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Archives for May 2019

Poll: Where Will Erik Karlsson Play In 2019-20?

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The San Jose Sharks’ season has come to an end, and with it all eyes now turn to their stable of unrestricted free agents. Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton have both indicated that they would like to return to the team if possible, while Gustav Nyquist could also be retained if he made a strong enough impact on GM Doug Wilson. But the name everyone is talking about is Erik Karlsson, who is poised to be one of the very top free agents in the class if he decides to take his talents to the open market on July 1. Today, Karlsson tweeted a thank you to the San Jose organization and city, which immediately threw hockey fans all over the world into a frenzy speculating on what it means.

As fans try to decipher what Karlsson meant, Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription required) takes a more level-headed approach to his speculation and examines how the Tampa Bay Lightning could potentially fit the superstar into their locker room. Most notably, Karlsson is good friends with Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman and has expressed an interest in playing with his old junior teammate in the past. That of course would require plenty of salary cap surgery from the Lightning, who have their own financial issues coming with the pending contract for RFA Brayden Point.

So if not San Jose or Tampa Bay, where? The New York Rangers have been suggested, given their ample cap space and Karlsson’s relationship with goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers are starting to turn the corner on their rebuild and are about to add another top talent with the second-overall pick. A player like Karlsson could perhaps turn them into playoff contenders as early as 2019-20 if they chose to pursue him.

It’s not like his next contract won’t come with risk however. Karlsson has battled several lower-body injuries over the last few seasons and was forced out of the playoffs recently, which some believe will have an impact on his earning potential this summer. He’ll turn 29 in a week’s time, and has a lot of miles on his body already from a career that has seen him log more than 23 minutes a night in all but his rookie season. He played just 53 games for the Sharks during the regular season, though he still recorded 45 points in that time and was a possession monster.

So where will Karlsson end up? Will the Sharks decide he’s too good to let walk into free agency and offer him the Drew Doughty-like long-term contract he was looking for last summer? Or does he take his talents to the east coast and play with one of his national team friends? Does another team—perhaps the Vegas Golden Knights, who have pursued him heavily in the past—knock on his door when the interview period opens in a month’s time? Cast your vote below and make sure to leave a comment!

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Edmonton Oilers Sign Joakim Nygard

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Back in March, a report surfaced from Darren Dreger of TSN that several teams around the NHL were pursuing SHL forward Joakim Nygard. At the time, the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators were listed as two of the potential destinations for the speedy winger. Now that the SHL season is over, Nygard is free to sign with whoever he chooses and both of those teams are out of the running. The free agent has signed a one-year entry-level deal with the Edmonton Oilers instead.

Nygard, 26, put up another excellent season with Farjestads in the SHL, posting 21 goals and 35 points. In fact, those 21 goals were good enough for second in the entire league behind only Columbus Blue Jackets top prospect Emil Bemstrom’s 23. That kind of offensive production is nothing new for Nygard, who has posted at least 29 points—a solid total in the 52-game SHL season—in three consecutive years.

If there is one thing that stands out in Nygard’s game, it is his incredible skating ability. Easily one of, if not the, best skaters in the SHL, he has drawn countless comparisons to Washington Capitals forward Carl Hagelin. While Hagelin is also scheduled to become a UFA this summer and is available to the whole league, he’s also going to turn 31 this summer and will likely come at a relatively higher price tag. Nygard however may be able to jump right into an NHL lineup on a cheap contract and provide some forward depth next season.

While Calgary was involved the whole way with Nygard, there is an obvious fit with the Oilers. Edmonton has been trying desperately to increase their team speed in order to keep up with Connor McDavid, and have a distinct lack of scoring options on the wing. Perhaps a chance to play with a back-to-back (and potential three-peat) Ted Lindsay Award winner was enough to turn the scales in Edmonton’s favor.

Nashville Predators Ink New ECHL Affiliation

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The Nashville Predators have entered into an affiliation agreement with the Florida Everblades of the ECHL. The partnership is only for the 2019-20 season, but will give the Predators another minor league affiliate to send their prospects for development purposes. Everblades GM Craig Brush released a statement on the agreement:

We are thrilled to have the Nashville Predators as our new NHL affiliate. Nashville’s President of Hockey Operations and General Manager David Poile has done a remarkable job developing an expansion franchise into one of the most prominent teams in the NHL. We are looking forward to becoming an integral part of the development of players for the Predators and Milwaukee Admirals.

