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Archives for February 2020

Joonas Korpisalo Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have been getting Vezina-type goaltending for the last month, but haven’t even had their presumed starter healthy. Elvis Merzlikins took over the net and is performing at an All-Star level, but now the real All-Star, Joonas Korpisalo, is on his way back. Korpisalo, who hasn’t played since the end of December, has been loaned to the AHL for a conditioning stint as he prepares to return to action.

The 25-year old has missed 22 games with a knee injury, but actually wasn’t placed on injured reserve until today. That allowed the Blue Jackets to send a goaltender down on off days to keep them fresh, while Merzlikins handled almost all of the NHL work.

Before his injury, Korpisalo had been playing extremely well. After a shaky start as the No. 1 goaltender in Columbus, he had posted a .932 save percentage over his last month with a 7-2-3 record. That earned him a nomination to the All-Star Game, though he could not attend. In his place, Merzlikins has kept up that incredible play, posting a .924 save percentage in 29 appearances including five shutouts.

When Korpisalo returns, the Blue Jackets will have a tandem with the ability to be one of the best in the league. Whether they decide to let them share the net is unclear, but after such a frustrating season injury-wise, it will be nice to have some added depth at the position.

Kole Sherwood has also been assigned to the Cleveland Monsters.

Snapshots: Muzzin, Jaskin, Trocheck

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have defensive issues that go beyond this season, as Jake Muzzin, Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. That is about to change however, as another report—this time from Darren Dreger of TSN—confirms that the Maple Leafs have an agreement in place with Muzzin on a four-year extension that will carry a cap hit just over $5.5MM.

The deal, according to Dreger, will be “heavily front-loaded” and if completed will be announced later due to the “tagging” concerns that have been brought up previously. Teams have a limit to how much cap space they can have on the books for the following year, meaning the official announcement will likely not come until next month should everything go according to plan.

  • Dmitrij Jaskin is having an outstanding season in the KHL after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Washington Capitals, scoring 62 points in 55 games while playing with former Vegas Golden Knights forward Vadim Shipachyov. His stay overseas may last just one season however, as Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reports that Jaskin has two NHL offers. The 26-year old forward has just 69 points in 303 NHL games, most of which came with the St. Louis Blues.
  • Both Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) and Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet have written today on Vincent Trocheck, who is apparently generating interest despite being a big piece of the puzzle for the Florida Panthers. LeBrun suggests that given Florida’s defensive issues they “have no choice but to listen.” Obviously a deal for someone like that is complicated, especially when the Panthers are just two points out of an Atlantic Division playoff spot. Trocheck comes with a $4.75MM cap hit through the 2021-22 season.

Deadline Notes: Kreider, Carter, Namestnikov

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After a rush on defensemen today the trade market is off to an early start, with the deadline still a week away. With a good number of rentals available and more teams than ever in a playoff race, there should be plenty of action still left to go. Below are some updates on a few available players:

  • Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that the Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins have emerged as front-runners for Chris Kreider, who is still a member of the New York Rangers at the moment. The speedy winger is arguably the top rental available, and after the Rangers acquired another big scoring winger in prospect Julien Gauthier perhaps they are more inclined to move him out than re-sign him. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet also writes that he believes Boston and Colorado are interested, though also listed the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues as potential suitors.
  • Friedman’s latest 31 Thoughts column is filled with lots of speculation on the upcoming deadline, but one note is of considerable interest. That’s No. 5 on the list, which suggests that the Philadelphia Flyers have looked into Jeff Carter of the Los Angeles Kings. The Flyers obviously have a long history with Carter, given he played nearly 500 games there to start his NHL career. The 35-year old center has 17 goals on the season but just 26 points and is signed through 2021-22 at a $5.27MM cap hit—the end of an 11-year contract signed in 2010 with Philadelphia.
  • Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the Ottawa Senators are getting calls on Vladislav Namestnikov, another one of their expiring contracts. The team already sent Dylan DeMelo to the Winnipeg Jets earlier today for a third-round pick and have several other potential trade pieces on the market. Namestnikov never really has fulfilled his potential as a top-line player, but does have 12 goals and 24 points since coming over from the Rangers in early October.

Montreal Canadiens Trade Marco Scandella

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Another defenseman is on the move. The Montreal Canadiens have traded Marco Scandella to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a 2020 second-round pick and a conditional 2021 fourth-round pick. If Scandella re-signs or the Blues win two playoff rounds, the Canadiens will receive the fourth. Otherwise, they will only get the second. Montreal will also retain 50% of Scandella’s $4MM cap hit.

This kind of a return is huge for the Canadiens, given that they only paid a fourth-round pick to get Scandella in the first place. That move came just over a month ago, when the Buffalo Sabres moved the defenseman and flipped the return for Michael Frolik. Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that Montreal GM Marc Bergevin did try to extend the pending UFA, but Scandella wanted to wait until the end of the season to discuss any contract.

Even with Shea Weber returning tonight for the Canadiens, Montreal’s chances to make the playoffs this season are slim. After a promising start, injuries and inconsistency has plagued the team making any expiring contracts trade bait. Scandella could be just the first sent out of Montreal in the coming week.

