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Deadline Primer: Colorado Avalanche

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With the trade deadline now just a few days away, we continue our closer look at the situation for each team.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Colorado Avalanche.

Well, it’s been a great run for the Colorado Avalanche this season. Really, who could have expected that the worst team in the NHL in 2016-17 would have still been competing for a playoff spot in February? The team has nothing to be disappointed in: they got a great return for Matt Duchene earlier this year, watched Nathan MacKinnon embrace his superstar role, and exceeded expectations as a group all year long. However, they were never supposed to be a playoff team this quickly and, barring a miraculous stretch run, they won’t be. Colorado has quickly fallen behind in the Western Conference playoff race in recent weeks. Since their ten-game win streak ended in January, the Avs are 5-7-2 and just barely sticking around the conversation for a playoff spot. They are sixth in the Central Division, with teams ahead of them like the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars getting hot at the right time, making it difficult to see Colorado winning a divisional berth. Over in the Pacific, the resurgence of the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, on top of the Stars, Wild and St. Louis Blues, also puts a wild card spot nearly out of reach. While it may not be the storybook ending some hoped for, it’s time for the Avalanche to cut ties with their rental players, if the right deal comes along, and move on, with eyes towards taking another step forward next year.

Record

32-23-5, sixth in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$37,680,931 in deadline cap space
44/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: COL 1st, COL 2nd, NSH 2nd, COL 3rd, COL 4th, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
2019: OTT 1st, COL 1st, COL 2nd, OTT 3rd, COL 3rd, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th

Trade Chips

Even if GM Joe Sakic and company decided they still wanted to keep pushing for a playoff spot, their deadline plans would be more or less the same. Colorado does not have a firm enough seat in the Western playoff race to warrant buying, but there is little difference between standing pat and “selling”. The team has only a few impending unrestricted free agents and Sakic will move them if the right deal comes along. If not, he will likely be happy to keep them as the Avs’ own “rentals” and, in some case, may even have extension talks. Headlining the group of available Avs are goaltenders Jonathan Bernier and Andrew Hammond, either of which could be expendable whether Colorado is a traditional “seller” or not. Bernier, who is currently sidelined with an injury but expected back soon, has been a great value addition to the team this season, outplaying incumbent starter Semyon Varlamov and forcing a near-even split in net. Bernier, if healthy, could be an attractive addition for a team in need of a more reliable backup goalie for the postseason. He could always re-sign in Colorado even if he is dealt. Hammond, on the other hand, has not seen any NHL action this season, but could be affordable added insurance for a playoff-bound squad. Blake Comeau, a former 20-goal scorer and consistent bottom-six contributor, will likely get the most attention as the deadline draws closer. Comeau would be a nice depth addition for any number of contenders. To a much lesser extent, Gabriel Bourque and Joe Colborne could also draw some interest. Colin Wilson has been a huge disappointment in Denver, but if the team is willing to eat some of his near-$4MM salary in 2019, they could easily trade the veteran forward away less than a year after acquiring him from Nashville.

Players to Watch: RW Blake Comeau, G Jonathan Bernier, D Mark Barberio, LW Gabriel Bourque, G Andrew Hammond

Team Needs

1) Picks and prospects

Again, the success that this team has achieved is a total surprise. They are still very much in a rebuild and, like all rebuilding teams, simply need to stock up on draft picks and prospects. The team got a great return for Duchene earlier this year, including a first-round pick and player selected with a first-round pick last year, and simply want to continue to accumulate those franchise building blocks. Given the pieces they’re willing to move, the Avs won’t be getting much back outside of mid-round picks and middling prospects anyway. If the Avalanche walk away from the trade deadline with some combination of third- and fourth-round picks and a prospect scoring winger or two, it will be a major success.

Trade Deadline Notes: Flames, Plekanec, Neal

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“Will GM Brad Treliving and the Calgary Flames ’pull a Hextall’?”, wonders the Calgary Sun’s Eric Francis with mere days left before the NHL Trade Deadline. Francis is referring to Philadelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall, who recently acted quickly to acquire goaltender Petr Mrazek from the Detroit Red Wings when his top two goalies went down with long-term injuries. Treliving and the Flames are now in a similar position, with their one experienced keeper, Mike Smith, out with a groin injury and a return not imminent. Calgary is currently working with two rookie goalies, David Rittich and Jon Gillies, as they try to keep up in the Western Conference playoff race. If Treliving, like Hextall, feels that he owes his team a true starting-caliber goalie, he could hit the rental market for some help down the stretch. Options could include Buffalo’s Robin Lehner, an impending RFA and likely the top available target, Arizona’s Antti Raanta, if the Coyotes are willing to move him, a reunion with Chad Johnson, or even a lesser option albeit with more experience such as Michael Hutchinson or Andrew Hammond. However, as Francis points out after his conversation with Treliving, if the team continues to put forward lackluster performances in front of their young goalie tandem, perhaps paying the steep price to bring in an upgrade won’t be worth it. The situation is one worth monitoring as the deadline fast approaches.

