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Minor Transactions: 01/27/21

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With the NHL season now fully underway and many AHL training camp rosters now finalized, options are running out for remaining free agents. Fortunately, opportunities seem to always be available in Europe and in the ECHL, even with most of those league well through their current campaigns. This keeps minor moves flowing, even on a relatively quiet day for NHL transactions:

  • Scouring the recently released AHL rosters, one will find Paul Bittner suspiciously absent. The 24-year-old forward, a second round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2015, has been a solid contributor for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters over the past few years. However, when his entry-level contract expired this off-season, Columbus did not extend him a qualifying offer. Unable to find another NHL deal and apparently unable or unwilling to sign in the AHL as well, Bittner is off to Sweden. Vasby IK of the second-tier Allsvenskan has announced a deal with Bittner for the remainder of the season. The 6’4″ power forward should be quite the disruptive force in the Swedish minor league.
  • Another former Blue Jackets prospect is also on the move. Defenseman Michael Prapavessis, an NCAA free agent out of RPI, did not receive a qualifying offer this off-season either following the completion of his two-year ELC. Prapavessis was less of a surprise than Bittner, having seen limited action in the AHL as well as some time in the ECHL. Seemingly unable to land an AHL contract, Prapavessis is now in the ECHL on a permanent basis, at least for now, inking a deal with the Orlando Solar Bears for the rest of the season.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned forward Jack Badini from the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The first-year pro, who was expected back at Harvard for his senior season this year, instead signed with the Ducks after the Ivy League cancelled all winter sports. The Ducks won’t rush his development this season, especially after a quiet start in the ECHL, but they want to see what he can do against AHL competition.
  • As noted yesterday, former Yale forward Curtis Hall has signed with the Bruins, but for this season it is an AHL deal with Providence rather than an entry-level contract with Boston. The Bruins expected the 2018 fourth-round pick to spend at least one more year developing in the NCAA, but that became an impossibility due to the Ivy League’s suspension of winter sports. The Bruins clearly felt that Hall, who already has pro size and was a dangerous goal scorer last season, was better off in the AHL than back in junior this season. However, they will wait to burn the first season of his ELC.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 01/27/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 protocol. The Pittsburgh Penguins are still listed as TBA, but the rest of the list is in:

Carolina – Warren Foegele, Jordan Martinook, Jaccob Slavin, Teuvo Teravainen, Jesper Fast
Chicago – Adam Boqvist, Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Wallmark*
Detroit – Adam Erne, Robby Fabbri, Sam Gagner, Jon Merrill, Filip Zadina
New Jersey – Mackenzie Blackwood
Tampa Bay –  Curtis McElhinney
Washington – Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dmitry Orlov, Alex Ovechkin, Ilya Samsonov
Winnipeg – Tucker Poolman, Pierre-Luc Dubois

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Jesper Bratt, New Jersey Devils

Bratt’s removal is huge news for the Devils, who have been waiting for him all season. The 22-year-old signed a two-year contract on January 10 and needed to travel from Sweden and serve out his quarantine in the U.S. He’ll be on the ice tomorrow, though it’s not clear when exactly he’ll make it back into the lineup.

Wallmark becomes the latest Blackhawk to be placed on the list, and the only player added today. He had already been scratched the last two games, but now will be forced out of the lineup for the time being.

The Vegas Golden Knights are still expected to have GM Kelly McCrimmon and the AHL coaching staff behind the bench when they take on the St. Louis Blues tomorrow night, meaning that the regular staff is also still self-isolating “out of an abundance of caution.”

*denotes new addition

Snapshots: Laine, Penguins, Blues

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The Columbus Blue Jackets will get to see Jack Roslovic in action on Thursday evening against the Florida Panthers but are still waiting on Patrik Laine to even show up on the COVID Protocol Absences List, let alone the roster. Laine remains in Canada for the time being, though Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported this morning that the forward is in Ottawa now finishing paperwork with the U.S. consolute to acquire his work visa. Once all of the paperwork is finished, Laine is expected to take a private charter to Columbus, where he’ll enter the protocol. It could be as short as 48 hours, though that is not a guarantee at this point.

