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Central Notes: Tolvanen, Koivu, Chibisov

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A few people were surprised when the Nashville Predators assigned top prospect Eeli Tolvanen to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL Sunday. Many believed with a solid training camp that Tolvanen was close to earning a full-time job with Nashville.

Nashville Post’s Michael Gallagher reported that it was a tough decision for Nashville staff, but with Tolvanen being waiver exempt and a team that is vying for a Stanley Cup, the team wasn’t ready to take a chance yet on Tolvanen, despite the progress he’s made since last year.

“He’s closer (to being NHL ready); let’s put it that way,” said Predators assistant coach Kevin McCarthy. “The biggest thing for him were the strides he’s made physically and coming in in better shape”

  • The Minnesota Wild got good news on Saturday when injured forward Mikko Koivu returned to the ice and played in his first preseason game, playing 16:41 and showing that his season-ending injury is a thing of the past, according to The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required). Koivu won 10 of 18 faceoffs and played 6:34 on the penalty kill, two key elements that Minnesota was lacking without him last season. “He did what we missed last year,” head coach Bruce Boudreau said. “He won faceoffs in our zone, he defended really well, he was responsible. For his first game in eight months, I thought that was really good.”
  • In an early prediction of what the Winnipeg Jets opening day roster might look like, Winnipeg Sun’s Scott Billeck writes that it looks like Russian forward Andrei Chibisov has already earned a spot on the fourth line and with restricted free agents Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor still holding out, Chibisov might be able to earn a spot on the team’s third line. The 26-year-old signed with Winnipeg this summer on a one-year, entry-level contract and can be an unrestricted free agent next season. He played in the KHL for five years already and scored seven goals and career-high 20 points last season for Magnitogorsk Metallurg.

Central Notes: Crawford, Dach, Fiala, Stars Prospects

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After two concussion-plagued seasons that Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford has gone through, much doubt has been cast on whether the two-time Jennings Trophy winner might be able to bounce back and become the team’s No. 1 goaltender again. The Blackhawks even took another step to insure themselves against another injury this summer when it signed Masterson and Jennings Trophy winner Robin Lehner to share the net. However, NHL.com’s Chris Kuk writes that Crawford said he feels great and is ready to continue his career.

“You kind of have an idea if you’ve been injured enough of what he’s feeling and just the constant, over and over and over,” Crawford said. “That’s what it is. You have to have that will to battle back and go through it again during those tough days. So, right now, I still have that will to keep pushing and get back to where I need to be.”

The Blackhawks will wait and see how Crawford fares this season before deciding on his long-term future. His six-year, $36MM deal will expire at the end of this season and with Lehner also signed to a one-year deal, Chicago will likely choose between the two netminders next summer. Regardless, Crawford says he is eager to play in the future.

“I would like to keep playing,” Crawford said. “This is like the first time for me to be in this situation and I haven’t really thought about it that much to be honest. It’s just kind of, play the next game. I think my play and my health will probably determine my future here, for sure, like it always has. If you’re not at the right level and the team feels like you’re not helping then the chances are you won’t stay here. That’s good. I’ve always been a competitive guy, confident in what I can do. It’s another challenge.”

  • The Chicago Tribune’s Jimmy Greenfield writes that Chicago Blackhawks first-round pick Kirby Dach (third-overall) made his on-ice debut Friday in training camp after having to sit out with a concussion that he sustained in the final game of the NHL Prospect Tournament. While there was no guarantee that Dach would have made the opening night roster anyway, it would seem more challenging now. However, Chicago head coach Jeremy Colliton said that Dach is still being considered for a roster spot even though he missed a week of training camp and four preseason games. If he doesn’t make the team, the Blackhawks will have to return him to his junior team in the WHL.
  • Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Minnesota Wild forward Kevin Fiala, who finally signed his deal on Sept. 11, finally arrived in training camp Saturday after spending this whole time filling out paperwork so he can work in North America. He is expected to undergo medical tests and will fly with the team in Colorado where head coach Bruce Boudreau will determine whether he plays Sunday or whether he will wait to put Fiala into the lineup next Thursday in Dallas.
  • The Dallas Stars have two top prospects in similar situations who have impressed in training camp in Ty Dellandrea and Thomas Harley. Both players are likely ready for the next step in their development, but the both must either make the Dallas squad or be returned to their junior team as the AHL is not an option for the two. However, NHL.com’s Mike Heika writes because of that, he would be surprised if Dallas keeps either on the roster.

