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Archives for January 2018

Sonny Milano Out Four To Six Weeks; Tyler Motte Recalled

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The Columbus Blue Jackets add another reason to their claim of Jussi Jokinen earlier today, as they announce that Sonny Milano will be out four to six weeks with a torn oblique. The team has also recalled Tyler Motte from the AHL for the time being.

Milano was injured during a game earlier this month against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and will miss out on a big chunk of his first full-time chance in the NHL. In 35 games this season, Milano had 13 points. The 21-year old is a big part of the Blue Jackets future, and could be considered a trade deadline acquisition when he’s able to return later in February.

The Blue Jackets, who currently sit third in the Metropolitan Division but have struggled recently, are one of the most interesting teams to watch as the trade deadline approaches. Though Jokinen could be an option to fix some of their powerplay woes and depth issues up front, they likely are continuing to monitor the trade market for a more impactful fix.

Still dealing with injured reserve stints for Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson, Columbus could be a tough team to bring down if they could ever get healthy. With Milano now joining the walking wounded, the team could be forced to make an additional move before long to make sure they don’t fall behind in the extremely competitive Metro. They sit just five points ahead of the last-place Hurricanes, and at any point could fall out of a playoff spot.

Columbus Blue Jackets Claim Jussi Jokinen

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have been looking all season for some help at forward, and today they’ll try a new option. The team has claimed Jussi Jokinen off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings, meaning he’ll join his third team of the season. Jokinen was first signed by the Edmonton Oilers, and then traded to the Kings in exchange for Mike Cammalleri.

Columbus has been rumored to be involved with several forwards around the league over the last year, including making an offer for Matt Duchene before he ended up in Ottawa. While Jokinen isn’t an answer to all of their problems, he does represent an interesting fit in one spot in particular. The Blue Jackets’ powerplay has been among the league’s worst all season, and that’s where Jokinen has made a living over his career.

Since entering the league in 2005-06, Jokinen has recorded 196 of his 552 points on the powerplay, putting him 43rd in the NHL during that time. While he’s certainly not as dominant a presence there as in the past, he can certainly help a group that hasn’t been able to find any consistency this season.

Jokinen also has experience at center, though he hasn’t played the position full-time in several years. With the Blue Jackets finding themselves lacking depth down the middle at times, his versatility will come in handy. Still, that doesn’t preclude the fact that he has just six points on the season and will turn 35 before the season is over. There is no guarantee he can find some of his past success, though Columbus seems about as good of a fit as he could ask for.

Morning Notes: Crawford, Trade Bait, Green

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The Chicago Blackhawks are sitting at 50 points in the standings, but somehow find themselves in last place in the Central Division. Their 22-17-6 record would be good enough for fourth in the Atlantic and fifth in the Pacific, but unfortunately they find themselves playing in a division where all seven teams have positive goal differentials. Now, even as they struggle to climb the Central ladder, they could lose one of their most important players for the rest of the year.

Corey Crawford is currently on injured reserve, and Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the goaltender is suffering from vertigo-like symptoms. It’s not the first time symptoms like this have surfaced for Crawford, who dealt with them in 2016 as well. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet wrote yesterday that coach Joel Quenneville believed last week that Crawford would return, but Lazerus claims things have complicated since then. The Blackhawks resume their schedule on Saturday, when they will take on the New York Islanders.

  • TSN’s Frank Seravalli has updated his Trade Bait board, with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Michael Grabner, Jack Johnson, Nick Holden and Aaron Dell all joining the list. The emphasis on New York Rangers’ players is clear, with Seravalli writing that they’re a “team to watch” heading into the trade deadline. The Rangers are in a playoff spot currently, but are stuck in the middle of a super-competitive Metropolitan Division and could fall out of the race with a bad week or two. If the team doesn’t believe they can really make an impact in the playoffs, the distinct lack of sellers on the market could make them consider moving some of their expiring pieces.
  • Mike Green has not been asked to waive his trade protection yet by GM Ken Holland, but Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports on TSN’s Insider Trading that when he’s eventually asked, the Detroit Red Wings will be willing to eat some of his salary to get a deal done. LeBrun notes Tampa Bay as a possible fit for the powerplay specialist, though is quick to note that no discussions have been had just yet.

