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Archives for May 2021

New Jersey Devils Sign Akira Schmid

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The New Jersey Devils are getting an early start on their offseason plans. The team has signed Akira Schmid to a three-year entry-level contract that will begin in the 2021-22 season. The young goaltender spent this season with the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL.

Schmid, 21, was a fifth-round pick of the Devils in 2018 but dominated his competition this season at the junior level. Posting a league-leading .921 save percentage in 36 appearances, he ended up 22-13-1 for the Musketeers. That was just a continuation of the ability he showed in 2018-19, when he had a .926 for the Omaha Lancers, and got him back on track after a disappointing COVID-shortened 2019-20 season.

The Swiss netminder will likely get his first taste of professional action next season, though it is not clear if that will be in North America or overseas. The team already has several goaltending prospects in the system including the recently-signed Nico Daws. There may not be enough spots in the minor leagues, leading to some loans when things shake out in training camp.

Toronto Maple Leafs Promote Hayley Wickenheiser

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When the Toronto Maple Leafs parted ways with player development director Scott Pellerin earlier this year, there were some whispers that the role would be filled by a “high-profile” name. That has certainly proven true, as today the team promoted Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser to senior director of player development. Wickenheiser will be joined by new director of player development Danielle Goyette. Skills coach Darryl Belfry will oversee the technical development, while Willy Sibley has been promoted to director of development operations and analysis.

Wickenheiser has been working with the team since 2018 as an assistant director of player development, while also completing her education at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. The legendary forward is arguably the greatest woman to ever play hockey and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019. Four Olympic golds, seven World Championship golds, an NWHL title, a CWHL title, and a CIS title, Wickenheiser did everything possible as a player. She is now crossing new bridges as an executive, once again paving the way for women that will come after her.

She won’t be doing it alone, as former national teammate Goyette joins the Maple Leafs after more than a decade as head coach of the University of Calgary. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, Goyette brings another two Olympic golds, eight World Championship golds, and an NWHL title as a player. It would be hard to find a more decorated pair.

Sam Bennett To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Florida Panthers blew a lead to go down 1-0 in their first-round playoff series and will now be without one of their deadline additions for at least game two. Sam Bennett will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety today for the hit he delivered on Blake Coleman last night.

The incident occurred partway through the third period when the Panthers were up 4-3. Bennett came from across the defensive zone to deliver a check on Coleman in the corner and received a two-minute minor for charging on the play. He will now face a suspension, keeping him out for at least tomorrow’s rematch.

There appear to be no other hearings coming out of the game, including a hit delivered by Ryan McDonagh that sparked plenty of outrage from Panther fans.

Bennett, who has been outstanding since coming over from the Calgary Flames at the deadline, recorded two assists in nearly 21 minutes of ice time last night for Florida. A stat-filler, he had four penalty minutes, four shots on goal, three hits, two blocks, two takeaways and hit the ice on the powerplay and penalty kill. That performance will have to come from someone else in game two.

Five Key Stories: 5/10/21 – 5/16/21

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For the second straight week, a front office decision from the Rangers made headlines.  That wasn’t the only news from New York that is part of the key stories of the week.

Eichel’s Situation: This season was a tough one for Buffalo’s Jack Eichel both on and off the ice.  On the ice, he underachieved, scoring just twice in 21 games although he did manage 16 assists.  Off the ice, injuries were an issue and he conveyed his frustration with how the Sabres won’t let him undergo a new surgery that he wants to fix his neck injury, one that hasn’t been done on an NHL player before.  At a time where GM Kevyn Adams acknowledged that some players acknowledged they’re “open to anything” when it comes to where they play next season, many wonder if Eichel is among those on that list.  In our poll of where he’ll play next season, only 16% of voters believe he’ll be in Buffalo.

AHL Playoff Concerns: When it was announced that only one of the divisions in the AHL would be conducting some sort of playoffs, it was already a little intriguing.  Then came the recent news that more than 94% of the players in that division voted against playing as the Pacific Division title is a far cry from being crowned Calder Cup champions, nor does it provide them with an opportunity to make any sort of playoff bonus money.  Of the seven teams in that division, three of them (Henderson, Bakersfield, and Colorado) have their NHL affiliates in the playoffs so those teams won’t be able to bring up their extra reserves until this tournament ends which could be as late as May 29.

