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Bryan Bickell Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis

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The Carolina Hurricanes, via their official team website, announced today that forward Bryan Bickell has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Ron Franics, the team’s Executive Vice President and General Manager, made the announcement.

“First and foremost, the most important thing is for Bryan to take care of himself and our thoughts are with him and his family. He will need to take some time to rest in the immediate future, and we will support him as he takes the necessary steps for his health. We ask that his privacy be respected during the process.”

Bickell was also quoted in the team’s release:

“Since the 2015 playoffs, I’ve been struggling to understand what was going on with my body. Again during the past few weeks, it felt like something wasn’t right. Obviously this is a bit of shock for my family and me, but I am hopeful I will be able to return to the ice and continue playing the game that I love.”

Obviously it’s unclear when or even if Bickell will return to the ice, though as his comments above suggest, he has every intention of suiting up again. The rugged winger was acquired by Carolina in the summer along with forward Teuvo Teravainen from Chicago in exchange for draft picks and salary cap relief. Bickell had appeared in seven games for Carolina netting a single goal and averaging 9:42 of ice time.

Former Minnesota goalie Josh Harding was diagnosed with MS early in the 2013-13 season but would return to the NHL to play in 34 regular season contests with the Wild over the next two seasons. That should offer Bickell some hope of an eventual return.

The Pro Hockey Rumors staff would like to extend our thoughts and well wishes to Bryan and his family during this time.

Rookie Notes: Shmaltz, Puljujarvi, Erne

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Rookie tournaments around the league are underway, with various teams putting their youngesters up against each other to determine readiness and sometimes NHL futures. For Chicago, today is the second of back-to-back matchups, and one of the notable names isn’t participating in the game. Nick Schmaltz, the recently signed NCAA standout was a late scratch from today’s matchup, as Scott Powers of The Athletic reports. Schmaltz was a big part of the game last night against the Blues, and is expected to make his NHL debut at some point this season.

After two seasons at the University of North Dakota, Schmaltz (the Hawks’ first round pick from 2014) is set to make an impact for a Chicago team that has seen many home grown talents leave due to salary cap restraints over the past few years. If he can slide into a scoring role like he did with North Dakota – the 20-year old put up 46 points in his sophomore year in only 37 games – he’ll help to replace the offense that Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Shaw will be taking with them.

  • After surprisingly dropping to fourth overall in this year’s entry draft, Jesse Puljujarvi is already making an impact for the Oilers at their rookie camp.  After a three point outburst last night against Vancouver, Puljujarvi is one of the hottest topics in the city of champions. He’ll sit out today though against Calgary, though it’s believed he’s not out with an injury. If the Finnish winger develops as most expect him to, Edmonton may have another franchise forward on their team to step into the shoes of the recently departed Taylor Hall.
  • As Bryan Burns of NHL.com writes, Adam Erne will be heading into his fourth rookie camp with the Lightning, after injuries have derailed the early part of the former second-round pick’s career. This time, the winger isn’t just trying to make an impact on the NHL club, but stay healthy enough to compete in a full professional season. An elite scoring threat at the junior level, Erne put up 29 points in 59 games last season with the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL.

Carolina Hurricanes Extend Ron Francis

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After a successful offseason that saw the Hurricanes bring in Teuvo Teravainen, Lee Stempniak and get a new deal inked with young forward Victor Rask, the team has decided to extend Executive Vice President and General Manager Ron Francis through the 2018-19 season.

Francis, who ranks fifth all-time in NHL scoring with 1798 points throughout his 23-year playing career, has been the Carolina GM since taking over the role from Jim Rutherford (now Pittsburgh GM) in 2014. Under his leadership the team was a surprise playoff contender for much of last season, despite having one of the youngest groups in the NHL.

With players like Rask, Teravainen, Jeff Skinner, and Elias Lindholm being joined up front by Finnish sniper Sebastian Aho and recent draftee Julien Gauthier, while the blueline is guarded by a group almost all under the age of 26, Francis has built one of the premiere young teams in the NHL and will surely find his way back into the postseason before long.

