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Calgary Flames Sign Four Players To Professional Tryouts

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The Calgary Flames will have several experienced NHL players battling for a contract in training camp, as the team announced today that Devante Smith-Pelly, Tobias Rieder, Zac Rinaldo and Alexandre Grenier have all signed professional tryouts. The team had previously announced that Andrew MacDonald would be in training camp on a PTO as well.

Smith-Pelly may inspire the most interest from Flames fans given his playoff heroics for the Washington Capitals in 2018, but after recording just eight points in 54 games last season and clearing waivers in February it’s hard to expect him to have much of an impact on the roster. The 27-year old spent a good chunk of the 2018-19 season in the minor leagues and is likely just trying to hold onto his place in the NHL.

Rieder meanwhile played 67 games for the Edmonton Oilers and was expected to provide a little offensive punch after scoring double-digit goals in each of the previous four seasons. Unfortunately things went horribly wrong for the 26-year old forward and he was held without a single goal all season. Rieder was infamously the target of some pointed criticism from Oilers CEO Bob Nicholson after his disappointing season, and will have to try to convince someone in the NHL to give him another chance to perform.

It’s important to remember that the Flames are cap-strapped already thanks to the impending contracts of Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane, meaning they don’t have a lot of money to go spending on these players if they do earn a contract. Any of the four could only really expect a league-minimum salary (or close to it) if they prove to be worthwhile investments.

Lance Bouma Signs PTO With L.A. Kings

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A familiar name is back in the NHL, at least temporarily. Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal reports that veteran forward Lance Bouma has signed a professional tryout offer with the Los Angeles Kings. Bouma missed almost all of last season due to a knee injury, but did suit up for three games with Geneve-Servette of the Swiss NLA. He’s hoping to break back into the NHL via PTO with a team that could use the depth up front.

Bouma, 29, last played in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017-18. It was his first pro season outside of the Calgary Flames organization and it didn’t go as expected. Bouma played in 53 games with the Blackhawks, but also in 20 games with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, his first minor league action since 2012-13. Bouma recorded just nine points with Chicago, but that actually put him on a full-season pace that was better than all but two of his prior NHL campaigns. Bouma is largely considered a bottom-six defensive forward, as evidence by his career numbers, but served the role well in Calgary. He also teased his offensive ability in 2014-15 with a career-high 34 points in 78 games.

It may be difficult to know exactly what you’re getting in Bouma, especially coming after a missed season. That makes him an ideal PTO candidate and a player that could surprise in L.A. training camp. The Kings can see whether Bouma’s surgically repaired knee is a cause for concern or, alternatively, if the year off has given him some extra zip to his skating. Still on the right side of 30 and an experienced two-way forward who has flashed some offensive ability, Bouma could be an intriguing fit for the Kings if healthy. The team has just nine forwards signed to one-way deals at this point and there is expected to be ample competition in camp. Bouma picked the right place to throw his hat in the ring.

Minor Transactions: 09/02/19

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We’re now into September, but little has changed on the free agent front. Many prominent players, RFA’s and UFA’s alike, remain unsigned, but the NHL markets remain silent. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. Keep up with further moves right here throughout the day:

  • Ty Nash, son of former NHLer and current Arizona Coyotes TV analyst Tyson Nash, is following in his father’s footsteps and playing in the WHL. Although Nash is American, born and raised in Arizona, he will take the Canadian junior development route, as his Edmonton-native dad did. The 16-year-old forward was selected by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft and has been participating in training camp this week. The team announced today that he had officially signed on for the coming season. The small, but aggressive forward has been improving offensively in recent years while maintaining a gritty, high-energy style which could serve him well against much more talented competition in the WHL than what he is used to in the American Southwest. The 2021 NHL Draft-eligible forward still has a lot of work ahead of him to be considered a pro prospect, but now has two full WHL seasons to do just that.
  • It’s a homecoming of sorts for 22-year-old forward Logan Coomes, who will play for the University of Alaska-Fairbanks this season after three years at Merrimack College. Coomes initially committed to Merrimack as a member of the Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the NAHL and now returns to the city where his collegiate path first began. Of course, Fairbanks is quite far from his actual hometown of Nashville. After transferring this summer, Coomes was announced as immediately eligible for this season, his fourth and final NCAA campaign. In 79 games with Merrimack, Coomes recorded 26 points in a bottom-six role. He should be handed more responsibility in his senior year and he surely hopes to get back to his better than point-per-game production from the last time he played in Fairbanks. Other members of Fairbanks’ recruiting class include Latvian junior standouts Eriks Zohovs and Roberts Kalkis.
  • Flames prospect Ilya Nikolayev has been loaned to Yarolslavl’s junior team, notes Ryan Pike of the Sporting News.  The 2019 third-round pick spent all of last season at the Russian junior level (the MHL) but was hoping to spend some time in the KHL this year.  He may still get that opportunity at some point but for now, he’ll repeat the level where he collected 25 points in 41 games in 2018-19.

Surgery For Juuso Valimaki Still Weeks Away

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  • While it was announced nearly three weeks ago that Flames defenseman Juuso Valimaki tore his ACL in offseason training and needed surgery, Postmedia’s Kristen Anderson notes that the procedure has yet to happen. Instead, it appears as if it’s still a few weeks away from happening.  Considering the swelling that can often accompany this type of injury, the delay is certainly understandable but at the same time, knowing the recovery period is usually at least six months, it’s increasing the likelihood that the 20-year-old will miss the entire season.  Calgary has brought Andrew MacDonald in on a PTO for camp but it wouldn’t be surprising if they look to make another move to bring in a replacement.

Morning Notes: Seattle, Matthews, Tkachuk

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The Seattle expansion franchise have announced few new employees including GM Ron Francis, but fans across the hockey world are waiting for another kind of announcement–the team’s name. That might be coming sooner than you think, as CEO Tod Leiweke explained on a Facebook Live broadcast yesterday (via NHL.com):

We’re working on it every day. I think it’ll be the first quarter of next year, perhaps around the All-Star Game (Jan. 24-26 in St. Louis) when there’s a reveal.

I had names a year ago that if pressed into launching in 2020, we would have been ready. But we’re so much better positioned because we’re now learning not just what we are, but what we’re not, and that’s really going to inform the name.

The team’s nickname has been a constant question from readers here at PHR, with suggestions like Kraken, Metropolitans and Sockeyes all thrown around. We’ll have to wait just a little longer to find out who will be hitting the ice in 2021 alongside the league’s other 31 teams.

  • Auston Matthews is ready to take over as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs if the team decides to offer it to him, but he’s happy if someone else is the choice. The Maple Leafs center spoke with Craig Morgan of The Athletic (subscription required) while practicing at home in Arizona and noted that there are several excellent options to be the next Toronto captain. The team has operated without one since trading away Dion Phaneuf in 2016, but now that their young core has a little more experience in the NHL it may be time to sew on the “C.” Among other things, Matthews also explains that his biggest goal for this season is staying healthy and playing in all 82 games, something he has failed to do the last two years.
  • Speaking with TSN at the Hockey Night In Brampton event this week, Calgary Flames forward Sean Monahan gave his thoughts on the ongoing Matthew Tkachuk negotiations. Monahan says he’s “not too concerned” about the fact that Tkachuk is unsigned and believes that the young forward won’t want to miss any of training camp. The 21-year old Tkachuk exploded offensively last season, racking up 77 points in 80 games while still being the irritating physical presence he has become known for.

Calgary Flames Sign Andrew MacDonald To PTO

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Professional tryout season is here and the Calgary Flames are willing to give it a shot. The team announced today that veteran defenseman Andrew MacDonald will attend their training camp on a PTO, giving them a potential depth option to sign closer to the season. Calgary of course recently lost Juuso Valimaki to a major knee injury, forcing them to look externally for another defensive option. A professional tryout does not guarantee MacDonald a contract, or keep him from signing a deal with another NHL team.

