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Archives for January 2019

Minor Transactions: 01/31/19

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Just one more day of a limited NHL schedule until things get back to normal, but there are still three games to look forward to tonight. Perhaps the most interesting battle will be when the Columbus Blue Jackets travel to frigid Winnipeg to take on the Jets in a battle of Stanley Cup contenders. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league right here.

  • As expected, the New Jersey Devils have brought Mackenzie Blackwood back to the NHL. Blackwood has been recalled from the minor leagues while Cam Johnson, who was up over the break, will be sent back down. Blackwood was given the opportunity to play in the AHL All-Star game over the weekend, but will be back up with the Devils down the stretch.
  • Devon Toews and Michael Dal Colle are both on their way back up from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. The pair of top prospects will rejoin the New York Islanders as they attempt to make it back to the playoffs this season. Dal Colle is finally getting his chance to show what he can do at the NHL level after struggling since his fifth-overall selection in 2014.
  • Mackenzie MacEachern has been recalled by the St. Louis Blues, but surprising Sammy Blais is not coming with him. That suggests that Robert Thomas is close to returning for the Blues, who take on the Blue Jackets Saturday night.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled Haydn Fleury once again, though that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re trading a defenseman. Fleury has spent much of the season in the press box for the Hurricanes, sitting as an extra behind their deep blue line. The 22-year old has also dealt with injury, but has now suited up just 25 times between the NHL and AHL this season.
  • Michael Amadio has been recalled by the Los Angeles Kings, giving the team 23 players again as they prepare for action against Islanders on Saturday night. Amadio has just four points in 28 games with the Kings this season. The team has also recalled Sean Walker and Austin Wagner once again.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have recalled Karl Alzner once again, bringing up the veteran defenseman in time for their weekend action against the Devils and Oilers. Alzner has suited up just nine times for the Canadiens this season, after seeing his eight-season iron man streak end at the beginning of the year.
  • Colin Blackwell is back with the Nashville Predators and looking for a chance to get some more NHL action under his belt. The 25-year old has played in three games for the team this season but hasn’t been able to record a single point so far.
  • Jake Dotchin has been sent back down to the AHL by the Anaheim Ducks, as the team has recalled Jaycob Megna. Dotchin hasn’t been able to establish himself as a full-time option for Anaheim yet this season, playing just 20 NHL contests.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled Kyle Capobianco from the minor leagues, likely as insurance for a banged up Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Capobianco has 32 points in 40 games for the Tucson Roadrunners but has played just a single contest for the Coyotes in his NHL career.

Henri Jokiharju Assigned To AHL

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In a somewhat surprising move, the Chicago Blackhawks have decided to assign Henri Jokiharju to the minor leagues. The young defenseman will be joining the Rockford IceHogs for the time being, wearing number 14 and continuing his development in the AHL.

At times this season Jokiharju has been the best defenseman on the ice for the Blackhawks, but since returning from a gold medal performance at the World Juniors has looked a little out of sorts. His ice time has been curtailed in recent games, a good sign that Chicago was considering a change for the young defenseman. There’s no doubt that Jokiharju has shown enough to prove he is already an NHL-caliber player, but seeing 12 minutes a night for the Blackhawks wasn’t going to cut it for his development. If the team believes they have a potential top-pairing defenseman, he needs to be seeing as much ice time as possible.

That doesn’t mean he won’t be back, but there is also another consideration for the Blackhawks if they do recall Jokiharju at some point. The 19-year old has played 37 games in the NHL, meaning this season would not count towards the seven required for free agency down the line. Chicago might very well be thinking big picture given their place outside the playoff race, and thinking that another year of restricted free agency with their prized prospect is worth more than his impact on the ice right now.

“No Rush” In Edmonton Oilers’ GM Search

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Even with the trade deadline looming, CEO Bob Nicholson and the Edmonton Oilers are not expected to move quickly in the search for their new general manager. During TSN’s “Insider Trading” segment, Darren Dreger states that there is “no rush” to fill the position and that the team will take their time in vetting all options.

