The Edmonton Oilers have added to their defensive depth, agreeing to a one-year contract with Swedish free-agent blue-liner Joel Persson, the team announced Friday.
Persson spent the 2017-18 campaign with the Vaxjo Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League, where he led all defenders with 34 points in 51 games. He then posted five points across 13 playoff games en route to the SHL championship.
"(Joel) has progressed rapidly in the last year and has shown a very good offensive side to his game which is compatible with some of our needs," Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli said in a statement.
Chiarelli added that the Oilers intend for Persson to play in Sweden next season, but that the club has the right to recall him to the NHL.
Stats Legend: GV = Giveaways TK = Takeaways ATOI = Average time on ice per game CF% = Percentage of shot attempts team took while player was on ice at even strength (Rel) = CF% of player compared to when he's not on the ice
30. Jack Johnson
Position: Defense Age on July 1: 31 2017-18 cap hit: $4,357,143 2017-18 team: Blue Jackets
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
77
3
8
11
23
20
19:33
47.7 (-5.4)
Johnson's season was so poor that he ended up being a healthy scratch for a few games down the stretch. He's no longer the 40-point D-man he used to be, but if he can regain his stout defensive form, it's not beyond the realm of possibility that he could play in a top four again. He'll likely be forced to a sign a prove-it contract, though.
29. Brian Gibbons
Position: Left wing Age on July 1: 30 2017-18 cap hit: $650K 2017-18 team: Devils
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
59
12
14
26
10
35
14:26
44.0 (-4.3)
When you extrapolate Gibbons' numbers over an 82-game sample, he would've finished with 16 goals. A 16.7 shooting percentage suggests a season like that won't happen again, but the diminutive journeyman is an excellent penalty killer, as he helped the Devils finish with a top-10 PK, and he tied for the league lead with five shorthanded points.
28. Anton Khudobin
Position: Goaltender Age on July 1: 32 2017-18 cap hit: $1.2M 2017-18 team: Bruins
GP
Rec.
GAA
SV%
SO
31
29-16-6
2.56
.913
1
Khudobin is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, but his chances of being considered for a starting goaltender vacancy are slim. He's capable of being a platoon goalie, though.
27. Blake Comeau
Position: Right wing Age on July 1: 32 2017-18 cap hit: $2.4M 2017-18 team: Avalanche
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
79
13
21
34
29
47
15:52
46.6 (-1.4)
Comeau is physical, defensively strong, and can put the puck in the net on occasion. While he's not flashy, he's simply a solid player who can skate in a team's top-nine forward group.
26. Dan Hamhuis
Position: Defense Age on July 1: 35 2017-18 cap hit: $3.75M 2017-18 team: Stars
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
80
3
21
24
30
13
20:11
50.4 (-1.2)
Hamhuis is in the back nine of his career, but he can still play meaningful minutes in a team's top four as long as he's paired with another defenseman who can skate and move the puck. The veteran could be a nice stopgap blue-liner for a team seeking stability on the back end.
25. Luca Sbisa
Position: Defense Age on July 1: 28 2017-18 cap hit: $3.6M 2017-18 team: Golden Knights
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
30
2
12
14
16
12
19:31
43.8 (-9.1)
Sbisa was well on his way to a career year before an injury took away most of his season. Despite averaging nearly 0.5 points per game, he's not an offensive defenseman. But he's physical, smart in his own end, and still relatively young despite having nearly 500 NHL games under his belt. A team that signs him to a two- or three-year deal could be getting the best hockey of his career.
24. Valtteri Filppula
Position: Center Age on July 1: 34 2017-18 cap hit: $5M 2017-18 team: Flyers
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
81
11
22
33
37
36
16:29
44.0 (-7.4)
Filppula is a bit of a Swiss Army knife. He can play in an offensive role or a checking role, and he's played at center and on the wing. He doesn't do anything extraordinarily well, but he's a versatile, complementary top-nine forward.