MacDonald, 32, was once a reliable defenseman for the New York Islanders, so good that he earned himself a six-year, $30MM deal in 2014 from the Philadelphia Flyers. Unfortunately things quickly went downhill in Phialdelphia, to the point of a buyout of the last year of the deal in June. MacDonald will earn nearly $2MM in each of the next two seasons meaning he might be willing to take a minimum salary if the Flames decide he’s good enough to add some depth to the roster.

Whether he is still effective enough is still not decided however. In 47 games with the Flyers last season MacDonald recorded just nine points and posted poor possession numbers once again. He was used sparingly even when he did get into the lineup, not something that inspires confidence that he’ll be able to help the Flames this season. Of course, Calgary might not be looking for someone to play every day. The team still has a solid six names penciled into the starting roster even with Valimaki out, though T.J. Brodie’s name has been in trade speculation for some time. The team still needs to sign Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane and could need some extra cap space if looking at a long-term deal for the former.

Latest On Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames

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Among the unsigned restricted free agents, Matthew Tkachuk of the Calgary Flames may not be getting enough headlines. While many are focused on Mitch Marner, Brayden Point and Mikko Rantanen as the premier names still without contracts, Flames fans are holding their breath hoping that something can be finalized with their pesky star forward. After stepping right into the league after the 2016 draft and showing he perhaps should have gone higher than sixth overall, Tkachuk broke out last season and scored 34 goals and 77 points in 80 games. Those totals are made even more incredible when you realize that he did it without the benefit of playing alongside Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.

The Flames have worked all summer to try and get themselves in a position where they can afford to sign Tkachuk, and it sounds like his side has simply waited for them to clear that room. Speaking with media including TSN at a charity golf tournament, Tkachuk’s agent Don Meehan of Newport Sports explained that they “set a position” quite some time ago and have stuck to it:

We took an approach where by we would be very proactive and progressive with Calgary. We started early, and we set a position. We didn’t really have to wait. We formulated a position that we thought would be fair and we gave that to Calgary probably in the early part of June.

So we’re involved in negotiations right now, but as far as I’m concerned it’s not a waiting game. We made a decision in terms of what we think is fair and relevant for the player and we’re working with Calgary now.

Even with his outstanding offensive production it might be hard to find a direct comparable for Tkachuk. There is so much more to the 21-year old forward’s game than just his scoring, including the innate ability to get under an opponent’s skin and get them to take bad penalties. In fact, Tkachuk has been involved in several altercations throughout his career that have ended in suspensions for the other team. Players like Marner and Rantanen don’t have that same impact, though they do affect the game in other ways.

For Calgary, getting Tkachuk signed and in training camp is obviously the best case scenario. But with just over $73.7MM committed to just 20 players and razor thin depth on defense since Juuso Valimaki suffered a long-term injury, the team has to be careful how much money they offer the young forward. A long-term deal could easily see him become the highest paid player on the team—an honor currently bestowed upon Gaudreau and captain Mark Giordano who carry $6.75MM cap hits—and put the Flames in an even tighter financial situation for the next few years. Still, while a bridge deal might make more sense for the Flames right now there’s no way to know if Tkachuk would even contemplate such a short contract. His camp obviously has a number and length in mind and the two sides will have to try and work out something close to that in the next few weeks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Prospect Notes: 2020 Draft, Reinhart, WHL

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It may only be August, but The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler is already hard at work evaluating next June’s draft class. The 2020 Draft promises to be chock full of talent, with Wheeler calling it more impressive than the most recent draft class and deeper at the top. In fact, he believes it could be the strongest class since 2015, which produced superstars like Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Zach Werenski, Mikko Rantanen, Jake Debrusk, Mathew Barzal, Kyle Connor, and Thomas Chabot in the top 20 picks alone. Also unlike recent drafts, Wheeler feels the 2020 class will be deeper at forward than defense and will be lacking impact American prospects, with the scout failing to see a U.S. product even enter the conversation as a top-ten pick. So who might be in contention for one of those elite slots? Canadian forward Alexis Lafreniere has long been considered the presumptive top pick and finds himself at No. 1 on Wheeler’s initial draft board as well. However, Swedish forwards Lucas Raymond and Alexander Holtz could push him for that top spot. College-bound Dylan Holloway is an interesting name to watch as a top-ten candidate, as is Wheeler’s highest-ranked defenseman, Jamie Drysdale. Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov also intrigues Wheeler; he feels the Russian keeper could be the best goalie prospect of this decade. Plenty could change in the ten months still to come before the 2020 Draft, but it never hurts to get a head start on researching who your team could be eyeing next year.

