Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for 2017

Minnesota Wild Sign Daniel Winnik

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Minnesota Wild have finally come to terms with Daniel Winnik, signing him to a one-year, $660K contract ahead of the team’s season opener on Thursday night. Winnik had spent training camp with the Wild on a professional tryout, after being unable to find a contract anywhere in the league.

Winnik actually ranked #36 among our Top 50 Free Agents for this summer, after putting up a solid 12 goal, 25 point season a year ago. His contributions are really felt on the penalty kill and defensive side of the game though, where he ranks among the league’s best. All of that didn’t secure him a deal anywhere though, as the 32-year old had to settle for a “prove it” tryout with the Wild.

A relic of the old draft structure, Winnik was selected in the ninth and final round (265th-overall) of the 2004 draft. Immediately he exploded at the NCAA level and wouldn’t take long before debuting with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2007. Since then, he’s played 717 NHL contests and recorded 228 points, while suiting up for 58 playoff contests. He’ll continue that run in Minnesota, where he’s expected to suit up as part of a rotating bottom-six.

Minnesota has always put a high value on defense from their forwards, and head coach Bruce Boudreau knows Winnik from their time in Anaheim together. Winnik received some of the most ice-time of his career while playing for the Ducks, and obviously has a trust in the coach who put him in those situations. While he won’t be asked to play the same role, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him first over the boards on almost every penalty kill this season, even with the outstanding options the team already has.

Michael Russo of The Athletic broke the news just minutes before the team announced the deal.

Snapshots: Pittsburgh, Whitney, Ducks

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been tied to the Detroit Red Wings for some time, with rumors swirling around Riley Sheahan and Andreas Athanasiou as potential trade candidates. Athanasiou remains unsigned, and as Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest “31 Thoughts” for Sportsnet, the Penguins have seemingly moved on.

Pittsburgh has been after a new third-line center for some time, with GM Jim Rutherford last saying they had three targets in mind. One of the rumored names, Jordan Staal, appears to be off the table as Friedman writes that Carolina had “no interest” in moving the two-way forward. Staal obviously has ties to Pittsburgh after beginning his career there, but the Penguins will have to look elsewhere to fill their needs. For now, Greg McKegg has been practicing between Carl Hagelin and Tom Kuhnhackl on the third line, with Carter Rowney centering the fourth.

  • The Department of Player Safety has made another intriguing hire, adding veteran NHLer Ray Whitney to the team. Whitney is a completely different kind of player than George Parros, who now runs the department, and will offer a very different insight into discipline around the league. Whitney scored 1,064 points in 1.330 games in the NHL, and received regular votes for the Lady Byng trophy which rewards sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct.
  • Patrick Eaves and Ryan Miller will both start the season on injured reserve according to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register, making it a crowded list for the Anaheim Ducks. With Ryan Kesler, Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen already there, the team could ill afford any other injuries. Eaves and Miller are both on the back half of their careers at ages 33 and 37 respectively, which obviously brings this kind of injury risk along with it. Signing the pair was meant to give the Ducks some depth at key positions, but now with so many injuries the team will start without any at all. At practice today Nick Ritchie skated with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on the top line, a trio that will be relied heavily upon until some of their other players get back.

Harry Zolniercyzk On Waivers, Signaling New Contract

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Wednesday: The team has announced the signing. Zolnierczyk will earn $650K at the NHL level on a two-way, one-year contract.

Tuesday: According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the only player on waivers today is Harry Zolnierczyk, and he was placed there by the Nashville Predators. Since Zolnierczyk had been on a professional tryout with the Florida Panthers last we checked, that would indicate that he’s signed a contract with the Predators for the upcoming season.

Zolnierczyk played with Nashville last season, getting into 24 games during the regular season but suiting up for another 11 during their Stanley Cup finals run. He made an impact during the playoffs, but is still a fringe NHL player and will likely be signing a two-way deal. In 84 career games, the 30-year old has 13 points.

The more interesting thing about Zolnierczyk being the only player on waivers is what it means for other teams around the league. Clubs are required to get down to 23 players by today’s deadline, meaning the rest of the cuts needed around the league must be waiver-exempt players. Teams could also be placing players on injured reserve, or trading them to get their rosters in order for the start of the season.

Waivers & Recalls: 10/04/17

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The first day of the regular season has brought a fair amount of movement already, with extensions, retirements and trades. There are also five players that have been placed on the waiver wire, while others have been recalled to play in their respective team’s opening games. Here are the minor moves from today:

Waivers:

Brandon Pirri (VGK)
Chandler Stephenson (WSH)
Joe Colborne (COL)
Eric Tangradi (DET)
Patrick Wiercioch (VAN)

Recalls:

Alex DeBrincat (CHI)
Gustav Forsling (CHI)

Montreal Canadiens Acquire Nicolas Deslauriers From Buffalo Sabres

at CDT | by 1 Comment

After picking up Jordan Nolan on waivers, the Buffalo Sabres have decided that they no longer have as much need for Nicolas Deslauriers, shipping him off to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Zach Redmond. Montreal has already announced that Deslauriers will be assigned to the Laval Rocket of the AHL.

