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Snapshots: Rutherford, Tortorella, Wolf

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It’s still not exactly clear what made Jim Rutherford suddenly resign his post as general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this year. Given that he still has “the bug” to help a front office, as he told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic recently, some have wondered if there was perhaps a philosophical disagreement between Rutherford and his Pittsburgh bosses. When asked on the Cam and Strick Podcast about whether he had tried to trade Kris Letang but ownership stopped it, the legendary executive denied any rumors:

Nope. Not accurate. As a matter of fact, I’ve said publicly a few times. Because you get to a point in a player’s career–should you trade ’em, get something young for them or not–but I’ve actually took the position that because the core guys won Stanley Cups, three Stanley Cups, that [Sidney] Crosby, [Evgeni] Malkin and Letang should play their whole career in Pittsburgh. I wish I could say the same thing about [Marc-Andre] Fleury, but we got squeezed on the cap at an earlier time. But those four guys should have played their whole career in Pittsburgh. There’s three of them still there. That’s how I felt then, that’s how I feel now.

If Letang and Malkin are to play their whole careers in Pittsburgh, they’ll need new contracts before long. Both players are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after the 2021-22 season. Crosby meanwhile is signed through 2024-25, which potentially could cover the end of his career already. He’ll be 34 this offseason, meaning his contract takes him through his age-37 season.

  • John Tortorella got the infamous vote of confidence from his general manager earlier today, as Jarmo Kekalainen explained he isn’t looking to make changes to the coaching staff and trusts this group to get the Columbus Blue Jackets out of their recent slump. The Blue Jackets have lost five straight and sit fifth in the Central Division, only ahead of the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, and Dallas Stars (who have only played 16 games, the fewest in the entire league). Tortorella, though respected as a strong systems coach that can get a lot out of a mediocre roster, has been known to eventually have players tune him out in his previous stops. Kekalainen, as Aaron Portzline of The Athletic writes, hasn’t seen that kind of thing yet. A Stanley Cup champion with the 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning, Tortorella has been the head coach of the Blue Jackets since the 2015-16 season and has had a winning record in each season with the club.
  • Dustin Wolf has been reassigned back to the WHL, re-joining the Everett Silvertips after a short taste of professional hockey. The 19-year-old goaltender played three games for the Stockton Heat, winning two of them and posting an .895 save percentage. A seventh-round pick in 2019, Wolf is an extremely intriguing prospect trying to break through despite a significant disadvantage–he stands a (generous) 6’0″ and would be one of the smallest goaltenders in the NHL, should he ever make it. So far that size discrepancy hasn’t stopped him, winning CHL Goaltender of the Year and recently taking home a World Junior gold medal. Now that the WHL is returning, Wolf is no longer eligible to play in the AHL.

WHL Notes: NHL Loans, Guenther, Knak

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The Western Hockey League is finally back in action. Nearly a year since the top junior league canceled the remainder of its 2019-20 season due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the WHL has returned to play. The league announced a 24-game season back in early January with a to-be-determined late-February start date and that date was Friday, as four Central Division teams matched up. As one might expect, the re-opening of the WHL has a number of previously displaced players rushing back to their respective teams. Below are the signed NHL prospects who had been playing in the AHL that have been officially reassigned to the WHL:

Adam Beckman, Minnesota Wild –> Spokane Chiefs
Gianni Fairbrother, Montreal Canadiens –> Everett Silvertips
Kaiden Guhle, Montreal Canadiens –> Prince Albert Raiders
Ridly Greig, Ottawa Senators –> Brandon Wheat Kings
Ozzy Wiesblatt, San Jose Sharks –> Prince Albert Raiders
Tristen Robins, San Jose Sharks –> Saskatoon Blades

  • The WHL season may only be one day old, but the league’s leading scorer is a name to know. Dylan Guenther, a consensus top-ten prospect in the 2021 NHL Draft, started his campaign with the Edmonton Oil Kings with a pair of goals and a pair of assists to take the WHL’s top scoring spot. Guenther is one of the greatest beneficiaries of the WHL’s return, however brief, if the NHL does not postpone the 2021 draft. The top prospect was facing the possibility of missing out on his entire draft year, having only played in four games in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. While many CHL players jumped to the USHL this season, Guenther held out hope that the WHL would return and is now rewarded with 24 games to show what he can do. Likely a top-ten pick either way, the lack of certainty in this NHL draft class will now allow Guenther to fight his way into the top-five and potentially even to the top overall spot with an elite performance. A supremely skilled scoring winger, Guenther is the biggest name to watch in the WHL’s shortened season.
  • Another name to watch is Swiss forward Simon Knak. Despite some expectation that he would be selected last year in his first NHL Draft go-round, Knak slipped through the cracks. That was despite finding success in his first season in North America, recording 34 points in 49 games for the Portland Winterhawks. However, the draft dream is still alive. Knak has spent this season back home in Switzerland, suiting up for powerhouse HC Davos at the top level of the Swiss National League. He held his own too, recording eight points in 25 games in his first pro experience. Knack very easily could have stayed in Davos and continued his pro career. However, possibly inspired by his recent success as well as a strong run as captain of Switzerland’s U-20 team, Knak has decided to stay true to his plans and head back to Portland. Davos announced that Knak has been recalled from his loan and is returning to the WHL, hoping to catch the eye of NHL scouts by playing a top role for the Winterhawks. The question is whether he can do enough in a shortened season to earn a selection as an overage pick.

