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Archives for August 2022

Metropolitan Notes: Gardiner, Fedotov, Backstrom

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Carolina’s second buyout window opened up yesterday but while some wondered if they might take advantage of that to buy out the final year of Jake Gardiner’s deal, Hurricanes GM Don Waddell told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer that they won’t do so.  Gardiner missed all of last season due to hip and back surgeries and cleared waivers the year before that so the opportunity to clear a big chunk of his $4.05MM AAV off their books had to be considered.  However, with Max Pacioretty set to miss at least the first half of the season due to a torn Achilles, the need to free up short-term cap space isn’t as high so Gardiner will now try to earn a spot at the back of Carolina’s roster next month in training camp.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Flyers goaltender Ivan Fedotov’s hearing in Russia has been pushed to September 20th, relays Sam Carchidi of Philadelphia Hockey Now. He was arrested last month on suspicion of evading military service.  The 25-year-old signed a one-year deal with Philadelphia back in May with the expectation that he’d become their second goaltender following a dominant playoff performance with CSKA Moscow of the KHL but now, they won’t have him when training camp gets underway next month.
  • There’s no firm timeline for when (or if) Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom might return next season after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery but Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic feels (subscription link) that the team is planning to be without the 34-year-old for the entire regular season with a small hope that he could be ready in the playoffs. Backstrom has three years left on his deal with a $9.2MM AAV and will clearly be eligible to go on LTIR.  However, if the Caps feel that he won’t return at all during the season, that would give them more flexibility to add to their roster as they wouldn’t have to have enough freed up to accommodate his return.  Speculatively, this feels like a situation where they’ll want to wait until closer to midseason and then reassess things heading towards the trade deadline.

Poll: Which Team Has Improved The Most This Offseason?

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It may not seem like it but we’re now less than two months away from the start of the 2022-23 NHL season. For the most part, teams have finished their remodeling and now have in place the roster that will start the year.

There are still some restricted free agents to sign, and Nazem Kadri is still without an officially filed contract, but the rest of the available players aren’t really difference-makers.

So now, with training camp a few weeks away (and players already starting to skate in groups) we can start grading offseasons. Who improved the most? Who missed the mark? Who will take a step back?

For many people, the Ottawa Senators have been the biggest beneficiaries this offseason. General manager Pierre Dorion clearly feels as though his group is ready to start contending for the playoffs, and made several moves to get them even closer. Alex DeBrincat, Claude Giroux, and Cam Talbot are now Senators, giving the team a veteran goaltender, a former MVP candidate, and an in-his-prime 40-goal scorer all in one summer.

But they aren’t the only club that improved.

The Seattle Kraken, for all of their detractors, added several interesting pieces. Andre Burakovsky, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Justin Schultz have arrived, not to mention the drafting of Shane Wright. While Matty Beniers isn’t exactly an offseason acquisition, having him in the lineup every night will certainly push them forward as well.

Then there is the Columbus Blue Jackets, who landed the summer’s top free agent in Johnny Gaudreau. The recently-extended Patrik Laine has to be itching to get on the ice with one of the league’s best playmakers.

The Detroit Red Wings added big pieces in free agency, the Anaheim Ducks brought in pieces like Ryan Strome, John Klingberg, and Frank Vatrano, and the New Jersey Devils nabbed some Stanley Cup experience.

So who improved the most? Cast your vote below and explain your thinking process in the comments!

Parker Foo Re-Signs In KHL

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Among NHL reserve lists, there are plenty of teams that own exclusive rights to players who have never suited up for them. Unsigned draft picks are the most common types of these but in most cases, those rights expire eventually – usually two or four years after they are drafted.

Some others though are maintained indefinitely, as they play in a league without a current transfer agreement. That’s the case for Parker Foo, whose rights are still owned by the Chicago Blackhawks, despite being drafted more than five years ago.

Selected 144th overall in 2017, Foo was a junior teammate of Cale Makar with the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL. He then went to the NCAA to play for Union College, before leaving for the KHL in 2020.

