Archives for February 2019

Colorado Avalanche Could Be Ideal Destination For Andre Burakovsky

February 13, 2019 at 10:40 am CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments

After another loss last night, the Colorado Avalanche are win-less in their last eight games. Normally, this would send a team plummeting down the standings, but in this season’s Western Conference “turtle derby”, the Avs are tied for tenth-place in the West and just four points back of a wild card spot with a game in hand on the Minnesota Wild. Colorado doesn’t have the best odds of making the playoffs – The Athletic model puts them at 32% – but they certainly still have a chance. It puts GM Joe Sakic in a difficult position as the NHL Trade Deadline approaches; he knows that his team, which held a playoff spot for much of the first half, has the talent to make the postseason, but he also lacks the confidence in the current standings to be a true buyer. Sakic stated last week that he would not move first-round picks or top prospects at the deadline, but without a win since then, he may have ruled out giving up any trade capital of value for a rental.

Where a move does still make sense for the Avalanche is in acquiring a forward with term or team control. The lack of secondary scoring that has plagued the team this season is not going to magically correct itself next year, so it makes sense for Sakic to target forwards that could help down the stretch this year and moving forward. The best case scenario would be a deal where the Colorado does not have to give up futures to acquire such a player. Few of these opportunities exist, but the Avs are reportedly looking into one of them. Appearing on TSN 1050 in Toronto yesterday, Pierre LeBrun reported that the Avalanche are in on young Washington Capitals forward Andre Burakovsky. Burakovsky, 24, has fallen out of favor in Washington and has been on the trade block for much of the season. The talented winger is an impending restricted free agent this summer and due a qualifying offer of $3.25MM, but Colorado has both the cap space and the need for depth to accommodate a contract extension. Burakovsky, who is on pace for 24 points this season behind a drop-off in ice time and shooting percentage, has otherwise scored at a half point-per-game clip and logged strong possession numbers in his previous four years with the Caps. He could be the exact type of buy-low, high upside forwards that Sakic and company need. With a change of scenery, Burakovsky could make an impact this year and become a core piece for the Avs next season and beyond.

Yet, what makes Colorado and Washington ideal trade partners is what the Capitals want in return. Like many contenders who are willing to move a young roster player, Washington will need a replacement. According to The Athletic’s Scott Burnside, the asking price for Burakovsky is another top-nine forward who can out-perform him in his stead this season. Washington GM Brian MacLellan has very little cap room to work with at the deadline – approximately $1.1MM in salary – and is almost exclusively looking to upgrade via hockey trade as a result. The Capitals’ best chance of improving at the deadline is likely in their return for Burakovsky. So what do the Avalanche have to offer as the centerpiece of a package for Burakovsky? Colin Wilson, an impending free agent with a cap hit just under $4MM, makes a lot of sense. Wilson has out-produced Burakovsky this season and brings an added element of experience and a hard-working style that would be a major boost to the Capitals’ bottom six. Matthew Nieto is another option; the 26-year-old has similar numbers to Burakovsky albeit with less potential, but does carry a team-friendly $1.975MM hit through next season. If the Avs are really high on Burakovsky, they may even consider swapping out one of their own RFA scorers in Alexander Kerfoot or J.T. Compher. Perhaps the most intriguing option though, and one that could likely up the price on the Capitals’ side, is veteran forward Carl Soderberg. After two down years, Soderberg is again on pace for a 50-point season and would be a major addition for the Caps. He does have a $4.75MM cap hit through next season that would require some retention on the part of the Avalanche, but if MacLellan is willing to sweeten the offer beyond just Burakovsky, Sodeberg could be a difference maker for the team. With good potential fits on both sides and rumored mutual interest, a Burakovksy-to-the-Avs trade could be coming down the line in the next twelve days.

Minor Transactions: 02/13/2019

February 13, 2019 at 9:32 am CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

It’s a quiet lineup for the NHL tonight, with just two games on the docket. Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers visit Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, while the Anaheim Ducks look to snap a seven-game losing streak against the division rival Vancouver Canucks. However, more than just these four teams will be busy. With the NHL Trade Deadline just twelve days away, look for another flurry of activity today:

Patrick Brown was promoted by the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday and just as soon demoted to the AHL on Tuesday night. The ’Canes announced after last night’s game that they have reassigned Brown to the Charlotte Checkers. The AHL captain did not suit up for Carolina in their win over the Ottawa Senators and still has not seen any NHL action since 2016-17. Yet, he remains a dependable producer in Charlotte and a capable depth option for the Hurricanes down the stretch.
Also yesterday, the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda signed veteran forward T.J. Hensick to a contract for the remainder of the season, per a league release. Hensick, 33, had been playing in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye, affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, and was leading the league with 58 points in 47 games. Hensick now brings that ability and experience back to the AHL as one of the more accomplished active players in the league’s history. It’s unlikely that Hensick – who has over 100 NHL games to his credit as well as a member of the Colorado Avalanche – will end up with a contract from the Sharks, but should be a positive locker room and on-ice presence for the Barracuda the rest of the way.
The Boston Bruins have opted to fill David Pastrnak’s roster spot by giving a first-year pro his first NHL call-up. The team announced that Karson Kuhlman has been recalled from the AHL’s Providence Bruins and will join the team on their upcoming five-game west coast road trip. Kuhlman captained the University of Minnesota – Duluth to an NCAA Championship last year, was a standout in the preseason, and has been one of Providence’s most consistent contributors, so it was only a matter of time before the two-way winger earned an NHL recall. As the Bruins continue their pursuit for secondary scoring, Kuhlman is the latest to get a shot at earning a spot in Boston.
Vinni Lettieri is headed back down to the minors. The New York Rangers announced that their most frequent recall has again been reassigned to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Lettieri should not be surprised; while he’s been close to a point-per-game scorer for the Wolf Pack, he’s now been held scoreless in 18 games with the Rangers this season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have flipped their transaction from yesterday, calling up forward Mathieu Joseph – who never really left – and sending defenseman Jan Rutta back to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Rutta, acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks last month, was brought up to be the extra defenseman with Erik Cernak sidelined, so this move would suggest Cernak is ready to go tomorrow against the Dallas Stars. Meanwhile, Joseph should return to his role as a capable bottom-six contributor.
The Ottawa Senators have returned veteran grinder Darren Archibald to the AHL’s Belleville Senators. Archibald, acquired from the Vancouver Canucks alongside Anders Nilsson, has been sent back in forth by the Sens several times, but still has one lone appearance with the team back in January.
CapFriendly reports that the Anaheim Ducks have swapped out a veteran defenseman for a young forward. Max Jones has been recalled by the team, while Korbinian Holzer has been reassigned. Neither player has had much of a role for the Ducks this season; Jones was held scoreless through four games earlier in the year, while Holzer has one point in two games since coming off season-opening injured reserve. However, it’s Jones who has a future in Anaheim and should compete for a starting job next season, so better to see him get some NHL minutes down the stretch. The big winger is a 2016 first-round pick who has 28 points in 40 games for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls in his first pro season.

West Notes: Winnipeg’s Trade Priority, Golden Knights, Miller

February 12, 2019 at 8:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

While the belief has been that like last season, the Jets would focus on acquiring a top-six center by the trade deadline, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported in the latest Insider Trading (video link) that at this point, their top priority is acquiring an impact winger. Nikolaj Ehlers remains on injured reserve and is expected to miss a few more weeks at least while Patrik Laine has struggled considerably as of late. Jack Roslovic is currently holding down a right wing spot but as a natural center, Winnipeg may prefer to have him spend more time developing at his natural position. With the contracts they still need to sign for next season, whoever they do add will almost certainly have to be a player with an expiring contract.

Deadline Primer: Boston Bruins

February 12, 2019 at 6:54 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 10 Comments

With the trade deadline fast approaching, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue previewing the Atlantic Division, here is a look at the Boston Bruins.

Heading into the season, the Bruins were regarded as one of the top teams in the Atlantic Division along with Tampa Bay and Toronto. They’ve done nothing to really change that but at the same time, they’ve done nothing to address their needs thus far. If Boston wants to really move into true contender territory, GM Don Sweeney is probably going to need to be active on the trade front over the next couple of weeks.

Record

31-17-8, third in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$19.578MM in a full-season cap hit, 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 44/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: BOS 1st, BOS 2nd, BOS 3rd, NYR 4th, BOS 5th, BOS 6th, NYR 7th
2020: BOS 1st, BOS 2nd, BOS 3rd, BOS 4th, BOS 5th, BOS 6th, BOS 7th

Trade Chips

Teams that are selling are often looking for cheap, controllable talent coming the other way and those with some NHL experience are coveted in particular. The Bruins have that in abundance, particularly up front. Wingers Danton Heinen, Peter Cehlarik, and Ryan Donato as well as center Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson have all spent time with the big club this season with varying degrees of success. (Winger Anders Bjork is part of this group as well but he’s out for the season with a shoulder injury.) They all have shown they have legitimate NHL upside but aside from Heinen, none of them have been able to lock down a full-time spot just yet. They all would be coveted as young, NHL-ready players and will be asked about in virtually every trade conversation Sweeney has between now and February 25th.

On the back end, there has been a sense that Boston could afford to part with one of their defenders. The one that seems to be getting a lot of attention is Matt Grzelcyk. The 25-year-old has established himself as a regular this season and is logging nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game. With a $1.4MM cap hit through next season, he’s an affordable top-four option for pretty much anyone. With Torey Krug and John Moore already signed, Urho Vaakanainen looking like he’s close to being NHL ready, and the possible return of Zdeno Chara for another year, it could be deemed that Grzelcyk is expendable but the asking price would understandably be high.

