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Archives for November 2018

Edmonton Oilers Acquire Chris Wideman

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The Edmonton Oilers have added a right-handed puck-moving defenseman, and for a relatively low price. The Ottawa Senators have traded Chris Wideman to Edmonton in exchange for a conditional 2020 sixth-round pick. The pick that is expected to be sent is the one Edmonton received from the St. Louis Blues earlier this year.

Wideman, 28, found himself on the outside looking in recently with the Senators, scratched in the last two games. Even before that, and really for his entire career in Ottawa, his minutes were extremely limited as the team tried to shelter his defensive shortcomings. Wideman has never averaged more than 14 minutes a night for a full season, but still has produced 43 points over 175 games with the team.

That offensive upside—which is exceptional given the 19-goal, 61-point campaign he posted in the AHL—is exactly what the Oilers have been looking for. Edmonton has suffered from a lack of real puck-moving options on their blue line the last few seasons, and Wideman brings that in the form of excellent skating ability and a quick first pass. Getting the puck up to Connor McDavid and company is an obvious recipe for success, and what will be asked of Wideman immediately. The fact that he is right-handed only adds to the perfect fit, as the team currently has just Adam Larsson and Matt Benning on their natural right sides (Kris Russell also often plays on the right, but is left-handed).

Questions will immediately surface about why the Senators moved on from Wideman, with many pointing at the recent Uber controversy. Wideman was one of the members of the Senators caught on video badmouthing the coaching staff, though there is no guarantee that it has anything to do with this move. Perhaps more likely is the simple explanation that Wideman had been outplayed by younger options including Christian Jaros and Max Lajoie, that offer a little different skill set for Guy Boucher and his coaching staff. With Wideman an expiring asset set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2019, the Senators got what they could for him in trade and opened up a roster spot.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Montreal Canadiens Recall Brett Kulak

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In a somewhat surprising move, the Montreal Canadiens have recalled defenseman Brett Kulak, stating he’ll join them in Buffalo immediately. Kulak had been playing with the Laval Rocket of the AHL after being acquired from the Calgary Flames earlier this year.

The move is only surprising because of the recent reports that have surfaced that the Canadiens are looking to move out a defenseman given Shea Weber’s imminent return. Bringing Kulak up only complicates that, unless the team had already made up their minds on a trade or waivers assignment for one of the veteran options. It’s unclear if Kulak will get into the lineup right away, but there is at least some reason to believe he can help the team immediately.

Still just 24, Kulak played 71 games for the Flames last season and showed he could be relied on for at least third pairing minutes. The left-handed defenseman then filed for arbitration, which spurred Calgary to show him his real worth around the league by having him clear waivers just days before the hearing. After settling for a one-year, $900K contract, that low value was proven once again as he cost the Canadiens just two minor league players in Rinat Valiev and Matt Taormina.

In Laval though, Kulak has really impressed. With 11 points in 19 games, he ranks third on the team in scoring and has used his long frame to his advantage in the defensive end. While he certainly won’t be asked to take on huge minutes for the Canadiens right away, he does look to at least have a future in the organization, something that wasn’t clear in Calgary.

Kristian Vesalainen Officially Assigned To KHL

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Though it had been expected since he was sent back down to the minor leagues, Winnipeg Jets prospect Kristian Vesalainen has now officially been assigned to the KHL. Vesalainen’s rights were acquired by Jokerit recently, meaning he’ll be heading back to Finland to play this season and continue his development.

The 19-year old will now see his entry-level contract slide forward by one year, assuming that he doesn’t return to the Jets at the end of the season. He ended up playing five games for Winnipeg this season, scoring one point but showing that he’s not quite ready. In the AHL, where he spent eight games, he was a force scoring eight points and using his physicality and puck skills to create offense on nearly every shift. That’s the kind of production the Jets will hope he can muster in the KHL, where he is joining a solid organization in Jokerit. The team is off to a 20-5-3 start, and have plenty of former NHL talent in players like Sami Lepisto, Nicklas Jensen and Viktor Loov.

