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Archives for August 2018

Martin Brodeur Hired By New Jersey Devils

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As expected, the New Jersey Devils have brought home one of their franchise icons. Martin Brodeur, after parting ways with the St. Louis Blues yesterday, has been hired on as the Executive VP of Business Development in New Jersey. Brodeur was expected to take on a role in the business side instead of staying in hockey operations, and this will certainly qualify. According to the release, his duties will include working with all departments to “identify, capitalize and develop on business opportunities for the Devils, Prudential Center and the outlying community.”

Brodeur, now 46, is arguably the most iconic player in Devils history. Playing over 1,200 regular season games in net for the franchise before heading to St. Louis for a seven-game stint at the end of his career, the Hall of Fame goaltender is arguably the greatest of all time. With three Stanley Cups, four Vezina trophies, five Jennings trophies, a Calder trophy and two Olympic gold medals there is nothing Brodeur failed to accomplish in his playing career. He stands alone at the top of the all-time wins leaderboard with 691—140 ahead of Patrick Roy in second place—and even scored three goals in his career.

He’ll now take on a new task after working as an Assistant General Manager in St. Louis, and learn the business side of the game. This can only help him in his development to become a General Manager or President of a hockey club if that’s what he eventually wants, and few would stand in his way.

Minor Transactions: 8/28/18

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August is almost over and training camps are right around the corner. Yet, players continue to make decisions on where they’ll play this season. On a day with a surprising amount of signing news, here are some other smaller moves around the hockey world:

  • The AHL’s Providence Bruins have added another body up front. Mark Divver of the Providence Journal reports that the team has signed center Brett McKenzie to his first pro contract. An unsigned 2016 seventh-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks, McKenzie just wrapped up an OHL career that featured 224 points in 328 games. Most recently, he led the Owen Sound Attack in playoff scoring with eight goals and eight assists in just eleven postseason contests. The big pivot also plays a strong physical game and can make a living lower in the lineup. The P-Bruins are already an extraordinarily deep AHL team and McKenzie may spend some time down in the ECHL, but could fight his way into a consistent role with the team during the season.
  • AHL teams tend to be more interested in adding younger players out the junior and college ranks as bottom-six contributors than recycling past AHLers. Hayden Hodgson is a case in point, as the former Cleveland Monsters grinder was unable to find another AHL deal this off-season. Instead, Hodgson has signed with the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL, the league announced. Hodgson spent some time in the ECHL last year and will be able to play a bigger role at the lower level. It remains to be seen whether he can show the offensive upside to ever climb back up the hockey ranks though.
  • The most common route for elite American prospects in recent years has been through the U.S. National Development Program and then into the NCAA or right into the NHL. However, that path didn’t yield the desired results for young defenseman D.J. King. Despite having great size and playing a prominent role on the blue line for both the U-17 and U-18 squads this past season, King went undrafted in June. This likely points to a lack of belief in his offensive abilities, as he produced little in the way of scoring for the USNTDP. In an effort to improve that image before his next go-round in the draft, King has signed with his junior rights holder, the defending OHL champion Hamilton Bulldogs. Hamilton has announced the deal with King, who they are excited to bring in after spending a second-round pick on him back in 2016. Former NHL defenseman and Bulldogs President and GM Steve Staios spoke to King’s upside as a prospect, citing his leadership, toughness, and puck-moving ability. Perhaps a change of scenery is all the big defender needs to boost his production this season.

Henrik Zetterberg Confirmed To Miss Regular Season Games

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While updates on Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg and his injury struggles have been frequent all off-season long, most of it has been fueled by vague comments and speculation. However, the wait if finally over for an actual timeline on his recovery, if he returns to the game at all. Zetterberg himself confirmed to Swedish news source Sport Bladet that he is set to miss training camp and the start of the season.