Quinn Fired: Another week, another notable change off the ice for the Rangers.  New GM Chris Drury didn’t waste much time making a decision on his coaching staff as he fired head coach David Quinn as well as assistants David Oliver, Greg Brown, and Jacques Martin.  Quinn spent three years behind the bench in New York with the team posting a 96-87-25 record over that span.  However, their only playoff appearance in that span was a sweep at the hands of Carolina in the Qualifying Round last summer in the bubble and it appears there will now be a more pronounced push to try to win now.  Drury has already interviewed one candidate as Gerard Gallant met with him before heading off to Latvia where he will coach Canada at the upcoming World Championships.

Lindgren Extension: There was some notable on-ice news for the Rangers as well as they worked out a three-year, $9MM contract extension with defenseman Ryan Lindgren.  The deal pays $2MM next season, $3MM in 2022-23, and $4MM in 2023-24, meaning his required qualifying offer will be $3.6MM in the 2024 offseason (the lower of 120% of the qualifying offer or the final-season salary).  The 23-year-old has become a quality stay-at-home blueliner for New York while bringing some physicality to the table as well.  This season, he had a goal and 15 assists in 51 games along with 98 hits while averaging 20 minutes a night.  Getting a top-four defender signed for that price tag has the potential to be a bargain if Lindgren continues to improve.

Borgstrom Signs: Prior to the trade deadline, the Blackhawks and Panthers made a deal with Chicago taking on Brett Connolly’s contract from Florida.  In the return was center Henrik Borgstrom, a 2016 first-round pick that hadn’t panned out with the Panthers and opted to go overseas instead of re-signing with them last offseason.  He had a good season with HIFK in Finland with 21 points in 30 games which was enough to earn him a deal with his new team as Chicago signed him to a two-year, $2MM contract.  The Blackhawks have done well in recent years identifying international players who can contribute in North America – recent impactful adds include Dominik Kubalik, Pius Suter, and Philipp Kurashev and they clearly believe that Borgstrom will be able to follow suit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Offseason Checklist: New Jersey Devils

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The offseason has arrived for most teams that aren’t playoff-bound with a couple of others set to join them in the coming days as they play out their rescheduled games.  It’s time to examine what they need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at New Jersey.

The Devils weren’t expected to be a contender this season but this was a rough year for them.  Corey Crawford’s retirement before training camp threw a wrench into their plan between the pipes and then a harsh COVID-19 outbreak derailed some early momentum.  The end result was them selling once again at the trade deadline and remaining firmly entrenched in rebuilding mode.  At some point, GM Tom Fitzgerald will need to get things headed back in the direction of playoff contention which results in a rather large to-do list that reflects requiring improvements pretty much everywhere.

Fitzgerald Extension

Before he can really dig into any of that, however, Fitzgerald needs a contract extension.  While the interim GM tag was removed last offseason, it didn’t come with an extension so his deal is up at the end of the league calendar (the final day before free agency).  On the surface, considering he had the green light to take them through the trade deadline, it stands to reason that Fitzgerald will be the GM moving forward and discussions on a new deal have already started.  At some point in the near future though, pen will need to put to paper and at that time, presumably with a bit of contractual certainty, he will be able to continue reshaping this roster.

Add Impact Veteran Offensive Winger

The mark of a good team is often a mixture of quality young players on below-market contracts with some impact veterans mixed in with some good ones lower in the lineup.  They have a promising young core up front headed by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier while we can add Yegor Sharangovich, Pavel Zacha, and Jesper Bratt to the mix.  Zacha turned 24 last month and he’s the elder statesman of the bunch.  Others like Michael McLeod, Nolan Foote, and Janne Kuokkanen have the potential to be more than just role players either and none of them are older than 23.  Not everyone will pan out but there’s enough for a decent foundation of young forwards to work with.