 

 

 

Kevin Fiala To Join Minnesota Saturday, No Timeline For Greg Pateryn's Return

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  • Wild winger Kevin Fiala’s immigration paperwork has finally been finalized, paving the way for him to rejoin the team today, the team announced (Twitter link). He signed a two-year bridge deal back on September 11th but has still wound up missing the first week of training camp.
  • Still with the Wild, there is no timetable for defenseman Greg Pateryn to return from his lower-body injury, notes Rachel Blount of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He has yet to play in the preseason as he deals with what head coach Bruce Boudreau is classifying as a minor but persistent lower-body issue.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/20/19

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Like always, we’ll keep track of all the training camp cuts right here. It is important to note that today is the first day teams can place players on waivers for the 2019-20 season, meaning a flood of moves will likely come in over the next few days. Keep checking back to see the updated list:

Chicago Blackhawks (per team release)

F Nathan Noel (to Rockford, AHL)
F Graham Knott (to Rockford, AHL)
F Tim Soderlund (to Rockford, AHL)
F Dylan McLaughlin (to Rockford, AHL)
F Kris Versteeg (to Rockford, AHL)
F Tyler Sikura (to Rockford, AHL)
D Chad Krys (to Rockford, AHL)
D Jack Ramsey (to Rockford, AHL)
D Jake Ryczek (to Rockford, AHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Egor Sokolov (released from PTO)

Dallas Stars (per team release)

F Tony Calderone (to Texas, AHL)
F Josh Melnick (to Texas, AHL)
D John Nyberg (to Texas, AHL)
D Ondrej Vala (to Texas, AHL)
G Colton Point (to Texas, AHL)
F Diego Cuglietta (released from ATO)
F Parker MacKay (released from ATO)
D Tanner Jago (released from ATO)
F Corey Elkins (released from PTO)
F Brad McClure (released from PTO)
F Anthony Nellis (released from PTO)
G Tomas Sholl (released from PTO

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

F Tyler Benson (to Bakersfiled, AHL)
F Cameron Hebig (to Bakersfiled, AHL)
F Kirill Maksimov (to Bakersfiled, AHL)
F Cooper Marody (to Bakersfiled, AHL)
F Ryan McLeod (to Bakersfiled, AHL)
F Anthony Peluso (to Bakersfiled, AHL)
D Caleb Jones (to Bakersfiled, AHL)
D Dmitri Samorukov (to Bakersfiled, AHL)
G Dylan Wells (to Bakersfiled, AHL)

Minnesota Wild (per team release)

F Will Bitten (to Iowa, AHL)
F Connor Dewar (to Iowa, AHL)
F Brandon Duhaime (to Iowa, AHL)
F Ivan Lodnia (to Iowa, AHL)
F Dmitry Sokolov (to Iowa, AHL)
D Brennan Menell (to Iowa, AHL)
D Stepan Falkovsky (to Iowa, AHL)
G Dereck Baribeau (to Iowa, AHL)
G Kaapo Kakhonen (to Iowa, AHL)
G Mat Robson (to Iowa, AHL)
F Alexander Khovanov (to Moncton, QMJHL)
F Olivier Archambault (released from PTO, will report to AHL training camp)
F Kyle Bauman (released from PTO, will report to AHL training camp)
F Mitch McLain (released from PTO, will report to AHL training camp)
F Tyler Sheehy (released from PTO, will report to AHL training camp)
D Nicholas Boka (released from PTO, will report to AHL training camp)
D Alex Breton (released from PTO, will report to AHL training camp)
D Jack Sadek (released from PTO, will report to AHL training camp)

New York Rangers (per team release)

F Jake Elmer (to Hartford, AHL)
D Brandon Crawley (to Hartford, AHL)
D Vincent LoVerde (to Hartford, AHL)
D Darren Raddysh (to Hartford, AHL)

Ottawa Senators (per team release)

D Maxence Guenette (to Val-d’Or, QMJHL)
F Tristan Scherwey (to Bern, NLA)
F J.C. Beaudin (to Belleville, AHL)
F Michael Carcone (to Belleville, AHL)
F Mark Kastelic (to Belleville, AHL)
F Jack Rodewald (to Belleville, AHL)
F Andrew Sturtz (to Belleville, AHL)
D Jonathan Aspirot (to Belleville, AHL)
D Nick Ebert (to Belleville, AHL)
D Hubert Labrie (to Belleville, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (per team release)

