Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for April 2019

Flyers Expected To Pursue Joel Quenneville After The Season

at CDT | by 13 Comments

The Flyers have performed fairly well under interim head coach Scott Gordon, posting a .551 points percentage since he took over for Dave Hakstol.  Before the coaching change, there was plenty of speculation that Joel Quenneville was going to take over but that didn’t come to fruition.  Despite their improved showing under Gordon, Dave Isaac of the Cherry Hill Courier-Post reports that Philadelphia will once again try to bring in the 60-year-old this offseason.

Quenneville has another year left on his deal with Chicago so the Flyers technically would have to ask permission to interview him for the position.  Isaac suggests that a deal to bring him in earlier this season ultimately fell through so it’s unlikely the Blackhawks would stand in his way of pursuing a deal with Philadelphia or anyone else this summer.

The price tag will be quite high, however.  Quenneville has another season left on his deal with a $6MM salary.  When hiring coaches that have been relieved of their duties, teams must pay market value for the coach.  In other words, they can’t agree to a cheap deal to make the team that let him go pay down most of the contract.  Given the recent escalation of salaries to head coaches, it’s quite likely that the Flyers (or whoever hires Quenneville) will have to assume the majority, if not the entirety of the $6MM plus tack on a few more years for good measure.

Of course, the high price tag is justified given Quenneville’s track record.  He won three Stanley Cups in his tenure with Chicago while his teams have posted a .609 points percentage over 1,636 games over his career that spans 21 seasons.  Pretty much any team with a coaching vacancy this offseason will at least be making an inquiry to see if they can hire him.

As for Gordon, this season was his first as an NHL head coach since being let go by the Islanders back in 2010.  Given how the Flyers improved after the coaching change, he has likely worked his way into consideration for other jobs if Philadelphia ultimately lands Quenneville.

Latest On A Potential Adam Fox Trade

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Carolina Hurricanes won’t be signing Adam Fox this summer, meaning the team has to consider trading his rights at some point in order to receive some sort of compensation before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in August of 2020. If they can find a team that he’s willing to sign with in time for the 2019-20 season, they may be able to coax some value out of them by leveraging the idea of getting him a year early. That’s a tough idea to sell given that teams could just wait a year and try to convince him themselves without giving up an asset, but the Hurricanes are certainly going to try. Owner Tom Dundon told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer that the team would try to trade him, and today Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) examined the situation further.

Interestingly, LeBrun notes that the league would void a sign-and-trade situation that was meant to burn the first year of an entry-level contract in 2018-19. That was the immediate speculation surrounding the situation, and a potential selling point for the Hurricanes when bringing deals to other teams. The Hurricanes have talked to the New York Rangers about Fox—who grew up a fan of the team—but LeBrun believes that Carolina would be looking for a late first-round pick in exchange for the Harvard defenseman. That’s obviously a big price for the Rangers or any other team to pay just to get their hands on a player’s rights, especially when he will become an unrestricted free agent down the road.

It is important to remember here that Fox will be turning 22 in February of next year, meaning if he goes back to school he will only be required to sign a two-year entry-level contract with whatever team he chooses in free agency in the summer of 2020. Right now he would have to ink a three-year deal, meaning he’s going to get to restricted free agency—and a chance at a bigger payday—in the summer of 2022 either way (unless of course Carolina can somehow convince him in the next few days).

Snapshots: Playoffs, Chisholm, Dellow

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The NHL and NHLPA have reached an agreement to extend the current playoff format for another season, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The format was set to expire, but both sides agreed to keep it the same for the 2019-20 season and revisit it in the future.

There has been plenty of ire directed at the league for the current format, that is designed to stoke the flames of division rivalries by pitting teams against each other year after year. Last year saw the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators meet in the second round despite having the best two records in the NHL, while this season will see the Boston Bruins (currently 3rd in NHL) take on the Toronto Maple Leafs (5th) in the first round.

