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Archives for July 2023

Arizona Coyotes Hire Blaine Forsythe

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The Arizona Coyotes have added longtime Washington Capitals assistant coach Blaine Forsythe to their staff, naming him as an assistant to head coach Andre Tourigny. It’s a multi-year deal for the veteran coach, per the team.

Forsythe, 47, brings quite the track record to the rebuilding Coyotes. He’s served as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals, his only NHL coaching home, for the past 14 seasons, making significant contributions to the team’s power play success. His tenure with the Capitals began in the 2006-07 season when he joined as a video coach before taking on the role of amateur scout in 2008-09. However, Forsythe’s true calling was in coaching, and he rejoined the Capitals’ coaching staff in the 2009-10 season, helping the team capture multiple Presidents’ Trophies, division titles, and a Stanley Cup championship in the meantime.

During his time in Washington, the Capitals’ power play boasted a success rate of 21.8% over the years, leading all NHL teams since 2009. He was let go, along with most of Washington’s coaching staff, after the Capitals and former head coach Peter Laviolette agreed to part ways after the end of last season.

Forsythe also worked closely with Washington’s center corps, helping get the best out of players like Evgeny Kuznetsov while in their primes. Now, he’ll work closely with young Coyotes centers like Barrett Hayton and Jack McBain, trying to develop them into long-term top-nine threats.

Oskar Sundqvist Signs With St. Louis Blues

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10:44 a.m.: The Blues confirmed Sundqvist’s signing, announcing a one-year, one-way deal for the veteran forward.

10:36 a.m.: Forward Oskar Sundqvist is poised to make his return to the St. Louis Blues, signing a one-year deal worth $775K, as reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest.

Sundqvist was a key contributor to the Blues’ lineup during their run to the 2019 Stanley Cup, posting four goals and five assists in 25 games while averaging over 16 minutes a game – easily the highest usage of his career. A skilled but gritty and defensively inclined forward, he’s played for the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild since the Blues traded him (along with Jake Walman) to Detroit in March of 2022.

Now 29, Sundqvist missed most of his last full season in St. Louis (2020-21) with a knee injury that limited him to 28 out of 56 games in the COVID-shortened season. He had broken out for solid offensive contributions in a middle-six role before that point, though, posting 54 points in 131 games across the two seasons before the injury.

Sundqvist posted his first double-digit goal total since the knee injury last season, scoring ten goals in 67 combined games with Detroit and Minnesota. A lower-body injury limited him to just one playoff appearance for the Wild, but he did score a goal in 12:43 of action during the Wild’s Game 2 loss to the Dallas Stars in the First Round.

His versatility allows head coach Craig Berube to deploy him at both wing and center, something that could help him lock down a spot in the lineup. He’ll likely be competing with fourth-line minutes next season with other depth players such as Alexey Toropchenko, Nathan Walker, Nikita Alexandrov, and Sammy Blais.

It’s also a financially prudent addition for the Blues at a league-minimum cap hit, as they now have just $1.59MM in projected cap space for next season, per CapFriendly. They still need to accommodate a new contract for Toropchenko, a restricted free agent who filed for salary arbitration earlier this month.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Nate Danielson To Entry-Level Contract

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The Detroit Red Wings became the third team to ink a 2023 top-ten pick today, signing center Nate Danielson to a three-year, entry-level contract. The 18-year-old forward was selected by the Red Wings with the ninth overall pick two weeks ago, becoming the fifth center off the board after Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, Adam Fantilli, and Will Smith comprised the first four picks of the draft. Financial terms haven’t been reported.

Like Bedard, Danielson captained his WHL team during the 2022-23 season. The 6-foot-2, 186-pound center was the life and soul of the Brandon Wheat Kings last year, leading the team in goals (33), assists (45), and points (78) across 68 games while demonstrating a dominant two-way game with a mediocre supporting cast.

The questions around Danielson aren’t around holes in his game. He’s solid in transition, smart in his defensive positioning without the puck, and he’s even rather proficient on the power play, potting 13 goals and 38 points on the man advantage last season. It’s whether or not he can elevate his scoring potential to align with the others picked around him in an incredibly talented 2023 class.

