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Archives for September 2021

Matt Stajan Hired As WHL Assistant Coach

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Matt Stajan is on his way back to Calgary. The WHL’s Calgary Hitmen have announced that Stajan will serve as an assistant coach this season, starting the next chapter in his hockey career after retiring as a player two years ago. He is replacing former assistant Joel Otto, who is dealing with a hip injury and can no longer provide on-ice instruction. Hitmen GM Jeff Chynoweth released a statement on the hire:

We are so pleased to be able to add a well-respected former player such as Matt Stajan to our coaching staff; his NHL playing experience is innumerable and will be a great asset to our club. At the same time, we want to thank Joel for his many years of service with the Hitmen.

After spending the early part of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Stajan played nine seasons with the Calgary Flames, reaching the 1,000 games played mark for his career in 2017-18. He spent one last year playing overseas, where he racked up 33 points in 52 games for EHC Munchen, but then announced his retirement in 2019.

An extremely well-respected teammate during his playing days, Stajan hit a career-high of 19 goals and 57 points in the 2009-10 season but carved out a role as a valuable two-way center for nearly a decade afterward. Now 37, he’ll start a coaching career that always seemed likely, given the way he carried himself during his days on the ice in the NHL. It is important to note that the Hitmen are actually owned by the same group as the Flames, and have been a proving ground for future Flames coaches in the past. Dave Lowry, for instance, worked his way up from assistant, to associate, to head coach of the Hitmen before making the jump back to the Flames bench in 2009. There’s obviously no guarantee that Stajan will follow the same path, but it certainly seems possible.

Minor Transactions: 09/09/21

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September keeps creeping along, inching closer to official training camps across the NHL. Minor league players are taking part in pre-camp skates and others are still finding homes for the 2021-22 season. As always, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor contracts right here.

  • The Stockton Heat have signed four players to AHL contracts. Alex Gallant, Reid Perepeluk, Mark Simpson and Koletrane Wilson will all be with the club this season. Gallant, 28, played with the heat in each of the last two years, racking up 171 penalty minutes in 61 games. The undrafted forward certainly isn’t known for his offense, which has produced just 18 points in 202 AHL games, but has still been invited to Calgary Flames training camp later this month.
  • The Iowa Wild have signed Nate Sucese to a one-year AHL contract, bringing him over from the Tucson Roadrunners where he spent last season. The former Penn State standout had 13 points in 36 games during his first professional season in Tucson, but was not given a qualifying offer by the Arizona Coyotes this offseason.
  • After being non-tendered by the Kings this summer, forward Drake Rymsha has inked a one-year contract with Fort Wayne of the ECHL.  This will be Rymsha’s second stint with the Komets as he notched 17 points in 24 games with them back in 2019-20.  The 23-year-old was limited to just two games last season but one of them came with Los Angeles as he logged more than 13 minutes in their final game of the year.

This page will be updated with any further transactions.

Nikita Scherbak Signs In Slovakia

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It appears as though Nikita Scherbak’s stay in North America could be over. The free agent forward has signed with HC Banska Bystrica in Slovakia for the upcoming season after spending the last year with the Texas Stars of the AHL.

Scherbak, 25, reached 196 games played in the AHL last season, and when added with his experience in the NHL and KHL, is now classified as a veteran for the minor league. AHL teams must dress at least 13 “development players” in each game, 12 of which must have played in 260 or fewer professional games (the other must be fewer than 320). In the release from his new team, it is explained that Scherbak’s status–no longer a development player–made it more difficult for him to find a job in North America, though he did try.

It’s a rapid fall for a player who was in the NHL as recently as the 2018-19 season, though Scherbak has never lived up to the promise that made him the 26th overall pick in 2014. He played 39 games with the Montreal Canadiens, the team that selected him, before being claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Kings in late 2018. Eight more games for the Kings that season would be his last chance at the highest level, as the Kings failed to issue Scherbak a qualifying offer that offseason and he ended up signing in the KHL.

After one more kick at the can with Texas, where he scored 15 points in 28 games, the still relatively young forward is on his way back to Europe.

Snapshots: Hall Of Fame, Montoya, Rangers

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The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame has announced the class of 2021, which will include Stan Fischler, Paul Holmgren, and Peter McNab. The trio will be inducted along with the 2020 class, which included Dean Blais, Tony Granato, Jenny Potter, and Jerry York, at an event scheduled for December of this year.