  • Unsurprisingly lost in the shuffle of an off-season that has left many major names unsigned is a former top NHL prospect in Griffin Reinhart. NHL teams have been tantalized by Reinhart’s upside seemingly forever without any real results to show for it, but it seems that luck has finally run out. The fourth overall pick in 2012 by the New York Islanders, Reinhart recorded one lone point in eight NHL games in his first pro season before the Edmonton Oilers traded a first- and second-round pick for him. He proceeded to score just one more point in 29 games over two seasons in Edmonton before being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the Expansion Draft. In two years in Vegas, he did not see any NHL action and became a Group 6 unrestricted free agent. Reinhart received the benefit of the doubt for many years, but it seems no longer, as there has been practically no talk of the young defenseman this summer.
  • The WHL is headed outdoors for just the third time in league history. Sportsnet reports that the Regina Pats will host the Calgary Hitmen in an outdoor game this season on October 27th. The game will take place at Mosaic Stadium in Saskatchewan just one day after the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames square off there for the NHL’s Heritage Classic. The last WHL outdoor game took place back in 2011 and was another Pats-Hitmen contest, again coinciding with the Heritage Classic.

Evening Notes: Ristolainen, Pastrnak, Andersson

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Just a week ago, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen implied that he might be better off on another NHL team in an interview with a Finnish newspaper. However, Sabres general manager Jason Botterill has made it clear that the franchise expects Ristolainen in training camp next month, according to Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington.

Botterill said while his discussion with Ristolainen are private, the team has worked hard to put the 24-year-old in the best situation possible for success in the future.

“We’re continuing to try to set this team up where we’re putting ’Risto’ in positions to have success,” Botterill said. “Yeah, he wants to win. We also want to put him in a situation where he plays very well, and that’s what we’ve tried to do with some of the acquisitions, add depth to our defense, add competition to our defense.”

The Sabres do have options in front of them as the team has an overload of defensemen on the right side and a dearth of scoring options on the forward lines, suggesting that a trade could solve problems for both the Sabres and Ristolainen, who finished the season with 43 points, but also with an NHL-worst minus-41 plus/minus.

  • Boston Bruins President Cam Neely said that while Bruins forward David Pastrnak seemed to lose confidence late in the playoffs on their Stanley Cup Finals run, he isn’t worried that it will be a long-term issue, according to NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty. Pastrnak, who still held the team lead tied for nine goals and 19 points in 24 playoff games, but wasn’t dominant in the playoffs like he was during the regular season. Neely believes that Pastrnak should only benefit from his struggles and become a better player. “Then you get to the conference final and the finals and it’s tough hockey out there,” said Neely. “I look at Pasta and he’s grown from the first playoff experience to this last one, and I expect even more growth out of him moving forward. I understand losing confidence, but I don’t understand losing confidence and not shooting. That’s what I’d talk to him about.”
  • The Athletic’s Darren Haynes (subscription required) writes that while the Calgary Flames lost a lot when Juuso Valimaki was injured after tearing his ACL during offseason training, the team does have some young players who are ready to take that next step to fill in the holes that they lost. The scribe writes that Rasmus Andersson might be ready to move into a more permanent top-four role. Andersson started taking minutes away from veteran T.J. Brodie last year and even has seen some power play time. Youngster Oliver Kylington also has shown that he’s ready for a bigger NHL role despite some of his defensive deficiencies.

Poll: Which GM Will Be Fired Next?