League Notes: COVID Safety Measures, Draft Lottery, Draft Date

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As alluded to earlier, the NHL and NHLPA have revealed a joint release describing several new Coronavirus safety measures in response to the growing list of players in the COVID Protocol and game postponements. Included in the list of new strategies to mitigate the spread of the virus are a “work/home quarantine”, a ban on non-virtual team meetings and social interactions, removal of the glass behind the penalty box, KN95 face masks, and even revised seating assignments in the locker room and during travel to use previous positive-test players as “buffers”. There will also be rapid testing for all U.S. teams on game days, with a similar system in the works for Canadians clubs, genome sequencing tests, greater testing availability for household members, and a greater emphasis on COVID education. Will all of this change the current COVID calamity across the league? It certainly won’t hurt.

  • As rumored this off-season, the NHL is going to take a closer look at changing the structure of the NHL Draft Lottery. On Thursday’s edition of TSN’s “Insider Trading”, Pierre LeBrun reported that NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has revealed to him that a review of the lottery process is officially underway. He believes that a pitch will be made to the Board of Governors soon as to a proposed new format. The assumption of course is that the new structure will give increased odds of winning the lottery to the teams finishing at the bottom of standings. The talk this off-season centered around the Detroit Red Wings, who failed to win even one of the lottery draws for the 2020 NHL Draft and fell to fourth in a season in which they were historically bad and well below even the 30th-ranked team in the NHL. Many owners and GM’s felt that this shifted the status quo and placed importance on avoiding such poor teams missing out on top picks in the future, or at least offering them a better chance of landing those picks. Whether or not these lottery changes will be approved, and if so in time for the next entry draft, remain to be seen.
  • The question still remains of when the 2021 NHL Draft will actually be held. Given the lack of opportunity for a number of prospects this season, there have been considerable talks about postponing the draft. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that NHL’s general managers plan to meet soon to discuss options for the coming draft. Dreger believes there are three possible options for the draft. The first, of course, is to leave the draft as is in June. With the CHL leagues working toward a return and the American junior and collegiate levels and European leagues well underway, there will likely have been a chance for every team to see every prospect, even if only in a limited sample size. This will put teams on an even playing field, however those drafting later in the first round may wind up benefiting from the lack of complete information allowing some superior prospects to slide. The other two possibilities involve postponing the draft. The first is to schedule the draft for the winter, either December of January, to allow teams to gather more data over the remainder of this season, in summer tournaments, and early next season. The second, and to Dreger the one likely to be most supported by GM’s, is to hold the 2021 and 2022 drafts back-to-back next summer, allowing for another complete season to replace the current campaign before teams are asked to select players. All three options hold merit and there are likely still many factors to consider over the next few months before a formal decision can be made.

OHL Working On Hub City Restart Plan

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The QMJHL has completed more than 150 games of their 2020-21 schedule, giving prospects in the league a chance to continue their development and put performances on tape for scouts to view. The WHL hasn’t announced an official schedule yet but is on track to start their season later this month. That left the OHL as the last remaining CHL member without a clear plan for their teams this season, as Ontario continues to debate how even AHL hockey will take place.

We may be heading closer to a return for the OHL however, as Scott Wheeler of The Athletic reports that a memo was sent to teams today with plans for a restart. The 24-game season would be held in four hub cities, with a target start date of the April 2-4 weekend. None of that plan has been made official and is still subject to government approval.

While development and scouting is certainly the most important result of an OHL campaign taking place, it also would have an impact on NHL rosters later this season.

For instance, a player like Philip Tomasino, who is currently tied for the AHL scoring lead with five points in his first three games, would not actually be eligible to play in the minor league if the OHL was in session. The 19-year-old forward would have to either stay with the NHL club or go back to his OHL club (in this case the Oshawa Generals), but importantly, once assigned to junior could not be recalled until his season there was complete. Currently, Tomasino could be recalled from the AHL at any time to help the Predators if they felt he was ready.

Still, the benefits for an NHL scouting department are huge, given the league is already considering drastic options like pushing the 2021 Entry Draft until next year. There’s simply not enough information about this year’s draft class, or at least not as much as NHL teams want. 24 games would be better than none, though even this plan is far from confirmed at this point.

