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Archives for April 2022

Arizona Coyotes Sign Nathan Smith

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April 11: The Coyotes have officially announced the contract, with general manager Bill Armstrong releasing the following statement:

We are very pleased to sign Nate to a two-year contract. Nate was one of the best forwards in the NCAA this season and helped lead Minnesota State to the Frozen Four championship game. We are very excited to have him join our organization.

April 10: Back at the trade deadline, the Coyotes received a promising prospect in exchange for taking on the remainder of Bryan Little’s contract.  That prospect was center Nathan Smith and CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that Smith has decided to turn pro and has signed a two-year, entry-level deal that will begin this season.  The deal carries an AAV of $1.35MM with bonuses and breaks down as follows:

  • 2021-22: $750K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $82.5K games played bonus
  • 2022-23: $832.5K salary, $92.5K signing bonus, $850K Class ’A’ bonuses

The 23-year-old was a third-round pick of Winnipeg back in 2018 (91st overall) but had recently informed the Jets that he didn’t want to sign him which is why he was moved at the deadline.  Smith had quite an impressive season with Minnesota State, leading the Mavericks in scoring with 19 goals and 31 assists in 50 games.  He would have had a chance at the NCAA scoring title had it not been for the Olympics as he suited up for the United States in that event, recording a goal and an assist in four games.

Smith was actually eligible to opt for free agency this summer even though he had only completed his junior year of college as he stayed in the USHL in his post-draft season, meaning four years had elapsed since he was picked.  That gave him enough leverage to get the Coyotes to burn the first year of his deal now so he will have an opportunity to get his feet wet at the NHL level and make a push for a full-time spot with Arizona for next season.

Ondrej Kase Diagnosed With Concussion

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It’s been several weeks since Ondrej Kase was in the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup, and today, finally, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed to reporters including Mark Masters of TSN that the forward is dealing with a concussion. Kase left a game on March 19 against the Nashville Predators after colliding with Matt Duchene at center ice, needing help to get to the room.

While it certainly isn’t surprising, given the way he reacted to the contact, it is concerning for the 26-year-old forward. Kase has dealt with multiple head injuries throughout his career, a journey detailed by James Mirtle of The Athletic last month, just a few weeks before he suffered this latest concussion. The first incident was in the minors, as a 19-year-old in his third game in North America, the latest–which Mirtle speculates could be a number into the double digits–coming in his 257th NHL regular season game.

With no timeline for his return, it appears as though this comeback season for Kase might end in the same way so many of his others have. When healthy, he had been so excellent for the Maple Leafs, providing energy and scoring depth for a low cost. In 50 games, he has 14 goals and 27 points, while averaging 14 minutes a night.

Now, it’s completely unclear what lies ahead. The Maple Leafs can retain Kase’s rights as a restricted free agent with a $1.25MM qualifying offer, though that would open up the possibility of arbitration. With a relatively flat salary cap, young players pushing for promotions in the organization, and now another head injury, it’s hard to see Toronto–or anyone else really–committing to more than just a one-year deal for the Czech forward.

That’s another disappointing result, given how incredible it is that Kase has even made it this far. Selected 205th overall in 2014, he was in the NHL just two years later with the Anaheim Ducks and actually sits 27th in scoring for his entire draft class. That’s well ahead of players selected in the first round, including a pair of top-ten picks. Hopefully, after some time, he’ll be symptom-free from this latest concussion, whether that results in a return to the ice or not.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Henri Nikkanen, Daniel Torgersson

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April 11: The Jets have made it official, announcing the contracts for both players. They have also signed professional tryouts with the Manitoba Moose for the rest of 2021-22, meaning they can get their feet wet in the AHL.

April 9: According to CapFriendly, the Winnipeg Jets have signed forwards Henri Nikkanen (link) and Daniel Torgersson (link) to three-year, entry-level contracts. Both contracts will begin starting in the 2022-23 season. Because their contracts begin next year, neither player is eligible to play for Winnipeg this season.

