Down the Frozen River

Tag: National Hockey League

  • Oilers add a bit of depth

    While the Oilers are out hunting for a goaltender, they’re also adding some depth in hopes for another winning season.

    After being bought out by the Nashville Predators, Kyle Turris looks to revitalize his career in Edmonton. He is signed through the 2021-22 season, earning money from his buy out and also an addition $1.65m from Edmonton.

    The 31-year-old native of New Westminster, British Columbia, has 416 points (165 goals, 251 assists) in 726 career NHL games for the Phoenix Coyotes, Ottawa Senators and– most recently– the Nashville Predators.

    He was originally drafted by the Coyotes in the first round (3rd overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft.

    Former Calgary Flame, Alan Quine signs a one year $750,000 deal. Simple addition for some depth and more development. The Oilers are also adding Seth Griffith to their roster on a two-way two year deal that’s worth $750,000. Their minor league team will see some in net depth as Anton Forsberg signs a one year deal.

  • Motte re-signs with Canucks

    Vancouver Canucks forward, Tyler Motte, re-signed with the club on a two-year deal worth $1.225 million per season on Friday as the NHL’s free agency period began.

    The 25-year-old native of St. Clair, Michigan was originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the fourth round (121st overall) in 2013, and made his league debut with Chicago in the 2016-17 season.

    He was later dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets with Artemi Panarin and Chicago’s 6th round pick (Jonathan Davidsson) in the 2017 NHL Draft (previously acquired from the N.Y. Islanders) for Brandon Saad, Anton Forsberg and Columbus’ 2018 5th round pick (later traded to Arizona, Coyotes selected Michael Callahan) on June 23, 2017.

    On Feb. 26, 2018, Motte was traded with Jussi Jokinen by the Blue Jackets to the Canucks for Thomas Vanek.

    In parts of four seasons in the NHL, Motte has 22-16–38 totals in 187 career games for the Blackhawks, Blue Jackets and Canucks.

    He had eight points (four goals, four assists) in 34 games with Vancouver last season and plays a vital role on head coach, Travis Green’s fourth line.

  • Evan Rodrigues Re-signs with the Penguins

    Forward, Evan Rodrigues, re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins for another year. The deal is worth $700,000.

    The 27-year-old had 6-4–10 totals in 45 games last season– including one goal in seven games with the Penguins after he was traded at the deadline by the Buffalo Sabres to Pittsburgh, having requested a trade due to a lack of playing time.

    One season removed from setting career-highs in goals (nine), assists (20) and points (29) in 74 games with the Sabres in 2018-19, Rodrigues wasn’t nearly consistent enough to make even Buffalo’s lineup.

    As a result, it’s been a bit of a tumultuous offseason for the Toronto, Ontario native.

    He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Kasperi Kapanen trade (part II) that sent Kapanen back to the team that drafted him (the Penguins) on Aug. 25th, but wasn’t tendered a qualifying offer by his hometown team.

    In the end, Rodrigues went back to the Pens on a one-year “prove it” deal as some added depth to Pittsburgh’s roster.

  • Arizona makes some noise at depth

    The Arizona Coyotes added some depth with the signings of Tyler Pitlick and John Hayden in free agency.

    Pitlick, 28, signed a two-year deal worth $1.750 million per season and had 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 63 games with the Philadelphia Flyers last season.

    The Minneapolis, Minnesota native has 41-32–73 totals in 248 career NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers, Dallas Stars and Flyers since being drafted by Edmonton in the second round (31st overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft and making his league debut with the Oilers in the 2013-14 season.

    He’s a hard-nosed right wing that could add some bottom-six depth for the Coyotes.

    Hayden, 25, signed a one-year deal worth $750,000 and had three goals and one assist (four points) in 43 games with the New Jersey Devils last season.

