maple Leafs to Konstantin Okulov, Igor Eronko of Sport-Express confirms that the Russian forward has indeed spoken to Mike Babcock already. Okulov has 13 points through his first 17 games in the KHL this season and is a potential target for teams looking to add international talent next summer.

Minor Transactions: 10/19/19

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Some of the NHL’s best teams early on were at it last night. The Avalanche maintained their unblemished loss column with a comeback win over the Panthers in overtime; the Penguins added their sixth win by handing the Stars their fourth straight regulation loss; the Oilers moved to 7-1 with a win over the Red Wings, and the six-win Ducks edged out the six-win Hurricanes. It’s a busy slate on Saturday with 22 teams taking the ice, including several more top contests, such as Colorado-Tampa Bay, Vegas-Pittsburgh, and of course Boston-Toronto. With so much action and many teams looking to keep their strong starts going, follow along with what could be a flurry of activity today:

  • After sending him to the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs to get his first taste of pro competition, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that they have recalled No. 3 overall pick Kirby Dach from his conditioning stint. Dach failed to record a point in three games with Rockford and it will be interesting to see where the Blackhawks go from here. The team can still give Dach nine games of NHL experience before burning the first year of his entry-level contract, so there is plenty of time before the team is forced into a tough decision. However, the early results of Dach’s pro career would seem to indicate that he is likely headed back to the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades this season.
  • The San Jose Sharks have shuffled their depth. After sending rookie forward Danil Yurtaykin back to the AHL Barracuda yesterday, CapFriendly reports that fellow rookie forward Lean Bergmann will follow him to the minors. In a combined ten games, Yurtaykin and Bergmann have recorded one lone point this season and the Sharks can’t afford that inefficient production in the midst of a poor start to the season. Noah Gregor has earned his first NHL recall in their place, having recorded three points in three games with the Barracuda after an 88-point WHL campaign last year. They hope Gregor, a fourth-round pick in 2016, can provide an offensive spark right away.
  • The Washington Capitals have reassigned rookie defenseman Martin Fehervary to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, the team announced. While Fehervary began the season in D.C. he had been demoted until recently, when he was recalled as a precaution while Jonas Siegenthaler dealt with injury concerns. Finally, with a healthy stable of their seven top defensemen, the Capitals have no room for Fehervary right now and would rather he play big minutes in Hershey. Fehervary, the team’s 2018 second-rounder, did not look out of place in the NHL level and will one day be there permanently, but he’s likely in for a full season in the minors this year barring more injuries to the Washington blue line.
  • Carolina Hurricanes prospect netminder Pyotr Kochetkov has been traded in the KHL. Kochetkov, 20, is coming off a dominant 2018-19 season that earned him a second-round selection in June as an overage player. The young Russian keeper was stellar at the World Junior Championship and in Russia’s second-tier VHL last year, as well as in his first two KHL appearances late in the campaign. However, taking on the primary backup role with powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg this season, Kotchetkov has struggled in six KHL games, posting a 2.66 GAA and .887 save percentage. He is still young to be facing this level of competition, especially in the offensively-inclined KHL, but SKA needed a more reliable backup as a top contender. As a result, the team pulled off a blockbuster trade with Vityaz Podolsk, sending Kochetkov as part of the package for the more established Alexander Samonov. Although he was the backup for Vityaz, Samonov has arguably been the best goalie in the KHL this year, nearly untouchable with a 0.88 GAA and .976 save percentage through seven appearances. He’ll provide more stability for SKA, while Podolsk is happy to be patient with one of the top goalie prospects in the league. Although a Hurricanes draft pick, if Kochetkov follows a typical Russian goalkeeper development path, he could remain with Vityaz for another three or four years.
  • With Joel Eriksson Ek injured, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that Gabriel Dumont will get the call for the Minnesota Wild. While Dumont may be a new name for Wild fans, the ten-year pro had been around for a while before signing in Minnesota this summer. With five points in five games for AHL Iowa, Dumont hopes to bring some offense with his experience as he joins the parent club. Russo notes that this is already the 28th player to grace the roster this season for the struggling Wild.
  • After Daniel Carr cleared waivers on Wednesday, the Nashville Predators opted to keep him on the NHL roster while they dealt with an injury to Filip Forsberg. The team announced this morning that Carr has now been sent down to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. In his place, the Predators have recalled both long-time depth forward Miikka Salomaki and the untested Yakov Trenin. Trenin, a 2015 second-round pick, is in his third pro season but has played exclusively with Milwaukee – until now. With a team-leading five points in three games for the Admirals, Trenin has finally earned his call-up and will be an intriguing name to watch if he sees action in Nashville.
  • With Jordan Oesterle dealing with a head injury after taking a shot to the back of the head on Thursday, the Coyotes will recall blueliner Aaron Ness from AHL Tucson, reports Craig Morgan of The Athletic.  The 29-year-old is in his first season with Arizona after having a strong season with Hershey a year ago, one that saw him put up 55 points.  That should help get him into some game action at some point during his recall.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled center Sam Gagner from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, while assigning forward Gaetan Haas to Bakersfield. The 30-year-old Gagner was acquired at the trade deadline last year from Vancouver, and played 25 games last season with the Oilers, but didn’t make the team out of training camp this year and has been playing with the Condors this season. He has two goals and two assists in four games there so far. Haas signed with Edmonton in July this summer out of the NLA, but the 27-year-old has just one assist in five games. The Edmonton Journals’ Jim Matheson reports that Haas isn’t thrilled about spending weeks in the AHL and the scribe believes that Haas has an out-clause to return to the Europe if he stays there. The team was hoping for some more offense from their bottom-six players. The hope Gagner might be able to provide some of that offense. Through eight games so far this season, the team has gotten no goals from Riley Sheahan, Jujhar Khaira, Patrick Russell, Josh Archibald, Markus Granlund, Tomas Jurco and Haas as the team has received all its offense from their top-six.