Blackhawks Notes: Hudler, Early Season Predictions

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Though Chicago general manager Stan Bowman said the roster will remain relatively unchanged, that shouldn’t stop him from still looking to add depth writes CSN’s Charlie Roumeliotis. Though they missed out on Jimmy Vesey and Bowman said in July that the roster would be unchanged heading into camp in a month, Roumeliotis reports that the Hawks have approximately $2.39MM in cap space and could possibly squeeze a goal scorer onto the ledger. One such name is Jiri Hudler, who despite having a productive 2015-16 season, finds himself unemployed. Roumeliotis writes that there is still some hockey “left in the tank” as Hudler is only a season removed from a 76 point campaign. If Hudler doesn’t work out, Roumeliotis throws out Tomas Fleischmann as another backup option. Brandon Pirri, the Hawks former second round pick, is another choice, but Roumeliotis figures Pirri wouldn’t want another go around in Chicago. Despite offering names, Roumeliotis believes Chicago will indeed stand pat, but that some other options–at the right price–are available.

  • CSN Atlantic’s Tarik El-Bashir takes a look at what the Hawks have done, and what should be expected for the season. El-Bashir writes that while the Blackhawks lost sparkplug Andrew Shaw via a trade, they added a critical defensive piece in Brian Campbell, who should work well in a system he’s already familiar with. Teuvo Teravainen being moved weakened the Hawks on the wing, and El-Bashir chalks this up to one of the many difficult decisions a championship caliber team makes to keep a core together. Despite those losses, El-Bashir sees Chicago as a formidable threat again in the West, boasting top talent in their Top 6, a rock solid top four on the blue line, and a stellar netminder in Corey Crawford. For all the cap issues the Hawks had, and will have in the future, El-Bashir believes Bowman has navigated the tricky waters well, and expects the Hawks to be dominant again.

Roster Crunch: Metropolitan Division

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We’ve taken a look at three out of the four divisions now, and the decisions they’ll have to make come training camp. The Pacific’s depth on defense, the changes coming up front in the Central, and the mass of young talent set to break through in the Atlantic. Now, we’ll take a look at the what many considered the best division in hockey last year, with four 100-point teams and both the President’s Trophy winner and Stanley Cup Champions.

Washington Capitals – There is probably no team with fewer uncertainties going into the season than the Washington Capitals. After running away with the regular season points lead, the Capitals couldn’t even make it to the Stanley Cup final, but they’ll head into next season with largely the same group. They brought in Lars Eller, whose possession numbers should help the third line, and allowed Jason Chimera and Mike Richards to walk (though the latter remains unsigned). Basically the only battle in camp will be for a fourth line or 13th forward spot; can Brett Connolly do enough to make the squad over Stanislav Galiev? Exciting stuff.

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Hurricanes Sign Lee Stempniak

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Veteran winger Lee Stempniak has agreed to terms on a two-year, $5MM deal with the Carolina Hurricanes, the team confirmed. Stempniak is joining his tenth team of his NHL career, and the fifth in just the last two years.

After trading long-time captain Eric Staal last season, the team needed some veteran consistency and leadership, both things that Stempniak can provide. Now 33 years old, the former fifth-round pick has proven he can be a legitimate scoring presence in any role, putting up double-digit goal totals in every year of his career save the lockout-shortened 2012-13 (in which he scored nine).

Last season saw a return to a level he hadn’t seen in years though, with Stempniak putting up 51 points for New Jersey and Boston. The Hurricanes will look to slot those points in alongside their young group up front that includes newly acquired Teuvo Teravainen.  Stempniak has the skill and speed to play anywhere in the top-9 in today’s NHL, and has been a solid contributor on the penalty kill in the past.

Snapshots: Blackhawks, Lightning, Vanek, Higgins

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The Blackhawks may no longer be in salary cap hell, but they are certainly thinner up front writes the Chicago Sun-Times Mark Lazerus. With Andrew Shaw being dealt to Montreal, both Bryan Bickell and Teuvo Teravainen off to Carolina, and Andrew Ladd hitting free agency, the Hawks have a number of open spots to shore up. While Chicago can now collectively breathe under the repressive Cap that has had them selling off parts since the summer of 2010, the casualties have come in the way of losing skill players. Lazerus has the Blackhawks possibly bringing back Brian Campbell, who could carry a $2MM/yr cap hit. Meanwhile, the bottom six forwards would look very different than the pedigree most Hawks fans are accustomed to. Lazerus lists Dale Weise and Tomas Fleischmann as potential candidates to return, while naming P.A. Parenteau or Sam Gagner as possible options to add in free agency.