Dreger goes on to say that “the Oilers know that they need to get this one right”, which is a major understatement. Recently-fired GM Peter Chiarelli left the team in a tough salary cap condition and without enough talent on the roster following several poor trade and signing decisions. His predecessors, Craig MacTavish and Steve Tambellini, were at the helm for a near decade-long postseason drought. So long as Connor McDavid is an Oiler, Edmonton will have a chance to make the playoffs year in and year out, but they haven’t helped to improve those odds of late and need to put an end to these wasted years of McDavid’s career. Finally solving the GM problem is the most important step toward pointing this team in the right direction.

In the meantime, interim GM Keith Gretzky is more than capable of handling day-to-day operations for some time. Although there continues to be speculation that the Oilers could be buyers leading up to the deadline, they trail five other teams for the final Western Conference wild card spot and could be a short string of losses away from falling it out of the race completely. Gretzky, whose background is in amateur scouting, would be far more adept at selling off impending free agents for picks and prospects rather than trying to add. He would also be very qualified to handle the college and junior free agent markets later this spring. And, if it reaches that point, Gretzky has run drafts for both the Arizona Coyotes and Boston Bruins in the past and would be a fine option for the Oilers on draft day if his full-time replacement has yet to be found. Gretzky was a wise choice by Nicholson and company as interim GM and should be a solid stopgap for the team as they take their time to make a vital decision for the franchise.

New Jersey Devils Acquire Defenseman Ryan Murphy

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The New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild have agreed to a swap of depth defensemen, the teams announced this evening. Heading to New Jersey is former first-round pick Ryan Murphy, while collegiate standout Michael Kapla goes the other way to Minnesota. Kapla is the third different defenseman acquired by the Wild in the past ten days, following the trade for Brad Hunt and claim of Anthony Bitetto.

What is clear from this move is that Minnesota and GM Paul Fenton were not happy with their depth on the blue line and have opted to change out multiple players in an attempt to shore up their options on the back end. The recent additions of Hunt and Bitetto were made even as Murphy, a veteran of close to 200 NHL games, toiled in the minors, implying that they did not see the 25-year-old as a solution. Rather than keep Murphy in Iowa with knowledge that they did not trust him to play a role in Minnesota if necessary, Fenton and company decided to swap him out for another AHLer. Kapla, 24, has shown improvement at both ends in his second full pro season with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils, but has not been given much opportunity to showcase his talents in New Jersey. The former UMass-Lowell captain has not played an NHL game since the final weeks of the 2016-17 season, right after he initially signed with New Jersey. Kapla may not necessarily see much time in Minnesota right away following this trade, but he was surely open to a change of scenery. If not this season, the impending restricted free agent is at least an intriguing depth piece for the Wild moving forward.

What’s unclear is what the Devils get out of this trade. Of course, Murphy is the more experienced and refined player and has the possession skills and offensive instincts to make a difference in the right NHL situation. However, he is also an impending unrestricted free agent and New Jersey is well outside the current playoff picture with little hope of climbing back in. There is a chance that Murphy could excel with the Devils, NHL or AHL, and earn an extension, but otherwise this is a strange swap of a controllable asset for an expiring one by the team in less need of immediate help. Had the Wild also sent over some other “sweetener” – a late draft pick or low-end prospect – the deal would make some more sense. New Jersey fans just have to hope that Murphy, the 2011 twelfth overall pick, is the one to break out down the stretch and not Kapla, if either do.