The three men from the 2021 class have all had a huge impact on hockey in the United States, spending decades with the game and bringing it to fans across the country. Even without McNab’s decades as a broadcaster for the New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche, his playing career likely should have been enough to enshrine him in the U.S. Hall. In 955 games, mostly with the Boston Bruins, he recorded 363 goals and 813 points, ranking 19th among all American players.

  • The Dallas Stars have hired former NHL goaltender Al Montoya as the club’s new director of community outreach, a position created to focus on helping grow the game among underrepresented fans. Montoya, 36, last played in the NHL during the 2017-18 season with the Edmonton Oilers and totaled 168 games over his full career. Originally selected by the New York Rangers with the sixth overall pick in 2004, he finished his NHL career with a 67-49-24 record and .908 save percentage.
  • New York Rangers GM Chris Drury once again indicated that the team needs a captain this season when speaking with media including Dan Rosen of NHL.com today. The front office executive is giving new head coach Gerard Gallant time to get to know the players before they make a decision, but expect someone on the team to wear a “C” this season. Rosen speculates on who the candidates would be, listing Jacob Trouba, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Adam Fox as potential options.

David Backes Signs One-Day Contract, Retires As Member Of St. Louis Blues

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The St. Louis Blues have brought David Backes home. The veteran forward has signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the team, just to announce his retirement from hockey. Backes released a long letter to the organization and the fans of St. Louis, including an explanation of just why he has chosen to hang up the skates at this point:

The game got faster and younger and I haven’t been associated with either of those adjectives in a long time.

My final goal was to play 1,000 games, but I came up 35 short.

In the end, it’s not that all these numbers don’t matter – they do, and I am damn proud of them. But the metrics that mean the most to me are the countless experiences and everlasting relationships that the game provided me.

That’s what I find is beyond measure.

Backes, 37, played a decade in St. Louis to start his career, ascending to the captaincy of the Blues by 2011. He scored 206 goals and 460 points in 727 regular season games with the team, but. was unable to find much success in the postseason. In his time there the Blues reached the Conference Finals just once, and by then he was already slowing down. In 2016 he was one of several high-profile free agents that signed expensive, long-term deals that failed to pan out as the league underwent a transformation toward youth and speed.

That second chapter of his career came in Boston, where he managed just 39 goals over 217 games, his declining footspeed slowly moving him further and further down the lineup. Always aware of his waning effectiveness, Backes decided to embrace a new role as a sort of enforcer for the Bruins by 2019, adding physicality and toughness to the fourth line.

When he was scratched more often than not during the first part of the 2019-20 season, the Bruins ended up trading Backes to the Anaheim Ducks, where he finished out his career with 21 appearances. That would take the veteran forward to 965, 35 short as he explained in his letter today. Though he failed to win any major awards, Backes was a Selke Trophy finalist in 2012 and finished in the top five for that award four years in a row. A fan favorite in St. Louis, he’ll now be able to say he finished his career where it started.

Free Agent Profile: Devan Dubnyk

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Here is a snapshot of the free agent market at the goalie position: Tuukka Rask, who is committed to the Boston Bruins, Devan Dubnyk, Curtis McElhinney, who is older, played less, and performed worse than Dubnyk last season, Cory Schneider, who is also older than Dubnyk and didn’t play an NHL game last season, and a scattering of young goalies that did not receive qualifying offers and have a handful of NHL appearance between them. In short, the UFA goalie market is essentially just Dubnyk.

Now this doesn’t erase his performance from last season, or the year before last for that matter. The 35-year-old has not been on his game for some time now, performing well below his career numbers in each of the past two years. His age compounded by a number of years as a workhorse starter for the Minnesota Wild has shown in Dubnyk’s play, which has lacked sharpness and consistency even playing behind good teams like the Wild and Colorado Avalanche.

With that said, it speaks volumes that Colorado, a Stanley Cup favorite, still went out and acquired Dubnyk from the San Jose Sharks at the NHL Trade Deadline last season. The team was facing down several injuries and net and were desperate for help, but still would not have given up assets for a player they didn’t trust could help their team. While Dubnyk was ultimately forgettable in his short stint with Colorado, he delivered five starts and three wins for the team as they battled for supremacy in the division standings.

