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Morning Notes: Vilardi, Montoya, Wisniewski

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The OHL trade of Los Angeles Kings’ prospect Gabe Vilardi is now official, and also includes New York Rangers draft pick Sean Day. The pair will head from the Windsor Spitfires to the Kingston Frontenacs in exchange for 16-year old Cody Morgan and eight draft picks that stretch all the way to 2028. Windsor is tearing apart the program a year after hosting and winning the Memorial Cup, a common practice in the CHL.

Vilardi, the 11th-overall pick in 2017 has recently been cleared to return to game action after a back injury kept him out for the first half of the season. He’ll bring an intense offensive presence to the Frontenacs, while Day gives them a veteran defenseman with good two-way upside. Day was allowed into the OHL at just 15 years old, but hasn’t found quite the same heights as his fellow “exceptional talents” like John Tavares, Aaron Ekblad and Connor McDavid. The pair should make Kingston a tough team to face as the league heads towards the playoff push.

  • Al Montoya was back at Montreal Canadiens practice today for the first time since being ruled out with a concussion on November 9th. As Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports, the injury had occurred several days earlier, but symptoms developed slowly. The Canadiens currently employ Antti Niemi as their backup to Carey Price, but could potentially waive the netminder once again when Montoya is ready to return. Niemi has played for three teams already this season, and could find himself on the move again.
  • The official roster for Team USA at the Pyeongchang Olympics will be announced today during the Winter Classic in New York, but apparently former NHL defenseman James Wisniewski has made it. That’s according to former teammate R.J. Umberger and TSN’s Darren Dreger, who both tweeted congratulations to the 33-year old. Wisniewski spent last season split between the AHL and KHL after attempting a comeback, and skated in the DEL’s second tier this year in his attempt to make the Olympic squad. A former 51-point defenseman for Columbus, Wisniewski was once a deadly powerplay quarterback and could assume that role again in the February Games.

Poll: Did Outdoor Game Taint Result Of World Junior Championships?

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While there is still a lot of hockey to be played in the 2018 World Junior Championships, currently underway in Buffalo, New York, today’s game has many up in arms as to the validity of this year’s title. For those who missed the action this afternoon, the U.S. and Canada took part in a re-match of the 2017 WJC Final as part of round robin group play. Down by two in the third period, the Americans rallied back to tie the game 3-3. When overtime was not enough to decide a winner, the game went to a shootout, in which Dallas Stars goalie prospect Jake Oettinger stood tall and Team USA took home the comeback win.

Almost immediately, the result was met with negative response from many, particularly those in the media supporting the Canadians. It’s not the shootout that has people riled up though – the U.S. beat Canada via shootout to win the entire tournament last year – but instead the weather. Today’s game was held outdoors at New Era Field, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and, much like the Bill’s game against the Indianapolis Colts earlier this month, the game was greatly impacted by snow. It wasn’t blizzard conditions, but the consistent precipitation surely was enough to effect the pace and play of the game. The argument by many is that this outdoor game, particularly with the difficult weather, has spoiled the 2018 WJC. No other teams are set to play outdoor games and the U.S.-Canada match-up thus stands out as more of an individual event rather than part of an overarching tournament. The result will impact future rounds and, one way or another, the end result.

The counter, though, is that the only impact that mattered was the equal impact of the weather on each team. Neither team was given any specific advantage or disadvantage by the snow and the game, while unique in it’s location and conditions, is still a valid result. This message has been echoed by the players and coaches of both teams following the game. The best case for this perspective though is perhaps the timing of many of the complaints; few hated the concept of the outdoor game when it was announced to be a record WJC attendance and the Canadians got off to a quick 2-0 start. It was only after a long, drawn-out, snowy game in which the U.S. was able to mount a comeback when talks of the event “spoiling” the WJC came about.

So what do you think? Was the game a fun and fair spectacle and true evaluation of team talent? Or was it a gimmick which will taint the entire result of the tournament?

Morning Notes: Roster Freeze, Team USA, 100 Years

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The NHL’s roster freeze comes into effect tonight, and CapFriendly is here to explain the finer details of the process. On Twitter, they released an easy to understand list of things teams can and cannot do. Basically, it comes down to teams unable to make any roster moves for the next week, but there are some exceptions.

Teams are actually able to send players back to the minor leagues if they were recalled after December 11th, or should a player come off long-term injured reserve and require a roster spot. Because of that, you may still see a bit of movement over the next few days, at least in terms of minor moves.

  • The USA World Junior team has made one cut, releasing Cole Hults from the selection camp today. Hults, a Los Angeles Kings prospect and defenseman at Pennsylvania State University, is one of three expected cuts on defense for the club. As Mike Morreale of NHL.com reports, the team is expected to make further cuts on Wednesday.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will celebrate 100 years of NHL hockey when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes this afternoon. On December 19th, 1917, the Montreal Wanderers beat the Toronto Arenas 10-9, while the Montreal Canadiens won over the Ottawa Senators 7-4. The Canadiens will also be in action, but are on the road in Vancouver for the historic date.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Team Canada, Junior Snubs

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The NHL released its three stars of the week today, with Brayden Schenn leading the group. Schenn has found brilliant success since being traded to St. Louis, already with 37 points in 31 games. Always possessing elite talent, some believed Schenn would never become the dominant presence he was projected to be when the Los Angeles Kings took him fifth-overall. He’s already been traded twice in his career, but looks ready to obliterate his previous career-high of 59 points and become an integral part of any St. Louis success.