Washington Capitals Place Richard Panik On LTIR

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The Washington Capitals are walking a salary cap tightrope this season, meaning that injuries can really complicate things whenever they happen. Today, in order to recall some reinforcements they were forced to place Richard Panik on long-term injured reserve. Panik will have to miss at least ten games with the upper-body injury he suffered against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jonas Siegenthaler is considered a game-time decision while the team recalled both Travis Boyd and Martin Fehervary with the additional cap space created by the Panik move.

Michal Kempny is also expected to return for the Capitals, who welcome in the New York Rangers tonight. Panik meanwhile will be out at least until mid-November after he collided with Siegenthaler and was forced from Wednesday’s game against the Maple Leafs.

It’s an unfortunate turn for Panik, who was already struggling to find his role in the Capitals offense after signing a four-year contract this summer. The 28-year old has yet to register a single point and actually saw his minutes greatly reduced even before exiting Wednesday’s game. With a $2.75MM price tag, the Capitals were relying on Panik to be a source of secondary scoring this season to replace the outgoing Brett Connolly, but so far nothing has gone right in 2019-20.

Despite Uncertain Timeline For His Return, No Setback For Michal Kempny

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  • Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny has been skating for the past two weeks as he works his way back from a torn hamstring that he suffered back in March but curiously, he has yet to receive the green light to return. J.J. Regan of NBC Sports Washington notes that the blueliner hasn’t had a setback but at the same time, head coach Todd Reirden still is unsure when he’ll be able to return.  The team opted to not put Kempny on LTIR to start the season with the belief he’d be ready before the ten-game mark.  However, he has already missed seven and it doesn’t sound as if he’ll be available for their next game on Friday either.

Pending Decisions On Players Eligible For Contract Slides

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While it’s less than two weeks into the season, several teams will soon be faced with an important decision when it comes to some of their top young talents.  Once a junior-aged player plays in his tenth game of the season, it officially burns the first year of their entry-level contract.  Some teams have shown a willingness to do so in recent years while others have been more hesitant.  Here are the players that teams will need to need to make a decision in the near future.

Games played totals are as of Saturday, October 12.  The list of players has been restricted to players that have played in at least one NHL game this season or are currently up with their team.

Tobias Bjornfot (Kings) – 3 GP – He has played in all but one game so far but it’s fair to say that Bjornfot has struggled at times.  Los Angeles isn’t the deepest team defensively but from a longer-term perspective, it’s reasonable to think that Rob Blake would like to keep an extra cheap year on the books for when they’re likely to be more of a postseason contender so while Bjornfot is up for now, that may change before much longer.

Noah Dobson (Islanders) – 2 GP – Unlike a lot of players on this list, it’s the NHL or the CHL for Dobson and he was pretty dominant at the junior level a year ago.  That makes it a bit more understandable that New York is keeping him around even if he isn’t a full-time member of their top-six yet.  Dobson is probably going to be in a similar spot over the next month or so where he’ll get a few games but will spend a lot of time as a scratch as well.  If they do decide to send him back to the QMJHL, they’ll be limiting how long he actually spends there.