That move, which took him to join Kunlun Red Star, helped him qualify for the 2022 Olympics for China. The country used that KHL team as their entry in the Games, which they hosted earlier this year. Foo also played for China at the World Championship, though they competed in the lower division tournament.

Now, the 23-year-old has re-signed with Kunlun, meaning any potential return to North American hockey will have to wait. Foo’s rights, meanwhile, will stay with Chicago indefinitely while he plays in the KHL.

Interestingly enough his brother, Spencer Foo, was also part of Kunlun the last few years and on that Olympic squad but he signed a contract with the Vegas Golden Knights last month. In an ironic twist, Spencer went undrafted in his youth and is now on his second NHL contract (playing four games with the Flames a few years ago), while fifth-round pick Parker has never signed.

San Jose Sharks Announce 2022-23 Coaching Staff

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Today, the San Jose Sharks announced their full coaching staff for the 2022-23 season via a team release. In addition to the previously announced or reported hirings of David Quinn as head coach and Ryan Warsofsky as an assistant coach, the team has hired Scott Gordon as an assistant coach, Thomas Speer as their NHL goaltending coach, and Nick Gialdini as video coach.

Quinn spoke on the hires today:

I am thrilled to announce our coaching staff for the upcoming season. Scott brings an immeasurable amount of experience and knowledge of the game to our staff, and Ryan is a passionate individual who has proven himself as an up-and-coming head coach, winning the Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves this past season. Thomas has a great track record with each of the goalies he has worked with, and Nick has earned the opportunity at the NHL level after having been with the Sharks organization for the last several years. We are excited to have each of them with us.

Gordon, 59, is a former AHL Coach of the Year winner in 2008 with the Providence Bruins. After that, he served as the head coach for the New York Islanders from 2008-09 before being replaced midseason in 2010-11 by Jack Capuano. Most recently, Gordon was the head coach of the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms from 2015 to 2021, including a stint as interim head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2018-19.

Speer, 35, is a decorated goalie coach in the North American minors. Speer won back-to-back Kelly Cup championships with the ECHL’s Allen Americans in 2016 and 2017, and won a silver medal at the 2018 U18 World Junior Championship with the United States. For the past three seasons, Speer has been the goalie coach for the AHL’s Stockton Heat. He replaces Sharks legend Evgeni Nabokov in that role, who the Sharks noted has been promoted to Director of Goaltending.

Gialdini gets his first NHL job after spending the last six seasons as the video coach for San Jose’s AHL affiliate, the Barracuda. He’d also served as the team manager since 2019.

Johan Larsson Signs In Sweden

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August 12: Larsson has indeed opted to return to Brynas, per a team release today. Brynas has Larsson locked in for three seasons, making him 33 years old at the end of the deal. Considering how effective Larsson still was this past season, though, an NHL return at that point shouldn’t be out of the question.

August 10: It appears as though Johan Larsson is heading home, as reports out of Sweden have the free agent forward signing with Brynas, the organization that developed him. Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports tweets that Larsson, who played for the Arizona Coyotes and Washington Capitals last season, had offers from several NHL teams but wanted a bigger role.

He actually received that bigger role in Arizona, where he averaged nearly 18 minutes a night for the 29 games he played. That resulted in 15 points during his time in the desert, and the continued excellent defensive play that he has brought his entire career. Even in Washington, where he saw a dramatically reduced role, he added six points in 14 games, and entered the summer as an interesting option for teams looking to increase their center depth.

Now 30, Larsson has always been an excellent defensive presence and has nearly 500 games of NHL experience. His previous career-high was 18 points, set in the 2019-20 season but he broke that in just 43 games this year. Going unsigned is rather surprising, even if it is because he was looking for a bigger role. Heading back to the SHL now could very well end his NHL career.

Of course, it’s not just role. Larsson played years for Brynas before coming to the NHL, winning U18, U20, and Elite League titles with the organization during his time there. If he does return, it will be the homecoming of a legendary club player, even if his North American career wasn’t everything he had hoped. In 488 career regular season games, Larsson scored 53 goals and 132 points.