Jake Allen and Brian Elliott round out the stars of the week, both posting perfect records and incredible save percentages. Allen and Elliott were teammates just two seasons ago, when the Blues went to just their second Conference Finals in nearly 30 years. With zero Stanley Cup victories in their history, Allen and Schenn will look to change the franchise fortunes this year.

USA Hockey Reveals Preliminary 2018 World Junior Roster

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The World Junior Championship is one of the most anticipated hockey moments of the year, a chance to see the next generation of NHL talent play in a high level tournament against the best in the world. Each subsequent year brings more drama and more skill, and this year is no different.

The defending champions, Team USA has announced their preliminary roster today, which includes 28 players that could be taken to Buffalo, NY for the tournament at the end of the month. That number will be shaved by five before the tournament starts, giving them a 23-man roster for their first game on December 26th.

The roster is as follows:

G Jake Oettinger (DAL)
G Jeremy Swayman (BOS)
G Joseph Woll (TOR)

D Mikey Anderson (LAK)
D Adam Fox (CGY)
D Quinn Hughes (2018 draft eligible)
D Cole Hults (LAK)
D Phil Kemp (EDM)
D Ryan Lindgren (BOS)
D Andrew Peeke (CBJ)
D Scott Perunovich (2018 draft eligible)
D Dylan Samberg (WPG)
D Reilly Walsh (NJD)

F Joey Anderson (NJD)
F Jack Badini (ANA)
F Kieffer Bellows (NYI)
F Logan Brown (OTT)
F Trent Frederic (BOS)
F Patrick Harper (NSH)
F Max Jones (ANA)
F Will Lockwood (VAN)
F Hugh McGing (2018 draft eligible)
F Casey Mittelstadt (BUF)
F Josh Norris (SJS)
F Ryan Poehling (MTL)
F Brady Tkachuk (2018 draft eligible)
F Riley Tufte (DAL)
F Kailer Yamamoto (EDM)

This group is loaded with talent all over the roster, with seven players returning from the gold medal-winning 2017 squad, and two potential top-5 picks in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. A potential top line of Mittelstadt-Brown-Yamamoto might scare an NHL team, let alone the international junior squads.

One name to keep an eye on is Bellows, the son of former NHL great Brian Bellows and top pick of the New York Islanders. The 19-year old Bellows scored twice at last year’s tournament and is off to a great start with the Portland Winterhawks, registering 37 points in 26 games. While he doesn’t look imposing physically, Bellows is a wrecking ball on skates and can dominate competition with his power and speed combination. With the added experience from last year’s tournament, he should be one of Team USA’s top players this time around.

Amazingly, this team is actually missing some of their top options. Clayton Keller would still be eligible to play, but is instead starring for the Arizona Coyotes as a 19-year old.

Snapshots: Team USA, Fines, Murray

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With rosters for the upcoming World Junior tournament released in the next few weeks, Bob McKenzie of TSN took a look at the potential names for Team USA. The club is expected to be one of the favorites after taking home the gold medal last season at both the U20 and U18 events. McKenzie figures the top line to be a trio of Casey Mittelstadt–Logan Brown–Kailer Yamamoto, a group that would likely hold their own in the NHL let alone a junior tournament. Brown and Yamamoto both played in the NHL this season, while Mittelstadt is starring at the University of Minnesota.

One player McKenzie doesn’t mention is Sean Dhooghe, the 5’2″ forward that earned the respect of his teammates at San Jose prospect camp this summer. Dhooghe isn’t one to overlook because of his size though, as he has eight points in 17 games as an undrafted freshman for the University of Wisconsin, and led the U18 team in scoring at last year’s tournament. Dhooghe, 18, could also attend next year if he’s not selected this time around, as there is plenty of talent to choose from for this year’s tournament. It will be held in Buffalo starting December 26th.

Ryan Malone Returns To Iowa Wild

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It wasn’t so long ago that Brandon Sleik and Michael Russo of The Athletic were reporting that Ryan Malone’s return to the Iowa Wild was far from guaranteed, but apparently the team has decided to bring him back for at least a little while longer. According to the AHL transactions page, Malone has once again signed a professional tryout with the AHL Wild as he continues to train to potentially play in the Olympics for Team USA.

Malone came out of retirement this summer to test the waters and try to either return to the NHL or make a bid for a spot on the Olympic team. His eight-game stint for Iowa before leaving for an international tournament with the National Select team wasn’t all that productive, as the 37-year old winger recorded just one assist and 16 penalty minutes while accruing a -8 rating.