Five Players To Watch For: F Peter Cehlarik, F Ryan Donato, D Matt Grzelcyk, F Danton Heinen, F Jack Studnicka

Team Needs

1) Top Six Winger: This has been an area that Boston has been looking to fill since last season when they ultimately traded for Rick Nash just before the trade deadline. They’ve tried to fill that spot internally but the consistency just hasn’t been there enough for them to trust one of those youngsters in that role heading into the postseason. Finding someone for the right wing was already high on the priority list but with David Pastrnak’s surgery, that vacancy becomes just a little more important.

2) Third Line Center: When Riley Nash left to sign with Columbus in the summer (a move that has not worked out well for the Blue Jackets), the hope was that his spot could also be filled internally. Their youngsters haven’t locked down that spot and asking David Backes to play down the middle hasn’t worked as well as they hoped either. Top contenders have quality depth at center and while the Bruins have a strong top two in Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, finding an impact player to play a third line role would really bolster their attack.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Oilers, Duchene, Skinner

February 12, 2019 at 5:53 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Edmonton Oilers are six points out of a playoff spot. They’re also just two points out of last place in the Western Conference and just 3-5-2 in their last ten games. Despite that, interim GM Keith Gretzky is still hoping his team can be buyers at the trade deadline. Gretzky spoke on several topics with Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (subscription required) including his hope for the playoffs this season.

The team has six games remaining before the trade deadline and will have to go on quite a run to really prove that they are contenders in the Western Conference. While you can’t rule anything out when a team has Connor McDavid driving the charge, it’s tough to imagine the Oilers competing with the top contenders in the NHL.

Matt Duchene’s agent spoke with Ottawa Senators GM Pierre Dorion again today according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, but still nothing is decided on whether the pending free agent will re-sign or not. Duchene’s decision is likely holding up the entire trade market, given he would likely become the most desirable center available if he chooses to be dealt. The Senators would love to keep their prized forward, but Duchene has to decide whether he wants to go through another rebuild. Even their owner doesn’t believe the team will be competitive until 2021.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic was on TSN radio recently and wanted to remind people that Jeff Skinner likely won’t be traded away from the Buffalo Sabres, but not necessarily because of an extension. Skinner has a full no-movement clause that came with him even though he waived it to come to Buffalo in the first place. As CapFriendly pointed out today on Twitter, players normally keep the clause even if they waive it for a single trade.

Evgeni Malkin Receives One-Game Suspension

February 12, 2019 at 4:52 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 9 Comments

Though he didn’t think any supplementary discipline was warranted, Evgeni Malkin has been suspended one game for his high stick last night. The Pittsburgh Penguins forward struck Michael Raffl in the head. As the accompanying video from the Department of Player Safety explains:

It is important to note that while we understand Malkin’s contention that his stick only made glancing contact with Raffl, this does not excuse his actions. In fact, NHL stick fouls do not require that contact actually be made for discipline to be assessed. Under rule 60.4, a match penalty for high-sticking is to be assessed ’when in the opinion of the referee, a player attempts to or deliberately injures an opponent while carrying or holding any part of his stick above the shoulders of the opponent.’

We agree with the on-ice officials that assessed the match penalty. This is not a reckless play where a spinning player loses some amount of control over his stick. This is an intentional stick swing directed at an opponent with force, at a dangerous height and for the purposes of retaliation.

Malkin has a history of fines in his career and has been involved in several dangerous incidents, but has never served a suspension before. That likely was taken into account in determining the length of this ban, along with the fact that he made only glancing contact.

The Penguins face the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow night and will be without one of their superstars, though he should be back for their matchup with the Calgary Flames on Saturday night. Malkin is not expected to appeal the suspension.

New York Rangers, Kevin Hayes Still Not Holding Extension Talks

February 12, 2019 at 3:56 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

If you had to place a bet in July on whether Kevin Hayes would be with the New York Rangers for the entire 2018-19 season, it was a gimme—he wouldn’t. The big center had just signed a one-year deal that would take him to unrestricted free agency and the Rangers were not expected to compete for the playoffs. Still, as the season began and some of the Rangers young players stepped up and surprised with their polished talent, some wondered whether the team would look to keep some of their pending free agents and turn a rebuild into a quicker retool.

Hayes, for his part even expressed how much he wanted to stay with the organization despite suggesting things were out of his control. It so happens that things are out of his control because there aren’t even talks happening between the forward and the Rangers front office, as Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports. The two sides haven’t had any discussion of late on an extension, leading to Brooks’ anticipation that a trade will happen. The scribe even goes as far as to suggest that the Rangers will soon pull Hayes—and fellow trade target Mats Zuccarello—out of the lineup soon to avoid injury.

