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Archives for February 2018

Poll: What Was The Most Surprising Non-Trade From The Deadline?

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As is often the case around the trade deadline, there was a flurry of moves but only a handful involving players of prominence (including Ryan McDonagh to Tampa Bay, Paul Stastny to Winnipeg, and Rick Nash to Boston).  Considering the players who were rumored to be available, some of the non-trades certainly came as a surprise.

Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson was the biggest name out there and while it seemed like a longshot at first, the rumors only seemed to intensify to the point where it started to look like he would have indeed been dealt.  By all accounts, Vegas was in it until the dying minutes but a deal failed to materialize while other teams had also had discussions.  Instead, his future will now have to be addressed in the summer.

Another Senator, Mike Hoffman, also failed to move despite being signed for two more years at a reasonable rate.  Max Pacioretty out of Montreal had been available for a couple of months at least and despite a down season, has been one of the top scorers around the league in the past several years but it appears that no trade was particularly close.

Many viewed Detroit’s Mike Green as the top rental blueliner available but he wound up staying put.  His neck injury certainly lessened the overall interest but even with the extra risk, he still appeared to be close to a lock to move.  Jack Johnson, another rental defender, had asked for a trade from Columbus early in the year and the team had even gone and acquired a possible replacement for him in Ian Cole but in the end, he remains with the Blue Jackets.

Which of these non-moves was the biggest surprise in your opinion?  Have your say by voting in the poll below.

Mobile users, click here to vote.

West Notes: Vancouver, Brodeur, Vegas

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After originally leaking out last week, news is set to come down tomorrow about the host city for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. That would be Vancouver, if today’s additional report by Sportsnet is to be believed. It will be the third time Vancouver will play host to the league, after first holding the event in 1990.

Jack Hughes, and American-born center who grew up in Toronto, is the early favorite to go first-overall after finding incredible success this season with the US Development Program. Hughes is just 16 at the moment, but scored 159 points in 80 games last season in his final year of midget, and has 128 in 67 games at various development levels this year.

  • A familiar NHL name will be suiting up for the San Jose Barracuda in the coming days, as Jeremy Brodeur has signed a PTO with the club. Brodeur has been playing for the Allen Americans of the ECHL, where he has a .919 save percentage through 35 games. The son of Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur, and grandson of Olympic medalist Denis Brodeur, the 21-year old has quite the family history of goaltending to live up to.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights were probably the closest team to acquiring Erik Karlsson at the trade deadline, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required). The Detroit Red Wings were sitting around waiting to see whether their deal for Tomas Tatar would go through, while the Golden Knights dealt with another “major transaction” until close to the deadline. Vegas was willing to take on Bobby Ryan’s massive contract, which could play in their favor in the summer months if Karlsson’s name is brought up once again.

Snapshots: Karlsson, Maroon, Anderson

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Erik Karlsson didn’t request a trade, and he is happy the deadline is behind him. That’s what he told the media today, and explained that he would be open to an extension with the team if their plans line up.

I love this city, I love this community. I love everything about it. I’ve been here for a very long time and I’ve made Ottawa my home and it’s always going to be my home. So when that time comes, I hope that there’s a place for me in the future and that this team is going in the direction that I would like to for us to have a chance to win in the near future.

Karlsson was the biggest name on the market yesterday, with teams like Tampa Bay and Vegas interested right until the end. Many believed that was because the Ottawa Senators aren’t prepared to give him a massive long-term contract when his current deal expires in the summer of 2019. Though it would be tough for him to say anything else at this point, Karlsson has always maintained that he loves Ottawa and would want to spend his entire career there. If something has changed in the last few weeks, he isn’t sharing.