Rodion Amirov Hopes To Return To Hockey By November

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In a lengthy interview with Russian newspaper Sports Express, translated by Sports Illustrated and discussed by David Alter, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Rodion Amirov spoke about his brain tumor diagnosis and treatment, as well as his planned return to hockey. Amirov explained that he received a hit to the head while playing for Ufa Salavat Yulaev of the KHL early last season and began to experience symptoms typical of a head injury. With the issue persistent, Amirov sought the help of specialists in Germany back in October who, after several months, confirmed the worst to him in January: a brain tumor.

The forward added that after the diagnosis, he and those close to him, chose to keep the diagnosis private, not wanting anyone to feel sorry for the 20-year-old. Ultimately, they chose to disclose the diagnosis publicly, and the Maple Leafs issued a statement on February 23rd, confirming. Since then, Amirov has received an outpouring of support on his road to recovery. Now it appears he has his sights set on hockey once again, already skating with a trainer and eyeing a November return to the sport.

The return to hockey is surely a positive sign, not only that Amirov can play and continue to develop, but being able to do so and focus on it a positive sign for his health. It’s unclear if any of this will pose any long-term effects on the young winger, though the time off at least will serve to set his development back to some extent. That setback is one Toronto would be more than happy to deal with if it means Amirov’s health and well-being are being served. As much support as Amirov has off the ice, and as uplifting as his story seems to be becoming, it’s worth keeping in mind how strong of a prospect he still is. In three seasons in the KHL, Russia’s top league, Amirov has held his own at his young age, putting up 18 points in 70 games, most of which came as a teenager.

Minor Transactions: 08/12/21

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It may be mid-August, but for right now, there’s competitive and meaningful hockey on almost all day, every day. Yesterday’s World Juniors action saw Finland defeat Czechia in the shootout after an exciting back and forth game, followed by a commanding 11-1 Canadian victory over Slovakia, and concluded with the United States securing a dominant win of their own, 7-1 over Switzerland.

Today’s action only features two games, but a few quality ones. Sweden will take on Austria in the first game, set to faceoff around 2:00 pm ET, followed by Latvia and Slovakia around 6:00 pm ET. Despite the action in Edmonton, things have been relatively quiet in NHL circles lately, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t more to see around the other leagues, and we’ll keep that information sorted here throughout the day.

  • Former Detroit Red Wings forward Dominic Turgeon is headed to Finland, signing with Porin Assat in the Finnish Liiga for next season (link). A third-round pick by Detroit in 2014, Turgeon was a standout for the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL before turning pro. He played parts of five seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s AHL affiliate, during which time he got into nine NHL games spread over the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. 2021-22 was Turgeon’s first season away from the Red Wings organization, getting into 58 games as a member of the Iowa Wild, where he had six goals and nine assists.
  • Former Sudbury Wolves defenseman and captain Liam Ross is heading to the KHL, signing a one-year deal with Kunlun Red Star, the team confirms (link). Having concluded his OHL career without being drafted by an NHL club, Ross’s future had some uncertainty, but now the 21-year-old should have a chance to contribute to a team in one of the world’s top leagues outside of the NHL. While it may be challenging and an unfamiliar place for the Ontario native, if he can continue his development and show his ability to play at the pro level, it could expand his horizons down the road.
  • After he signed a professional tryout contract with the Calgary Flames earlier this week, their Calgary Wranglers AHL affiliate signed defenseman Josh Brook to a one-year AHL contract, per a team release. Things haven’t gone as planned for Brook after the Montreal Canadiens drafted him in the second round in 2017, and he went unqualified this offseason after playing just 12 regular-season games between the AHL and ECHL in 2021 and 2022. Now with a guaranteed spot in the organization, Brook can focus on righting the ship and getting his NHL dreams back on track at age 23.

This post will be kept updated throughout the day.

Chicago Blackhawks Re-Sign Caleb Jones, Philipp Kurashev

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The Chicago Blackhawks announced that they have official re-signed forward Philipp Kurashev and defenseman Caleb Jones each to one-year contracts. Jones’ contract is worth $1.35MM, while Kurashev’s is worth $750K. Both players were currently RFAs. By re-signing the pair, Chicago has now re-signed all remaining RFAs on their books, concluding all of their remaining necessary offseason work at least.