Per CapFriendly, Nikkanen’s contract carries a cap hit of $860K, an average annual value of $925K, and is worth $70K at the minor-league level. Nikkanen is an imposing figure on the ice, listed at 6’4″ and 209 pounds, he should be able to use his size up front to make plays for his team. A fourth-round draft pick in 2019 by the Jets, Nikkanen has spent the last four seasons in Finland’s Liiga, playing parts of three seasons with Mikkeli Jukurit and this season with the Lahti Pelicans.

Torgersson’s contract will carry a cap hit of $867.5K and an average annual value of $925K, while paying him $80K per season in the minor leagues. The 20-year-old forward was Winnipeg’s second-round draft pick in 2020, 40th overall, and has spent his entire professional career in Sweden, playing parts of four seasons with Frolunda and Frolunda’s junior team. This season, Torgersson played just one game with Frolunda before being loaned to AIK, where he had 17 points in 40 games.

Ethen Frank Signs AHL Contract

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The most prolific goal scorer in all of college hockey has found a home to ply his trade next season, signing an AHL contract with the Hershey Bears. Ethen Frank will join the Bears on an amateur tryout for the rest of this season as well, after finishing his final season of eligibility with Western Michigan University.

Frank, 24, tickled the twine 26 times this season for the Broncos, edging past Northeastern’s Aidan McDonough for tops in the country. The undrafted forward leaves college with 70 goals over his 158-game career, an impressive accomplishment regardless of competition. He’ll now try to take that production to the professional level, joining one of the strongest programs in the entire AHL. The Bears, though not in a dominant position this season, are one of the most stable development outfits in the minor leagues and should give him a good opportunity to try and prove his worth.

It’s not an entry-level contract, but Frank will at least be in front of Washington Capitals evaluators on a regular basis. Perhaps he can parlay this AHL contract into an NHL deal down the road, with the Capitals or someone else. For now, the focus will have to be on finding the back of the net at the next level.

Evgeni Malkin To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Pittsburgh Penguins could be without one of their stars for the next little while, as Evgeni Malkin will have a hearing with the league’s Department of Player Safety regarding his cross-check of Nashville Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki last night.

At the end of the second period, Malkin and Borowiecki came together for the incident in question. Malkin first delivered a hard slash to Borowiecki’s side, before hitting him in the face with his stick. The Penguins forward received a four-minute double-minor penalty (Borowiecki was given a two-minute penalty for his own slash), as it drew blood.

This is certainly not the first time that Malkin has been involved in supplementary discipline decisions. The veteran has received several fines in the past and was given a one-game suspension in 2019 for high-sticking.

The Penguins start a home-and-home with the New York Islanders tomorrow, before doing the same with the Boston Bruins in the following two games.

AHL Shuffle: 04/11/22

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It’s a new week in the NHL, but an off-day for most teams. The league is almost entirely quiet tonight, with only a game between the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens on the docket. Despite that, some teams may be making some changes to the roster, given the condensed schedule over the final few weeks. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling right here.

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have assigned Anthony Angello and Radim Zohorna to the AHL, which certainly could suggest that Brock McGinn is close to a return from long-term injured reserve. Despite having no roster size limits, the team still does need to be cap compliant, something that would now be possible even if they activate McGinn.

Central Divison

  • The Jets have recalled Mikey Eyssimont from the AHL, following the injury to Mark Scheifele last night. The star forward will not play this evening, though a more detailed timeline has not yet been released. Eyssimont, 25, has not yet made an appearance at the NHL level, but has 15 goals and 35 points in 53 games with the Manitoba Moose.
  • The Nashville Predators have returned Connor Ingram to the AHL, after he served as the backup yesterday. Juuse Saros, who he replaced, missed the game with a non-COVID illness. Ingram, 25, made his NHL debut this season and posted a .906 save percentage in two appearances.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have assigned Jan Jenik to the AHL, after he played in another handful of games recently. The 21-year-old forward has two goals in ten appearances this season.

