- Flames prospect Filip Sveningsson confirmed to Simon Holm Stalhand of Hockey Sverige that has been released from his SHL team in Oskarshamn. The winger was a seventh-round pick back in 2017 after a strong showing offensively at the junior level. However, that has yet to carry over to the pros as injuries and general ineffectiveness limited him to just two goals and two assists in 29 SHL games this season. Sveningsson indicated that some other teams in Sweden have shown interest but if Calgary has any plans on signing him (they have until June of 2021 to do so), this would be a good opportunity to bring him over to North America.
Flames Rumors
College Notes: Dhooghe, Rathbone, Flames, UFA’s
When college hockey returns next season, standout defenseman Sean Dhooghe will be donning a different jersey. Dhooghe, 21, announced on his personal Twitter account this afternoon that he will be leaving the University of Wisconsin to play his fourth and final NCAA season with Arizona State University. While this may seem like a downgrade at first glance, Wisconsin was more bark than bite this season, falling incredibly short of their preseason title as national championship contenders. Additionally, the program has lost two of its best players to the NHL in recent weeks in the L.A. Kings’ Alex Turcotte and the New York Rangers’ K’Andre Miller. Meanwile, Arizona State again exceeded expectations this season and was likely to qualify for the NCAA tournament for a second year in a row, despite being the most recent addition to Division I college hockey. Dhooghe will have a better chance to stand out and to shake off a down year by his standards by joining an ASU roster that is not as deep as Wisconsin on paper, but he also may have better odds at NCAA postseason glory as well.
Dhooghe, who jumped straight from the U.S. National Team Development Program to the college ranks, is a skilled forward who has been a fixture for the U.S. at international camps and events over the years. He plays a smart game with great vision and skating and excels in space. Why then might you not have heard of him? Dhooghe makes “undersized” look like an understatement, standing at 5’3” and 150 lbs. His size wasn’t a factor in junior and he hasn’t let it affect his game at the college level too much, but it is fair to have serious doubts about his pro potential. He hopes to silence his critics with a big first – and last – season at Arizona State next year, which he hopes is followed up by a pro contract.
- Harvard University is still waiting to see if they will have a top defenseman back next season, while on the other side the Vancouver Canucks are waiting to see if they could have yet another elite rookie on the back end next season. Blue liner Jack Rathbone, a 2017 fourth-round selection, told TSN 1040 radio in Vancouver today that with everything going on right now, he and his family will continue to take some time to make a decision. There is no hurry for the talented defender to make a call and he wants to be sure to make the right one. A superstar at the prep school level with Dexter, Rathbone still was not expected to take the giant steps that he has at Harvard in just two seasons, developing into one of the stronger all-around defenseman in all of college hockey. However, he still has another two years left of NCAA eligibility and may want to wait for a more secure role in the NHL with Vancouver. With plenty of other talented prospects on the roster, Harvard hopes that Rathbone returns to lead the team to the NCAA Tournament next year.
- The Calgary Flames are using their time off wisely, making a major splash today by signing arguably the top two UFA college defenders on the market: Minnesota State’s Connor Mackey and North Dakota’s Colton Poolman. Yet, they still aren’t done. Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg reports that the team is still “working hard” on college free agent forward. While Calgary is not exactly weak in the pipeline, they somehow have become a top landing spot for NCAA talent this spring.
- If the Flames really want to cash in on college free agency, that unnamed forward prospect that they are negotiating with would be Jordan Kawaguchi, North Dakota teammate of Poolman and a top candidate for the Hobey Baker Award. Kawaguchi, while only a junior, is expected by many to forego his senior season and sign in the NHL. After posting 45 points in 33 games to finish second in the NCAA scoring race and lead one of the best team’s in the nation, Kawaguchi doesn’t have much left to prove at the college level. While somewhat small, the cousin of Devin Setoguchi plays a similarly skilled and instinctual offensive game. Whether it be Calgary of another team, whoever lands Kawaguchi will land an intriguing prospect with a high ceiling. Joining Kawaguchi on the list of undrafted underclassmen worth watching on the open market are Minnesota State goalie Dryden McKay, the NCAA’s top keeper this season, and UMass forward Mitchell Chaffee, who is coming off another point-per-game season and has all the making of an effective pro.