It will be interesting to see where Laine fits in once he does clear the protocol, especially after a very up-and-down start to the season for Columbus. The team has scored 18 goals in seven games, but also given up 22. The only reason they are leading the Central Division at the moment is that several other teams have only played three games, as the 2-2-3 Blue Jackets’ record isn’t really something to be excited about. Laine of course was dealing with a minor injury before the trade to Columbus and now hasn’t played since January 14.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins CEO David Morehouse spoke to Greg Wyshynski of ESPN and explained that the team is not heading into a rebuilding phase now that Jim Rutherford has resigned as GM. In fact, Morehouse doubled down on the “win-now” phrase and explained that the team will look for a new GM that will “come in and continue having us work towards winning another Cup.” The Penguins still have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, which is usually good enough for any front office to believe they can win the Stanley Cup.
  • The St. Louis Blues will be the fifth NHL team to allow fans into their building this season, announcing that 1,400 spectators will be allowed into Enterprise Center for their games beginning on February 2. Those will be in addition to the limited amount of frontline workers that had already been attending. The Blues credit the success of local and NHL safety protocols during the initial homestands this season as the reason for increasing capacity. As Sean Shapiro of The Athletic reports, The Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes and Nashville Predators have also allowed a certain number of fans into their arenas.

San Jose Sharks Acquire Christian Jaros

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The San Jose Sharks completed two trades today, ending with the acquisition of defenseman Christian Jaros from the Ottawa Senators. First, the Sharks sent Trevor Carrick to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for minor league forward Jack Kopacka, who they then flipped along with a 2022 seventh-round selection to the Senators for Jaros. GM Doug Wilson released a short statement on his newest defenseman:

Christian is a big right-shot defenseman who plays a physical game. He is a young player with 76 games of NHL experience so far and has the ability to grow his game.

This is a rare three-way trade in the NHL, though the Sharks can likely claim that they received the best player in the deal, given Jaros’ previous NHL experience. The 24-year-old defenseman has played in 76 games for the Senators over the last three seasons, including 61 in 2018-19. He was pushed down the depth chart by some of Ottawa’s more veteran additions since then and cleared waivers earlier this month. Yes, the Sharks could have acquired Jaros at that point for nothing but a waiver claim, but clearing actually likely improved Jaros’ trade value. He can now be moved up and down freely between the NHL, taxi squad, and AHL until he plays in 10 NHL games or spends 30 days on the NHL roster.

That flexibility is valuable for a team like the Sharks who just put Jacob Middleton on waivers today, potentially losing him to a claim should someone be interested in the left-shot defenseman. Jaros will become a useful depth piece that could even push for some NHL playing time if younger players like Mario Ferraro or Nikolai Knyzhov falter (though that certainly doesn’t seem likely for the former at this point).

In Carrick, the Ducks are receiving a minor league star, who has routinely put up huge offensive seasons from the back end. The 26-year-old has only ever played seven games at the NHL level though and likely is an addition more for the San Diego Gulls than anything. It just so happens that Sam Carrick, his older brother, is the captain of the Gulls.

Kopacka, the youngest player involved in the deals, spent most of the 2019-20 season with the Gulls, though he also did have a short stint with the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL. A fourth-round pick from 2016, he has yet to play in the NHL or really break out in the minor leagues. The Senators of course are also getting a seventh-round pick, a nice little sweetener for a player that seemed unlikely to see the ice with them this season. Even beyond the NHL roster, the Senators have some younger prospects that will need playing time before long, and moving Jaros has cleared the way.

Jim Rutherford Resigns As Pittsburgh Penguins GM

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In shocking news, the Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that Jim Rutherford has resigned as general manager, citing personal reasons. Patrik Allvin, the team’s assistant general manager has been promoted to interim GM while the team begins an immediate search for a new GM. Rutherford has been with the Penguins since 2014 and released a short statement on his departure:

It has been a great honor to serve as general manager of the Penguins, and to hang two more Stanley Cup banners at PPG Paints Arena. I have so many people to thank, beginning with the owners, Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux, and team president David Morehouse. There always has been so much support from everyone involved with the Penguins, both on the hockey and business staffs, and, of course, from a special group of players led by Sidney Crosby. The fans here have been tremendous to me and my family. I know it’s a little unusual to have this happen during a season, but just felt this was the right time to step away.

