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Archives for September 2017

Noah Juulsen Out Six Weeks With Broken Foot

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Noah Juulsen suffered a broken foot on Monday night, and will be out for six weeks. It’s a disappointing outcome for the young Montreal Canadiens defenseman, who just this month was the topic of conversation between GM Marc Bergevin and TSN’s Bob McKenzie. Bergevin at that point said that Juulsen was “very close” to being NHL ready, and would be given a chance to compete at training camp. Unfortunately, this will end that chance.

Juulsen was a first-round pick of the Canadiens in 2015, and made his professional debut last season with the St. John’s IceCaps during the AHL playoffs. While it would have been extremely tough for him to jump right from junior hockey to the NHL this year, he does have an impressive skillset and the ability to make fans jump out of their seats with his open-ice hits. He’ll not certainly start the year with the Laval Rocket (Montreal’s new AHL affiliate) after rehabbing from this injury.

The Canadiens, who dealt away Mikhail Sergachev and Nathan Beaulieu this offseason, will need Juulsen to become a legitimate NHL player in short order. Though Shea Weber, Jeff Petry and Karl Alzner are locked in long term, they’ll need some entry-level players to start filling out the ranks as Carey Price’s big extension comes into play. Jakub Jerabek, another newcomer signed to an ELC, will be an unrestricted free agent after just one season with the club, and could earn a bigger contract right away. Juulsen’s deal, which includes relatively few performance bonuses, could be very important to the team.

Chicago Blackhawks Release Miller, Mitchell, Stuart From PTOs

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The Chicago Blackhawks made a few cuts today, but instead of sending young players back to junior they’re saying farewell to a few NHL veterans. Drew Miller, John Mitchell and Mark Stuart have all been released from their professional tryouts. The team is down to 54 players in camp.

All three veterans had relatively little chance of making the team, but were there in part to push the young Blackhawks prospects and show them what a professional lifestyle is like. Miller, who spent time in the minor leagues last year for the first time in almost a decade, actually recorded nearly five minutes of shorthanded time in the preseason opener as he tries to prove he can still contribute. Stuart and Mitchell both saw the ice rather sparingly, just helping the Hawks lengthen their lineup with enough NHL experience.

Interestingly, Cody Franson was not among those cut today as he continues to impress in Blackhawks camp. There is much speculation that Franson already has a handshake deal with the team in place, which was only furthered when he served as an alternate captain for Tuesday’s game. Franson also opened the scoring on a 5-on-3 powerplay, a situation he could see a lot this year.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/21/17

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Like every day, teams have continued to shorten their rosters as the season approaches. Yesterday saw a healthy number of names shaved off the lists, sent back to junior or released into the wild of free agency. Today, we’ll keep track of all the training camp cuts right here.

Boston Bruins

F Jack Studnicka – Oshawa (OHL)
G Kyle Keyser – Oshawa (OHL)

Chicago Blackhawks

F John Mitchell – released from PTO
F Drew Miller – released from PTO
F Tyler Sikura – released from PTO
D Mark Stuart – released from PTO
D Robin Press – released from PTO
F William Pelletier – released from ATO
D Darren Raddysh – released from ATO
G Matt Tomkins – released from ATO
F Mathew Highmore – Rockford (AHL)
F Matheson Iacopelli – Rockford (AHL)
F Luke Johnson – Rockford (AHL)
F Graham Knott – Rockford (AHL)
F Anthony Louis – Rockford (AHL)
D Robin Norell – Rockford (AHL)
D Carl Dahlstrom – Rockford (AHL)
F Radovan Bondra – Prince George (WHL)
D Henri Jokiharju – Portland (WHL)

Edmonton Oilers

D Ethan Bear – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Ben Betker – Bakersfield (AHL)
F Greg Chase – Bakersfield (AHL)
F Braden Christoffer – Bakersfield (AHL)
F Joseph Gambardella – Bakersfield (AHL)
D Ziyat Paigin – Bakersfield (AHL)
F Kyle Platzer – Bakersfield (AHL)
G Shane Starrett – Bakersfield (AHL)
F Chad Butcher – released from ATO
F Evan Polei – released from ATO
F Josh Currie – released from PTO
F Ryan Hamilton – released from PTO
F Zach O’Brien – released from PTO

Florida Panthers

F Curtis Valk – Springfield (AHL)
D Thomas Schemitsch – Springfield (AHL)

Los Angeles Kings

F Drake Rymsha – Sarnia (OHL)
D Jacob Friend – Owen Sound (OHL)
D Jacob Moverare – Mississauga (OHL)
D Markus Phillips – Owen Sound (OHL)

Montreal Canadiens

F Maxime Fortier – Halifax (QMJHL)
F Jordan Boucher – Will attend AHL camp
F Kevin Dufour – Will attend AHL camp
F Alexandre Goulet – Will attend AHL camp
F James McEwan – Will attend AHL camp
D Saverio Posa – Will attend AHL camp
D William Corrin – Will attend AHL camp

