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Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Juuso Riikola

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Friday: The Penguins have made the signing official. Riikola has signed a one-year entry-level contract, and will join the Pittsburgh organization for the 2018-19 season.

Thursday: According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the Pittsburgh Penguins have agreed to terms with undrafted European free agent Juuso Riikola. Riikola was eliminated along with the rest of Finland today from the IIHF World Championship. The 24-year old is eligible to sign a one-year entry-level contract with the Penguins.

Riikola has been a fixture with KalPa in Finland’s top professional league for several years, and put up another solid season this year with 24 points in 59 games. The left-handed defenseman will enter a Penguins system that is relatively void of defensive prospects, and could get a chance quickly with the organization.

There’s no telling when the team would try him out at the NHL level, but for a club that is always fighting the salary cap due to big commitments to several forwards, adding cheap defensive depth is a positive. There is a chance the Penguins will buy out Matt Hunwick’s contract this summer, leaving another roster spot open for someone to come in and fill. Riikola could potentially be that player if he adapts quickly to the North American game, especially now that Andrey Pedan is heading to the KHL.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Joel Persson, Will Assign To SHL For 2018-19

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In one of the more intriguing transactions in recent memory, the Edmonton Oilers have signed European free agent Joel Persson but announced that he will be loaned to Vaxjo of the SHL for the 2018-19 season. The contract is an entry-level deal for just one year, meaning the Oilers are essentially buying his exclusive rights for the 2019-20 season and beyond. Persson will become a restricted free agent after his one-year contract expires, at which point he can negotiate a new deal that isn’t limited by the entry-level system.

A move like this to circumvent the entry-level system isn’t normal, and could actually be grounds for looking closely at the rules in the next collective bargaining agreement. We’ve seen transaction trickery be squashed quickly in years past, and this fits into that category. From the Oilers perspective though, it is a savvy move to get a player that may not necessarily want to come to North America right away. GM Peter Chiarelli released a statement on his new prospect:

We are excited to have Joel join our organization. He has progressed rapidly in the last year and has shown a very good offensive side to his game which is compatible with some of our needs. The plan is for Joel to remain with his club team next year. We have the right of recall but want to see him develop his game thoroughly in what will be his second year in the Swedish Elite League

Persson, 24, is fresh off an SHL Championship with Vaxjo after exploding for 34 points as a rookie. That was good enough for second in the entire league among defensemen, only behind the recently signed Lawrence Pilut (Buffalo Sabres). If Persson can continue to show that he’s an elite puck-mover at the professional level in Sweden, Edmonton could sign him to a multi-year contract next summer to help the right side of their defense. That group was notoriously weak this season, and needs to add more skill and quickness to play the type of game that best suits Connor McDavid’s play.

With Persson staying in Sweden for this season though, the Oilers still have work to do on their defense. Just yesterday we released our Offseason Keys for the team, which noted that it will be difficult to land a big fish on the free agent market without moving out some salary. Either way, the team needs to do something to support their young superstar and vault themselves back into the playoff picture.

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Saku Maenalanen

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Friday: The Hurricanes have officially announced the signing.  The deal comes with an $832,500 salary in the NHL. New GM Don Waddell had this to say about his newest prospect:

Saku is a big, strong winger who can really skate. Our scouting staff has been tracking this player for a long time. He had options when it came to where he would start his NHL career, and we’re pleased he has chosen Carolina.

Thursday: According to a Finnish news source (and seemingly confirmed by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet), the Carolina Hurricanes have signed Saku Maenalanen to an entry-level contract. Maenalanen is currently playing for Finland at the World Championships, after a breakout season with Karpat. The 23-year old would be limited to a one-year entry-level contract due to his age.

Maenalanen was originally selected in the fifth round by the Nashville Predators in 2013, but never signed with the club and eventually became an unrestricted free agent. Some time developing in Finland did him well, as he scored 46 points in 59 games this season as one of the top offensive players in the entire league. That was followed by a solid postseason that concluded with a third Liiga championship for the young player. The performance on the biggest stage isn’t surprising, as many will remember his seven-goal performance at the 2014 World Juniors, where he won gold playing on a line with fellow Hurricanes forward Teuvo Teravainen.

