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Pavel Buchnevich To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The rematch between the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers was started by three simultaneous fights off the opening faceoff and ended with 141 penalty minutes handed out. Today, even more supplementary discipline will be determined. Pavel Buchnevich will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for his incident with Anthony Mantha.

The two came together early in the second period and Buchnevich got his stick up into the face of Mantha, delivering a forceful cross-check to the head. The Rangers forward was given a five-minute major and game misconduct, taking his penalty minute total to 19 for the game. He now appears to be heading for a suspension as well.

Of course, Buchnevich was right in the middle of the incident that preceded last night’s melee, when he was struck Monday night by Washington forward Tom Wilson. Wilson received a $5,000 fine for the punch, which led to the Rangers releasing a statement calling for the removal of George Parros from the DoPS. Many believed Wilson should receive a suspension, but as so often it is in hockey, the reaction—even days later—will be given the stronger punishment.

Mantha did not suffer a serious injury on the play, but cross-checks to the head area almost always rise to the level of supplemental discipline. Buchenevich’s season could very well be done as the Rangers have just two games left.

Snapshots: Kane, Morrow, Tangradi

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Evander Kane has had a tremendous season for the San Jose Sharks, recording a team-best 45 points in 52 games. The achievement is all the more impressive given the safe assumption that Kane’s focus has not solely been on hockey this year. The star forward has been mired in Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding all season, filing in January and then in March motioning for an extension on the decision until June on the grounds that his contract with the Sharks could be terminated following the end of the season. While it remains to be seen whether this in fact occurs or not, the latest development in the case has the bankruptcy court deciding that Kane’s case will remain in Chapter 7 as opposed to Chapter 11. A lender had filed a motion for Kane to be treated as a business under Chapter 11 due to his debt mostly coming from gambling losses. Such a decision would have opened up Kane’s future income to his lenders in the bankruptcy decision, but such an outcome was avoided.

At least one lender has decided that if they can’t get to Kane’s future earnings via bankruptcy decision, they’ll go after a greater return on their defaulted loan another way. Per The Athletic’s Daniel Kaplan, Professional Bank has sued Kane for $15MM, alleging fraud on the basis of misrepresenting the Sharks’ role in his repayment plans. This amounts to ten times their initial loan due, justified as “punitive damages.” This is highly irregular in a case such as this, as punitive damages are not substantiated by a claim but rather are meant as punishment. Punitive damages to this massive extent are very unlikely to be awarded, especially with Kane’s bankruptcy proceeding still ongoing, but Professional Bank will try their best.

  • Winning a national championships comes with some added perks, the least of which is increased recruiting power. Defending champs UMass flexed their newfound market power today, convincing potential 2021 first-round pick Scott Morrow to flip on his commitment to North Dakota and got to Amherst. Multiple sources have confirmed the move, with the talented right-handed defenseman moving from one powerhouse to another. Morrow was expected to join a deep group of NHL-caliber defensemen at UND this year, but will have more of an opportunity to shine as a top blue line option at UMass. It has worked out nicely for Cale Makar, Mario Ferraro, Zac Jones, and several other NHL prospects over just the last few years.
  • Eric Tangradi, Real Estate Agent? In a unique twist, former NHL winger Tangradi announced his retirement by transitioning it into the reveal of his new career. A big, powerful winger who appeared to have NHL chops early in his career, Tangradi never could quite translate his AHL production to the next level. He still managed to play in 150 NHL games with the Penguins, Jets, Canadiens, Devils, and Red Wings, but recorded just 16 career points. Tangradi will likely be remembered more for his many years of dominance in the minors, recording over 350 points in 488 career NHL games.