Minor Transactions: 01/17/18

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The NHL has just two games on the schedule today before getting back to a full slate on Thursday, and should expect to see several minor moves around league rosters. We’ll keep track of all of them right here. Make sure to refresh throughout the day to keep track of all the movement.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Jean-Sebastien Dea from the minor leagues as they go on the road for back-to-back matchups against the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. Dea has 23 points this season for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but has just one NHL game under his belt in his short career. Looking for that first NHL point still, he’ll have to find a way into the lineup over the next few days.
  • Casey Nelson is on his way up to Buffalo, recalled today from the Rochester Americans. Nelson played 11 games for the Sabres last season, but has yet to suit up this year. Buffalo is back in action tomorrow night after their bye week, taking on the New York Rangers.
  • Colorado has brought back center Dominic Toninato from San Antonio of the AHL.  The first year pro has skated in eight games with the Avalanche already this season while recording seven goals and five assists in 30 games with the Rampage.
  • With Washington’s bye week set to come to an end, the Capitals have recalled winger Jakub Vrana and defenseman Madison Bowey from AHL Hershey, per the AHL’s Transactions page.  The moves come as no surprise as the demotions were simply to save some cap space (a little over $33K); neither player suited up while they were with the Bears.
  • The Devils made a pair of roster moves, recalling defenseman Steven Santini from Binghamton of the AHL while sending goaltender Ken Appleby back down.  This reverses the swap from Tuesday that saw Appleby promoted to take the place of Cory Schneider who was unable to dress last night against the Islanders due to an illness.

Luke Tuch Commits To Boston University

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While rookie forward Alex Tuch is making a name for himself with the Vegas Golden Knights this season, his younger brother is hoping to follow in his footsteps by joining one of college hockey’s top programs. Luke Tuch announced his commitment to Boston University today, as he begins to map out his own road to the NHL.

The commitment is curious in many ways though. The first oddity of Tuch’s decision is the age that he is making it. Tuch is just 15 years old and, while hockey is perhaps the most genetic sport in the world, has little proof of his ability thus far in his youth career outside of a growing frame similar to his brother’s and hopes that it will spawn a similar playing style and knack for scoring goals down the road. While he may have a couple of years on the youngest college commitment in NCAA history – 2018 draft prospect Oliver Wahlstrom who committed to Maine at 13 (and then de-committed at 15) – it still seems like the younger Tuch could have waited to make the decision. After all, his commitment is not until the 2020-21 season and he is not draft eligible until 2020.

It is also strange to see the brother of a Boston College alum decide to play at Boston University. Few rivalries in all of college sports rival the BC Eagles-BU Terriers feud as the two teams share a long history, a conference, the annual Beanpot Tournament, and, of course, a city. While both teams have seen multiple members of the same family play for their teams, it is far less common to see a family split between the rivals. Should Alex continue his rise to stardom and Luke reach the same level of hype his brother had during his college days, this sibling rivalry will be one that bears watching.

Golden Knights Recall Jason Garrison

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When the Vegas Golden Knights selected 13 veteran defenseman in the NHL Expansion Draft this past June, traded for Shea Theodore, and signed Brad Hunt, it was clear that moves would need to be made to handle their overage on the blue line. Yet, even after trading away Marc Methot, Trevor van Riemsdyk, David Schlemko, and Alexei Emelin soon after selecting them, it still left the NHL’s newest team with a log jam on the back end. The long-term injury status of Clayton Stoner also helped the cause, but by the end of October, the team was faced with no options remaining but to waive Griffin Reinhart and, more surprisingly, Jason Garrison. Both players cleared waivers and were assigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, where they have remained since.