  • One player expected to move before the deadline is career Canadien Tomas Plekanec. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that calls have been flooding in to Montreal GM Marc Bergevin, especially following the Derick Brassard news, inquiring into the cost of trading for the veteran center. Plekanec, 35, has seen his offense fall off dramatically over the past two seasons, but still plays a reliable two-way game and can still be an experienced asset for many teams. With the Canadiens far outside the playoff picture and Plekanec on an expiring contract, possibly headed for retirement, a deal will almost certainly be struck with an interested team. It seems the days are numbered on a relationship that began in 2003-04.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights placed James Neal on injured reserve today, per beat writer Steve Carp. While Neal is simply suffering from an illness right now, an undisclosed illness has also kept teammate Shea Theodore out of the lineup for more than a week. With forwards Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and William Carrier also on IR and an unclear picture of when Neal will return to action, one has to wonder if the Knights will take a longer look at the forward market before the deadline passes them by.

Snapshots: Vanek, Tavares, Matthews

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Thomas Vanek is probably the most likely player to be traded from the Vancouver Canucks in the next few days, and yet there remains a chance he could re-sign with the team instead. Speaking with Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet, Vanek explained he’d love to play another year with Daniel and Henrik Sedin, but they haven’t given him an answer about their future yet.

Obviously, there is also the option of trading him this weekend only to re-sign him in the summer when he becomes a free agent. Vancouver already brought back Erik Gudbranson, their other top rental option, and don’t seem poised to really be big sellers at the deadline. Vanek brought in a third-round pick last season for the Detroit Red Wings, and could likely fetch a similar price if Vancouver decides to shop him around.

  • After Josh Bailey was re-signed to a six-year contract this morning, many pointed out how it might help the New York Islanders re-sign his linemate John Tavares. The Islanders were making it clear that they wanted to keep this group together and were committed to winning. Not so fast, says John Shannon of Sportsnet, who tweets that the signing will “not have any effect” on the Tavares negotiations, and that the captain will still wait until after the season is over to make a decision.
  • Auston Matthews suffered damage to his shoulder last night, and will be out for “a bit” according to head coach Mike Babcock. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet details how the Toronto Maple Leafs plan on dealing with the loss of their superstar center, and notes that the team will not change their approach to the trade deadline.

Deadline Primer: Columbus Blue Jackets

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With the trade deadline now just a few days away, we continue our closer look at the situation for each team.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are talented enough to make the playoffs. They proved that a year ago when they put up a 108-point season, finishing third in the outstanding Metropolitan Division. This year has been an inconsistent application of those talents though, and they sit right on the edge of the Eastern Conference playoff picture with several teams nipping at their heels.

Record

30-26-5, fifth in Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$22.7MM full-season cap hit, 0/3 retained salary transactions, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: CBJ 1st, CBJ 2nd, CBJ 3rd, CBJ 4th, CBJ 6th, CBJ 7th
2019: CBJ 1st, CBJ 3rd, CBJ 4th, CBJ 5th, CBJ 6th, CBJ 7th

Trade Chips

Jack JohnsonThe Blue Jackets are one of the teams in the rare situation of wanting to add while also seeming willing to move some of their own roster players. Jack Johnson’s name has been in the news for weeks since his trade request became public, and though he has recently discussed a contract extension with the team, could still be on the move before Monday.

If Johnson is retained, Ryan Murray is getting healthy and could once again be the target of trade rumors. Murray was likely part of a Matt Duchene offer earlier this year, and could resurface as a valuable asset going the other way in any big trade.

Columbus also has several young forwards who could be intriguing to various teams around the league. Sonny Milano can’t seem to secure a role on the Blue Jackets, and minor league forwards like Sam Vigneault and Tyler Motte could still draw some attention. Their prospect ranks are filled with high-upside players like Vitaly Abramov and Alexandre Texier, which could give them the ability to put together quite a package for the right player in return.