It’s fair to question if Hughes and Hischier will ultimately live up to their number one draft billing but in their defense, they’ve basically been thrown to the wolves without a lot of support.  Taylor Hall had one really good season but wasn’t lighting the lamp a ton the rest of the time.  He’s gone now.  Kyle Palmieri is a nice player and a viable top-six forward but he’s not a top piece that’s going to bring out the best in two young centermen.  He’s also gone now.  If you look at the rest of their veterans, it’s mostly a group of role players with someone like Miles Wood being a middle-six guy.  That’s not much help at all and it’s help that those two need if they’re going to be able to elevate their performance and reach their potential.

New Jersey hasn’t had much luck at all in free agency in recent years and with the year they had, it’s fair to wonder if that trend will continue.  However, at a time when a lot of teams don’t have much cap space, they have plenty of it – more than $37MM per CapFriendly – which gives them an ability to be more aggressive when hunting for additions, especially since there aren’t any overly pricey restricted free agents to deal with.  At a minimum, they need one impact winger and in a perfect world, more than that.  And if they strike out on the top free agents, they should be able to leverage that cap space on the trade front as long as they don’t accept role players as they did last fall.

Who will New Jersey’s leading scorer be next season?  The ideal answer to that question is someone that’s not currently in the organization.  It’s a lofty goal but it’s one that needs to be met.

Add A Better Backup Goalie

To Fitzgerald’s credit, he read the goaltending situation correctly last offseason.  Seeing that Mackenzie Blackwood had potential but not a lot of experience, bringing in a run of the mill backup wouldn’t have been a wise move.  Bringing Crawford in on a two-year deal to work with and push Blackwood was a wise move.  Unfortunately, his change of heart left them in a no-win situation and they were forced to rely on Scott Wedgewood and two waiver claims in Eric Comrie (later waived and reclaimed by Winnipeg) and Aaron Dell.  Those players are best utilized as third-stringers and the ensuing results weren’t pretty.

As a result, Blackwood received the lion’s share of the workload and the results were mixed.  There were times where he was stealing multiple games and others where he struggled mightily while enduring two losing streaks of at least six games.  That can’t all be laid at his feet, however, given that there were many nights when the Devils didn’t have their best lineup available due to injuries and players being in COVID-19 protocol.  There is still a reason to be optimistic that he can be their starter of the future.

However, he still could benefit from a veteran mentor that can still contribute, something that Crawford was expected to provide before he retired.  That same thought process needs to be applied here in free agency.  The good news is that veteran free agent goalies are typically available every year with varying levels of ability – starters, platoon options, clear-cut backups, and role players.  Adding someone in the platoon category would be a good target, one that can take some pressure off Blackwood.  Depending on what happens on the goalie front with Seattle, they could look to the trade market as well.  It’s not as critical of an addition as adding forwards but this is something that Fitzgerald will need to accomplish.

Bring In Multiple Defensive Upgrades

There is a reasonable foundation in place for next season on the back end.  P.K. Subban will be entering the final year of his contract, Damon Severson is a capable veteran, and Ty Smith’s first NHL season was certainly encouraging.  The depth gets pretty thin after that, however.

Will Butcher has the offensive ability to be an impact player but has struggled the last couple of years while it remains to be seen how good Jonas Siegenthaler can be.  They’ll be in the mix next season but can’t be counted on to play a significant role.  Kevin Bahl has some potential but needs more time in the minors.

Ryan Murray, Connor Carrick, and Matt Tennyson are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer, creating an opening in the top four as well as on the depth front.  At the very least, a top-four defender to replace Murray is needed but in a perfect world, another addition that can play in the fourth or fifth spot to give them some extra insurance would also be brought in.  Unlike most teams, they can afford to shop for multiple impact pieces even after adding up front.