Calgary Flames Sign Connor Mackey, Colton Poolman
The Calgary Flames have won the sweepstakes for one of the top college free agents, signing Connor Mackey to a one-year entry-level contract. The deal will kick in for the 2020-21 season, and gives the Flames another potential NHL option on defense. The team has also officially announced the signing of Colton Poolman, first reported earlier this week.
Mackey, 23, is the real prize here, as several NHL teams were pursuing him following another outstanding season at Minnesota State University-Mankato. In fact, Mackey was one of the most sought-after names a year ago before deciding to return for his junior season. The 6’2″ defenseman is a polished two-way player, who recorded 24 points in 36 games this season and was just recently named a WCHA First Team All-Star.
There are some who believe that Mackey can become a top-four NHL defenseman, given his puck-moving ability and tenacity in his own end. That dream may still be a distant thought, but there’s no doubt that the Flames have added real depth today by bringing in Mackey and Poolman.
The latter is an interesting prospect in his own right. The younger brother of Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tucker Poolman, Colton captained the University of North Dakota as a senior and recorded 17 points in 31 games.
For a Flames organization that has spent several draft picks to upgrade the NHL roster in recent years, while also graduating some of their young defensemen to the top level, there was a real need for minor league depth on the back end. Both Mackey and Poolman will have plenty of opportunity to show what they can do.
College Notes: Perunovich, Poolman, McLaughlin
Among the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker award, there are several seniors that don’t have much of a decision coming for them this summer. Their college careers are over, and they’ll be starting their professional careers in one fashion or another. Some of the others however, including St. Louis Blues draft pick Scott Perunovich, still have college eligibility remaining and could return.
The potential Blues’ prospect is one of considerable intrigue, especially after making a post on Instagram yesterday thanking his teammates and the Minnesota-Duluth program. For a player as accomplished as the UMD junior, signing his entry-level contract for 2019-20 and making his NHL debut was a possibility. With the season now up in the air, it’s unclear how the negotiations will proceed. The 21-year old defenseman had 105 points in 115 games at the college level and could be an impact player quickly for the Blues.
- Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reports that the Calgary Flames are a frontrunner for the services of Colton Poolman, an undrafted collegiate defenseman out of the University of North Dakota. The younger brother of Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tucker Poolman, Colton captained UND this season and recorded 17 points in 31 games. Not quite as big as his brother, the younger Poolman is also already 24 and will have to cover a lot of development ground quickly if he wants to become a regular NHL player.
- Jake McLaughlin, another undrafted college defenseman about to turn 24, has minor league contract offers from six different teams according to AHL reporter Mark Divver. McLaughlin recently finished his senior season at UMass, scoring 14 points in 34 games. UPDATE (3/19): McLaughlin is officially off the market. The Amherst standout, who was one of the NCAA’s best defensive defenseman this season, has signed an AHL deal with the Vegas Golden Knights, per Divver. Seeing as this is a contract beginning in 2020-21, McLaughlin could technically be considered the first ever signing by the future Henderson Silver Knights, the soon-to-be-relocated version of the San Antonio Rampage, who were purchased by Vegas last month.
Trade Conditions Hinging On Regular Season Games
There’s little doubt that the NHL would prefer to resume the season and play out the remaining regular season games, but speculation still swirls that it may need to move directly into the playoffs depending on how long this “pause” lasts. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) spoke with deputy commissioner Bill Daly who made it clear that nothing has been decided yet, but that next year’s season will not be shortened even if the playoffs leak into the summer.
If the final dozen or so games are cancelled and the league decides to move directly into the playoffs it would certainly ruffle some feathers given the standings and points percentages right now, but there are other things to consider if a chunk of the season is lopped off.