Even though he’ll be going back to Finland to play in arguably the second best league in the world, this isn’t a perfect situation for the Jets. They’ll have no control over Vesalainen’s development or ice time, and will have to hope that the organization gives him a strong opportunity to play. That’s not always a guarantee with players who are not committed long-term, something that Vesalainen surely isn’t. Next season you will almost certainly see him back in the Jets organization and trying to crack the NHL roster out of camp, something that seems very possible for the 24th pick from 2017.

Snapshots: Ottawa, Weber, McLeod

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The Ottawa Senators plan to build a new arena in the Lebreton Flats area near the downtown core has hit a snag, as the National Capital Commission has given a January deadline to fix what they call “internal partnership issues” among those looking to develop the land. Ottawa mayor Jim Watson was relatively blunt in his assessment of the situation and message to the Senators and Trinity Development Group:

A lot of work has gone into all of the preparatory documents, remediation, first nations consultation, the work that our city planning department has put into the whole exercise. So there’s a sense of disappointment and also a sense of frustration in the two groups that make up RendezVous LeBreton.

As I said in the board meeting, they have to get their act together plain and simple. Otherwise I think we’re going to have to move on in January.

The Senators currently play quite a bit outside the city center at an arena that is difficult for many fans to access, and have proposed a move closer to downtown for years. This announcement has to be taken as an extremely disappointing outcome at this stage, and will put a damper on any excitement that the project had built. The team now has just a few weeks to get their leadership in order, or risk losing the project altogether.

  • In Montreal, things are looking much brighter. The Canadiens are expecting captain Shea Weber to make his season debut very soon, and could even see him join the lineup on Tuesday night. That’s quite a bit before the mid-December timeline that Weber was initially given, and should give the team a huge boost. Montreal has already exceeded expectations to start the year, and will now welcome back their best defenseman for a playoff push that seems much more realistic now than it did a few months ago. As we examined this morning, Weber’s return could also mean that the team has to move someone else out. Who that will be is still to be decided.
  • Cody McLeod scored a goal last night for the first time since joining the New York Rangers, but subsequently injured his hand in a fight later in the game. That injury has now been revealed to be a fracture, meaning he’ll be out indefinitely. The team will be without his toughness and physicality as he deals with the injury.

Michael Stone Placed On Injured Reserve With Blood Clot

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Scary news for the Calgary Flames today, as the team has placed defenseman Michael Stone on injured reserve with a blood clot in his arm according to Wes Gilbertson of Postmedia. GM Brad Treliving told reporters that Stone wasn’t feeling right last night, but they will know more in a few days. Joining him on the shelf is Michael Frolik, who is dealing with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

Blood clots are not totally uncommon for hockey players or any athlete, but it is always an uneasy situation when one is diagnosed. For Stone, there is no indication of a recovery timeline at this point, though it is obviously a positive that the team found it at all. The 28-year old defenseman has only played 11 games for the Flames and hadn’t been in the lineup since November 11th, but could still be a useful part if he can get himself healthy again.

The Flames meanwhile are on something of a roll, taking home wins in their previous three games and opening up a one point lead on the San Jose Sharks for first place in the Pacific Division. A team that was considered a Stanley Cup contender at the beginning of last season, Calgary stumbled all year and missed the postseason entirely. The club underwent big changes in the offseason as Bill Peters was brought in as coach and a blockbuster deal sent Dougie Hamilton and Micheal Ferland to Carolina. Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin, the returns in that deal, have played extremely well for the Flames of late and have them looking to compete for the Stanley Cup this year.

That’ll need some luck and health, something that neither of these announcements represents. With Frolik only day-to-day and the blue line looking strong they should be able to handle these setbacks, but only for so long.

