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College Notes: Makar, Jackson, McDonald

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The Avalanche will have some extra defensive depth in the near future.  Mike Chambers of the Denver Post reports that Colorado has agreed to sign top prospect Cale Makar as soon as his college season comes to an end.  Makar’s University of Massachusetts Minutemen have reached the Frozen Four with the semi-finals going on Thursday and the final game on Saturday so they’ll be without him for the first couple of games of the first round at the very least.  Despite not having any pro action under his belt, it’s like that the Avs will put Makar into their lineup as soon as he puts pen to paper on that new deal.  His contract will be a three-year, entry-level pact with the base salary being capped at $925K (which includes signing bonus money).

Other news from the college ranks:

  • St. Cloud forward Robby Jackson has agreed to a two-year AHL deal with San Antonio, affiliate of St. Louis, reports Jake Jensen of The Athletic (Twitter link). While the Rampage hasn’t announced the deal, he has been added to their roster on the AHL’s website while it’s noted that he’s not on a tryout contract, suggesting that the first year will be burned this season.  The 21-year-old wrapped up his college career by averaging over a point per game for the second straight year and finished third on the Huskies in scoring.
  • The Kings have added Bowling Green defender Connor McDonald on an amateur tryout agreement, their AHL team in Ontario announced. The undrafted 23-year-old was a steady stay-at-home player over four seasons with the Falcons.  His 161 career games played are the fifth most in Bowling Green history among blueliners.

Ducks Assign Three To The Minors

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With their season coming to a close, the Ducks have sent a trio of players to the minors.  According to the AHL’s Transactions page, Anaheim has sent defenseman Jacob Larsson, center Sam Steel, and winger Max Jones to San Diego of the AHL.

Larsson has the most NHL experience of the three, spending the bulk of this season with Anaheim.  He played in 49 games with the Ducks this season, collecting five assists while playing over 17 minutes a night on the back end.  He will likely play a prominent role in the Gulls’ push to the postseason and then push for a full-time roster spot in Anaheim next season.

Steel, meanwhile, made a strong first impression with the Ducks in his rookie year.  He played in 22 NHL games this season, recording 11 points, eight of which came over the last seven games.  The first-year pro sits fourth on the Gulls in scoring with 39 points in 50 contests.

As for Jones, he had some offensive success with San Diego this season with 28 points in 40 games but that didn’t translate to much success at the NHL level as he recorded just five points in 30 contests with Anaheim.  Given that the Ducks are going to be tight to the salary cap next season, the 21-year-old could be counted on to play a bottom six role in 2019-20.

There are likely more roster moves to come from Anaheim.  However, since the regular season hasn’t officially come to an end yet, the Ducks are still subject to minimum roster rules.  As a result, defenseman Brendan Guhle remains on the roster for the time being but will likely be sent down as well as early as tomorrow.  However, he left Friday’s game early due to an upper-body injury so his short-term availability will be in question.  Meanwhile, winger Troy Terry would have been among those eventually being demoted for the playoff run but he suffered a broken leg earlier this week which will keep him out for at least two months.

Marcus Hogberg Receiving Interest From Overseas

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Senators goaltending prospect Marcus Hogberg is attracting overseas interest, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  The 24-year-old is slated to become a restricted free agent this summer with salary arbitration eligibility.

Hogberg has spent time at the NHL, AHL, and ECHL levels this season.  He held his own in four games with Ottawa when Craig Anderson was injured but has played extremely well with AHL Belleville, posting a 2.29 GAA and a .917 SV% in 35 contests.

However, finding playing time for him could be a challenge next year.  Filip Gustavsson, acquired from Pittsburgh last season, is viewed as a potential goalie of the future while the recently-signed Joey Daccord will be in his first full professional season as well.  Mike Condon is expected to be healthy for next season but given how he played this year, he’s a candidate to be waived and sent to the minors as well.  That doesn’t leave a lot of room for Hogberg.