The Everblades were previously the ECHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, given they shared at least partial ownership with the NHL franchise in the form of Peter Karmanos. The Predators meanwhile last had an ECHL affiliation in 2017 but ended the partnership with the Norfolk Admirals in mid-November. Before that, they had worked with the Cincinnati Cyclones for a decade.

Florida will represent a new opportunity for the Predators to send their raw or unpolished prospects, so that they can get large amounts of ice time without the pressure of the higher leagues. The ECHL is most notable for the goaltending alumni it has produced, which includes names like Jordan Binnington, James Reimer, Aaron Dell, Collin Delia and MacKenzie Blackwood. Former Nashville goaltender Dan Ellis even spent some time in the ECHL before making his NHL debut.

The Everblades finished second in the entire ECHL during this season with a 50-16-6 record but were unfortunately eliminated in the Kelly Cup semi-final by the Newfoundland Growlers.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Alex Belzile

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The Montreal Canadiens have signed minor league forward Alex Belzile to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K at the NHL level.

This will be Belzile’s first NHL contract despite having played seven years of professional hockey. The 27-year old forward went undrafted out of the QMJHL despite an impressive 92-point season in 2011-12, and ended up playing in the ECHL for several seasons. Bouncing around from club to club in the minor leagues, Belzile has suited up for the Gwinnett Gladiators, Hamilton Bulldogs, Alaska Aces, Idaho Steelheads, Fort Wayne Komets, San Antonio Rampage, Colorado Eagles and most recently the Laval Rocket.

It was with the Rocket that Belzile really found a home, scoring 19 goals and 54 points last season and being rewarded with an appearance in the AH: All-Star game. That kind of recognition is a long time coming for the veteran minor league forward, who has had great seasons in the ECHL but was rarely given a long opportunity in the higher levels.

That’s not to say that he will play a role on the Canadiens next season. Almost certainly Belzile will be sent back to the Rocket to begin the season and likely will spend the entirety of the contract in the AHL. Still, he provides some experience and depth for the Canadiens if they desperately need an injury replacement for next season.

Pavel Francouz Re-Signs With Colorado Avalanche

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The Colorado Avalanche may have found their NHL backup for next season. The team has re-signed Pavel Francouz to a one-year one-way contract for 2019-20 worth $950K. Francouz was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Colorado signed Francouz out of the KHL in 2018 for just $690K despite his incredible numbers for Chelyabinsk. The Czech goaltender posted a .953 save percentage in 2016-17 and followed that with a .946 in 2017-18, but was somehow not nearly as coveted as fellow free agent KHL goaltender Mikko Koskinen, who signed with the Edmonton Oilers for $2.5MM. The difference in expectation may simply be because of Francouz’ stature, as he stands just 6’0″, much smaller than most NHL goaltenders—Koskinen, for comparison measures 6’7″.

That small stature certainly didn’t stop Francouz from succeeding in North America however. Starting 49 games for the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, the 28-year old goaltender recorded a .918 save percentage and 27-20-1 record, only to post even better numbers during his two NHL appearances. While Koskinen is now signed to a three-year, $13.5MM contract with Edmonton, the Avalanche have managed to bring back Francouz on another bargain-basement contract that gives them plenty of options this summer.

Philipp Grubauer figures to be the Colorado starter next season given Semyon Varlamov’s pending free agency, but the team could still bring in another veteran to give them more of a tandem look. Grubauer has never started more than 37 games in a single season, though he certainly proved he was capable of playing deep into the year when he posted a .925 save percentage in 12 playoff appearances. Otherwise, they could now use Francouz as the primary backup and use the extra money to go after some other free agents. GM Joe Sakic has admitted he plans on being “more aggressive” in the free agent market this year, and Colorado is set up with oodles of cap room to work with even after some of the incoming restricted free agent deals.

Interestingly, this was a move that was almost a requirement for the Avalanche. The team only has two other goaltenders in the entire organization under contract for 2019-20, and teams are required to have three at all times. That meant someone needed to be signed by July 1st, though an agreement could have been made with RFA Spencer Martin to fulfill those needs. Instead it’s Francouz, who will take over the No. 2 spot on the depth chart for now.

Overseas Notes: Olympics, Jokerit, Nygard

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The qualification rules for the 2022 Olympic hockey tournament have been set, with the top eight ranked countries in the world from 2019 will automatically qualify. Those countries are Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, USA, Germany and Switzerland, meaning others like Slovakia, Denmark and Latvia will have to battle to earn a spot.

