Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for January 2019

Detroit Has Not Discussed Extension With Nick Jensen

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

If there’s one team to watch in the Eastern Conference as the trade deadline approaches, it may very well be the Detroit Red Wings. After losing six straight—some in heartbreaking fashion—they’ve now fallen to seventh in the Atlantic Division and are just two points out of last place in the entire NHL. With that streak it’s hard to imagine they’ll be able to climb back into the playoff race, meaning the focus will start to turn to the expiring assets on the roster. Of those, Detroit has many.

The Red Wings find themselves with six regular roster players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents this summer, and one of them is reaching new heights in his career of late. In a deep feature on defenseman Nick Jensen, Max Bultman of The Athletic (subscription required) examines how the Red Wings are giving him a bigger opportunity with several players on the shelf with injury. Notably though, the piece ends by Bultman reporting that Detroit has not discussed an extension with Jensen and notes that a trade is an obvious possibility.

In face, a trade might be the best option for a Detroit team that is obvious still in need of additional young assets to really open their competitive window. After a long history of success over the past few decades, the team now finds themselves leaderless without Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk or Henrik Zetterberg to guide them towards the playoffs. Dylan Larkin looks like he’ll be the next great Red Wings player—even if he isn’t their All-Star representative this season—but needs help up all throughout the roster to do any real damage.

Jensen’s play this season has been encouraging, especially when given more minutes and responsibility. He also represents that always elusive right-handed defenseman that teams are searching for every year. We recently examined how the rental market is relatively thin on impact defensemen this season, making a player like Jensen even more attractive. If that wasn’t enough, the 28-year old comes with just an $812K cap hit this year.

There’s a very real chance that the Red Wings are limited at the deadline given the no-trade clauses they’ve handed out like candy over the years, but that’s not the case with Jensen. If the team doesn’t decide to make contact and discuss a possible extension over the next month, you can bet his name will be brought up regularly in trade speculation.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Carolina Hurricanes Make Three Roster Moves

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Carolina Hurricanes put up five goals yesterday on the Philadelphia Flyers, winning their second straight and climbing within just a single goal of 100 on the season. They are one of only two teams (along with the Los Angeles Kings, who sit at 94) without 100 goals this year, a result of some very inconsistent play from their forward group. One player who prior to this season was lauded for his consistency at both ends of the rink is Jordan Staal, who unfortunately was placed back on injured reserve today with an upper-body injury. The former Carolina captain had missed time with a concussion in December before returning for just two games prior to the Christmas break and hasn’t suited up since.

In his place, the team has recalled minor league forward Greg McKegg under emergency conditions to give them an extra body up front. More importantly though, Haydn Fleury has been sent back to the AHL. The young defenseman has also been out with a concussion, missing the team’s last nine games. His assignment likely means that he’s ready to get back into game action, and the team will give him the chance to prepare in the minor leagues.

Fleury, 22, has played just ten games for the Hurricanes this season and finds himself fighting for a spot on one of the most crowded blue lines in the NHL. Despite the Hurricanes’ unimpressive 17-17-5 record, they still have an enviable group of defensemen that includes Jaccob Slavin, Dougie Hamilton, Calvin de Haan, Brett Pesce, Justin Faulk and Trevor van Riemsdyk. That’s not even mentioning the other young options like Jake Bean and Roland McKeown who are pushing for spots, giving Fleury more than enough competition to endure even without factoring in a head injury.

If the Hurricanes ever do consider trading one of their prized defensemen, there is no shortage of players ready to seize the opportunity and show they are full-time NHL players. Fleury will have to wait for that chance with the others in the minor leagues for now.

Andreas Martinsen, Korbinian Holzer Placed On Waivers

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

UPDATE: All three players have cleared waivers. Martinsen has been reassigned to the AHL and the same fate is expected of Holzer. Pedrie will see his contract terminated by the Rangers.

The Chicago Blackhawks will be getting Drake Caggiula on the ice as soon as his visa issues are resolved, and today have prepared some room for him. Andreas Martinsen has been placed on waivers according to Scott Powers of The Athletic. In addition to Martinsen, CapFriendly reports that Anaheim Ducks defenseman Korbinian Holzer and New York Rangers prospect Vince Pedrie are also on waivers, the latter being unconditional for the purpose of a contract termination.

Martinsen, 28, has played just 24 games for the Blackhawks this season and has just four points. The big, physical forward has logged more than ten minutes in a single game just once, but still easily leads the team in hits with 83. That kind of bruising presence is needed sometimes, but with the Blackhawks struggling to stay out of the very bottom of the NHL standings a new approach might be in order. There very well could be another team that believes they can get a bigger contribution from Martinsen, but more likely he’ll be heading to the minor leagues shortly.

Holzer is in a slightly different situation given the injury that has kept him out all season, but he too has little opportunity to play for Anaheim. The team is already loaded with defense and has several prospects knocking on the door, leaving little room for the 30-year old to hit the ice. Holzer has never played more than 34 NHL games in a single season, and doesn’t look like he’ll be breaking that mark anytime soon.