    A native of Chicago, Illinois, he has 11-15–26 totals in 156 career NHL games with the Chicago Blackhawks and Devils since being drafted by Chicago in the third round (74th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft and made his league debut with the Blackhawks in the 2016-17 season.

    He will more than likely slot in on occasion for Arizona, as his stats don’t exactly prove him worthy of consistent ice time.

  • Report: Gudas on his way to Florida Panthers via free agency

    Known for his on-the-edge play, Radko Gudas is taking his talents to the Florida Panthers defense on a three-year contract worth a reported $2.500 million per season.

    The 30-year-old native of Prague, Czech Republic was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the third round (66th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft and spent last season with the Washington Capitals after he was traded by the Philadelphia Flyers for Matt Niskanen on June 14, 2019.

    Gudas had 2-13–15 totals in 63 games with the Capitals before the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic shortened the regular season and only had 40 penalty minutes without recording a single suspension last season.

    A right-shot defender, he made his NHL debut with the Lightning in the 2012-13 season and spent parts of three seasons with Tampa before being traded to the Flyers on March 2, 2015, where he spent the next four years before being dealt to Washington prior to the 2019-20 season.

    In eight NHL seasons, Gudas has 120 points (26 goals, 94 assists) in 479 career games for the Capitals, Lightning and Flyers.

    He’ll bring some necessary upgrades in toughness and versatility to Florida’s changing landscape on defense in the wake of new General Manager, Bill Zito’s hiring and acquisition of Markus Nutivaara from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.

  • Penguins sign Mark Jankowski

    The Pittsburgh Penguins signed penalty kill specialist, Mark Jankowski, to a one-year deal worth $700,000 on Friday.

    Jankowski, 26, is a solid depth player, but never made much of an impact at 5-on-5 play with the Calgary Flames in his tenure.

    A native of Hamilton, Ontario, he was drafted by the Flames in the first round (21st overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft and had seven points (five goals, two assists) last season in 56 games with Calgary and was a minus-12.

    His production fell off after setting career-highs in assists (18) and points (32), while amassing 14 goals in 79 hames in 2018-19, and had a career-high 17 goals in 72 games in the 2017-18 season with the Flames.

    He’s more of a bottom-six role player these days and has 36-28–64 totals in 208 career NHL games (all with Calgary).

  • Ryan signs one-year deal with Red Wings

    Bobby Ryan signed a one-year contract worth $1.000 million with the Detroit Red Wings on Friday as the National Hockey League’s free agency market kicked things off after noon Eastern Time.

    The reigning Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner and native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey joins the Red Wings as his third NHL club after amassing 555 points (254 goals, 301 assists) in 833 career games with the Anaheim Ducks and Ottawa Senators since making his league debut in the 2007-08 season with Anaheim.

    Ryan was originally drafted by Anaheim in the first round (2nd overall) of the 2005 NHL Draft and had 5-3–8 totals in 24 games for the Senators in 2019-20 after missing most of the year due to a four-month leave of absence from Ottawa to enter the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

    He scored a hat trick in his first game back with the Sens in his first home game since returning to the lineup on Feb. 27th.

    Detroit is in the midst of rebuilding and setting themselves up for returning to playoff contention in the near future, so signing Ryan to a short “prove it” deal is beneficial for both sides.

    The Red Wings can focus on improving in general, while Ryan can focus on finding his game as a bottom-six forward– unless he’s able to turn back the clock and regain his scoring touch as a four-time 30-goal scorer from 2008-12.

  • Braden Holtby heads north to Vancouver

    Braden Holtby signed a two-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks worth $8.600 million ($4.300 million AAV) on Friday– moving on to the Canucks after the Washington Capitals picked up former New York Rangers goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist, as their new backup to Ilya Samsonov.

    Holtby’s deal contains two minor interesting details.

    One, it has a modified no trade clause in which Holtby can submit a list of up to four teams he won’t accept being traded to if Vancouver decides to move him. And two, it doesn’t contain a no movement clause, which means he’ll likely be available next offseason for the expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken, who will begin play in the 2021-22 season.