Missing that amount of time is all but definite, but that may be a best case scenario for the Red Wings. Zetterberg has insinuated for some time that he may not be able to play anymore. Chronic back pain is the source of his doubts and states in the interview that he has not managed to work though it at all this summer. Zetterberg continues to live in Detroit and work on his rehab, but the outlook is reportedly “bleak”. Zetterberg describes how the pains set in last February, leading to him sitting out most practices, but it didn’t help. The veteran center is no longer willing to take that shortcut approach either, stating that he will “not play NHL matches without being well prepared, especially not at my age.”

When last we heard about Zetterberg’s state, it was a report from head coach Jeff Blashill just a few days ago claiming that he didn’t expect Zetterberg to be ready for the start of training camp. Yet, now that this news has emerged from the player himself, it is another one of Blashill’s comments that stands out. The Red Wings’ bench boss speculated that if Zetterberg was not able to take part in training camp at all, that he was unlikely to play at all in the coming season. Since the respected veteran feels he will not be ready until well past the beginning of the season, that would indicate that he is most likely going to be shut down for the entire 2018-19 campaign. A comeback after that would be unlikely. Even though Zetterberg still has three years remaining on his contract, it is starting to feel like he has played his last game in the NHL.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Jason Garrison To PTO

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The Edmonton Oilers are out ahead of the crowd when it comes to locking up tryout candidates this off-season. After adding experienced two-way forward Scottie Upshall on a PTO last week, the team has now added another veteran to the mix. The Oilers have announced a PTO agreement with former Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Jason Garrison. With more than 500 NHL games under his belt, Garrison could help to make up for the loss of blue line leader Andrej Sekera if he performs well enough in camp.

Garrison is looking for any opportunity to get his career back on track. Once considered an elite defenseman, as evidenced by the six-year, $27.6MM contract that just expired, Garrison has been anything but in recent years. After his play slipped in his final years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team arranged for Garrison to be selected by Vegas in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, even giving up the rights to KHL star Nikita Gusev and a pair of high picks to do so. Garrison then skated in just eight games with the Knights last season, clearing waivers twice over the course of a campaign spent almost entirely in the AHL.

At 33 years old, Garrison is hoping to show that he can still make a difference in the NHL. It is no surprise that the free agent market was quiet for the struggling defender, but he may have found a great option in a PTO with the Oilers. Since Sekera went down, there has been almost unanimous agreement among hockey pundits that Edmonton needed to make an addition. While the team has since added Jakub Jerabek, it would not be a shock to see the older, more experienced Garrison win a roster spot on a blue line that features an average NHL games played of 260 among the currently-slated starters. Garrison could not only make the team, but be a locker room leader for a squad that fell well short of expectations last year and could use some guidance in their effort to return to the postseason.

Michael McCarron Expected To Sign Soon

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The Montreal Canadiens have just one restricted free agent left to sign before the season begins, and are expected to have that contract finalized in the next few days. Michael McCarron will ink a short-term deal with the Canadiens soon according to Richard Labbe of La Presse, who quotes McCarron’s agent in his latest piece. The 23-year old forward hasn’t yet been able to secure a full-time role with Montreal or pay off on his first-round draft pedigree, but will likely get another chance to do so in 2018-19.

In 18 games last season with the Canadiens, McCarron registered just a single point and was once again lacking any real offensive touch. The 6’6″ forward was drafted 25th-overall in 2013 with expectations that his two-way potential would catch up with his frame, but he’s struggled even in the minor leagues to find any consistency. With just 31 goals in 144 minor league contests, and eight points in his 69 NHL games, there’s not a ton of optimism that McCarron will ever become the power forward and net presence many had hoped. Instead, he’ll have to carve out a different role in a system that is starting to collect more talent up front.

It would be surprising if the “short-term” deal was anything but a one-year contract at this point, and this year might be the last chance McCarron really has to prove he’s an NHL talent. He’ll turn 24 before the season is up, and with younger forwards like Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jake Evans, Will Bitten, Ryan Poehling, Jesse Ylonen and Joni Ikonen getting closer to making an impact at the NHL level there won’t be many opportunities left for aging prospects. Perhaps his best look will be early in the 2018-19 season, if the Canadiens have to start the year without Paul Byron and Andrew Shaw.