USHL Gaining Top Players With Canadian Junior Leagues Out Of Action

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The United States Hockey League, USHL, is the top junior league in the U.S. and has been growing as a top developmental destination in recent years. Yet, they have never seen an influx of talent as they have this season. Early on, it was NCAA players whose teams (mostly Ivy League programs) canceled play this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, as the CHL leagues – OHL, WHL, and QMJHL – and other Junior-A Canadian leagues remain out of action, the flow of top players has continued. The USHL season is ongoing and has thus far operated without much delay, making it the greatest beneficiary on the other side of the border from the stalled Canadian leagues. This past week has shown that talented players throughout Canada are running low on patience with their current leagues and are now making the move south.

On Tuesday, the trend really began to pick up steam when the BCHL announced nine departures, four to the USHL including two top players from the powerhouse Penticton Vees. Buffalo Sabres forward prospect Matteo Costantini, who had joined Penticton this season before heading to the University of North Dakota next year, has now joined the USHL’s Sioux City Musketeers. Well-regarded 2021-eligible defenseman Owen Murray is also headed to the NCAA next season as a University of Massachusetts commit, but instead of staying with the Vees this year, he has now joined the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers.

On Wednesday, Penticton lost another top defenseman, as projected 2021 second/third-round pick Jack Bar left for the USHL’s Chicago Steel and will not return to the Vees next season with Harvard University in his sights. However, the bigger story was the exodus from the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. Detroit Red Wings 2020 second-round pick Cross Hanas and potential 2021 first-round forward Jack O’Brien, along with two other teammates, all left for the USL’s Lincoln Stars. Lincoln also picked up 2021 defenseman and Boston University commit Charles-Alexis Legault from the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors.

The biggest move to date is a major addition for the Sioux Falls Stampede. Forward Cole Sillinger, a consensus 2021 first-round pick, left the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers to head to the U.S. Sillinger recorded 53 points in 48 games with the Tigers last year and may just be one of the best players in the USHL now that he has arrived in Sioux Falls.

The question of course with all of these transfers is whether any of these players will leave if their Canadian teams are able to play this season. These USHL clubs undoubtedly hope they can retain their newfound talent throughout their season and postseason and they almost certainly will if junior play in Canada is unable to return. However, the WHL is already taking steps toward a possible return and other leagues will try to follow. Regardless, this influx of talent is great for the competition level of the USHL this year and its reputation moving forward as it looks to compete for top players with the CHL elite in the future.

League Notes: OHL, Stadium Series, Schedule

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The OHL has pushed back the start of their season even further, with many now questioning whether it will happen at all. The entire province of Ontario will go into a lockdown on December 26, leading to a decision by the junior league to push things back indefinitely.

If the league does eventually cancel the season, it will be a lost year for many prospects trying to further their development. In that scenario, those that are already under NHL contracts could potentially join the team’s taxi squad or report to the AHL (should there be a minor league season). Those that are not signed could potentially also sign amateur contracts with the AHL like they often do after the CHL season ends, but it appears as though many will just lose an entire year of play. For draft-eligible juniors, that will only confuse their stock even more, perhaps leading to some wildly different evaluations come draft day.

  • The NHL has postponed the 2021 Stadium Series game that was set to be held at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on February 20. Though that comes as no surprise, it is just another disappointment in a long year of them. The Carolina Hurricanes have never been involved in an outdoor game and will have to wait even longer for their first appearance. The league does say it “intends to return to North Carolina for this signature event in the near future.”
  • The league will release the full schedule for the upcoming season later today, which is expected to include short baseball-like series between teams. An earlier report even indicated that there could even be four-game segments between teams, though that seems to be the exception, not the rule. Leaks for opening night opponents have continued to spring up, including one recent report from Chris Johnston of Sportsnet that indicates the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers could play on January 13.

Minor Transactions: 12/15/20

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As we wait patiently for the NHL to return in a few weeks, minor, junior, and European leagues continue to fill out and tweak their rosters in the hope of title contention. As always, we’ll keep track of the notable minor moves right here.

  • Isaac Johnson, who had previously signed with the Manitoba Moose earlier this year, now appears to be heading to the SPHL for the 2020-21 season. Johnson, an undrafted free agent who scored 28 goals and 73 points last season with the Winnipeg ICE of the WHL, has signed with the Huntsville Havoc.
  • Matthew Spencer did not receive a qualifying offer from the Buffalo Sabres when his entry-level contract expired this offseason, but he has found the next stop of his hockey career. The unrestricted free agent has signed an ECHL contract with the Orlando Solar Bears for the 2020-21 season. Still just 23, Spencer was a second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015 (44th overall) and was flipped to Buffalo last year in exchange for Devante Stephens who happens to now be his teammate with the Solar Bears
  • Stephen Davis, who had previously been with the Boston College hockey program, has decided to take his talents to the QMJHL. Davis will join the Halifax Mooseheads when their season resumes in January after failing to play in a single game with BC. Not ever really expected to go to the CHL, Davis was nearly the last pick of the 2018 QMJHL Entry Draft, selected 250th overall by the Mooseheads.

