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Buffalo Sabres Sign Michael Houser

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The Buffalo Sabres have added some goaltending depth to the organization, signing Michael Houser to a one-year contract. The deal is worth $700K at the NHL level and represent’s Houser’s first NHL deal since his entry-level contract expired in 2015.

With Linus Ullmark out due to injury, the Sabres have Carter Hutton, Jonas Johansson and Dustin Tokarski (taxi squad) all at the NHL level to fulfil the league requirements. That leaves Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen as the only other goaltender in the organization signed to an NHL deal, something that could become an issue should the team have to deal with any other injuries.

Houser, 28, will be the beneficiary of that situation, earning an NHL deal despite not even having much experience at the AHL level. The undrafted netminder has spent most of his career in the ECHL, including 26 games for the Cincinnati Cyclones last season. Now on this new contract, he can be recalled to the taxi squad if necessary.

As John Vogl of The Athletic points out, it isn’t necessarily injury that the Sabres are preparing for, but potentially a trade of Hutton or Johansson. Both goaltenders are free agents after the season, with the latter qualifying as a Group VI unrestricted free agent if he fails to play 18 more games before the end of the season. If they deal either one, Houser’s contract allows the team to keep Luukkonen in the minor leagues, instead of recalling him to the taxi squad.

Trade Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings

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Although we’re now just two months into the season, the trade deadline is less than a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Detroit Red Wings.

A new division hasn’t yielded new results for the Red Wings as a year after finishing last in the Atlantic Division, they sit last in the Central with no real hope at a playoff spot.  It has been a tough rebuild for Detroit over the past few years and coming into next month’s deadline, GM Steve Yzerman’s focus will undoubtedly be on adding more future assets to the organization.  Their time to return to postseason contention will come but it won’t be this season.

Record

9-17-4, 8th in Central Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$19.59MM in full-season space ($39.19MM at the trade deadline), 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: DET 1st, DET 2nd, EDM 2nd, NYR 2nd, DET 3rd, VGK 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th
2022: DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, VGK 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th

Trade Chips

Jonathan Bernier has been a decent goaltender for Detroit over the past few seasons.  While the overall defensive numbers haven’t been pretty, the 32-year-old has more than held his own between the pipes and actually had a save percentage above the league average heading into play on Thursday.  Goaltenders don’t typically move at this time of year but there are a handful of teams that could certainly benefit from an upgraded second option and Bernier may very well be at the top of the wish list.  His $3MM cap hit may be a bit tricky to navigate for some of those teams but with no retention slots used yet, Yzerman could pay the contract down to facilitate a move.  This is, of course, assuming his lower-body injury sustained in tonight’s game against Dallas isn’t too serious.

While goalies aren’t often in demand, one position that teams always look to upgrade on is the fourth line center.  The goal is to get someone who can help the penalty kill and win faceoffs.  That’s the basic description of Luke Glendening right there; he doesn’t bring much more than those two elements but is good enough at what he does (including leading the league in faceoff percentage) to carve out a lineup spot.  He’s a bit pricey for that role at $1.8MM but again, Detroit can pay up to half of that and there should be several teams interested in his services.

Marc Staal had been viewed as a contract that would be tough to get out of; the Rangers had to part with their second-rounder this year to get the Red Wings to take him on.  But he is still a decent defender in his own end and is someone that would fit much better on a contender on the third pairing than he does with Detroit.  At $5.7MM, no one will bite but if they retain and/or take a sizable expiring contract back, there should be some interest.  Patrik Nemeth ($3MM) also falls into this category for teams that don’t have as much financial wiggle room to work with.

It hasn’t quite been the offensive resurgence that he was hoping for but Bobby Ryan has showed some good moments this season while playing in Detroit’s top six.  With 13 points in 27 games, he’d represent an upgrade for some teams in their bottom six and at a $1MM price tag, he’s certainly affordable as well; this isn’t a contract that they should need to provide some sort of salary offset for.

Others to Watch For: F Adam Erne (997K, RFA), F Sam Gagner ($850K, UFA), F Vladislav Namestnikov ($2MM through 2021-22)

Team Needs

1) Picks and Prospects – Yzerman doesn’t necessarily need to overthink things here.  The Red Wings have several veteran players who can fill small roles on contenders but none of the players mentioned above are going to bring back significant assets.  Instead, they can simply stockpile draft picks and prospects.  With this year’s draft not being moved and being such a wild card in terms of some prospects hardly playing, 2021 selections represent intriguing lottery chips; later selections (which is what most of the veterans would bring back) might be a bit more valuable as a result.