F Kyle Criscuolo (to waivers on 09/21)
D Tyler Wotherspoon (to waivers on 09/21)
D Nate Prosser (to waivers on 09/21)
D T.J. Brennan (to waivers on 09/21)
D Reece Wilcox (to waivers on 09/21)
F Cal O’Reilly (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Greg Carey (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Maksim Sushko (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Gerry Fitzgerald (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F David Kase (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Pascal Laberge (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Isaac Ratcliffe (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Matthew Strome (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Rob Michel (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D David Drake (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Josh Couturier (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Felix Sandstrom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Kirill Ustimenko (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (per team release)

F Chase Berger (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Jordy Bellerive (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Jan Drozg (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Ben Sexton (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Matt Abt (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Michael Kim (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Jon Lizotte (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Alex D’Orio (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Dustin Tokarski (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Calen Addison (to Lethbridge, WHL)

St. Louis Blues (per team release)

F Cameron Darcy (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Zach Nastasiuk (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Evan Polei (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Nolan Stevens (to San Antonio, AHL)
F Alexei Toropchenko (to San Antonio, AHL)
D Jake Christiansen (to San Antonio, AHL)
D Rob O’Gara (to San Antonio, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (per team release)

F Paul Cotter (to Chicago, AHL)
F Lucas Elvenes (to Chicago, AHL)
F Ben Jones (to Chicago, AHL)
F Jake Leschyshyn (to Chicago, AHL)
F Jermaine Loewen (released from ATO, assigned to Chicago, AHL)
F Tye McGinn (to Chicago, AHL)
F Gage Quinney (to Chicago, AHL)
F Jonas Rondbjerg (to Chicago, AHL)
D Brayden Pachal (to Chicago, AHL)

Central Notes: Spurgeon, Koivu, Thomas, Avalanche, Copp

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The Minnesota Wild announced earlier today they signed Jared Spurgeon to a seven-year, $53MM extension that will kick in during the 2020-21 season. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that Spurgeon’s deal has a no movement clause this year as well as the first four years of the first contract. After that, Spurgeon has a 10-team modified no-trade clause for the final three years, which will kick in during the 2024-25 season.

  • Sticking with the Wild, Minnesota got some good news about injured forward Mikko Koivu, who had surgery to repair a torn ACL back in February. The 36-year-old, who was expected to be eased back into practices and scrimmages in training camp, told coach Bruce Boudreau that he’s ready and is expected to participate in scrimmages on Monday, according to StarTribune’s Sarah McLellan. Koivu was cleared for practice on Thursday, but now looks like he’s ready for full play. He scored eight goals and 29 points in 47 games last season before going down with the knee injury.
  • NHL.com’s Lou Korac reports that the St. Louis Blues have been without forward Robert Thomas for a second straight day as he recovers from offseason surgery to repair a tendon in his left wrist. He and Jordan Kyrou, out with a knee injury, are expected to be brought back slowly from their injuries. “We’ve got them in that third group right now,” Blues head coach Craig Berube said. “We’ve got to be a little cautious with them right now.”
  • BSN Denver’s A.J. Haefele writes that Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar had quite a few positive to point out after Day 2 of training camp. Bednar pointed out quite a bit of improvement in the play of winger Andre Burakovsky and the standout play of A.J. Greer and the impressive leaderships skills of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. He also said that he believes that the next step for defenseman Samuel Girard is his offensive game. The 21-year-old scored four goals and 27 points last season. While both were career highs, Bednar would like to see those numbers rise this season.
  • The Athletic’s Ken Wiebe reports that the Winnipeg Jets are without a few player at the moment. The team has been without forward Andrew Copp due to a minor groin injury, while Kristian Vesalainen and Sami Niku were stiff Saturday after being in a fender-bender on Friday. They should return soon.

 

Wild Sign Jared Spurgeon To A Seven-Year Extension

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Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon hadn’t hidden his desire to sign a long-term extension with the team but talks didn’t appear to be progressing under former GM Paul Fenton.  With new GM Bill Guerin in the fold, the two sides were able to agree to a deal as the team announced that they have signed Spurgeon to a seven-year, $53.025MM contract extension that will kick in for the 2020-21 season.  The $7.575MM AAV checks in slightly above that of veterans Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, making him the highest-paid player on the team when the contract kicks in.

The 29-year-old is coming off of a career season in 2018-19.  He set new marks in goals (14), assists (29), and points (43) while logging more than 24 minutes a night for the third straight season.  That workload was the second-highest on the team behind Suter while his total ice time played ranked eighth overall in the league.