Perhaps most notably (other than the drastic financial impact it might have on next year’s cap) are how a shortened season would affect trade conditions. This is probably the last thing on the minds of league officers, but fans have already started wondering about some of the deals their teams have made in the past. Below, we’ll look at a couple of those conditions that might be influenced by a loss of the remaining games.
Toronto acquires Jack Campbell (link)
When the Maple Leafs went out a few weeks before the trade deadline and acquired their backup goaltender, an interesting condition was attached to one of the third-round selections heading back to the Los Angeles Kings. Should the Maple Leafs make the playoffs in 2019-20 and Campbell wins six regular season games, the 2021 third would upgrade to a second-round pick.
Through six appearances for Toronto Campbell already had three wins, and was likely going to get a few more opportunities down the stretch. If the season ends without any more regular season games, the Kings will have to hope that Toronto decides to re-sign Kyle Clifford if they want that second rounder.
Carolina acquires Sami Vatanen (link)
The Hurricanes went out at the deadline and bought, acquiring three impact players in the process. While Vincent Trocheck and Brady Skjei immediately made an impact, Vatanen suffered a setback in his recovery and looked like he might miss the majority of Carolina’s remaining games. The fact that he hadn’t played for them yet made it look like the conditions on a 2020 fourth-round pick wouldn’t be met, but this break actually may result in a positive for the New Jersey Devils (at least in this case).
There are two games played thresholds involved in the deal for Vatanen at five and 12, which suddenly don’t seem that difficult to meet if the pause allows him to recover. Of course that would require the regular season games to be played in this scenario.
Edmonton, Calgary swap Milan Lucic, James Neal (link)
This is the one you’ve been waiting for, given how ridiculous the condition seemed at the time of the trade. To refresh your memory, the Flames will receive a 2020 third-round selection if Neal scores 21 goals and outscores Lucic by at least 10. Neal is currently 11 goals ahead of Lucic on the season, but has just 19 total. If those regular season games never get played, it would seem that the condition has not been met. Perhaps there is a prorated version in the fine print, but as of now the deal looks to be “one-for-one.”
Snapshots: League Cancellations, Bjugstad, Hamonic
As the spread of COVID-19 continues around the world, professional sports leagues and organizations are starting to feel the effects. The San Jose Sharks are the first NHL team that is dealing with the consequences, as gatherings of more than 1,000 people have been banned in Santa Clara county. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic (subscription required) examined the situation in full, noting that the possibility exists that the Sharks will play in front of no fans later this month.
It’s not just individual teams feeling the changes though. Today, both the EBEL and DEL, leagues in Austria and Germany respectively, have cancelled the remainder of their seasons, including playoffs. The EBEL also includes teams from Hungary, Italy and the Czech Republic.
- It has become routine among the Pittsburgh Penguins this season to expect injury, though one still has to feel for Nick Bjugstad. The forward has suffered another lower-body injury that is unrelated to any prior, and has been listed as “week-to-week” once again according to head coach Mike Sullivan. Bjugstad has played just 13 games this season, scoring two points.
- Travis Hamonic was back at practice in full for the Calgary Flames today, skating alongside T.J. Brodie on the second defense pairing. That suggests the veteran defenseman will return to the Flames’ lineup later this week for the first time in over a month. Calgary is barely holding onto their third place position in the Pacific Division, meaning Hamonic’s return will be a welcome one as they prepare for the stretch run.
Travis Hamonic Participates In A Full Practice
- Flames defenseman Travis Hamonic participated in his first full practice since being injured early last month, reports Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg (Twitter link). He still has to get the green light to take contact so he’s still not quite ready to return but the fact he’s now participating in practice means he’s close. He sits third on the team in ice time per game at over 21 minutes a night and will be a big addition to their back end when he’s cleared to return.