Snapshots: Pominville, Moravcik, Winnipeg

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When the Buffalo Sabres take the ice tonight against the Dallas Stars, they will do so without veteran forward Jason Pominville. Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News, after speaking with head coach Phil Housley, relays that Pominville will sit out Wednesday night’s contest as a healthy scratch. Some quick research by the Olean Times Herald’s Bill Hoppe indicates that this is Pominville’s first healthy scratch since April 4, 2006 – during his rookie season. Pominville, 36, has been an All-Star and frequent Selke Trophy candidate over his 15 years in the league, split between two stints with Buffalo and five seasons with the Minnesota Wild. So why now is he out of the Sabres’ lineup? Lysowksi writes that the only reason Housley gave was to rest the veteran of more than a thousand games in the second night of a back-to-back and give young Remi Elie a shot. However, Pominville’s streak of one goal and two assists in his past 24 games likely contributed as well. Even though Pominville is on pace to meet or exceed his 34 total points from last season, he has cooled off significantly after a hot start, much like the Sabres overall. His spot in the lineup could be in jeopardy, especially if Elie proves to be the spark that Buffalo is seeking.

  • It didn’t take long for defenseman Michal Moravcik to find new employment. Just a day after clearing unconditional waivers and having his contract terminated by the Montreal Canadiens, Moravcik has returned home to the Czech Republic. HC Plzen has announced a contract with the 24-year-old blue liner for the remainder of the season. Plzen is the same team that Moravcik had come up through the system with and was playing for before signing in North America. As such, Morazcik should soon return to the elite form that first caught the eye of NHL scouts. Plzen is surely looking forward to the boost, as the team that also employs familiar names like Jakub Kindl and Petr Straka hopes to make up ground in the standings.
  • The city of Winnipeg already hosts the NHL’s Jets and the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, but it will have yet another tenant beginning next season. The WHL’s Kootenay Ice have decided to move to Winnipeg, as first reported by The Winnipeg Free Press’ Jeff Hamilton. The team is expected to keep the “Ice” moniker and same logo and will soon get to work on a long-term development plan for a new arena and sports complex on the south side of the city. While Winnipeggers already have two good teams to root for, no one in the area is likely to complain about the return of major junior hockey and should be excited to watch presumptive top-15 pick Peyton Krebs lead a young, rebuilding team next season.

Justin Schultz Returns To Penguins Practice

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have been without one of their best puck-moving defensemen since early October. That’s when Justin Schultz was put on injured reserve with a broken leg, following his collision with Tomas Plekanec in a game against the Montreal Canadiens—so long ago that Plekanec is no longer even in the NHL. Schultz hasn’t skated with the team in a formal setting at all during the months that followed, that is until today when he joined his teammates on the ice for their morning skate. By no means does this indicate that Schultz will suit up for the Penguins tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning, in fact he may still be out a little while. But he’s getting closer, and head coach Mike Sullivan was clear how important this first on-ice session was:

It’s a big step. It suggests that he’s a whole lot closer, and the next step will be the contact part of the practices. We’re going to have some practices coming up over the next week, and we’re hopeful that we can get him to graduate into that step. That’s the last step before he gets into the lineup.

For the Penguins, getting Schultz back will be like making a huge trade deadline addition. It’s hard to overstate how important the right-handed defenseman has been when healthy for Pittsburgh since coming over from the Edmonton Oilers during the 2015-16 season. In 163 games, Schultz has recorded 90 points and is a +57, even garnering some Norris Trophy votes in 2017 for his work while Kris Letang dealt with injury. Once he gets back up to speed, the result will be felt throughout the entire defense corps as everyone will fall into more familiar positions.

Still, it also has some financial ramifications. Activating Schultz’ $5.5MM cap hit off long-term injured reserve will dramatically shrink what the Penguins have to work with at the deadline, even with their recent trade of Jamie Oleksiak to clear room on both the blue line and under the cap ceiling. While they won’t be pressed right up against it, they also won’t be able to take on a huge amount of salary at the deadline without moving someone else out. It just so happens that Derick Brassard has been rumored for months to be on his way out of Pittsburgh, but the team will have to be careful with who they target in return.