  • The package the Edmonton Oilers received for pending free agent Patrick Maroon was underwhelming, and now we might know why. Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli today told 630CHED that he only received a single offer for Maroon, and that it came just five minutes before the deadline. The New Jersey Devils acquired Maroon for a 2019 third-round pick and the rights to J.D. Dudek, a role player with Boston College who is likely to return for his senior season. That Maroon didn’t create much interest is likely due to the belief that his offensive outburst last season is tied directly to Connor McDavid, after the big winger scored 27 goals, the first time he’d totaled more than 12 in a single season.
  • Josh Anderson was injured last night after Dmitry Orlov delivered a hip check in the Columbus-Washington game, and according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is awaiting the results of further tests to determine how long he’ll be out. Anderson is an extremely versatile forward and an important part of the Blue Jackets’ attack. How long he’s out for could dramatically impact the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, where Columbus currently sits in the second wildcard position. With four teams within seven points of the Blue Jackets (including the Florida Panthers who hold four games in hand), they’ll need someone to immediately step up and fill Anderson’s shoes if he is out for any length of time.

Minor Transactions: 02/17/18

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Though teams made several transactions yesterday to make their younger players eligible for the AHL playoffs, the rest of the season will still be filled with call-ups to help out the NHL team. Remember, after the trade deadline that though rosters have no limits in terms of total players, teams are allowed only four non-emergency recalls.

  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Travis Boyd, who had been playing with the Hershey Bears of the AHL. For the third consecutive season, Boyd is among the scoring leaders for Hershey with 44 points in 56 games. While it’s unclear if he’s scheduled to enter the Capitals lineup right away, he can definitely give them some offensive punch if inserted down the stretch.
  • Cory Schneider was assigned to the Binghamton Devils on a conditioning stint today, but is expected to be brought back on Wednesday to rejoin New Jersey on their current road trip. While that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be back in the crease right away, it is a good sign that he’s approaching his return to the lineup.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Tristan Jarry on an emergency loan after announcing that Matt Murray has been diagnosed with a concussion. Jarry had been sent down to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, but will now have to help Casey DeSmith with the NHL duties. DeSmith is expected to start tonight for the Penguins, but Jarry has more experience in the starting role and could be asked to take over while Murray is out.
  • The Calgary Flames announced that they have sent Andrew Mangiapane to the AHL, but the move was actually completed yesterday to make sure he was eligible for the minor league playoffs. With the addition of Chris Stewart off waivers, Mangiapane was likely looking at some healthy scratches and now can help the Stockton Heat instead.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Seth Griffith from the AHL, spending one of their recalls to bring up the 25-year old forward. Griffith has played 76 NHL games over his career and is a point-per-game player at the minor league level. The undersized forward has excellent creativity and playmaking ability, but hasn’t ever been given an extended chance in a team’s top-6.
  • As expected, the Minnesota Wild have brought Luke Kunin back up from the minor leagues. The Wild are extremely close to the cap, and needed to move out some salary at the deadline in order to bring Kunin up for the stretch run while keeping enough room to sign Jordan Greenway. Kunin has just 19 points for the Iowa Wild this season, but is a hard working two-way center that could jump right into the lineup for the Wild.
  • Ethan Bear will be one of the Edmonton Oilers’ four call-ups for the remainder of the season, and will get a chance to show what he can do after an outstanding junior career. Bear was a 70-point defenseman in his final season with the Seattle Thunderbirds, and was a huge part of their qualifying for the Memorial Cup in 2017. The undersized but super-skilled Bear has 16 points in his first professional season for the Bakersfield Condors.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have returned winger Kalle Kossila and goalie Reto Berra to San Diego of the AHL, notes Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register.  Berra’s demotion was expected with John Gibson likely to return to the lineup on Friday. As for Kossila, he didn’t get into any games after being recalled back on the 24th; he has a goal and an assist in ten contests with Anaheim from earlier this season.

Patrice Bergeron Suffers Broken Foot

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Injury news in the Eastern Conference keeps coming, as the Boston Bruins announced that Patrice Bergeron has a small fracture in his right foot and will be evaluated in two weeks. It’s not clear how long the injury will keep him out, but any loss of Bergeron is a huge blow to the Bruins final stretch. Bergeron blocked a shot against Toronto on Saturday night, but after an x-ray was negative that night played against on Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres.

Though speculation about any injury is often misplaced, the fact that he played with the injury Sunday should give some hope to Bruins fans that this is more precautionary than anything. Boston is in the middle of a fight for seeding in the Atlantic Division, but with a playoff spot basically locked up they can afford to make sure one of their best players is fully healed for the postseason. Toronto and Tampa Bay will welcome his absence, but Boston would rather have him ready for Game 1.