Allvin was only just named AGM in November, having previously worked with the team in several roles including director of amateur scouting. He has been with the Penguins for more than a decade, but will now be thrust into the spotlight as the team’s front office leader. The release indicates that Allvin will consult with Lemieux for input and advice during the interim period.

Rutherford has been a pillar of the NHL for decades, first as a goaltender that appeared in 457 NHL games over 13 seasons, and then as an executive. Named general manager of the Hartford Whalers in 1994, he remained with the team through their relocation to Carolina and won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006. During his tenure in Pittsburgh, he put together a team that won back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017. Rutherford was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that this was “absolutely” Rutherford’s decision, while Ken Campbell of The Hockey News reports it is not health-related.  The long-time manager leaves the Penguins in the midst of a unique season and with a 4-2-1 record early on. The team has lost several key players to injury but still sit in a playoff spot for the time being. Critics may say that success is in spite of Rutherford’s recent mistakes (of which there have been many), but there have been several outstanding moves by the veteran GM as well that have kept the competitive window open around Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. John Marino, for instance, was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers for a sixth-round pick, only to quickly turn into one of the best defensemen on the team.

Never one to shy away from a blockbuster, Rutherford’s departure from the ranks of NHL general managers will be a loss for hockey fans all over the league. It remains to be seen how Allvin operates, but he may not even be in charge very long. LeBrun notes that the Penguins will look at both internal and external options but doesn’t believe they will “want this to drag too long.”

Yannick Weber, Jacob Middleton Placed On Waivers

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed Yannick Weber to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level, placing him on waivers immediately in order for him to report directly to the taxi squad or minor leagues. Pittsburgh has been dealing with several injuries on the back end, while Weber had not earned a contract from his professional tryout with the Nashville Predators. Jacob Middleton of the San Jose Sharks has also been placed on waivers, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

The Penguins have seen nearly every left-shot defenseman on their depth chart injured through the first part of the season, including Brian Dumoulin who left last night’s game and did not appear at practice today. John Marino, who has shown the ability to play both sides in his young career, was also missing at practice, necessitating a move like the signing of Weber, even if he’s not an ideal replacement.

Now 32, Weber comes with 497 regular season NHL games under his belt but hasn’t averaged more than 14:01 a night since the 2015-16 season. In Nashville, where he has spent the last four seasons, he was relegated to spot duty on the bottom pairing, sheltered against weaker opponents. Experience at the highest level is one thing, but it’s hard to imagine him being a true fix for the problems in Pittsburgh.

Middleton meanwhile has been leapfrogged by several other defensemen in San Jose, most notably 22-year-old Nikolai Knyzhov who has shown pretty well in the first part of the season. The 25-year-old Middleton will likely be assigned to the taxi squad if he clears, which seems likely given he has just 14 games of NHL experience under his belt. Perhaps a needy team like Pittsburgh would take a chance, but there’s certainly no guarantee that he can even be a full-time player at the highest level.

Jeremy Bracco Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Jan 27: Bracco has cleared waivers and had his contract terminated, according to CapFriendly.

Jan 26: After clearing waivers earlier this month, Jeremy Bracco finds himself there again. The Carolina Hurricanes’ forward has been loaned to KalPa in Finland for the rest of the season, while also being placed on unconditional waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Should a contract termination follow, the young forward would be an unrestricted free agent once again.

Bracco, 23, has dominated the AHL at times, including a 79-point season in 2018-19 that seemed destined to earn him a call-up with the Toronto Maple Leafs. When an NHL debut never came and the Maple Leafs decided not to issue him a qualifying offer, Bracco was a free agent looking for work. He ended up signing quickly with the Hurricanes, inking a one-year, two-way deal in mid-October.

Now, with the prospect of another AHL season on the horizon, he’ll face a new challenge overseas instead. The talented playmaker still has tremendous offensive upside, but desperately needs to fill out the other parts of his game if he’s to ever live up to his second-round billing.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 01/27/21

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It appears as though there will be daily movement this season between the active roster and taxi squad. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of shuffle news each day.

