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Snapshots: Appleby, Skinner, Knights

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Goaltender Ken Appleby will have to settle for an AHL contract again this season. The 24-year-old has signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Admirals, affiliate of the Nashville Predators, the team announced. Appleby spent much of last season on a minor league contract with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, but was signed to an NHL deal at the trade deadline to serve as a depth option for the Winnipeg Jets. Appleby will hope that his play earns him another NHL contract, during this season or next summer.

Appleby continues to be a tough keeper to nail down. A standout with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals, Appleby earned a three-year entry level contract with the New Jersey Devils as an undrafted prospect. In his first pro season in 2015-16, Appleby largely played in the ECHL, but put up good numbers and performed well in limited AHL action. The next year, he again dominated in ECHL to begin the year but quickly was called up to play a key role in the AHL and put up good albeit unspectacular numbers. In the final year of his ELC, Appleby’s AHL performance slipped somewhat, but he made three NHL appearances and was stellar, posting a .945 save percentage and 1.45 GAA. Yet, Appleby inexplicably failed to garner NHL attention last summer and, after signing with Manitoba, struggled greatly in the AHL and ended up back down in the ECHL. It’s unclear what to expect from the roller coaster goaltender, but at the very least the Admirals add an experienced netminder who has shown flashes of brilliance.

  • New York Rangers prospect Hunter Skinner is shifting his development plan. A fourth-round pick out of the USHL last month, Skinner was expected to play one more year of junior before heading to Western Michigan University. That all changed today when Skinner signed with the OHL’s London Knights, effectively ruling out the NCAA route. London used a fifth-round pick on Skinner in the 2017 OHL Draft and have made good on that gamble by convincing Skinner to change lanes and play major junior. However, it comes as a bit of a surprise that the Michigan native backed out of his WMU commitment. A big right-handed defenseman who is ahead of the game physically but still raw in his skill and IQ, the Rangers reached for Skinner in the fourth round. It’s not a stretch to think that they used that leverage to influence this decision, perhaps preferring to see Skinner play against stronger competition sooner rather than later to start developing those abilities. The Broncos are definitely disappointed to lose a promising prospect, but Skinner is in good hands in London, a premiere NHL feeder program led by Dale and Mark Hunter.
  • Speaking of which, former London Knight Will Lochead has signed his first pro contract with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. Lochead actually began classes at the University of Western Ontario last year and had intended to continue there, but after a breakout season opted to pursue the pro route. The aggressive defenseman recorded a career-high 17 points in 54 games for the Knights and continued to show that he is not afraid to throw his body around and play a fast-tempo game. The Thunderbirds are taking a chance on a young, undrafted player without much production to show for in his junior career, but who brings room for growth and an exciting style.

Greg Johnson Passes Away At 48

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Former NHLer Greg Johnson passed away on Monday at the far too young age of 48. USA Today’s Kevin Allen relays the news today from Johnson’s friend and former agent Tom Laidlaw, who says Johnson died at his home near Detroit, Michigan. No cause of death was provided, but Johnson was forced to retire early in 2006 due to an irregular heartbeat, making the cardiac ailment the likely cause.

Johnson played 785 games in the NHL, but will be remembered most for the 502 spent with the Nashville Predators. An inaugural member of the 1998 expansion Predators, Johnson led the team in points per game in its first year of existence with a career-best 50 points in 68 games. He would go on to captain the team for the final four years of his career as well. Laidlaw recalls that Johnson cherished his role with Nashville and took less money to stay with the Predators, while former teammate Chris Mason says that Johnson was “a big part of establishing the identity of the franchise.”

Johnson was also well known for being both the captain and star forward of the University of North Dakota in the early 90’s. He had been drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round in 1989 after a near-100 point season in the USHL and quickly proved he was the real deal, recording 272 points in 155 games in his NCAA career. Johnson broke into the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings and also spent time with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks. He accumulated 224 in 785 games in his NHL career and became known for his two-way play and work ethic.