Back in December of 2015, Spurgeon signed his current deal, one that carries a cap hit of just under $5.2MM.  At the time, he didn’t have a significant track record so it was perceived to be somewhat of a risk.  Instead, it has turned into quite the bargain as he has performed as a quality top pairing player at a rate that third and fourth blueliners have been getting on the open market.

Spurgeon has spent his entire nine-year career with Minnesota after not signing with the Islanders who drafted him in the sixth round back in 2008 but opted not to sign him, a decision they’d clearly like a do-over on.   Meanwhile, the Wild’s decision to take a chance on him has certainly worked out better than they could have hoped.

With the deal, Minnesota could have a little bit of stability on their back end as all seven of their NHL defenders would be signed through the 2020-21 season.  They also now have more than $70MM in commitments for that campaign although they now have 19 players signed.  That should allow them to have some flexibility in free agency one year from now.

Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link)  was the first to report that a deal was imminent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kevin Fiala Still Waiting On Work Visa, Team Hopes He'll Join Them Early Next Week

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  • While Wild winger Kevin Fiala recently signed his bridge contract, he has yet to join the team at training camp. Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune notes that the 23-year-old is currently awaiting his work visa.  The team is hopeful that he’ll be able to join them early next week although it’s likely that this will keep him out of the first couple of preseason games.

Several Teams Interested In Ben Hutton

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While several players are simply struggling to find a team that’s interested in them, that doesn’t appear to be the case for defenseman Ben Hutton.  TSN’s Frank Seravalli reports that the blueliner is weighing his options at the moment and mentions the Kings, Wild, Rangers, and Red Wings among the teams to have shown interest.

Hutton is coming off an improved season relative to his 2017-18 performance.  After struggling to merely stay in the lineup that year, he wound up logging a career-high in ice time at 22:31 per night, a mark that ranked second on the Canucks.  Despite that and an uptick in his point production from six to 20 points, Vancouver opted to non-tender him over qualifying him at $2.8MM this summer.

That made him one of the better options available on the UFA market but that one has been particularly slow to develop; even Jake Gardiner had to wait until earlier this month to get a new deal.  Nonetheless, Hutton should be able to find a landing spot soon if this many teams are still interested.

The Kings have been linked back to him going back to July.  Their back end isn’t the strongest and he’s young enough that he could be part of the picture for a few years if things went well.  However, GM Rob Blake tried to downplay the idea of them signing him late last month saying they took a look but it didn’t go further than that.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s back end hasn’t undergone any changes this summer but head coach Bruce Boudreau was hesitant to give big minutes to players like Brad Hunt and Nick Seeler.  Accordingly, someone that can log a heavier workload would certainly be appealing to the Wild.

The Rangers are a bit of a surprise on this list.  While they could certainly use Hutton on their back end, they’re unlikely to be able to afford RFA Anthony DeAngelo without having to use some creativity when it comes to the cap and adding Hutton would only compound that.

As for the Red Wings, they lost Niklas Kronwall to retirement earlier this month which would seemingly open up a spot.  However, they added Patrik Nemeth early in free agency this summer and still have veterans Danny DeKeyser and Jonathan Ericsson on the team so there may not be a full-time spot for Hutton to work with.

Nevertheless, although training camps are underway, it appears that Hutton won’t be without a team for much longer.  However, at this stage, it’s hard to envision him getting the $2.8MM that he received last season despite his improved performance.

2007 NHL Draft Take Two: Sixteenth Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2007 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

Here are the results of the redraft so far, with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (1)
2nd Overall: Jamie Benn, Philadelphia Flyers (129)
3rd Overall: P.K. Subban, Phoenix Coyotes (43)
4th Overall: Logan Couture, Los Angeles Kings (9)
5th Overall: Max Pacioretty, Washington Capitals (22)
6th Overall: Jakub Voracek, Edmonton Oilers (7)
7th Overall: Ryan McDonagh, Columbus Blue Jackets (12)
8th Overall: James van Riemsdyk, Boston Bruins (2)
9th Overall: Wayne Simmonds, San Jose Sharks (61)
10th Overall: Kevin Shattenkirk, Florida Panthers (14)
11th Overall: Jake Muzzin, Carolina Hurricanes (141)
12th Overall: Kyle Turris, Montreal Canadiens (3)
13th Overall: David Perron, St. Louis Blues (26)
14th Overall: Mikael Backlund, Colorado Avalanche (24)
15th Overall: Evgenii Dadonov, Edmonton Oilers (71)

Another mid-round pick jumps into the top half of our first round as Dadonov is the Oilers selection. They would certainly like him more than Alex Plante who they actually took in that spot 12 years ago, but Dadonov comes with his fair share of frustrations as well. Picked out of Russia after making his debut at the highest level there, Dadonov wouldn’t suit up for a North American team until 2009. That year he showed exactly why the Florida Panthers spent the 71st pick on him by scoring 40 points in 76 games at the AHL level and making his NHL debut, but it wasn’t all followed by roses.

