The Bolts
The Top 25 Under 25 is back for another summer and Raw Charge wants your input to help decide the rankings. [Raw Charge]
Every year here at Raw Charge, we get you updated on the Bolts youth movement. We start by ranking the best 25 players under age 25, and then we bring you profiles on all 25 of those players individually. This year, we’re opening up the rankings to readers directly. Just like we did with the player grades after the season, you can submit your own rankings and we’ll compile those along with our staff and share the results starting next week.
Victor Hedman was mic’d up for the NHL Awards, and it was iconic.
“I don’t have my hammer, I’m sorry I didn’t bring it. You don’t have one I can borrow?” 🤣
Heddy had a blast on the #NHLAwards red carpet: pic.twitter.com/xq4orfAVFo
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) July 3, 2018
Tampa Bay is once again in the heart of trade rumors surrounding Erik Karlsson. The ccost will be high, unless they are forced to take on Bobby Ryan’s $7.25 million contract. [NBC Sports]
The Lightning have some good prospects like Cal Foote, Taylor Raddysh and a few others, but the Sens will likely want immediate help, too. Would the Lightning give up a Brayden Point or a Mikhail Sergachev? Probably not. So is there enough there for these two sides to make a deal? It’ll be up to GM Steve Yzerman to get creative.
The Prospects
The Lightning brought five WHLers to their development camp last weekend. Austin Friesen of the officcial website gives a synopsis of those five players’ seasons heading into the summer. [WHL dot ca]
Connor Ingram’s name came to the spotlight when he represented Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship, but his impressive play started much before that. In 2016-17, Ingram posted a 2.44 GAA and a .927 SVS% in his final season with the Kamloops Blazers. He went on last year to post a 2.33 GAA and .914 with the Syracuse Crunch in the AHL.
Next season is going to be lit as the Syracuse Crunch head into their 25th season. A new 25th anniversary logo as well as celebrations throughout the season are going to be unveiled all summer. [Syracuse Crunch]
Welcome to the 25th season of #SyrCrunch hockey. 👊 pic.twitter.com/mQFRVOXG0j
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) July 3, 2018
The logo features the number 25 enclosed in a circle with “Syracuse Crunch” written around the top. Below the number is the primary Crunch logo in front of a ribbon with the years 1994 and 2019, representing the franchise’s first season and the year of the team’s 25th season.
And a few ICYMI bits of news, Crunch captain Erik Condra has signed a deal with the Dallas Stars, so we’ll be seeing him inthe Calder Cup Finals against Texas for sure. Also, Alex Gallant has made his way into the Vegas Golden Knights organization.
Thank you for leading us, @ECondra. You’ll always be a member of the #CrunchFamily.
We wish you the best with the @DallasStars organization. 👊 pic.twitter.com/SK2O46IP4H
— Syracuse Crunch (@SyracuseCrunch) July 1, 2018
The Game
Calvin de Haan has made his decision and will be taking his talents to Raleigh, to play for the Carolina Hurricanes. For a defense that is right-side heavy, bringing in a left-shooting de Haan is a good move for the Canes. [Canes Country]
The Hurricanes announced late Tuesday that they have signed former New York Islandersdefenseman Calvin de Haan to a four-year contract worth $18.2 million, for an average annual value of $4.55 million. “It was a pretty simple decision,” de Haan told the media on a conference call Tuesday night. “I get to play with one of the best young bluelines in the NHL. That to me is very important. I want to be part of the solution here. I feel like I can help this team win.”
I mean, it’s Calvin de Haan, but…
Someone convinced an actual free agent not named Williams to choose Carolina over other options.
This is a weird feel.
— Meg (@loveandhydrogen) July 4, 2018
Calvin de Haan: What 200 hockey men have thought Jack Johnson was for over a decade
— Ryan Wilson (@GunnerStaal) July 4, 2018
The New York Islanders were a part of the other two notable transactions of the day, first by signing hot-headed goaltender Robin Lehner to a one-year $1.5 million contract. [Lighthouse Hockey]
Lehner has struggled with injuries and consistency, but he’s been on bad teams more often than not. At 26, hopefully he can find stability under Barry Trotz, and perhaps Mitch Korn, the longtime Trotz goaltending coach who has reportedly at least had talks with the Islanders. (He’s also, however, talked with the Capitals about remaining in D.C.)
They also re-acquired enforcer Matt Martin after he spent two seasons in Toronto. The deal wasa pure cap dump as the Maple Leafs only recieved an ECHL goaltender for their expansion Newfoundland Growlders in return. [Sportsnet]
The deal sends Martin back to the Islanders, where he spent the first seven seasons of his NHL career before signing with Toronto in 2016. He found great chemistry on New York’s fourth line with Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck, a trio which could be re-united after this move. The 29-year-old has two years remaining on a contract that carries a $2.5-million cap hit.
Welcome back @mattymarts17!!
🔷🏒🔶 #Isles pic.twitter.com/TZnYOdBu3a— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) July 3, 2018
