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Archives for December 2020

Stephen Johns Will Not Play This Season

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When the Dallas Stars released their training camp roster this afternoon, a few names were notably marked with asterisks. Ben Bishop and Tyler Seguin were both listed as “Injured Player Not Participating in Training Camp” after offseason surgeries, but with them was also Stephen Johns. Not only will the veteran defenseman miss camp, but according to Saad Yousuf of The Athletic, Johns will not play at all this season.

In one of the most disheartening moments of the playoff bubble, Johns was forced from the Stars’ first game against the Calgary Flames just a few months after making his triumphant return to the lineup. After missing nearly two full years with post-concussion symptoms, Johns had returned in January 2020 and played 17 games down the stretch for the Stars. He even made it through three round-robin games with Dallas in the bubble, but it appears as those may potentially be the final matches of his career. Yousuf writes that it is premature to consider Johns’ career definitely over, but notes that the 28-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent when his contract expires after this season.

His $2.35MM cap hit can be moved to long-term injured reserve when necessary to make some additional room for the Stars, but this is certainly not a celebratory announcement for fans of the defenseman. Johns, selected 60th overall in 2010 by the Chicago Blackhawks, made his NHL debut with the Stars in 2016, and looked oh-so-promising early on. He was big—standing 6’4″ 225-lbs—could skate well and had upside at both ends of the rink. He would go on to score a career-high eight goals in the 2017-18 season before a concussion threw his career off track in March. After working extremely hard on his rehab, he returned last season and looked like a solid NHL contributor once again.

If this is the end of his playing career, it would finish with 167 regular season games played in the NHL. Hopefully, somehow, Johns will be able to get back on the ice. It won’t be this season and it may not be for the Stars.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Arizona Coyotes Sign Derick Brassard

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December 30: Morgan reports that Brassard’s deal will be for one-year and $1.2MM in Arizona, while CapFriendly tweets that it is just for $1MM. The Coyotes have officially announced the term of the contract, though did not confirm the financial details. GM Bill Armstrong released a short statement on his new forward:

We are very pleased to welcome Derick to our Pack. Derick is an experienced, skilled forward who can play center or wing and contribute offensively. He is also very effective in the face-off circle. We look forward to having him in our lineup this season.

December 28: Phil Kessel and Derick Brassard, together again. Originally reported by former NHL forward Guillaume Latendresse and subsequently confirmed by several others including Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider, the Arizona Coyotes are working on a one-year deal with Brassard, an unrestricted free agent.

The 33-year-old Brassard experienced something of a career renaissance last season, finding a role with the New York Islanders and recording 32 points in 66 games. He was a strong performer in the postseason bubble as well, scoring eight points in 18 games for the Islanders even while averaging just 12 minutes a night. That came after a dreadful 2018-19 campaign that saw him struggle with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, and Colorado Avalanche, scoring just 23 points combined for the three teams. By signing with the Coyotes, Brassard would be joining the eighth NHL team of his career and fifth in just over two years.

Arizona recently sent Derek Stepan—a former teammate of Brassard’s—to the Ottawa Senators, opening up some room down the middle for a veteran player on a more inexpensive deal. Brassard is certainly that, and actually still does come with a long history of offensive success. A two-time 20-goal scorer, Brassard has registered at least 40 points in a season on six different occasions and has recorded double-digit goal totals in each of the last ten seasons. While his ability to play at the top of a lineup may have diminished, he still represents a solid depth add for the Coyotes as they try to get back to the playoffs.

Not only will he provide some offense and veteran depth, but if the Coyotes decide to pull the plug at any point this season he could be another trade asset. The team already has Alex Goligoski, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jason Demers, Jordan Oesterle, Ilya Lyubushkin, Drake Caggiula, and Antti Raanta on expiring deals, meaning the trade deadline could be used as a reset button to restock a draft cupboard that has been ravaged in recent years.

Zdeno Chara Signs With Washington Capitals

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In perhaps the most shocking turn of events in an already bizarre offseason, Zdeno Chara will not be re-signing with the Boston Bruins. Chara confirmed his departure with a long, emotional message to Boston fans on his Instagram. Instead, the 43-year-old will be joining the fourth team of his decades-long career, signing a one-year contract with the Washington Capitals worth $795K. CapFriendly adds that the deal also includes an additional $730K in bonuses: $230K for ten games played, $250K if the Capitals make the playoffs, and $250K if the Capitals win the Stanley Cup.

Chara will once again be the oldest player in the NHL, continuing his climb up the all-time games played leaderboard. The gigantic defenseman currently sits 15th with 1,553 regular season matches, trailing only Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton among active players. That career, which started in 1997-98 with the New York Islanders, has also included nearly 200 playoff games and a Stanley Cup championship in 2011 with the Bruins.