While it’s possible that Hogberg could be in the mix to be the backup behind Anderson, it’s hard to imagine that the Sens would choose to go with someone that has just four NHL games under his belt as the undisputed number two.  Anders Nilsson has played fairly well since being acquired in early January and there’s a good chance Ottawa will look to bring him back for next season.

When players choose to leave North America and head overseas, it’s often viewed as a negative for their NHL aspirations.  Hogberg, should he choose to do so, may wind up being one of the exceptions as it may be the best path for him to get meaningful playing time for the 2019-20 season.

Central Notes: Boudreau, Kunitz, Stars

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Although the Wild will miss the playoffs this season, GM Paul Fenton and owner Craig Leipold have not discussed a coaching chance, reports Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.  That suggests that Bruce Boudreau will be back behind the bench next season.  He has one year remaining on his contract after this season so it will be interesting to see if the two sides work out an extension or if Fenton opts to wait and preserve some flexibility to make an in-season change if they get off to a slow start in 2019-20.  Boudreau has the third-highest points percentage amongst active NHL coaches at .641.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • Blackhawks winger Chris Kunitz has yet to decide whether or not he wants to play next season, notes Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago. The 39-year-old has played a very limited role with Chicago this year, collecting just ten points (5-5-10) in 55 games while logging just over nine minutes a night.  However, given his previous postseason successes (including four Stanley Cups), there still may be teams interested in him this summer if he decides that he wants to keep playing.
  • While Stars winger Mats Zuccarello suited up on Tuesday, he was noticeably absent from Friday’s loss to Chicago. However, Sean Shapiro of The Athletic notes (subscription required) that Zuccarello’s absence wasn’t injury-related but rather just precautionary.  He’s available to play tonight but head coach Jim Montgomery indicated that he’s confident that Zuccarello is ready to play in the postseason without another tune-up game.  Meanwhile, goalie Ben Bishop is expected to start tonight after missing four straight contests due to a lower-body injury.

Minor Transactions: 4/6/19

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The final day of the regular season one is certainly a busy one with everyone aside from Anaheim in action.  While the 16 playoff teams are locked in, several seedings have yet to be determined so there is still plenty at stake.  There is bound to be a lot of roster movement today; we’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • With Corey Crawford leaving Friday’s game early due to injury, the Blackhawks announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled goaltender Kevin Lankinen from Rockford of the AHL. The 23-year-old is in his first year in North America and has split the season between the AHL and ECHL levels.  He’s expected to back up Cam Ward in their season finale against Nashville.
  • A day after being sent down, Matt Tennyson is once again back up with Buffalo, per the AHL’s Transactions page. The 28-year-old has been shuttled back and forth from the Sabres and AHL Rochester on a daily basis for the last week and a half but he hasn’t seen any action with the big club during that time … and several hours later, the Sabres announced that they assigned Tennyson back to Rochester.
  • The Bruins announced that they’ve recalled winger Anton Blidh and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon from AHL Providence on an emergency basis.  It’s Blidh’s second recall of the season although he didn’t get into a game with Boston in his first stint with the team.  He has 20 points and 92 penalty minutes in 71 games with Providence.  Meanwhile, Lauzon has split the season between the two teams, suiting up in 15 games with the big club and 28 with Providence.
  • The Sharks announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned defenseman Jacob Middleton to San Jose of the AHL.  He played in San Jose’s last two games, picking up an assist while logging a little more than 12 minutes a game.  His spot in the lineup is expected to be filled by Erik Karlsson who is set to return after missing nearly six weeks due to a groin injury.  Their AHL team also announced that blueliner Ryan Merkley, their 2018 first-rounder, has been assigned to the minors following his elimination from the OHL postseason.
  • The Dallas Stars have announced they have assigned forward Joel L’Esperance to the Texas Stars of the AHL for the team’s potential playoff run. The 23-year-old forward had been recalled in late Februrary and has two goals in 18 games, although he did score Friday for Dallas. L’Esperance has potted 29 goals in 50 games for Texas this season.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have assigned forward Michael Amadio to the Ontario Reign to make room for Blake Lizotte, according to Fox Sports’ Patrick O’Neal. Amadio was recalled in late February and scored six goals and 13 points in 43 games. However, the Kings intend to give Lizotte, recently signed out of St. Cloud State, a chance to play in their final game of the season. Lizotte scored 14 goals and 42 points in 37 games.