Martin Fehervary (Capitals) – 3 GP – Feharvary making the opening roster one year after being a mid-second-round pick came as a surprise but he held his own.  However, with Washington having some cap concerns, they’ve already sent him down.  They did so early enough that he could come up for a couple of weeks without triggering the first year of his deal but instead, it will be how he performs in the AHL that determines whether or not his contract will begin this season or next.

David Gustafsson (Jets) – 0 GP – This isn’t an injury situation; the Jets have simply made the 2018 second-round pick a healthy scratch in every game so far.  He’s still under contract in the SHL (though his contract isn’t known to contain a European Assignment Clause) so this could simply be a case of them trying to decide what path is the best for his development.  It’s hard to imagine him going past nine games at this stage.

Barrett Hayton (Coyotes) – 2 GP – For the second straight year, Hayton broke camp with the Coyotes but playing time has been sparse so far.  Similar to Dobson, he’s in NHL or CHL territory and there isn’t much left for him to prove in junior hockey.  This should be another case where he’ll be up for a while yet but his playing time will be limited until they decide whether or not to keep him for ten games or more.

Ville Heinola (Jets) – 5 GP – A month ago, Heinola wasn’t even on the radar for a roster spot coming into training camp despite the departures of several key defenders.  Now, with Dustin Byfuglien gone as well, there’s even more ice time up for grabs and he has made the most of it, logging over 19 minutes a game.  Unless Byfuglien changes his plans quickly, there’s a reasonable chance he’ll get past the nine-game mark (though he has been scratched for two straight games now) but the second threshold may be one to watch for here.  (More on that shortly.)

Jack Hughes (Devils) – 5 GP – This one is pretty much a given.  While he has looked a little overmatched at times, Hughes has still shown several promising flashes.  Top picks will get a long look and there’s no reason to think that won’t be the case here.  Barring a big surprise, he’ll be up for the full season.

Kaapo Kakko (Rangers) – 3 GP – Playing time has been limited due to a strange scheduling oddity that has the Rangers playing just three times in the first two weeks of the season so that means it will take until a little later in the calendar for him to get to nine games.  He hasn’t looked out of place through his three games and there’s little reason to think he won’t be up for the season.

Rasmus Sandin (Maple Leafs) – 6 GP – Sandin has played in every game so far, albeit in a rather limited role.  Travis Dermott’s return isn’t too far away and once he’s activated, there may not be a spot for Sandin.  Accordingly, Toronto could hold Sandin out for a couple of games in the next couple of weeks if they wanted to play it safe.  If he does get into ten games, he’s another player who the second threshold will be a factor on.

For some teams, preserving that extra cheap year on an entry-level deal is crucial but others have been more inclined to go past that threshold and focus on the second one instead.  That one is 40 games on the roster and that one includes games as a scratch; it’s not games played-focused.  Once a player meets that threshold, they accrue one year of eligibility towards unrestricted free agency.  In other words, they burn a year of team control at that time.

Getting to that threshold would allow for more evaluation for the prospects and in the cases of Dobson and Hayton, it would limit how much time they’d ultimately be forced to spend in junior at a level they’re already above if they were indeed sent back.  Anyone who goes past the ten games played mark but doesn’t reach 40 on the active roster won’t have enough service time to be eligible for an offer sheet at the expiration of their contract either which also has to be taken into consideration.

For players like Hughes and Kakko, it’s a safe bet that the decision is all but made already; they’ll be sticking around for the entire season.  Others like Gustafsson appear to be likely to not get to ten games played.  But there are a handful of prospects that teams are going to make a call on before too much longer, even if they do scratch them for some games to delay having to make that decision.  With things largely quiet on the trade front in the early going, this will be one of the elements to watch for over the next few weeks.

Metropolitan Notes: Kempny, Kreider, Gavrikov

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Michal Kempny’s name has become a constant when it comes to injury updates for the Washington Capitals. Yet after skating today at an optional practice, the blueliner stated that he believes he’s ready to return to game action and intends to talk to the trainer, doctor and the coaches today in order to make a plan on when he can come back, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti.

“I feel like I can play a game right now, so we’re going to discuss everything today with (head athletic trainer Jason Serbus) and (team physician John Klimkiewicz) and we’re going to pick a game, pick a day. It’s real close.”