2) Core Players – There are some building blocks in place (though some of those have struggled considerably this season) but for a team that isn’t going anywhere, it’s a bit of an older group.  Some of those veterans will be replaced by prospects but with the cap room that Detroit has, there’s room to try to add a couple of core players that can be around long enough to help shepherd them through the tough times and into the playoffs.  The time for those types of moves may very well be the offseason but given the financial pressures some teams have now, Yzerman would be wise to see if there’s an opportunity to pounce before then.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Multiple Teams Showing Interest In Nick Foligno

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It has been a tough season so far for the Blue Jackets as they find themselves on the outside looking in at the playoffs in the Central Division as they sit four points behind Chicago for the fourth and final position.  Accordingly, teams are starting to call to gauge interest in their willingness to sell.  As Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic notes in the latest TSN Insider Trading segment (video link), Columbus has received several calls on winger Nick Foligno including from the Islanders and Maple Leafs.

The 33-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent and provides some grit and two-way play in the middle-six which is something that many teams would understandably covet.  Foligno is producing at a bit of a slower pace than he has in recent years but still has five goals and seven assists in 30 games so far this season while averaging more than 18 minutes per game.  Teams likely also have fresh memories from his performance in the bubble that saw him pick up six points in ten games while helping the Blue Jackets get past Toronto in the Qualifying Round.

From a financial perspective, New York makes sense with Anders Lee’s season-ending knee injury.  The Isles now have plenty of extra LTIR space at their disposal and they would be able to absorb Foligno’s $5.5MM price tag without any issues.  It’s a bit trickier for Toronto, however.  The Maple Leafs won’t have anyone on LTIR once Wayne Simmonds is activated sooner than later, nor do they have anywhere near enough cap room to take Foligno on at even half of that price tag.  Accordingly, they’d be in a position where they would need to take a regular off their roster to facilitate a move.

Of course, if the Blue Jackets have their way, they may not be moving their captain at all.  Four points is hardly insurmountable especially with every game being played inside the division.  With 26 games left heading into play tonight, that gap can be made up which is why any sort of move regarding Foligno will come closer to the April 12th trade deadline.  But if Columbus falls out of the race between now and then, he’s someone that should draw plenty of interest around the league beyond the Isles and Maple Leafs.

Penguins Place Evgeni Malkin And Teddy Blueger On IR

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There is some good news and bad news on the injury front for the Penguins.  First, the bad, as the team announced that centers Evgeni Malkin and Teddy Blueger have been placed on injured reserve.  Malkin’s move was made retroactive to March 16th while Blueger’s placement is effective one day earlier.

Malkin was injured in Tuesday’s game against Boston in the first period as he played just four shifts.  He had been on the best offensive stretch of his season before that, notching four goals and eight assists on an eight-game point streak.  It helped turn around what had been a fairly quiet season by his standards as he now has eight goals and 16 assists in 29 games to sit third on the team.

As for Blueger, he’s in the midst of a career year offensively with 15 points in his first 29 games this season.  He has also shown improvement at the faceoff dot, winning just over half of his draws which has helped him become a fixture behind Malkin and Sidney Crosby down the middle.

The good news for Pittsburgh is that defenseman John Marino was activated off IR in advance of tonight’s game against New Jersey after missing four games with an upper-body issue.  While his offensive numbers have dropped sharply this year with just five points in 26 games after having 26 points in 56 games in his rookie year, Marino has logged heavy minutes on their back end, averaging just shy of 23 per game which makes him a welcome return to their lineup.

The team also announced a series of several roster moves.  Wingers Anthony Angello, Frederick Gaudreau, and Colton Sceviour were all recalled from the taxi squad.  Sceviour is the most notable of the group having played in 21 games this season although he cleared waivers last Tuesday.  Meanwhile, winger Josh Currie and blueliner Josh Maniscalco were recalled to the taxi squad from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in order to keep the taxi squad compliant with at least four players on it.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/18/21

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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. Here is the list so far:

Boston – Sean Kuraly*
Columbus – Alexandre Texier
Minnesota – TBA
NY Islanders – Noah Dobson
NY Rangers – Phil Di Giuseppe (plus the coaching staff)

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: None.

The Rangers coaching staff will not travel with the team for their two-game set against the Capitals this weekend, meaning Kris Knoblauch will remain behind the bench alongside Gord Murphy and Chris Drury. That didn’t seem to slow the team down at all last night as they took home an incredible 9-0 win over the Flyers.

Kuraly was the player who entered the protocol for the Bruins earlier today, initiating contact tracing for the club and forcing them to cancel morning skate. After further testing it was ruled that the game can go as scheduled tonight.

*denotes new addition

Prospect Notes: Drysdale, CHL Agreement, Nappier

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The Anaheim Ducks will have the future on the ice tonight when they take on the Arizona Coyotes. Jamie Drysdale is expected to make his NHL debut, in the lineup along with fellow top prospect Trevor Zegras, who will be in his 11th. The 18-year-old Drysdale has dominated the AHL so far this season, scoring ten points in 14 games. The young defenseman was the sixth overall selection in the 2020 draft and has almost limitless offensive upside.