Interestingly though, host China will also be given a spot in the tournament without further qualification. The Chinese team is currently ranked 33rd (right between Iceland and Israel) in the world will be the lowest ranked team to ever compete in an Olympic hockey tournament. Still, the NHL is trying desperately to expand their footprint in China and if they end up sending players to the tournament it can only help to have them share the ice with the country’s best players.

  • Jokerit Helsinki will now be fully owned and operated by Finnish nationals, as legendary forward Jari Kurri has taken over as majority owner and Chairman of the Board. Jokerit joined the KHL in 2014 after decades in Finland’s Liiga, and have found great success even in the higher league. The team finished second to CSKA in the Bobrov division this season with a record of 32-19-6. Kurri, a Hall of Fame player from his days skating beside Wayne Gretzky in Edmonton, has served as general manager of Jokerit in the past and is still extremely involved with hockey in Finland.
  • Swedish reports had surfaced that free agent forward Joakim Nygard had picked the Edmonton Oilers as his NHL destination, and Ryan Rishaug of TSN has heard the same. While the team has still not announced a contract, Rishaug notes that the deal will be a one-year entry-level contract and Nygard will be a UFA again after the 2019-20 season. The speedy winger can hopefully step straight into the Oilers lineup and provide some much needed scoring depth on the wing.

Poll: Who Will Win The IIHF World Championship?

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The IIHF World Championship held their quarter-final games today and they didn’t disappoint for the fans in attendance. Three of the four contests ended up as one-goal games, with fireworks in the last few seconds of the Canada-Switzerland game taking the highlight of the night. New Jersey Devils defenseman Damon Severson scored with just 0.4 seconds left on the clock in regulation to tie the game, before Mark Stone put Canada through to the semi-final in overtime.

Finland shocked the tournament by knocking off the Swedes in a back and forth game, which needed a tying goal from their captain with the goaltender out of the net. Finland would complete the comeback in overtime, sending Sweden—who many considered a favorite given their star-studded lineup—home without a medal of any color.

Team USA will suffer the same fate, as they were knocked out by the powerhouse Russian squad in a matchup they would’ve avoided if possible. The American squad finished in fourth in Group A during the preliminary round thanks to an unfortunate loss to Slovakia in their first game. Potential first-overall pick Jack Hughes ends his tournament with two assists today (three total) and was named the best player of the game for the USA.

Canada will move on to take on a Czech squad who easily dispatched Germany in the fourth quarter-final game, thanks to a three-point effort from Jan Kovar. While Canada is always a dangerous country in international hockey, their team this year didn’t look dominant on paper. That was shown by them barely squeaking through against Switzerland, meaning the Czech should feel just fine about their chances at this point.

There is no shortage of talent on the Russian squad, including Mikhail Sergachev and Nikita Gusev who both had three points in the game today.  That’s not what people were saying about Finland before the tournament started, who have only a handful of players with any NHL experience at all. Still, the Finns are extremely well coached and have a 18-year old star in the making in top draft prospect Kaapo Kakko that can create offense at any moment.

This is the last high level hockey for NHL stars out of the playoffs, meaning they can give their all before having a summer of recovery. Sunday will bring with it the gold and bronze medal games, so get your vote in now for who you think will win!

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Snapshots: Thornton, Pavelski, Chelios

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The San Jose Sharks have plenty of tough decisions this summer when it comes to unrestricted free agents, but one of the most interesting will be regarding Joe Thornton. The veteran forward will turn 40 the day after free agency opens but is coming off another solid season with 16 goals and 51 points. Thornton spoke to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic today at the season-ending media availability, and told him that he hadn’t made a decision on his future yet but would only play in San Jose if he does continue his career.

The 39-year old now has 1,478 points in 1,566 games during his long NHL career, but hasn’t been able to lift the Stanley Cup a single time. After two major knee injuries and another disappointing finish, who knows whether he wants to suit it up again in 2019-20. Scheduled to become a UFA, Thornton was operating this season on a one-year, $5MM deal.

  • Meanwhile, Joe Pavelski is also an unrestricted free agent this summer but is “pretty confident” he’ll be back, according to Kurz. Amazingly, Pavelski had hand surgery two weeks ago but continued to suit up in the playoffs despite that and several other serious injuries. The 34-year old captain of the Sharks had an outstanding season with 38 goals, and was the heart and soul of the team once again in the postseason.
  • Jake Chelios won’t be re-signing with the Detroit Red Wings, as he has accepted a two-year contract in the KHL. Chelios is headed to China to play for Kunlun Red Star after making his NHL debut earlier this season. The son of legendary defenseman Chris Chelios, Jake played four seasons at Michigan State University before suiting up in the AHL for the last five years.