There are a lot of vacancies to try to fill but that’s what happens when a team misses the playoffs for three straight years and eight of the last nine.  Fitzgerald may not be able to fill all of them but if New Jersey is going to get out of their current spin, they need to make several additions of note in the coming months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 05/16/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is today’s list:

St. Louis – David Perron, Jake Walman, Nathan Walker

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals

For the second straight day, a Washington player was removed from the list after Ilya Samsonov came off on Saturday.  However, don’t expect an immediate return for him (or Samsonov who returned to the ice for the first time today).  Kuznetsov has been on the list since May 4th which means he has been away from the team since then; expecting either of them to jump into a playoff series after being off for that long would be tough.  However, at the very least, the Capitals should be looking forward to having some reinforcements as their series against Boston progresses.

Snapshots: Blues, Varlamov, Hurricanes, Tortorella

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The St. Louis Blues added their third player on the COVID-19 protocol list Saturday when leading scorer David Perron found himself on the list, but so far there are no concerns about cancelling practice or postponing games, according to Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (subscription required).

“There is always concern when Players or Club staff test positive for COVID-19,” Daly wrote in an email. “The level of concern is always a function of the precise circumstances involved. “At the current time, there is no consideration being given to postponing games.”

The Blues held an optional skate Saturday with many veterans taking a maintenance day off, but flew to Denver after the practice to get ready for their playoff game Monday.

  • Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov will practice again on Monday before a decision is made regarding his status for Game 2. Varlamov missed Game 1 due to a lower-body injury, although head coach Barry Trotz said he was taken out of the lineup due to precautionary reasons. The coach said he had to make a decision Saturday night and chose to take Varlamov totally out of the lineup. Cory Schneider served as the backup to Ilya Sorokin, who led New York to a overtime victory Sunday.
  • Raleigh News & Observer’s Chip Alexander reports that several injured players were back on the ice Sunday for practice, including Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce and Cedric Paquette. Slavin was considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury and sat out the regular season finale. Pesce also sat out the regular season finale with an undisclosed injury. Paquette, on the other hand, had missed the last six games of the season with an undisclosed injury. Carolina faces off against Nashville on Monday.
  • The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes that former Columbus Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella, who split with the Blue Jackets more than a week ago, tried to step down from his head coaching position last season. One main reason the veteran coach decided to come back for one final season as coach was due to the urging of Nick Foligno. The captain sat down with the coach and convinced him to give the veteran core one more chance.

North Notes: Canucks Front Office, Campbell, Nash, Philp

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There could be some changes in Vancouver this offseason in regards to the team’s front office. At least that’s what The Province’s Patrick Johnston states. The scribe writes that several names are surfacing if owner Francesco Aquilini is ready to make changes.

One name that Johnston writes about is Geoff Courtnall, who could serve as a middle man between ownership and the general manager. Despite the lack of NHL experience since retiring in 2000, he has expressed an interest in getting involved with hockey management and is quite familiar with Aquilini.

The scribe adds that there is a legitimate chance that Vancouver may be looking to replace Jim Benning as well. He makes several suggestions of candidates who could replace Benning, including recently fired ex-Rangers GM Jeff Gorton, Toronto assistant GM Laurence Gilman, Colorado’s assistant GM Chris MacFarland and possibly Scott Mellanby.

  • Sticking with the Canucks, The Athletic’s Thomas Drance reports that forward Elias Pettersson will not play Sunday or any of the remaining three games of the season, shutting him down for the season. Pettersson, who has been out since March 2 with an upper-body injury, has 10 goals and 21 points in just 26 games this season.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said that the team will go with Jack Campbell as their No. 1 goaltender to start the playoffs over veteran Frederik Andersen, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Campbell likely deserves the nod after performing well this season, especially recently. Campbell finished the regular season with a 2.15 GAA and a .921 save percentage in 22 appearances. Keefe also said the team intends to put Riley Nash into the lineup immediately now that he’s been activated off LTIR (via Hockey News’ David Alter). Acquired for a seventh-round pick just before the trade deadline, the center has not played a game with Toronto yet. “We’re gonna get him involved right away and just rely upon the fact that he’s very smart player very experienced guy, and in the NHL and the playoffs in particular, trust that he’s going to fit right in.”
  • The Calgary Flames announced that forward Luke Philp was injured in practice Sunday and will miss the team’s final three games of the regular season. Philp had yet to make his NHL debut and was likely to get a chance in one of the team’s next three games, but will now have to wait until next season for another chance. Philp had eight goals and 17 points in 30 AHL games this season.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 05/16/21