  • The Detroit Red Wings have moved Taro Hirose and Givani Smith back to the taxi squad after their overtime loss last night. The team is now 2-4-1 on the season and have scored just four goals in their last three games, but should be getting some reinforcements back off the COVID Protocol list at some point in the near future.
  • Connor Bunnaman and Samuel Morin were moved back to the Philadelphia Flyers taxi squad following their win last night. Bunnaman, 22, has yet to record a point this season in his three games, while Morin is still waiting to make his debut at forward after switching positions in the offseason.
  • Hunter Jones has been moved back to the AHL by the Minnesota Wild, likely meaning Andrew Hammond will be returned to the taxi squad. Hammond had been called up on an emergency basis as Cam Talbot dealt with a lower-body injury.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have sent Logan Stanley and Kristian Vesalainen back to the taxi squad, saving money on off days by moving the entry-level deals off the roster. The Jets don’t play again until Saturday, giving them some rest and practice time after playing seven games through the early part of the season. With that extra practice time in mind, they have added 2020 first-round pick Cole Perfetti to the practice squad switching out C.J. Suess who head to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. The Jets will get another chance to see what the talented young forward can do against his NHL teammates.

ECHL Announces New Expansion Team

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After the announcement earlier this year of two new expansion franchises expected to join the ECHL for the 2021-22 season, the minor league was up to 28 teams. By 2022-23, that number will increase by one more after the league’s board of governors approved an expansion application of Savannah, Georgia for admittance to the league.

Andy Kauffman, who also owns the Jacksonville Icemen, will be the new Savannah owner, and the team will play in Savannah Arena, a new 7,300-seat construction set to be completed in Spring 2022. ECHL Commissioner Ryan Crelin released a statement on the new team:

The ECHL is excited to welcome the City of Savannah as our newest member. We have a great working relationship with Andy his management group and we look forward to bringing ECHL hockey to the Savannah community in October 2022 and the creation of natural rivalries with the Atlanta Gladiators, South Carolina Stingrays, Greenville Swamp Rabbits and Jacksonville Icemen.

Oak View Group, who are also responsible for the construction of Climate Pledge Arena (NHL Seattle), Palm Spring Arena (AHL Palm Springs), and UBS Arena in Belmont Park (NHL NY Islanders), has been hired to manage and operate the new Savannah Arena.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Ottawa Senators

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2020-21 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Ottawa Senators

Current Cap Hit: $70,678,775 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Drake Batherson (one year, $736K)
D Erik Brannstrom (two years, $863K)
F Logan Brown (one year, $863K
F Joshua Norris (two years, $925K)
F Tim Stutzle (three years, $925K)
F Brady Tkachuk (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses
Batherson: $20K
Brannstrom: $450K
Brown: $710K
Norris: $850K
Stutzle: $2.5MM
Tkachuk: $2.5MM
Total: $7.03MM

The way Ottawa’s cap situation is structured, there is going to be a prominent player coming off an ELC on an annual basis which, from a long-term planning standpoint, is a good way to stagger things.  Tkachuk then becomes the one to watch for in the coming months as he’s eligible for an extension now.  He’s not near the top of the scoring charts but power forwards tend to get paid quickly which makes his case intriguing.  The Sens have tried to bypass bridge contracts with the players they perceive to be long-term core assets and Tkachuk is certainly in that category but unless he has a breakout year offensively, it may be in his best interest to go the more traditional route and take a short-term pact with the hopes of cashing in with a higher payday down the road.

Stutzle is one of just two players from October’s draft class to make the jump to the NHL and the early returns have been promising.  While he’s just three games into his NHL career, it seems likely that Ottawa’s intent will be to lock him up long-term as soon as his deal expires.  Norris dominated in the AHL last season and has gotten off to a good start this year with the Sens so again, he’s one that they will likely try to sign to a long-term deal.  While this is still a couple of years away (and three for Stutzle), their ability (or inability) to get these long-term pacts done will greatly affect their plans for eventually bolstering their roster with impactful veterans.  As for Batherson, he looks like he has made it as a regular for now but it’s hard to see them going long-term with him just yet.  Instead, a one-year deal around double his AAV or a two-year pact at a bit more makes more sense.  Brown and Brannstrom haven’t seen NHL action yet this season but that should change.  They’ll need to see if Brown is a part of that future core while Brannstrom is one of the defensemen they’re intending to build around.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Artem Anisimov ($4.55MM, UFA)
D Braydon Coburn ($1.7MM, UFA)
F Alex Galchenyuk ($1.05MM, UFA)
D Erik Gudbranson ($4MM, UFA)
G Marcus Hogberg ($700K, RFA)
F Cedric Paquette ($1.65MM, UFA)
D Mike Reilly ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Derek Stepan ($6.5MM, UFA)
D Christian Wolanin ($900K, RFA)

