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Archives for March 2021

Golden Knights Sign Layton Ahac, Zack Hayes To Entry-Level Deals

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The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have signed two defensive prospects to entry-level contracts. The team signed Layton Ahac and Zack Hayes to three-year contracts, both which will begin for the 2021-22 season. No contract terms have been announced. Ahac has signed an AHL contract for the rest of the season, while Hayes is already playing for the Henderson Silver Knights.

The 20-year-old Ahac was the team’s third-round pick in 2019 (86th overall) and has spent the last two seasons with Ohio State University. The defenseman is considered a stay-at-home defenseman as he tallied three assists in his freshman year with the Buckeyes and then followed that up with one goal and nine assists in 27 games. His offense has improved as the blueliner hopes to develop into a solid two-way defensive player.

As for Hayes, the undrafted free agent signed a one-year deal during the offseason with Henderson and has impressed in 17 games, scoring a goal and four points, earning a NHL contract in the process.  The blueliner did score seven goals in his final season with the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL, but was best known for his defensive prowess.

Adam Gaudette Tests Positive For COVID-19

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Vancouver Canucks forward Adam Gaudette will be added to the COVID-19 protocol list later today after the Canucks announced that the forward tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday. Gaudette was practicing with the team when he received the news and left the ice immediately.

The Province’s Patrick Johnston reports that Gaudette will be re-tested. If it’s negative, he’ll be tested again on Wednesday. The result of that test will determine the next step for Gaudette. The 24-year-old has struggled this year after posting 12 goals and 33 points last season in 59 games. In 33 games this year, Gaudette has four goals and seven points.

What could be more interesting is how the NHL will handle Wednesday’s game against the Calgary Flames as there is always the possibility that more players could test positive before the game. Interestingly enough, teammate Jake Virtanen missed practice today due to illness, which doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with Gaudette’s positive test, but bears watching. The province of BC is dealing with a new wave of COVID-19 cases, which could have an effect on the game.

Travis Boyd was the only other person on the COVID-19 list after being claimed off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has been serving his quarantine restrictions and now has been cleared and was skating with the team Tuesday.

Vancouver’s Justin Bailey Out For Season After Shoulder Surgery

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The Vancouver Canucks lost some depth to their forwards when the team announced that Justin Bailey underwent successful shoulder surgery, but has no timetable for a return and will miss the rest of the season. The forward was originally injured on Feb. 11 after taking a hit from behind by Calgary Flames forward Milan Lucic (no penalty on the play). Bailey has not played since.

While Bailey has appeared in just three games for the Canucks this season and five over the past two years, he was the perfect taxi squad candidate. The 25-year-old is a veteran of the AHL and has proven that he’s excelled at that level after potting 28 goals with the Utica Comets last season. That experience worked perfectly with the taxi squad player and likely would have gotten him more NHL games this season had he not been injured.

Bailey will be a restricted free agent this offseason as his one-year, $750K contract will expire at the end of the season.

Calgary Flames Sign Yan Kuznetsov To Entry-Level Contract

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The Calgary Flames have signed one of their top prospects from the 2020 draft, inking defenseman Yan Kuznetsov to a three-year, entry-level deal. The 19-year-old out of the University of Connecticut will join the Stockton Heat of the AHL.

Kuznetsov was the team’s second-round pick in this past year’s entry draft (50th overall) and already has two years of collegiate experience. The blueliner is best known for his size, standing at 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, making him pro ready immediately and is known for his physical play on the boards as well as his long reach. He scored two goals and 11 points as a freshman with the Huskies and followed that up with a goal and six points in 16 games this season.

The defenseman will play in the AHL and since he’s 19 years old, he can play for the Heat for the remainder of the season without burning the first year of his entry-level contract. Kuznetsov will have to undergo a seven-day quarantine to join Stockton.

Chicago Blackhawks Officially Sign Mike Hardman

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Tuesday: The Chicago Blackhawks have announced the signing of Hardman to a two-year, entry-level deal which will run through the 2021-22 season, meaning they will burn the first year of the contract this season. The forward has been assigned to the taxi squad and will begin his career immediately. The contract carries at $913K cap hit.