Deslauriers has filled a fourth-line role with the Sabres for parts of the last four seasons, registering just 30 points in 211 games. His high-energy style is certainly effective, as he’s also racked up 627 hits during that time. Still, the complete lack of offensive upside is disappointing for a player that was once an 18-goal man in the AHL, and does possess a good shot when he gets around to using it. For the Canadiens, he will offer little more than a depth option should they face injury.

Redmond on the other hand is a 29-year old defenseman who is now on his fourth NHL team. The journeyman was actually originally drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers, before making his NHL debut with Winnipeg a few years later. In 130 career games, Redmond has registered 38 points and has continually shown a knack for scoring at the AHL level.

A big enough body that can play both ends of the rink, he doesn’t possess the upside of a full-time NHL defender and will likely serve as a veteran addition to a Rochester Americans club that has seen renewed interest from the front office. New GM Jason Botterill has said he wanted to create an atmosphere of winning in the minor leagues, and Redmond certainly can help with that. In 35 career AHL playoff games, he has 19 points.

Alex Chiasson Signs With Washington Capitals

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Washington Capitals have signed Alex Chiasson to a one-way, one-year contract worth $660K. Chiasson had been on a professional tryout with the team but was expected to earn a contract once the season began. Team writer Mike Vogel reports that the team will place Chandler Stephenson on waivers today to make room, with the intent of sending him to the Hershey Bears of the AHL.

Chiasson spent last season with the Calgary Flames, scoring 12 goals and 24 points in 81 games. The former Dallas Stars’ prospect has carved out a nice career so far as a defense-first winger, capable of adding a bit of secondary scoring when asked. His career-high of 35 points in 2013-14 isn’t expected, but he’ll help fill a role vacated by Daniel Winnik in the bottom-six. The Capitals have seen quite a bit of turnover in their forward ranks, but will rely on new players like Chiasson and Devante Smith-Pelly to pick up the slack behind their impressive top group.

Despite watching several high profile free agents walk this summer, the Capitals were still pressed right up against the cap and needed to find some cheap options that still had upside. Chiasson is exactly that, and after proving he hasn’t lost a step in camp he should fit right in. Once Stephenson is waives, the team will be approximately $80K short of the cap ceiling, which won’t allow them much room to operate in-season. Big contracts to T.J. Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov made sure of that, as the pair was handed more than $13.5MM to return this season.

Blackhawks Place Hossa On LTIR, Sign Cody Franson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Chicago Blackhawks have completed what may be the worst kept secret in the league, by moving Marian Hossa to long-term injured reserve and signing Cody Franson to a one-year deal worth $1MM. Franson was technically in camp on a professional tryout, but those around the team had long guessed that he had a handshake deal in place to sign after the season was underway.

Franson will come in to help a defense that has more questions than ever for the Blackhawks. After trading away Niklas Hjalmarsson this offseason, the team will be relying on several inexperienced players to fill out the pairs behind Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith. Franson, with his 527 games played in the NHL has more league experience than Connor Murphy, Michal Kempny, Jan Rutta and Jordan Oesterle put together, making him a welcome sight for coach Joel Quenneville.

Still, Franson doesn’t come without his faults. During his time with Nashville, Toronto and Buffalo, Franson has garnered a reputation as an excellent puck-mover and powerplay quarterback that has trouble keeping up with speedy forwards and can sometimes find himself floating out of position in his own end. He’s seen the most success when sheltered with offensive zone starts and an easier matchup, something that he may not be welcome to in Chicago. While Keith will certainly take the toughest matchups on a nightly basis, Franson will likely be given his fair share of responsibility at both ends.

With Hossa going on LTIR (joining Michal Rozsival and Jordin Tootoo) and Franson signed, the Blackhawks now have several million dollars in cap room to play with this season. Alex DeBrincat and Gustav Forsling have been recalled for the season opener, eating into that cap space, but the team will still have a chance to bolster their defense corps in-season. It won’t be easy for the usually powerhouse Chicago franchise, but with a forward group that still boasts some of the very best players in the league, they certainly can’t be counted out.

Winnipeg Jets Sign Nikolaj Ehlers To Seven-Year Extension

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Winnipeg Jets have announced a seven-year, $42MM extension for forward Nikolaj Ehlers. Ehlers is entering the final year of his entry-level contract, and will see his average annual salary jump to $6MM per season starting in 2018-19. That number will make him the second-highest paid forward on the Jets, behind just Mark Scheifele who earns $6.125MM per season.