Philadelphia Flyers Claim Mike McKenna

at CDT | by 10 Comments

In a move that’s sure to solve their goaltending woes, the Philadelphia Flyers have claimed Mike McKenna off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Canucks now face a dilemma in their minor league crease, given that Thatcher Demko has indeed been recalled as expected. For the Flyers, another goalie was needed after Michal Neuvirth suffered another minor injury. Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher explained the decision:

Mike provides our organization added depth as we continue to battle injuries at the goaltending position. He is a veteran goaltender with a tremendous amount of professional experience.

Tremendous amount of experience may be an understatement when it comes to McKenna. The 35-year old goaltender has played just 34 games at the NHL level, but has suited up more than 500 times in the minor leagues since his debut in 2005. While Carter Hart is expected to carry the load, McKenna is a good option to hold the backup role until Neuvirth, Anthony Stolarz or Brian Elliott are ready to return to action.

McKenna’s claim is an interesting one for several other teams around the league, including the Canucks themselves. The team had only just acquired the veteran goaltender from the Ottawa Senators and obviously hoped they would be able to get him through waivers today. The Utica Comets, Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, were already without Richard Bachman due to a long-term injury and have now lost Demko to the NHL. That leaves them without a starting goaltender for now, something that Vancouver will have to address quickly.

Another is the Toronto Maple Leafs, who very well could have put in a claim on McKenna given their own injury woes in net. Frederik Andersen is still out with a groin injury and the team confirmed that Garret Sparks has been diagnosed with a concussion. That leaves Michael Hutchinson as the lone experienced goaltender in Toronto, something they clearly are uncomfortable with.

Rudolfs Balcers Recalled By Ottawa Senators

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

When the Ottawa Senators traded Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks in the fall, the immediate roster changes were hard to justify. Karlsson was heading west, while just Chris Tierney and Dylan DeMelo would be suiting up for the Senators in 2018-19. While Tierney and DeMelo are fine players, they would need an outstanding season to replace the impact that Karlsson had in Ottawa. Beyond those two roster players the team also received a package of draft picks and University of Michigan prospect Josh Norris, who will need to be signed at some point before actually joining the Senators organization. The most interesting piece though in the entire trade may have just been Rudolfs Balcers, a 21-year old minor league forward who had found great success as a rookie in the AHL.

Today, after getting off to another great start in the minor leagues, Balcers was recalled by the Ottawa Senators. Originally selected in the fifth round given his unusual route to professional hockey, Balcers has turned into a legitimate NHL prospect that was leading the Belleville Senators in both goals and points through the first part of the season. Drafted out of Norway in 2015, the Latvian left winger came over to the WHL for the 2016-17 season and lit up the Canadian junior ranks, scoring 40 goals in 66 games. That touch around the net has continued with another 37 goals in 103 AHL contests.

It’s not that the trade hinges on the future of Balcers, it doesn’t. The Senators were in a situation where they felt they needed to trade their pending free agent captain, and received a big package that includes a top prospect like Norris and another first-round pick. But the deal could very well look a lot better down the line if Balcers continues to produce at the NHL level and turns into a legitimate top-six forward for the Senators. With the team facing more tough decisions on Mark Stone and Matt Duchene, both unrestricted free agents at the end of the year, there could be plenty of room in the 2019-20 lineup for a player like him.

The team has sent Jack Rodewald back to the AHL to make room on the roster.

Minor Transactions: 01/04/19

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Seven games grace the NHL schedule tonight, including a prime time matchup between Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins and Blake Wheeler’s Winnipeg Jets. These two teams were picked by many to push hard for a Stanley Cup this season, and are trying to get 2019 started on the right foot. As those teams and the others prepare for their games tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have returned Kasimir Kaskisuo to the minor leagues for the time being, which doesn’t tell us much about the team’s plans. While it could indicate that one of Frederik Andersen or Garret Sparks are ready to return to practice, it could also just be a cap saving measure for a team that is expected to be busy at the trade deadline. Kaskisuo could be back in time for the team’s game on Saturday night.
  • Thatcher Demko is getting his chance, recalled by the Vancouver Canucks today after the team lost Mike McKenna on waivers. As expected since the trade of Anders Nilsson, the Canucks are about to give Demko a real shot at earning the NHL job.

Elias Pettersson Suffers Lower-Body Injury

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Elias Pettersson has been arguably the most exciting young player in the entire NHL this season. His debut for the Vancouver Canucks in 2018-19 has been dynamic, but has also been marred by injury at times. Pettersson suffered a concussion earlier in the year when he was thrown hard to the ice, and tonight has suffered a lower-body injury in similar fashion. Pettersson sustained the injury when he got tangled up with Montreal Canadiens rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi and will not return to the game.

Whether or not Pettersson is out for an extended period of time, this is the exact worry many had about his chances to put together a long career in the NHL. The 20-year old center is a tremendous talent, but at 6’2″ 176-lbs can be worked over physically. His skill and production makes him a target for the other team, and though this play may have not been intentional—or at least as intentional as the Mike Matheson incident—he’s going to continue to be involved in situations like this throughout his career. Hopefully in this case it will turn out to just be a minor knee injury.