  • According to Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun the Manitoba Moose have signed Declan Chisholm to an amateur tryout after his season came to an end with the Peterborough Petes. Chisholm was selected in the fifth round last June and will get a chance to show what he can do at the professional level for at least a little while. The Winnipeg Jets will hold Chisholm’s exclusive rights until 2020 and will get a better handle on whether he’s worth an NHL contract before committing. The 19-year old defenseman recorded 48 points in 67 games this season.
  • The New Jersey Devils have hired Tyler Dellow as Vice President of Analytics, ending his run as a staff writer for The Athletic. Dellow is well known in the hockey community for his in-depth examinations of hockey analytics, and with the league rolling out more player and puck tracking technology more teams will be investing in their data departments. Dellow previously worked with the Edmonton Oilers as a consultant, but will now lead the Devils department.

Jonathan Gruden Signs Entry-Level Contract With Ottawa Senators

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators have convinced another college player to turn pro, this time signing Jonathan Gruden to a three-year entry-level contract. Gruden played just a single season at Miami University (Ohio), after being selected 95th overall last June. His deal will kick in during the 2019-20 season, though it could actually slide forward another year since Gruden is still only 18.

A former member of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Gruden was actually expected by many to go higher in the 2018 draft after an impressive 2017-18 season. On a team that had a dominant top line of Jack Hughes, Oliver Wahlstrom and Joel Farabee, Gruden was the key to their secondary scoring and could be moved around to help bring the best out of many of the other players. A tireless worker at both ends of the rink he is seen as a very solid NHL prospect even if his ceiling isn’t nearly as high as some of his former teammates.

Still, there’s good reason to believe he has a path to the NHL in Ottawa given their complete tear down. That won’t happen next season, but Gruden obviously saw his chance to start working with the organization and get his professional career started. Interestingly though his CHL rights are held by the London Knights, a team that Ottawa was happy to send Alex Formenton back to this season to continue his development. The Senators could potentially send him there if they think he has more work to do, but much of that will be determined this summer in development and training camp.

Chase Priskie To Become Unrestricted Free Agent

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Washington Capitals are set to lose one of their draft picks, as Chase Priskie has informed the team that he will not sign with them before the August 15th deadline. Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that Priskie will wait until the summer to become an unrestricted free agent, and will likely be “highly sought after.” Priskie recently finished his senior season with Quinnipiac University.

The 23-year old Priskie will have to sign a two-year entry-level contract when he eventually does find a team, but will be able to pick from what should be a long list of suitors. A real factor in this decision also could have been the fact that Washington couldn’t sign him this season and allow him to burn a year off the deal right away. The team is already at the 50-contract limit, meaning any deal with Priskie would have had to start in 2019-20 anyway. If he isn’t burning a year it makes sense for him to wait a few months and be able to control his destiny.

An excellent offensive defenseman, Priskie recorded 39 points in 36 games this season for Quinnipiac including a whopping 17 goals. That was enough to make him a Hobey Baker finalist, and should lead to plenty of teams to take interest in his free agency. The Florida native was selected in the sixth round by the Capitals back in 2016 after bursting onto NHL scouting radars, as he had already gone undrafted twice.

San Jose Sharks Sign Goaltender Andrew Shortridge

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Wednesday: The team has officially announced the contract for Shortridge, who will join the San Jose Barracuda on an amateur tryout for the rest of the season.

Tuesday: Goaltending has been a concern for the San Jose Sharks this season, but some of those problems could be a thing of the past moving forward. The Sharks are set to add one of the top goalies in all of college hockey to the pipeline, as ESPN’s John Buccigross reports that Quinnipiac University junior Andrew Shortridge will sign with the team. San Jose has yet to confirm the entry-level pact, but Quinnipiac head coach Rand Pecknold has confirmed his starter’s early departure.

