Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for August 2020

Snapshots: Vatanen, Fines, Raffl

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Sami Vatanen is in the Carolina Hurricanes lineup again this afternoon, meaning the New Jersey Devils are winners today. Since Vatanen has played in two games, the Devils will receive at least a fourth-round pick from the Hurricanes to complete the trade. That pick could still be upgraded to a 2020 third-round selection, but the Devils at least know they’re getting something.

The Hurricanes are likely just happy that Vatanen is healthy and contributing, given the fact that he didn’t play a single game for the team before the shutdown. The 29-year old defenseman is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, using these playoffs as a nice portfolio piece for upcoming negotiations.

  • Not only did Vancouver Canucks forward Micheal Ferland escape suspension for his spearing incident last night, but he also won’t even be the only person receiving a fine. The Department of Player Safety has decided to fine Ferland $5,000 for the incident, along with giving Minnesota Wild forward Luke Kunin a $1,000 ticket. Ferland seems to always be in the middle of physical altercations, playing his role well for the Canucks.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers will be without an important piece of their lineup, as head coach Alain Vigneault told reporters including Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer that Michael Raffl will be out for “a while.” The team will insert young forward Joel Farabee in Raffl’s spot, giving him a chance to show exactly why they took him 14th overall in 2018.

Montreal Canadiens Loan Otto Leskinen To Kalpa Kuopio

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Montreal Canadiens have found a place for Otto Leskinen to continue his development while they wait for the 2020-21 season to begin. The young defenseman will return to Finland and join Kalpa Kuopio for the start of the year, returning when NHL training camps open in November.

After going undrafted, Leskinen had to wait until 2019 to sign his first NHL contract at the age of 22. The now 23-year old Finn had shown his well-rounded talent off at the professional level in Europe and on the international stage at events like the Spengler Cup, but it wasn’t clear what kind of upside he would really bring to the NHL. That polish paid off almost immediately, however, as Leskinen quickly found himself an important role on the Laval Rocket and made his NHL debut suiting up five times for Montreal.

On just a two-year deal, Leskinen will become a restricted free agent after the 2020-21 campaign. Getting him into some game action before NHL training camps open will only increase his chance of grabbing a roster spot, though it’s not clear how many opportunities there really will be in Montreal next season.

The team has five roster defensemen under contract (though that includes Karl Alzner, who has spent much more time at the minor league level of late), plus Victor Mete and Xavier Ouellet sitting as restricted free agents. Alexander Romanov is expected to be given a full-time spot after signing this summer, and other youngsters like Josh Brook and Cale Fleury will be competing. Leskinen has his work cut out for him if he wants to be a part of the Canadiens, but getting in some games over the next few months can only help him prepare.

Morning Notes: Scheifele, Ferland, Dano

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Winnipeg Jets don’t have long to turn things around, but there was at least some good news coming out of the hotel in Edmonton this morning. Sara Orlesky of TSN tweets that one of her sources has indicated Mark Scheifele’s injury is not believed to be long-term, but he and Patrik Laine are still doubtful for game two.

While that leaves the Jets scrambling for options in their top-six and at risk of being quickly eliminated by the Calgary Flames, it does bode well for next season. Speculation on Scheifele’s injury rant wild in the aftermath of game one, with some expecting him to require surgery and miss an extended amount of time. Hopefully, as Orlesky reports, that’s not the case.

  • Micheal Ferland may be facing some discipline from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety after spearing a player on the Minnesota Wild bench last night, but Darren Dreger of TSN believes it is more likely a fine than a suspension. Ferland also had a fight with Marcus Foligno in his return to the Vancouver lineup. The 28-year old hadn’t played since December after suffering post-concussion symptoms. (UPDATE: Ferland has received a $5,000 fine, according to several reports including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.)
  • Marko Dano still hasn’t established himself as a full-time NHL player, meaning it comes as little surprise when a report out of the Czech Republic has him hoping to go overseas next season. The 25-year old was a first-round pick in 2013 but has just 141 NHL games and 45 NHL points under his belt since then. Dano apparently would be willing to sign with HC Ocelari Trinec, the parent team for the club his father coaches. Dano’s one-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets will expire after this season, though he will still be a restricted free agent.

Drake Caggiula Suspended One Game

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Chicago Blackhawks will be without Drake Caggiula for their next qualification round game. The forward has been given a one-game suspension by the Department of Player Safety for the hit on Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Ennis yesterday.

As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that the head is the main point of contact on this hit. While Caggiula does make some contact with Ennis’ arm, the brunt of the impact on this play is absorbed by Ennis’ head. It is also important to note that the head contact on this play is avoidable. While we acknowledge that Ennis’ body moves slightly while making a play on the puck, he does not materially change the position of his head or body in a way that substantially contributes to the head being the main point of contact. 

