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Metropolitan Notes: Jarry, Johnson, Patrick, Kempny

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have a goaltending dilemma approaching them. The team has three goaltenders who are competing for the two spots on the Penguins roster with Tristan Jarry battling with incumbent Casey DeSmith for the backup spot behind Matt Murray. However, while the competition was the exact same one year ago, the Penguins were able to keep all three by simply sending Tristan Jarry to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.

That may not be as easy this year, according to TribLive’s Seth Rohrabaugh. Jarry, who was waiver exempt last season, no longer will be, meaning Pittsburgh would have to pass him through waivers if they want to send Jarry back to the AHL. Rohrabaugh adds that the Penguins did attempt to move the 24-year-old this summer, but failed to get a decent return on any trade. However, general manger Jim Rutherford may have no choice but to look at trade options once again and even have to settle for a late draft pick as there is a good chance the team could lose him if Jarry can’t beat out DeSmith. Either way, there is a good chance Pittsburgh might lose one of their goaltenders before the season starts.

  • Sticking with the Penguins, The Athletic’s Rob Rossi (subscription required) writes that while Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson says he’s equal at playing on both sides of the defense, head coach Mike Sullivan says he intends to move him back to his natural left-side in hopes of getting more out of the 32-year-old blueliner. Sullivan prefers to keep all his defensemen on their natural side, if possible. At the moment, the coach has Johnson penciled in next to Justin Schultz, who brought out the best in him.
  • Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi reports that Philadelphia Flyers forward Nolan Patrick skated today and attended a team meeting, but the 20-year-old is considered week-to-week due to an upper-body injury. Patrick, who already moved back a line after the team signed Kevin Hayes this summer, must prove that he can avoid the injury bug as the center has struggled off and on with minor injuries throughout his first two seasons.
  • J.J. Regan of NBC Sports writes that Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny is doubtful to play in the preseason after undergoing surgery to repair a torn left hamstring in April, but the Capitals hope that he might be ready for the start of the regular season. Kempny, who has become one of Washington’s most reliable defensemen since they acquired him from Chicago at the 2018 trade deadline, but the 29-year-old hasn’t skated yet at any team practices.

Metropolitan Notes: Konecny, Kuznetsov, Rust, Van Riemsdyk

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There was some hope that after Ivan Provorov signed, the Philadelphia Flyers would put all their attention to their other unsigned restricted free agent, Travis Konecny with the hopes of getting him to training camp as quickly as possible. Instead, that hasn’t happened yet with Philly.com’s Sam Carchidi reporting today that no progress was made between the two sides on Saturday.

Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault expressed his disappointment that Konecny isn’t in camp yet as he will be missing valuable time learning the new coach’s system.

“I’m very disappointed that T.K. is not here,” Vigneault said after his first practice leading the Flyers (via NBC Sports’ Jordan Hall). “It’s the start of a new era, a new group, I felt that it was very important for everybody to be here.  With my time in the NHL, my experience, anybody that falls behind — whether it’s injury or in T.K.’s situation not coming to camp — usually it takes them a little bit of time to get back at it, especially at this time with a new coaching staff and new way of doing things. It’s unfortunate, but I’m going to work with the players that are here and going to work extremely hard with those players.”

Konecny could also find himself sliding down the lineup if he can’t get back to camp quickly. On day two of training camp, Vigneault used rookie Joel Farabee (in place of Konecny) with first-liners Sean Couturier and Claude Giroux, with the rookie faring quite well and getting praise from Vigneault.

“He showed that he belonged there,” said Vigneault.