That familiarity may come in handy if Maenalanen cracks the Carolina roster, as he likely would be used in an offensive role in the NHL. The 6’4″ winger has great hands around the net and can find weak spots in the defensive coverage. There’s no guarantee that he’ll jump right to the NHL, but his solid performance at the current Worlds is only helping his case.

International Notes: Dyblenko, Granberg, Bengtsson

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After the New Jersey Devils placed Yaroslav Dyblenko on unconditional waivers earlier this month, the expectation was that he would return to the KHL. That expectation is now reality, as his agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey tweets out a congratulations on signing with SKA St. Petersburg. If nothing else, his foray into the North American circuit for a year improved his stock in Russia, as Dyblenko will now play for one of the league’s powerhouses.

Dyblenko never worked out in New Jersey, and ended up playing 54 games for the AHL Binghamton Devils instead. The 24-year old defenseman will be an unrestricted free agent again after his deal with SKA runs out, meaning we could see him back in North America at some point. That likely will only happen if a team can guarantee him an NHL job, something he’ll need to earn playing with his new club.

  • Petter Granberg is heading back to Sweden, signing a three-year deal with Skelleftea of the SHL. The former Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators defenseman was scheduled to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer after spending the entire year in the minor leagues. Granberg, selected in the fourth round back in 2010, looked like he was developing into a solid third pairing player at one point. That still might come, but we won’t be seeing him back in the NHL for the next few seasons.
  • Another Swedish defenseman is heading home, as Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Lukas Bengtsson has signed a three-year contract with Linkoping. Bengtsson was scheduled to be a restricted free agent this summer, and still hadn’t cracked the NHL lineup. Signing as an undrafted free agent with Pittsburgh in 2016, the 24-year old undersized defenseman recorded 15 points in 37 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season, but didn’t look to be in the long-term plans at any point.

Offseason Keys: Edmonton Oilers

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While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning.  What storylines lie ahead around the league?  Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Edmonton Oilers.

Following a season that saw them make it to the second round of playoffs, expectations were high in Edmonton.  They had locked up two key contributors in centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl over the summer and they were viewed as a team on the rise.  Unfortunately, things didn’t go anywhere near as planned as the Oilers found themselves out of the playoff race pretty quickly which means changes should be on the horizon this summer.  Here are some keys to their offseason.

Free Up Cap Room

The Oilers have nearly $65MM tied up in 16 players already for next season, per CapFriendly with some notable restricted free agents to re-sign, including defenseman Darnell Nurse and center Ryan Strome.  Even with the expected increase in the salary cap, that doesn’t leave GM Peter Chiarelli with a lot of wiggle room.

At this point last offseason, many expected that center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the likely casualty.  However, he was shifted to McDavid’s wing at the end of the season (and continues there at the Worlds with Team Canada) so the odds of him moving appear to be considerably less now.  Defensemen Oscar Klefbom and Andrej Sekera are coming off of down seasons but moving one of them with their value lowered isn’t the best asset management.  Kris Russell is a bit cheaper but opinions on him around the league are widely mixed given how prolonged his free agency was two years ago so there may not be a big market for him either.

If they can’t find a suitable trade, the other option to try to clear out money is a buyout.  Winger Milan Lucic has struggled since joining the Oilers and carries a pricey $6MM cap hit.  However, since he has five years left on his contract, a buyout would mean they’d be paying him not to play for them for a decade.  That’s a lot of long-term pain for shorter-term gain as well.

Regardless of whether it’s through a trade, a buyout, or a combination of the two, Chiarelli will need to get creative to free up enough money to address some of their needs over the summer while trying to get back to the postseason.

Decision In Goal

Edmonton has a big call to make between the pipes.  No, it’s not the one that saw 6’7 netminder Mikko Koskinen join the team on a one-year, $2.5MM contract earlier this month.  While they hope he will upgrade the backup position, the decision to be pondered lies with their starter.

Two years ago, Cam Talbot was one of the better goalies in the league and narrowly missed out on being a Vezina Trophy finalist.  Finally, it seemed as if he was going to be the solution to their long-standing goalie concerns.  That swung back the other way in 2017-18.  His goals-against average (3.02) and save percentage (.903) were both below the league average while he led the league in total goals allowed (188).  Those aren’t the numbers of someone who is a long-term solution in goal.