Shortridge, 23, and the Bobcats fell short of a Frozen Four appearance in the NCAA Tournament, but it was otherwise a flawless season for the talented keeper. Shortridge posted his third straight season with a 2.36 GAA or better, but his play was far beyond that mark. The Alaska native was arguably the best goaltender in the NCAA with a stunning .940 save percentage. and 1.51 GAA. Those marks ranked first and second respectively, with only emerging UMass freshman Filip Lindberg slightly ahead in goals against. Unlike others in the college hockey landscape, which can be inconsistent in talent level across conferences, Quinnipiac plays in the impressive ECAC and the Bobcats had a contender’s schedule this year, with Shortridge facing many elite teams. The competition never phased him, as the junior goalie was all but unbeatable this year.

The Sharks hope that Shortridge’s success against tough competition continues at the pro level. San Jose needs a contingency plan after both Martin Jones and Aaron Dell faltered this year. The tandem of 29-year-old’s has combined for a save percentage below .900 and a goals against average over 3.00 this season, with Jones only marginally outperforming Dell. The Sharks opted not to make an addition in net ahead of the trade deadline, despite their success this season being in spite of their goaltending, but need a new name to compete for appearances. Jones is signed long-term, but Dell’s contract expires after next season and San Jose could look to replace him then if not earlier. Youngsters Josef Korenar and Zach Sawchenko were the uninspiring options in the pipeline prior to this signing, but Shortridge provides an immediate boost to the team’s depth and talent in net. With good size, skill, and experience, the Quinnipiac standout should be in line for a major AHL role next year, perhaps with a chance to win NHL opportunities sooner rather than later.

Boston Bruins Recall Zach Senyshyn, Trent Frederic

at CDT | by 4 Comments

After the Boston Bruins clinched home ice advantage last night, the team has recalled a pair of young forwards that can allow some veterans to rest down the stretch. Trent Frederic is back up with the team after playing 13 games earlier in the year, but the bigger news may be the arrival of Zach Senyshyn. This will be the first recall of Senyshyn’s career, though it is unclear if he’ll make his NHL debut in one of the final two games. Both players are up under emergency conditions.

Over the last several years the Bruins have been ridiculed by many other fan bases for their selection of Senyshyn, 15th overall in 2015. The big winger was one of three consecutive picks the Bruins had in that draft, two of which came into this season without a single NHL game under their belt. Though Jakub Zboril (13th overall) got into a pair of games earlier this season, the trio—which also includes Jake DeBrusk—is still compared poorly to the long list of talented players selected directly after them. Notably, Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor and Thomas Chabot were the next three picks and have quickly become stars in the league.

Still, it is too early to write off Senyshyn altogether. The forward recorded consecutive 40+ goal campaigns in the OHL after his draft and has transitioned into a regular player for the Providence Bruins. With 24 points in 62 games this season he obviously hasn’t taken the step forward offensively that many had hoped, but after turning 22 just a few days ago there is still plenty of time for things to come together.

Frederic meanwhile was another much-derided draft pick the following season, but seemed to quiet his detractors with two solid seasons at the University of Wisconsin. The defensive center has 22 points in 51 games for the Providence Bruins as a rookie this year, and made an impact at the NHL level by dropping the gloves and engaging physically. Unfortunately that 13-game NHL stint earlier in the season resulted in zero points for Frederic, meaning he’s still looking for his first tally with Boston.

Jimmy Schuldt Signs With Vegas Golden Knights

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The decision is in, and top college free agent Jimmy Schuldt has picked a destination. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports that the Vegas Golden Knights have signed Schuldt to a one-year entry-level contract. That contract will expire on July 1st, at which point Schuldt will become a restricted free agent and can sign a longer deal with the Golden Knights.

The 24-year old Schuldt is not eligible to join the Golden Knights in the playoffs, but will provide the team with another relatively young defenseman moving forward. The team has a core group locked up for the next several seasons, but may need some reinforcements as names like Deryk Engelland, Jon Merrill and Nick Holden approach free agency. The team recently traded away their top defensive prospect in Erik Brannstrom, and while Schuldt certainly doesn’t replace that kind of talent he can offer the team a more polished product right away.