After bouncing back and forth between the two leagues for most of the next two seasons, Dadonov was actually traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in a minor deal in January of 2012. He would never suit up for the Hurricanes, instead spending the rest of the season with the Charlotte Checkers, before deciding the minor leagues weren’t for him. Dadonov returned to Russia and the KHL where he would spend the next five seasons, eventually becoming one of the league’s most consistent offensive producers. After a 66-point season with St. Petersburg in 2016-17, the Panthers decided to pursue their old flame once again and brought him back to North America. This time, there would be no minors.

Over the last two seasons Dadonov has proven to be one of the increasingly rare success stories to come back from the KHL and produce, scoring 56 goals and 135 points in 156 games. Finding immediate chemistry with some of the other talented forwards in Florida, he’s now actually closing in on a potentially large contract in free agency. Dadonov’s current deal expires after this season and if he decides to stay in North America there will be plenty of suitors who believe he could give their team an offensive punch.

It is interesting though that the 30-year old winger comes in this high. Because of his time away from the NHL he ranks 24th in points among players selected in 2007, and has still only played 211 games in the league. Obviously his skill and production over the last two seasons have swayed voters enough to believe he was the right choice at 15th overall.

He certainly could have been the right pick for the Minnesota Wild, who held selected 16. After the Carolina Hurricanes wagered on NHL bloodlines by picking Brandon Sutter earlier in the round, the Wild followed suit by snapping up Colton Gillies, a big winger out of the Western Hockey League. Gillies had only scored 13 goals and 30 points that season for the Saksatoon Blades, but he was the nephew of Hall of Fame forward Clarke Gillies who had won four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders. The younger Gillies had shown his physicality even as a young player in the WHL, and the Wild must have hoped they could pull out some of his family’s offensive history.

Unfortunately, that never happened. In 154 NHL contests, Gillies recorded just six goals and 18 points. He left for the Slovakian league in 2015 and ended up in the KHL where he plays to this day. The 16th overall pick is still not much of a scorer, making him another first-round bust from 2007. If Minnesota had the chance again they may have taken someone else, but who?

With the sixteenth pick of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, who should the Minnesota Wild select?  Cast your vote below!

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

*Tragically, 17th overall pick Alexei Cherepanov died at the age of 19 and would never get a chance to suit up in the NHL.  He has not been included in this vote.

Kyle Brodziak Forced To Retire

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It was hinted at just last week that veteran forward Kyle Brodziak of the Edmonton Oilers may not pass his physical to begin the season. Brodziak has been dealing with a lingering back injury for some time, one that was re-aggravated late last season, and had been unable to work out this off-season. At the time, it was discussed in the context of cap savings, as the Oilers could place Brodziak on Long-Term Injured Reserve to begin the year. However, things are much more serious than they seemed.

Speaking with Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, Brodziak revealed that his back injury has become too difficult to work through: “I know that I won’t play hockey anymore.” Brodziak did indeed fail his physical with the Oilers yesterday and has taken that as a sign that his time has come. At 35 years old, Brodziak will hang up his skated, but not by choice. The experienced forward still had one year remaining on his current contract and enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career just two years ago in 2017-18. However, the pain and effort needed to stay in game shape at the NHL level has simply become too much.

Brodziak of course doesn’t owe the game anything. A seventh-round pick in 2003. Brodziak exceeded all expectation by going on to play in 917 career NHL games. He recorded five 30+ point seasons, including a career-high 44 points with the Minnesota Wild in 2011-12. But Brodziak will be remembered more for his defense and two-way intelligence than his offense, as he became one of the more dependable bottom-six forwards in the league late in his career. Brodziak was also an iron man of sorts, missing less than 50 games over 12 full NHL seasons. As reliable as they come, Brodziak still managed to make it on the ice every night and make an impact even as he fought through this nagging injury in recent years.

Nugent-Bowman writes that Brodziak will take some time to think about his next step in life. A native of Alberta, not far from Edmonton, he was proud to finish his career with the Oilers and it would not be a stretch to think he could find a role with the team. Any team would be lucky to have the wisdom and work ethic of Brodziak around their team, so if he wants to further his career in hockey, he won’t be searching for next step for very long.

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