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Despite missing the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, the Vancouver Canucks decided to extend GM Jim Benning today. The reasons for that are complicated—and obviously do not hinge entirely on his postseason record—just as they were when the Minnesota Wild made the decision to fire Paul Fenton just 14 months into his tenure with the team. The inner workings of an NHL front office are almost never made public (unless there is an intrepid reporter like Michael Russo of The Athletic who gets the incredible story), and it is hard to see why some decisions are made.

Still, even the most casual fan can see the seat of specific executives and coaches heating up. When the Edmonton Oilers decided to move on from Peter Chiarelli during another disappointing season, it didn’t come as much of a surprise. On the other hand, it was easy to see why the Carolina Hurricanes recently locked up Don Waddell after he interviewed for another job.

Looking around the league, who is next? Which GM will be let go, either this year or next summer?

It might be easy to look at the teams that have struggled recently, but many of them have replaced their top hockey operations executive over the last few seasons. The Oilers brought in Ken Holland to change the culture in Edmonton, while Steve Yzerman returned to the Detroit Red Wings to bring a new voice to a stagnant team. Florida has gone through quite a bit of turmoil in the front office since their ownership changed but Dale Tallon now seems to be entrenched as a veteran leader.

There are others though that may not be so lucky. The Ottawa Senators are heading in a new direction after shedding their previous core, but if the young talent doesn’t develop as hoped Pierre Dorion could be held responsible. John Chayka was the youngest GM in history when he took over the Arizona Coyotes in 2016, but they still haven’t made the playoffs under his watch and now have new ownership of their own. Jason Botterill was expected to have success in Buffalo after finding so much of it in Pittsburgh, but the Sabres haven’t been able to build a full roster around Jack Eichel despite some outstanding individual players.

Nothing is certain when it comes to front offices however. Cast your vote below and explain just why you think they’ll be the first to go!

Which GM will be fired next?
Pierre Dorion, Ottawa Senators 9.00% (256 votes)
Marc Bergevin, Montreal Canadiens 8.54% (243 votes)
Stan Bowman, Chicago Blackhawks 8.50% (242 votes)
Kevin Cheveldayoff, Winnipeg Jets 7.94% (226 votes)
Bob Murray, Anaheim Ducks 7.73% (220 votes)
Jason Botterill, Buffalo Sabres 6.54% (186 votes)
Rob Blake, Los Angeles Kings 6.36% (181 votes)
Jarmo Kekalainen, Columbus Blue Jackets 5.59% (159 votes)
Kyle Dubas, Toronto Maple Leafs 5.20% (148 votes)
Jim Rutherford, Pittsburgh Penguins 5.13% (146 votes)
John Chayka, Arizona Coyotes 4.88% (139 votes)
Brad Treliving, Calgary Flames 3.27% (93 votes)
Jim Benning, Vancouver Canucks 3.02% (86 votes)
Jim Nill, Dallas Stars 2.60% (74 votes)
Chuck Fletcher, Philadelphia Flyers 2.39% (68 votes)
Ken Holland, Edmonton Oilers 1.93% (55 votes)
Doug Wilson, San Jose Sharks 1.72% (49 votes)
Jeff Gorton, New York Rangers 1.62% (46 votes)
Don Sweeney, Boston Bruins 1.23% (35 votes)
Dale Tallon, Florida Panthers 1.02% (29 votes)
David Poile, Nashville Predators 0.84% (24 votes)
Julien BriseBois, Tampa Bay Lightning 0.84% (24 votes)
Doug Armstrong, St. Louis Blues 0.67% (19 votes)
Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings 0.63% (18 votes)
Lou Lamoriello, New York Islanders 0.56% (16 votes)
Don Waddell, Carolina Hurricanes 0.53% (15 votes)
Kelly McCrimmon, Vegas Golden Knights 0.53% (15 votes)
Brian MacLellan, Washington Capitals 0.53% (15 votes)
Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche 0.39% (11 votes)
Ray Shero, New Jersey Devils 0.28% (8 votes)
Total Votes: 2,846

[Mobile users click here to vote]

*We’ve used Kelly McCrimmon as the Vegas GM, though he won’t officially take that title from George McPhee until September

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