However, Garrison is finally getting the chance to return to the NHL ranks. The Knights announced today that they have recalled Garrison from the Wolves. With Jonathon Merrill and Luca Sbisa both sidelined with injuries, Vegas is in need of some added depth on the blue line for the first time this season. The Expansion Draft pick from the Lightning is expected to join the team on their current road trip in Tampa and could make his return against his former team. A veteran of over 500 NHL games, Garrison was once a formidable defender, though his play has slipped as his age has climbed. Nevertheless, few would have expected the 33-year-old to have just four NHL games under his belt in 2017-18 versus 31 games logged in the AHL.

While Garrison cleared waivers earlier this season, the Knights do face some risk by calling him back up to the big league squad. If Garrison stays on the roster for less than 30 days or plays in less than 10 games, he can safely be returned to the AHL. However, should Garrison exceed either of those limits, he would need to be passed through waivers again if the Knights want to demote him prior to the NHL Trade Deadline. If Garrison performs admirably in that short stint, he could prove to be a tempting option for another contender to grab on waivers. Thus, Vegas faces a situation where they either want to return Garrison to the minors as soon as possible or ensure he stays on the roster until the Trade Deadline has come and gone.

Carolina Hurricanes “Won’t Lose Players We Want For Five Percent More Money”

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For years, the Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the league’s lowest spenders. This season, they rank 30th in the league in terms of payroll, only ahead of the penny-pinching Arizona Coyotes. With the recent sale to Dallas billionaire Thomas Dundon, many Hurricanes fans would hope that would change, at least partially.

In his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman shares some of the conversation he had with Dundon about payroll going forward. One thing sticks out, and that’s the new owner’s insistence that they won’t be outbid for current players they want to keep.

Put it this way—we won’t lose players we want for five per cent more money. Now, if someone does something irrational? Losing the players we want will never be because of the money—it will be because someone does something irrational that makes us question the value. I believe we can run the business in a way that will make it work.

That is music to the ears of many Carolina fans, who are starting to see the fruits of a Ron Francis-led rebuild in the standings, with the team just two points out of a playoff spot (despite technically being in last place in the Metropolitan). The team has locked up many of their homegrown assets, and made trades to acquire various pieces at a discount when other teams are in trouble.

Now backed by a more involved owner, who also spoke about increasing investment in analytics and scouting, the team may be able to turn some heads on the free agent market or when it comes to retaining some of their own players. Jeff Skinner, for instance, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019 and is in for an enormous contract if he continues to play well. The 25-year old has 29 points on the season, and is coming off a 37-goal campaign that was generally overlooked by many fans around the league.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Jon Merrill To Two-Year Extension

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The Vegas Golden Knights continue to lock up their pending free agents, this time issuing a two-year extension to Jon Merrill. The deal will pay Merrill $1.375MM per season, and take him to unrestricted free agency after the 2019-20 season. He becomes the fourth such extension handed out by the Golden Knights this season, after Jonathan Marchessault, Brayden McNabb and Deryk Engelland.

Jon MerrillMerrill, 25, was the expansion selection from the New Jersey Devils at the draft last year, but has actually played just 14 games for the team this season. That’s because of a combination of injuries and the Golden Knights having too many defensemen on the roster, but when he has been in the lineup he’s done quite well. The former Michigan Wolverine has just two points on the season, but is a positive possession player and can be relied upon in his own end.

Selected in the second round, 38th-overall in 2010, the Devils hoped that Merrill would develop into a sort of shutdown defender that could be played against top competition on a nightly basis. There’s never been a ton of offense there, but he carries penalty killing experience and a big enough body to compete physically when needed (though, that’s still a part of his game that is underdeveloped.)

The Golden Knights still have too many defensemen in the organization, but going forward they’re going to need relatively cheap options to fill in the gaps. If Nate Schmidt gets a big extension, or Shea Theodore wants a long-term deal, relatively small commitments like the $2.75MM given to Merrill will help maintain long-term success. In each of their extensions so far, the Golden Knights have made sure to not go overboard rewarding this season’s production. Even Marchessault, who received a $30MM deal, will look like a bargain if he continues to put up 30-goal seasons.

