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Senators, Devils Hold Top Trade Candidates Out Of Lineup

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The match-up between the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils tonight could have somewhat of a preseason feel. When two of the NHL’s three worst teams face off, they will do so without many of their top players. Matt Duchene, Mark Stone, and Ryan Dzingel will not dress for Ottawa and neither will Marcus Johansson and Ben Lovejoy for New Jersey.

Both teams have confirmed that the scratches are “precautionary”, but seeing as all five are impending unrestricted free agents rumored to be on the trade block with the NHL Trade Deadline just four days away, it is easy to read between the lines. While the likes of Duchene and Johansson have been confirmed as on the market and likely to be traded, speculation is set to soar about Stone and Dzingel, as well as Lovejoy. Case in point: TSN’s Frank Seravalli has moved Stone up to No. 1 on the TSN Trade Bait List following this news, stating that “sitting out signals his apparent decision to forego a contract extension with the Senators in favour of testing the open market.” Stone and Duchene are now occupying the top two spots on the list, with Dzingel at No. 9. For New Jersey, Johansson comes in at No. 14 and Lovejoy at No. 41. Tonight’s lineup decisions indicate all five could be headed elsewhere in the coming days.

Fans in attendance tonight will likely be disappointed by the lack of star power, but not as much as the scouts in attendance. TSN’s Gord Miller notes that the many scouts still evaluating Ottawa’s big three – who make up 41% of their scoring this season – will likely be frustrated by the absence of not just Duchene, who sat out last game, but also Stone and Dzingel. This includes the Winnipeg Jets, who have been frequently linked to the Senators’ stars. NJ.com’s Chris Ryan reports that the Jets have three scouts in attendance, yet no Ottawa stars to observe. Ryan states that ten teams have scouts in attendance and some were likely there to see Johansson and/or Lovejoy as well, but instead will only see sellers protecting their assets.

Latest On Mark Stone, Ottawa Senators

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The Ottawa Senators submitted a substantial offer to pending free agent winger Mark Stone last week, and things seemed to be trending in the right direction between the two sides. All that changed today according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia, who reports that Stone could be scratched tonight and traded before Monday’s deadline after that optimism has “quickly turned to pessimism.” The Senators recalled two forwards—Filip Chlapik and Darren Archibald—today in preparation for tonight’s game which could also see fellow forward Matt Duchene held out as a healthy scratch.

Garrioch notes that if Stone is available at the deadline the Winnipeg Jets are the top contender, though the talented winger would be on the minds of nearly every contender in the league. To that end, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic spoke today about how the Calgary Flames also have interest in Stone if they could somehow get an indication that he would be open to a contract extension.

The 26-year old Stone is an incredible talent in the midst of his second consecutive point-per-game season and will likely reach the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his career. A Selke candidate every year even as a winger, there are few players in the league who can drive possession like Stone on a regular basis. His ability at both ends of the rink make him a perfect fit for basically every team in the league, and could potentially make him the most valuable asset at the deadline.

It’s not just as a rental player that Stone has value though. The Senators have tried for some time to sign him to a long-term deal given that he is still in the prime of his career and even an eight-year deal would be buying out mostly productive seasons. That eighth year is also a consideration in trade, as if Stone wants to sign a deal of that length he can only do so with the team who owns his rights as the deadline passes. On the open market, he would only be able to sign for seven years (though sign-and-trade is still a possibility).

If Stone is held out of the lineup tonight it will be a clear indicator that the Senators intend to trade him by the deadline. At that, teams from all around the league will surely reach out if they have not done so already and see what the cost in acquiring him would be. The trade market has been somewhat held up by names like Stone and Duchene so far, but things should be starting to move along in the next few days.

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Minor Transactions: 02/21/19

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The NHL has a full slate of action on tap tonight, with 11 matches taking place including a rematch of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals. The Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks face off in an important game for both clubs as they try to secure playoff berths in their respective conferences. As the league prepares for tonight’s play, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Minnesota Wild have recalled J.T. Brown from the minor leagues, though Ryan Donato is expected to enter the lineup. Brown has just four points in 35 games for the Wild this season and was sent down to the AHL earlier this month.
  • The Washington Capitals have officially sent Devante Smith-Pelly to the minor leagues after he cleared waivers, meaning he will play his first AHL game since the 2013-14 season. Even with the recent addition of Carl Hagelin, the Capitals could very well bring up Smith-Pelly at some point down the stretch for his playoff experience.
  • Jonny Brodzinski has been activated from injured reserve, and could help replace Hagelin in the Los Angeles Kings lineup. Brodzinski hasn’t played a game for the Kings this season but recorded one goal in a three-game conditioning stint with the Ontario Reign.
  • Landon Bow has been returned to the AHL by the Dallas Stars, which should signal a return to action for Ben Bishop. Bishop hasn’t played a game since February 4th, but will have to play a big role for the Stars down the stretch if they’re to make the playoffs.