If Hayes is to be traded, one of his most likely suitors will get an up close viewing tonight. The Rangers will play the Winnipeg Jets tonight, a team that has been looking to add a second-line center since losing Paul Stastny to free agency in the summer. Hayes would seem to be a perfect fit for the Jets, though he doesn’t come with the same level of playoff experience Stastny brought last season.

They certainly won’t be the only team checking in on Hayes’ availability. The Boston Bruins, who lost top scorer David Pastrnak for the foreseeable future and have struggled to create secondary scoring all season are a good bet to be interested in the Rangers center. Hayes of course is from Massachusetts and attended Boston College, an added bonus in terms of fit and comfort.

Boston, Winnipeg and all of the other teams that have interest could very well have to wait though, as the Rangers are seemingly letting things play out with some of the other big names before selling off their assets. Matt Duchene especially could be holding up Hayes’ market given their shared position, while Mark Stone and Artemi Panarin are the biggest fish available.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Olli Maatta Out Indefinitely With Upper-Body Injury

February 12, 2019 at 1:53 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 5 Comments

The Pittsburgh Penguins have lost one of their defensemen for the time being, as Olli Maatta has been placed on injured reserve. The team announced that Maatta will be out indefinitely following an upper-body injury suffered last night.

Pittsburgh was just about to experience their full defensive corps given Justin Schultz’ imminent return from injury, but will now have to deal with another glaring hole on the back end. Maatta, for all the flaws that have been pointed out in his game over the years—mostly regarding his skating ability—has been an effective defensive zone and short-handed option for the Penguins all season. Schultz doesn’t fill that specific role, so the team will need to lean even more heavily on the likes of Brian Dumoulin and Jack Johnson.

The injury, which appears to be to Maatta’s shoulder, will hopefully not keep the 24-year old out of the playoffs where he has performed admirably over the years. During the team’s 2017 Stanley Cup run, Maatta logged nearly 21 minutes a night in the absence of Kris Letang. Even last season Maatta was a reliable playoff option on the blue line, easily leading the defense corps with a +8 rating in 12 games.

If he is facing a long-term recovery, it will be interesting to see if the Penguins go out and add another name to their group for the stretch run. They traded away Jamie Oleksiak earlier this season despite his positive contributions, and don’t have an obvious option in the minor leagues should anyone else suffer an injury. Losing Maatta doesn’t cripple the Penguins, but it is certainly a damaging blow.

Vancouver Canucks Acquire Marek Mazanec

February 12, 2019 at 12:34 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 4 Comments

The Vancouver Canucks needed a goaltender, and they needed one now. Instead of waiting for a chance to reclaim someone like Mike McKenna, the team has traded for New York Rangers netminder Marek Mazanec. The Canucks will send a 2020 seventh-round pick to the Rangers.

Vancouver had been using junior goaltender Michael DiPietro as their backup recently, and even gave the 19-year old a start yesterday. It didn’t go well as DiPietro allowed seven goals on 24 shots against the Western Conference-leading San Jose Sharks. Keeping their prized young goaltender in the NHL to sit on the bench or get shelled by competition he’s never seen before just isn’t a good development strategy, meaning the Canucks needed to add another body of some sort.

Mazanec will become that body, as he too doesn’t bring a ton of NHL experience to the table. The 27-year old has played 31 games in the league but 25 of those appearances came back in 2013-14 with the Nashville Predators. After heading overseas for a short period last season, Mazanec returned and has a .903 save percentage in 20 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack. There’s little reason to believe that he will be a long-term solution in Vancouver, but at this point the team will take what they can get.

Vancouver has also recalled Adam Gaudette from the minor leagues, giving them a full 23-man roster as they prepare for a road trip through California.

Montreal Places Michael Chaput On Waivers

February 12, 2019 at 11:10 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 3 Comments

As expected, the Montreal Canadiens have placed forward Michael Chaput on waivers. The team needed to make a move after recalling Dale Weise and trading for Nate Thompson yesterday, and Chaput was the obvious waiver candidate.

The Canadiens have shown a willingness to expose depth forwards to waivers this year, already losing Nikita Scherbak, Jacob de La Rose and just yesterday Kenny Agostino. The team clearly believes it has the depth to handle these losses given their recent additions, and have now risked another player. Chaput, 26, has actually played 137 games in the NHL during a winding career, 32 of those coming this season with the Canadiens. Originally a third-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers, Chaput has just five points in 2018-19.

Since Montreal used the non-roster designation on Chaput yesterday in order to get under the 23-man threshold, he must immediately be assigned to the minor leagues if he clears tomorrow. If that does happen, he very well could be back up with the team in a few weeks after the roster limits are relaxed.

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