Matt Murray Placed On Injured Reserve

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Speak up if you’ve heard this before: Matt Murray is headed to injured reserve. The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that their young goaltender will be headed back to the shelf while Tristan Jarry has been recalled from the minor leagues under emergency conditions. Jarry will join Casey DeSmith in the Pittsburgh crease. Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the lower-body injury to Murray will keep him out “longer term.”

Now 24, Murray has struggled to stay healthy for the last few years despite such an incredible start to his career. Winning a Stanley Cup in 2016 after coming on late in the season, he was still technically considered a rookie the next year when he helped Pittsburgh win again. That impressive, lanky goaltender has been hard to find over the last 18 months though, as Murray posted a .907 save percentage last season and is off to an even worse start in 2018-19.

DeSmith has held the Penguins together through the first few weeks of the season, and with Jarry pushing for an NHL role the decision to sit Murray down was probably made a lot easier. Sullivan explained that the problem had been bothering Murray for some time, but has become bad enough to need a stint on injured reserve and a long recovery period. That means Pittsburgh, who welcomed back their captain last night, will be in the capable hands of DeSmith and Jarry for the time being. The way both have played—DeSmith has a .924 save percentage this season in the NHL, while Jarry has a .909 in the minor leagues—it actually may be a good thing for the team moving forward.

Marko Dano, Josh Brown Placed On Waivers

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The Colorado Avalanche have come to the same conclusion that the Winnipeg Jets did earlier this year, that Marko Dano is not ready to be a full-time NHL player. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Avalanche have placed Dano on waivers today, along with Josh Brown of the Florida Panthers. Brown has been on the season-opening injured reserve list, meaning he’s likely now healthy enough to join the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL.

Dano, 23, hasn’t been able to live up to his first-round draft pedigree and could now potentially be joining his fifth organization since being selected in 2013. He made the biggest impact with his first team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, but has flamed out in Chicago, Winnipeg and now Colorado. That high pedigree and obvious talents are enough to make someone take a chance on him, but there is little reason to believe he’s going to put it all together at this point.

Winnipeg could also reclaim him, which would allow them to send him right to the minor leagues if they are the only team to do so. With Kristian Vesalainen expected to head to the KHL, perhaps they would take another chance on Dano and try to get him ice time in the minor leagues. The young forward carries an $800K one-way contract, but is a restricted free agent again after the season and comes with several years of team control. If he does slip through, he’ll almost certainly be assigned to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.

Minor Transactions: 11/22/18

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Happy Thanksgiving to all our readers in the United States, who unfortunately will not have any hockey to watch tonight. The NHL has a rare day off with no games scheduled, which will give the entire league some time to readjust their rosters. As always, we’ll keep track of all those minor moves right here.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Tyrell Goulbourne from the AHL, sending Nicolas Aube-Kubel back down in his place. Goulbourne has four points in ten games for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, adding 29 penalty minutes for good measure. Aube-Kubel meanwhile has played nine games for the Flyers without recording a point, meaning this could be a chance for him to get back on track offensively. The 22-year old forward has a huge offensive ceiling, but needs more consistent ice time to continue his development.
  • Jakub Zboril was reassigned to the AHL last night by the Boston Bruins, following the return of Kevan Miller to the lineup. That means Connor Clifton is safe for now as the team awaits the returns of Zdeno Chara, Brandon Carlo and Charlie McAvoy. Zboril is still in the long-term plans of the Bruins, but needs to see the ice on a regular basis and not sit in the press box for the NHL team.
  • Mario Kempe has been assigned to the AHL by the Arizona Coyotes, after the team activated Alex Goligoski and Jakob Chychrun for last night’s game. Kempe has suited up four times for the Coyotes this season but is still looking for his first point. That hasn’t been a problem in the minor leagues for the 30-year old forward, who has nine points in eight games for the Tucson Roadrunners.
  • The Vancouver Canucks have recalled Reid Boucher from the minor leagues, assigning Brendan Gaunce to Utica in the process. Boucher has been a part-time player his entire career, playing just 132 games across five NHL seasons. He came to the Canucks in 2016-17 and looked like he might have a chance to contribute on a more consistent basis, but has spent more time in the minor leagues than with the NHL club.
  • Taylor Fedun was acquired by the Dallas Stars earlier this month, and today he’ll get his first recall from the minor leagues. Fedun is on his way up to take the place of Ben Gleason, who has been reassigned to the AHL. The 30-year old Fedun played just seven games in the NHL last season and has 46 contests under his belt over a long professional career.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled Daniel Carr from Chicago of the AHL.  He’s taking the place of Tomas Hyka who was went down to make room for him.  Carr is the leading scorer in the minors with 22 points in 16 games and has had some success at the NHL level, collecting 16 points in 38 games with Montreal last year.  Meanwhile, Hyka has spent most of the season with Vegas, picking up a goal and three assists in 17 games.