In other league news:

  • The Lightning have tendered qualifying offers to Yanni Gourde, Kristers Gudlevskis, Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov, Tye McGinn, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Nikita Nesterov tweets Erik Eriendsson. In the meantime, general manager Steve Yzerman has a number of decisions to make as the free agency window opens on Friday. Steven Stamkos is still the top priority as teams are lining up to make their pitch. But the equally intriguing angle is what to do with goaltender Ben Bishop. Entering the final year of a contract with a $5.95MM cap hit, Bishop was reportedly working on contract specifics after the Flames were given permission to do so. That was scrapped as soon as the Flames acquired Brian Elliott from the Blues.
  • Jason Brough reports that both the Canucks and Rangers may have interest in free agent Thomas Vanek. Though Vanek would be a backup plan to the higher tier free agents, namely Milan Lucic and Loui Eriksson, he could be a decent pickup at a reasonable price for both teams seeking scoring help. Vanek had 41 points (18-23) and will see a much lower offer than the three-year/$19.5MM offer he received from Minnesota, who bought him out last week.
  • Elliotte Friedman tweets that Canucks winger Chris Higgins was placed on waivers for the purposes of being bought out. According to CapFriendly, the cap hit would be $833,333 through the 2017-18 season. CBS Sports listed Higgins as one of their buyout candidates, and the Vancouver Sun reported the Canucks actively shopping Higgins back in January. Higgins had 4 points (3-1) in 33 games last season.

Rumors Swirl About Hawks’ Kruger, Shaw

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After trading Teuvo Teravainen and Bryan Bickell earlier this month to free up cap space, Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune reports that the Chicago Blackhawks are shopping center Marcus Kruger and initiating conversations about restricted free agent Andrew Shaw.

Kruger, 26, was given a three-year extension in March that will see him earn just over $3MM per season. The former fifth round pick has been a big part of the bottom-six and penalty kill for the Blackhawks in recent years but was limited to just 41 contests in 2015-16 after dislocating his left wrist. Never a big scoring threat Kruger has chipped in 88 points in career 328 contests.

The biggest news is that Shaw might be on the move, as most expected him to be re-signed after sending Bickell out. GM Stan Bowman was less than forthcoming on the topic however: “I realize everyone wants an answer to that question, but it’s just too hard to make guesses at this point…Signing Shaw is on the list of things we will look at once we figure out what the salary cap number is.” 

Perhaps, with the news that the cap will increase just $1.6MM to a total of $73MM for the upcoming season, Bowman has decided that Shaw will be too expensive to keep around. The 24-year old is coming off a year that saw him post 34 points and be one of the Hawks’ best players in the post-season despite their early exit. He’ll likely be looking for close to $4MM per season, something that Chicago might not be able to stomach with only $6MM left under the cap this year and Artemi Panerin (the reigning rookie of the year) due for an extension next summer.

Blackhawks Notes: Re-Signing Shaw, Panarin

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After yesterday’s trade that sent Bryan Bickell and Teuvo Teravainen to the Carolina Hurricanes for a couple of draft picks, more in the media are reporting how the move was made to secure restricted free agent Andrew Shaw. But it also appears to be a move made to keep another important winger in the fold.

CSN Chicago’s Tracey Myers reports that not only are the Blackhawks keen on getting a deal done with Shaw by the end of the NHL Draft, but they are also looking ahead at re-signing  Artemi Panarin once they can begin in July (per CBA rules). Chicago Tribune writer Chris Hine also tweeted that Shaw’s agent will meet with the Blackhawks at the draft to nail down a contract.

