Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for March 2017

New York Rangers Sign NCAA Goaltender Chris Nell

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The New York Rangers have inked another NCAA free agent, signing goaltender Chris Nell out of Bowling Green State. The netminder has decided to turn pro after his junior season, another one in which he ranked among the nation’s best in most categories.

Undrafted, Nell debuted at Bowling Green in 2014 and has never looked back. With a .930 save percentage last season, he led the WCHA and has had another solid year with a .917. Though he’s not a huge target, Nell is known for his ability to recover after playing an initial shot aggressively and will need to keep that attitude at the professional level. If you’ve heard of a “battling” goaltender, you’ll recognize it in Nell who will never give up on a play.

A former state champion in high school hockey in Green Bay, Nell should be looked at down the road as an AHL starting goaltender. As with any goalie though, it is hard to project how their game will develop as they enter their mid-twenties and the Rangers are hoping he can advance all the way to the NHL. At just 22 years of age, he still has a lot of time to develop the skills to be a solid professional.

Roman Polak Suspended Two Games For Illegal Check

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Department of Player Safety has handed out a two-game suspension to Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak for his hit from behind on Oliver Bjorkstrand last night. This is the first time in over 600 NHL games that Polak has ever received supplementary discipline—suspensions or fines—from the league, despite playing a physical style for his entire career. He’ll miss games against New Jersey and Buffalo before being eligible to return on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.

Polak has had an up-and-down calendar year to say the least, after being traded from the Leafs to the San Jose Sharks at the 2016 trade deadline. He was celebrated for his tough play in the Western Conference playoffs before being exposed in the Finals by Pittsburgh’s speed and skill. When put up against other physical players he can often hold his own, but trying to shut down speedy forwards like Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel was impossible. He re-signed with the Leafs in the offseason and has heard cries for his head all year from fans hoping to see “Hunlack” (a pairing with Matt Hunwick) jettisoned as soon as possible. His coach, Mike Babcock, has continually come to his defense, praising his penalty killing ability most of all.

It’s ironic then, that the Maple Leafs would kill off an almost seven minute powerplay allowing just one shot after Polak was ejected last night. Even though his teammates stepped up and battled through that kill, Polak will be missed. Even analytically, as James Mirtle of The Athletic points out, Polak has been playing much better of late and is part of the reason the Maple Leafs have tightened defensively in recent weeks. He’ll be replaced by Alexey Marchenko for the time being as Toronto continues its playoff drive.

Luke Kunin Turns Pro; Signs ATO With Iowa Wild

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

One of the biggest names in college hockey is set to join the professional ranks, as Luke Kunin has signed an entry-level deal with the Minnesota Wild. He’ll start on an amateur tryout for the remainder of this season, with his entry-level deal kicking in next fall. This had been expected for some time, but Wild fans can finally uncross their fingers and let out a sigh of relief. The University of Wisconsin center will be an interesting option for the NHL team as soon as next year. Luke Kunin

Selected fifteenth overall last summer, Kunin returned to Wisconsin for his sophomore season and improved in basically every way. Scoring 38 points in 35 games to lead his team, he improved his defensive game and took fewer penalties while being more physical. He was given the captaincy of the Badgers, the first sophomore to wear the “C” in over four decades, and also wore the same letter for Team USA at the World Junior Championships. He is a born leader on and off the ice, and may one day wear something on a Minnesota Wild sweater.

Given the Wild’s fairly deep forward group, Kunin may have to wait a year in the AHL before making his mark on the big stage. That shouldn’t slow him down though, as he’s heading for the NHL one day to be sure. With Iowa in a very tight race for the final playoff spot in the Central Division, Kunin will get a taste of the tight-checking hockey he’ll have to face down the line. It will be a good learning experience for him as he jumps right into the fire.

Kunin represents one of a handful of top Minnesota prospects that will start to replace the aging core of Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise and Jason Pominville over the next few years. Jordan Greenway, Kirill Kaprizov and Alex Tuch all look like they’ll be impact players in the NHL one day, as the Wild continue to show off their drafting skills. While they battle with the Chicago Blackhawks for the crown of the best in the West, there are more good days ahead for the Minnesota franchise and their fans.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Janne Kuokkanen To Three-Year Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Carolina Hurricanes have locked up their 2016 second-round pick, agreeing to a three-year deal with Janne Kuokkanen that will kick in next season. The deal will see the young forward earn $700K, $750K, and $800K in each year. He will not be joining the Charlotte Checkers just yet, as the London Knights are still currently in the playoffs.