  • With a three-game suspension hanging over Evgeny Kuznetsov to start the season for inappropriate behavior, Washington Capitals head coach Todd Reirden suggested that Kuznetsov is likely to get a lot of exhibition action during the preseason to make up for the three suspended games, according to Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan. NHL.com’s Tom Gulliti adds that Kuznetsov’s $7.8MM AAV will not against the Washington Capitals salary cap during the suspension, which could be a benefit to the team, which is currently over the cap.
  • The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription required) writes in his most recent mailbag column that the Pittsburgh Penguins most valuable and likely trade chip is forward Bryan Rust. The 27-year-old scored 18 goals and 35 points last season and is a key depth option, but at $3.5MM per season, Rust is the perfect candidate to solve some of the team’s cap issues, although the Penguins’ preference is to find a team that would be willing to take on Jack Johnson and his four years at $3.25MM AAV contract.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes revealed that they don’t expect defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk to be ready for the start of the season, according to NHL.com’s Michael Smith. The 28-year-old van Riemsdyk underwent surgery on his left shoulder in May and has been cleared to begin skating without contact after team practices. “I don’t expect him to be ready for the start of the season,” Hurricanes President and General Manager Don Waddell said. “It just depends on how things go for him. There’s no reason to rush him back in game one or game two. It’s a long season. If we’re going to go deep, we’re going to need him. We’ll be very patient.”

 

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Marcus Pettersson

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As expected, the Pittsburgh Penguins have signed defenseman Marcus Pettersson to a one-year, one-way deal and will have him in training camp. Pettersson accepted his qualifying offer salary of $874,125. GM Jim Rutherford released a short statement on the deal:

Marcus is a smart, reliable defenseman who improved our defensive corps after coming over from Anaheim last year. We are fortunate to have a good, young defenseman of his caliber in our top-six.

Pettersson, 23, will come back to the Penguins on a very reasonable deal after he broke out as a full-time player last season. Originally selected in the second round by the Anaheim Ducks, he ended up on Pittsburgh as the return for Daniel Sprong and immediately found a home. Playing nearly 18 minutes a night, Pettersson recorded 19 points in 57 games with the Penguins and finished tenth in Calder Trophy voting. After Erik Gudbranson was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks, the two made up a very solid second pairing and actually posted some of the strongest possession numbers on the team.

That strong season made many expect a more expensive deal for the young defenseman, but the Penguins have convinced him to come back for at least one more year at a reduced price. While it doesn’t give them much certainty going forward, a near-minimum contract that can be plugged in gives the team a lot more flexibility in designing their roster. The Penguins currently project just over the cap meaning there very well could be another trade coming at some point, though with such a low number for Pettersson they could actually just start the season with fewer than 23 players on the roster and make the decision down the line.

Either way, something will have to change at some point on the blueline. The team has up to nine defensemen with NHL experience and all of them will require waivers in order to be sent to the minor leagues. If they all get through training camp healthy, Rutherford will have to make a decision on who he wants to expose to the rest of the league.

Pettersson will be a restricted free agent again next season and will have arbitration rights.

Morning Notes: Theodore, Flyers, Pettersson

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You can bet Shea Theodore didn’t have the summer he was expecting. After failing a random drug test at the World Championship because of an elevated hormone level, Theodore was informed that it was not because of a supplement but he in fact had testicular cancer and would need surgery right away. The Vegas Golden Knights defenseman opened up about the situation in an article for the Players’ Tribune today, explaining that though it was a frightful time in his life he has fully recovered.

Theodore said that Phil Kessel reached out this summer to give his support, given that the veteran forward dealt with the same diagnosis years ago. Theodore credits that drug test with potentially saving him from a battle that would have much more difficult, and implores everyone to get checked regularly and be open with your physician.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers are getting closer to a deal with Ivan Provorov, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. The two sides are still working through the negotiation and both three and six year deals are on the table, but things have turned positive in recent days. It seems as though things aren’t so rosy for the other Flyers’ RFA, as McKenzie tweets that Travis Konecny is not close to a new deal. The pair are huge parts of the Philadelphia future and will hopefully join the team in training camp soon with freshly inked deals.
  • That’s exactly what is happening for Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson, who is joining the team and expected to sign in the “next day or so” according to McKenzie. The deal will be a short-term contract, but would mean the team has their full complement of players in camp. The Penguins do appear to have too many NHL-caliber defensemen on the roster at the moment, meaning a trade or waivers is coming for at least one. Of course, that is contingent on the rest of the group staying healthy through camp, which is not a certainty anywhere around the NHL.