The interesting point in all of this is that while Panarin had an unbelievable season, general manager Stan Bowman is still moving with caution. Bowman had a tough year with trades as moves for Trevor Daley, and Andrew Ladd didn’t pan out the way he anticipated. Ladd, while effective, didn’t bring the goal scoring or production Bowman hoped for when he traded for the winger in February. Daley never meshed with the Blackhawks after a trade that surrendered fan favorite Patrick Sharp and top prospect Stephen Johns. Sharp helped the Stars to a Central Division title while Johns became a contributor near the end of the season and into the playoffs. Daley was dumped to the Penguins for veteran Rob Scuderi in a move widely seen as a way to move salary and give Daley the opportunity to play somewhere else. It worked for Daley–he played a major role in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Stanley Cup run before succumbing to an ankle injury in the Eastern Conference Final. Scuderi, meanwhile, was flipped for Christian Ehrhoff, who rarely played in Chicago.

Bickell’s albatross of a contract will also remain a cautionary tale for anything Bowman chooses to do in the future. Bickell cashed in on his unbelievable performance in the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. At the time, Bickell was rumored to get anywhere from $5MM-$6MM on the open market. The deal sealed by Bowman at the time was seen as a tremendous discount.

Regardless, most pundits will give Bowman the benefit of the doubt when it comes to offering Shaw a new contract because the organization has won 3 Stanley Cups under his watch. The Shaw move is seen as a way to acknowledge the wishes of head coach Joel Quenneville who called Shaw “irreplaceable” back in April. Whether Shaw is as irreplaceable as Jonathan Toews or Patrick Kane remains to be seen, but Shaw’s presence has been noted during Chicago’s run of success.

Panarin, on the other hand, put up dizzying numbers in his first NHL season. Once negotiations can begin in July, it will be another test on Bowman’s part in giving him a contract he deserves, but keeping the contract reasonable. Rookies scoring 30 goals in a season doesn’t happen often and the Hawks know that. Bowman will show prudence, but few will question him if it’s Panarin, and not Shaw, who benefits more from the departure of Bickell and Teravainen.

Free Agent Focus: Chicago Blackhawks

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It’s going to be another painful summer in Chicago, but this time, there’s no Stanley Cup to soothe fans. On Tuesday, the Blackhawks traded promising young forward Teuvo Teravainen to Carolina to dump the salary of Bryan Bickell.

It was a mixed-bag of a season in the Windy City. The team’s Championship defence started out with star forward Patrick Kane under investigation for allegedly raping a woman at his New York home. The charges were later dropped. Kane teamed up with rookie Artemi Panarin to score a career-high 106 points and win the Art Ross Trophy. Panarin, in his first NHL season after six years in the KHL, finished in the top 10 scorers in the league. The Blackhawks finished third in the tightly-contested Central Division and lost to rival St. Louis Blues in 7 games.

Projected Cap Space: $8.4MM, 16 players under contract.

Key Restricted Free Agents: Andrew Shaw – the pesky forward scored 34 points this season, the second highest total of his career. He’s coming off a controversial playoffs where he was suspended for using a homophobic slur towards a referee after making an inappropriate hand gesture. Shaw has been a favourite of coach Joel Quenneville, but was doubtful to return before Tuesday’s trade. Chicago Sun-Times writer Mark Lazerus reported that the Blackhawks fully expect to be able to re-sign Shaw. Expect the deal to be for 3 or more years north of $3MM per.

Other RFAs: Dennis Rasmussen 

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: Andrew Ladd, Dale Weise – the pair of wingers were acquired at the trade deadline as the Blackhawks loaded up for a Cup run. Both players are expected to test the open market as Chicago doesn’t have cap space to sign either at close to their market-value.

Other UFAs: Christian Ehrhoff, Tomas Fleischmann, Michael Leighton, Brandon Mashinter, Michal Rosival.

Outlook: The Blackhawks need at least 5 forwards, a couple defensemen, and a third string goalie. Don’t expect any of those players to have a salary above $1MM.

With $48.78MM invested in their 7-player core of Jonathon Toews, Kane, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Marian Hossa, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Corey Crawford, money is going to be tight to re-sign Shaw, round out their roster, and prepare for Panarin’s new contract next season.

With regards to the expected expansion draft next summer, the Blackhawks do not have much to worry about, as they will be able to protect all their important pieces. Chicago does not have a first round pick in the upcoming draft.

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