Caggiula has never previously been fined or suspended, though this one-game ban is especially relevant in a short best-of-five series. He was not penalized on the play, but he’ll have to miss an entire game now as the Blackhawks attempt to upset the Oilers.

Mark Lazerus of The Athletic notes that Dylan Sikura is the likeliest candidate to replace Caggiula in the Blackhawks lineup.

Injury Notes: Scheifele, Schmaltz, Fast, Hamilton

at CDT | by 6 Comments

The Winnipeg Jets may have lost their top center and top sniper in the same game, as both Mark Scheifele and Patrik Laine left last night’s test against the Calgary Flames with an injury. Scheifele’s in particular looked serious, as he collided with Matthew Tkachuk and fell to the ground bellowing in pain. The hit got quite the response from head coach Paul Maurice, who indicated today that both players were still undergoing examination, and updates would be issued later in the day.

If the Jets do lose Schiefele for the rest of the qualification round they’ll have to figure out an answer on the top line and find a way to dig themselves out of the early hole after losing to Calgary last night. Here’s more info about injuries around the league:

  • Nick Schmaltz will not play in game one for the Arizona Coyotes after taking a high hit from Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves in the exhibition match. Schmaltz, the Coyotes leading scorer from the regular season, played in four playoffs games with Chicago in 2017 but hasn’t seen the postseason since. Youngster Barret Hayton will be making his own playoff debut after suiting up just 20 times this season.
  • The New York Rangers are still not sure of Igor Shesterkin’s availability for game two according to Dan Rosen of NHL.com, but will not have Jesper Fast in the lineup. Fast was hit hard by former teammate Brady Skjei and was forced from yesterday’s game after just a minute of ice time. The depth winger is a key part of the Rangers leadership group and recorded 29 points in 69 games this season.
  • Dougie Hamilton is getting better according to head coach Rod Brind’Amour, but won’t be in the lineup for Carolina tomorrow. The Hurricanes did just fine without their top offensive defenseman, but relied heavily on their top two pairings—Jake Gardiner played just 11:55 while Jaccob Slavin logged 24:40.

Drake Caggiula To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

at CDT | by 1 Comment

We have our first potential suspension of the NHL playoffs, as the Department of Player Safety has announced Drake Caggiula of the Chicago Blackhawks will have a hearing today. Caggiula hit Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Ennis during the second period of their game yesterday, appearing to contact the head. Caggiula was not penalized on the play.

There have been several incidents already in the exhibition and early playoff games that could have warranted review from the DoPS, with almost every team trying to engage physically early to get the tempo of games up. Fights have already erupted between players that rarely drop the gloves and huge collisions have become standard, at least early in games.

Caggiula, who came to the Blackhawks from the Oilers last season, recorded nine goals and 15 points in 40 games for Chicago this year. He played a little over 11 minutes yesterday, recording four hits and a blocked shot.

Goaltending Notes: Halak, Korpisalo, Holtby

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Boston Bruins will be without their top option in goal tonight when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers in the round-robin. Tuukka Rask has been ruled unfit to play by head coach Bruce Cassidy, meaning Jaroslav Halak will be in net for the Bruins.

Perhaps more than any other team in the playoffs, the Bruins have prepared for a situation like this all season. Halak is much more than a backup for Boston, playing in 31 games during the shortened regular season and posting a .919 save percentage. That’s a number most teams would be happy to get from their starter, but it still is a step down from Rask’s .929. One of the advantages of being a top seed in each conference is this round-robin structure, which will allow the team to get healthy without the risk of elimination for the first week.

  • One team not in quite as strong a situation is the Columbus Blue Jackets, who start a best-of-five series against the Toronto Maple Leafs later today. The Blue Jackets have two young excellent goaltenders of their own, but head coach John Tortorella has decided to go with Joonas Korpisalo in game one. While Elvis Merzlikins may have received more press this season due to it being his first in North America, it was easy to forget that Korpisalo was actually named to the All-Star game before suffering an injury. He posted a .911 save percentage on the season but has a strong history against the Maple Leafs and much more experience at the NHL level.
  • It may not come as much of a surprise, but Braden Holtby will be in net when the Washington Capitals start their own round-robin tomorrow afternoon. Holtby will start over Vitek Vanacek according to Samantha Pell of the Washington Post when the Capitals take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Once Ilya Samsonov was ruled out due to injury the obvious choice was Holtby given his experience, but it is also important to remember that he was far from his dominant self this season. In fact, Holtby posted an .897 save percentage on the season, putting him 52nd among NHL goaltenders who appeared in at least 20 games.