For the Blues, they add a depth defenseman with plenty of experience on the penalty kill. As the team prepares to defend their championship, they needed another reliable option on the blueline after losing Jay Bouwmeester. Scandella is exactly that, especially in the limited role he’ll have to play in St. Louis.

The 29-year old Scandella has logged big minutes in the past for the Minnesota Wild, with all of his playoff experience also coming there between 2013-2017. With Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk soaking up minutes for the Blues, Scandella will be asked to give them a penalty kill boost and some hard action in the defensive zone.

Brenden Dillon Traded To Washington Capitals

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2:46pm: Ten minutes later, Dillon has been traded to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2020 second-round pick and a conditional 2021 third-round pick. San Jose has retained 50% of Dillon’s cap hit. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that in the event the Capitals win the Stanley Cup, the 2021 third-round pick will become Arizona’s 2020 third, which the Capitals previously acquired.

2:36pm: Another defenseman on an expiring contract was dealt today in Dylan DeMelo, and his former partner may be next. Brenden Dillon is on the trade market in San Jose, and according to Frank Seravalli of TSN the Vegas Golden Knights, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues have shown interest.

David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review Journal tweets that the Sharks are looking for a second-round pick and a prospect for Dillon, though it’s unclear how the return of DeMelo may affect that ask. The Ottawa Senators received just a third-round selection for their own rental, while the New Jersey Devils received a second for Andy Greene.

Dillon, 29, became emotional when he was recently asked about the possibility of a trade and is almost undoubtedly moved by the deadline. He is a physical defenseman that can move the puck well enough to be a contributor on any contender, and has 60 games of playoff experience with the Sharks over the last four seasons. All four of those teams referenced have their eyes not only on the playoffs but a long run once they get there, something that always requires more defensemen than you expect.

Unlike DeMelo however, Dillon comes with a cap hit of $3.27MM which makes him a more complicated move. For many of the contenders pushed right up against the cap they’ll need San Jose to retain some of the salary, only increasing the return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Winnipeg Jets Acquire Dylan DeMelo

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The Ottawa Senators have traded Dylan DeMelo to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for a 2020 third-round draft pick. This begins the selling season for the Senators, who are expected to move several players before the upcoming deadline. Winnipeg immediately moved Luca Sbisa to injured reserve, while Ottawa recalled Andreas Englund.

After the New York Islanders spent a second-round selection to acquire Andy Greene recently, the market for rental defensemen seemed to be set fairly high. That bar won’t be hit by the Senators who have settled for a lower pick, though they’ll happily add it to a huge number of selections they have over the next two years.

In this year’s draft the Senators now own two first-round selections (their own and San Jose’s, both headed for the lottery), three second-round selections and two third-round selections. That’s seven picks in the top hundred, and when you consider that they have three seconds again next year there will be plenty of talent infused into the Senators’ prospect system over the next while.

DeMelo is likely also just the first name that Ottawa will move this month. Mikkel Boedker, Vladislav Namestnikov, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Tyler Ennis, Ron Hainsey, Mark Borowiecki and Craig Anderson are all set to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the year, while younger players like Chris Tierney, Connor Brown and Anthony Duclair are all pending restricted free agents that could bring back value as well. That’s a ton of options for GM Pierre Dorion to move, though the team does need someone to keep playing for them down the stretch.

The 26-year old DeMelo is actually quite a shrewd pickup for the Jets, who have had trouble finding much stability on the blueline all season. The former San Jose Sharks defenseman carries just a $900K cap hit on his expiring deal and has actually been excellent for the Senators. With ten points in 49 games he isn’t going to light up the scoresheet on a regular basis, but DeMelo consistently recovers pucks in his own end and sends play the other way. His versatility will come in handy for a Jets team trying to scrape their way into the playoffs, and a third-round pick is a more than reasonable return for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to give up.

If the Jets decide to try and re-sign DeMelo, it would be the first time this season that he receives a contract offer. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that though the defenseman’s representatives did discuss an extension with the Senators, they never received an official offer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Brock Boeser Out Eight Weeks

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Today while talking to reporters about the Tyler Toffoli acquisition, Vancouver Canucks GM Jim Benning explained that Brock Boeser will be out for eight weeks after the team discovered his injury is more serious than originally thought. That could mean Boeser is out for the rest of the regular season, though he will not require surgery. Benning also suggested that Josh Leivo and Micheal Ferland will both be out for the rest of the season.

Even though they should be used to it, Boeser’s absence is still a huge blow to the Canucks’ hopes down the stretch and into the playoffs. Their 22-year old sniper has now suffered major injuries in all three of his NHL seasons, ending with totals of 62, 69 and 56 games played. That’s hard for every hockey fan to accept, given the brilliance Boeser has shown whenever healthy.

In 196 career games, the University of North Dakota product has scored 75 goals, a 31-goal pace if extrapolated to a full 82 game season. His 161 points during that time similarly sets a strong pace, and he had clearly taken up the mantle as a star for the Canucks.