Even though the writing seemed to be on the wall—including some recent comments from team president Cam Neely—Chara’s departure from Boston seems unthinkable at this point. Though he didn’t arrive in Boston until 2006, more than 500 games into his NHL career, he will be forever linked to the historic franchise as one of its greatest and most memorable players of all-time. Even now into his forties, Chara is still an exceptional penalty killer and can perform well in the defensive end, though his foot speed and offensive ability have greatly diminished.

In Washington, he would be able to provide leadership, physicality, and depth to a team that is looking to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals. The team is getting a lot closer to the end of their championship window and had already tried to bring a legend from a rival Eastern Conference team when they signed Henrik Lundqvist. Though Lundqvist won’t play for the Capitals this season, Washington will get to enjoy Chara on the ice every night.

Where he fits into the Capitals lineup is not clear, though the team’s defensive group was leaning to the right side as the season approached. John Carlson, Justin Schultz, Nick Jensen, and Trevor van Riemsdyk are all right-handed options, meaning Chara can perhaps give some balance to the left side alongside Brenden Dillon, Dmitry Orlov, and Jonas Siegenthaler.

Amazingly, in this unique season, Chara will actually be battling the Bruins on a regular basis. Washington and Boston are both part of the East Division and will play each other eight times in the 56-game season. Even if the veteran isn’t in the lineup every night for the Capitals, it seems likely he’ll be on the ice for each of those occasions.

Of course, not only is Chara a big leadership add for the Capitals, but he also comes at a very reasonable price. He’ll come in with a lower cap hit than both van Riemsdyk and Siegenthaler, meaning anything he brings to the table is a positive. His low price could even mean that Washington moves someone else out, though depth will be even more important this season.

For the Bruins meanwhile, they’ve now watched both Chara and Torey Krug leave in one offseason, dramatically changing the look of their defense. Sure, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, and Matt Grzelcyk are very strong players that perhaps can handle even more responsibility, but Chara and Krug were the obvious leaders on Boston’s blueline. They’ll also now have to decide on a new captain, with Patrice Bergeron the obvious choice.

Washington wasn’t the only team after the veteran, once the chance of him leaving Boston became a reality. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that two-thirds of the league checked in on Chara, while Eric Engels of Sportsnet tweets that he was told the Montreal Canadiens had an interest. That doesn’t come as much of a surprise, especially from teams that have had to try and deal with the 6’9″ legend.

Ken Campbell of The Hockey News was first to report that Chara was headed to Washington. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Carolina Hurricanes Sign Jamieson Rees

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The Carolina Hurricanes have inked another top prospect, signing Jamieson Rees to his three-year, entry-level contract. The young forward was selected 44th overall in 2019 and has played the last three seasons with the Sarnia Sting of the OHL. The deal comes with an average annual value of just over $850K, after the signing bonus is taken into account. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a short statement on his new player:

Jamieson is a skilled center with strong playmaking ability. He made major strides in his development last season, and we’re looking forward to his next steps.

Rees, 19, scored 18 goals and 61 points in just 39 games for Sarnia last season despite missing time with an ankle injury. Though he hasn’t played this year thanks to the COVID-19 situation, he was invited to Hockey Canada’s World Junior selection camp where he competed for a spot in a loaded forward group. Rees ended up being one of the final cuts, meaning he is once again waiting for his next chance to play competitive hockey.

This is exactly the type of player who could be headed for the AHL should the CHL season eventually get canceled, as Rees is not ready to play in the NHL but still needs to get on the ice for his development to continue. Even if he does play in the minor leagues, his contract will slide forward; the only thing that would make it kick in this season is playing seven NHL games, an unlikely scenario regardless of how he performs in training camp.

Christian Folin Signs In SHL

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An injury in the SHL has created an opportunity for Christian Folin, as the Vaxjo Lakers have announced a contract with the veteran defenseman. Folin played last season with the Montreal Canadiens but was an unrestricted free agent after his one-year contract expired.

The 29-year-old has played in 250 games at the NHL level, suiting up for the Minnesota Wild, Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, and Canadiens. An undrafted free agent signing out of UMass-Lowell, he actually put together a nice little stretch that included playoff games with both Minnesota and Los Angeles. After seeing just 16 contests with Montreal last year, there obviously wasn’t a huge free agent market in the current climate and Folin will now have to continue his career overseas.