Overseas Notes: Coronavirus, World Championships, Sticks, Jokipakka
As the coronavirus crisis continues to creep into every corner of day-to-day life, it was only a matter of time before it started to have a major impact on hockey. IIHF President Rene Fasel has revealed to the Swiss media that the threat of coronavirus is being taken seriously as it pertains to upcoming international tournaments. Fasel states that the IIHF’s medical commission is currently meeting to discuss the potential cancellations of any international events in March and April. This would include the U-18 World Junior Championships, scheduled to be held in Michigan in April. Should the sickness persist, the IIHF will also have to consider cancelling the 2020 World Championships, slated to take place in Switzerland in May. Fasel gives March 15th as the date when these difficult decisions will begin to have to be made. This appears to be a decision based wholly on health risks, as the tournaments are insured against cancellation and neither the IIHF nor the hosts would be facing financial loss. With that said, Fasel also ruled out the possibility that tournaments could still be held but just closed to the public. With no end to the coronavirus outbreak in sight, it appears more likely than not that the U-18’s and World Championships this year could be the next victims of the disease.
- Of course, this is not the first link between coronavirus and hockey, as the mass shutdown of the Chinese economy has greatly limited the supply of sticks to the NHL and other levels of the game. Both Bauer and CCM have their primary factories in the country most greatly affected by this outbreak and neither have been in operation for weeks, while shipping to North America has also been halted. Players across the league have begun to stock up on sticks as they face the possibility of a coming shortage. NHL players, who often order custom sticks in small batches, may have to work with what they have through the rest of the season and possibly into the postseason.
- In non-pandemic news, former NHLer Jyrki Jokipakka has benefited greatly from a move to Europe. Now with his second team in his third season since leaving North America, Jokipakka was the undisputed top defender for the KHL’s Sibir Novosibirk this season, leading the team in time on ice and finishing near the top in assists, points, and blocked shots. He also finished among the top-ten producers on defense league-wide. While Sibir has not yet begun their Gagarin Cup playoff campaign, Jokipakka is already the bright spot of the season for the team. The club opted to reward him for his success with a new two-year extension. Jokipakka flashed ability in the NHL, but never able to put it all together in stops with the Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, and Ottawa Senators. So, while the 28-year-old could have waited to see if there was NHL interest this off-season, it seems like he has made the right choice to stick with where he has finally found consistent success and is valued as a top contributor.
Deadline Notes: Skjei, Parise, Targets
The Florida Panthers were perhaps the most surprising team at the NHL Trade Deadline. Still competing for a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, the Panthers nevertheless traded away a top-six forward in Vincent Trocheck and failed to acquire a defenseman, which was considered their biggest need. As it turns out, they nearly got close on a major addition. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun writes that the Panthers were in on defenseman Brady Skjei for much of the day on Monday. After moving Trocheck, the team had hoped to fill his departed salary commitment with a term defenseman and Skjei was the top target, made available by the New York Rangers’ extension of Chris Kreider earlier in the day. However, Florida did not want to take on all of Skjei’s contract, preferring to make a hockey deal instead. LeBrun notes that Michael Matheson would have been part of the return to New York. However, taking on salary was contrary to the Rangers’ plans, and so they went for the Carolina Hurricanes’ offer of a first-round pick instead. Skjei would have made a huge difference in Florida, arguably more than on a deep blue line in Carolina, but the Panthers could not get the deal done. Expect Florida to continue scouring the trade and free agent markets this off-season for a long-term upgrade on the blue line.
