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Archives for February 2019

Trade Candidate: Cody Ceci

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 25th.

Senators defenseman Cody Ceci is one of the more intriguing blueliners to keep an eye on in the weeks ahead.  Although he’s technically not a true rental player in that he’s still under team control for one more season after this one, he’s at a salary level where it’s a toss-up as to whether or not he’ll be qualified this offseason.  His play down the stretch might ultimately influence what happens so there will be a lot riding on these next couple of months.

Contract

Ceci is on a one-year, $4.3MM contract that was awarded in salary arbitration back in August.  That amount will represent his qualifying offer this summer where he will once again be arbitration-eligible.

2018-19

With the departure of Erik Karlsson to San Jose, Ceci entered the season as Ottawa’s undisputed top blueliner on the right side.  He did not fare well in that role last year when Karlsson was out and the results have been similar this season.  His possession numbers aren’t particularly impressive and while he leads the team in blocks by a significant margin, it also means that teams are getting a lot of shot opportunities when he’s on the ice.

On the plus side, his offensive numbers have boosted a little bit this season.  He already has reached his goal output from last season and he’s on pace for the second-highest point total of his career; he’s done so while often facing the top competition as well.  It’s certainly fair to wonder if he’d fare better in a spot where he isn’t expected to shoulder as much of the load as he currently is.

Season Stats

48 GP, 5 goals, 10 assists, 15 points, -19 rating, 6 PIMS, 82 shots, 22:39 ATOI, 42.2 CF%

Potential Suitors

The fact that Ceci could stick around beyond this season makes him a different case than a lot of the players that are going to be dealt over the next three weeks.  The fact he’s not a guaranteed rental opens up some opportunities for selling teams to consider giving him a try as well.

In the East, Tampa Bay’s depth on the right side is a little shaky and Ceci would represent an upgrade.  They have enough salary cap space this season to take on his contract entirely but knowing what’s on the horizon this summer, they would likely have to non-tender him in the summer.  New Jersey isn’t likely to be a true buyer at the deadline but it wouldn’t be shocking to see them inquire about Ceci as their back end has been shaky for a while now and they haven’t had much success when they’ve tried to address that issue in recent years.

Given Ottawa’s preference to deal players out of the conference wherever possible, it’s likely that they will try to move Ceci to the West if presented with similar offers.  He’d represent an upgrade on Nashville’s third pairing but like Tampa Bay, they’d likely have to treat him as a rental player given how much they have tied up in their defense corps already.  Minnesota has added some depth players in recent weeks but someone like Ceci would be a considerable improvement and could even slide onto their second pairing.  He’d help Edmonton but matching money might be a challenge for the Oilers while it’s unlikely that Ottawa would want to take back contracts beyond this season.

Likelihood Of A Trade

A lot of this will depend on how Ottawa views Ceci moving forward.  Do they look at the Jake Muzzin trade and hope that they can elicit a similar return?  If so, the odds of a move will be low.  However, if they’ve decided they’re not going to qualify him (or run the risk of a $5M+ contract in arbitration) and price him as more of a depth player, they should have several suitors for his services and be able to make a trade.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ottawa Senators Meet With Matt Duchene’s Representatives Again

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Pat Brisson, the agent for Matt Duchene was in Ottawa today meeting with Senators GM Pierre Dorion according to Darren Dreger of TSN. The meeting lasted “a few hours” according to Dreger, but apparently no decision has been made one way or the other. The Senators are working to try and come to a conclusion on a potential contract extension with Duchene in the next few days so that there will be time to figure out a trade before the deadline if necessary.

Duchene, a pending unrestricted free agent, was linked to the Winnipeg Jets again today by Frank Seravalli of TSN by saying the team has done their “due diligence” on the Senators forward (along with teammate Mark Stone and others). There will be many more teams checking in on the status of the potential trade target, given the impact he could have on a contender down the stretch. While Duchene has only played eight playoff games in his entire career, he’s in the middle of his best offensive campaign and would be arguably the top center available.