Talbot heads into this summer with one year left on his contract (with a $4.17MM cap hit) which means he’s eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st.  Does the team still view him as their goalie of the future?  If so, the time may be right to see if a new deal can be agreed upon.  If not, do they instead look to deal him and then either sign a free agent or acquire one in return?  (Koskinen is a big wild card to begin with so it’s hard to envision them handing him the number one job right away.)  They can always decide to defer the choice and let next season play out but without a top goaltending prospect that’s close to being NHL ready in their system, going that route may be a risky proposition in itself.

Add Defensive Help

This has been a long-standing concern for Edmonton and while Chiarelli has attempted to improve it over the years with the additions of Adam Larsson, Sekera and Russell, more upgrades are required.

In particular, a true top pairing player would go a long way towards solidifying things.  Their current group is a collection of defenders that are better served in supporting roles than logging the most minutes.  Getting deeper has helped the cause but if they want to get back into contention, finding someone that can push those players into roles they’re better suited for would go a long way.

However, adding that type of defender is much easier said than done, especially considering their salary cap situation.  Washington’s John Carlson can log the heavy minutes and is following up a career year with a strong postseason but he is pretty much out of their price range.  Accordingly, Chiarelli will likely have to turn to the trade market once again where he will hope to make a better move than the one he made to land Larsson two summers ago.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Metropolitan Notes: Letang, Texier, Kempny

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Following an up-and-down season, some have speculated if the Penguins could consider trading defenseman Kris Letang this summer.  Speaking with Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required), GM Jim Rutherford acknowledged that he’s not shopping the blueliner but he stopped short of confirming that he won’t be dealt:

“He’s not a guy that I’m actively trying to trade from our team. He’s been a great player for a long time and I think he’ll continue to be so. But, I can’t sit here and project an offer that some team could come along and make. I can’t project the future.”

The 31-year-old collected 51 points (9-42-51) in 79 games this season but struggled at times in the defensive zone.  However, he did manage to stay healthy which is notable since he was coming off of significant neck surgery.  Letang has four years remaining on his contract after this one with a cap hit of $7.25MM.  The Penguins would also likely need to get his permission for a trade as he carries an 18-team no-trade clause plus a no-move clause.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Blue Jackets prospect center Alexandre Texier will remain overseas for at least one more year, GM Jarmo Kekalainen confirmed to Steve Gorton of the Columbus Dispatch (Twitter link). The 18-year-old was a second-round pick (45th overall) back in 2017 and is coming off a quality showing at the World Championships where he picked up three assists in seven games despite being one of the youngest players in the tournament.  However, the team would like to see him get a little stronger physically and have decided that keeping him with KalPa of the SM-liiga is the best way to go.
  • While his acquisition largely flew under the radar, Capitals blueliner Michal Kempny has been a key addition to their back end, argues Matthew Paras of the Washington Times. He has worked his way into a regular role (something that wasn’t the case in Chicago) and Washington is allowing three fewer shots a game with him in the lineup compared to earlier in the season.  GM Brian MacLellan has expressed an interest in re-signing him although given their cap constraints, they may not be able to offer much more than the $900K he’s currently making.

Buffalo Sabres Could Make Big Changes This Summer

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The Buffalo Sabres have the first-overall pick in the upcoming NHL entry draft, and are expected to use it on Swedish defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. That gives them another potential superstar talent to ice with Jack Eichel and Casey Mittelstadt as what would be a solid core. If that’s the trio the team is set to build around though, there are questions swirling about what it means for the rest of the roster. There has been a shortage of wins in Buffalo the last few seasons, but not necessarily a shortage of talented players. Certain names have been regularly brought up in trade talks, and this season saw Evander Kane go as a big ticket item at the trade deadline.

In the latest edition of the “Bobcast” TSN’s Bob McKenzie speculates on who might be first out the door for the Sabres this summer, as he believes there are big changes coming. Terming it—however hesitantly—a “culture change” on the way for Buffalo, McKenzie opines on the future of center Ryan O’Reilly.

There’s no question in my mind that the Sabres are open for business. My sense is that after the exit interviews were done with the Sabres, I think they realized they really need to make some changes to their core. I hate to use the term “culture change” because I think it’s such an over-used cliche, but I do believe it applies in this instance, that there does need to be a culture change in Buffalo. So I think they’re all ears on just about anybody not named Jack Eichel or Rasmus Dahlin. I suppose that’s a little bit hyperbole, I mean it always is when you say “they’re listening on everybody”—it’s not a fire sale.