Caleb, the younger brother of fellow Chicago defenseman Seth Jones, recently completed his first year as a member of the Blackhawks, where he set several career-highs, including five goals and 10 assists for 15 points over 51 games. While not possessing his older brother’s star-power, the younger brother has established himself as a reliable defender for the Blackhawks who can play in all situations. In the low-points of a full rebuild, Chicago is in a position to evaluate all talent in the organization and see who can take the next step with them, and with minutes surely available for the taking, the 25-year-old will have plenty of opportunities to show the Blackhawks he is part of the plan.

Once a dynamic junior player, Kurashev hasn’t yet found the success in the NHL that he had had as a member of the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL or the Swiss national team. Kurashev put up as many as 65 points in a season with the Remparts and impressed as much, if not more so, playing for Switzerland over three World Junior Championships. Between 2017 and 2019, Kurashev recorded 22 points in 24 games in the tournament, highlighted by his 10 goals and four assists in just 12 games at the 2019 World Juniors. Since coming to the NHL, Kurashev has been a solid player, but hasn’t taken the next step many were hoping for during his sensational junior performances. As a rookie, Kurashev had 16 points in 58 games for Chicago, following it up with a relatively similar 21 points in 67 games in 2021-22, in addition to three points in three games in the AHL. Much the same as Jones, there will be plenty of opportunity for Kurashev to take another step in development and impress Chicago’s brass as the rebuild moves on.

Free Agent Profile: Jonathan Dahlen

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When the list of pending RFAs who were not being tendered a qualifying offer came out shortly after the deadline for teams to make the offer passed, plenty of interesting names headlined the list, such as Sonny Milano, Haydn Fleury, Brendan Lemieux, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Dominik Kubalik, and Dylan Strome, just to name a few. Some of those players went on to sign relatively strong free agent contracts with other teams, Strome being the prime example; some returned to their teams at a cost more palatable to the organization, like Lemieux who signed for $1.35MM over one year, less than the $1.65MM qualifying offer he was due; and some players have yet to find a home.

One of those players yet to find a home is forward Jonathan Dahlen, who was non-tendered by the San Jose Sharks. While there are some non-tendered players for whom it be clear why they haven’t found a home for 2021-22, with Dahlen, it may be a bit puzzling. At 24, Dahlen just wrapped up his rookie season in the NHL, where he scored 12 goals to go with 10 assists in 61 NHL contests. Dahlen’s rookie season wasn’t the most impressive in history, or even this season, however it did represent a capable and overall solid season from a player who has taken some time to develop and adjust to the North American game.

A second-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in 2016, Dahlen was traded twice before he ever had the chance to make his NHL debut. Less than a year after he was drafted, Ottawa moved him to the Vancouver Canucks in the deal that sent Alexandre Burrows to the Senators. Almost two years to the day later, Vancouver dealt him to San Jose for Linus Karlsson. Prior to his North American debut, Dahlen established himself as a reliable scoring threat in Sweden, with 29 points in 51 games as an 18-year-old for Timra in Sweden’s second-highest league in his draft year. The forward broke out and built on his performance with 44 points in 45 games and 44 points in 44 games over each of the next two seasons.

With the Swedish success bolstering his development, Dahlen came to North America, playing his first full season in 2018-19, where he had 33 points in 57 games split between the Utica Comets and San Jose Barracuda in the AHL. Although it was far from a poor performance, it wasn’t the step forward imagined for Dahlen, who would return to Sweden and Timra for another season. Here, Dahlen became a star, putting up a whopping 36 goals and 41 assists in a mere 51 games, following that up with 25 goals and 46 assists in 45 games the year after.