College Notes: Phillips, Schingoethe, MacDonald

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Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Clayton Phillips will be playing closer by this season, and sooner than expected as well. Phillips notified the University of Minnesota back in June that he would be transferring and most expected that he would return to the USHL this season before resuming his NCAA career. That won’t be the case. Phillips has already landed at a new school, a Big Ten Conference of the Gophers in fact, and will be eligible to play immediately. Penn State University announced today that Phillips has joined the program and are excited to have the smooth-skating defenseman for the final two years of his NCAA eligibility. A third-round pick of the Penguins in 2017, Phillips is still a somewhat raw talent, but has the physical tools to be a pro player. While neither a high-scoring blue line threat nor a shutdown defender, Phillips is a great skater and puck-mover. His ability will certainly be an upgrade for the Nittany Lions and he hopes the Penguins as well down the road.

  • The University of Denver picked up a nice commitment today in 2020 NHL Draft-eligible forward Wyatt Schingoethe. The 17-year-old center is set to play a second season with the USHL’s Waterloo Blackhawks this season, who announced he would then join the Pioneers. Schingoethe impressed with 33 points in 62 games in his first junior season last year and looks to take another step forward this season. Scouting source Future Considerations currently has Schingoethe ranked No. 92 in their pre-draft rankings, which could very well put him in third-round range next spring, or even higher with a breakout season. NHL teams will surely put some extra stock into the fact that he is heading to Denver too, one of the top college programs in the country.
  • Not to be outdone, another elite collegiate team, Boston College, has also landed a notable commitment. 16-year-old forward Cameron MacDonald, who drew attention last season with a stunning 126 points in 52 games at the midget level, announced on Twitter that he has signed on to join the Eagles, at least in a few years. MacDonald, not to be confused with defenseman Cameron McDonald of the rival Providence College Friars, put himself on the list of early names to watch in the 2021 NHL Draft class with his performance last season. He’s taking his talents to USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede this year – and likely the year after as well – and if his offensive ability translates, he will certainly be a prospect to keep tabs on. The Nova Scotia native has the makings of a game-changing pickup for Boston College.

Zachary Lauzon Announces Retirement

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Today a promising young career was cut short, as 20-year old defenseman Zachary Lauzon has announced his retirement through a piece by Mikael Lalancette of TVA Sports. The former Pittsburgh Penguins prospect was not offered a contract from the team this summer after dealing with post-concussion symptoms for two years, but did receive an invitation to their rookie camp. Unfortunately, Lauzon’s headaches and dizziness returned, leading to his decision to end his hockey career.

Selected 51st overall in 2017, Lauzon was a promising puck-moving defenseman from the QMJHL that had just put up 21 points in 63 games. Even when he was drafted though there were concerns, as he had just suffered another concussion in the playoffs with Rouyn-Noranda and would miss most of the Penguins development camp that summer. He played just 25 games for the Huskies the following year, and missed all of 2018-19 as he tried to get himself right.

At this point, it would have been a long road to even get to the level he was playing at in 2017. Instead Lauzon will hang up his skates and focus on his health, another example of how easily the dream of professional hockey can be taken away.

Snapshots: Malkin, Kase, Fiala

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Evgeni Malkin has been the target of trade rumors for years now, but after they perked up again following a disappointing 2018-19 season he’s hoping to put them behind him. In an incredible piece that delves into Malkin’s home life and the relationship he has had with teammates (including a spotlight on Phil Kessel) and coaches, Rob Rossi of The Athletic (subscription required) also got an idea of what the big Pittsburgh Penguins forward hopes his future holds:

It’s (a) huge next three years. I still want to play 100 percent — and sign (for) three more years with Pittsburgh.

Malkin’s current contract is set to expire in the summer of 2022, when he will be 35 (turning 36). That would mean another contract would be of the 35+ variety, adding some risk for the Penguins should Malkin decide to retire at any point during it. While that’s a long way away, you can bet GM Jim Rutherford has already contemplated his actions down the road in regards to the franchise icon.

  • With a Justin Faulk trade still being discussed between the Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes, Sara Civian of The Athletic confirms previous reports that Ondrej Kase would be involved. That news has surprised some other teams around the league according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who reports that Kase was unavailable in trade talks for a long time and suggests his new availability may be linked to health concerns. Kase has never played a full 82-game season in the NHL and actually has just 149 games to his name at this point in his career. Still, the 23-year old forward has shown an ability to score goals at a strong rate and could be a nice addition for the Hurricanes.
  • Kevin Fiala remains unsigned, but Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin hopes his talented young forward is in town for training camp when it starts in a few days. Guerin told The Athletic (subscription required) that the team has made a “fair offer” to Fiala and that the 23-year old is now deciding. Fiala came to the Wild from the Nashville Predators last season and put up seven points in 19 games down the stretch, but has shown flashes of top-line offensive potential in the past and could be a huge part of the turnaround in Minnesota.