Still, it’s understandable that the Senators will do everything in their power to keep him around. Less than two years ago Dorion sent a huge package out the door to bring in the former Colorado Avalanche forward, and immediately explained that he wanted to keep him around long-term if possible. That was when the Senators expected to be battling for the Stanley Cup, something that quickly turned out to be a dream (or nightmare, if you’d rather). Now, with the team heading into another rebuild and very possibly saying goodbye to Stone just a few months after watching captain Erik Karlsson traded away, Duchene has his own reservations about signing long-term.

Duchene recently explained to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia his hesitation:

I’m still trying to educate myself with what’s here now and what’s coming. It’s hard because when you go from a team when I got here that was kind of favorite to challenge for a Cup, and probably looked at as a top six or seven team in the league, to where we’re at right now.

I’ve been in this situation before with teams where we’re kind of starting from the bottom and the biggest thing is you need a crystal ball to see how it’s going to pan out. That’s what I’m trying to do as much as I can but, at the end of the day, it might be something that’s too hard to predict.

I see these young guys and this team is going to be outstanding at some point, but the question is, ‘When?’

That question is not without an obvious answer, given the turmoil that has surrounded the Senators over the past year. Even this season the team can’t get away from their mistakes of the past, as Colorado still owns their first-round pick from the Duchene deal. That very well could be the first overall selection in June’s draft, given the Senators currently sit in last place in the entire NHL. That’s a tough negotiating position for Dorion on the Senators front office.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Winnipeg Jets’ First-Round Pick “In Play”

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As the trade deadline approaches every year, contending teams must take stock of all the assets they have at their disposal. Perhaps there is a struggling prospect who could still be of some value to a rebuilding team, or an excess roster player not being used to his full potential. Usually, the asset most commonly discussed is a draft pick, specifically a first-round draft pick.

Every year it is written at some point that teams are loath to part with their first-round selection. The draft is deep, and giving up your first crack at a top prospect is a tough decision. Just today, Pittsburgh Penguins GM Jim Rutherford said on radio that he is trying to avoid trading his first-round pick given the exceptional talent available in June. That might not be the case for the Winnipeg Jets. Today in an update of the TSN Trade Bait board, reporter Frank Seravalli writes that the Jets’ first-round pick is “in play” for the deadline again this year.

The Jets moved a first-round pick last season to acquire Paul Stastny, and Seravalli notes that this time around the team is still looking for an answer in that second-line center spot. Still, the team has being inquiring about names like Mark Stone, Wayne Simmonds and Micheal Ferland, all natural wingers and all pending unrestricted free agents.

Winnipeg is in an obvious win-now situation, given their position in the Western Conference standings. Now four points ahead of the Nashville Predators and 12 points clear of the Dallas Stars in the Central Division, the Jets look as ready as any team to compete for the Stanley Cup this season. Their depth is already an incredible strength of the team, shown blatantly by the recent play of young Jack Roslovic. The barely 22-year old forward was seeing fewer than ten minutes of ice time on most nights before a recent move up the lineup card, and now is fresh off taking home first star of the week honors.

Players like Roslovic are exactly why the Jets are able to move their first-round pick if they so choose. The team has hit on so many of their draft picks the last few years that another season without a top selection is acceptable. It’s not ideal, and certainly not something you want to make a habit of, but obviously an acceptable risk the team will take over the next few weeks.

Andrej Sekera Heading To AHL On Conditioning Assignment

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The Edmonton Oilers have sent defenseman Andrej Sekera to the AHL on a conditioning assignment, the last step before activating him from long-term injured reserve. The Oilers, who have been pushed up to the salary cap ceiling all season, don’t actually have room to activate Sekera at the moment, meaning they’ll have to make a transaction of some sort to open up enough space. The defenseman can stay in the minor leagues for up to three games or six days, unless the team applies for an extension—though the end of a conditioning stint doesn’t necessarily immediately result in the player being activated.