Mike Hoffman Asked To Submit No-Trade List

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The Florida Panthers have already traded away Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann in an attempt to clear some salary off their books moving forward, and are at least preparing to do it again if the need arises. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that Mike Hoffman has been asked to submit his 10-team no-trade list ahead of the deadline, giving the Panthers at least some idea of where he does not want to go. LeBrun is quick to point out that this does not guarantee a trade by Monday’s deadline, but does signify that teams have been expressing interest in the sniper. Hoffman’s contract carries a $5.1875MM average annual value through the 2019-20 season.

Hoffman, 29, is having the best season of his career in Florida with 49 points through his first 58 games. That includes 26 goals, a pace that would push him over the 30-goal threshold for the first time in his career. Possessing a lethal combination of shooting ability and speed, the winger could be added to almost any lineup for an instant offensive injection.

Still, that success that Hoffman has found in Florida is not something the team will be quick to throw away. After the Ottawa Senators were forced to sell Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks following a locker room feud between him and then captain Erik Karlsson, the Panthers snapped him up knowing first hand how dangerous he could be with the puck on his stick.

All that success might not matter though if the Panthers have their sights set on a bigger fish. Several reports have surfaced over the last month that the team will be interested in signing Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin should they both reach free agency, and Florida would need to clear salary—not necessarily cap space—in order to do that. The team is not quite a cap team, especially if the ceiling keeps increasing every year. Of course, clearing salary doesn’t immediately mean Hoffman is on his way out. Signing Bobrovsky would also mean the departure of at least one of Roberto Luongo or James Reimer in some fashion, though the former has very little actual salary left on his deal.

If Hoffman was available, you can bet several teams would be interested despite his questionable departure from Ottawa. Those who are less interested in going after the high-end rental options might think that he’s actually more valuable, given that he will be coming back for an additional season at a reasonable price and is still young enough to continue performing.

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New York Rangers Recall Lias Andersson

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In a move that may signify more than just a reward for a young prospect, Lias Andersson has been recalled by the New York Rangers. The team has placed Brett Howden on injured reserve to make room on the roster, but it could point to the team preparing to sit out some of their high priced trade assets ahead of Monday’s deadline. The Rangers have three games in four nights before the deadline passes, and players like Kevin Hayes and Mats Zuccarello are drawing plenty of interest from around the league.

Andersson, 20, was the seventh overall pick in the 2017 draft and made his NHL debut last season with the Rangers. He was given an even bigger chance this year by getting into 21 games, but failed to make much of an offensive impact and found himself back in the minor leagues. The talented Swedish center has 20 points in 36 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, but still has immense upside and will likely be a huge part of the Rangers short rebuild.

The Rangers of course don’t have to pull players like Hayes and Zuccarello out of the lineup, but with the chance of trade over the next few days still exceedingly high it would benefit them to protect their assets. The trade market is being held hostage right now by the top names like Matt Duchene and Artemi Panarin, but Hayes and Zuccarello have already drawn plenty of interest from around the league.

Washington Capitals Acquire Carl Hagelin

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The Washington Capitals were bound to make a move of some sort after waiving Devante Smith-Pelly yesterday, and it comes in the form of Carl Hagelin. The Capitals have acquired Hagelin from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick and a conditional 2020 sixth-round pick. The Kings will be retaining 50% of what remains on Hagelin’s contract, which had already been involved in a retained salary transaction earlier in the year and expires at the end of this season. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the sixth-round pick will be sent to Los Angeles if the Capitals win two playoff rounds and Hagelin plays in 50% of any two rounds combined.

Hagelin, 30, should be very familiar to Capitals fans already from his days with the Pittsburgh Penguins, though he is not quite the same player that scored 16 playoff points en route to a 2016 Stanley Cup victory. In fact, Hagelin has just eight points through 38 games this season split between the Penguins and Kings. Still, Capitals GM Brian MacLellan obviously saw a way for his team to improve, and released a statement explaining why he made the move:

We are pleased to welcome Carl to our organization. We felt this trade enables us to add depth up front and provides us with a veteran player with a tremendous amount of speed to help us on the penalty kill.

If there is one thing Hagelin is still known for, it is that speed. One of the fastest players in the NHL, he will jump into the Capitals bottom-six and replace a player in Smith-Pelly who has slowed considerably this season. There’s a good chance the former Penguins forward will also become a trusted penalty killer, a role that he has excelled at over the years.

For the Kings, this was always the plan after acquiring Hagelin from the Penguins in exchange for Tanner Pearson earlier this year. As an expiring contract he was never expected to stay the whole season in Los Angeles, where the team is committed to a short rebuild after getting off to such a slow start. The Kings now have ten picks in the upcoming draft including five in the first three rounds. The team could acquire even more by selling off other names like Ilya Kovalchuk, Tyler Toffoli or Alec Martinez, but it is unclear if they will really want to move on from those more important players.