Penguins Unlikely To Make Cap-Clearing Trade

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently over the salary cap limit, per CapFriendly, with $81.66MM committed to 23 players. That does not include restricted free agent defenseman Marcus Pettersson, who reportedly has been waiting for the Penguins to clear the necessary space to sign him to a long-term contract. GM Jim Rutherford even stated that he hoped to sign the 23-year-old blue liner to a long extension and would likely need to move out another roster player to do so. So, a trade is coming to Pittsburgh before the start of the season, right? Probably not, as it turns out. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe recently caught up with Rutherford who has changed his tune on making a deal. “It might turn out that we won’t be able to give Marcus the contract that we want to be able to give right now,” Rutherford said, “But if that’s the case, we’ll make everything work with the cap. And we can do that without trading anyone.”

Yohe speculates that the Penguins could fit Pettersson under the cap on a cheap one-year deal, even though that is not the preference of either side. By demoting one of the defensemen Pettersson would be replacing on the roster, Zach Trotman or Juuso Riikola, the salaries offset somewhat. Trotman in particular appears to be more of a placeholder on the roster if Pettersson is not signed by the beginning of the regular season, as the veteran did not see any NHL action last year. Yohe also adds that keeping Tristan Jarry at $675K as the backup goalie over Casey DeSmith at $1.25MM would also add much needed space, although would be a risky endeavor. DeSmith would be an attractive claim candidate for a number of teams as an affordable backup with term on his contract. The team could choose instead to trade DeSmith, but Rutherford clearly doesn’t see that as a possibility in the current market.

Making a trade remains the simplest way for Pittsburgh to clear space for Pettersson, but Rutherford’s hands appear to be tied. “You can’t make a trade when you can’t find anyone to trade with” he stated to Yohe. The Penguins have been a fixture on the trade market over the last few years and may be running out of willing partners. Last year alone, Rutherford made nine trades during the regular season, only to keep going this off-season with trades shipping out Phil Kessel and Olli Maatta. It could also be the competitors aren’t buying what Rutherford is selling. Defenseman Jack Johnson remains the player that the team would most like to move, but he has little to no market value at his inflated salary. The team also has reportedly tried to flip former Florida Panthers forward Nick Bjugstad, whose value has declined somewhat. As for their more homegrown products, defenseman Justin Schultz and winger Bryan Rust have come up in trade rumors, but have been associated with high asking prices as well.

By saying that no one will make a trade, Rutherford likely just means that no team is currently willing to bite on the players he is open to moving at the price he is willing to take. If that continues, and Pettersson is willing to take a one-year deal with the hopes of driving the price up on an extension next summer, then Rutherford and the Penguins would be better served not to make a desperation trade and instead try to squeeze the young defender onto the roster. It may be difficult season for Pittsburgh when it comes to roster flexibility, but it may be their best solution to the current issue.

Metropolitan Notes: Schultz, Ho-Sang, Nedeljkovic

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have worked hard to develop their defense and have a number of blueliners under contract with RFA Marcus Pettersson still needing to be signed. However, next season could be a different story. The Penguins’ Justin Schultz is entering the final season of his three-year, $16.5MM deal he signed back in 2017 and is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency next summer. With the team dealing with serious cap implications now and over the next few years, the team might have trouble retaining their top-four defenseman.

The Athletic’s Rob Rossi (subscription required) suggests that despite struggling the last few years with injuries (he’s only played 92 games over the past two seasons — having only played 56.1 percent of the time), the team might be forced to hold onto him and then allow him to walk for nothing. Schultz is finally healthy for the first time in years and could provide the team with a full season of play. The last time Schultz put together a full year was his first season in Pittsburgh when he posted 12 goals and 51 points in 2016-17 and has proven to be a solid top-four option with scoring ability. With the Penguins window for the Stanley Cup beginning to fade, this could be one of the last years the team can vie for a title and the team could use a healthy Schultz (as opposed to trading him).