In his rookie season in North America, Kuokkanen has exceeded all expectations. Playing with the always powerful London Knights, he has put up 62 points in 60 games ranking fourth on the team in scoring.  An excellent playmaker, he’s been encouraged to shoot more this season and it has resulted in 26 goals. That distributing nature still remains though and he should eventually make the jump to an NHL top-six. Waiting for him in Carolina is former teammate Sebastian Aho, who also came up through the Karpat development program in Finland.

With enough size to play the professional game and skill to score anywhere he goes, ’Canes fans should be counting the days until Kuokkanen heads to professional hockey. It could be as soon as next season despite the fact that Kuokkanen is only 18-years old; like Alex Nylander this year, because Kuokannen is actually on loan from his Finnish team he could jump right into the AHL at 19. If London has an early exit from the OHL playoffs, he could even make his AHL debut this season. The Checkers are battling for a playoff spot, and could use a player of his caliber.

Ryan Strome Out Indefinitely With Broken Wrist

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to Arthur Staple of Newsday, the Islanders have received some bad news after their game last night. Ryan Strome has suffered a broken wrist and will be out for the rest of the season, if not the whole playoffs. Head coach Doug Weight had said last night that he would be out “this weekend and probably longer.” "<strong

Strome injured the wrist on a hit from Brady Skjei in the second period, on a play that didn’t look all that dangerous. The much maligned forward had been playing better of late, though was still in the midst of another disappointing season. His 13 goals and 30 points will be the season totals, still not realizing the full potential he showed in his sophomore season. That year, he had 50 points while playing as one of the Islanders’ best defensive forwards but has taken a step back in his development.

The Islanders would have to go on quite a deep playoff run to see him back in uniform this year, which seems like a long-shot given their current situation. Sitting two points back of the Boston Bruins for the final spot, the second wildcard team will have to go through whoever comes out on top of the Metropolitan Division in the first round before playing the winner of the other two. It’s a tough route for any team, let alone one losing a young forward like Strome.

In his place, Staple assumes that Shane Prince or Alan Quine will be inserted. While both are established enough to not miss a beat, it would be interesting to see the Islanders reach down to the minors and recall Michael Dal Colle from Bridgeport at some point. The former fifth-overall pick has yet to make his NHL debut, but has had a successful (if unspectacular) rookie season in professional hockey with 35 points in 63 games. He would definitely give the lineup another shot of youth alongside Josh Ho-Sang and Anthony Beauvillier, something they might thrive off of this late in the year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Aaron Ekblad Out Again With Neck Injury

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to multiple reports on Twitter including George Richards of the Miami Herald, Aaron Ekblad will be out for the Florida Panthers again after waking up with a sore neck. The injury is apparently unrelated to his most recent concussion.

After returning for just one game earlier this week, Ekblad will miss tonight’s matchup against the Arizona Coyotes and should be considered questionable for the rest of the regular season. Even if this neck injury is unrelated to his concussion, Ekblad suffered from whiplash during the World Cup in September and would likely be at risk of re-injuring himself.

With the Panthers nine points out of a playoff spot with only ten games to play, it would be an amazing feat to get them back into the postseason. Shutting down Ekblad now, as Matt Larkin of The Hockey News pleaded before the latest return, would likely be the most prudent course of action. One of the linchpins of the future in Florida, allowing the 21-year old superstar to injure himself further would be a mistake.

Panthers’ head coach Tom Rowe also mentioned to Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel that Nick Bjugstad’s season has been unacceptable regardless of the injuries he’s faced. After three straight seasons with at least 15 goals and 34 points, Bjugstad has been held to just nine points this year. His play at both ends of the rink has taken a huge step backwards this season, and is one of the (many) reasons for the Panthers missing the playoffs this year.

Jaroslav Halak Recalled From Bridgeport

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New York Islanders have recalled Jaroslav Halak from the AHL in time for their game against Pittsburgh tomorrow night. Halak has been playing for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers since the beginning of 2017, after clearing waivers on New Year’s Eve. Jaroslav Halak

In the AHL the veteran netminder has proven he can still perform, going 17-7-1 with a .925 save percentage. While he’ll likely never again be the 2010 Halak that carried the Montreal Canadiens all the way to the Conference Finals, he should still be more effective than Jean-Francois Berube in a backup role.

The Islanders are in the thick of the playoff race after winning last night against the New York Rangers. After seeing the Maple Leafs leapfrog Boston yesterday, New York is now chasing the Bruins and find themselves two points back with a game in hand. They will face the Bruins on Saturday in an all important matchup, the second half of a back-to-back. Whether Halak starts in one of the two is still yet to be decided (or at least announced) but it does seem to coincide with the call-up.