Still one of the very best in the game, Bergeron has once again put together an excellent season in Boston. Known more for his defensive prowess than anything—four Selke trophies will do that—he was having one of his best offensive seasons in years with 27 goals and 54 points through 55 games. His line, along with David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand is one of the most dangerous groups in the NHL and will be a tough test for whoever gets them in the first round of the playoffs.

Matt Murray Diagnosed With Concussion

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After taking a puck to the head in practice yesterday, Matt Murray has been diagnosed with a concussion. The Pittsburgh Penguins will have to go with Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith for the time being, starting tonight when they welcome the New Jersey Devils to town.

This is terrible timing for the Penguins as they fight to stay in the top three spots in the Metropolitan Division. The Philadelphia Flyers, on another one of their extended winning streaks, have claimed the very top spot ahead of the Washington Capitals while the Devils are nipping at the Penguins’ heels. With just 19 games left, the idea of having Murray sit out for any length of time could be devastating to their playoff seeding.

In the meantime, Jarry will likely be asked to carry much of the load as he did earlier in the year when Murray was injured. The 22-year old rookie has a .916 save percentage on the season through 20 appearances, and could even be asked to step into a playoff start should Murray’s injury history flare up again in the postseason. While the Penguins feel confident in his and DeSmith’s play, it’s tough to rely solely on rookie goaltenders at this late stage of the season.

Murray has not had a season to remember in his first chance as the unquestioned starter. After Marc-Andre Fleury departed to Vegas in the offseason, Murray has only been able to start 37 games and is carrying easily the worst save percentage of his career at .909. There’s no telling how a concussion will affect him down the stretch, but the Penguins will hope he can get back for the playoffs where he has a .928 save percentage—and two Stanley Cups—through his first two seasons in the league.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Patric Hornqvist To Five-Year Extension

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Tuesday: The deal is official, Hornqvist will be under contract through the 2022-23 season.

Monday: While meeting with media to discuss his team’s trade deadline, Pittsburgh Penguins’ GM Jim Rutherford revealed another detail that will make a lot of fans happy. The team is closing in on a contract extension with pending unrestricted free agent Patric Hornqvist. He believes the deal will be finalized tomorrow. According to several reports including Bob McKenzie of TSN, the deal is expected to be for five years, with an average annual value of $5.3MM.

Hornqvist has been a major contributor to the Penguins success over the last few years, since coming over from the Nashville Predators for James Neal back in 2014. Although he is 31, Hornqvist has cracked 50 points in three of his last four seasons and shows no signs of slowing down. A dominant net front presence who has shown great chemistry with Pittsburgh’s superstar forwards, Hornqvist’s extension may look excessive to some, but is a good fit for Pittsburgh for now.

Hornqvist in having a bit of a down season, but he has always shown up in a major way for the Penguins come postseason time. The security of a new deal may be exactly what Hornqvist’s needs to get back on track down the stretch and ready to help Pittsburgh battle for a third straight Stanley Cup title.

AHL Playoff Eligibility Transactions

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One thing that is sometimes lost in the shuffle on trade deadline day is a huge number of paper transactions made by each team around the league. Young players that are currently with the NHL club and waiver-exempt, are sent down to the minor leagues for just one day to make them eligible for the AHL playoffs. Though the NHL rosters are expanded on trade deadline day, teams are still left with just four non-emergency recalls for the rest of the season, several of which are used by these eligibility paper transactions.