On the whole though, the idea of getting Schultz back before the deadline should be one of joy for Penguins fans. The offensive-minded defenseman should help an already lethal lineup score even more, as they try to climb back up the Metropolitan Division ladder—not to mention hold off the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes who are nipping at their heels for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Michael Rasmussen Assigned To AHL

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The Detroit Red Wings have placed young forward Michael Rasmussen on long-term injured reserve, and assigned him to the minor leagues on a conditioning loan. Rasmussen’s IR stint is retroactive to January 4th. Rasmussen has been dealing with a hamstring injury all month, and will likely need some time to get back up to game speed after returning to the ice.

In a lost season for the Red Wings, Rasmussen’s emergence has been a welcome sight. While he hasn’t put up the kind of offensive numbers some would hope for, the simple fact that he’s been a regular in the NHL before his twentieth birthday is a positive sign. Originally selected with the ninth overall pick in 2017, the 6’6″ forward could be a game-changing talent if everything breaks right for him over his career. The Red Wings hope time in the NHL will send him on that path, and let him grow into a core piece of their offensive attack.

Rasmussen will likely play just three games in the AHL before being recalled, and then try to put together a solid second half with the Red Wings. There could even be some increased opportunity if Detroit decides to move on from players like Gustav Nyquist.

Minnesota Wild, Eric Staal Have Not Held Extension Talks

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In terms of rental centers that might be available at the deadline, most of the focus has been placed on just a few names. Matt Duchene, Kevin Hayes and Derick Brassard have been speculated on ad nauseam, but a new name may just enter the conversation before long. Eric Staal of the Minnesota Wild opened up to Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) for a superb feature that examines how his play has been affected by the lack of contract talks this year, and how the veteran forward knows that the next few games might decide whether he is playing for the Wild or someone else after the deadline. The biggest takeaway from the piece is that Staal and the Wild have still had no conversations at all regarding a potential extension, despite him being in the final season of a bargain three-year contract and scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1st.

Though it’s obviously impossible to know just how much a team would pay up for Staal’s services down the stretch, Russo asked a few front office executives who all believed that the Wild would not be able to secure a first-round pick for the 34-year old center. Any asking price though is contingent on what the Wild do over the next few weeks, since they currently sit in third place in the Central Division and would be going to the playoffs if the season ended today. Like other teams over the last few years though, perhaps the Wild know that even if they do make the playoffs they’re not going to be able to navigate the field of powerhouses in the Western Conference. The team would be looking at a first-round matchup with the Nashville Predators at the moment, and getting through both Nashville and the Winnipeg Jets seems almost impossible at the moment.

This isn’t a situation exactly like Columbus, where the Blue Jackets must make a decision about whether holding onto Artemi Panarin through the deadline is worth it. Panarin’s potential return through trade would be enormous, and it seems less and less likely that he wants to re-sign with the Blue Jackets at the end of the season. Staal is open about his desire to stay in Minnesota if possible, and if the potential return is just say, a second-round pick, it’s hard to imagine Fenton slapping a for sale sticker on his first-line center.

Still, there’s a reason why Staal still found himself in our Top-20 Midseason UFA Power Rankings. The veteran center brings almost everything that a contender like the Jets, Boston Bruins or Pittsburgh Penguins would be looking for at the deadline, and should have several suitors chasing him in free agency if he reaches it. A recent resurgence has him with 36 points through 49 games this season, just after recording 42 goals and 76 points for the Wild in 2017-18. While a first-round pick at this exact moment may be out of reach, remember how the Bruins ended up paying a lofty price to secure another veteran goal scorer last season. Rick Nash cost Boston a first-round pick and prospect Ryan Lindgren, even if the Rangers did take some salary back in Ryan Spooner and Matt Beleskey. If an arms race does ramp up closer to the deadline, Staal might be the ticket to recouping some of the draft picks the Wild have sent packing over the last few seasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Winnipeg Jets Looking For Depth Forward

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Though the Winnipeg Jets have been linked to nearly every potential free agent forward including the very best of the best, it might be a smaller move that gets things kicked off for the Western Conference contender. Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reported yesterday that Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has been working to bring in an experienced depth forward in order to “give head coach Paul Maurice more options in his bottom six.” McIntyre notes that the Jets have too often become a three-line team, benching their fourth unit because Maurice can’t quite trust them.