No Extension Talks For Alex Ovechkin Until Playoffs End

at CDT | by 11 Comments

As part of the new CBA agreement, teams don’t have to wait until the start of the 2020-21 league year (slated for some time in November) to begin working on contract extensions for 2021 free agents.  While they’re eligible to do so, the Capitals have decided that they will not be doing so with winger Alex Ovechkin, Washington GM Brian MacLellan told reporters, including NHL.com’s Tracey Myers.

The 34-year-old will be entering the final season of his 13-year, $124MM contract next season.  At the time, the deal seemed rather largesse at the time as it came close to the maximum 20% of the cap which is as high as a deal can go.  However, with the Upper Limit of the cap increasing substantially since then (from $56.7MM in 2008 when the pact was signed to $81.5MM this season), the contract has even looked like a bargain at times.

There’s no denying that Ovechkin is an elite goal scorer and when all is said and done, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer might actually hold the NHL record.  He sits eighth all-time with 706 tallies and while he’s still 190 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s record, he still has several years left in him.  It’s not entirely crazy to think that the length of his next contract will ultimately determine whether or not he gets that top spot.

Ovechkin has led the league in goals for three straight years, scoring at least 48 in each of them.  While it’s fair to say that he will slow down eventually, it would seem as if he has at least a few years left as a top scorer in the game.  Undeniably, there will be plenty of interest in him if he was to make it to the open market in 2021.

Having said that, given his commitment to the Capitals organization and the mutual admiration, it seems likely that they’ll eventually be able to work out a new contract before he gets to free agency.  Accordingly, the decision to wait until after the postseason seems like a wise one.

The big question then becomes how long the deal will be as at this point, it’s reasonable to think that Ovechkin’s cap hit on his next contract will be around the current $9.5MM AAV.  It will be a 35-plus deal which makes it less likely that a cheap year or two is tacked on to try to artificially lower the cap hit.  There is a new provision in the CBA that takes away the 35-plus risk (Section 64 of the Memorandum of Understanding) but that only applies if “(1) total compensation (Player Salary and Bonuses) that is either the same as or increases from one League Year to the immediately subsequent League Year, and (2) a Signing Bonus, if any, that is payable in the first year of the SPC only.”  In other words, the risks only go away with a uniform salary with minimal signing bonuses which takes away some of the incentives to front-loading the contract.

That will be one of the factors that MacLellan and Ovechkin’s camp consider over the coming months.  It will be a little while longer before it gets done but right now, they’ll solely focus on Washington’s upcoming playoff run which will unofficially get underway on Monday with the first of three round robin games to determine postseason seeding.

Snapshots: Rangers Injuries, Bowman, Kase, Schmaltz

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Igor Shesterkin’s late scratch against Carolina today after being ruled unfit to play came as a surprise to many.  Larry Brooks of the New York Post clarifies (Twitter link) that it’s believed to be an injury and not related to a positive COVID-19 test.  He notes that the injury was likely either suffered at practice on Friday or during their tune-up game against the Islanders on Wednesday.  Speaking with reporters postgame, head coach David Quinn told reporters, including Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press (Twitter link) that he’s unsure if Shesterkin will be available on Monday for the second game of the series.

Meanwhile, winger Jesper Fast left the game after the first shift after taking a hit from former Rangers teammate Brady Skjei.  There’s no word yet on how long he may be out for.

Other news and notes from around the league:

  • Blackhawks interim president Danny Wirtz confirmed to Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) that GM Stan Bowman has a multi-year contract. There were unconfirmed reports last summer that he had signed a new deal but there was no announcement by the team.  Wirtz declined to indicate how long Bowman’s contract runs and didn’t provide a timeline for when the team may hire a replacement for former president John McDonough.
  • Bruins winger Ondrej Kase has joined the team in Toronto, notes Joe Haggerty of NBC Sports Boston. He missed all of training camp after being deemed unfit to participate and he will not suit up in the opening game of the round robin against Philadelphia.  Considering how long it has been since he last skated, he’ll likely need several full practices before being given the green light to suit up.
  • Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz is dealing with a sore neck from the hit he took from Ryan Reaves in Thursday’s exhibition game, mentions Richard Morin of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link). Head coach Rick Tocchet indicated that his availability for Sunday’s opener against Nashville is unknown.  Despite the shortened season, Schmaltz set a career high in assists this season with 34 while leading the team in scoring with 45 points.

Offseason Keys: Anaheim Ducks

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The offseason has arrived for at least seven teams that were not invited to take part in the Qualifying Round that has now started.  With that in mind, our Offseason Keys series is underway for the teams that are on the outside looking in.  Next up is a look at Anaheim.