Most importantly though, Johnson is remembered as a great teammate. Allen writes that Johnson was a soft-spoken and caring type of captain, who prioritized taking care of his team. Mason calls Johnson “one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met” and “the kind of guy that Predators wanted their other players to be like on or off the ice.” The Predators themselves released a statement calling their former captain ” a consummate professional and terrific teammate who was an integral part of our community and in developing the Predators culture that we experience today.”

Everyone at PHR wishes the best for the family and friends of Johnson at this time.

Adam Helewka Signs In KHL

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It’s been quite the last few weeks for minor league forward Adam Helewka. Traded from the Nashville Predators to the New Jersey Devils just after the draft, the 23-year old then saw his contract terminated a few days later. Today, Barys Astana in the KHL announced they have signed him to a one-year deal, meaning he’ll take his talents overseas for the 2019-20 season.

It wasn’t the first time Helewka had been traded in his young career. Originally a draft pick of the San Jose Sharks, he would play two seasons in their minor league system before finding himself on the way to the Arizona Coyotes in the summer of 2018. Then a few weeks before the most recent trade deadline, the young forward was on the move again, this time to the Predators. Despite that midseason move, Helewka managed to post his best professional season with 50 points in 65 games in the AHL.

After such turmoil in North America, a trip overseas may do wonders for the former WHL offensive star. He’ll get a chance to play in the KHL and prove that he can compete at a high level, hopefully earning another NHL deal one day. Because of the termination, the Devils will not retain his negotiating rights.

Notable AHL Signings: 7/1 & 7/2

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It’s not uncommon to see many players coming off NHL contracts, including those who have found success in the AHL, opt to sign minor league contracts early in July. As the new league year begins, many unrestricted free agents find that the market for their services at the top level does not develop. Rather than hold out hope for a two-way NHL contract further into the off-season, many are content to accept AHL contracts, which don’t rule out the possibility of signing in the NHL but provide some certainty about the coming season. Through the first two days of free agency, more than a few familiar names have settled for minor league pacts:

  • Tyler Sikura has signed a one-year deal with the AHL’s Rockford Ice Hogs, remaining in the Chicago Blackhawks organization. Sikura has been a key contributor for Rockford the past two years, even earning a one-year contract with Chicago this past season, but did not make an NHL appearance. He was likely content to stay with organization anyway, as he can continue to play with younger brother Dylan Sikura.
  • After playing a key shutdown role for the Charlotte Checkers en route to a Calder Cup championship, defenseman Josiah Didier has signed a one-year deal with the Providence Bruins. Providence has several top prospects on their blue line, but are lacking depth and Didier should again play an important role for his team next season.
  • The San Antonio Rampage have signed former Detroit Red Wings prospect and second-round pick Zach Nastisiuk to an AHL contract, as well as fellow forwards Cameron Darcy and J.J. Piccinich. The trio will have to fight for ice time in the minors, as the St. Louis Blues have signed quite a few depth players already over these past two days.
  • The Lehigh Valley Phantoms went big game hunting among AHL veterans yesterday, signing five-time AHL All-Star Cal O’Reilly to a two-year deal and bringing back their own All-Star, Greg Carey. O’Reilly, 32, has been on an NHL contract in each of the past five seasons, but had to settle for a step down this year despite another strong campaign. The center was a point-per-game scorer for the Iowa Wild, notching 67 points in 67 games to finish in the top ten in the AHL in scoring. It was his sixth AHL season with 60+ points. Carey, 29, saw his contract with the Philadelphia Flyers expire, but remains in the organization, where he has recorded three straight 50+ points seasons. The Phantoms also signed another Iowa forward, Gerry Fitzgerald, and defenseman Eric Knodel to one-year contracts.
  • A trio of familiar names have joined the Hartford Wolfpack: goalie Thomas McCollum, forward Harry Zolnierczyk, and defenseman Vincent LoVerde. All three players are coming off of NHL contracts but will have to work their way back into relevance at the top level. McCollum and Zolnierczyk both have played in the NHL, albeit not in several years, and LoVerde is a two-time AHL All-Star and Calder Cup champ. It’s quite a haul for Hartford.
  • Sam Vigneault left Clarkson University early to join the Columbus Blue Jackets, but his play in the minors tailed off over the past two years and his entry-level contract expired without an NHL experience. However, he’s content to stay in the organization, as Vigneault has signed a one-year deal with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.
  • Former top goalie prospect Zach Fucale has had a tough go of it in the pros. A second-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in 2013, Fucale has been relegated to the ECHL for much of the past three seasons. He managed to find an AHL contract with the Syracuse Crunch, but considering the depth in net for the Tampa Bay Lightning after signing three goalies yesterday, Fucale is likely headed back to the ECHL.
  • Cole Schneider has been a force in the AHL for years, recently wrapping up his sixth straight season of 50+ points. However, the 28-year-old has been unable to translate that offense to the NHL. Although he still had enough value to warrant a trade to the Nashville Predators this season, Schneider never made an appearance for the team. That hasn’t stopped him from sticking with the organization though. The Milwaukee Admirals have brought back the talented forward on a one-year deal.