Powered by his stardom with Timra, Dahlen returned to North America for the 2021-22 season and much like his first go of it, it was good, but it just wasn’t the next step of repeating the Swedish performance over here. His 22 points ranked him 11th among all NHL rookies, his average time-on-ice also ranking 11th among rookies who had at least 40 games played. More concerning, however, was a -25 rating which was lower than his entire point total and came with a relatively good 52.0 CF%, all of which put together raises some concerns about Dahlen’s game. Considering the flat-out elite performances he’s had in Sweden, it’s easy to understand why Dahlen’s NHL debut was underwhelming, if not disappointing. But, that said, if he is in fact interested in staying in the NHL, it’s interesting to see that he remains unsigned roughly a month after he hit the market.

Stats:

2021-22/Career: 61 GP, 12 G, 10 A, 22 pts, -25 rating, 12 PIMs, 105 shots, 52.0 CF%, 13:48 ATOI

Potential Suitors:

Given some of Dahlen’s struggles, most highlighted by the -25 rating, many teams could be wary about giving opportunities to a player that may struggle this much in his own zone, as compared to the offense he does bring. On the other hand, for some teams that risk may be worth taking if they view Dahlen’s 22 points as something that is less than his capability in the NHL and something that their organization can help to grow.

Regardless of whether a team can develop his game or not, Dahlen could be a target for an older team with less payroll flexibility that’s looking to add a spark. Unlike many of the players profiled in this series, Dahlen is rather young, still just 24 for another four months and could, even as a depth player, add some energy when he is on the ice that players perhaps 10 years his senior can’t physically bring anymore.

Another option for Dahlen, one that may be fairly enticing at this point, would be to return to Sweden, or another European league. History shows that Dahlen can handle the North American game and produce when he’s on the ice, but in Sweden’s second league, he becomes and MVP caliber star. For a player like Dahlen, the opportunity to be at the forefront of a league close to home, playing first line minutes, could be an extremely attractive opportunity, especially if the alternative is a more limited role far from home, perhaps not even in the NHL.

Projected Contract:

The forward made $750K last year as a rookie and with that figure being the minimum salary in the NHL for 2022-23, the Sharks were seemingly unwilling to bring back Dahlen even at that number. If Dahlen is to secure a contract for next season, the most likely opportunity will be on a two-way deal or a PTO, and the result of the PTO may still be a two-way deal. This reality still wouldn’t be a bad thing, a two-way deal possibly affording him chances to play in the NHL next year, and given his age and former prospect status, teams would still give close consideration to his progress and skillset looking for a bargain.

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Kevin Korchinski

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August 11th: CapFriendly has reported the expected financial terms of the deal. Korchinski’s $950K cap hit is made up of an $855K base salary and a $95K signing bonus. It also contains $1MM in Type A performance bonuses and pays $82.5K per season in the minors. Interestingly, the contract will also pay Korchinski a $10.5K salary each year he spends in juniors, which The Athletic’s Scott Powers reports that the defenseman is likely to spend a year or two in the WHL.

August 10th: The Chicago Blackhawks made big moves to acquire the seventh-overall pick in this year’s draft and used it on super-talented WHL defenseman Kevin Korchinski. Today, they’ve officially added him to the organization, signing the young Korchinski to a three-year, entry-level contract.

If you want a defenseman that has the puck on his stick every time he is out there, it’s Korchinski, who is involved in the play at all times. This is not a player who relies on dumping the puck out or giving it to his partner to deal with; he wants to be in control of every breakout.

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson explained on the draft floor that it was Korchinski they were always targeting as they moved up the board, by sending Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators for a package that included the seventh selection. If he hits, he’s going to be a tremendous addition to the team for a long time, anchoring their defense.

The question is whether or not he will hit, and quite frankly, there isn’t a lot to go on just yet. Korchinski played just 24 WHL games before the 2021-22 season, meaning his experience level is still relatively low to many of his peers. A June birthday, he had only just turned 18 a few weeks before the draft, and will likely take a little while before he’s manning the Blackhawks blueline on a regular basis.

After missing the cut at the current World Juniors, he is a strong candidate for the tournament in December and is expected to spend the season with the Seattle Thunderbirds once again. His entry-level deal will slide, provided he doesn’t play ten games in the NHL next season.

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