This season was supposed to be somewhat of a transition year for the Ducks.  More roster spots were earmarked for younger players while Dallas Eakins, their AHL coach, was brought in behind the bench.  In that sense, the end result (a sixth place finish in the Pacific Division) wasn’t too surprising.  GM Bob Murray has some work to do to reshape this roster but there are some challenges that lie ahead.  Here is a look at what they’ll be looking to accomplish this offseason.

Add Scoring Help

Let’s dive right into their biggest problem in recent years.  Anaheim simply has a hard time getting pucks in the net.  While there’s some hope that youngsters like Troy Terry, Sam Steel, Max Jones, and Max Comtois will be able to be reliable producers, they combined for 23 goals in 200 games this season.  They have hopes for the recently-extended Sonny Milano and in-season pickup Danton Heinen but both of them have been hit or miss offensively over their young careers as well.  There is some upside out of this group but none of them are really going to be able to shoulder the load; they’re more complementary players.

The problem for the Ducks is that their veterans can also be placed in that category.  Adam Henrique, Rickard Rakell, Ryan Getzlaf, and Jakob Silfverberg were their top four scorers this season but the highest point total out of that group was 43.  Granted, the early shutdown makes that number look a little worse than it otherwise would have been but Henrique didn’t crack the top 100 in points league-wide.  It’s hard to have success when your top players are producing at a second line rate at best.

Murray needs to be on the lookout for scoring help and could stand to add multiple upgrades to his top six.  Unfortunately, accomplishing that feat is going to be quite tricky.  Anaheim already has nearly $79MM in commitments to 18 players for next season with Corey Perry’s buyout costing them a whopping $6.625MM on the books.  With a flat $81.5MM salary cap, that doesn’t give them much room to work with.  Yes, Ryan Kesler’s $6.875MM will be heading for LTIR which gives them some wiggle room but they’ll be dipping into that simply to fill out their roster let alone add any upgrades.  They’re not in as dire straits as some teams are when it comes to the cap but finding a way to add an impact threat is going to be a challenge but it’s one that needs to be met.

Getzlaf Extension Talks

Teams are now allowed to work on extensions for players whose deals are expiring in 2021 and Anaheim has a prominent one of those in Getzlaf.  His agent Gerry Johansson acknowledged last month that his focus at this point is working on extensions over deals for players on expiring contracts.  With Getzlaf stating before the trade deadline that he had no desire to chase a Stanley Cup elsewhere, this would seem like a perfect opportunity to try to get a new contract done.

The question will be what the right deal will be.  In his prime, Getzlaf was living up to his $8.25MM cap hit but his numbers have dipped the past two years.  His days of being an ideal number one center are over so a notable dip in pay is forthcoming, one that is exacerbated with the Upper Limit of the salary not expected to move up much over the next few years.

Considering Getzlaf will be 36 when his new deal begins, term will also be a big factor.  It’s reasonable to think that he’ll want this to be his last contract so he’ll be looking for a multi-year pact.  35-plus deals carry some extra risk (unless they’re structured equally in terms of salary each year, a new CBA wrinkle) so that’s something that Anaheim will be keeping in the back of their mind as well.

Getting a deal with their captain done sooner than later would also give them some more certainty when it comes to their future spending and remove any possible distraction around Getzlaf getting asked about the possibility of moving on.  It certainly appears as if there’s going to be mutual interest in getting something done so with there being another three months before they’ll have a shot at game action again, this seems like a good time to try to hammer out a deal.

Find A Backup Goalie

Regardless of what they try to do to upgrade up front, Murray will have to leave some money set aside for a backup goalie as veteran Ryan Miller is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in October.  At the age of 40, it’s far from a guarantee that he’ll want to return and with the year he had (his .907 SV% was the lowest of his career over a full season), the Ducks may want to turn their focus elsewhere.  Internally, Anthony Stolarz is an option but he is probably best served as a third-string option at this stage of his career.

There’s also the Seattle expansion consideration.  Right now, the only goalie under contract that’s eligible for exposure is John Gibson and it’s safe to say that they’re going to want to protect him.

Accordingly, they may be among the teams that look to sign a goalie to a two-year (or longer) deal in order to satisfy the mandatory exposure requirement which likely takes Miller out of consideration.  That’s not a great market to be in, however, as quite a few teams are in that situation and it stands to reason that Anaheim won’t want to spend much money on a number two option given that Gibson is their surefire starter and that their cap space is limited.  After having Gibson and Miller as a tandem for the last three years, a change to that is probably on the horizon.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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

scroll to top