Consistency is certainly the name of his game, posting scoring totals above a point per game in his two pre-draft seasons. While he was one of the oldest players in his class (a late September 2004 birthday), there’s very little risk of a complete bust with a Danielson selection. Ideally, Detroit will let him develop as long as he needs, allowing him to develop the offensive tools he needs to be an everyday top-six producer.

He was one of the more well-rounded centers available in the draft, though, a position that Detroit’s struggled to develop in recent seasons. They’ve plugged their holes down the middle in free agency with players like Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher, and hopefully, their performances give Danielson the runway he needs to develop into the legitimate second-line center they’ve been missing behind captain Dylan Larkin.

AHL Transactions Ledger: 07/12/23

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The AHL remains a hotbed of activity as teams actively maneuver during this bustling offseason. From signing intriguing prospects passed over by NHL teams to adding seasoned veterans, AHL organizations are diligently fortifying their rosters, providing crucial support to their NHL affiliates. Today marks yet another day of action across the league, building upon the flurry of acquisitions witnessed in recent days. Here’s a compilation of all the notable moves that unfolded today as teams shape their squads in preparation for the upcoming season.

  • Forward Gabriel Bourque has reached an agreement with the Laval Rocket, the affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens, on a one-year, one-way contract for the 2023-24 season. The 32-year-old, standing at 5-foot-9 and weighing 200 pounds, tied for ninth on Laval in scoring last season, notching 14 goals and 17 assists in 66 games. Given his status as the oldest and most experienced skater on the roster, Bourque assumed the role of captain for the Rocket from February 2023 through the Calder Cup playoffs after Montreal recalled then-captain Alex Belzile to finish the season in the NHL. With 413 NHL games and 321 AHL games under his belt in his career, the seasoned winger is set to embark on his third consecutive season with the Rocket after not suiting up during the 2020-21 campaign.
  • The Hartford Wolf Pack, the affiliate of the New York Rangers, has announced the signing of defenseman Seth Barton and forward Drew Worrad to one-year contracts. Both players spent last season in the Detroit Red Wings organization, mainly with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Barton, 23, recorded two goals and three assists in 36 AHL games and two goals and six assists in ten games for the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye. He shone through in Toledo in the 2023 Kelly Cup Playoffs, impressing with 13 points (one goal, 12 assists) in 13 games. Selected 81st overall in the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Red Wings, Barton has now amassed 12 career points (three goals, nine assists) in 60 AHL games over the past three seasons.
  • Meanwhile, Worrad, 26, also split his time between the Griffins and the Walleye in the 2022-23 season. In 47 AHL games, he contributed just two goals and two assists but excelled in the ECHL with 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 25 games. Like Barton, Worrad continued to post solid numbers with Toledo in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, amassing five goals and three assists in 13 games.

This page will be updated throughout the day. 

Snapshots: Kane, Tatar, Khusnutdinov

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With winger Patrick Kane recovering from hip resurfacing surgery, he isn’t expected to be signing a contract in the foreseeable future.  When the time does come for him to sign, ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski relays that the veteran is expected to ink a one-year deal.  Kane is coming off a bit of a down season by his standards although he still put up 21 goals and 57 points in 2022-23 and was one of the highest-scoring UFAs.  Accordingly, it’s quite possible that he could have landed a multi-year commitment.  Instead, he appears to be looking for a one-year pact, one that could allow him to join a contender but he’ll likely be leaving money on the table to do so as he won’t be eligible for performance bonuses on this deal since it will be his age-34 season.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Todd Reynolds, the agent for UFA winger Tomas Tatar, told Wyshynski in that same column that there has been strong interest in his client so far, even with teams currently being squeezed by the salary cap. The 32-year-old had to wait a little while to sign in his last trip through free agency in 2021, eventually inking a two-year deal with New Jersey.  He was relatively productive in that stretch, picking up 35 goals and 43 assists in 158 games, showing he can still hold down a top-four role.  Even so, it seems likely that Tatar will have to take a cut on his previous $4.5MM AAV, even if a team is able to clear out a player or two to make room for him on their roster.
  • Wild prospect Marat Khusnutdinov is heading into the final year of his contract in the KHL and he may not be seeing any AHL time once it’s done. Player development director Brad Bombardir told Joe Smith of The Athletic (subscription link) that organizationally, they feel the 20-year-old is ready to step into Minnesota’s lineup at any point from this point.  Khusnutdinov was a second-round pick back in 2020 (37th overall) and has over 100 KHL appearances and 55 points under his belt, showing that he’s capable of producing in the pros.  He could be a candidate to sign late in the season with Minnesota depending on how far they and SKA St. Petersburg go in their respective playoffs should they get there.