Montreal Canadiens Facing Difficult Decision On Defense

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The Montreal Canadiens are coming off another loss, this time at the hands of the New Jersey Devils who scored five goals in the first two periods. Montreal now sits fifth in the Atlantic Division with 26 points and a -3 goal differential. That’s not very impressive, but it does at least keep them in the playoff race as they await the return of their captain. Shea Weber is ahead of schedule and could be back on the ice before long, which while obviously good news also likely means the end of someone else’s tenure on the NHL roster. That’s what Eric Engels details in his latest for Sportsnet, breaking down the various options that the Canadiens have to make room for Weber.

The most startling of these options may be the idea that the Canadiens could waive Karl Alzner, less than 18 months after signing him to a five-year contract worth more than $23MM. The team has already sat the veteran defenseman in the press box for most of the season, getting him into just six games over their first 22. Importantly though, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet adds in his latest 31 Thoughts column that the Canadiens have been looking to trade a defenseman instead of risking them on waivers. In Alzner’s case it doesn’t seem like much of a risk given his high salary, but for some of the others—Jordie Benn, David Schlemko and Xavier Ouellet are mentioned as trade options in Engels’ piece—there would certainly be teams willing to take a shot.

Montreal is not in a place to be giving away assets for free, given their current balancing act on the line between competitiveness and concern. The team has played well this season to say in the mix and has some promising chemistry forming up front between Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin. Still, even with the emergence of Jesperi Kotkaniemi the team is lacking real impact prospects and could need to try and retool over the next few seasons.

So a trade, given the circumstances, seems the most beneficial option. Whether that will come to pass is still to be seen, especially given the fact that the rest of the league can see the situation that GM Marc Bergevin is in. Noah Juulsen’s injury may buy him a bit more time, but at some point something will have to happen on the Montreal blue line. Defense-needy teams will be watching closely.

Ducks Staying In Anaheim Through 2048

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The Ducks are staying in Anaheim. According to the Associated Press, Anaheim City Council has approved a new deal that will extend their current agreement with the team through 2048, with five more five-year options thereafter. The Honda Center that the Ducks play out of is owned by the city, and will now have long-term security with their biggest tenant.

It’s great news for the team even as they struggle through this season, dealing with injuries to almost all of their key players once again. The Ducks are 8-9-5 as they go into action tonight against the Vancouver Canucks, and sit fifth in the Pacific Division. While they are technically just five points out of first, the team has struggled to create offense all season and currently have the second worst goal differential in the league.

All is not lost though, and there will certainly be better times to come before this new agreement expires. The team is waiting for the next wave of talent to come, and players like Sam Steel, Max Comtois, Isac Lundestrom and Josh Mahura have already shown they can handle at least spot duty at the NHL level. All four of those players are still under the age of 21, and should mature and develop together as the old guard leave.

Since their inaugural season in 1993-94, the Ducks have reached the playoffs in 14 of 24 seasons including two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals. They took home the ultimate prize in 2007, and have missed the postseason tournament just twice since. That’s an incredible run of success for any franchise, and the news today just solidifies their place as one of the secure organizations in the league.

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