Overseas Notes: Skelleftea, Khokhlachev, Langhamer

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After falling in the SHL semifinals, Swedish powerhouse Skelleftea AIK is already moving forward with their plans for next season. The team has announced a list of players who will not be returning in 2021-22 and it includes some notable NHL names. Edmonton Oilers’ defenseman Philip Broberg, Detroit Red Wings’ forward Jonatan Berggren, and Carolina Hurricanes’ defenseman Roland McKeown are all among those who will not return to Skelleftea next year and all are expected to instead be in the NHL. Broberg, 19, has in fact already made the jump, as he was recalled by the Oilers earlier this week. The 2019 No. 8 overall pick has been in Skelleftea on loan for two years since being drafted, but the big two-way defenseman is ready for the next step in his career. Berggren appears to be prepared to make that leap as well. Detroit’s 2018 second-round pick was Skelleftea’s leading scorer this season, recording 45 points in 49 games. The 20-year-old skilled play-maker is one of a number of promising Red Wings prospects, but Berggren’s dominance at the pro level this year should give him a leg up in training camp battles. McKeown is the outlier of the group; the 25-year-old blue liner made his European debut this season on loan from the Hurricanes. The former top prospect out of the OHL had faded from relevance among the Hurricanes’ deep defensive group and wished to stay in Sweden this year rather than play yet again in the AHL. While McKeown may join Carolina as a depth option in the playoffs now that his SHL season is over, his days with the organization are numbered. Slated for Group 6 unrestricted free agency this summer, McKeown may not be back with Skelleftea but he certainly won’t be staying in Raleigh either. He will have other options on the open market to find a more clear path to NHL opportunity.

  • Another prominent name in Europe who won’t be returning to his current team is Boston Bruins center Alexander Khokhlachev. The 27-year-old center was a key cog for Gagarin Cup champions Avangard Omsk this season, recording 34 points in 59 games as a top-six forward, but the team has nonetheless announced that Khokhlachev has decided to leave the club. This could very well mean that Khokhlachev is finally eyeing a return to North America after five years away, and the timing of the move is key. The Bruins’ rights to Khokhlachev finally expire on June 30th. While it’s not impossible that Khokhlachev could give the Bruins another shot under his old AHL head coach Bruce Cassidy, there are certainly better opportunities for an NHL role elsewhere if he instead waits to become a free agent this summer.
  • One player who isn’t rushing back to his NHL rights holder is goaltender Marek Langhamer. Despite the possibility that the Arizona Coyotes could have some more opportunity in net next season with Antti Raanta headed for free agency, Adin Hill expected to be exposed in the Expansion Draft, and Darcy Kuemper still a hot name on the rumor mill, Langhamer won’t be involved. Even after two strong seasons in the KHL, Langhamer has decided to stay in Europe, signing a one-year-deal with the Liiga’s Illves. It’s unclear if Langhamer is averse to re-joining the ’Yotes or just the NHL overall, but regardless he will see his rights expire on June 30th of next season and can then return to North America as a free agent if he chooses.

Alabama-Huntsville Suspends Hockey Operations For 2021-22

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Continuity has not come easily to the University of Alabama-Huntsville hockey program in recent years. UAH had announced prior to the 2020-21 season that they were cutting hockey, but the program was saved by a group of donors led by NHL alumnus Cam Talbot. The drive raised enough money to continue operations for another season, but the school later voiced its support for continuing the program for years to come. Yet, just a year later the same news has come back around. The university has announced that they are suspending operations, effective immediately.

This time, Alabama-Huntsville is citing their lack of a conference as the reason behind discontinuing hockey. The 2020-21 season marked the end of the WCHA, with the seven of the geographically-linked programs breaking off to form the the new CCHA, leaving UAH, Alaska-Anchorage, and Alaska-Fairbanks as currently unassociated with any conference. Alabama-Huntsville formally applied to join the CCHA, but were denied membership. The school has also applied to join Atlantic Hockey, but is still awaiting a response. Until they are accepted into a new conference though, the team will keep all hockey operations suspended.

There has to be more to this story than just conference membership, however. Alaska-Fairbanks seems content to move forward as an independent and Alaska-Anchorage is currently trying to raise funds in order to do the same. Arizona State obviously stands out as the top independent team in the country, a program that was formed without any expectation of conference membership but has already risen to national relevance. Long Island University followed that same path with their entry into Division I hockey last year and Lindenwood University will do the same in 2022-23. Independent hockey is sustainable in the NCAA, but Alabama-Huntsville has cited it as the sole reason for discontinuing their program.

The prevailing belief is that the Chargers will be back up and running as soon as they are accepted into a new conference, which could be sooner rather than later with their Atlantic application still pending. This would assume that the decision is entirely motivated by their hesitancy to operate as an independent, so only time will tell if this theory proves to be true. In the meantime, Alabama-Huntsville will endure a repeat of last off-season, when many of their players and recruits (as well as much of their coaching staff) departed when the university cut funding. While UAH may not have any NHL prospects right now, they still stand to lose their top players. Starting goaltender David Fesseden has already committed to transfer to New Hampshire and top scorers Tyrone Bronte and Bauer Neudecker could follow him out the door. Regardless of how this works out in the long-term, the immediate future is bleak for Alabama-Huntsville hockey and concerns over university support will be lasting for years to come.