Sekera, 32, played just 36 games in 2017-18 and has yet to suit up for the Oilers this season. The smooth skating defenseman was a big part of the Edmonton blue line in his first two years with the team, but now is almost entirely an unknown. Sekera never really got back to his expected level of play last season, and without seeing him on the ice there’s no way to tell whether or not he can help them this year. The Oilers are starved for effective puck-moving defensemen—especially given the injury to Oscar Klefbom—but Sekera’s $5.5MM gives him a high level to perform up to.

Moving out more than $1.23MM in cap space is also easier said than done for the Oilers. The team is already only carrying 22 players on the roster to get to that number, meaning they can’t just bury a few more for the time being. Instead there will likely have to be a trade of some sort for the team, and it’s unclear who that will be. The Oilers only recently acquired Alex Petrovic and Brandon Manning, and have apparently not closed the door on a Cam Talbot extension. All of that makes it tougher to find a quick answer, meaning interim GM Keith Gretzky has his work cut out for him over the next few days.

Anaheim Ducks Hoping To Keep Jakob Silfverberg

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If there’s a team that has been more frustrating to watch this season than the Anaheim Ducks, it’s hard to find. The club started the season with plenty of hope and visions of a playoff spot, but have struggled almost right from the beginning. At one point John Gibson was almost single-handedly keeping the team afloat in the Western Conference playoff picture, but now after a stretch of 15 losses in 17 games the Ducks find themselves dropping rapidly towards the bottom of the standings. With that kind of performance any team would begin to be the speculation of trade talk and Anaheim is no different.

In his column today, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) notes that the Ducks are listening on many of their players, but singles out one in particular as a potential building block. Jakob Silfverberg, the team’s most prominent pending unrestricted free agent, has made some progress with the Ducks on a new contract. LeBrun reports that the team will try to get him under contract in the coming weeks, or would be forced to move him at the deadline.

Silfverberg has long been an interesting rental name, given his effective two-way play and relatively low cap hit. The 28-year old winger carries just a $3.75MM hit for the rest of this season, and has recently returned healthy to the lineup. A former 20-goal scorer, Silfverberg has 12 goals in 43 games this season but is still one of the better defensive wingers in the game. He has received Selke Trophy votes for the past three seasons, and can be used in various situations.

Still, there should be at least some hesitation by the Ducks in regards to an extension. The team still has plenty of money tied up for next season in their core, and obviously have work to do in order to get them back to Stanley Cup contender status. While some may point to the devastating injuries the team has suffered, the idea of them experiencing perfect health going forward is a fantasy given the struggles many of their best players have had staying on the ice.

There is help coming in the form of young forwards like Max Comtois, Sam Steel, Max Jones, Isac Lundestrom and others, the return for Silfverberg might only help that next wave be even more dominant. LeBrun writes that GM Bob Murray wants to “re-tool his roster big time” but it’s unclear how he’ll go about that if he’s signing veteran middle-six wingers to extensions in a frustrating season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Seabrook, Three Stars, Capitals

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This weekend Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet made headlines with a report that stated the Chicago Blackhawks had asked Brent Seabrook to waive his no-movement clause, fueling plenty of questions for the veteran defenseman today. In response to the story, Seabrook clearly denied that he had been asked and told reporters including John Dietz of the Daily Herald that he doesn’t know where the report came from.

Seabrook, 33, has five years remaining on his contract after 2018-19 and carries a $6.875MM cap hit. Largely considered one of the toughest contracts in the entire league to trade, the Blackhawks legend also has a full no-movement clause until 2022-23, at which point he will still have a partial no-trade clause.

  • The NHL has released their three stars of the week, and a pair of youngsters lead the way. 22-year old Jack Roslovic has earned the top spot after a promotion to Winnipeg’s top-six resulted in him recording five goals and six points in four games. Carter Hart meanwhile has taken the second star after going 3-0 with a .931 save percentage while helping the Philadelphia Flyers continue their winning ways. Mika Zibanejad, the elder statesman among the group at 25, comes in as the third star after a six-point week.
  • Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan told reporters including Chris Kuc of The Athletic that the team is “active” in trade discussions at the moment, believing that there are “hockey trades” to be made. The Capitals are struggling to hold onto a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division and may need a shake up to get them back to their championship level. Washington already signed Pheonix Copley to a three-year extension earlier today, and could be involved in several moves over the next few weeks.