Below is a list of all the eligibility transactions—meaning they were sent down and quickly recalled—that took place yesterday:

Boston Bruins:

Matt Grzelcyk

Buffalo Sabres:

Casey Nelson
Nicholas Baptiste

Calgary Flames:

Jon Gillies
David Rittich

Carolina Hurricanes:

Haydn Fleury

Chicago Blackhawks:

David Kampf
Carl Dahlstrom
Jean-Francois Berube

Colorado Avalanche:

David Warsofsky
Dominic Toninato
Andrew Hammond

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Post-Trade Notes: McDonagh, Kane, Tatar

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The biggest deadline deal of the day was Tampa Bay’s acquisition of Ryan McDonagh that gave the Lightning a huge upgrade on the blue line while solving some later financial issues in unloading Vladislav Namestnikov to the Rangers. The deal again shows the wizardry of general manager Steve Yzerman, who had been linked to Mike Green, and Erik Karlsson, and yet still came away with the best defenseman that the market had to bear after Green and Karlsson were never moved. Not to be lost in the deal was the acquisition of J.T. Miller and suddenly, the Bolts got the jolt they needed as they head into the playoffs in just over a month. The Sporting News’ Jim Cerny awarded the Lightning an “A” in the deal, stating that Yzerman so badly wanted to fortify his defense corps and that he did. Cerny handed a B+ to the Rangers who are clearly back in rebuild mode.

  • Evander Kane is excited to be in San Jose but the Sporting News didn’t have great things to say about the deal for the Sabres. Awarding the Sabres an F, the first round pick that is contingent upon the Sharks either winning the Cup or re-signing Kane doesn’t bode well for a Sabres’ squad desperately trying to escape a rebuild-hell that seems to drag on every year. Kane was the best bargaining chip Buffalo had and a mini-slump mixed with a buyers market certainly complicated matters for first-year general manager Jason Botterill.  The Buffalo News’ John Vogl isn’t as harsh, writing that the rookie GM didn’t have a lot of options to choose from and it appears, according to Botterill himself, it was only one. Evander KaneColleague Mike Harrington, however, isn’t so kind. Calling it a “dud,” Harrington indicates that Botterill’s short honeymoon in Buffalo is now officially over, and the pressure to turn the Sabres around certainly ratcheted up after swinging and missing at the deadline. Writing that the roster is a “disaster,” Harrington retells a recent incident where Botterill was furious after a tepid Sabres showing against Los Angeles. Though the fire and indignation over a poor roster is there, Harrington wonders if Botterill can turn around a team that is as low as it can get.
  • Detroit Red Wings general manager called the trade of Tomas Tatar a move for “the future,” but it doesn’t solve any major issues right away.  The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James indicates that according to Holland, the move opened up door for Tyler Bertuzzi and prospects Evgeny Svechnikov and Michael Rasmussen to get a chance in Detroit. It’s a philosophical shift for Holland who in the past deferred to his veterans and would let prospects “overripen” in the minors. The trade for Tatar is a beginning, but hardly the end of the work that Holland, or possibly his replacement, will need to accomplish with a slew of veterans locked into expensive, long-term deals. Holland is still without a contract extension and though THN’s Ken Campbell believes Holland may have saved his job with the trade (despite never thinking it was in trouble),  much of the Red Wings’ issues are a result of Holland’s missteps with contracts, drafting, and an inability to use the trade market to improve the team.

Updated 2018 Entry Draft Pick Breakdown

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Now that the trade deadline has passed and we’ve seen teams designate themselves as buyers or sellers, we can start to take a look at what is to come next. For many teams that’s the NHL Entry Draft, held on June 22-23 in Dallas this year. The 2018 draft class looks to be a very interesting one, headlined by the superstar defensive prospect Rasmus Dahlin. For months now Dahlin has stood alone at the top of the projections, though there are dozens of other very interesting prospects up for grabs.

After many picks changed hands today, what follows is the updated breakdown of 2018 selections for each team (via CapFriendly):

Anaheim Ducks (7):

ANA 1st, ANA 2nd, ANA 3rd, NJD 3rd, ANA 4th, ANA 5th, ANA 6th

Arizona Coyotes (6):

ARZ 1st, MIN 2nd, ARZ 3rd, ARZ 4th, ARZ 6th, ARZ 7th

Boston Bruins (5):

BOS 2nd, FLA 3rd, BOS 4th, BOS 6th, BOS 7th

Buffalo Sabres (7):

BUF 1st, BUF 2nd, BUF 4th, MIN 4th, BUF 5th, BUF 6th, BUF 7th

Calgary Flames (5):

CGY 3rd, CGY 4th, FLA 4th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th

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