At this point in his career, Dubnyk is what the Avalanche saw in him: an experienced veteran who was once one of the best in the game and can still be relied upon in a pinch. In the meantime, Dubnyk can mentor young goalies and contribute to a locker room. It’s not exactly the sales pitch of a league-winner, but Dubnyk can still contribute even if he is no longer capable of serving in a starting or even 1B role. Ideally, the veteran could find a spot where he can act as a No. 3 and, if need be or if he shows he is capable, can take over a backup role. Again, it isn’t the most valuable label, but it could benefit a number of teams.

At the end of the day, for those clubs who decide they need another goalie this late in the off-season or in-season but don’t want to make a trade, Dubnyk is the best of a group of less than stellar options. Teams are not going to be looking for a young player with upside or a cold, broken down veteran if they are in urgent need of help. Outside of Rask, who may as well be signed, Dubnyk is the only goalie that can provide value as a free agent addition. Teams would be smart to keep tabs on him as training camps begin to open up.

Stats

2020-21: 22 GP, 6-11-2 (.368), .895 SV%, 3.20 GAA, .444 QS%, 1 SO
Career: 542 GP, 253-206-54 (.546), .914 SV%, 2.61 GAA, .539 QS%, 33 SO

Potential Suitors

At first glance, the Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres are the two teams with the greatest needs in net. Carter Hutton and Josef Korenar for the ’Yotes and Craig Anderson and Aaron Dell for the Sabres is a list of names that would be hard-pressed to even find backup jobs elsewhere in the league. With that being said, neither team has much incentive to bring in yet another veteran. Both Arizona and Buffalo are resigned to bottom-dweller status this season and don’t need to add depth in goal, especially when it blocks young keepers like Korenar in Arizona or Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Only if the veteran starters for these clubs suffered long-term injuries would Dubnyk really make sense.

Instead, the veteran is a more realistic target for a contender that needs depth and experience in net. Even after adding Louis Domingue, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ goalie group that also includes the inconsistent Tristan Jarry and the injury-prone Casey DeSmith could use added stability and guidance. Another team that jumps out as an option is Calgary. The Flames acquired promising youngster Daniel Vladar this summer to back up Jacob Markstrom and he cannot be reassigned to the AHL without the risk of waivers. However, if Vladar struggles in his first full-time NHL role and Calgary is not any more secure with Tyler Parsons or Adam Werner, Dubnyk could be a nice free agent addition to stabilize the net.

Any other suitors would likely be a product of injury at this point, but that could mean more than it sounds. Injuries in hockey are obviously not uncommon and Dubnyk clearly stands out as the best unsigned option available.

Projected Contract

Barring an off-season training injury before camps open, a PTO seems like the most likely “contract” to be heading Dubnyk’s way. The experienced veteran would provide a good camp presence while proving that he does (or does not) have gas left in the tank. If anyone was urgent to add a goalie it likely would have happened by now, meaning some patient team is probably going to merely extend Dubnyk the opportunity to earn a deal.

With that being said, urgency can be created quickly, especially once camps begin. If Dubnyk isn’t already on a PTO elsewhere, he will be the first call from teams with thin goalie depth who suffer an injury in net and don’t want to waste time or capital on the trade market. Even in this situation though, the league minimum $750K is likely the extent of Dubnyk’s value. It would likely take several injuries across the league to force a bidding war that lands the veteran anything more.

Latest On Evander Kane Investigation

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Even in the midst of a career year in terms of per-game scoring, Evander Kane’s 2020-21 campaign was dominated by off-ice issues. A bankruptcy filing and its ongoing proceeding, whispers of locker room discord, a divorce playing out in the public eye, and finally allegations that he bet on hockey has made Kane the most infamous name in the NHL right now. And unfortunately all of that noise may not be going away this season. A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports reports that the NHL’s investigation into Kane has stalled and a decision may not be possible before the San Jose Sharks open training camp, if Kane was going to be invited anyhow.

Kane’s estranged wife, who initially made the allegations that her husband had gambled on his own games, has been uncooperative with the NHL’s outside investigators. Anna Kane has been unavailable for interview, making it impossible for the investigation that centers around her claims to continue. The NHL will not wait around forever, but need to do their due diligence when it comes to something as serious as a player betting on his own contests and impacting the integrity of the game. While Kane had previously stated that these allegations were not true and a ploy by his wife to ruin his career – a claim that gains validity the longer she avoids the investigation – the NHL will be hesitant to take Kane at his word without any corroborating evidence.