Latest On Florida Panthers Interest In Sergei Bobrovsky

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For months now the Columbus Blue Jackets have been the focus of many around the NHL as they prepare to deal with pending unrestricted free agents Sergei Bobrovsky and Artemi Panarin. Neither player seems likely to consider an extension with the Blue Jackets, meaning the team has a decision to make on whether to trade them before the upcoming deadline or keep them for a potential Stanley Cup run. Recently the Florida Panthers cleared out cap space by trading away Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann, immediately leading many to speculate that they were gearing up for a run at both free agents in the summer.

That wait until summer may not be necessary though, as Larry Brooks of the New York Post tweets that the Panthers are interested in trading for Bobrovsky before the deadline in order to get him under contract. Remember players can only sign eight-year extensions with the team they spend the most recent trade deadline with, meaning the Panthers would be able to offer Bobrovsky an extra year of contract security. Brooks notes that the Panthers could potentially use newly acquired forward Derick Brassard as part of the package to get Bobrovsky to Sunrise.

Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has made it clear that he is willing to make a tough decision on both free agents, but will trade them only if they get the desired return. After losing five consecutive games and falling to fourth in the Metropolitan Division, perhaps it is getting easier to stomach the idea of moving their star players even if it will weaken their group for a playoff run.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) today pondered in his latest column whether the Blue Jackets would have interest in Jimmy Howard as a potential Bobrovsky replacement, but also touches on the idea that the Panthers will not be so quick to move on from Brassard. The Florida front office is hoping a late-season push can get them into the playoffs and wants to see how the former Pittsburgh Penguins forward fits in.

The other thing to consider when it comes to Bobrovsky’s potential fit in Florida is how it would affect the current goaltenders. The team already has Roberto Luongo and James Reimer under contract for a combined cap hit of nearly $8MM, with three and two years remaining on their respective contracts. An early retirement would mean cap recapture penalties (for both Vancouver and Florida at the moment) in the case of Luongo, but his health has also been a concern in recent years. There would obviously have to be a corresponding transaction of some sort if Bobrovsky was given an extension. One has to wonder if that would be another option for the Blue Jackets—taking on one of the current Panthers goaltenders.

There are now just three weeks before the NHL trade deadline and Columbus still has time to turn things around and establish themselves as contenders once again. If they do it will be extremely difficult to move on from two of the team’s best players, but it might be the right thing for the long-term health of the franchise.

Minnesota, Ottawa Put Three Players On Waivers

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Monday: All three players have cleared waivers and can now be sent to the minor leagues.

Sunday: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators put three players on waivers Sunday as the Wild placed defenseman Nate Prosser and winger J.T. Brown on waivers, while the Senators put winger Nick Paul on waivers as well. Friedman also reported that Toronto Maple Leafs’ Martin Marincin and Buffalo Sabres’ Remi Elie both cleared waivers.

Loaded with eight defensemen after the team traded for Brad Hunt and claimed Anthony Bitetto off waivers from Nashville, the Wild had to add some roster flexibility. Wild general manager Paul Fenton is starting to get more active as this is the sixth roster move the team has made in less than three weeks. The team had no choice to make a move and still have two of their top young players, Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin sitting in Iowa, awaiting a recall since the All-Star break.