New York Rangers Fire John Davidson, Jeff Gorton

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4:35pm: The Rangers have made it official, announcing that Davidson and Gorton are “leaving the organization” effective immediately. Drury has taken over as president and general manager, while senior advisor Glen Sather will help him during the transition. Dolan has released a statement:

We want to thank JD and Jeff for their contributions to the organization. They are both great hockey professionals who worked hard for the Rangers, however, in order for the team to succeed in the manner our fans deserve, there needs to be a change in leadership. Chris is a very sought-after executive and a strong leader, who has proven himself to be one of the top young minds in hockey. We are confident he will effectively guide the team to ensure the long-term success we promised Rangers fans.

1:50pm: In a stunning development, the New York Rangers have fired team president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. This comes less than 24 hours after the team issued a harsh statement critiquing the league and Department of Player Safety head George Parros. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that the two men “scurried to distance themselves” from the statement, telling other executives that they did not know it was in the works until after it was released. Larry Brooks of the New York Post tweets that associate GM Chris Drury will remain with the organization in a prominent role and Friedman reports that it will be as president and GM.

Darren Dreger of TSN has been told that the firings are not related to the statement and Friedman adds that James Dolan, the team owner, was unhappy with the team this season and wanted a change. Dolan was also behind the statement, reports Friedman.

While the Rangers are going to miss the playoffs again this season, the rebuild is going pretty much exactly as planned. Three years ago, the team issued a letter to fans telling them that they would be trading franchise icons in order to amass a new young core to put them back in contention for the Stanley Cup. Names like Ryan McDonagh, Mats Zuccarello, Rick Nash, J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes, Brady Skjei, and Marc Staal were all shown the door, while Gorton and his staff compiled prospects and picks to build for the future. The team went out and signed Artemi Panarin to a huge contract in free agency to move things along and even took part in the postseason last year, losing to a much more experienced Carolina Hurricanes team in the qualification round.

This season they will miss the playoffs thanks to a brutal East Division, sitting ten points behind the New York Islanders but holding a 26-21-6 record. The Rangers would hold a playoff position in two of the other divisions with the same record and have the 13th-best goal differential in the NHL.

Apparently, that rebuild has not gone the way ownership envisioned. Davidson and Gorton are out, adding two respected and experienced executives to the market for teams to go after this summer. It was less than two years ago when Davidson resigned his role with the Columbus Blue Jackets to take a similar job with the Rangers, noting that it was a homecoming of sorts for the former player and broadcaster. That homecoming is now over, but it seems very unlikely that Davidson is without work for long if he wants to continue in an NHL front office.

Of course, even though they are moving on from two experienced executives, the Rangers have a ready-made replacement in Drury. An Olympic medalist as a player, Drury has been one of the most sought-after young managers in the league the last several years but has continued to commit himself to the Rangers whenever a new opportunity presented itself. He joined the team as its director of player development in 2015 and has worked his way up the ranks, also serving as GM for Team USA at the World Championships. There’s no doubting Drury’s ability in the role, though his appointment does come suddenly and with plenty of surprise.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 05/05/21

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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 so far:

Calgary – Josh Leivo
Colorado – Devan Dubnyk
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov

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 Svechnikov, Detroit Red Wings

No new players have been added so far, though several teams have yet to submit their report. Kuznetsov and teammate Ilya Samsonov will both be out of the lineup again for the Capitals tonight, though it is not clear if Samsonov is also in the protocol. Since he is currently technically on the taxi squad, Washington does not need to publicly report it. With Kuznetsov unavailable and Alex Ovechkin out with a lower-body injury, Daniel Carr has been recalled to the active roster and is expected to play tonight.

*denotes new addition

Ottawa Senators Extend Anton Forsberg

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Maybe this time Anton Forsberg won’t have to move. The Ottawa Senators have signed the journeyman goaltender to a one-year contract extension for the 2021-22 season. The deal will carry a salary of $900K, giving the team a veteran backup at the position. Senators GM Pierre Dorion released a short statement on the move:

Anton’s addition has been a steadying one for us this season. He possesses a calm and controlled playing style, has good size and ability, is a tireless worker with good habits and is a good teammate. He’s worked hard in practice to earn his playing opportunities and this contract extension.