2006 NHL Draft Take Two: Fifth Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

Our look back at the 2006 NHL Entry Draft is now in full swing as we poll the PHR community to see who would have been selected in the first round and in what order knowing what we know now.  Through the first four picks we’ve already seen potential Hall of Fame players switch teams, and multiple captains move up the board.

Here are the results of the redraft so far:

1st Overall: Jonathan Toews (St. Louis Blues)
2nd Overall: Claude Giroux (Pittsburgh Penguins)
3rd Overall: Nicklas Backstrom (Chicago Blackhawks)
4th Overall: Brad Marchand (Washington Capitals)

The Capitals were reeling when their target of Backstrom went off the board to the Blackhawks, but they still get an incredible talent in the fourth spot. Barely edging out Phil Kessel for the right to go to Washington is Marchand, who moves up 67 spots from where he was actually selected. The Boston Bruins pulled a rabbit out of their hats by selecting Marchand 71st-overall back in 2006, and he’s proven to be much more than a third-round selection in the year’s since.

Now we’ll move forward to the fifth pick in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, which was held by the Boston Bruins.

Incredibly, the Bruins may very well end up with the same player they chose more than a decade ago when they decided that Kessel was the best available. An outstanding scoring talent that had just put up 51 points in just 39 games as a freshman for the University of Minnesota, Kessel was once in contention for the first-overall pick. Though it wouldn’t work out in Boston, there isn’t much to argue with when you look at Kessel’s career numbers through 2018. With 914 games played he leads all 2006 draft picks, and his 741 points trail only Backstrom. Two Stanley Cup victories with the Penguins don’t hurt, though there are several other contenders for the fifth pick.

Will Boston choose the same player in Kessel all these years later, or could top picks Erik Johnson and Jordan Staal make it a race? With the fifth pick of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Boston Bruins select? Cast your vote below!

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Brandon Davidson To Attend Chicago Blackhawks Camp

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Brandon Davidson had ten different professional tryout options including one with the Edmonton Oilers, but according to Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal will sign and attend Chicago Blackhawks training camp. Matheson reports that there is a one-year one-way contract offer waiting for Davidson with the Blackhawks if they “like what they see” in camp.

Davidson, 27, split last season between the Oilers, Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders playing in 51 games and recording seven points. The defenseman hasn’t found much success since an impressive run during the 2015-16 season, but still could be a depth option for the Blackhawks if they want to add to the blue line. Chicago currently has just six defensemen on one-way contracts for this season, though younger options like Gustav Forsling and Henri Jokiharju should push for spots in camp.

It’s tough to project the Chicago defense as anything more than average this season though, which could give Davidson a chance to impress. After a down year from Duncan Keith in 2017-18, the team will need him to bounce back to his All-Star form or else could be looking at a group of underwhelming options on the blue line. The team does have quite a bit of cap space available after moving Marian Hossa’s contract out, and could easily afford to sign Davidson to a one-way deal. Whether that comes to pass will be decided during training camp, like it was for Cody Franson last season.

Tyler Seguin “Disappointed” In Contract Situation

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After Tyler Seguin contract speculation hit the news again recently with a report the two sides hadn’t discussed an extension in some time, he addressed media today about the situation. Speaking to reporters including The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler, Seguin expressed his disappointment that he hasn’t already signed a long-term deal with the Dallas Stars and indicated the two sides haven’t spoken about an extension since the draft. Seguin is in Toronto at the BioSteel camp with many other top NHL stars, and will be heading into the final season of his current contract when he reports to Stars training camp in a few weeks.