For Prosser, the move likely means the end of the line in Minnesota. The Wild also have defenseman Matt Dumba on IR currently and while he’s not expected back too soon, the team does expect him back at some point this season, meaning they had to make some move. The 32-year-old veteran was a great locker-room presence, but he has appeared in just 15 games this season and hasn’t registered a point. Prosser has played most of his career in Minnesota since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He did opt to sign in St. Louis before the 2017-18 season, but only played one game for the Blues before the Wild claimed him off of waivers from him. He played 56 games for Minnesota last year. If he passes through waivers, which is no guarantee as many teams might be interested in a veteran defenseman, the team can opt to keep him on the roster or send him to the Iowa Wild of the AHL.

Brown makes his second trip to the waiver wire as Brown was put on waivers last year in January by the Tampa Bay Lightning and claimed by the Anaheim Ducks, playing in a bottom-six role for the Ducks. He then opted to sign with the Wild and has played sporadically, often being designated as a healthy scrtatch. He played in 35 games for Minnesota this year, posting a goal and four points.

As for Ottawa, NHL teams could find some interest in the 6-foot-4 Paul, who is still just 23 years old and has some potential. Unfortunately, he hasn’t shown that in 20 games with Ottawa as he’s put up just one goal and two points, while averaging just 8:28 of ice time. He played just 5:17 against Pittsburgh Friday and if he clears looks like he’ll be headed back to Belleville of the AHL. Paul cleared waivers to start the season, but the team had to place him back on waivers to return him to the AHL. He has played 15 games there, posting two goals and 11 points.

Washington Capitals Extend Pheonix Copley

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The Washington Capitals are the latest team to hand out a three-year extension to a backup goaltender, this time signing Pheonix Copley to a $3.3MM deal. The contract will ensure that Copley fulfills the Capitals expansion draft requirements, while also giving Braden Holtby a reliable backup for a reasonably low price.  TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports that the deal breaks down as follows:

2019-20: $750K salary, $300K signing bonus
2020-21: $750K salary
2021-22: $1.5MM salary

Like Alex Stalock and Casey DeSmith who both signed three-year deals earlier this season, Copley happened to be in a perfect situation to secure his future. The 27-year old netminder had just two games of NHL experience under his belt prior to this season but has performed admirably behind Holtby in Washington. While his .903 save percentage could be better, the former Michigan Tech goaltender has gone 10-5-3 this year and shown that he can at least handle the role at the NHL level.

Still, three years is obviously a long time to commit to a goaltender who is relatively unproven. In fact, it’s not clear what the Capitals situation will even be in the near future given that Holtby’s current contract expires after the 2019-20 season. The team has young stud prospect Ilya Samsonov in the minor leagues developing and will be only able to protect one goaltender in the expansion draft. Holtby has obviously done enough to prove his worth in the NHL but is currently carrying a .907 save percentage on the year, the same number he finished last season with.

Whether the Capitals decide to extend Holtby or move on and hand over the crease to Samsonov at some point, Copley will have some certainty in his place in the league. His $1.1MM cap hit will also be almost entirely buried if he is sent to the minor leagues at any point over the next two seasons. In 2021-22, it would come completely off the books.

Minor Transactions: 02/04/19

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The Superbowl weekend is over but for NFL fans hoping to find some more excitement the NHL is back in action today with four games on the schedule. Among those games is a match between the Arizona Coyotes and Dallas Stars, two teams vying for playoff spots in the Western Conference. While you decide how you feel about Maroon 5’s halftime performance, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves around the league.

  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled C.J. Smith from the AHL, giving them a 13th forward once again. Smith has been one of the best offensive performers in the minor leagues this season with 41 points in 41 games, but hasn’t been able to crack the Sabres lineup for any length of time. The 24-year old will try to do just that as the team slides further down the standings and needs to find a way out of their recent slump.
  • Luke Kunin and Kyle Rau have been recalled by the Minnesota Wild after both Nate Prosser and J.T. Brown cleared waivers and were assigned to the minor leagues. Head coach Bruce Boudreau told reporters including Michael Russo of The Athletic that the team needed to add some speed to the lineup.
  • Dylan Gambrell has been recalled by the San Jose Sharks once again. The young center has bounced between leagues all season, but has played most of his games in the AHL where he has 28 points in 31 games.

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