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Snapshots: Jets, Edmundson, PHF

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The Winnipeg Jets are could have additional positive COVID-19 results overnight, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. Winnipeg is set to host their home opener tomorrow night against the Anaheim Ducks and already had captain Blake Wheeler ruled out.

If they do lose more players before tomorrow’s game, it’s brutal news for a team that is already off to a very slow start. The Jets haven’t won a game in their first three and have already allowed 14 goals. (Update: Seravalli reports that it might not be as bad as originally feared, as some tests that originally came back as positive have now been confirmed as negatives.)

  • Montreal Canadiens defenseman Joel Edmundson is recovering from injury, but he won’t be back with the team just yet. GM Marc Bergevin explained to reporters today including John Lu of TSN that Edmundson is taking a leave from the team to be with his father who is suffering from cancer. Edmundson has not yet played this season.
  • The Premier Hockey Federation, formerly the NWHL, has announced a broadcast deal with ESPN that will see all 60 regular season games streamed on ESPN+. PHF commissioner Tyler Tumminia calls it a “significant step” in the league’s history, and gives them an enhanced standard of delivery.

John Gibson Out With Lower-Body Injury, Will Miss Tonight’s Game

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Goaltender John Gibson suffered a lower-body injury in Anaheim’s Wednesday night season-opening win against the Winnipeg Jets, head coach Dallas Eakins confirms. Backup netminder Anthony Stolarz will make his first start of the season Friday night against Minnesota while Lukas Dostal has been recalled to back him up, per the AHL’s transactions page. Eakins also notes that winger Troy Terry will be absent from the game against Minnesota as well, citing a non-COVID-related illness.

Gibson was easily Anaheim’s best player in an impressive 4-1 victory against Winnipeg earlier this week, making 33 saves on 34 shots (.971 save percentage). Now 28 years old, the netminder’s performance this season will be crucial in helping a young team take strides forward from last year’s 17-30-9 record. His health moving forward is paramount for the team’s success.

Stolarz draws into the full-time backup role this season, succeeding the retired Ryan Miller. Drafted in the second round by Philadelphia in 2012, this looks to be his first full-time NHL role. He’s been impressive in limited appearances for Ducks over the past two seasons, posting a 4-4-0 record and .929 save percentage in that time frame.

The absence of Terry can’t be understated either. The 24-year-old was fifth on the Ducks in scoring last season, notching seven goals and 20 points in 48 games. He remains one of the best two-way forwards on the team and could be primed for a breakout campaign this year. Per Eakins, Max Jones will draw in tonight in his place.

Without some core pieces tonight, the Ducks could be in tough to keep the good times rolling against a stout Minnesota Wild team playing in their first game of the season.

Minor Transactions: 10/13/21

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The NHL season may be officially underway following Tuesday’s opening pair of contests, but many players are still trying to find homes for the 2021-22 campaign. Follow along as we track these and other notable minor moves across the hockey world:

  • Coming off of a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, the fifth NHL contract of his career despite having played only 30 NHL games and zero since 2016-17, veteran defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon wasn’t so lucky this time around. The 28-year-old has settled for an AHL pact, signing a one-year deal with the Utica Comets per a team release. Wotherspoon has extensive AHL experience, including several seasons of strong production and history as a locker room leader, making him an attractive get for the Devils new affiliate. Whether he can turn this opportunity into an NHL deal next season though remains to be seen.
  • Similarly, defenseman Luke Green has been unable to find a new NHL deal after he was not qualified by the Winnipeg Jets this summer. However, Green could not land an AHL gig either. The 23-year-old has signed with the ECHL’s Idaho Steelheads, per the league’s registry. After two years in the AHL and one season in Finland without any production, Green has to prove that he is more than just his junior numbers in the QMJHL by finding some sustained success in the pros.
  • Fredrik Handemark’s stay in Russia has been even shorter than it was in North America. After coming over from Sweden last season and playing in eight games with the San Jose Sharks and another 14 in the AHL, it was somewhat surprising to see Handemark head back to Europe this off-season. However, he was at least heading to one of the best teams outside of the NHL in KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg. Yet, just 15 games into his contract with SKA and despite having totaled six points already, Handemark and the club have agreed to a mutual termination of his contract, St. Petersburg announced. Swedish source Expressen reports that Handemark is expected to return to the Malmo Redhawks of the SHL, where he was captain for several years before jumping to San Jose, and is likely to sign a long-term deal. At 28, Handemark’s days in the NHL (and any other league) are likely over if this is the case.

Mikko Lehtonen Suspended; One Of Four Players On Waivers

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Oct 13: MacEwen was claimed by the Philadelphia Flyers, but the other three have cleared.