Though this news hurts the Canucks’ chances, it also does open up some interesting possibilities at the deadline. Not only did the team add Toffoli to the mix, but they can now put Boeser, Leivo and Ferland on long-term injured reserve to open up a ton of cap space. Even if Boeser and Leivo return at some point during the playoffs, the team can still us that extra space to add bodies. Of course, any additional trades the team makes will have to be considered thoroughly given the Canucks’ precarious position in the Pacific Division. They currently sit in third place but are only one point ahead of both the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes.

Injury Notes: Bouwmeester, Klefbom, Aston-Reese

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After suffering a cardiac episode and being revived on the bench earlier this month, St. Louis Blues defenseman Jay Bouwmeester has released a statement thanking all the medical professionals for their hard work in his recovery:

I would sincerely like to thank all of the trainers from both the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks, as well as all of the first responders, the Anaheim medical staff and the team at the UCI Medical Center for their quick actions on Feb. 11.

Our family has felt the support of the entire National Hockey League family and the city of St. Louis during this time. We have all been greatly comforted by your genuine concern.

On Sunday evening, I returned to St. Louis and I am on the road to recovery. My wife and daughters are forever grateful for everyone’s support and we will continue to have a positive outlook for our future.

It is great news to hear that Bouwmeester has returned to St. Louis and will continue his recovery at home. The entire hockey community wishes him well as he gets better.

  • In other injury news, the Edmonton Oilers have lost another key player for several weeks. Oscar Klefbom will miss two-to-three weeks with a shoulder injury, weakening the Oilers’ already shaky defensive group. It’s hard to overstate how important Klefbom has been this season, logging more than 25 minutes a night and leading all Oilers’ defensemen in scoring with 33 points in 59 games.
  • Speaking of teams that have been injury-riddled, the Pittsburgh Penguins have lost another forward. Zach Aston-Reese has been listed as week-to-week by head coach Mike Sullivan, taking him out of the lineup for the time being. The 25-year old Aston-Reese has been a staple in the Penguins lineup all year, recording 13 points in 57 games while logging significant time on the penalty kill. Though he obviously isn’t as impactful as some of the other Pittsburgh stars who have missed time, his absence will be noticed.

Cole Bardreau, Taylor Leier Clear Waivers

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Both Cole Bardreau and Taylor Leier have cleared waivers, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. The New York Islanders had placed Bardreau on waivers after acquiring Andy Greene over the weekend, while Leier had to clear in order to stay in the minor leagues after signing an NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres.

Bardreau, 26, made his NHL debut this season after toiling in the minor leagues for several years. The Cornell grad had two points in ten games for the Islanders, but was never expected to spend the rest of the season on the active roster. After clearing waivers in September, he needed to clear again to be sent back to the minor leagues.

Leier meanwhile is just celebrating a new NHL contract, signed yesterday with the Sabres after settling for an AHL deal in the summer. He became a group VI unrestricted free agent in July after failing to get a full-time opportunity with the Philadelphia Flyers, suiting up just 55 times in the NHL through his first four professional seasons. The fourth-round pick can be called up at any point by the Sabres, but will stay in Rochester for the moment.

Carolina Hurricanes Trade Julien Gauthier To New York Rangers

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The Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers have decided to swap prospects, trading Julien Gauthier for Joey Keane. The Rangers will acquire the young forward in Gauthier, while Carolina adds another defensive option to their pipeline in Keane.

As we wrote yesterday, the Rangers’ biggest need as they move to the next phase in their rebuild was young forwards that are close to being NHL ready. That’s exactly what they’ve received in Gauthier, who is currently fourth in AHL scoring with 26 goals through 44 games after putting up 27 a year ago for the Charlotte Checkers. The 22-year old forward has size—6’4″ 227-lbs—and a nose for the net that made him the 21st overall pick in 2016. He has only seen five games in the NHL to this point, but the Rangers obviously believe he can make an impact at that level for their organization.

Their belief in Gauthier’s NHL upside must be real, because Keane has already shown in his first season of professional hockey that he is on the path to becoming an impact player. Selected 88th overall in 2018, Keane has eight goals and 30 points in 49 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack. He spent a day on the NHL roster last week, but so far hasn’t seen any action for the Rangers. Whether he’ll get into any for the Hurricanes right away isn’t clear, but the team had been looking for some more depth on defense after losing Dougie Hamilton for the season. The fact that he is still only 20 and has two more years on his entry-level contract only makes Keane more appealing to a team like Carolina who will need to spend every dollar wisely to compete in the tough Metropolitan Division.

Gauthier too has another year on his entry-level contract, something the Rangers can use as they try to really contend for the playoffs next season. The team already has a lot of cash allocated to names like Artemi Panarin, Jacob Trouba and Henrik Lundqvist, making the margins of the roster even more important. They have a number of young defensemen that hold similar value and upside to Keane, meaning they could deal from a position of strength to acquire a player like Gauthier.

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