Five Players To Watch For: D Jack Johnson, D Ryan Murray, F Sonny Milano, F Boone Jenner, F Sam Vigneault

Team Needs

1) Middle-Six Center: Though Pierre-Luc Dubois’ emergence has given the Blue Jackets a lot to be excited about at the center position, they desperately need some help down the middle if they’re hoping for a long playoff run. They’ve been linked to everyone imaginable, but most recently to a former Blue Jackets player in Derick Brassard. Even though they lost out on that option as the Senators sent Brassard to Pittsburgh, that kind of player is still on their radar.

2) Top-Nine Winger: If they can’t find a center, Columbus could settle on acquiring another winger with some powerplay experience. Their special teams have been bad all season (though better recently) and could use some sort of change for the stretch run. Rick Nash and Evander Kane represent the high-end rentals, but don’t rule Columbus out on one of the longer-term solutions. If players like Max Pacioretty or Mike Hoffman truly become available, you can bet GM Jarmo Kekalainen will at least inquire on what it would cost.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Potential Erik Karlsson Trade Could Need Three Teams

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Over the last few days, Bob McKenzie of TSN has been explaining the Erik Karlsson situation about as well as anyone could. The Ottawa Senators are considering a deal, they’d like to move Bobby Ryan as part of it, but they might not be able to make it happen before Monday’s deadline. Any trade including the superstar defenseman would have a lot of moving parts, and deals of that magnitude rarely happen in just a few days before the deadline. There are huge cap implications to taking on Karlsson and Ryan, and for any of the contenders it might just not be possible. That’s where a third team might join the fray, as Craig Custance of The Athletic notes.

Custance tweets that teams with cap space are getting involved as a sort of catalyst for the deal, perhaps to take Ryan’s contract out of the equation. Travis Yost of TSN has heard the same thing, even adding the idea of a “fourth-party.” For what it’s worth, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic doesn’t think that a deal involving Ryan will be done by the deadline, and still suggests that it would benefit Ottawa by waiting until June to trade their captain.

That Karlsson is even in the headlines this week shows how far the Senators have fallen since coming just a goal shy of making the Stanley Cup Finals less than a year ago. There could be a real fire sale in the Canadian capital over the next few months, with a rebuild of sorts on the horizon centered around some of the young talent in the system.

Edmonton Oilers Will Not “Blow It Up”

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Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli scheduled a press conference today where he took questions from several media members, and the overriding theme of the day was that the team would not “blow it up.”  Chiarelli is not looking to dump players for draft picks just to start the development process again, but instead make tweaks to the roster to try and get back to the level of success found in 2016-17. The team is prioritizing speed in any acquisitions they make, and admitted that they had looked at a couple “hockey deals” recently.

Chiarelli also said that there had been interest in both Patrick Maroon and Mark Letestu, though wouldn’t go into specifics on either player. He also said they’d looked into extensions with some of their pending free agents.

The Oilers have struggled through a very disappointing season, but aren’t going to push the eject button just yet on this group. Though there is work to be done, a Connor McDavid-led team could jump right to the top of the league next season with some adjustments, just as it did a year ago. Chiarelli says he’s not involved in some bigger things going on around the league, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Edmonton is one of the quietest teams at the deadline, outside of perhaps selling off a few rentals. Any big changes are more likely to happen in the summer.

Josh Bailey Close To Long-Term Extension With New York Islanders

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The New York Islanders have some of the biggest names scheduled for free agency this summer, but now you can take one off the list. The team has reached a six-year extension with Josh Bailey that will carry an annual average value of $5.0MM.

Josh BaileyBailey was ranked #6 in our midseason free agent power rankings, and has done nothing to justify moving him from that spot over the last month. The 28-year old forward is in the midst of an outstanding season, already setting his career-high in points with 62 through his first 57 contests. That includes 47 assists, good for fifth in the entire NHL behind only Jakub Voracek, Blake Wheeler, Johnny Gaudreau and Claude Giroux. His point total itself puts him among the top-20 in the NHL, and had been setting him up for a huge ask on the free agent market.

The Islanders originally drafted Bailey ninth-overall back in 2008, but he didn’t quite break out until last season when he recorded 56 points. He’s become a perfect fit for John Tavares, the biggest fish that the Islanders are trying to get under contract before July 1st. They have to be hoping that retaining Bailey will help those contract negotiations when they begin in earnest, though we likely won’t get a read on that until the season is over.