His contract breaks down like this (via CapFriendly):

2020-21: $808K base salary + $93K signing bonus + $25K GP bonus*
2021-22: $833K base salary + $93K signing bonus

* Games played bonus is prorated for five games due to shortened season.

Monday: After a surprise early exit from the NCAA Tournament at the hands of the St. Cloud State Huskies, Boston College could see a number of their top players depart this off-season. The first name who appears to make be making his exit official is two-way forward Mike Hardman. ESPN’s John Buccigross reports that Hardman has decided to leave BC and turn pro and is close to terms on an entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. No details are yet available, but the contract is expected to signed tomorrow.

Hardman, 22, was considered one of the top collegiate free agents available, even after just two years at BC. The sophomore forward plays a complete, 200-foot game, using his size to win puck battles, forecheck and backcheck effectively, and create opportunities in front of the net. Hardman notched 10 goals and 19 points in 24 games, finishing in the top three in both categories for one of the best teams in college hockey.

In Hardman, the Blackhawks likely see a player who is ready for the pro game with little to no need adjustment period. With size, skill, and IQ, Hardman will be able to make an immediate impact. While he probably lacks top-six upside in the NHL, it never hurts to add a young, affordable bottom-six contributor. There is opportunity in the Chicago lineup for Hardman to earn an NHL role sooner rather than later.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/30/21

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There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

West Division

  • Late Monday, the Vegas Golden Knights made a number of roster moves, according to CapFriendly, which includes recalling forward Cody Glass and defenseman Dylan Coughlan, while also calling up goaltender Oskar Dansk on an emergency loan. Dansk was just filling in for Marc-Andre Fleury who got the day off. The team also called up forward Dylan Sikura, defenseman Carl Dahlstrom and goaltender Logan Thompson to the taxi squad.
  • Vegas also announced it has assigned center Cody Glass to the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, which is somewhat surprising after the forward put up an impressive performance Monday against Los Angeles. Of course, that doesn’t mean he will play a game for Henderson, but something to keep an eye on as Vegas works the salary cap before the trade deadline.

North Division

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have reassigned three players to the taxi squad, including forwards Adam Brooks and Scott Sabourin as well as defenseman Timothy Liljegren. All three played in the Toronto Marlies victory over Stockton Monday with Brooks and Liljegren each picking up goals, while Sabourin picked up a five-minute major. The team also assigned forward Nicholas Robertson and defenseman Calle Rosen to the Marlies.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have recalled three players from the taxi squad to the NHL club, including forwards Zac Dalpe and Liam Foudy as well as recalling goaltender Cam Johnson on emergency conditions. That likely means that goaltender Joonas Korpisalo may not be ready to step into backup duties. After clearing waivers, the team has also assigned defenseman Scott Harrington to the taxi squad.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forwards Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov and Frans Nielson from the taxi squad, their standard roster moves before a game.
  • With a need of defensive help, the Florida Panthers announced the recall of veteran Anton Stralman to the NHL squad. The 34-year-old has three goals and nine points in 29 games this season.
  • Another day, another shuffle of forwards in Dallas. The team announced that Ty Dellandrea, Justin Dowling, and Tanner Kero have all been activated from the taxi squad, while Joel L’Esperance has been reassigned to the taxi squad. All four have been transaction fixtures this season.

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have recalled goaltender Maxime Lagace to the taxi squad from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. After an undisclosed injury to Tristan Jarry, the team may need Lagace closer to home. To make room on the taxi squad, the team has send forward Jonathan Gruden to the WBS Penguins.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Liam O’Brien To One-Year Deal

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The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Liam O’Brien to a one-year deal. The 26-year-old was signed to an AHL deal during the offseason and has earned himself an NHL deal.

O’Brien signed with the Washington Capitals as an undrafted free agent back in 2014 and while he got a taste of NHL action in his first year with 13 games, he has spent most of his career in the AHL. The forward, in fact, had appeared in 370 AHL games with the Hershey Bears over six seasons. In those 370 games, O’Brien has 63 goals, but also accumulated 638 penalty minutes. In total, he has only appeared in 17 NHL games with Washington

During the offseason, O’Brien inked an AHL deal with the Colorado Eagles and has proved his value to the organization with four goals, eight points and 15 penalty minutes in 12 games and could provide the team with some much needed grit and depth as the Avalanche have been struggling with injuries this season.