Philadelphia Flyers

F Connor Bunnaman – Kitchener (OHL)
F Pascal Laberge – Victoriaville (QMJHL)
F Ivan Kosorenkov – Victoriaville (QMJHL)
F German Rubtsov – Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
G Carter Hart – Everett (WHL)
F Nicolas Aube-Kubel – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
F Radel Fazleev – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
F Tyrell Goulbourne – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
F Danick Martel – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
F Carsen Twarynski – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
F Mikhail Vorobyev – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
D James de Haas – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
D Mark Friedman – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
D Maxim Lamarche – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
D Philippe Myers – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
D Reece Willcox – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
G Leland Irving – Lehigh Valley (AHL)
G John Muse – Lehigh Valley (AHL)

St. Louis Blues

F Alexey Toropchenko – Guelph (OHL)
F Justin Selman – San Antonio (AHL)
D Dmitrii Sergeev – San Antonio (AHL)
F Ty Loney – released from PTO
D Michael McKee – released from PTO

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Boris Katchouk – Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
D Cal Foote – Kelowna (WHL)
D Libor Hajek – Saskatoon (WHL)

Vancouver Canucks

F Jakob Stukel – Calgary (WHL)
F Danny Moynihan – Utica (AHL)
D Anton Cederholm – Utica (AHL)
D Mackenze Stewart – Utica (AHL)

Washington Capitals

F Damien Riat – Geneve-Servette (NLA)
F Kristian Marthinsen – Almtuna (Sweden)
F Beck Malenstyn – Calgary (WHL)
F Garrett Pilon – Kamloops (WHL)
F Robbie Baillargeon – South Carolina (ECHL)
F Tanner Jeannot – Moose Jaw (WHL)
F Brendan Semchuk – Vancouver (WHL)
F Mark Simpson – University of New Brunswick (CIS)
D Dmitri Zaitsev – Moose Jaw (WHL)
F Jimmy Devito – released from ATO
G Adam Morrison – released from PTO

Winnipeg Jets

F Jordy Stallard – Prince Albert (WHL)
F Skyler McKenzie – Portland (WHL)
D Luke Green – Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
D Leon Gawanke – Cape Breton (QMJHL)

Torey Krug Out With Broken Jaw

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The Boston Bruins have had some bad injury luck, as the team announced today that Torey Krug will be out for the remainder of training camp with a non-displaced fracture after taking a puck to the jaw on Tuesday night. He’ll be re-evaluated in three weeks, which casts doubt over when his season will get started. The team also announced that Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson and Matt Beleskey are both dealing with day-to-day injuries.

Krug is obviously a huge part of the Bruins defense group this year, as captain Zdeno Chara starts to slow down and more responsibility is given to the younger players. While Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo are heading in the right direction, 26-year old Krug is likely the most important piece. Last season in 81 games Krug recorded 51 points and received votes for the Norris trophy as the league’s best defenseman.

The undersized talent is a deadly force on the powerplay and at even-strength, firing stretch passes and skating the puck out of trouble. After losing Colin Miller to the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft, replacing Krug for any length of time could be difficult.

No Progress In Josh Anderson Contract Talks

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Still holding out looking for a more favorable contract, restricted free agent Josh Anderson has now missed a week of training camp. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that there has been “no progress” between the two sides, which will only clench Blue Jackets’ fans’ teeth even tighter.

Anderson had a breakout season last year, scoring 17 goals in his first full-time chance in the NHL, but head coach John Tortorella has already been clear that he’s willing to insert someone else into the lineup. While it’s unlikely Anderson wouldn’t have a spot upon his return, every day he’s away from the team is another chance for some of their young players to impress the coaching staff.

There is something else he’s missing by not taking part in any preseason games. The league has clearly made a change to the way they call slashing and faceoff penalties, and though the rest of the league has a chance to get used to these rules, Anderson and Andreas Athanasiou are just watching from the sideline. If contracts are signed just before the start of the year, it will be interesting to see if they are disproportionately penalized in the early going.

Calgary Flames Reveal Scrapped Arena Proposal

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As Calgary Flames President Ken King said he would last week, the team has released a full page ad both online and in local print revealing what their offer for new arena funding looked like. In it, the team criticizes the city of Calgary for submitting an unfair proposal that would put the entire burden of financing on the team. Though the city has said they’re willing to pay up to one-third of the cost, the team believes this “did not accurately reflect the total Flames funding required.”

The team includes a somewhat ominous statement about the future in Calgary:

Many, including us, believe Calgary is a terrific place for NHL hockey and we certainly have great fans. As such, we will strive to operate, as we have for the past 34 years, in the Saddledome for as long as we believe it is feasible.

King joined the Fan 960 in Calgary this morning to discuss the ad, and reiterated that there would be no more negotiations or arena talk. He wants to put the potential deal behind him, and “move on.”

Though this all seems like a terrible outcome for Flames fans who wish the team will stay in town forever, remember that this fight has been highly politicized from the start. Though they say there is no movement on a new deal, things can obviously change very quickly. This should not be taken as a death sentence for the Flames, though it is certainly not a step towards longevity.