Canucks Notes: Edler, Boeser, Hughes

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While Canucks defenseman Alex Edler’s desire to remain in Vancouver is well-known, Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre suggests that there will likely be one significant hurdle that needs to be cleared for the pending UFA to remain with the team.  Unlike most contract talks, that hurdle won’t be salary or term either.  Instead, it could very well come down to GM Jim Benning’s willingness to include a no-move clause.

MacIntyre notes that Edler invoked his no-trade clause back at the trade deadline in late February to remain with the team.  If he did that this season, there’s a good chance that he’d likely continue to do so if approached about waiving a no-move clause down the road, especially with the Seattle expansion draft now two years away.  The expansion situation is what would likely push him to seek the no-move instead of a simple no-trade clause as the former would assure he’s protected for the draft.  Back at the deadline, the two sides agreed to table extension talks until the season came to an end so those discussions should pick up again in the coming weeks.

More from Vancouver:

  • Postmedia’s Ed Willes speculates that winger Brock Boeser’s asking price will start in the $6MM range per season. The pending restricted free agent has matched his point total from last season with 55 in 68 games but battled multiple groin issues throughout the season as well.  While that amount may seem low compared to some of the other notable young players that will also be up for new deals this summer, the fact that the 22-year-old only has two full seasons under his belt instead of three should keep his next AAV a little lower than some of the other comparables.
  • While the Canucks will see their season come to an end tonight, at least one player will be suiting up next month. The team announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Quinn Hughes will participate with Team USA at the upcoming World Championships.  The 19-year-old has made a quick impact with Vancouver since joining their lineup with three assists in four games and will continue his development at the international level.  Hughes suited up for them in the tournament last year, recording a pair of assists in ten games.

Roberto Luongo Could Return As Florida’s Backup Next Season

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The future for Florida Panthers icon Roberto Luongo is still a mystery, with the veteran keeper stating as recently as two weeks ago that he was undecided on what his next move would be and would wait until the off-season to make that call. However, The Athletic’s George Richards heard enough from talking to Luongo recently to believe that the future Hall of Famer is not quite ready to hang up his skates. The main piece of evidence: Luongo would be happy to serve in a backup role next season and possibly beyond, which is perhaps the only way his storied career can continue.

Luongo, 40, is undoubtedly in decline. Although his 42 appearances – 43 after Saturday’s season finale start – are an improvement over each of the past two seasons, his .900 save percentage and 3.10 GAA have made this the worst season of his 19-year career. Luongo entered the season as the Panthers starting goalie, backed up by another veteran in James Reimer, but that hierarchy has not exactly held up. Luongo and Reimer have almost identically poor stats, with Luongo making only six more appearances than Reimer. The two have essentially been a time share with rookie Samuel Montembeault also making eleven appearances and performing only marginally worse than the experienced tandem. Richards writes that the status quo will almost certainly change before next season. Luongo is obviously still undecided about his future, but regardless Reimer is not expected to be back and Montembeault is likely to remain a presence. The Panthers are going to add a new starting goalie in free agency, with many speculating that Columbus Blue Jackets star Sergei Bobrovksy could be the primary target.

So, if he was to return, Luongo would have to be content to sit behind another established netminder, which Richards notes includes increased practice time alongside decreased play time. While the limited action could in fact improve the performance of the aging keeper, it’s not exactly a role that many players of Luongo’s pedigree would be happy to take on. Yet, he seems open to the prospect:

I have done it before. I know what it takes. I realize I am 40 years old, and taking on a heavy workload at this age is tough. I am well aware if I come back, that is the likely scenario for me. And I am OK with that. I like to practice. The only time I don’t practice is if I am tired, but if I am not playing as many games, I would have more energy to practice and work on my game. When I have missed some time, I have had some of my best games when I have come back. So, that’s not an issue at all.