Senators Notes: Tarasenko, RFAs, Mann

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Speaking with TSN 1200 today (audio link), Senators GM Pierre Dorion confirmed that he has been in contact with the new agent for free agent winger Vladimir Tarasenko.  The 31-year-old had been a speculative target for Ottawa depending on what they received in the Alex DeBrincat deal.  While Ottawa did pick up winger Dominik Kubalik in that swap, adding Tarasenko would certainly go a longer way toward replacing DeBrincat’s production.  However, with around just $5MM in cap room per CapFriendly, it might be difficult to fit Tarasenko onto their roster without clearing out another player first, something Dorion alluded to.  He also mentioned that if they look to add a forward, they’ll want one with some term on his contract which suggests that they wouldn’t necessarily be looking to add Tarasenko on a one-year pact.

More from Ottawa:

  • Also from Dorion’s interview, he indicated that talks are ongoing with their two remaining unsigned forwards, Shane Pinto and Egor Sokolov. Pinto is coming off a 20-goal season but injuries have limited him to just 99 career NHL appearances so accordingly, a short-term bridge contract seems like the most probable outcome with an AAV that checks in around the $2MM mark.  Meanwhile, Sokolov spent most of last season with AHL Belleville, leading them in scoring with 59 points in 70 games while also picking up his first NHL goal and assist in five contests with the big club.
  • The Senators have parted ways with assistant GM Trent Mann, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. He had been with the organization since 2010 when he joined Ottawa as a part-time scout.  He eventually worked his way up the ladder, taking over as their top amateur scout in 2016 but it appears that running their most recent draft class will be his final task in that role.  Mann’s brother Troy was also let go by the Sens earlier this season as he was relieved of his duties as head coach with Belleville in mid-February.

Prospect Notes: Sykora, Gorman, Moore, McCarthy

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Rangers prospect Adam Sykora got a taste of playing in North America down the stretch last season, including four playoff games with AHL Hartford.  The 18-year-old spent most of the year in Slovakia in 2022-23 (producing 21 points in 39 games) and could return to that league next season but he told Mollie Walker of the New York Post that his preference is to play in the minors with the Wolf Pack.  Sykora was the 63rd pick by New York in the 2022 draft and has already signed his entry-level deal.  His CHL rights are held by Medicine Hat but it seems unlikely that he’d be sent to play major junior after seeing time in Slovakia’s pro league in each of the last three seasons.

Other prospect news from around the hockey world:

  • Blackhawks prospect Liam Gorman has transferred to the University of Massachusetts, the school announced. Originally a sixth-round pick by Pittsburgh back in 2018 (177th overall), the 23-year-old had a strong senior season at Princeton, notching 12 goals and 12 assists in 32 games.  In his first two campaigns (he didn’t play in 2020-21), Gorman had just 12 points in total.  With 2023-24 being his final year of eligibility, Gorman will be looking to earn a pro contract with how he plays for the Minutemen next season.
  • Still with Chicago, the Blackhawks tried to move up with their second selection in the first round of last month’s draft, notes Ben Pope of the Chicago-Sun Times. Their target was center Oliver Moore out of the US National Team Development Program but after being ranked as a likely late lottery selection, they didn’t expect him to slip to 19.  However, that’s exactly what happened, allowing Chicago to add their second middleman after picking Connor Bedard with the first-overall selection.
  • Sabres prospect Gavin McCarthy was part of the trade that saw Shane Wright get traded close to the OHL trade deadline last season. However, he indicated to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News that despite his inclusion in the swap, he intends to honor his original commitment to Boston University.  The 18-year-old defenseman was a third-round pick last month (86th overall) after putting up 27 points in 42 games with USHL Muskegon last season.

Arizona Coyotes Sign Travis Dermott

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The Arizona Coyotes have added some blue-line depth, signing UFA defenseman Travis Dermott to a one-year, two-way deal, per CapFriendly. He’ll earn $800K in the NHL and $450K when assigned to the minors.

General manager Bill Armstrong has been quite active in filling out his budding core with depth additions on the UFA market, and Dermott adds to that list. The Coyotes lack many experienced defenders, and without a clear number-one caliber player on the backend, they’ll need a by-committee approach to keep the puck out of their net next season.

