- The Hurricanes have assigned prospect Jesper Sellgren to their farm team in Charlotte, the AHL team announced. The defenseman was a sixth-round pick of Carolina last June and fared relatively well in his first full season in the SHL with Lulea. Sellgren has inked a PTO with the Checkers to cover the remainder of their postseason but he remains under contract in Sweden for one more year.
Hurricanes Rumors
Eastern Notes: Hurricanes, Lehner, Blashill, Toronto Prospects
With the Carolina Hurricanes waiting for their next opponent after sweeping the New York Islanders in the second round of the playoffs, the team is finally getting the rest it needs after a very physical playoff stretch that has worn down the roster. After playing 11 games in 23 days, the Hurricanes took the entire weekend off and are expected to pick up activity on Monday, according to News & Observer’s Luke DeCock.
The team hopes the rest could get a few more players back to full strength, although there are few updates on the injured. There is no word on the status of forward Micheal Ferland as his status remains uncertain. However, the team hopes to get Saku Maenalanen back at some point in the Conference Finals after he underwent hand surgery last week. The rest should also help forward Jordan Martinook, who played injured in Games 3 and 4, as well as goaltender Petr Mrazek, who was forced to leave Game 2 and put 35-year-old Curtis McElhinney into a full-time role, which isn’t ideal. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour commented on the need for rest, saying “I think a break is what they need, more almost mentally. They need more of that. Will it affect us in our first game? We’re going to hear about that. Maybe. There might be a little rust there. But we need it.”
- NHL.com’s Brian Compton writes that New York Islanders’ Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner, who rewarded the Islanders with an amazing season in goal this year after the Islanders took a chance on him, was non-committal after the team was swept in the second round of the playoffs on Friday. The 27-year-old netminder will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after signing a one-year “prove it” deal for $1.5MM and there is a chance he may opt to make it his only year. “It’s a little bit too much emotions right now,” said Lehner, “I really like everyone here. This group is incredible, some of the best people I’ve been around. I’ve been in the league for a while now. We’ll see what God has in store for me.”
- Helene St. James of the Detroit Free-Press writes that Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill admitted that he was thrilled when general manager Steve Yzerman gave him a vote of confidence after taking over his new position. “It was great to hear that he has belief in me and my abilities,” said Blashill, who has been committed to developing the young players on the team, many who have thrived under the head coach’s leadership.
- With major cap implications upcoming in Toronto, The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler (subscription required) writes that the Toronto Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, have been thrilled with the play of their young defenseman in the AHL playoffs, including Timothy Liljegren (first-round pick in 2017), Mac Hollowell (fourth-round pick in 2018) and Rasmus Sandin (first-round pick in 2018). Marlies’ coach Sheldon Keefe added, “It has been such a long period of time now where we relied on (Liljegren and Sandin), so we don’t get to the playoffs if those young guys can’t step up and play the minutes they had to play for us at different times when we were depleted.” With changes coming to the team’s defense, it’s good to know that the three prospects could be closing in on being ready for NHL action.
Islanders Notes: Free Agency, Lehner, Offense, Lambert
After a tough sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round, right after they impressed everyone by sweeping the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, there remain many questions surrounding the New York Islanders and in what direction general manager Lou Lamoriello will go this off-season. They have multiple key free agent forwards that could hit the open market in July, including forwards Jordan Eberle, Anders Lee and Brock Nelson.
Newsday’s Andrew Gross makes his predictions on who is staying or going and is quick to point out that it’s likely that Lamoriello may only keep one of their three top-six free agent forwards. The question is whether he can get Lee to agree to take a little less to remain with the team. Gross believes that Lee would ask for six years at $6MM per, which Lamoriello might agree to, but both Eberle and Nelson could ask for similar amounts and if one of them opts to take less, that may be who ends up staying.
The scribe also adds that some of their other free agents could get re-signed, especially Valtteri Filppula and Tanner Fritz to smaller, shorter-term deals.
- With tons of cap space and multiple key free agents of their own, the team must decide whether they intend to re-sign some of those players as well as whether they intend to dip into free agency and go after some bigger fish. What the team needs to do is find a way to sign Robin Lehner to cement their goaltending situation, according to Emily Kaplan and Chris Peters of ESPN (subscription required). Lehner, who has become a fan favorite in New York after an incredible season, is needed in New York with Thomas Greiss down to his last year on his contract. Lehner and Greiss combined to win the Jennings Trophy, while Lehner is also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy after putting up 25 wins, a 2.13 GAA, and a .930 save percentage during the regular season. Despite many who feel that Lehner failed in the playoffs, his numbers were still even better in the playoffs, posting a 2.00 GAA and a .936 save percentage. He was a bargain at $1.5MM, but will need a big raise this summer if the Islanders want to keep him.
- Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post writes that what Lamoriello needs to find this summer is more high-impact scorers who can help with head coach Barry Trotz’s grinding defense. Like in Washington, Trotz’ defensive system relies on high-end forwards who can get opportunistic goals, which the team struggled to do in the second round of the playoffs. Trotz, however, believes there is talent in their system, which might be ready to supplement the team. “We knew that we were a little bit lean in some of the high-skill positions, but we have some good kids coming,” Trotz said.
- With the Islanders eliminated, that could open up some coaching opportunity for associate coach Lane Lambert, according to The Athletic’s Scott Burnside (subscription required). The 54-year-old Lambert has been a long-time assistant to Trotz and might be one of the top assistant coaches ready to make the transition to the head coaching position. He has been key to game planning and practices and has been a critical part of the team’s penalty kill unit.
Trevor Van Riemsdyk Undergoes Surgery, Out Four To Six Months
UPDATE: Carolina has confirmed the prognosis that van Riemsdyk did undergo surgery on his damaged shoulder on Thursday. However, the team lists his timeline for recovery as four to six months, meaning these is some doubt about whether van Riemsdyk will be healthy for the start of the 2019-20 season.
While the Hurricanes are hopeful that they will get goalie Petr Mrazek and winger Micheal Ferland back for their upcoming third-round series, they won’t be seeing defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk anytime soon. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that the blue liner has undergone shoulder surgery and will miss the next four months.
The injury was sustained during the first shift of the second game of their series against the Islanders and while the full nature of it wasn’t known at the time, head coach Rod Brind’Amour expected that he’d be without van Riemsdyk for a while. It now turns out that they won’t have him available until next season.
The 27-year-old had been a regular on Carolina’s third pairing throughout the regular season and the early going of the playoffs. Haydn Fleury had taken van Riemsdyk’s spot in the lineup after the injury although the team could also turn to rookie Jake Bean, who has been going back and forth between the NHL and AHL in recent days. With a week before the Conference Final gets underway, they’ll have plenty of time to make a decision.
Minor Transactions: 05/04/19
After last night’s defeat, the New York Islanders have been eliminated, swept out of the postseason by the Carolina Hurricanes, and just seven team remain alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Of those seven teams, just two – Carolina and the Columbus Blue Jackets – also have AHL affiliates still playing for a Calder Cup title. There are very few teams fortunate enough to still be recalling and reassigning players, but follow along here for any such roster moves:
- For the fourth day in a row and fifth time this week, Hurricanes defenseman Jake Bean is on the move. Carolina has recalled the rookie rearguard this morning after sending him to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers yesterday to play in their second-round opener against the Hershey Bears. Bean has been operating as the Hurricanes’ eighth defenseman, but with the news of Trevor van Riemsdyk’s season-ending injury, it’s possible that he could be in for a longer stay in Raleigh this time around. Bean played in only two regular season games with the ’Canes and has not seen any action in the NHL playoffs, but has been Charlotte’s best defenseman this year with 44 points in 70 games.
- The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned rookie forwards Max Comtois and Isac Lundestrom to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, with the prospects having wrapped up their seasons elsewhere. While it was a forgettable season in Anaheim, San Diego is still alive in the Calder Cup chase and have now received a major boost from the addition of these two players. Both Comtois and Lundestrom played with the Ducks and the Gulls early in the regular season before being loaned away following the World Junior Championships in January. Comtois had seven points in ten games in Anaheim and played in four games with San Diego as well before returning to the QMJHL to close out the year. He scored at nearly a two points-per-game clip in the regular season and point-per-game clip in the postseason during an incredible stint with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Lundestrom did not play juniors at all this season, but instead returned to his Swedish Hockey League club Lulea HF, but not before skating in 15 games with the Ducks and another dozen with the Gulls. Last year’s 23rd overall pick led Lulea’s forwards in scoring this postseason at just 19 years old.
Prospect Notes: Bishop, Woo, Gaus
Not only did Clark Bishop earn a call-up to the Carolina Hurricanes this postseason, he actually made his playoff debut in Game One of team’s second-round series against the New York Islanders. It continues what has been an unexpectedly major season for Bishop, who skated in 20 games with the ’Canes in the regular season despite any indication he would play such a frequent role prior to the season. However, with Andrei Svechnikov returning to the lineup last night in Carolina, Bishop has been returned to the minors, along with young defenseman Jake Bean. The AHL’s Charlotte Checkers are still alive in the Calder Cup chase, so when the Hurricanes don’t have an immediate need, they’d rather support their affiliate than have an unnecessarily crowded press box. Bishop has been held scoreless through two NHL playoff games and three AHL playoff games so far this spring, but will still be an asset for the Checkers in his return to the lineup. Bean did not suit up for the ’Canes during his last recall, but has since been called up again ahead of tomorrow night’s Game Four. Bean has two points in four postseason games with the Checkers to go with the 44 points he logged in a strong regular season.