Artem Anisimov, Scott Harrington Placed On Waivers

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Tuesday: Both Anisimov and Harrington have cleared, according to Friedman.

Monday: Two veterans have hit waivers today, as Artem Anisimov of the Ottawa Senators and Scott Harrington of the Columbus Blue Jackets are available for claim, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet.

Anisimov already cleared in February, but has bounced back and forth from the taxi squad to the active roster enough to need his waiver clock reset. Despite spending some of the time on injured reserve, the veteran forward has played ten games since he cleared, meaning if the team wanted to put him back on the taxi squad or in the minor leagues, he needed to go through the process again.

The 32-year-old Anisimov has played in just 14 games this season and has four points, totals that compare poorly even to his disappointing 2019-20 campaign. He at least scored 15 goals for the Senators last year, though he was still obviously a shell of his former self. Carrying a $4.55MM cap hit, there’s virtually no chance that another team claims Anisimov at this point.

Harrington meanwhile has continued to serve in a depth role for the Blue Jackets, playing just six games this season. The 28-year-old defenseman is closing in on 200 games in his NHL career, but doesn’t represent much more than an injury replacement or taxi squad filler at this point. For his cap hit of $1.63MM that’s not enough, meaning it should come as much of a surprise that he finds himself on waivers.

By moving Harrington to the taxi squad or waivers, the Blue Jackets can bury $1.075MM of his cap hit. He also appears to be a potential buyout candidate for the summer when he will still have one year remaining on his deal. Despite the fact that he is a defenseman, Harrington also seems unlikely to be claimed given his cap hit.

Central Notes: Tortorella, Lehtonen, Barkov, McDonagh

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Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen wasn’t too happy about the two-game sweep the team endured over the weekend to the lowly Detroit Red Wings. In fact, the GM is quite frustrated with the team’s struggles.

“It’s shocking,” Kekalainen said. “Especially to think that we played some of our best hockey just before that (vs. Carolina). To go to Detroit and play like that, get beaten like that twice in a row, is not good.”

However, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline (subscription required) writes that despite the fact that John Tortorella is in the final year of his contract and is likely moving on at the end of the year, the team doesn’t seem intent on removing their head coach.

“It doesn’t look like a team, that’s the way I would put,” Kekalainen said. “I’m sure (Tortorella) is as frustrated as anybody right now. I’ve said it before: It can’t all fall on one guy. Players should have enough professional pride to always try to be at their best, play for the team, play for the logo and play for the organization. Right now we’re not looking like a team like that.”

  • Sticking with the Blue Jackets, defenseman Mikko Lehtonen will make his Columbus debut, according to Portzline. The blueliner was acquired from Toronto for goalie prospect Veini Vehvilainen on March 12 and has now passed through quarantine. The highly-touted offensive defenseman was a big signing by Toronto during the offseason, but couldn’t work his way into the lineup there, appearing in just nine games with three assists.
  • Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville told reporters that star center Aleksander Barkov should return to the team shortly, according to NHL.com’s Jameson Olive. While Barkov was not on the ice Tuesday, Quenneville said he expects him to return at some point during the team’s four-game homestand. Barkov has missed four straight games with a lower-body injury.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh was on the ice for practice Tuesday with the team. However, the blueliner, who has missed three straight games due to a lower-body injury, wasn’t a full participant, rotating in at different times during drills, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith. That would suggest that while McDonagh is close to returning to the lineup, he is likely still a few days away from returning to game action

Trade Deadline Primer: New York Islanders

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We are now just two weeks away from the NHL Trade Deadline and talks are heating up. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the New York Islanders.

The New York Islanders, perpetual underdogs, are again delivering an excellent season. Picked by many before the season to miss the playoffs in a loaded East Division, the Islanders have outplayed their competitors for much of the season. A top-five team in goals against average and shots against per game, the Isles have again bought in to head coach Barry Trotz’ conservative, smothering style and are frustrating opponents left and right.