Halak was part of a three goaltender rotation earlier in the year, but the Isles had buried him in the minors to save almost a million dollars (pro-rated for the length of his stay in the AHL) in cap space. After trying to move him at the deadline, the team instead kept him around for exactly this scenario. Now he can try to help them into the playoffs and once there, maybe work some of his magic. The 31-year old has a career .924 save percentage in the postseason.

Arthur Staple of Newsday was first to announce a recall was imminent. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eric Fehr Expected To Miss Remainder Of Regular Season

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Though he got into his first game with the Maple Leafs last night, Eric Fehr’s stint on the fourth line is already over. Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun is reporting that Fehr spent the night in a hospital after breaking his hand in last night’s game. With the season only lasting another two and a half weeks, it would be hard to see Fehr make it back before the playoffs.

Traded from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the deadline, Fehr brought a physical component against the Columbus Blue Jackets, throwing big hits—that were sometimes from behind—all throughout the first period. The fourth line for the Maple Leafs has seen wingers suffer an injury in back to back games, as Nikita Soshnikov went down against the Boston Bruins.

Fehr isn’t the only player the Maple Leafs may lose, as Roman Polak will receive a disciplinary hearing today for his hit on Oliver Bjorkstrand that earned him a five minute major—which turned into almost seven minutes of shorthanded time—and a game misconduct. The Maple Leafs will likely have Josh Leivo and Alexey Marchenko back into the lineup for tonight’s game should both veterans be out.

Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Josh Archibald From AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Back again. The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Josh Archibald Thursday morning, bringing him back up just a week after his last assignment. The recall is likely due to the injury Jake Guentzel suffered on Tuesday night, when he was hit by Rasmus Ristolainen—who will get a hearing later today to determine his penalty.

Archibald last played for the Penguins on March 13th, and has two points in three total NHL games this season. The 24-year old has set career highs at the AHL level with 16 goals and 29 points. He’ll likely move into the fourth line with someone like Chris Kunitz or Patric Hornqvist moving up to the top line beside Sidney Crosby.

Guentzel was diagnosed with a concussion following the game against the Sabres on Tuesday, and unfortunately will be out for at least a few days. The 22-year old rookie has had an excellent season playing mostly with Crosby, scoring 25 points in 35 games.

Snapshots: Bylsma, Sedins, Red Wings

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While there has been some speculation that Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma could be on the hot seat (especially after GM Tim Murray didn’t give much of a vote of confidence yesterday), TSN’s Bob McKenzie doesn’t foresee a change being made behind the bench.  In an appearance on NBCSN, McKenzie had the following to say regarding Bylsma’s status (transcription courtesy of Fan Rag’s Chris Nichols):

“I would also think, absent some sort of cataclysmic disaster in the final two weeks of the season, that Dan Bylsma will also be back as head coach of this team next year; although that review process, as Murray said, still has to take place at the end of this season.

“I don’t think the Pegula family is keen on paying both Rex Ryan and Dan Bylsma not to coach the Bills and the Sabres, and they obviously made that decision with Rex Ryan and the Bills. At this point in time, I would suggest that Bylsma will be back.”

Bylsma is in his second season behind the Buffalo bench and while the team was clearly in a rebuilding mode when he took over, many expected the Sabres to take a significant step forward this season.  That hasn’t been the case though as they have just 72 points through 74 games and may not even match the 81 points they put up in 2015-16.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • Canucks GM Jim Benning plans to sit down with the Sedin twins at the end of the season to discuss their future with the club, reports ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun. However, LeBrun doesn’t expect that anything will happen aside from the twins playing out the final year of their contracts.  He notes that Vancouver greatly values their leadership especially as with the team being in the process of integrating several young players into their lineup.  Of course, with each player carrying a $7MM cap hit, that too will likely play a role in them sticking around for next season.
  • While the Red Wings won’t be making the postseason, they don’t plan on bringing their top prospects up to get their feet wet at the NHL level between now and the end of the year, head coach Jeff Blashill told Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Instead, the team wants to keep them with Grand Rapids of the AHL in the hopes of a lengthy postseason run and feels that’s more valuable than a short-term NHL appearance that could potentially disrupt their chances down there.  Accordingly, Detroit will look to their veterans (such as Ben Street who was shuffled up and down recently) at the minor league to fill any spots over these final few weeks.

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

scroll to top