Calgary Flames Sign Justin Kirkland

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The Calgary Flames have added an interesting prospect to their minor league ranks, signing Justin Kirkland to a one-year, two-way contract according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Kirkland became an unrestricted free agent when the Nashville Predators decided not to issue him a qualifying offer last week. The deal is worth $700K at the NHL level.

Kirkland, 22, was a third-round pick of the Predators five years ago and has played in their minor league system for the past three seasons. In 2018-19 he recorded 30 points in 75 games, but failed to get a sniff at the next level. The 6’3″ forward is a former WHL champion with the Kelowna Rockets, a team that also included Flames forward Dillon Dube and several other NHL players (Leon Draisaitl and Josh Morrissey immediately come to mind).

There’s no guarantee that Kirkland ever becomes more than a depth player at the minor league level, but at his young age there’s very little risk in finding out. The Flames will have to pass him through waivers in order to loan him to the Stockton Heat, but without any NHL experience that shouldn’t be much of an issue.

Predators Sign Daniel Carr

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1:00pm: Nashville has made the signing official, adding the AHL MVP on the expected one-year, minimum contract. Carr could compete for a starting role with the Predators if he plays up the level he displayed in his dominant minor league campaign.

8:00am: The Predators are about to add some depth on the wing.  Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Nashville is set to sign Daniel Carr to a one-year contract.  Fox Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland adds (Twitter link) that the deal is worth $700K, the NHL league minimum.

Carr joined Vegas last offseason after being non-tendered by Montreal.  He was hoping to land more of a permanent NHL roster spot but instead, he spent only six games in the NHL, his lowest total over the past four seasons.  He was held to a single goal in those contests.

However, he certainly made the most of his time in the minors.  He finished third in the AHL in scoring with 30 goals and 41 assists in just 52 games which was good enough to earn him league MVP honors.  That helped him land a one-way deal and he’ll now look to establish himself as a full-time player with Nashville as they continue to reshape their forward group.

Predators Expected To Sign Matt Duchene

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Monday: TSN’s Darren Dreger has the breakdown of Duchene’s contract, which includes $28MM in signing bonuses. Colleague Pierre LeBrun adds that the deal also includes a modified No-Trade Clause in the final three years that allows Duchene to select seven teams he cannot be traded to.

Sunday: Matt Duchene was the top center on the free agent market and it appears he’s heading back to the Western Conference.  Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports (Twitter link) that Duchene is set to sign with the Predators on a contract with an $8MM AAV.  Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds (via Twitter) that it’s expected to be a seven-year deal, the maximum term for a free agent not re-signing with his own team.  That price tag will tie fellow pivot Ryan Johansen as the top cap hit on the team.

Duchene matched his career high offensively in 2018-19 with 70 points (31-39-70) in 73 games.  He started off the year in Ottawa but when he wasn’t able to come to terms on an extension prior to the trade deadline, he was flipped to the Blue Jackets as Columbus went all in.  He wasn’t as productive with them during the regular season (12 points in 23 contests) but he picked up his play in the postseason, picking up five goals and five assists in their ten games, ranking second on the team in playoff scoring.