There’s certainly no reason to believe that Folin’s time in North America is completely over, however, as he’ll likely be a candidate to return next season when there are more jobs available around the league. The big-bodied, right-handed defenseman doesn’t have a ton of offensive upside but can be a useful depth piece, especially at the AHL level if he were to accept a role in the minor leagues.

AHL Approves Structure For February Start

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The AHL has made a huge announcement today, indicating that the league’s board of governors has approved the structural framework that would see the minor league season begin on February 5, 2021. Included in the statement:

Details are still being worked out, but this step allows our teams and their National Hockey League partners to better determine their plans for the coming season. We look forward to dropping the puck on Feb. 5.

The release did not include any specifics on how exactly the games will be played, rosters structured or revenue generated, but it is still obviously great news for hockey fans across North America.

If the AHL succeeds in their plan to kick things off in February, it would likely mean that minor league training camps could start as the NHL season is getting underway in mid-January. The question now becomes how many teams will be able to justify a full AHL season, especially those franchises located in Canada. There had been worry before about whether it was possible to have an “All-Canadian” division like the NHL given there are only four teams based north of the border—the Toronto Marlies, Belleville Senators, Manitoba Moose, and Laval Rocket—though NHL insider John Shannon believes that is exactly what will happen. The other three Canadian NHL franchises, Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton, all have AHL affiliates based in the U.S. That poses some challenges for calling players up and down, but perhaps it can be worked out with the taxi squad the NHL has instituted.

At any rate, getting the AHL playing again is a huge step for prospect development all across the league. With so much uncertainty surrounding the CHL seasons, the AHL has become a potential landing spot for many top young prospects that don’t have anywhere else to play. It also means a lot more job openings for veteran players looking for a place to play in North America, though it will certainly be a race given how many spots will already be accounted for with NHL prospects.

There is lots of work left to do and lots of details still to come, but this appears to be a step in the right direction for getting the AHL up and running this season.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Nashville Predators

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We’ve now made it past Thanksgiving and are firmly in the holiday season. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Predators most thankful for? 

A depressed free agent market.

When the offseason began, it seemed clear that the Predators would be saying goodbye to Mikael Granlund, one of the best forwards available. The team grabbed a few depth players like Brad Richardson, Nick Cousins, and Mark Borowiecki, but looked like they would be mostly relying on internal growth for any improvement next season. Instead, over the last few weeks, the team has been able to re-sign Granlund and add Erik Haula for a grand total of $5.5MM. The no-risk one-year deals are excellent assets for the club whether they have success or not this season. The fact that both players will be motivated to improve their stock is even better.

Who are the Predators most thankful for?

Mattias Ekholm.

A year ago, when he was still earning just $4MM per season, this answer was easily Roman Josi. The Predators captain had one of the most team-friendly deals in the entire league, but that has now disappeared as Josi will carry a cap hit just over $9MM through 2027-28. Sure, he’s still one of the best two-way defensemen in the league and just took home the Norris Trophy after an incredible season, but the excess value he provides has now been slashed dramatically, if not removed entirely.

Ryan Ellis may still provide some with his $6.25MM hit, but it’s Ekholm that really makes the Predators’ cap work at this point. The 30-year-old defenseman will earn just $3.75MM for each of the next two seasons despite still being an upper-echelon option on the back end. Ekholm recorded 33 points in 68 games last season, an 82-game pace that would have given him a shot at his second straight 40+ point season to go along with strong play in his own end. There isn’t a team in the league who wouldn’t take him at his current price, especially given the deal will expire just after he turns 32 and the decline phase really kicks in. Whether the Predators decide to extend Ekholm is a decision for down the line, but right now his might be the most important contract on the books.

What would the Predators be even more thankful for?

A few more goals from the top of the roster.

13 goals. 14 goals. 15 goals. Those are the 2019-20 totals for Matt Duchene, Ryan Johansen, and Viktor Arvidsson, three players that need to be better for the Predators this season. The first two are both carrying long-term cap hits of $8MM per season, making them some of the most expensive forwards in the entire league. 27 goals and 78 points between them is unacceptable and must change for the team to have any real chance of competing for a Stanley Cup. Arvidsson on the other hand is a bit cheaper at $4.25MM, but that’s what made him so valuable in the past when he was posting goal totals of 31, 29, and 34 (in just 58 games!) prior to last year. Now 27, Arvidsson’s return to the 30-goal mark would be a huge boost in Nashville’s quest for a playoff spot in the new Central Division.

What should be on the Predators’ holiday wish list?

Another depth defenseman.