Even with these moves, the question still remains in Vegas on what will be done with James Neal, David Perron and Luca Sbisa. All three are unrestricted free agents in the summer, and could be used as trade bait closer to the deadline. If the Golden Knights feel like they could replace their production internally without jeopardizing a playoff run, there is still a chance they could sell some assets this season. Otherwise, we may have to get used to these extensions being handed out.

Frank Seravalli of TSN was first to report the deal was done.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Sweden, Prospects, Coyotes

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Sweden has released their roster for the upcoming Pyeongchang Olympic Games, and even though it doesn’t have any current NHL players, it has plenty of league experience. Staffan Kronwall, Viktor Stalberg, Linus Omark and others highlight what should be one of the more powerful teams in the tournament, but one other name is the taking all the headlines.

Rasmus Dahlin, the expected first-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft has made the cut and is one of eight defensemen named to the squad. The 17-year old already starred at the World Juniors and plays a regular role on Frolunda in the SHL, Sweden’s highest professional league. There is little controversy over Dahlin’s ranking as the best talent available in this year’s draft, and a good showing at the Olympics will only raise his stock even further.

  • Speaking of prospects, Corey Pronman of The Athletic (subscription required) released his midseason rankings of those already drafted, and lists Casey Mittelstadt at the very top. The Buffalo Sabres draft pick has had a year to remember, selected eighth overall, starring at the University of Minnesota, being named MVP of the World Juniors and just recently being among the nominees for the Hobey Baker award as the best collegiate player in the country. Though things don’t look good in Buffalo right now, Mittelstadt and others—including #24 on Pronman’s list—will look to turn things around in the near future.
  • Despite rumors swirling around the Arizona Coyotes, some closest to the situation aren’t as willing to point to a potential firesale of their top defensemen. At least not Craig Morgan of AZ Sports, who calls some of the recent rumors “baseless” and doesn’t think the Coyotes have done anything to “set the market” or trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson or Jason Demers. Morgan isn’t saying that it won’t happen, just that he believes there is little fact in the rumors that have been spread recently. There’s a good reason to believe that Arizona will move some assets before the deadline, but it doesn’t appear like an Ekman-Larsson is imminent or that even a real asking price has been set.

Los Angeles Places Jussi Jokinen On Waivers; Paul Martin Clears

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Paul Martin has cleared waivers today and can be sent to the San Jose Barracuda, while the Los Angeles Kings have placed Jussi Jokinen on waivers. The Kings acquired Jokinen earlier this year in exchange for Mike Cammalleri, but he’s been generally ineffective with just five points in 18 games.

Jokinen, 34, signed a one-year $1.1MM contract with the Edmonton Oilers this offseason, but got off to a dreadful start to the year with just a single point in his first 14 games. That comes just two years after he was a 60-point player in Florida, where he recorded 34 even-strength assists. Jokinen’s fall from grace has been sharp, but his relatively low cost could potentially lead to a claim.

If he does sneak through waivers, the Kings would be able to bury nearly his entire cap hit in the minor leagues. Though that would be a tough spot to play for a veteran of 923 NHL games, it would certainly provide them with some experienced depth for a playoff run.

Martin on the other hand comes with a much higher price tag. His $4.85MM cap hit is in effect through next season as well, making him almost impossible to claim on waivers. As Craig Custance of The Athletic writes, any team looking to add him would need to send money back or have the Sharks retain some of his salary.

For now though, a trip to the AHL might be the best thing for Martin. He’s only played in three games all season and needs to prove that he can still contribute before any team wants him. Remember that clearing waivers actually does increase his trade value, as any acquiring team would be able to immediately move him to the minor leagues without going through waivers again. The Sharks will save a prorated $1.025MM against the cap by burying him for the time being.

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