While Columbus certainly would have wanted to keep Duchene, this news provides them with a small silver lining.  As part of the trade with the Senators, they would have had to part with their 2020 first-round pick if he re-signed with them.  As that’s not happening, that pick won’t change hands which closes the book on that swap.

In Duchene, Nashville is landing someone who they feel can solidify their depth down the middle.  They tried Kyle Turris as their second line pivot (interestingly enough, he was part of the trade that sent Duchene to Ottawa) but that hasn’t worked out.  Duchene’s offensive track record suggests that this move has a better chance of working.

The Preds signalled their intentions of making a splash in free agency back at the draft when they dealt defenseman P.K. Subban to New Jersey for a package that largely consisted of future assets to free up just over $7.5MM in cap room (after taking Steven Santini’s salary into consideration).  It turns out they’ll use all of that and then some to land Duchene but in the process, they’ve landed one of the top free agents on the market.  The 28-year-old ranked third in our Top 50 UFA Rankings.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Duchene, Donskoi, Vrana, Engelland, McElhinney, Berglund

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While speculation has center Matt Duchene likely signing a long-term deal with the Nashville Predators, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes that the Montreal Canadiens aren’t out of the running yet. While Nashville may still be the favorite to land the star center, Friedman writes that one of his sources says that it’s not locked in and Montreal still is in the race.

Duchene, who grew up a fan of the Canadiens, would be a big addition for the Canadiens if they can land him. Duchene would likely become their top center in hopes of vaulting Montreal back into a playoff spot.

  • TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that while things are still in the works, he believes that the Colorado Avalanche and an unidentified team are the finalists to sign unrestricted free agent forward Joonas Donskoi. The 27-year-old scored 14 goals and 37 points last season and could provide the team with a solid middle-six option for the Avalanche. While LeBrun notes that he doesn’t know who the other team is, he believes that Buffalo and Edmonton are not in the running anymore.
  • The Washington Capitals managed to trade off one of their key restricted free agents in Andre Burakovsky Friday in hopes of saving some cap room, but even being free of that contract, the money is tight in Washington. In fact, Washington general manager Brian MacLellan said that because the NHL salary cap was lower than expected ($81.5MM), the team will likely be forced to sign restricted free agent Jakub Vrana to a short-term deal, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulliti. Washington had initially planned to lock up Vrana to a long-term deal when the team had expected the cap to be set at $83MM, but with the number being lower than expected, the MacLellan doesn’t believe the team has the money to sign him long-term.
  • Vegas Golden Knights President of Hockey Operations George McPhee confirmed that the team is close to signing veteran unrestricted free agent defenseman Deryk Engelland, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal’s David Schoen. The 37-year-old had a down season last year, but the veteran who actually played in Vegas in the ECHL before the Golden Knights came about, has been a community leader there. He is likely expected to take a bottom-six role next season and could find himself more in a 6th/7th role on defense.
  • TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Montreal Canadiens are among three teams that are interested in signing veteran goaltender Curtis McElhinney. The 36-year-old had a great season in Carolina after the Hurricanes claimed him off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs at the beginning of the year. He finished the season with a 2.58 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 33 appearances. LeBrun also adds that it doesn’t look like Toronto is one of the other two teams.
  • Former NHL player Patrik Berglund, who walked out on the Buffalo Sabres in the middle of last season, is exploring a return the the NHL and has several teams interested, according to Fox Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland. Berglund, who was packaged to Buffalo in the Ryan O’Reilly trade last offseason, didn’t like it in Buffalo and finally requested that his contract to be terminated after playing just 23 games in a reduced role. The 31-year-old scored 17 goals in the 2017-18 season, but scored just twice before walking away this year.

Pavelski, Duchene Visit Potential Landing Spots

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The UFA interview period has been open for several days, and though not every free agent wants to jet around the continent meeting with potential teams some want to see what they would be getting themselves into first hand. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) gives some updates on a pair of top names today, reporting that Matt Duchene met with the Montreal Canadiens yesterday and the Nashville Predators today, while Joe Pavelski spent Wednesday meeting with the Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning. Pavelski was again spotted by reddit user Boltsfan91 at the team’s development camp alongside head coach Jon Cooper.