Dermott joins that committee after playing just 11 games for the Vancouver Canucks last season, sidelined for most of the 2022-23 campaign with concussion issues. If he can stay healthy, the 26-year-old will compete for ice time in the desert with depth defenders like Josh Brown, Michael Kesselring, and Troy Stecher.

His 279 games of NHL experience rank highly among Coyotes defensemen, although the vast majority of those games came in a Toronto Maple Leafs uniform between 2017 and 2022. Toronto dealt him to Vancouver at the 2022 trade deadline in exchange for a third-round pick.

In his NHL career, Dermott has contributed 14 goals, 41 assists, and 55 points. Limited to third-pair minutes, Dermott has posted strong possession metrics when healthy, something Arizona will look to capitalize on during his tenure there.

If nothing else, his presence allows head coach Andre Tourigny more flexibility to do what he wants with the team’s defense – especially since Dermott has experience playing both the left and right side.

Coyotes Sign Montana Onyebuchi

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Jul 11: Arizona has confirmed the two-year agreement over a week later.

Jul 2: The Coyotes are set to add to their prospect pool as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that Arizona is signing defenseman Montana Onyebuchi to an entry-level deal.  As a 23-year-old, that should be a two-year agreement for Onyebuchi; financial terms are not yet known.

The blueliner went undrafted after a five-year WHL career between Everett and Kamloops but landed in San Jose’s system in 2021 on an AHL contract.  After splitting the season between the Barracuda and Orlando of the ECHL, Onyebuchi again inked a one-year AHL pact with the Barracuda.  Last season, he put up three goals and seven assists in 35 games while picking up 73 penalty minutes.

Since the start of free agency yesterday, we’ve seen a handful of players that were on minor league contracts earn NHL entry-level deals with new organizations and it appears that Onyebuchi will be the next to do so.  He’ll push for playing time with AHL Tucson, Arizona’s affiliate, next season in the hopes of moving up their depth chart.

Offseason Notes: Johnson, Svechnikov, Yakupov, World Juniors

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Continuing to round out their bench, the Anaheim Ducks have announced that they have hired Brent Johnson as an assistant coach. Much like their approach with hiring Greg Cronin as head coach, Thompson is another coaching veteran with over 20 years of experience behind the bench.

Primarily serving as the head coach of the New York Islanders AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, for the last nine seasons, Thompson brings an all-time 328-286-73 coaching record in 687 games at the AHL level. Unfortunately for Thompson and the Islanders, the team only qualified for the playoffs in three of those seasons, never managing to get past the second round. The most coaching success Thompson has ever seen came back in the 2010-11 season in the ECHL, coaching the Alaska Aces to a Kelly Cup Championship, as well as the ECHL Coach of the Year award.

Over the course of his coaching career, Thompson has primarily spent it developing players into NHL talents, and the Ducks have no shortage of those players. The team did sign several veterans this offseason, but the team is clearly building around young talents such as Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, and Jamie Drysdale.

Other notes:

  • A convincing argument can be made that the Carolina Hurricanes have had the best offseason of all 32 clubs in the NHL, and they received more positive news today. Chip Alexander of Raleigh News & Observer reported today that forward Andrei Svechnikov will resume skating for the first time this Friday. Shortly before the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, Svechnikov went under the knife to repair his knee, which kept him out for the remainder of the season. Before the injury, Svechnikov was well on his way to recording another 30-goal season, something the Hurricanes will be looking forward to again next season.
  • Spending the last five seasons in the KHL, former-first overall pick, Nail Yakupov is on the move once again. The press service of the KHL announced today that Yakupov has reached a one-year agreement with HC Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Last season, Yakupov played for Avangard Omsk, scoring 10 points in 16 games. Avangard Omsk would make it all the way to the Conference Finals in pursuit of the Continental Cup in 2023 but were quickly dispatched by Ak Bars Kazan in five games.
  • It appears the IIHF World Juniors Championship will be returning to the United States in 2026. Gord Miller of TSN reports that Seattle, Tampa Bay, and Las Vegas have all inquired about potentially hosting the tournament. The next one will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden, followed by Ottawa, Canada in 2025. The last time the United States hosted the tournament came back in 2018, as it took place in Buffalo, NY.

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