23. Ian Cole
Position: Defense Age on July 1: 29 2017-18 cap hit: $2.1M 2017-18 teams: Penguins/Blue Jackets
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
67
5
15
20
27
21
17:47
51.1 (-0.7)
Cole is one of the league's best shot blockers, racking up 116 last season, 194 the year prior, and 122 in 2015-16. And while he's blocked so many shots, he's remained a positive possession player. As a rock-solid defenseman in the prime of his career, he'll have no problem finding a home on a multi-year deal.
22. Kari Lehtonen
Position: Goaltender Age on July 1: 34 2017-18 cap hit: $5.9M 2017-18 team: Stars
GP
Rec.
GAA
SV%
SO
37
15-14-3
2.56
.912
1
Lehtonen has proven over the years that he isn't capable of being a quality No. 1 netminder, but he could serve as an excellent platoon alongside a young goalie, or act as a stopgap starter for a middling team with a promising up-and-comer.
21. John Moore
Position: Defense Age on July 1: 27 2017-18 cap hit: $1,666,667 2017-18 team: Devils
GP
G
A
P
GV
TK
ATOI
CF% (rel)
81
7
11
18
48
17
20:01
48.4 (+0.4)
Moore isn't flashy by any stretch of the imagination, but he's very steady in the defensive zone. He's a strong skater with good size (6-foot-2, 210 lbs), and as one of the youngest UFAs, he could get a four- or five-year contract.
(Salary information courtesy: Cap Friendly) (Stats courtesy: Hockey Reference) (Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
Home ice has had little advantage in the Eastern Conference Final.
With the Tampa Bay Lightning's 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, the road team has now won each of the first four games of the series.
It's a rare trend, but as the teams turn their focus to Game 5 with the series now a best-of-three, the success they've had on the road has Capitals head coach Barry Trotz confident in his club going forward.
"Our intention is to go on the road and win a game in Tampa," Trotz said, according to Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press. "We've already done that twice."
Overall, #TBLvsWSH is the 26th best-of-seven series in #StanleyCup Playoffs history in which the road team won each of the first four games and third to occur in the Conference Finals/Semifinals (since 1974-75).
Alex Killorn scored the eventual winner in the third period as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Washington Capitals 4-2 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final to square the series at two games apiece Thursday night.
The $14.7 million raised from the Humboldt Broncos GoFundMe page will go directly to the 29 families impacted by the tragedy, it was announced at a press conference on Thursday.
Broncos president Kevin Garinger was on hand and explained that, in all, the GoGundMe page raised $15.175 million, but was met with fees that amounted to nearly $500,000.
Once the money is transferred to the team, the funds must go through the province where the distribution timeline will be determined. Until then, the money will remain in a trust until it is given to the respected families.
"One hundred percent of that total, as well as any interest ... will go toward the 29 families that have been impacted by this unthinkable tragedy," Garinger said.
It is still to be determined how the money will be divided among the 29 families. Scott Thomas, whose son died in the crash, noted that some families may require larger sums of money to cover added expenses.
Backstrom had not played since Game 5 of the Capitals' second-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. With Backstrom back in the fold, forward Alex Chiasson was made a scratch.
Despite missing arguably their top center, the Capitals have gone 3-1 without Backstrom in the lineup, with Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Lightning in Game 3 serving as the lone blemish.
In 11 games this postseason, Backstrom has three goals and 13 points. It's good enough for fourth in team scoring.
The Pittsburgh Penguins already boast one Finnish blue-liner, and now it appears they're adding another.
Juuso Riikola has agreed to terms with the club, sources told TSN's Darren Dreger on Thursday.
The 24-year-old posted 24 points in 59 games with KalPa in the Finland-based Liga this season, his sixth with the team.
Riikola also represented his homeland at the ongoing World Championship, chipping in a pair of assists in eight contests before Finland was eliminated in a surprising quarterfinal loss to Switzerland on Thursday.
If he cracks the NHL club, he'll join Olli Maatta, the 23-year-old Finn who's been a fixture on the Penguins' back end - despite several health setbacks - for about the last five years.