That can be seen perhaps most notably in the ice time logs of a young player like Jack Roslovic, who until recently had been limited to fewer than ten minutes almost every night. In fact, Roslovic has played fewer than seven minutes in 14 of his 49 games this season, hardly giving the young forward a chance to contribute. While Roslovic has been given an opportunity to play a little more recently, there is obviously a balance issue on the Jets that could be addressed with adding some more experience down in the lineup.

While McIntyre and just about every other media member points out how the Jets could also use a legitimate second-line center for the stretch drive—the role that Paul Stastny filled last season after being acquired from the St. Louis Blues at the deadline—it’s an interesting note that Cheveldayoff seems more focused right now at adding down in the lineup.

Perhaps that is because the Jets believe more names will be put out onto the market in the coming weeks. The Ottawa Senators have seemingly not yet made Matt Duchene available in trade as they continue to try and sign him, and with Kevin Hayes recent comments about wanting to stay with the New York Rangers perhaps he’s not the ideal target. Other names like Mark Stone, Wayne Simmonds and Artemi Panarin are all in complicated situations and don’t fit into the Jets structure perfectly because of their position on the wing.

The Jets will no doubt make a move at some point in the next three and a half weeks, but it’s still not clear how much they want to give up this time around. Remember that Stastny cost them a first-round pick last season meaning they didn’t select until 60th overall, and the team is already without their 2019 third-rounder from an expansion draft trade. Even though Winnipeg has built one of the strongest pipelines of talent in the entire league, they’re not a team that can afford to throw away futures every year. Still, the team looks as dangerous as ever as the playoffs draw closer and Cheveldayoff will have to decide whether it’s worth taking another crack at a top rental to push them over the edge, or just settle for a bottom-six addition in the meantime.

Minor Transactions: 01/30/19

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Just two games are on the schedule tonight but one is a battle between Eastern Conference contenders. The Tampa Bay Lightning will travel to Pittsburgh to take on All-Star MVP Sidney Crosby and the Penguins in a game that could have dire consequences for the home team. While the Penguins are never a team to write off, they now sit just two points ahead of Buffalo and four points ahead of Carolina for the final wild card spot. Tampa Bay will be a tough task if they want to get back on the winning track.

  • Denis Gurianov has been recalled by the Dallas Stars, a move that takes them to the full 23 man roster once again. Dallas will take on the Sabres tonight and could have their young forward in the lineup. Gurianov has been lighting up the AHL this season and seems to have turned a corner in his development. The 21-year old is a big part of the future for the Stars, and should get amply opportunity down the stretch.
  • Mike McKenna has been loaned to the minor leagues on a conditioning stint by the Philadelphia Flyers, a move that will save them from putting him on waivers for a little while longer. The Flyers will go with Carter Hart and Anthony Stolarz for the time being, with McKenna taking up residence with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
  • Andrew Mangiapane is on his way back to the Calgary Flames, recalled today from the minor leagues. Mangiapane has played 13 games for the Flames this season, but is still looking for his first NHL goal.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Michael Bunting from their AHL affiliate in Tuscon, the team announced. The 23-year-old scored a goal in his NHL debut earlier this season to kick off a four-game stint with the ’Yotes, but has otherwise remained with the Roadrunners. He has made the most of his season though, earning an AHL All-Star nod with 26 points in 29 games.
  • In a flurry of moves, the Vegas Golden Knights have swapped goaltenders and are prepared to give a young defenseman his first NHL start. The Knights announced that Oscar Dansk is on his way back to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, with Maxime Lagace getting the call-up to replace sickness-struck backup Malcolm Subban. Lagace has yet to see any NHL action this year after making 16 appearances in Vegas’ inaugural season. Joining him for a possible debut of his own is defenseman Jake Bischoff, who could finally suit up for the Knights following an impressive campaign as a first-year pro last season.

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