In my view, the player that is most likely to be moved is veteran center Ryan O’Reilly. Now in some ways mentioning him first after mentioning “culture change” that’s probably not fair to him. Because it sort of implies that he’s at the root of everything wrong with the Buffalo Sabres, and the Sabres’ culture of losing and that’s not entirely true, in fact it may not be true at all. But he’s a core guy, and if you’re going to effect a culture change, you need to move core guys. It’s as simple as that.

O’Reilly is starring for Team Canada currently at the IIHF World Championship, but could be coming back to a different team next season. The 27-year old is arguably the best faceoff man in the league and put up another 60-point season this year. That’s a sought-after commodity on the open market, and even with the five years left on his contract at a $7.5MM cap hit, he could be attractive to many teams.

McKenzie lists the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens as two potential landing spots, though both seem to be speculative at this point. Both teams have been looking for help up the middle for some time, and both are trying to compete in 2018-19. McKenzie suggests the deal would have to look something like the Mike Richards trade from 2011, which brought the Philadelphia Flyers Wayne Simmonds, Brayden Schenn—both of whom were very young players at the time—and a second-round pick. A package like that would certainly help build the new core around the above mentioned trio, and could propel the Sabres to relevancy again in the coming years.

O’Reilly will earn a $7.5MM signing bonus on July 1st, something that is repeated (in some fashion) for each remaining year of his deal. Interestingly that could reduce the cost of his overall deal quite a bit should a team wait until later in the summer to acquire him, though that would obviously then change his value in a relative manner.

It’s not often that a 60-point center in the middle of his prime comes available, especially one that is capable defensively and already locked up long-term. That contract will easily scare off some teams who don’t believe that O’Reilly is a difference-maker, but also could be very attractive, especially if Buffalo were to retain a portion or take a smaller return of assets.

Either way, there are changes coming in Buffalo and O’Reilly might be one of the biggest names on the market this summer. If he is truly available, you can bet there will be several calls placed to GM Jason Botterill in the coming weeks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

OHL Announces 2017-18 All-Star Teams

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The OHL is one of the best development leagues in the world when it comes to NHL players, with a huge portion of the best players in the league coming from the Ontario ranks. While being the best of the best at the junior ranks doesn’t by any means guarantee success in professional hockey, it is still a nice stepping stone on the way. Today, the OHL released their first, second and third All-Star teams for 2017-18, and they include quite a few interesting NHL prospects.

First Team All-Stars:

LW Boris Katchouk, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Tampa Bay Lightning, 44th overall, 2016)

C Morgan Frost, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Philadelphia Flyers, 27th overall, 2017)

RW Jordan Kyrou, Sarnia Sting (St. Louis Blues, 35th overall, 2016)

D Nicolas Hague, Mississauga Steelheads (Vegas Golden Knights, 34th overall, 2017)

D Evan Bouchard, London Knights (2018 draft eligible)

G Michael DiPietro, Windsor Spitfires (Vancouver Canucks, 64th overall, 2017)

Second Team All-Stars:

LW Sam Miletic, Niagara IceDogs (undrafted, signed with Pittsburgh Penguins)

C Aaron Luchuk, Barrie Colts (undrafted, signed with Ottawa Senators)

RW Taylor Raddysh, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Tampa Bay Lightning, 58th overall, 2016)

D Sean Durzi, Owen Sound Attack (2018 draft eligible)**

D Conor Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Colorado Avalanche, 32nd overall, 2017)

G Jeremy Helvig, Kingston Frontenacs (Carolina Hurricanes, 134th overall, 2016)

Third Team All-Stars:

LW Adam Mascherin, Kitchener Rangers (Florida Panthers, 38th overall, 2016)*

C Gabriel Vilardi, Kingston Frontenacs (Los Angeles Kings, 11th overall, 2017)

RW Jason Robertson, Kingston Frontenacs (Dallas Stars, 39th overall, 2017)

D Cam Dineen, Sarnia Sting (Arizona Coyotes, 68th overall, 2016)

D Joey Keane, Barrie Colts (2018 draft eligible)**

G Matthew Villalta, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (Los Angeles Kings, 72nd overall, 2017)

*Expected to re-enter draft if unsigned by Florida
**Went undrafted in first year of draft eligibility

Semi-Finals Set For IIHF World Championship

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In an incredible upset, Switzerland defeated Finland 3-2 today in the IIHF World Championship quarter-finals. Finland was the top seed in the tournament after handing both the USA and Canada losses during the group stage, but lost to the upstart Swiss squad that had received reinforcements like Roman Josi in recent days. Switzerland will have to take on Canada, who outlasted Russia and scored in overtime on the powerplay.