- Off-season trades are not overly frequent at the junior level, but the Calgary Hitmen and Moose Jaw Warriors swung a major deal earlier today ahead of the WHL Bantam Draft later tonight. The Warriors added the No. 11 overall pick in the draft, as well as a 2021 second-round selection, along with talented Nashville Predators defensive prospect Vladislav Yeryomenko and 16-year-old forward Ryder Korczak. In return, the Hitmen land a big fish in Vancouver Canucks top prospect Jett Woo. Woo, a second-round pick last year, was one of the WHL’s best blue liners this season, recording 66 points in 62 games to finish among the top five defensemen in the league. A well-rounded defenseman who is solid defensively and moves the puck well, Woo nevertheless stunned many with his production this year and has skyrocketed in the eyes of many to become one of the more well-regarded prospects at the junior level. It’s a major add for Calgary – so long as Woo doesn’t break camp with Vancouver next year – but Moose Jaw no doubt feels better about the loss already after they picked twice in the first round today.
- Colorado College continues to scoop up top graduate transfer players this off-season. The Tigers added former Northeastern University goalie Ryan Ruck to the mix yesterday, who will likely be their starter next season, and today added a player who may be their best defensive forward. Andrew Gaus, who just wrapped up his undergraduate tenure at Yale University, will transfer to Colorado College to play out his final year of NCAA eligibility, the school announced. Gaus was quietly one of Yale’s most consistent and effective players last season. While Gaus only managed nine points on the year for the low-scoring Bulldogs, his hard-working two-way game was always on display. Colorado College hopes he can continue to be a force in his new home, as they are gearing up to make some noise in the very talented and tight NCHC next season.
Adam Fox Signs Entry-Level Contract
It’s official now, Adam Fox will not return to Harvard for his senior season. The New York Rangers today announced a three-year entry-level contract for their newest prospect, recently acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes. Fox’s contract will kick in for the 2019-20 season.
The 21-year old defenseman was originally selected by the Calgary Flames in 2016, but after making it clear to them he did not intend to sign the team attached him to Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland and sent him to Carolina. The trade made huge waves in the hockey world as it saw Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin go the other way, leaving some to point to Fox as the “key to the deal” for the Hurricanes, given Ferland’s expiring contract and the big potential heading to Calgary. While the Flames certainly don’t regret the deal after Lindholm broke out playing with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, the Hurricanes aren’t doing so bad either—Hamilton has seven points in ten games for Carolina, who are on the brink of making it to the third round.
After Fox indicated that he wouldn’t sign with the Hurricanes either, it became clear that they would need to try and work out a deal with the Rangers this summer. The young defenseman could have become an unrestricted free agent in the 2020 offseason after his senior year at Harvard, and was expected to sign with New York anyway. As he puts it, Fox “grew up a big Rangers fan, and to have the opportunity to hopefully suit up for them is definitely special.”
He’ll likely get that chance next season, as Fox is already a polished player ready for the NHL level. The right-handed defenseman is a natural powerplay quarterback that racked up 48 points in 33 games as a junior and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker. He has already far outgrown the third-round label, but will have to continue to develop if he’s ever to log big minutes for the Rangers in the defensive end. That will be the next test, now that his college career is behind him.
Snapshots: Blackhawks, Matthews, Bean
The Chicago Blackhawks have announced a three-year extension with their ECHL affiliate the Indy Fuel. The agreement will take them through the 2021-22 season and means the Fuel will remain affiliated with the only NHL team they’ve ever known. The Indianapolis franchise came into the ECHL in 2014, though haven’t yet found a ton of success. In their five-year run, the Fuel have only qualified for the Kelly Cup playoffs once and were swept out of the first round that season by the Toledo Walleye.
More and more around the league the ECHL is used as a development team crucial in the early years of raw or unexpected prospects. Notably it is a place where young goaltenders can sharpen their skills while playing a lot, something that Blackhawks netminder Collin Delia did as recently as 2017-18. Delia played ten games for the Fuel during that season and now looks like a potential starting option for the Blackhawks going forward. Justin Holl of the Toronto Maple Leafs is also an alumni of the Indy program, having started his professional career there by playing 66 games for the team in 2014-15.