Oct 12: The Columbus Blue Jackets have suspended Mikko Lehtonen for failing to report to the AHL after he was assigned to the Cleveland Monsters this week. The team has also placed him on unconditional waivers and will terminate his contract. Lehtonen isn’t alone though, as the Chicago Blackhawks have also placed Matej Chalupa on unconditional waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Zack MacEwen of the Vancouver Canucks and C.J. Suess of the Winnipeg Jets are also on regular waivers.

Lehtonen, 27, was expected to make a big impact at the NHL level after putting up strong numbers in the KHL, even winning that league’s Defenseman of the Year award in 2020. Instead, he struggled to crack the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup on a regular basis and then was sent to Columbus, where he signed a new one-year, $900K deal this offseason but still failed to make the team out of camp. Instead of going to the AHL, he’ll likely head back overseas where he can once again star as a top-four puck-mover. His NHL career could very well end with just 26 games and six points.

Chalupa meanwhile is just 23, but apparently isn’t going to spend another year in the minors trying to establish himself as a call-up option for Chicago. He played 27 games for the Rockford IceHogs last season and scored seven points, but he too is likely headed back overseas. Both contracts will come entirely off the books for the Blue Jackets and Blackhawks.

MacEwen, 25, will lose his spot to Alex Chiasson, who the Canucks signed today to a one-year deal. The depth forward has actually played in 55 games for the Canucks over the last three seasons, but isn’t much of an offensive contributor at the NHL level and is unlikely to be claimed.

The same can be said about Suess, who has just one NHL game under his belt and is likely headed to the Manitoba Moose. Suess has been dealing with an undisclosed injury throughout training camp and won’t even be the first call-up option for the Jets this season.

Evgeny Svechnikov Signs With Winnipeg Jets

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The Winnipeg Jets have signed depth forward Evgeny Svechnikov to a one-year, two-way contract according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K and an AHL salary of $215K. Svechnikov had attended Jets camp on a professional tryout after signing an AHL deal, but has earned his way onto the opening night roster. Winnipeg has assigned Ville Heinola to the Manitoba Moose to make room.

Svechnikov, 24, is not to be confused with his brother in Carolina. This forward was also selected in the first round, but his career to this point has been marred by injury and inconsistency. In 2020-21 he played the most NHL games of his career, suiting up 21 times with the Detroit Red Wings, but failed to receive a qualifying offer from the team in the summer. The two sides split and Svechnikov will now try to reinvent himself in Winnipeg.

Over 41 career games, the 6’3″ forward has scored five goals and 12 points, though those have come in very limited minutes. He still provides a bit of upside, but it’s hard to expect any player his age to really make the leap and make a real impact. More likely is that Svechnikov becomes useful depth for a team already loaded with talented forwards and plays spot duty throughout the year.

One thing to note is that if the Jets decide to send him to the minor leagues, he’ll have to clear waivers. Signing him after the season started helped with their LTIR calculation–Bryan Little has been moved there and will not play this season–but it also means they missed a chance to sneak him through with the other hundred players cut at the end of training camp. He’ll stick out, and there is at least some chance Svechnikov would be claimed by another team hoping to unlock his unfulfilled potential.

Evgeny Svechnikov Expected To Be Converted To NHL Contract In The Next Few Days

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  • While he has an AHL contract in hand, Jets winger Evgeny Svechnikov is expected to be converted to an NHL two-way deal in the coming days, reports Sportsnet’s Ken Wiebe. The 24-year-old impressed in the preseason with four points in five games – good for third on Winnipeg – which still has him in the mix to earn a spot at the end of the roster to start the regular season.  Svechnikov had eight points in 21 games with Detroit last season before clearing waivers in early April.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/1/21

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With the regular season inching closer and minor league camps starting soon, teams will be paring down their training camp rosters to get closer to the group they plan to start the season with.  Accordingly, there should be plenty of news on this front today, we’ll keep tabs on those moves here.

Minnesota Wild (via team Twitter)

D Kevin Czuczman (to Iowa, AHL)
D Fedor Gordeev (to Iowa, ECHL)
D Joe Hicketts (to Iowa, AHL)
D Dakota Mermis (to Iowa, AHL)
F Mason Shaw (to Iowa, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (via press release) (and team Tweet)

F Peter Abbandonato (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
D Terrance Amorosa (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
D Charles-David Beaudoin (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
D Louis Belpedio (to Laval, AHL)
D Josh Brook (to Laval, AHL)
D Tory Dello (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
F Cedric Desruisseaux (released from ATO, to Laval, AHL)
F Justin Ducharme (released from ATO, to Laval, AHL)
F Alexandre Fortin (to Laval, AHL)
F Brandon Gignac (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
D Cody Goloubef (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
G Alexis Gravel (released from ATO, to Laval, AHL)
F Cam Hillis (to Laval, AHL)
F Arsen Khisamutdinov (to Laval, AHL)
F Jake Lucchini (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
F Jan Mysak (to Hamilton, OHL)
D Carl Neill (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
D Xavier Ouellet (to Laval, AHL)
F Kevin Roy (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
F Shawn St-Amant (released from PTO, to Laval, AHL)
F Joel Teasdale (to Laval, AHL)
F Lukas Vejdemo (to Laval, AHL)