    Last season Holtby went 25-14-6 in 48 games played (47 starts) and had a 3.11 goals against average, as well as an .897 save percentage to go along with 1,243 saves on 1,385 shots faced and 142 goals against.

    For just the second time in his career he failed to record a shutout on the season.

    With Thatcher Demko taking on a larger role for the Canucks– including some healthy competition with Holtby for the starting job, Holtby adds experience to the crease and is already willing to work with the young goaltender of the future in Vancouver.

  • NHL 2020 Top 10 Free Agents

    The Tampa Bay Lightning completed their bubble journey and were crowned the 2020 Stanley Cup Champions… but that’s old news now. On Tuesday, the first round of the NHL draft happened followed by rounds 2-7 on Wednesday.

    With all of that excitement now in the past (or still in the present for some), it’s time to move on in the NHL offseason. Friday, October 9th marks the first day of the NHL free agency period. An exciting day as fans are anxious to see if their team will make any moves, some will be happy, some on the other hand will experience heartbreak.

    This offseason will be no different despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Many top stars are expected to be on the move, and here’s what I expect to happen to the top stars of this year’s NHL free agency class.

    The crown jewel of this year’s free agency class is without a doubt St. Louis Blues defender Alex Pietrangelo. It has been reported that Pietrangelo will in fact test the free agent market to see who will offer him the best deal.

    As we know, the St. Louis Blues had an impeccable run back in 2019, winning the Stanley Cup in seven games over Boston. However, the Blues won’t have any luck in resigning their captain. Here’s probably a prediction that fans of a team on the East Coast is going to love.

    For the 2020-21 season, Alex Pietrangelo will be a member of the Boston Bruins. Yes, the 2019-20 Presidents’ Trophy winner will land the top free agent in this year’s free agent class.

    With Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara as unrestricted free agents, Boston has money to spend (about 9 million). With Tampa Bay looking like an actual threat now, Boston is seeing its Stanley Cup window closing. Pietrangelo would be the perfect signing to boost Boston’s chances again of challenging for the Stanley Cup.

    If teams miss out on Pietrangelo, the consolation prize is just as nice. This year it’s Taylor Hall. The former number one pick won the Hart Trophy back in the 2017-18 season, but since then, his production on the ice hasn’t been the same. It appears that Hall will not return to Arizona, so where will he go? Colorado.

    Yes, the Avalanche will land Hall.

    Hall needs to locate to another team to give him the confidence booster he had back in 2017. Nathan MacKinnon will do exactly that. Hall will join a contender and possibly push Colorado over the edge that they have desperately been trying to cross over.

    As for the rest, here’s what I got.

    • Torey Krug (D) 2019-2020 (Boston) —> Detroit Red Wings
    • Tyson Barrie (D) 2019-2020 (Toronto) —> Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Jacob Markstrom (G) 2019-2020 (Vancouver) —> Edmonton Oilers
    • Mike Hoffman (LW/RW) 2019-2020 (Florida) —> Carolina Hurricanes
    • Braden Holtby (G) 2019-2020 (Washington) —> Calgary Flames
    • Evgenii Dadonov (RW)- 2019-2020 (Florida) —> Florida Panthers
    • Tyler Toffoli (RW/LW) 2019-2020 (Vancouver) —> Los Angeles Kings
    • Mikael Granlund (C/LW) 2019-2020 (Nashville) —> Nashville Predators

    One more time just as a friendly reminder, NHL free agency starts this Friday!

  • 2020 NHL Entry Draft: Round 1 Recap

    Round 1 of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft was held virtually Tuesday night after the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic changed plans from hosting the draft at Bell Centre in Montreal to a properly socially distanced from home event.

    Coverage of this year’s first round begins Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN in the United States, as well as SN and TVAS in Canada. Rounds 2-7 will be televised at 11:30 a.m. ET on NHLN in the U.S. and SN1 in Canada.