Iowa has turned their season around recently with an 8-2 record in their last ten games, but often lose forwards like Luke Kunin and Joel Eriksson Ek to Minnesota between games. Malone can at least provide some stability and experience to the club until his next international test, which could be the Spengler Cup at the end of December.

Poll: Will You Watch Olympic Hockey Without NHL Players?

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The NHL’s decision to remove NHL players from the Olympic equation has caused much frustration among hockey fans. The tournament had, over the last few iterations, become one of the most anticipated dates in the hockey universe. Fans from each region and country relished who was chosen for the roster, how their respective superstars would gel, sometimes even playing out of position.

Olympic men’s hockey has given us some of the most memorable moments of the last few decades, including Sidney Crosby’s “golden goal” and both Dominik Hasek and T.J. Oshie’s opposite shootout performances. It’s even provided lesser-known hockey nations with some incredible memories, like Switzerland stunning Canada 2-0 on the back of Martin Gerber’s 49-save shutout, or Belarus toppling Sweden with a slapshot to Tommy Salo’s head.

Obviously though, there are also moments of hockey history formed in the tournaments played without NHL participation. The “Miracle on Ice” for one, when in 1980 a scrappy Team USA made up of college kids took home gold in the face of outrageous odds. Or when a young Peter Forsberg would pull off one of the most replicated breakaway moves of all-time to win gold, just before starting his NHL career.

There are arguments for both sides. Still, with the rosters of Canada and the United States filled more with failed or retired NHLers some of the fun is sure to be drained from the event. The question then is, will you even watch? Vote below, and leave your comments on why you will or will not tune in for the upcoming Games.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

*As an addendum, there will still be best-on-best action in women’s hockey at the upcoming Olympics, where an old rivalry between Canada and the United States is sure to be as fierce as ever. Currently, the two sides are playing a series of tune-up games, which so far they’ve split with two separate blowouts. Women’s Olympic hockey is sure to be one of the most watched events by many fans in both countries and deservedly so.

James Wisniewski Signs in Germany

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Globetrotter James Wisniewski is back at it. The former high-scoring NHL defenseman split the 2016-17 season with clubs around the planet, beginning with Admiral Vladivostok of the KHL, a brief stop with Swiss club Lugano for the Spengler Cup, and wrapping up the campaign back home in the U.S. with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. With his pleas for NHL employment seemingly unanswered, Wisniewski is off to a new destination to begin what could be another whirlwind season.

Like fellow NHL veteran defenseman Mark Stuart, Wisniewski too has signed on in Germany for his next hockey adventure. However, the major – and surprising – difference between the two deals is that Stuart has joined German powerhouse Adler Manheim, while Wisniewski has agreed to terms with the Kassel Huskies of the DEL2, the second tier of German professional hockey. The team issued an excited press release announcing their big acquisition (link in German), as Wisnieksi is a caliber of player the likes of which has never been seen in Kassel, a small city in the center of the country. Wisniewski will be the first NHL veteran to ever suit up for the Huskies and one of only a small group to ever play in the league at all.

The strange fit for the talented Wisniewksi is made more sensible in the context of what promises to be another season of multiple stops. It has already been mentioned that Wisniewski is a likely candidate to put on the Team USA sweater at the 2018 Olympics and, following that international showcase, could easily return home to the states with many of his AHL-contracted teammates and may even perform well enough to draw interest as a stretch run addition in the NHL. Wisniewski continues to find unique ways to extend his playing career and, while he hasn’t played in an NHL game since he was injured in the Carolina Hurricanes’ season opener in 2015, his undeniable ability and dedication to the game will keep him relevant in the world of hockey. Until Wisniewski calls it quits (unlikely), it’s difficult to rule out a potential return to the NHL down the road. Only now, he’ll have the designation of being the first to work his way through the German minor leagues en route to his comeback.

Brian Gionta To Practice With Rochester, Prepare For Olympics

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Veteran forward Brian Gionta wasn’t able to secure an NHL deal this summer, but he won’t be hanging up his skates just yet. According to Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News, the 38-year old Gionta will practice with the Rochester Americans for an “extended period of time in preparation for international play.” Gionta is a good bet to make Team USA in the upcoming Olympics, perhaps even as captain of the squad.

Though he won’t be suiting up in the NHL this year, Gionta is still an excellent hockey player. Last year, on a Buffalo team struck by several injuries, Gionta recorded a solid 35 points and played in all 82 games. His defensive work ethic has always been one of the strongest parts of his game, and he can be relied upon in almost any situation. While he might not be the most exciting player on the Olympic squad—that could go to one of the younger college-aged players—he’ll provide plenty of professional and international experience.

Gionta took part in the 2006 Olympics, and has represented the United States in five other major international tournaments. In the 42 international contests he’s suited up for, he’s registered 31 points. The former captain of the Sabres, Gionta will bring plenty of leadership should he make the club. One should remember that he hasn’t officially been named yet.

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