While obviously visits don’t necessarily mean a player will end up in that city when the dust settles on July 1, it does at least indicate some level of interest from the hosting club. Tampa Bay is especially interesting because of their own financial issues related to restricted free agent Brayden Point, who should be eating up a substantial amount of their $10.6MM in cap space. The Lightning do have some flexibility after Ryan Callahan was ruled out with degenerative disc disease allowing them to place his $5.8MM on long-term injured reserve, but signing a player like Pavelski would be difficult without moving another contract out.

Duchene has been linked to the Predators for years, but LeBrun notes that he grew up a Canadiens fan thanks to his family’s support of the team and GM Marc Bergevin did inquire on his price at the trade deadline before he eventually landed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. There are still several days before free agency officially opens on July 1, and anything could still happen with these top names.

Free Agent Focus: Nashville Predators

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Free agency opens in six days and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market, especially after today’s qualifying offer deadline. Those who received offers and remain restricted still need to be re-signed as well. Nashville has only two such RFA’s, but plenty of UFA’s in need of attention. Here’s a closer look at their free agent situation:

Key Restricted Free Agents: F Colton Sissons – Sissons proved that the 2017-18 season and bookend postseasons were no fluke with his performance this year. Sissons emerged on the scene during the Predators’ 2017 Stanley Cup run and he has not let up since. Not only did the 25-year-old set career highs with 15 goals and 30 points this season, he continued to show that he is a high-end defensive forward. It was a dominant year at the face-off dot for Sissons, who also led the team in hits and was second in blocked shots among forwards. Sissons was a force in the bottom-six and the team would like to have him there long term. Nashville is famous for signing budding young players to team-friendly long-term deals and Sissons is a prime candidate to be the next in line. With offensive totals that are still relatively low and a role on the team that could still technically be considered “fourth-line”, Sissons could be taken for a good rate on a long-term deal only to continue blossoming into an elite two-way center.

F Rocco Grimaldi – After bouncing around from Florida to Colorado and not being made a qualifying offer last summer, Grimaldi signed with Nashville and finally found a team willing to give him consistent ice time and opportunity. The 5’6″ forward responded with a career-high 13 points and 53 games, as well as some impressive possession metrics. Grimaldi is limited by his size and may never be a full-time player, especially in the more aggressive Western Conference, but the Predators solved the puzzle of how best to use him last year and he will likely be an affordable extension that can continue to be a capable depth piece. His mere $715K qualifying offer may even be a fair place to start.

Other RFAs: None

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Wayne Simmonds – Simmonds is a key free agent… for other teams. The Predators have already announced that they will not bring back the 30-year-old power forward. Though really, who can blame them? After coming over from Philadelphia at the trade deadline, Simmonds recorded just three points in 17 regular season games and was benched for all but two of the Predators’ playoff games. It was a bad fit for both sides and a continued partnership seemed like a long shot. Simmonds may be slowing down, but the interest in him is reportedly still heating up. The respected veteran will be playing in the NHL for years to come still, just not in Nashville.

F Brian Boyle – Boyle, on the other hand, was a trade acquisition who did work out and there could be mutual interest in an extension. The 34-year-old did not produce much on the score sheet, but excelled defensively, as he always have. A big, physical presence who plays a smart defensive game, Boyle is the time of veteran fourth liner that can put a contender over the top. At the right price, Nashville wouldn’t mind being that defender. However, Boyle will have to come down from his expiring $2.55MM cap hit to remain a Predator, but other teams may be willing to maintain that salary.

Other UFAs: F Phil Di Giuseppe, F Tyler Gaudet, F Justin Kirkland, G Tom McCollum, F Cody McLeod, F Zac Rinaldo, F Cole Schneider

Projected Cap Space: Moving a $9MM cap hit off the books in exchange for next to no salary in return will do wonders for your cap space. Following the P.K. Subban trade, the Predators now have an estimated $13.2MM in cap space accounting for 21 players, a few of whom will not be on the opening night roster. That should leave the team with more than enough room to get Sissons and Grimaldi under contract, as well as bring in a big-name free agent (read: Matt Duchene).

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