For fans of the storied goaltender, this has to be good news. For fans of the Panthers and Vancouver Canucks, it also bodes well for their respective teams’ payrolls. With three years remaining on his contract at a cap hit of $5.33MM but salaries of $1.6MM or less, Luongo’s contract was a front-loaded behemoth that would slap both his current club and former club with cap recapture penalties if he retired early. Avoiding leaving that sour taste in the mouths of his supporters is likely another factor that Luongo is considering and that could persuade him to return.

At the end of the day though, the decision will come down to an amalgam of many different choices and they won’t all be made by Luongo alone. As he tells Richards, the goal right now is to get through the end of the season, clear his head, and then consider all options:

I want to sit down and have a talk with (the Panthers) because, right now, everything else is hearsay. I want to make sure everyone is on the same page and we all want the same thing. We will see what the plans are for the team moving forward. For me, there are a lot of things involved in the decision, but sitting down with management and seeing their plan is the first step… It is important for me to make that decision once this season is over — after we are removed from everything. We have to see where everyone is at. This is not just up to me. I think the team has something to say about it as well. We will come to that when the time comes.

So for those expecting tomorrow to be the last hurrah of an NHL star, don’t be so sure. Luongo has struggled in net this season, has struggled with injuries in recent years, and could struggle with a decision to take a back seat if he was to continue playing. However, if he really is open to being the backup, it would allow Luongo to keep fueling the fire he has to play hockey, which appears to be as strong as ever, while also limiting his work load and injury exposure. It seems like a good fit and may just be one that keeps a living legend in the game.

Metropolitan Notes: Yzerman, Rangers, Penguins, Devils

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The announcement yesterday that long-time New York Rangers president Glen Sather would be stepping down from his hockey operations role has opened up a vacancy that will be highly valued by many. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that former Tampa Bay Lightning GM Steve Yzerman could be one of a number of experienced players or executives with their eye on the job. Yzerman notably left his post as Tampa’s GM prior to this season and many have speculated that he would be moving on to a new team and new title this off-season. Much of that speculation has centered around his former club, the Detroit Red Wings, but Brooks believes the top job in New York would also be a desirable destination. While Brooks cites several sources, he also stops short of confirming Yzerman’s interest in the job, saying that he simply “is amenable to being wooed” and would not “necessarily accept an offer if one were to be presented.” Nevertheless, the prospect of Yzerman joining the rebuilding Rangers, who are both a popular free agent destination and a well-stocked farm system, is intriguing. Yzerman has a track record of success with the Lightning and Team Canada and could be a major asset in turning the Rangers around in short order.