- Speaking of the Maple Leafs, the team announced today that Auston Matthews has undergone a procedure to remove hardware from a 2014 surgery. Matthews broke his femur while playing in the USNTDP several years ago, and according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN the screws leftover from that procedure may have been causing back pain for the young star. This explains why Matthews will not be playing in the upcoming IIHF World Championship, though it is not expected to affect his offseason training schedule.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Jake Bean from the AHL once again, though with the Charlotte Checkers starting their second round playoff series tomorrow evening he may not be on the roster very long. Bean has been up and down in the playoffs to give the Hurricanes some additional defensive depth as they deal with injuries to Calvin de Haan and Trevor van Riemsdyk, but he has yet to suit up. The 20-year old was named to the AHL All-Rookie team this season and made his NHL debut by suiting up twice for the Hurricanes earlier in the year.
Snapshots: Francis, Maple Leafs, Pavelski
If you’re looking for someone to credit for the success that the Carolina Hurricanes are having right now, it’s easy to name head coach Rod Brind’Amour, GM Don Waddell or even new owner Tom Dundon. One person who may be deserving of a good chunk of that credit though is former GM Ron Francis, who was let go before this season even started.
No, Francis wasn’t the man to pull the trigger on the Dougie Hamilton or Nino Niederreiter trades, but his fingerprints are still all over the roster. He was the GM who signed captain Justin Williams to a two-year, $9MM contract despite the forward being over 35. He orchestrated contract extensions for Brett Pesce ($4.025MM AAV) and Jaccob Slavin ($5.3MM) that look like absolute steals right now, and he was the one who selected Sebastian Aho with the 35th pick in 2015. On Sportsnet radio today Francis admitted that he is interested in returning to management, and John Shannon notes that his contract expires on June 30th. It will be interesting to see where Francis lands, and in what role.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs are expecting to add a Russian on Wednesday according to Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star, though it is not exactly clear who that would be. McGran suggests it is likely either Yegor Korshkov, a draft pick of the Maple Leafs who is expected to sign his entry-level contract this summer, or Ilya Mikheyev, who has been linked to the team in recent weeks. With the KHL season officially ending today and contracts expiring, many names will be signing over the next several days.
- The San Jose Sharks will still be without captain Joe Pavelski when they take on the Colorado Avalanche today, as he did not travel with the team to Denver. The Sharks haven’t listed exactly what Pavelski is dealing with, but he hasn’t played since suffering the scary head injury against the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round. Gustav Nyquist, who flew home for the birth of his child, is expected to play for the Sharks.
Carolina Hurricanes Trade Adam Fox
After finding out that they weren’t going to be able to sign top prospect Adam Fox, the Carolina Hurricanes have traded his rights to the New York Rangers. In return, the Hurricanes will receive the Rangers’ 2019 second-round pick and a conditional 2020 third. That third-round selection will bump up a round if Fox plays 30 games next season.
The Rangers were always the expected destination for a trade, given the belief that he would leave college early and sign with them. Fox has completed three seasons at Harvard and could become an unrestricted free agent next summer, but instead is expected to start his professional career in 2019-20.
This was the exact scenario that the Calgary Flames did not want to take part in when they decided to include Fox in last summer’s blockbuster trade with the Hurricanes. It was clear to them that he had no intention on signing in Calgary, but the Hurricanes did believe that they could get him under contract. For whatever reason, that wasn’t to be and the Rangers seemed like the eventual destination. The Hurricanes front office made it clear that they would seek out a trade this summer, and they did well to secure at least some sort of return for the college star.
Fox, originally selected in the third round back in 2016, developed into one of the best defensemen in college hockey and put up 116 points in 97 regular season games for Harvard over his three years. A natural powerplay quarterback, he routinely carried the puck up the ice and gained the zone himself before setting up teammates for high danger chances. While not a physical presence, his defensive ability also improved to the point where many expect him to step right into the NHL next season. Right-handed offensive options are difficult to find, and the Rangers have now secured one with a ton of potential.
For the Hurricanes, this trade will certainly bring back some interesting franchise memories. In September 2006, the Hurricanes traded third-overall pick Jack Johnson to the Los Angeles Kings after he turned down their offers to sign out of college. That was just a few months after Carolina had secured their first Stanley Cup, something the current team is trying to replicate this spring. If they are somehow able to, it would be an odd quirk of history to have failed to sign another top college defenseman in the same year.
Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer was first to report that Fox has been traded, while Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet confirmed it was to the Rangers.