That polished product is thanks to four excellent seasons at St. Cloud State, where Schuldt captained the Huskies for the last three years. Winning almost everything possible across his college seasons including “Best Defensive Defenseman” this year, he is a Hobey Baker Finalist for the second time. Offering some offensive upside—118 points in 156 college games explains just how effective he can be—Schuldt is at his best when shutting down cycles in his own end and moving the puck quickly out of danger.

The young defenseman has been on NHL radars for some time, and previously attended several development camps including one with Vegas. The Minnesota native apparently reduced his group of potential suitors to five in recent days, and had included the Minnesota Wild, New York Islanders, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers on that short list. The Montreal Canadiens, who were also interested in bringing him in, weren’t able to convince him despite a sales pitch from teammate Ryan Poehling. Poehling recently turned pro with the Candiens, along with other St. Cloud State teammates Patrick Newell (NYR) and Blake Lizotte (LAK).

Jeremy Davies Agrees To Terms With New Jersey Devils

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The New Jersey Devils have agreed to terms on a two-year entry-level contract with Jeremy Davies. The young defenseman will give up his senior season at Northeastern to turn pro and join the Devils organization, starting his new contract in the 2019-20 season. Devils GM Ray Shero released a statement on his newest prospect:

We are very excited to sign Jeremy. He is a very smart puck-moving defenseman who can transition his team to offense in all three zones. His vision, skill, competitiveness, character and leadership helped Northeastern become one of the top echelon schools in the country during his time there. We also want to thank Jim Madigan and his staff at Northeastern for Jeremy’s development these past three years

Davies, 22, was originally selected by the Devils in the seventh round of the 2016 draft, and was seen as something of an afterthought. Following three outstanding seasons at Northeastern as one of the best offensive defensemen in the country, he’s certainly eclipsed that draft status. Now he’ll enter the Devils system as a potential powerplay quarterback and offensive catalyst, though he’ll have to prove that he can produce at the AHL level first.

If Davies can ever get to the NHL it would be an exceptional draft class for the Devils, who used a sixth round pick on Jesper Bratt that year. Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian, Joey Anderson and Brandon Gignac, the team’s first four picks in 2016 have also made their NHL debuts.

Minor Transactions: 04/03/19

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After a number of games had playoff implications last night, this evening is much more subdued. Only the St. Louis Blues really have anything to play for as they try to hunt down first place in the Central Division just a few months after being at the bottom of the standings. The Blues will take on the recently eliminated Chicago Blackhawks, and could pull even with both the Winnipeg Jets and Nashville Predators at 96 points.

  • Those Blackhawks have recalled Dennis Gilbert from the minor leagues, giving the 22-year old defenseman a chance at the NHL in his first professional season. The former Notre Dame standout has 14 points in 59 games for the Rockford IceHogs this season.
  • Adam Clendening has been returned to the AHL by the Columbus Blue Jackets, joining the Cleveland Monsters for their playoff run. With the Blue Jackets loss last night the team is now tied with the Montreal Canadiens for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and can’t afford to drop any more points over the last two games. Clendening could be recalled quickly if Adam McQuaid or Ryan Murray aren’t ready to return.
  • Brett Seney is on his way to New Jersey, having been recalled today by the big club. The 23-year old forward has played 50 games already this season for the Devils, recording 13 points as a rookie. The undersized Seney also has 18 points in 23 games in the minor leagues, though only two of those are goals.
  • As expected, the Washington Capitals have recalled Jonas Siegenthaler once again. With Michal Kempny injured and out for the playoffs, Siegenthaler will likely serve as the team’s seventh defenseman.
  • The Calgary Flames have recalled Dillon Dube under emergency conditions, giving them another forward option for the last few games of the regular season. Dube played 23 games for the Flames earlier this year, and has 39 points in 37 games for the Stockton Heat.
  • Adin Hill has been recalled by the Arizona Coyotes, giving the team another goaltender as they make sure Darcy Kuemper’s injury isn’t serious. Kuemper was hit in the head by a stick last night and had to leave the game, a huge blow to the Coyotes’ playoff race.

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

scroll to top