  • Brooks also names current Columbus Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations John Davidson as a candidate to make a lateral move over to the division rival Rangers. In fact, Brooks names Davidson and Yzerman as the two favorites to replace Sather at this point. Other possible candidates include Rangers legend and Hall of Famer Brian Leetch, another long-time Ranger and current radio analyst Dave Maloney, and the recently retired Brad Richards. Brooks believes that the Rangers will work quickly to name a new president, citing Sather himself as saying the team hopes to make the hire by at least the start of free agency, if not by the NHL Entry Draft.
  • Two exciting Pittsburgh Penguins prospects are getting a taste of the pro game for the remainder of the season. The AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins announced that forward Jordy Bellerive and defenseman Calen Addison have been signed to amateur tryout offers and have joined the team. The Lethbridge Hurricanes teammates saw their junior season end in the first round of the WHL playoffs, but are now on to a new challenge. Bellerive, 19, was undrafted but signed as free agent with the Penguins ahead of the 2017-18 season. He has since posted 175 points in 139 games over back-to-back tremendous seasons. The Lethbridge captain is arguably the Penguins’ top forward prospect and the team will be interested to see how he looks in the minors. Meanwhile, Addison may be Pittsburgh’s top defense prospect. The small, but speedy blue liner just completed his second season of near point-per-game production and is developing into the type of puck-moving defenseman that is re-shaping the way the NHL is played. A second-round pick last year, the Penguins spent considerable draft capital on Addison, but have to be happy with his consistent offensive play and the growth of his two-way game.
  • Fans of the New Jersey Devils will be fans of the Los Angeles Kings for the final two days of the regular season. While the Ottawa Senators (aka the Colorado Avalanche) have locked up the best odds in the upcoming NHL Draft Lottery, the No. 2 spot is still up for grabs and only the Devils and Kings can claim it. New Jersey, at 70 points with one game remaining, is currently in the third spot, but L.A. has 69 points and two games remaining. Just a single point out of four could be enough to give the Devils the second-best odds at winning the first overall pick. The difference in odds between second place and third place is only 2%, but this year in particular the No. 2 spot has added value. The presumptive top two picks in the upcoming draft, forwards Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko, are in a tier of their own. If the lottery yields results matching the final leagues standings, as is statistically the most likely outcome, there is a major difference between drafting second overall versus third. The Devils could move up into one of those top two spots regardless of their finish, but have the best chances with a Kings win on Friday or Saturday as well as their own loss in the season finale. New Jersey just won the draft lottery in 2017, moving from No. 5 to No. 1 and selection Nico Hischier helped fuel the team to a playoff appearance last year. Another elite young talent to pair with Hischier and a healthy Taylor Hall could again make the 2019-20 season a “worst-to-first” scenario for the Devils.

Nashville Predators Sign Brandon Fortunato

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The Nashville Predators have brought in another college free agent, this time signing Brandon Fortunato to a two-year entry-level contract. Fortunato will join Lukas Craggs who signed earlier today in the organization as the Predators stock the cupboard with NCAA talent.

Fortunato, 22, won’t be joining the Milwaukee Admirals on an amateur tryout, since his season ended early with a major injury. The mobile defenseman suffered a broken fibula and ruptured ankle ligaments in Feburary, and is on a four-month recovery timetable. That’s just the latest in what has been a difficult college career, that included sitting out an entire season due to transfer rules. Fortunato started at Boston University in 2014-15, before transferring following his sophomore season.

It took him a while to get started at Quinnipiac, but this season he was one of the most dangerous offensive defensemen in the country with 28 points in just 26 games. The 5’9″ 170-lbs Fortunato will join a Nashville organization known for developing defensemen and will try to get his career back on track after this injury.

Philadelphia Flyers Recall Mark Friedman

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The Philadelphia Flyers are set to debut another young defenseman, as the team recalled Mark Friedman today from the minor leagues. In his place Philippe Myers was returned to the AHL to help the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Friedman will wear #59 for the Flyers as they get ready for the final game of the season tomorrow night.

It’s been something of a pipeline of young talent on the blue line for Philadelphia in recent years, who already have players like Shayne Gostisbehere (25), Robert Hagg (24), Travis Sanheim (23), Samuel Morin (23) and Ivan Provorov (22) on the NHL roster. While Friedman obviously doesn’t come with as much hype as some of those other names, he has had a solid development path since being selected in the third round in 2014.

Attending Bowling Green State for three seasons, Friedman was named to the NCHC All-Rookie, Third and First All-Star Teams during his time there. He finished his college career in 2017 with 68 points in 121 games and jumped to the professional ranks with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In two seasons there he has continued to develop his two-way game, recording 24 points in 71 games this year. For that hard work it appears as though he’ll be rewarded with a game at the NHL level, which will also give him a little extra salary for the last few days of the season.

With one year left on his entry-level contract it still seems unlikely that Friedman will spend much time in the NHL before he hits restricted free agency, but giving him a taste of what it’s like can only help his development going forward.

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