Pacific Division

This page is updated throughout the day

Five Key Stories: 4/4/22 – 4/10/22

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The calendar has turned to April but with three weeks left in the regular season, some of the expected mid-April offseason decisions will likely trickle over into May.  However, there was still some notable news over the past seven days which are recapped in our top stories of the week.

Michigan Exodus: Once Michigan was eliminated from the NCAA tournament, it was expected that the Wolverines would be losing several players in a hurry.  That’s exactly what happened.  Buffalo signed the top pick from 2021, inking Owen Power to an entry-level contract.  The AAV is $1.85MM which is low for a number one pick but he was ineligible for ‘A’ bonuses this season having signed so late and since there are limits on how quickly the bonuses can increase on a year-to-year basis, the 19-year-old wasn’t able to max out his bonus potential.

Meanwhile, Columbus got into the mix as well.  As expected, they signed Kent Johnson to his entry-level deal with the 2021 fifth-overall pick landing nearly the identical contract as Power did.  They also landed undrafted defenseman Nick Blankenburg on a one-year, entry-level deal.  Both his deal and Johnson’s begin this season so Blankenburg will hit restricted free agency this summer.  Seattle then signed Matty Beniers on Sunday as expected with the same terms as Power and Johnson.  The second pick from 2021, he led the Wolverines in scoring with 43 points in 37 games while also playing at the Olympics.

Done For The Year: The Devils are playing out the stretch as they sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and now they’ll be without a trio of important players.  Top center Jack Hughes is out for the season with a sprained MCL, a tough end to what has been a very strong year as he had 56 points in just 49 games, providing the production that was expected with his top draft slot in 2019.  Meanwhile, New Jersey also opted to shut down winger Miles Wood after just three games for precautionary reasons after he missed most of the year following early-season hip surgery while defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler is also out due to a broken hand.

Calling It A Career: Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf acknowledged last month that he had yet to decide his plans for next year.  That decision has now been made as the veteran has decided that this season will be his last.  The 36-year-old was the 19th pick back in 2003 and has spent his entire 17-year career in Anaheim.  In his prime, Getzlaf was a feared number one center who could play in all situations and he recently surpassed 1,000 career points, becoming just the 93rd player in NHL history to reach that particular milestone.  This season, Getzlaf has been limited to just 49 games but still sits third on the Ducks in assists, showing that even as he’s about to hang up his skates, he’s still a pretty strong playmaker.

Wilson Resigns: After missing the majority of the season while being on medical leave, long-time Sharks general manager Doug Wilson has tendered his resignation to focus on his health and recovery.  Wilson had been at the helm in San Jose since 2003 with the team making 14 playoff appearances during that time.  In the meantime, interim GM Joe Will will continue in that role until a permanent GM is hired.  The organization has committed to waiting for all prospective candidates to be available to be interviewed which suggests that Wilson’s replacement won’t be hired in the near future.

NCAA Champions: The University of Denver is the 2022 NCAA National Champions after beating Minnesota St. on Saturday night in the final game of the Frozen Four tournament.  It’s their ninth-ever title, tying them with Michigan for the most ever.  Flyers prospect Bobby Brink led the Pioneers in scoring this season with 57 points in 41 games which also made him the NCAA’s scoring leader.  He was rewarded for his efforts with a three-year, entry-level deal that begins this season, meaning that the 34th pick in 2019 should be making his NHL debut in the coming days.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Coyotes Linked To Milos Kelemen

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It appears as if the Coyotes will be soon adding to their prospect pool as Jakub Hromada of iDNES in Czechia reports that Arizona has agreed to terms with winger Milos Kelemen on a two-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms were not disclosed.

The 22-year-old transferred to the Czech Extraliga this season and fared relatively well, notching five goals and 13 assists in 44 regular season games with BK Mlada Boleslav.  However, he was much more productive in the playoffs, picking up nine goals and three assists in just 14 contests which certainly helped his case for an NHL deal.