- The biggest rumor that emerged on deadline day was a possible trade of Minnesota Wild star Zach Parise to the New York Islanders. Few expected that Parise, who at 35 years old still has five years left on his contract at over $7.5MM AAV, could be a potential trade candidate. Yet, both Parise and the Islanders’ Andrew Ladd had waived their respective trade protections and were merely awaiting the finalization of the deal. That of course never occurred, as Minnesota GM Bill Guerin stated that the deal was very complex and simply did not come together in time. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the two teams have actually been discussing the deal for some time, but concerns over balancing salary and potential cap recapture penalties should Parise retire before his contract expires halted the deal, at least for now. Guerin stated that the two sides could revisit a possible trade in the off-season, but meanwhile Parise is back to work for the Wild. Twincities.com’s Dane Mizutani writes that Parise was relatively tight-lipped about the situation and understands that trades, actual or theoretical, are part of the business. He reaffirmed that he enjoys playing in Minnesota and in no way requested a trade; he was simply willing to waive his No-Movement Clause if the Wild felt that moving him was the best decision. It will remain an interesting topic through the remainder of the season and into the off-season how well Parise and the Wild play in light of this near-blockbuster and whether the trade finally does come to fruition.
- Friedman writes that a number of players traded before the deadline nearly went elsewhere, while some players who stayed put were heavily pursued. Perhaps the most notable move could have been Robin Lehner to the Carolina Hurricanes. The Cane’s were anything but quiet at the deadline, acquiring Trocheck, Skjei, and Sami Vatanen, but failed to address goaltending, arguably their biggest need in light of recent injuries. Carolina has long been linked to Lehner dating back to the 2018 off-season (and could look at him as a free agent again this summer) but balked at the Chicago Blackhawks asking price for a rental. Two other teams that revisited players who they had previously pursued were the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. Both team made notable additions as they fight for a Western Conference playoff spot, but allegedly could have done more. Friedman notes that Calgary was in on veteran winger Wayne Simmonds for the second deadline in a row, but likely could not make the salary work, whereas Edmonton kicked the tires of Patrick Marleau after courting him as a free agent this summer. Finally, two players that received considerable interest per Friedman but did not move were Detroit Red Wings forward Luke Glendening and Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton. Detroit has little to play for this season, but have always highly valued Glendening, who has another year left on his contract. A league source told Friedman that the asking price was simply too high. As for Laughton, the Flyers made only minor moves at the deadline and could not also trade away a key bottom-six piece with term remaining on his contract. It sound as though considerable interest did not sway the team into even considering offers for Laughton.
Minor Transactions: 02/25/20
Roster limits are no longer a problem for teams around the NHL, meaning several veterans from the minor leagues will likely find themselves back up for the stretch run instead of floundering in the AHL. Paper transactions were all the rage yesterday because they made young talent eligible for minor league playoffs, but many should be back up today.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled Maxim Letunov and Lean Bergmann, giving them a 23-man roster again after trading several names yesterday. The next few weeks for the Sharks are all about prospect evaluation, finding out who can do what for next season.
- Kevin Gravel has been returned to the minors by the Toronto Maple Leafs after filling in at practice yesterday. The Maple Leafs are expected to give Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin an increased role down the stretch, though Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci were both spotted skating yesterday.
- Dillon Dube has been sent back to the minor leagues by the Calgary Flames, making room for a couple of defensemen they added at the deadline. Dube has played 38 games for the Flames this season and will likely be back up soon.
- A couple of players that were acquired yesterday, Daniel Sprong and Fredrik Claesson have been sent to the AHL right away. The pair will suit up for the Hershey Bears and Binghamton Devils respectively for the time being.
- Following an injury to Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins last night, Matiss Kivlenieks has been recalled under emergency conditions. The Blue Jackets just can’t catch a break, losing two more players to injury in Merzlikins and Riley Nash.
- After playing a man short last night, the Ottawa Senators have recalled Filip Chlapik from the minor leagues. The team now has 14 forwards on the roster, at least provided Rudolfs Balcers equipment has finally arrived.
- Justin Dowling has been loaned to the AHL for a conditioning stint, allowing him to get into some action for the first time in a month. Dowling has six points in 27 games for the Stars this season.
- After being papered yesterday, Nicolas Roy and Zach Whitecloud have been recalled again from the minor leagues. Both players will be eligible for AHL playoffs if the Vegas Golden Knights decide to send them down.