Golden Knights Sign Dylan Coghlan To Entry-Level Deal

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Another player has turned a strong performance at rookie camp and the early part of training camp into an entry-level deal as the Golden Knights announced that they have signed defenseman Dylan Coghlan to a three-year contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 19-year-old wasn’t selected back at the draft in June despite a very strong season with Tri-City of the WHL.  In 2016-17, he had 15 goals and 38 assists; his 53 points were more than he had in his first two seasons combined.  They were also enough to tie him for 12th overall among all Western League blueliners.  He had been ranked 155th among North American skaters for the draft.

Given the logjam of blueliners that Vegas has, Coghlan will assuredly be going back to junior for this season (he isn’t eligible to play in the AHL yet).  As a result, his contract will slide (unless he surprisingly makes it into ten or more NHL games) and won’t officially begin until the 2018-19 campaign.

Joffrey Lupul Won’t Seek Second Opinion On Failed Physical

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After suggesting earlier this week that the Maple Leafs cheat the system when it comes to utilizing long-term injury reserve, winger Joffrey Lupul released a statement via his Twitter account, announcing that he wouldn’t be seeking a second opinion on his failed physical.  He had until Thursday to request one.  He added that he still hopes to return to playing one day.

He’s entering the final year of his contract with a cap hit of $5.25MM and Toronto is expected to place Lupul on LTIR once the season gets underway in order to get back into compliance with the salary cap.  Even when that happens, the Leafs will still likely be within $1MM of the Upper Limit as things currently stand.  Nathan Horton, who also failed his physical and isn’t expected to resume his playing career, was already placed on there back in the summer.

The soon-to-be 34-year-old has played in 701 career NHL games with four different teams, collecting 205 goals and 215 assists.  He last suited up in February of 2016 and underwent sports hernia surgery at that time.  Assuming he gets the green light to try a comeback for next season, Lupul could be an intriguing candidate for a PTO or a bonus-laden one-year contract next summer.

Snapshots: Mueller, Kronwall, Loktionov, Scandella

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After failing to land an NHL contract with Boston last season, center Peter Mueller is heading back across the pond as he has signed a one-year contract with EC Salzburg, the Austrian team announced.  Mueller has 297 career NHL games under his belt but last saw action at the top level in 2012-13 with Florida.  He also previously spent time with the Coyotes and Avalanche.  The 29-year-old collected 13 goals and 12 assists in 56 games with AHL Providence last season and at this point, another run at an NHL spot doesn’t seem too likely.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Although Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall has yet to practice with the team or suit up in early preseason action, head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters, including Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, that Kronwall has been skating on his own and could start practicing soon. Kronwall battled knee problems last season and had back spasms earlier in the week.
  • Although he inked a PTO deal with the Kings, center Andrei Loktionov initially drew interest from the Maple Leafs, reports Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider. He opted to take the tryout with Los Angeles in large part due to his familiarity with the organization, having been drafted by the team in 2008 and being with them until February of 2013.  A path to an NHL roster spot is likely easier with the Kings than in Toronto as well.  Loktionov had 27 points in 58 games with Yaroslavl Lokomotiv of the KHL last season.
  • The Sabres plan to hold defenseman Marco Scandella out of game action until sometime next week, head coach Phil Housley told reporters, including Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. Scandella is recovering from offseason hip surgery and the team has been cautious with him so far, giving him some off days in the early going of training camp.

Metropolitan Notes: Smith-Pelly, Johnson, Wennberg, Manning

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Capitals winger Devante Smith-Pelly told Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post that he played through a knee injury last year in New Jersey, something that the team was aware of at the time.  With 15 games left in the season, he opted for surgery which put him on injured reserve the rest of the way.  The Devils bought out the final year of his contract back in June (something Smith-Pelly opted not to grieve) and Smith-Pelly was only able to land a two-way contract that only pays the league minimum at the NHL level.  The 25-year-old says his knee has fully recovered and with Washington needing some cheap contracts to round out their roster, he should have a good chance to make the team despite posting just nine points in 53 games in 2016-17.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson is entering the final year of his contract and told Tom Reed of The Athletic (subscription required) that his priority is to stay with Columbus. Johnson is set to earn $5MM in salary this coming season but may be hard-pressed to match that amount on the open market unless his point production gets back into the 30-40 point range after tallying just 37 combined over the last two years.
  • Still with the Blue Jackets, center Alexander Wennberg has finally received his new work visa and has rejoined the team, notes Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch. Although Wennberg didn’t change teams this offseason, his new six-year, $29.4MM deal required him to go through the formal process once again.
  • Flyers defenseman Brandon Manning resumed skating last month as he recovers from back surgery from April and is hopeful to be 100% for the regular season opener, notes Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer. With Philadelphia expected to carry a couple of rookies to start the season, Manning may be in line to start as their seventh blueliner.  He has been in that role at times over the past few seasons but saw action in a career-high 65 games last year.

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