Kelemen has also received some exposure on the international stage.  Two years ago, he represented Slovakia at the World Juniors before suiting up for them at the World Championships last spring.  Back in February, he played for them in the Olympics where he had an assist in seven games while averaging 10:39 per contest with the Slovaks picking up the bronze in the tournament.  It’s likely he’ll represent his country again at the Worlds next month.

It seems unlikely that Kelemen will push for a spot in Arizona’s lineup next season and that he’ll likely be heading for AHL Tucson in the fall if a deal does indeed get finalized.  But with some international seasons under his belt and an NHL-ready frame at 6’2 and 212 lbs, he could get an opportunity in a fourth line role at some point during this contract.

Snapshots: Bowness, Power, Wheeler, LaCombe

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Earlier this month, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested that Stars head coach Rick Bowness had a team option for next season on his contract.  However, in his latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Friedman clarified that this is not the case; instead, his contract is simply expiring following this season.  Dallas finds itself right in the thick of the battle for one of the last playoff spots in the Western Conference and how they fare on that front will likely go a long way in shaping what direction the team wants to go.  That said, Bowness is 67 so there is a chance that he may not want to continue on in a top role anyway.  With no team option on his deal, there’s a real possibility that whatever direction they go winds up being a mutual decision.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • While Owen Power wasn’t in the lineup for the Sabres, the team plans to have the 2021 top pick make his NHL debut on Tuesday on Tuesday against Toronto, notes Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. That will allow the defenseman to get a full practice in with the team instead of going directly from Michigan to Buffalo’s lineup.  Power suggested he might get an opportunity to see some time on his off-side over their final few games as they will evaluate his ability to play on the right.
  • Jets winger Blake Wheeler won’t play in tonight’s game in Ottawa and is listed as doubtful for tomorrow in Montreal due to his upper-body injury, relays Jeff Hamilton of the Winnipeg Free Press (Twitter link). The captain has been quite productive since the start of February, collecting 34 points in 30 games and his absence certainly isn’t helping Winnipeg’s quickly-decreasing chances of getting into the final playoff spot in the West.
  • While the Ducks signed a key college prospect today when they inked Blake McLaughin, another of their NCAA prospects is still deciding whether he should turn pro or stay in school. Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports that defenseman Jackson LaCombe will likely need a few more days to decide if he’s going to return for his senior season with Minnesota.  The 21-year-old was a second-round pick of Anaheim back in 2019 (39th overall) and had 30 points in 39 games with the Golden Gophers this season.

Boston Bruins Extend Oskar Steen

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The Boston Bruins have announced that they have extended forward Oskar Steen, landing him on a two-year, one-way contract with an $800,000 cap hit. Steen, 24, was set to be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this offseason, meaning with this extension Boston has avoided the prospect of going to arbitration with Steen, a process many view as a headache to be avoided if possible.

Steen was the Bruins’ sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft (#165 overall) and has developed nicely since that point. Not every sixth-round pick gets a contract from the team that drafts him, let alone makes it to the NHL, so Steen’s career thus far has exceeded what could reasonably be expected from him given his draft slot. Steen has gotten into 19 NHL games this season and has posted a respectable six points. Steen is listed at five-foot-nine, 199 pounds, so he is a bit undersized, but he has found success as a professional in North America despite that limitation, thanks to his skating and compete level.

Steen has scored well for the AHL’s Providence Bruins this season, with 15 goals and 31 points in 41 games, good for fourth on the team. It’s clear from the fact that this is a one-way deal that the Bruins’ management views him as someone ready to step into the NHL lineup. At an $800k cap hit, there is very little risk for Boston in signing Steen for these next two seasons, because at the very least he’ll be a reasonably young impact player in Providence. But if Steen can continue his development, the Bruins will have gotten something that is ever-valuable in the NHL: a young, reliable, (and most importantly) cost-controlled depth player.

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