While deals like this are usually due to expansion draft considerations, that doesn’t appear to be the case for Ottawa. The team already had four goaltenders that meet the exposure requirements, meaning they can pick and choose which one to protect from the Seattle Kraken. They very well could lose one of their young netminders though, meaning Forsberg’s presence could be all the more valuable next season.

Originally signed by the Edmonton Oilers in October to a one-year, $700K deal, Forsberg’s season quickly went off the rails as teams tried to slip him through waivers. He was claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes on January 12, by the Winnipeg Jets on January 15, and then finally by the Senators on March 17. By the time he got to Ottawa he had spent more time in quarantine than on the ice but gave the team some solid performances. In six NHL games this season he registered a .910 save percentage, good enough to earn this extension.

Of course, if the Senators want to send Forsberg to the minor leagues next season he’ll have to clear waivers once again.

Shayne Gostisbehere Suspended Two Games

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The Department of Player Safety has issued a two-game suspension to Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere for his boarding of Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Mark Friedman at the end of last night’s game. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that this is not a defensive play in which Gostisbehere is attempting to reach the puck carrier to prevent the goal from being scored. It is only after the empty net goal was apparent that Gostisbehere adjusts his skating path, takes a hard stride to reach Friedman and begins to initiate this contact. It is significantly after the puck enters the net, well past the time where Friedman should reasonably expect and prepare for contact that the shove is delivered.

The league notes the shove was at a dangerous distance from the boards and though acknowledged that Gostisbehere has not been fined or suspended in his 380-game career, decided to issue the two-game ban.

Gostisbehere will now miss two of the remaining three games in the season. The Flyers will not be making the playoffs after a disappointing year and will now need to find another body to insert into the lineup down the stretch.

Arizona Coyotes Sign Karel Vejmelka

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May 5: The Coyotes have officially announced the contract for Vejmelka, confirming that it will start in the 2021-22 season. GM Bill Armstrong released a short statement:

We are very pleased to sign Karel. He is a talented young goaltender with the combination of size and quickness. We look forward to working with him next season and will monitor his development.

May 4: The Arizona Coyotes have come to an agreement with a goaltending prospect as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve signed goalie Karel Vejmelka to a one-year, entry-level deal.  The contract is for next season and carries a $750K base salary, a $92.5K signing bonus, and $82.5K in performance bonuses for a $925K AAV.  CapFriendly originally reported that Nashville had signed Vejmelka but subsequently revised that report.

The 24-year-old was drafted by Nashville all the way back in 2015 when they selected him with the 145th overall selection but they lost his rights by not signing him by 2019.  Since then, he has played with HC Kometa Brno of the Czech Extraliga.  This season, Vejmelka posted a 2.79 GAA along with a save percentage of .911 in 35 regular season games, numbers that were actually below his career averages in that league (2.56 GAA, .913 SV%).

With Antti Raanta and Adin Hill both on expiring contracts this season, there appears to be a potential opening for someone to step in, especially if Hill moves up to Arizona to back up Darcy Kuemper. Vejmelka joins Ivan Prosvetov and David Tendeck as other goalies under contract for next season.  Prosvetov has split his time between the AHL and NHL while Tendeck has exclusively played in the ECHL so on the surface, it appears as if Vejmelka will be battling Tendeck for a spot in AHL Tucson next season.

New Jersey Devils Sign Nico Daws

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The New Jersey Devils have added an interesting goaltending prospect to the pipeline, signing Nico Daws to a three-year entry-level contract. The young goalie recently finished his first season of professional hockey, suiting up ten times for ERC Ingolstadt in the German DEL. This contract will kick in for the 2021-22 season.

Daws, 20, was the 84th overall pick in 2020, a year after he went completely undrafted. That meteoric rise was helped by a selection to the 2020 Canadian World Junior team and outstanding performance for the Guelph Storm when he went 23-8-6 with a .924 save percentage. The big, flexible goaltender takes up a huge portion of the net but has struggled with his lateral puck tracking against top competition at times.

Still, the young netminder will be able to jump into the Devils development program and get his feet wet at the AHL level next season without any real rush to climb the ranks. With 24-year-old Mackenzie Blackwood still the team’s starter at the NHL level, New Jersey can take their time with Daws and allow him the time to learn how to best use that 6’4″ frame.

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