    As always, there were plenty of surprises and (possibly) a lack of trades. Here’s how it all went down.

    2020 NHL Entry Draft Round 1

    1. New York Rangers–> LW Alexis Lafrenière, Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL)

    2. Los Angeles Kings–> C Quinton Byfield, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)

    3. Ottawa Senators (from San Jose Sharks)–> C/LW Tim Stützle, Adler Mannheim (DEL)

    4. Detroit Red Wings–> RW Lucas Raymond, Frölunda HC (SHL)

    5. Ottawa Senators–> D Jake Sanderson, USA U-18 (USHL)

    6. Anaheim Ducks–> D Jamie Drysdale, Erie Otters (OHL)

    7. New Jersey Devils–> RW Alexander Holtz, Djurgårdens IF (SHL)

    8. Buffalo Sabres–> RW Jack Quinn, Ottawa 67s (OHL)

    9. Minnesota Wild–> C Marco Rossi, Ottawa 67s (OHL)

    10. Winnipeg Jets–> C/LW Cole Perfetti, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)

    11. Nashville Predators–> G Yaroslav Askarov, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (VHL)

    12. Florida Panthers–> C Anton Lundell, HFIK (Liiga)

    13. Carolina Hurricanes (from Toronto Maple Leafs)–> C/RW Seth Jarvis, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

    14. Edmonton Oilers–> C/LW Dylan Holloway, Wisconsin Badgers (NCAA)

    15. Toronto Maple Leafs (from Pittsburgh Penguins)–> LW Rodion Amirov, Tolpar Ufa (MHL)

    16. Montreal Canadiens–> D Kaiden Guhle, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

    17. Chicago Blackhawks–> LW Lukas Reichel, Eisbären Berlin (DEL)

    18. New Jersey Devils (from Arizona Coyotes)–> C/RW Dawson Mercer, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)

    19. New York Rangers (from Calgary Flames)–> D Braden Schneider, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

    20. New Jersey Devils (from Vancouver Canucks via Tampa Bay Lightning)–> D Shakir Mukhamadullin, Tolpar Ufa (MHL)

    21. Columbus Blue Jackets–> RW Yegor Chinakhov, Avangard Omsk (KHL)

    22. Washington Capitals (from Carolina Hurricanes via New York Rangers and Calgary Flames)–> C Hendrix Lapierre, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)

    23. Philadelphia Flyers–> RW Tyson Foerster, Barrie Colts (OHL)

    24. Calgary Flames (from Washington Capitals)–> C Connor Zary, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

    25. Colorado Avalanche–> D Justin Barron, Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL)

    26. St. Louis Blues–> LW Jake Neighbours, Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)

    27. Anaheim Ducks (from Boston Bruins)–> RW Jacob Perreault, Sarnia Sting (OHL)

    28. Ottawa Senators (from New York Islanders)–> C Ridly Greig, Brandon Wheat Kings (OHL)

    29. Vegas Golden Knights–> C Brendan Brisson, Chicago Steel (USHL)

    30. Dallas Stars–> C Mavrik Bourque, Shawinigan Cataractes (QMJHL)

    31. San Jose Sharks (from Tampa Bay Lightning)–> RW Ozzy Wiesblatt, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

    Trades made on Day 1 of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft:

    • The Columbus Blue Jackets traded F Josh Anderson to the Montreal Canadiens for F Max Domi and a 2020 3rd round pick (78th overall).
    • The Calgary Flames traded their 2020 1st round pick (19th overall) to the New York Rangers for a 2020 1st round pick (22nd overall from Carolina via NYR) and a 2020 3rd round pick (72nd overall).
    • Calgary later flipped their 2020 1st round pick (22nd overall from Carolina via NYR) to the Washington Capitals for a 2020 1st round pick (24th overall) and a 2020 3rd round pick (80th overall).