Perez does note that the NHL analyzed betting trends for Sharks games this past season and found no abnormalities. While this does not eliminate the possibility that Kane was betting on his games, or even on other NHL action, it could be all that the league can lean on if not other information has been discovered and Kane’s wife will not comply with the investigation.

Meanwhile, the Sharks have to decide how to deal with the situation, both if Kane is still under investigation when training camp begins or, even more intriguing, if he has been cleared. If the NHL rules that Kane did not bet on hockey, it doesn’t totally wipe the slate clean. He is still in the midst of bankruptcy proceedings related to gambling debts and has had other ugly allegations made against him by his wife (and vice-versa). All of this has certainly contributed to the numerous reports that there are many in the Sharks locker room who are unhappy with Kane’s presence and the organization’s continued support of the polarizing player. While none of his other off-ice issues beyond the NHL’s investigation will keep him from playing, there is serious question as to whether it will be in San Jose. Even at the top of his game, Kane likely lacks much if any value on the trade market right now, but the Sharks may need to do whatever they can to move on. A stalled investigation will make it near impossible to do that though.

Bruins’ Bergeron, McAvoy Not Rushing Negotiations

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The Boston Bruins have very few expiring contracts entering the 2021-22. In fact, among players that appear to be a lock for an NHL roster spot this season, only six will be free agents next summer. Of that group, only two will be unrestricted free agents and just three are set to make over $800K this season. By and large, the Bruins face very little risk of a roster shake-up via free agency next off-season. Yet, amongst this small group of expiring contracts is two of the most important players on the team, captain Patrice Bergeron and young stalwart Charlie McAvoy. Both career Bruins, one represents that remnants of the 2011 Stanley Cup-winning core and the other appears to be the future of the franchise as they look to transition to a new core. Negotiations with each player will be crucial for the Bruins, but the club has not rushed to extend either just yet; and neither seems to care.

Bergeron, 36, is focused on winning another title this year before shifting his focus to what’s next. Speaking to the media, Bergeron said of his next contract, “I’m going to play out this year, and then talk about that after.” GM Don Sweeney stated last month that Bergeron has free reign to sign on for as many more years as he likes in Boston. While the cap-strapped Bruins will need to be more careful about the cost, they are open to whatever term the future Hall of Famer is seeking. Bergeron has been a face of the franchise for many years, establishing himself as arguably the best defensive forward in league history and with a point-per-game campaign could crack 1,000 career points this season. He has earned the right to decide when he wants to retire or otherwise leave Boston, whether that be next year or several years for now. This season really is less about establishing anything more for contract negotiations and instead focusing solely on the pursuit of the Stanley Cup and continuing to build a lasting legacy in Boston. As Amalie Benjamin relays for NHL.com, Bergeron stated the thinks this Bruins group can be “special”, not only this year but even beyond his playing days:

I want to create something special, as I said. We obviously want to work towards winning a Stanley Cup. I know everyone says that, but it’s definitely our goal as a team. And I think we always are competitive to be in that group of teams. So I think that’s where that’s where my focus is at right now… We have some players that have been around for a while and they’re getting older, but also some younger players that are taking a bigger role, whether it’s on the ice or off the ice in the locker room. I think you want to make them understand that it’s going to become their team at some point soon and that they have to take some more responsibilities and whatnot. I’ve always said that I believe in leadership by committee and I think it can’t just be about one or two guys, it has to be a lot of guys.

One of those future leaders is undoubtedly McAvoy. While the Bruins have had an unfortunate recent history of moving on from young players too early, Boston seems to be sold on McAvoy’s complete game, work ethic, and locker room presence. One of the top defensemen in the NHL last season, McAvoy took a major step forward despite the departure of Zdeno Chara and the lack of a consistent pair mate. In an off-season that has been defined by long-term, big-money contracts for top young defensemen, McAvoy has established himself as at least an equal player to those who have already received mammoth new deals. With so many comparable contracts now available, the Bruins easily could have offered McAvoy a similar long-term deal and moved on, but the two sides are taking their time with negotiations; and McAvoy doesn’t mind. According to the Boston Globe’s Matt Porter, McAvoy brushed off any suggestion that he was frustrated to not have a new contract in the books. “Honestly, I don’t have any comment on it,” McAvoy said. “I’m just really excited for the year, just worrying about this summer, being in the best spot to get ready for camp. I think we’re going to have a heck of a team… I just want to get after it.” Unlike Bergeron, McAvoy also stands to gain financially from waiting to agree to a new deal, as another top-notch season could lead to an even bigger deal. His agent, Rick Curran, stated as much:

For Charlie, it’s all about focusing on the season. He wants to go out and have a really good season, and focus on what he can do for the team, really solidify himself as a top D-man in the league. He wants to control what he can control and let the chips fall where they may.

While Bruins fans may want some peace of mind about the futures of Bergeron and McAvoy before or even during the upcoming season, it seems more likely that both will wait until after the season and appear happy to do so. With their sights set on bringing the Stanley Cup back to Boston, the duo have more important things to do that worry about contracts when both are guaranteed to be with the Bruins for as long as they like.

 

Colorado Avalanche Sign Artem Anisimov To PTO

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The Colorado Avalanche are bringing another veteran to training camp, signing Artem Anisimov to a professional tryout according to CapFriendly. Anisimov joins Jack Johnson who will also be in camp on a PTO, battling for an NHL contract.

Anisimov, 33, has been in limbo for several years, burdened by a cap hit much higher than his on-ice value. Once a consistent 20-goal, 40-point center, he has registered a total of 17 goals and 29 points over the last two seasons combined while playing for the Ottawa Senators. He happened to have a cap hit of $4.55MM during that time, making him a difficult player to target for any contender at the deadline, despite his history of success at the NHL level.

Given he only played 19 games this season with the Senators, who had obviously moved on to younger options, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise to see Anisimov have to accept a PTO. It’s completely unclear what his value is at the NHL level at this point, though his possession statistics actually point to a player who could still be of some use in a limited role.

For Colorado, who were forced to watch Philipp Grubauer walk out the door in free agency because of their cap situation, signing veteran depth to professional tryouts is about the only way they can really add at this point. CapFriendly projects the team to have just under $2.4MM in cap space right now, but that is with just 12 forwards penciled into the roster. In reality, it’s even lower than that, and potential performance bonuses for Bowen Byram could result in cap overages for next season if they push right up to the $81.5MM upper limit this year.

That means whoever comes in to fill out the roster will have to be at or near the league minimum, something that may be realistic for a player like Anisimov. In fact, there actually could be some value here in a veteran of 771 NHL games. Remember that PTOs are not necessarily only for the team that signs them; Anisimov will be showcasing himself for the entire league, and can still sign an NHL deal with any team.

Sidney Crosby Undergoes Wrist Surgery

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without captain Sidney Crosby when training camp opens in a few weeks, as he underwent wrist surgery today. Crosby is expected to miss six weeks, likely meaning he will not be ready for the start of the season. Penguins GM Ron Hextall released a statement explaining why the surgery was done now:

This is not a new injury for Sid. It is something that he has played through for years. After exhausting all minimally-invasive options and much discussion, it was decided that surgery was in his best interest.

Crosby, 34, is no stranger to injury, having played in all 82 games just once in his storied career. Despite that, and whatever discomfort this wrist problem was causing him, the Penguins star has maintained a streak of at least a point-per-game rate in each of his 16 seasons. In 2020-21, he registered 62 points in 55 games, finishing tenth in league scoring and first on the Penguins. That earned him a fourth-place finish in the Hart Trophy voting, with 11 voters actually putting him second behind the unanimous selection of Connor McDavid.

While obviously getting this surgery earlier in the summer would have been better for the Penguins regular season hopes, Crosby still shouldn’t miss much time. Should he return six weeks from today, he would be absent for just four games to start the year, certainly not something that would put a season in jeopardy.

Of course for the Penguins, every game matters as they try to battle for standing in the Metropolitan Division. With Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang now all in their mid-thirties, the challenge of competing for a Stanley Cup seems even greater. With the captain out, it seems likely that Jeff Carter, a trade deadline acquisition last season, and Teddy Blueger, will slide into the top-six center positions for the first few games given Malkin’s own injury concerns. The 35-year-old Malkin underwent knee surgery in June and was not given a definitive timeline other than he will not be available for training camp.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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