There is bound to be almost daily updates on the Seguin situation if the team doesn’t get him under contract before the season begins, and like John Tavares last year there will be a real pressure to trade him if nothing can get done. The team can’t watch a superstar center walk into free agency without getting something in return, but the Stars are hoping to compete for the playoffs this season and Seguin is a huge part of their success. One of the most consistent offensive players in the league, Seguin is coming off his fifth consecutive season with at least 70 points and his first with 40 goals. Improving defensive play has turned him into a legitimate top tier center in the NHL, and one that would demand upwards of $10MM per season on any extension.

That might be too rich for the Stars, but it would mean letting one of the faces of the franchise get away in his prime. Though Seguin has only been in Dallas for five of his eight NHL seasons, he’s one of the most popular players in the market and an obvious choice to give a long-term contract to. He does come with some controversy from his days with the Boston Bruins, but hasn’t found himself in the news very often since heading to the Stars other than for his incredible on-ice performance.

The Stars were recently linked once again to Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson, who would also be looking for a massive extension if he was acquired at any point this season. Paying both Karlsson and Seguin might be impossible for the Stars, even with the relative bargain of John Klingberg’s current deal. While it’s not clear what exactly is holding up any contract extension talks between the Stars and Seguin, they’ll have to make a decision before long and work out a deal with him before the allure of free agency becomes even more attractive.

Kyle Quincey Signs In Finland

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It looks like the end of the NHL road for veteran defenseman Kyle Quincey, as he has accepted a contract with HIFK in Finland’s Liiga for the 2018-19 season. The 33-year old played just 18 games with the Minnesota Wild last season, and didn’t end up playing in the minor leagues at all after the team put him through waivers to bury his cap hit. Now he’ll start the next chapter of his hockey career in Europe.

Quincey was once a reliable two-way defenseman for teams like Los Angeles, Colorado and Detroit, but has seen his play fall off considerably in recent years. That led to an exit from the Red Wings organization and short, unsuccessful stints in New Jersey Columbus and Minnesota the last two years. A player who once put up 38 points in 72 games for the Kings now finds himself completely out of the NHL and fighting just for his survival in professional hockey.

If this is the end of his NHL career Quincey will finish with 586 regular season games and 158 points, averaging more than 20 minutes a night despite his reduced totals over the last few years. He never did win a Stanley Cup but played 56 postseason contests. The fourth-round pick certainly out performed his draft position, even if it was a relatively short career.

No Extension Talks Between Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens

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11:15am: Pacioretty’s new agent Allan Walsh went on record explaining the situation in a tweet, saying that while there have been discussions between the Canadiens and Pacioretty over the last two months, there have been no negotiations at all on a new contract or any offers from the team. Pacioretty wants to sign a new contract according to Walsh, but nothing has materialized so far.

9:00am: All offseason there have been rumors and speculation surrounding Max Pacioretty and the Montreal Canadiens, including reports that a trade had been close to being finalized at one point. At Pacioretty’s charity golf tournament today, GM Marc Bergevin was asked about whether or not he expects his captain to be in training camp when it opens in a few weeks. “Of course, just like any other player” is the answer he gave to Arpon Basu of The Athletic, indicating that nothing has changed with Pacioretty’s status as a part of the Canadiens.

Obviously it would be difficult for Bergevin to say anything else, especially during an event like this, but things have certainly quieted down recently in regards to Pacioretty’s future. The 29-year old winger himself confirmed to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports that there has been no extension talks with the team, meaning there will likely be a decision at some point whether to cash in and get whatever they can for him. The market for scoring wingers was set this summer with the recent trade of Jeff Skinner, and may not be exactly what the Canadiens are willing to accept to trade their captain, even as he enters the final year of his current contract.

Montreal is dealing with several injuries that could leak into the start of the season, but do have a chance to be better than expected if Carey Price can return to form and some of the younger players step up. If Bergevin believes his squad can compete for a playoff spot, trading Pacioretty may not happen for some time. If they’re out of the race by the trade deadline though, expect him to be one of the top names available given that he has no trade protection in his contract and carries just a $4.5MM cap hit.

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