Slava Voynov Eligible To Return Early After Arbitration Decision

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Slava Voynov will still be suspended for an entire season, but a neutral arbitrator has ruled that he has already served 41 games of that ban. Voynov will now be eligible to return to NHL play at the mid-point of the 2019-20 season after the ruling from arbitrator Shyam Das. The league issued this statement:

We have reviewed Arbitrator Das’ opinion in the NHLPA’s appeal of Vyacheslav Voynov’s suspension for domestic assault, which upheld the Commissioner’s imposition of a one-season (one-year) suspension for Voynov’s off-ice conduct in October 2014. In his decision, Arbitrator Das confirmed that there was substantial evidence to support each of the Commissioner’s material factual findings as well as the quantum of discipline imposed. Arbitrator Das described his decision to grant Mr. Voynov some ’credit for time served’ for a portion of the 2018-19 season as being due to various ’highly unusual faces and circumstances [which] were not contemplated by the drafters of [the CBA] and do not easily fit into its procedures.’ While we do not believe Mr. Voynov was entitled to any ’credit’ for time missed during the 2018-19 season, we accept Arbitrator Das’ conclusion that the precise factual context here was unusual—including the fact that Voynov has not played in the NHL since October 2014, and that he did not play professional hockey at all during the 2018-19 season.

Taken in its totality, we are satisfied that Arbitrator Das’ decision supports our strongly held views that the conduct engaged in by Mr. Voynov in this case was completely unacceptable and worthy of significant League-imposed discipline. The decision also confirms and reaffirms the Commissioner’s braod authority under the CBA and applicable League Rules to establish—and to enforce—appropriate standards of conduct for individuals involved in the National Hockey League.

Currently, the Los Angeles Kings hold the rights to Voynov and would be the only team allowed to sign him. That won’t be happening however, as Los Angeles announced that he will “not be playing for the Kings.” That means in order for him to play this season the Kings would either have to trade his rights or complete a sign-and-trade with another team. Whether they will be open to that is unclear.

In 2014, Voynov was arrested following a domestic violence incident and spent nearly two months in jail after pleading no contest. He was suspended indefinitely by the league and returned to Russia to play in the KHL, where he suited up for three years with St. Petersburg SKA. Last summer he petitioned the court to have his conviction dismissed, and started the process for reinstatement to the NHL.

The incident revolved around Voynov and his wife, Marta Varlamova. It has been detailed and examined countless times since the arrest—perhaps most thoroughly by The Athletic’s Katie Strang (subscription required) last June—and will certainly bring about plenty more media speculation now that his name is back in the news.

Mike Modano Hired By Minnesota Wild

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The Minnesota Wild have officially announced the return of Mike Modano to the State of Hockey, hiring former North Stars player as an executive advisor. Modano will work with the upper management and ownership in several capacities not necessarily involved with the hockey operations. Though he doesn’t begin until September, the team is already quite excited about bringing in the Hall of Fame talent. Owner Craig Leipold released a statement:

We are extremely excited to welcome Mike Modano to the Minnesota Wild organization,. His Hall of Fame career was one of the best in the history of the NHL and we look forward to Mike helping our organization build an even greater State of Hockey.

Modano, 48, was originally selected first overall by the Minnesota North Stars in 1988. He immediately became a star upon arrival in the NHL, scoring 75 points in his first season with the North Stars and finishing second in Calder Trophy voting behind only 31-year old Sergei Makarov—an infamous decision that was quite controversial at the time. Even without that hardware, the league was put on notice that Modano could very well be a game-changing force right from the very beginning and he did not disappoint throughout his career.

Following the North Stars to Dallas in 1993, Modano became the face of hockey in the American south and went on to have a Hall of Fame career. In 1,499 career regular season games—all but 40 of which were played with one franchise—Modano recorded 1,374 points and is first among American-born scorers. In 176 playoff games he put up 146 points and helped lead Dallas to a Stanley Cup in 1999.

He held a similar position to this one with the Stars for two years but has lived in Arizona for the last several years. That will change now as he takes this opportunity with the Wild, one that he is happy to have given his history in Minnesota:

I am very thankful for this opportunity and excited to work with Craig and [President Matt Majka] to help support a number of Minnesota Wild business initiatives. I have always felt a special relationship with this community and look forward to reconnecting with all the wonderful fans in the State of Hockey as a member of the Wild organization.

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