Unless the Penguins feel they can free up enough room for the oft-injured defenseman next summer, the team may just have to let him leave at the end of the season.

  • Sportsnet’s Luke Fox writes that this could be a make-or-break year for New York Islanders’ prospect Joshua Ho-Sang. The 23-year-old has got to prove to Islanders’ brass that he belongs in the NHL. Often criticized for his attitude issues, Ho-Sang has struggled to prove himself with the Islanders. After playing 21 games with New York in 2016-17 and 22 games in 2017-18, Ho-Sang only appeared in 10 games despite solid numbers in the AHL. No longer waiver-exempt, Ho-Sang will have to win a spot at training camp or be labeled as a bust and very likely would be claimed by another NHL team. Of course the Islanders need offense after finishing 22nd in the league in scoring, but with a load of veterans on the roster, many of which play bottom-six roles, Ho-Sang might have a tough time proving himself.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes continue to look like a playoff team as their young nucleus continues to mature and develop. The Athletic’s Sara Civian (subscription required) writes that the Hurricanes biggest question mark next season will be its goaltending situation. The team inked last year’s goaltender and fan favorite Petr Mrazek to a two-year, $6.25MM deal. However, despite a impressive season in which he had a 2.39 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 40 appearances. However, the 27-year-old is also well known for his inconsistent play and a year ago looked to be out of the league until Carolina signed him to a “prove it” deal. However, Civian writes the team has backup options just in case with AHL goalie of the year and Calder Cup champion Alex Nedeljkovic as the fallback option even before the team would turn to backup James Reimer or AHL veteran Anton Forsberg as starting goalie options. The 23-year-old Nedeljkovic posted a 2.26 GAA and a .914 save percentage in 51 games for the Charlotte Checkers last year and could be ready for a legitimate crack at a NHL job.

Minor Transactions: 09/01/19

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We’re now into September, but little has changed on the free agent front. Many prominent players, RFA’s and UFA’s alike, remain unsigned, but the NHL markets remain silent. However, minor league teams, foreign clubs, and college programs continue to make make moves in preparation for the coming season. With quite a few to report this morning, keep up with further moves throughout the day:

  • Teemu Pulkkinen won’t be making an NHL comeback attempt this year. And he won’t be playing in Switzerland either. The 27-year-old forward, a Detroit Red Wings draft pick who played in 83 NHL games over five seasons in North America, signed with Dinamo Minsk of the KHL last summer on a one-year deal. After leading the team in scoring, Pulkkinen shopped himself to all of the major league and ended up signing with Lausanne of the Swiss NLA. However, the Finnish winger has opted to stay in Russia instead. Dinamo Minsk have announced a one-year extension with their top forward, saving what little offense they had from last season after finishing 20th in scoring out of 25 teams. A very effective AHL player, as well as KHL player now, another year abroad does not rule out Pulkkinen eyeing a return to the NHL ranks in the future.
  • Patrick McGrath has played exclusively in the AHL over the past three seasons, but this fall he will have to earn his spot at that level. The 26-year-old undersized energy forward has made a living as a role player with his hometown Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in recent years, but failed to record a single point last season in 24 games. With a lacking market as a free agent this summer, McGrath has settled for an ECHL contract with the Utah Grizzlies, the team announced. However, McGrath will also get the chance to try out for their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. If the Eagles need a role player of McGrath’s ability, he would at least provide considerable experience to the team after six seasons of minor league hockey.
  • Goaltender Jake Paterson won’t be afforded the same opportunity. A third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2012, Paterson has struggled throughout his pro career. Through four seasons, the 25-year-old has player the majority of his games in the ECHL in each campaign. Now, it appears he may be at the “AA” level permanently. After his NHL entry-level contract expired two years ago, Paterson managed to find AHL contracts in each of the past two seasons, but now he has signed with the ECHL’s Allen Americans, the team announced. At least he won’t be alone though; Allen has also added fellow AHL vet Shawn O’Donnell. O’Donnell, 31, actually played in 53 games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolfpack last season, but age and inefficient scoring has him settling in the ECHL.

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