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With the playoffs underway, the taxi squad shuffle will start to look a little bit different. Instead of constant swapping between the active roster and taxi squad, teams will likely just make mass additions the way they usually recall “Black Aces.” That is, players who will practice with the playoff roster but aren’t expected to actually suit up for any game action. We’ll still keep track of any moves right here:

  • With an injury to Vitek Vanecek and no word on the progress of Ilya Samsonov, the Washington Capitals are forced to make a roster move to bring in an extra goaltender in case neither can go. The team therefore, announced they have recalled Zach Fucale from the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Fucale, once considered an elite goaltending prospect, had fared quite well in the AHL, posting a 1.80 GAA and a .932 save percentage in 16 appearances.
  • Las Vegas Review Journal’s David Schoen reports that the Vegas Golden Knights have activated forward Ryan Reaves from LTIR and is ready to join the lineup in his familiar fourth-line role. Reaves’ numbers haven’t been overly impressive, but the forward brings intimidation that Vegas needs on the ice. The 34-year-old has one goal and five points in 37 games to go with 141 hits. Reaves has missed the last 16 games with an undisclosed injury.
  • With their AHL season complete now, the Florida Panthers recalled four players to their NHL squad to serve as Black Aces, including defenseman Chase Priskie, Lucas Carlsson, Vladislav Kolyachonok and John Ludvig, according to FloridaHockeyNow’s George Richards.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled goaltender Alex D’Orio from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL, according to PGSportsNow’s Matt Vensel. D’Orio will serve as the emergency third-string goaltender with Casey DeSmith out.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced that goaltender Carey Price and winger Brendan Gallagher have been sent to Laval of the AHL on an LTI conditioning loan.  Both players will be in uniform for Monday’s game against Toronto.  Price, who is slated to play half the game, will be making his first AHL appearance since 2008 while Gallagher will be seeing his first AHL action since 2013.
  • The Buffalo Sabres assigned forward Arttu Ruotsalainen to the minors, per CapFriendly.  The move is basically procedural at this point as the rookie is on his way to play for Finland at the World Championships.
  • The Calgary Flames have brought up defenseman Connor Mackey plus forwards Dominik Simon and Adam Ruzicka from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  All three players are expected to be in uniform tonight against Vancouver.
  • Speaking of Vancouver, the Canucks have recalled Jonah Gadjovich from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The forward will make his NHL debut against Calgary.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have brought up forwards Kyle Turris, Tyler Ennis, and Patrick Russell plus defenseman Philip Broberg from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  With their regular season over, they don’t need to carry a taxi squad any longer.

Washington Capitals Could Be Forced To Start Craig Anderson For Game 2

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Craig Anderson wasn’t expecting to get into the Washington Capitals’ Game 1 matchup with the Boston Bruins Saturday, but he did and the 39-year-old netminder proceeded to pick up the victory, leading Washington to a 3-2 overtime victory. By doing that, Anderson became the oldest goaltender in team history to win a playoff game, making 21 out of 22 saves. Anderson is likely to get the start for Game 2 against the Bruins on Monday according to the Washington Post’s Samantha Pell.

Anderson, who turns 40 on Friday, had to take over in the first period for starter Vitek Vanecek, who suffered a lower-body injury. He was already filling in for Ilya Samsonov, who was on the COVID-19 protocol list and wasn’t available to play either. Enter Anderson, who was forced to take over with No. 4 netminder Pheonix Copley standing in as the replacement goalie.

Vanecek is listed as day-to-day, according to head coach Peter Laviolette, but he could not confirm whether it will be a short day-to-day or a longer stint. Samsonov came off the COVID-19 protocol list Saturday, but there is no word on whether he might be available for Game 2. He skated Sunday for the first time in two weeks.

Regardless, the team could be putting quite a bit of pressure on Anderson, who spent most of the season on the taxi squad. He only appeared in four regular season games, posting a 2-1 record, with a 2.13 and a .915 save percentage.

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