Stepan’s acquisition in training camp was curious, both in the sense that Ottawa didn’t necessarily need a veteran while they gave up a second-round pick and alleviated Arizona’s cap concerns.  He’s not an impact player at this stage of his career although he can still play in the middle six.  At this point, he seems like a good trade candidate with some cap hit retention but he may be hard-pressed to get half of his AAV on the open market this summer.  Anisimov was another cap dump and has a limited role with the Sens.  Again, he’s a trade candidate if Ottawa is willing to eat money and his next contract in free agency will be a lot less than this one.  Paquette was yet another pickup from a team clearing money and his price tag is a bit high for a fourth liner but even so, he should have enough interest on the open market to come close to his current deal.  Galchenyuk was signed as a reclamation project and while it made a lot of sense at the time, he has struggled to get in the lineup so far which isn’t a great start.

Three of the four defensemen on this list were also brought in through teams freeing up cap room.  Gudbranson, an Ottawa native, can still hold his own in a limited role but he’s being paid top-four money.  Something around half the price tag (or perhaps a bit more) should be doable in free agency.  Coburn’s role has lessened in recent years and he is best served as a sixth or seventh defender.  He’ll be eligible for an incentive-laden deal in July but will need to take a low base salary.  Reilly has shown flashes of upside going back to his time with Minnesota but he hasn’t been able to establish himself as a regular.  If that continues, he will likely be facing a small dip as well.  Wolanin, the lone home-grown blueliner in this section, is a player who has basically been on the fringes in recent years and as such, can’t be expected to command much more than his qualifying offer.

Hogberg is in his first full NHL season so he won’t have a long enough record to command a long-term deal.  Having said that, this is his final RFA-eligible campaign so a two-year deal with an AAV around the $1.75MM range is one that could make some sense for both sides, assuming he plays well this year.

Two Years Remaining

D Josh Brown ($1.2MM, UFA)
F Nick Paul ($1.35MM, UFA)
F Chris Tierney ($3.5MM, UFA)

Tierney was more of a throw-in in the Erik Karlsson trade but responded with two strong seasons with Ottawa, earning himself a raise this summer.  He almost certainly isn’t in their long-term plans but this is a fair price tag for a middle-six center who has hovered near the 0.5 point per game mark in each of the last three seasons.  Paul worked his way into a regular role last season and earned himself a bit of security as a result.  If he’s a late-bloomer, this could wind up being a team-friendly contract but even if not, he won’t need to produce a whole lot to live up to it.  Given his physicality, he could be highly sought after if his output continues to improve.

Brown was brought in from Florida as Ottawa looked to reshape their defensive depth.  He’s still a number six option most nights and while the Senators can afford to pay him that right now, that’s a position that they will need to go cheaper on as some of their entry-level players land richer second contracts.

Three Years Remaining

F Connor Brown ($3.6MM, UFA)
F Evgenii Dadonov ($5MM, UFA)
F Austin Watson ($1.5MM, UFA)

While most wingers were hit hard in free agency, Dadonov did pretty well for himself, earning a $1MM increase in his AAV while getting three years when multiple options wound up settling for just one.  His role should decrease as their youngsters improve but even so, they should get good value out of this deal.  Brown has been the beneficiary of a lack of depth on the wing, permitting him to have a career year last season despite it being shortened.  It’s unlikely he’ll get back to those offensive levels again (in part thanks to Dadonov) but he does enough other things that should help offset a drop in production.  Watson was brought in to give them a boost physically but he has shown some flashes of offensive upside in the past.  He might have a hard time getting this on the open market next summer if he was a free agent but it’s not much of an overpriced contract either way.

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