Honestly, even with the top three soaking up so many minutes and Dante Fabbro taking many of the rest, there should be some concern in Nashville about the Predators’ defensive depth. Borowiecki is a beloved teammate and a warrior on the penalty kill, but he’s proven before that he can’t step into a top-four role with any sort of real effectiveness. Matt Benning and Jarred Tinordi don’t offer much upside either, meaning the Predators are just one injury (or, in today’s world, illness) away from having a problem.

There are still some names on the free agent market that could help. Even beyond Sami Vatanen and Travis Hamonic, who seem unlikely fits for one reason or another, veterans like Ron Hainsey or Ben Hutton could make sense. There are certainly others on the trade market that could be acquired, depending on price, but the Predators are toeing a thin line with the group they have right now, even if it is loaded at the top.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Three Players Clear Waivers

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December 30: All three players have cleared waivers.

December 29: Another day, another minor league forward on waivers. The Columbus Blue Jackets have placed Calvin Thurkauf on waivers for the purpose of a loan to EV Zug in Switzerland for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that Michael Carcone and Frederic Allard of the Nashville Predators have also been placed on waivers.

Thurkauf, 23, was a seventh-round pick of the Blue Jackets back in 2016 that slowly worked his way through the minor leagues and made his NHL debut last season. Though he failed to score a point in three games, even making it that far was an impressive accomplishment for the young Swiss forward. This year in 19 games with Zug EV, he has four points and will continue his development overseas should he clear tomorrow.

Carcone, 24, was only just acquired by the Predators earlier this month in a minor trade with the Ottawa Senators. The career minor leaguer had 27 points in 59 games with the Belleville Senators last season and is likely ticketed for the Milwaukee Admirals whenever the AHL season gets underway.

Allard meanwhile is already playing in Austria, where he will likely continue should he clear waivers. The 23-year-old defenseman has played three seasons for the Admirals but is still waiting for his first NHL opportunity. A third-round pick from 2016, he has three points in 11 games for EC VSV in the Austrian professional league this season.

Ryan Callahan Announces Retirement

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After being forced to miss last season due to injury, Ryan Callahan has officially announced his retirement.

In a message on Twitter, the veteran forward thanked everyone that had been a part of his 13-year career, including the New York Rangers for giving him a chance when they selected him 127th overall in 2004. Callahan would eventually become captain of the Rangers, not bad for a hard-working mid-round pick from the OHL.

Next, Callahan thanks the Tampa Bay Lightning, the second chapter in his NHL career where he spent the last five and a half seasons. More than his on-ice success, he thanks the Lightning for helping launch his charitable foundation.

A veteran of 757 regular season NHL games, Callahan twice made it to the Stanley Cup Finals but failed to lift the silver chalice over his head. His career will end with 386 points, but it’s his do-anything-it-takes attitude that teammates and fans will remember long after he’s gone. Joe Smith of The Athletic profiles Callahan for perhaps the final time, explaining how his career winded down in Tampa while getting some insight into where his life will lead him now.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jets RFA Jack Roslovic Won’t Attend Camp Without New Contract, Seeking Trade

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The Winnipeg Jets and restricted free agent Jack Roslovic have been unable to come to terms on a new contract and the young forward will not be in attendance when training camp opens as a result. Claude Lemieux, Roslovic’s agent, tells Mike McIntyre of The Winnipeg Free Press that Roslovic continues to wait for either a trade or a suitable contract offer. Without either, his season remains on pause.

Roslovic, 23, is coming off of a career season with 12 goals and 29 points, a top-six mark among Jets forwards on both counts. Yet, that hasn’t produced any more job security for Roslovic. The versatile forward continues to be penciled in for a bottom-six role, has been the long-time subject of trade talks, and has not received a long-term offer to his liking. For some time now, it has been reported that Roslovic has bought in to his own trade speculation and lack of an identifiable role and would prefer a change of scenery. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun even relays that a trade has been formally requested.

It is now up to GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to make the call on Roslovic’s future. He can trade the young forward or he can finally make an offer that Roslovic and his side feel is fair. Even for a promising player who can play center and wing and has proven his ability to score without much power play opportunity, Roslovic’s trade value should be low right now given the cap crunch climate and the publicized contract standoff. Considering the injury absence of Bryan Little and David Gustafsson as well, at least to begin the year, the Jets could use the depth, making a short-term resolution with Roslovic the best option unless an ideal trade can be found.

In the meantime, Roslovic remains at home in the U.S., which raises other issues. If and when a new deal is reached, Roslovic would need to travel to Winnipeg and then quarantine for seven days. That gives the Jets a week at most to get Roslovic under contract and through quarantine without him missing regular season games. Quarantine rules also impact the feasibility of a trade, especially the longer that Cheveldayoff waits to pull the trigger. One way or another, the Jets need to solve this situation as quickly as they can.

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