In the other semi-final, Team USA will meet Sweden in a clash of tournament powerhouses after they dispatched the Czech Republic and Latvia earlier today. That game will feature a matchup of some of the tournament’s best forwards in Patrick Kane and Cam Atkinson taking on Sweden’s tough defensive unit that includes Oliver Ekman-Larsson, John Klingberg, Hampus Lindholm, Adam Larsson and Mattias Ekholm.

The schedule for Saturday is as follows:

  • USA (7-1-0) vs Sweden (8-0-0) – 8:15am
  • Switzerland (5-2-1) vs Canada (6-1-1) – 12:15am

(times in CT)

While international tournaments may have no bearing on Stanley Cup results, these tournaments are huge moments in a player’s career. For teenaged skaters like Tyson Jost, Pierre-Luc Dubois or Quinn Hughes, it’s a chance to really show what you can do against the best players in the world.

The gold medal and bronze medal games will be held on Sunday, May 20th.

Poll: Who Should Win GM Of The Year?

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There are certain awards every year that seem destined to go to a single player, coach or executive regardless of who else is named a finalist. This year the Jack Adams might be one of those, as even our readership were in agreement on Gerard Gallant as the obvious choice. He received more than 62% of the vote, while no other candidate earned even 15%.

Another one of those awards might be this one. Yesterday the NHL released the finalists for GM of the Year, and Gallant’s boss is the overwhelming favorite. George McPhee started with the signing of Reid Duke, an over-aged played from the WHL, and could very well end with the Stanley Cup. Though the voting happens pre-playoffs, there’s no doubt that McPhee dominated many of his competitors this season by leveraging the expansion draft process—as flawed as it perhaps was—to create both a strong NHL team and a solid draft pipeline.

But, none of that could have been possible without breakout years by almost his entire selected roster. Some of the other moves—namely, acquiring Tomas Tatar at the trade deadline—haven’t been as universally well-regarded. More than that, there are some other names that could have a good case for the award.

Kevin Cheveldayoff, another one of the finalists, is likely there more for the work he has done over the last few years than anything he did in-season. The Winnipeg Jets have slowly matured into a powerhouse in the Western Conference, and though Paul Stastny was a shrewd deadline pickup, Dmitry Kulikov and Steve Mason haven’t worked out perfectly. Instead, it’s all the incredible drafting and development that has made Winnipeg into one of the deepest teams in the league.

The last finalist was Steve Yzerman, widely regarded as one of the best executives in the league. The Hall of Fame player has turned into a master of running an NHL club, locking up key players for reasonable cap hits and making big trades when necessary. Acquiring Mikhail Sergachev in the summer when he felt the Lightning had a surplus of talented forwards, and then landing the biggest trade deadline fish without removing much from his NHL roster—Vladislav Namestnikov was essentially replaced with the addition of J.T. Miller—have pushed Tampa Bay into a position to contend for some time.

But are there other candidates who should be considered for the award? What about Joe Sakic, who was close to being replaced last summer, only to land a huge package of talent for Matt Duchene in the early part of the season. The squad he put together jumped all the way from last place to the playoffs on the back of some underrated players (and Nathan MacKinnon), and are set up for success in the future.

What about Jim Rutherford in Pittsburgh, or Brian MacLellan in Washington, who both added key pieces to their teams at the deadline despite having very little cap space. Derick Brassard is returning to the Penguins with just a $3MM cap hit next season, while Michal Kempny has solidified the Capitals defense en route to their lead in the Conference Finals.

It might be clear what the answer is, but we’d like to hear from you. Cast your vote below on who should win, not who will win, and make sure to explain why in the comment section!

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