The Ducks, who have lost four straight and scored just 67 goals in 30 games this season have nothing to lose by testing Drysdale at the NHL level, though a few games down the road they’ll have a decision to make. The team has already elected to burn the first season of Zegras three-year entry-level contract when they could have theoretically had it slide forward, keeping him in the minor leagues all season. The same would happen for Drysdale if he plays in more than seven NHL contests this season. With the OHL still hopeful that a season could begin in April, Drysdale wouldn’t be able to return to the AHL if his junior team is in session. If he shows he can compete at the highest level right away, it might not matter.

  • That CHL agreement, which states that players drafted out of the WHL, OHL, or QMJHL cannot play in the AHL while the junior league is in session until they are 20 years old, will actually expire once again at the end of this season. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports today that there is a growing appetite for some sort of an exception to be included in the renegotiated deal for players like Drysdale, who have shown an obvious ability to perform at the minor professional level. Seth Jarvis and Connor Zary have already been sent back to the WHL after it started, despite strong showings in the AHL.
  • That agreement won’t matter for the players named today to the 2021 Biosteel All-American Game, a showcase for the top draft-eligible players in the USNTDP and USHL. The group includes Luke Hughes, the younger brother of Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes, and many other picks that will end up going off the board relatively early in July. The game takes place in Plymouth, Michigan on April 7.
  • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed undrafted Ohio State University goaltender Tommy Nappier to an unusual three-year AHL contract that will kick in right away. Nappier, 22, posted a .906 save percentage this season but had been almost unbeatable in years past. His college career ends with a .925 in 82 appearances and his professional one is just getting started.

Washington Capitals Re-Assign Aliaksei Protas To AHL

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After spending this season in the KHL, Aliaksei Protas is on his way back to North America. The Washington Capitals prospect has been re-assigned to the Hershey Bears of the AHL for the rest of the season.

Protas, 20, was the 91st overall pick in 2019 and dominated the WHL last season, scoring 31 goals and 80 points in 58 games. Standing 6’6″, he is one of the most imposing players in any game he plays and should be more than ready to compete physically in the AHL. While Protas scored just 18 points in 58 games for Dynamo Minsk during the regular season, he was excellent in the second half of the season and saw his ice time raised significantly in the playoffs. In his five postseason games, the big center averaged more than 17 minutes a night and recorded four points.

Protas was on loan this season after signing his three-year, entry-level contract way back in 2019. By playing only in the minor leagues down the stretch, that contract will actually slide again, meaning it will not expire until after the 2023-24 season. Capitals fans should be quite excited about the big Belarusian after his excellent performances in the junior and now professional levels since being drafted.

Snapshots: AHL, PWHPA, Simmonds

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The Utica Comets have had their Friday matchup against the Rochester Americans has been postponed due to COVID protocols, with a make-up date not yet announced. The Americans have been dealing with their own COVID outbreak, but this postponement is apparently due to protocols affecting the Comets.  Rochester hasn’t played since March 10 and is now postponed until at least March 24, their next scheduled game against Utica.

It’s not just those two teams facing a developing situation either. The Grand Rapids Griffins and Chicago Wolves have also had their matchup for tomorrow postponed, though in the release there is some optimism it can be rescheduled soon. In this unique, irregular schedule, minor league players are certainly not experiencing the same kind of grind a normal AHL season entails.

  • The PWHPA has formed a partnership with another NHL team, this time linking up with the St. Louis Blues to play a showcase at the Enterprise Center on April 12. The tour had already partnered with the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs previously and have announced this showcase in St. Louis will be the last one before players go to international camps for the women’s World Championships in May. The event will also include a game at the Centene Community Ice Center on April 11.
  • Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that Wayne Simmonds’ return from a broken wrist is “imminent” though wouldn’t commit to playing him tomorrow night against the Calgary Flames. Simmonds’ return should have an impact on the trade deadline as the Maple Leafs have been very open about their desire to add a forward down the stretch. When ready, the team will need to activate Simmonds from long-term injured reserve and add his $1.5MM cap hit back to the roster. That move will further complicate an already tight cap situation in Toronto that will make any deadline moves difficult and may force them to send money out at the same time.

Buffalo, Boston Cancel Morning Skates Due To COVID

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12:30pm: Both the Sabres and Bruins have announced that after further testing and tracing, tonight’s game will go on as scheduled.

9:50am: Both the Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins canceled their morning skates today due to separate COVID-19 situations. The Sabres were first, canceling their practice due to a staff member entering the COVID protocols, according to John Vogl of The Athletic. The team immediately began contact tracing. Just a few minutes later, the Bruins announced they would also not hold a morning skate as one of their players has entered the protocol.

The two teams were set to play each other this evening in the first of a two-game series. It is not clear yet if the game will be played but it is currently still scheduled.

Boston has not released any information about who has entered the league’s protocol, but it will be made public when the COVID Protocol Related Absences list comes out later today.

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