Nikolaj EhlersEhlers was selected ninth-overall by the Jets in 2014, and after another outstanding year in the QMJHL—he scored 132 points in just 65 games—jumped right to the NHL and never looked back. Last year as a sophomore he found chemistry with Scheifele and Patrik Laine as one of the best lines in the NHL (when they were together) and registered 64 points. The impressive part is Ehlers looks to have even more offensive upside, and going into the season as a 21-year old there are high expectations.

Interestingly, this $6MM price tag is quite reasonable for a player so young and dynamic. He’ll instantly be compared to the other big names from the 2014 draft, including Leon Draisaitl ($8.5MM per season), Aaron Ekblad ($7.5MM) and David Pastrnak ($6.67MM) all who outpace him easily in terms of salary. While Ehlers may not have quite the career-highs of Draisaitl and Pastrnak at this point, he is certainly capable of keeping up with them offensively. This will also have an impact on a couple of other 2014 picks in William Nylander and Dylan Larkin, both of whom are in their final ELC years and will be looking for big raises at some point.

Still, for the Jets this fits nicely into their salary structure. Earlier this offseason they extended Bryan Little for six years at a reasonable number but they still have plenty of big contracts to come. Laine will be eligible for an extension next summer, and Jacob Trouba will be a restricted free agent for the second time. Trouba held out the first time looking for a better role on the team, but has since proved that he should be treated as a top-tier defenseman in the league. Things might get tight, but even with a first line that can compete with nearly anyone in the league, they’re generally paying below market value.

For Ehlers, this is a strong vote of confidence in his ability going forward. The Jets have obviously liked what they’ve seen since taking him so high, and why not. Two of the players taken ahead of him haven’t even made the NHL, while no one taken after (minus Pastrnak) has scored more. The Jets, while still waiting for that first franchise playoff win—they were swept in the first round both appearances—are clearly an up-and-coming team that will be hard to deal with in the coming years. If they can fix a goaltending issue that has plagued them since their days in Atlanta, perhaps this is the year they take a run. If not, they still have a lengthy run watching Scheifele, Laine and Ehlers light up opponents (even if it does happen on different lines at times).

Jamie Thomas of JetsTV was first to break the news.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Bryan Bickell Signs One-Day Contract With Chicago, Retires As Blackhawk

at CDT | by 1 Comment

As the end to one of the most emotional stories in recent hockey history, Bryan Bickell has signed a one-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in order to retire as part of the organization. Bickell released a statement regarding his retirement:

Bryan BickellAs any professional athlete will tell you, stepping away from the game is extremely difficult especially given my circumstances. I’m honored to be retiring a Chicago Blackhawk-a team that has given me and my family so many great memories.

At the start of last season, Bickell was told by doctors that he had multiple sclerosis and would likely need to end his hockey career. It was a devastating diagnosis for a player who was only 30-years old and just heading into the next chapter of his career with the Carolina Hurricanes. Bickell was not fazed though, and would work as hard as he could with the Hurricanes’ medical staff to return later in the season. He would be cleared to play just a few months later, and suit up for the Hurricanes in early March.

In his final game as an NHL player, Bickell would score in the shootout in front of his cheering family, and be congratulated by the entire roster on both sides. Everyone took a moment to forget the outcome of the game and respect the work he’d done to get back on the ice. He announced that he would retire from the game after that, and is now returning home to do so.

Bickell was drafted by the Blackhawks in the second round back in 2004, and was part of three Stanley Cup runs during his time there. Though he was never an outstanding offensive player, most fans will remember his incredible 2013 postseason, in which he scored 17 points in 23 games, second on the team only to Patrick Kane. He was a huge part of the win that year, and will end his career with 39 points in 75 career playoff games, well above his regular season rate.

He and wife Amanda now run a foundation to help neglected or abandoned dogs, rehabbing some of them into therapy dogs for others with MS or various other debilitating diseases. Check out their work at the Bryan & Amanda Bickell Foundation.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Coyotes, Canadiens, Golden Knights

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • The Arizona Coyotes will have newly acquired defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson wear one of three ’A’s this season, reports AZCentral’s Sarah McLellan. Defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson will wear one of the others, but the final alternate captain has not yet been named. Head coach Rick Tocchet said that the team may name a captain, but not until some of the season plays out. Whoever the captain may be, he has big skates to fill. The team’s previous captain—longtime veteran Shane Doan—played his entire 21 year career with the team, including when the team was still in Winnipeg, MB.
  • The Montreal Canadiens saved an opening day roster spot for 19 year-old defenseman Victor Mete. The rookie defenseman—drafted 100th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft—impressed the organization that is in dire need of defensemen. The Canadiens lost Andrei Markov, Nathan Beaulieu, Alexei Emelin, and Mikhail Sergachev in the past year, and did little to replace them.
  • The NHL and the Vegas Golden Knights have jointly donated $300K to victim relief from Sunday night’s shooting in Las Vegas. According to a team press release, the team will honor victims at season-opening games and provide additional assistance through pledge drives and other ventures.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top