With that said, New York does not have a top-class offense, and that was even before the season-ending injury to captain Anders Lee. The Islanders are just a middle-of-the pack team in terms of scoring and are below average on the power play. As a side effect of the system, they do not put a lot of shots on net and have few odd-man rushes. Simply, they need to make their scoring chances count and without Lee that becomes more difficult. The Islanders have won just five of their past nine games since their leading goal-scorer went down and have slipped into a tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins in second in the division. In terms of points percentage, New York is closer to the Boston Bruins in fourth (who have many more game in hand) than they are to the Washington Capitals in first. The Islanders are unlikely to fall out of the playoff picture completely, but to stay near the top they desperately need to add offense.

Record

22-10-4, .667, T-2nd in East Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$0MM in full-season space (LTIR, $6.53MM unused), 0/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: NYI 1st, COL 2nd, NYI 3rd, NYI 4th, NYI 5th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th
2022: NYI 1st, NYI 2nd, COL 2nd, NYI 3rd, NYI 4th, NYI 5th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th

Trade Chips

Like many contenders, the Islanders don’t have the strongest pipeline to lean on. However, likely looking to add just one rental forward in a buyer’s market, they shouldn’t have to offer up any of their few elite prospects to get the job done. So fear not Isles fans, Oliver Wahlstrom and Noah Dobson aren’t going anywhere.

Kieffer Bellows is likely the name that will be heard most often as being linked to outgoing Islanders’ packages. A polarizing, but promising prospect, Bellows hasn’t found the success in the NHL that was expected of a first-round pick and World Juniors standout, but he could benefit from playing in a different system. The 22-year-old may very well be selected by the Seattle Kraken in this summer’s Expansion Draft if he is still on the roster and not protected, so the Islanders might be looking to deal him rather than risk losing him for nothing.

The Islanders also have an organization depth chart chock full of young defenseman that they could offer up in a deadline deal. Bode Wilde will be the player most suitors ask about, but the team will try to steer them away from the talented righty. Sebastian Aho and Grant Hutton are NHL-ready assets who don’t necessarily have a full-time spot waiting for them in New York next season, making them expendable, while Robin Salo and Samuel Bolduc are younger options with intriguing upside.

Others to Watch For: F Ross Johnston ($1MM, 2022 UFA), F Michael Dal Colle ($700K, RFA), F Otto Koivula ($787K, RFA), D Parker Wotherspoon ($725K, 2022 RFA), G Jakub Skarek ($764K, 2023 RFA)

Team Needs

1) Top-Six Winger – GM Lou Lamoriello will have his sights set on one thing and one thing only at the deadline: a Lee replacement. While the captain’s locker room leadership and even his two-way effort and IQ likely cannot be found on the market, the Islanders need to find someone who can take up his knack for scoring goals. The team relies on efficiency on offense and are now missing their most reliable scorer. They are solid down the middle and have plenty of other talented wingers, but no one who isn’t already playing in the top-six can reliably fill Lee’s shoes. With up to $7MM in cap space to use with Lee on Long-Term Injured Reserve, nearly any rental winger can fit under the cap. Buffalo’s Taylor Hall, the lone exception, could be had with some retention involved, but New Jersey’s Kyle Palmieri or Nashville’s Mikael Granlund would fit nicely under the cap. If the Islanders can’t manage to land one of those top options, dark horse candidates could include Chicago’s Mattias Janmark, who is scoring goals at a torrid clip this year, Vancouver’s Tanner Pearson, if healthy, or another New Jersey option, Nikita Gusev. 

2) Goaltender – Being the shrewd veteran executive that he is, don’t be surprised to see Lamoriello look at solving an Expansion crisis ahead of the deadline as well. With young Ilya Sorokin exempt from the draft and Cory Schneider headed for free agency, the Islanders do not currently have the necessary goalie to expose to Seattle assuming they protect starter Semyon Varlamov, unless they  extend the 35-year-old Schneider that is. Instead, look for the team to add a keeper with term on his contract or heading for restricted free agency. The team could kill two birds with one stone if they make can find a dependable addition; having a fourth-string for the playoffs and a third-string to replace Schneider next year would be a wise move.

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