If he does miss time, there’s a chance he or the Canucks could decide he should not attend the All-Star game at the end of the month. Pettersson was selected to the Pacific Division team after recording 42 points in his first 37 games, and is the runaway favorite for the Calder Trophy at this point in the season.

Winnipeg Jets Acquire Jimmy Oligny

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Winnipeg Jets have acquired minor league defenseman Jimmy Oligny from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for future considerations. Oligny will report to the Manitoba Moose, where he can add another physical presence to the AHL club.

Oligny, 25, won’t be mistaken for an offensive dynamo anytime soon, but has enough ability to log regular minutes while also being an intimidating presence on the ice. The left-handed defenseman has 23 fights in his four-plus years in the AHL and can add a different look for the Moose. Those Moose are struggling to find any success this season at either end of the rink, partly because they’ve been stripped of talent by the Jets the last few seasons.

Anaheim Ducks Trade Jared Coreau

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The St. Louis Blues have found an answer to their immediate minor league goaltending issues, acquiring Jared Coreau from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for future considerations. Coreau can give the Blues another option at the AHL level, given they currently have Evan Fitzpatrick up at the NHL level. The two organizations completed another trade later in the night, with the San Antonio Rampage sending minor league forward Jared Thomas to the San Diego Gulls. That deal is likely the considerations from the NHL trade, but since Thomas is on an AHL deal he could not be included.

Coreau had recently been allowed to attend the Spengler Cup for Team Canada, and gives the Blues organization an experienced name that has posted very good numbers in the minor leagues before. Signed out of Northern Michigan University by the Detroit Red Wings, Coreau was an up-and-coming goaltending prospect at one point that was kept down by Jimmy Howard and Petr Mrazek. He finally received his first NHL opportunity in 2016-17, but failed to really establish himself as a full-time option.

He became a Group 6 unrestricted free agent at the end of last season, and Anaheim signed him to a one-year two-way contract worth just $650K at the NHL level. That’s a desirable contract for a team looking for minor league depth, but still didn’t make Coreau worth enough for even a late-round pick. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent once again at the end of this season.

Philadelphia Flyers Issue Update On Injured Players

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Philadelphia Flyers, win-less in their last five games, have struggled with injuries at every position this season. With 39 games under their belt already, Philadelphia approaches the midway point of the season as the last-place team in the Metropolitan Division and currently 12 points out of a playoff spot. While new general manager Chuck Fletcher has a reputation for making big trades, the team seems unlikely to be anything but a seller unless their fortunes change dramatically in the second half. Any chance of that happening thus depends on the team getting back to full health and staying that way, allowing for some consistency on the roster to yield results. The Flyers today released an update on six players currently sidelined, paired with predictions of when they might return to action.

The most pressing injury update obviously belongs to starting goaltender Brian Elliott. Elliott, out since mid-November with a lower-body injury thought to be a groin injury, has played in just 14 games this season for the Flyers. With injuries hampering Michal Neuvirth, Alex Lyon, and Anthony Stolarz (also currently out) at times this season as well, Elliott is one of six different keepers to man the Philadelphia net this season, none of whom have had much success. Elliott remains the Flyers’ top option and best chance of winning games. The team relayed that they expect the veteran net minder to finally return to action in the next 10-14 days. They also added that Stolarz, who missed almost the entire 2017-18 season due to injury, is also on the mend and should be back from his own lower-body injury within days.

On the blue line, veteran Andrew MacDonald is also struggling with a lower-body injury, but should not miss much time. The Flyers announced that he will sit for the team’s next two games, but should resume skating on the other side of the weekend. More importantly, young counterpart Samuel Morin, who has yet to play this season due to off-season ACL surgery, is finally progressing toward a return. However, a serious knee injury takes time and, while Morin is back at practice with the team, they don’t expect him to be game-ready until later in February. Up front, young center Nolan Patrick is not expected to miss much time with a recently-suffered upper-body injury. Patrick has missed the team’s past three games, but is close to being cleared and is expected to play at some point next week. Finally, Corban Knight, out since late October following surgery to repair a broke collarbone, is ahead of schedule on his initial four month timeline. Knight will be re-evaluated later this month and is expected to return in February.

The question now is whether or not the improved health of the Flyers makes a difference. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently named Philadelphia as a team he expected to be active on the trade market, but acknowledged that it is still unclear whether they consider themselves buyers or sellers. Despite the poor on-ice performance, Fletcher still sees the potential in his new club and would like to improve the roster rather than dismantle it. However, if health alone isn’t enough to close the gap substantially by the NHL Trade Deadline, he may have no choice but to move out his expendable pieces. Elliott, an impending unrestricted free agent, could be a valued piece for teams with needs in net, especially if he can prove that he is back at full strength with some strong play. Neuvirth and Stolarz, who also have expiring contracts, are other potential goalie rentals, albeit less likely to move. The real value for the Flyers would come from moving several forwards, namely Wayne Simmonds, but also fellow UFA’s Michael Raffl and Jordan Weal. Whether or not it comes to that for Fletcher and the Flyers depends on the team’s play down the stretch and they hope that this upcoming return to health helps to make the difference.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top