Minor Transactions: 12/10/20

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The NHL offseason has come to a standstill, with no unrestricted free agents signed to one-way contracts in a month. Still, the ECHL and many European leagues continue to play or prepare, meaning hockey players signing deals all over the world. We’ll keep track of the notable minor transactions right here.

  • Among the season-opening rosters that were announced by the ECHL today are a few interesting names, including 26-year-old Nikolai Skladnichenko listed as “immigration pending” for the Orlando Solar Bears. Skladnichenko once won a bronze medal as part of Russia’s World Junior squad in 2014 but hasn’t to this point tested his game in North America.
  • Jonathan Sigalet, who was a fourth-round pick of the Boston Bruins in 2005 and played one game in the NHL, was traded in the SHL back to Frolunda HC. Sigalet, now 34, played at Bowling Green State before spending several productive years in the AHL. He left for Europ in 2011 and hasn’t looked back, spending four seasons in the KHL and the last five in the SHL.
  • Colton Beck, who was actually under an NHL contract as recently as the 2019-20 season, has signed with EV Landshut in the German second league. The 30-year-old forward spent five seasons with the Iowa Wild of the AHL but scored just 11 points in 47 games last year.

Minor Transactions: 12/09/20

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With the NHL finally making solid progress on starting the 2020-21 season, the rumor mill has started warming back up with a number of teams who still need to make roster changes, in some cases extreme makeovers, and many talented free agents still available. However, those concrete moves are still to come. For now, the minor moves being made by NHL teams involve minor league assignments with the ECHL about to open up. The ECHL’s list of transactions for today reveals a few different notable moves:

  • After sending goaltender Kyle Keyser and forward Matt Filipe to the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen last week, the Boston Bruins have reassigned another intriguing name. Priority college UFA Jack Ahcan, one of the top offensive defensemen in the NCAA over the past few years will make his pro debut with Jacksonville after signing with Boston this spring. Ahcan, 23, may get his start in the ECHL but is an interesting name to watch this season given his success at St. Cloud State University and the Bruins’ lack of talent on the left side of the blue line.
  • Jacob McGrew, 2017 sixth-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, will get his pro start with the ECHL’s Allen Americans. McGrew is eager to get back on the ice after missing all but six games last season with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. He did record eight points in those six games and the talented right wing could be a scoring factor in the AHL right away, especially with a strong start in the ECHL.
  • In somewhat of a twist, the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers have recalled Greg Meireles from the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits after assigning him to club late last month. With the ECHL starting this weekend and the AHL still eyeing a February start, Meireles’ reassignment would imply that he is not ready to begin his season just yet. Meireles, who was drafted by the Florida Panthers in 2019, was deemed not worthy of an entry-level contract by the NHL club but signed with their AHL affiliate in October. A dangerous junior scorer with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers, Meireles will be looking to earn that NHL contract with his play this season.

Minor Transactions: 11/20/20

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It’s the dog days of…November? The NHL offseason is moving like molasses these days, with no one-way UFA contracts handed out for the last two weeks. While things may be ramping up again at the end of the month, minor leagues and those in Europe have still continued to finesse their rosters recently. We’ll keep track of the notable moves right here:

  • Philip Holm has signed a contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk for the 2020-21 season, bringing him back to the KHL. Holm has tried multiple times to start a career in North America, but ended up playing just a single NHL game with the Vancouver Canucks in 2017-18. His latest NHL deal, signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019, was terminated in January in order for him to play in Switzerland. He’ll now be in Russia, trying to find some stability.
  • Lawton Courtnall, son of former NHL forward Russ Courtnall and nephew of Geoff Courtnall, will start his professional career with the Wheeling Nailers this season. The 24-year-old forward spent the last four years at Western Michigan University but has now signed a one-year ECHL deal.
  • Top draft prospect Mason McTavish is trying to go to Switzerland to play for the upcoming season, according to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. McTavish, 17, is eligible for selection in 2021 and scored 29 goals in his rookie OHL season. Switzerland may seem like an outside the box choice, but McTavish was actually born there when his father, Dale McTavish, played in the NLA. The young forward’s plans have “hit some snags” according to Wheeler, meaning he is currently skating in Ottawa while his representatives try to work through the issue.
  • Former Blue Jackets prospect Maxime Fortier has signed a one-year contract with Wichita of the ECHL.  The 22-year-old signed with Columbus as an undrafted free agent back in 2017 but didn’t progress past the minor league level in his first two professional seasons which resulted in him not receiving a qualifying offer last month.

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