For the time being, Bailey will be happy with the substantial raise on his 2017-18 $3.3MM cap hit. He could be giving up a little bit of money, but will now get to stay with the only organization he’s ever known for the majority of his career. The Islanders will get an excellent playmaker for the foreseeable future, one that can likely find a home alongside Mathew Barzal if Tavares doesn’t stick around.

Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to report a deal was close, giving us the salary parameters.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 02/23/18

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Just a few days remain before the 2018 trade deadline, but much of the hockey world were glued to their television sets this morning to watch the German Olympic team upset the Canadians. Germany had already stunned Sweden in an overtime victory to make it to the semi-final match, and are now headed to the gold medal game against the Olympic Athletes from Russia. Though that may be more exciting than minor moves around the NHL, we’ll nevertheless keep track of all the comings and goings in the league.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets lost last night to the Philadelphia Flyers, and today made several roster moves. Joonas Korpisalo and Markus Hannikainen are both on their way to the AHL, while Jeff Zatkoff has been recalled. Korpisalo has played just three times in 2018, and the Blue Jackets won’t need a backup to start for another week. He could be recalled at that point, though Zatkoff has plenty of NHL experience as well.
  • Lucas Wallmark is on his way back to Raleigh after the Carolina Hurricanes announced he has been recalled from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. The 22-year-old center has struggled to stick in the NHL for the second year in a row, suiting up for just five games with the ’Canes thus far in 2017-18 through multiple call-ups. Carolina could use the boost of Wallmark translating his high-powered AHL game to the next level.

Latest On Derick Brassard’s Potential Trade Market

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The Ottawa Senators are in sell mode, as the TSN Insider Trading panel reported yesterday. Darren Dreger termed it “clearing the deck” as GM Pierre Dorion looks for fits for several players on his roster. Dreger also tweeted this morning that Derick Brassard may not play tomorrow for the team, if he is even still a part of it by then. Brassard seems destined to be moved by Monday, and is arguably the top center available on the market.

Like we saw with the New York Rangers last night when they kept Rick Nash and Michael Grabner out of the lineup, the Senators will try to protect their asset over the next few days. Though Brassard has years remaining on his contract, the team has decided now is a good opportunity to move him with so few centers available. Dreger even reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins were in on Grabner before he was dealt to the New Jersey Devils last night, but he believes they are holding onto their assets for a potential run at Brassard. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic adds on with a report of seven teams interested in the Senators’ forward, including Columbus, St. Louis and Winnipeg.

If Ottawa really is ready to clear the deck, Brassard won’t be the only player with interest from around the league. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Zack Smith, Cody Ceci, Johnny Oduya and others all have value, and Mike Hoffman has been in the rumor mill for weeks. That’s not even touching on Erik Karlsson, who is both the biggest fish and biggest enigma to surface over the last few days. There’s no guarantee any of these players will be moved, but there certainly seems to be an appetite for it.

Devils Acquire Michael Grabner From Rangers

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The Devils have added some offensive help, acquiring winger Michael Grabner from the Rangers.  In exchange, New York picks up New Jersey’s second-round pick in 2018 along with the rights to defenseman Yegor Rykov.  Both teams have confirmed the swap which is the first ever trade between the two rivals.

Michael GrabnerGrabner was one of the more sought-after rental players heading into the trade deadline.  He has been quite productive this season with 25 goals already, putting him on pace for his second career 30-goal campaign.  With a $1.5MM cap hit, he was also one of the more affordable players out there which certainly helped build his value as well.

With New Jersey, the 30-year-old should play in their middle-six and give them plenty of speed on the wing.   In particular, he will give them a boost at even strength as 24 of his 25 tallies have come in that situation which ranks him fourth overall in the NHL.  He should also help their penalty kill as he has played a regular role shorthanded throughout his career.

As for Rykov, he was New Jersey’s fifth-round pick (132nd overall) back in 2016.  He has played a regular role with SKA St. Petersburg, a KHL powerhouse.  In 51 games this season, he has two goals and 12 assists while averaging 12:24 per night.  The Rangers likely have seen a lot of Rykov as their top goalie prospect, Igor Shestyorkin, also plays for that team.  As Rykov was drafted out of Russia, a country that does not have a player transfer agreement with the KHL, there is no deadline for New York to sign him as they will hold his rights indefinitely.  He is under contract for one more season in the KHL.

TSN’s Darren Dreger was first to report (Twitter link) that Grabner had been dealt to the Devils while TSN’s Bob McKenzie was the first to note (Twitter link) Rykov’s inclusion in the trade.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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