New York Rangers (via press release)
D Anthony Bitetto
F Jonny Brodzinski
F Timothy Gettinger
F Anthony Greco
G Keith Kinkaid
F Ty Ronning

San Jose Sharks (via Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News)

D Artemi Kniazev (to San Jose, AHL)
D Jaycob Megna (to San Jose, AHL)
G Alexei Melnichuk (to San Jose, AHL)
D Montana Onyebuchi (to San Jose, AHL)
D Brinson Pasichnuk (to San Jose, AHL)

Washington Capitals (via team Twitter)

D Vincent Iorio (to Brandon, WHL)

Winnipeg Jets (via team Twitter)

G Philippe Desrosiers (released from PTO, to Manitoba, AHL)
F Haralds Egle (released from PTO, to Manitoba, AHL)
F Evan Polei (released from PTO, to Manitoba, AHL)

Dylan Samberg Out 6-8 Weeks With High Ankle Sprain

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  • Speaking of AHL players on the cusp of a roster spot, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg has lost any chance of breaking camp with the NHL team after suffering a high ankle sprain. The young defenseman will be out six to eight weeks, according to GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, who spoke to reporters including Murat Ates of The Athletic today. Given the newcomers to the Jets blue line Samberg likely still had only an outside shot of landing an NHL spot to start the season, but now he’ll be playing catchup all season to try and get back on the strong development path he has shown thus far. The 22-year-old second-round pick was a star at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and fit right in at the AHL level in 2020-21.

Hellebuyck On Jets Window: "Time Is Running Out"

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The Winnipeg Jets have a deep forward unit, a revamped defense, and one of the best goaltenders in the world, yet they are still sometimes left out of the conversation when it comes to contenders for the 2022 Stanley Cup. Perhaps that’s because they’re from a market in snowy Manitoba that has less than a million people, but it’s also because this same core has disappointed over each of the last three postseasons, reaching the second round just once only to be swept out by the Montreal Canadiens.

If you think that the window may be closing on the key group in Winnipeg, you’re not alone–they know it too. Connor Hellebuyck told reporters today including Murat Ates of The Athletic that the Jets are “not getting any younger” and their “time is running out.” Captain Blake Wheeler will play this season at age-35, while he, Mark Scheifele, and Hellebuyck all have only three years remaining on their respective contracts. The rest of the roster isn’t as young as it once was and there’s no guarantee they are going to be better in the years to come than they are right now. There’s optimism that the Jets can be one of the best teams in the league this season, but they also have some pressure to perform while the clock is ticking.

Winnipeg Jets Place Sami Niku On Unconditional Waivers

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Sep 21: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Niku has cleared waivers. He can now have his contract terminated and become a free agent.

Sep 20: Somewhat surprisingly, the Winnipeg Jets have placed Sami Niku on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a mutual contract termination, according to CapFriendly. Niku was heading into the second season of a two-year one-way contract he signed in 2020 that carried an average annual value of $725K. That entire cap hit will come off the books with the termination and Niku will become an unrestricted free agent.

While usually these terminations are followed by a contract overseas, it does not appear to be the case for Niku. Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star tweets that Niku is hoping for a fresh start with another NHL organization and Europe is not his current focus. It’s understandable that the 24-year-old defenseman believes he can play at the highest level, given his dominance of the AHL and 54 games in the NHL.

Despite that early experience, it seemed obvious that Niku was not going to get regular playing time with the Jets this season after the team brought in several new options on the back end. Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon have joined the group, while Logan Stanley, Dylan Samberg, and Ville Heinola all represent young options that have passed him on the organizational depth chart. Niku played just six games for the Jets this season.

A seventh-round pick in 2015, Niku’s stock skyrocketed in the next few years, as he established himself as a top prospect in Finland. He found success at the World Juniors, winning a gold medal in 2016, found regular playing time in Liiga, the highest level of Finnish hockey, and then won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL’s best defenseman in an outstanding rookie season in North America. That 2017-18 campaign, when Niku registered 54 points in 76 games for the Manitoba Moose, earned him a one-game call-up with the Jets and a regular role the following season. Since then things haven’t gone as smoothly, but there is still a lot of upside in the smooth-skating defender.

Of course, this is basically just giving Niku a chance to pick his next team. If the Jets had tried to send him down this season he would have required waivers, meaning any team in the league could have claimed him for that $725K cap hit (actually lower than the league minimum this season). A contract termination will allow him to negotiate with whoever he wants and find a spot where he can receive NHL minutes, if available. For teams looking for young assets, there are certainly worse gambles to take.

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