Washington meanwhile is happy to give up a third-round selection to add some Stanley Cup experience to the team for another playoff run. While other teams were giving away their first-round picks last year to try and load up at the deadline, the Capitals decided to hold onto theirs and actually selected three times in the first two rounds. Once again they still have their first and second for the upcoming draft, ensuring that more young talent will continue to flow into their system.

Even with the retained salary on Hagelin’s deal, the Capitals are right up against the cap and have almost no room to do anything else at the deadline. They could however move out some other names that have been rumored, including Dmitrij Jaskin who was expected to be placed on waivers yesterday. If not, this is the group they’ll have to ride until the playoffs.

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Washington Capitals Place Devante Smith-Pelly On Waivers

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Thursday: Smith-Pelly has cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.

Wednesday: In a fascinating turn of events, the Washington Capitals have placed Devante Smith-Pelly on waivers today. Multiple reports came out this morning expecting the team to place Dmitrij Jaskin instead, given his absence at practice and word from a team spokesman, but he is not on waivers. Instead Smith-Pelly, who was pulled from practice before it concluded, is available for the rest of the league.

This situation seems similar to one in late 2018 when the Toronto Maple Leafs announced they would be placing Connor Carrick on waivers, before eventually trading him instead. No word has come on Jaskin’s status so far, but he did not join the team for practice at any point. Head coach Todd Reiden admitted to reporters including Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post that the plan was to waive Jaskin, but the team changed their minds and that there are a lot of “moving parts” behind the scenes right now.

For Smith-Pelly, this isn’t an entirely surprising move. The 26-year old forward has failed to capture any of the magic that made him one of the Capitals’ playoff heroes last spring, and has just eight points in 54 games. While he’s still a physical presence and fan favorite, the Capitals need to clear some cap room if they are going to make any deadline additions and the remainder of Smith-Pelly’s $1MM salary could be entirely buried in the minor leagues.

That is of course if he clears, which certainly isn’t guaranteed. Teams looking to improve their fourth line could do worse than the second-round pick, especially given his history in the postseason. Smith-Pelly has 13 goals in 48 career postseason games, including seven last year with the Capitals en route to a Stanley Cup.

Mike McKenna, Joseph Cramarossa On Waivers

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Thursday: Both McKenna and Cramarossa have cleared waivers.

Wednesday: After recalling and activating Brian Elliott yesterday, the Philadelphia Flyers found themselves with four goaltenders on their active roster. Today they went about changing that, by placing Mike McKenna on waivers. The Pittsburgh Penguins have also placed Joseph Cramarossa on waivers, meaning they’ve signed him to an NHL contract for the rest of the year. Cramarossa had been playing with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on an AHL contract, meaning he couldn’t have been recalled if the team wanted to have him help in Pittsburgh.

It’s been another tough year for McKenna, who by the time he retires might go down as the most well-traveled goaltender in the history of the NHL. The 35-year old has been part of three organizations just this season, suiting up for the Flyers, Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks (not to mention their minor league affiliates). After being selected in the sixth round in 2002, McKenna has failed to gain any real traction in the NHL and still has just 35 games to his name. Still, he may be on to another team once again as he provides reliable minor league service wherever he goes.

Cramarossa meanwhile is just 26 but hasn’t played a game in the NHL since 2016-17 when he suited up 59 times for the Canucks and Anaheim Ducks. He has just nine points in 32 games for the AHL Penguins, but is a physical bottom-six presence that could be used as an injury replacement if necessary. The two-way contract carries an average annual value of $650K in the NHL.

Ottawa Senators Recall Two Forwards

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With the Ottawa Senators expected to keep at least Matt Duchene out of the lineup tonight against the New Jersey Devils, two forwards have been recalled from the minor leagues. Filip Chlapik and Darren Archibald have both been added to the roster giving the team 14 forwards for the time being. The team obviously has three major trade chips up front in Duchene, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel, but won’t be able to sit them all without suiting up seven defensemen.

If the team does insert Chlapik into the lineup it would be a great opportunity to show that he can be a full-time part of the team going forward. The 21-year old played 20 games for the team last season and recorded four points, but has been limited to minor league duty this year. The 6’2″ forward has 30 points in 41 games for the Belleville Senators and is developing nicely after being picked with the 48th overall selection in 2015.

Archibald meanwhile is just trying to get any chance at the NHL level before it’s too late. The 29-year old forward spent years in the Vancouver Canucks system toiling in the minor leagues, but arrived in Ottawa as part of the Anders Nilsson trade earlier this season. A mix of skill and physicality, he has just 14 points in 54 career NHL games and is looking for his first point for Ottawa.

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