The Capitals face off Monday against the Colorado Avalanche, which could be a possibility for Kempny, who has been out with a hamstring injury. If not, then he’s expected to return to the lineup sometime this week.

  • After blocking numerous shots during Saturday’s loss to the Edmonton Oilers, it was noted that New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider wasn’t at practice. According to New York Post’s Brett Cyrgalis, head coach David Quinn said the forward is considered day-to-day and the undisclosed injury isn’t considered “long term.” The 28-year-old, who could find himself on the trade block when the trade deadline nears, has yet to score a goal this year. He has two assists in three games.
  • The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov has won the No. 6 defenseman job. The 23-year-old blueliner has broken through and has bonded with David Savard to form a shutdown pair and look like they will both hold down their third-pairing role. “Savvy’s just a really good player. He understands how we have to play,” head coach John Tortorella said. “Gavi’s made tremendous improvement in the last couple of games in making the decision and going with it, being more aggressive in his thinking and not playing in between.”

Travis Boyd Clears Waivers, Assigned To AHL

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The Washington Capitals have cleared a roster spot today after Travis Boyd cleared waivers. The team assigned Boyd to the Hershey Bears of the AHL, giving them some additional cap space to prepare for Evgeny Kuznetsov’s return. The team is expected to recall Jonas Siegenthaler immediately, as he jumped on the ice as soon as Boyd was officially assigned.

Boyd, 26, played in 53 games for the Capitals last season, his first lengthy chance in the NHL. Though he only contributed five goals in that time, his 20 points were a nice surprise for a player who was getting fewer than ten minutes of ice time each night. Boyd does have a long history of offensive success in the minor leagues, and serves as a nice piece of insurance for the Capitals in case they face injury this season.

You wouldn’t normally associate an $800K salary with being too expensive to keep on the roster, but that’s the case in Washington where they are surviving barely under the cap ceiling. Players like Brendan Leipsic and Tyler Lewington who carry lower cap hits are holding on because of those numbers, while the team tries to navigate their daily expenses. Boyd is actually on a one-way contract, meaning even in the minor leagues he will still be earning the same amount. It would be surprising to not see him up with the team again at some point, though for now Hershey is getting a big boost.

Evening Notes: CBA Talks, Kempny, Smith, Miller

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The good news for the NHL and the NHLPA is that both sides continue to have bargaining talks to work towards a new CBA contract. While many thought talks might cool down between the two sides after the players opted out of its option to terminate the current agreement, that has not happened. However, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston writes that there are other issues that could make it an interesting negotiations.

One of the biggest roadblocks is Olympic participation as the league isn’t that interested in allowing players to play.

“I’ll say, because I think I need to say, from the NHL owners’ perspective, Olympic participation is not seen as something that’s either essential or even useful to our business,” said deputy commissioner Bill Daly. “It’s highly disruptive to our season, puts our players in jeopardy of injury with no financial benefit to the NHL or the clubs.”

If the NHL wants to bend on this aspect of negotiations, they would have to not only change their stance, but then begin negotiations with the IOC in regards to travel, insurance and hospitality arrangements, which had been the issues that the NHL had with the IOC in the past.

  • The Washington Capitals are already getting forward Evgeny Kuznetsov back from suspension, but they might just be closer to getting back defenseman Michal Kempny, who has been out with a hamstring injury, according to The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir (subscription required). Head coach Todd Reirden said that until Kempny competes in 5-on-5 practice and can prove he’s healthy, Reirden won’t even consider playing him. The next opportunity to prove himself will be Monday.
  • Newsday’s Colin Stephenson writes that New York Rangers defenseman Brendan Smith, who was used as a fourth-line forward Saturday, but also used as a defenseman in short-handed situations, could find himself in a similar role for a while. Head coach David Quinn said that he likes using Smith in that role. “I think he had a really good (training) camp, and he had a great stretch last year when he played forward and no problem playing it for an extended period of time,’’ Quinn said of Smith, who scored an empty net goal in the season opener Thursday against Winnipeg, when he was on the ice as a defenseman in a six-on-four situation.
  • Sticking with the Rangers, The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello (subscription required) writes that after hearing that New York prospect K’Andre Miller was suspended at the University of Wisconsin, he immediately called Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato, who acknowledged that the infraction that got him suspended wasn’t serious. “Nope. Nothing major,” said Granato. “I have done the same with probably seven or eight guys already. … It is exactly what it is. He broke a team rule and is suspended for (Sunday’s) inter-squad game. Nothing more.”

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