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Archives for March 2021

Rangers Sign Mason Geertsen

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When he was placed on waivers today, it was clear that the Rangers had agreed to terms on an NHL deal with defenseman Mason Geertsen.  The terms of that agreement are now known as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the blueliner has inked a two-year contract that breaks down as follows:

2020-21: $700K NHL salary, $100K AHL salary
2021-22: $750K NHL salary, $110K AHL salary

The 25-year-old was a fourth-round pick (93rd overall) of Colorado back in 2013 and spent four seasons in their minor league system, splitting time between the AHL and ECHL before being non-tendered in 2018.  That led him to the Rangers where he played on a minor league contract for the past year and a half until today’s conversion to an NHL contract.

Geertsen isn’t going to be counted to provide much offense for AHL Hartford (assuming he clears waivers as expected tomorrow) as his career-high in goals in a single season at that level is just three.  He’s more of a stay-at-home, physical blueliner which makes it interesting that the Rangers opted to use an NHL contract on him at this time as players like that don’t typically get NHL deals at this stage of their careers.  He becomes the 45th player signed out of a maximum of 50 so GM Jeff Gorton still has some flexibility on the contract limit to work with which is notable with college free agency on the horizon.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Winnipeg Jets

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We’ve made it past the holiday season but there is still plenty to be thankful for. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this season comes with a bit of a change. Typically at this time of the calendar year, the trade deadline is fast approaching but now, we’re only at the one-quarter mark.  Still, we’ll analyze what they’re happy about so far and what they can be hoping for in the months to come.

What are the Jets most thankful for?

For years, Winnipeg has been looking to improve their depth down the middle which resulted in several trades for rental players including adding Paul Stastny for the second time last fall.  With Mark Scheifele established as a legitimate number one center, Stastny gave them a bit of insurance with Bryan Little out for the season.  That’s good but not great.

That changed with last month’s acquisition of Pierre-Luc Dubois from Columbus.  Dubois, who was the top pivot with the Blue Jackets, gives Winnipeg a second high-quality option down the middle.  Perhaps more importantly, Dubois is team-controllable for three more years which lines him up with Scheifele.  There are some strong one-two center punches in the North Division and Winnipeg now has one of them and will have them in place for a while yet once Dubois moves to the middle (he has started on the wing for the time being).

Who are the Jets most thankful for?

Connor Hellebuyck.  Last year’s Vezina-winning goaltender hasn’t had the best of defenses playing in front of him (more on that shortly) and with some inconsistent performances from his backups, he has had to log a heavy workload, leading all netminders in games played in two of the last three seasons and facing the most shots in each of the last two years.  Despite that, Hellebuyck has been able to provide the Jets with steady, above-average goaltending on a regular basis for a reasonable price; his $6.167MM AAV is eighth in the league and is only about $1MM higher than the median price tag among starters.  He’s still signed for three more years after this one so Winnipeg doesn’t have to worry about their goaltending anytime soon.

What would the Jets be even more thankful for?

One of their young defensemen stepping into a top-four role.  Josh Morrissey is a capable core blueliner and Neal Pionk has thrived since coming over from the Jacob Trouba trade.  After that, the depth starts to go down in a hurry.  Dylan DeMelo is a capable third-pairing option which is nice to have but right now, Derek Forbort is logging more than 21 minutes a night just one season removed from being limited to all of 20 games, most of which were on the third pairing.  He’s a serviceable blueliner but in an ideal world, he’s not playing anywhere near that much.

Meanwhile, Winnipeg has several young defenders with some upside in Tucker Poolman, Sami Niku, Logan Stanley, and Ville Heinola that have all seen NHL action this season.  The latter two were both first-round selections and are key cogs of their back end of the future but haven’t shown that they’re ready yet for a top-four spot; Heinola also has contract considerations in terms of extending team control to factor in.  Unless they’re able to add someone via trade over the next six weeks, the improvement is going to have to come from within.  One of these four stepping up would give them a huge boost heading into the playoff push.

What should be on the Jets’ wish list?

Let’s stick with the defense.  A top-four blueliner is a piece that would really elevate the Jets to another level for the stretch run.  They do have some LTIR space at their disposal – about $2.8MM worth – and with Little out for the year, they can safely spend without having to plan about getting into compliance.  It’s not a situation where it will increase in value on a daily basis like regular cap room so if GM Kevin Cheveldayoff finds the right fit, he can pull the trigger sooner than later.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Charlie Coyle Added To COVID Protocol

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After the list had already come out for today, Charlie Coyle of the Boston Bruins was added to the COVID Protocol. The veteran forward will not play tonight for the Bruins.

To be clear, inclusion on the CPRA 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

Coyle’s appearance in the protocol does not mean he will be out for any length of time other than tonight’s game, or that there has been any spread throughout the Bruins locker room. Still, it’s concerning at least for tonight, just over an hour before the opening faceoff between the Bruins and Washington Capitals.

Boston will have to go without Coyle, who had been playing well of late and has eight points in 19 games this season. The 29-year-old forward scored two goals in his last game and is an important part of the Bruins’ secondary scoring. The versatile forward has lined up at both center and the wing, while seeing time on both the powerplay and penalty kill.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/03/21

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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. Though the league is still waiting on a report from the Ducks and Kings, here is the rest of today’s list:

Anaheim – TBA
Boston – Charlie Coyle*
Los Angeles – TBA
Nashville – Ryan Johansen
Pittsburgh – Sidney Crosby
San Jose – Tomas Hertl

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

No players have been added to the list today, an especially good sign given Crosby and Penguins assistant coach Todd Reirden were forced to miss last night’s game. Though the Pittsburgh superstar remains out, no one else has joined him on the sidelines. The Penguins are back in action tomorrow and Saturday against the Flyers; it is unclear if Crosby will be removed from the list and able to play in either of those games.

(Coyle was added to the list after it was originally published)

*denotes new addition

Jason Zucker Out “Longer-Term”

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Mar 3: Zucker has been placed on long-term injured reserve by the Penguins, retroactive to February 23. He will need to miss at least ten games and 24 days.

Feb 25: The Pittsburgh Penguins are dealing with another substantial injury, as head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters this morning that Jason Zucker would be out “longer-term” with a lower-body injury. The veteran forward fell awkwardly into the boards after clipping skates with Washington Capitals defenseman Nick Jensen and stayed down in obvious pain.

Zucker, 29, hasn’t played quite up to his standards this season, but still had seven points in his first 17 games before suffering the injury. His absence leaves a gaping hole in the Penguins lineup, one that isn’t the easiest to fix. Sure, Pittsburgh has other talented forwards, but the team’s depth was already being tested as names like Mark Jankowski, Sam Lafferty, and Colton Sceviour failed to provide much scoring punch.

Luckily, the team is expected to get Jared McCann back before too long. While Sullivan said he will not play tonight, he was a full-contact participant in practice and should be back in the lineup soon.

If Zucker is out long-term, it also may give the Penguins some cap flexibility to make an addition. The team is already in LTIR with some of their other injuries, and Zucker can be added to that group whenever necessary.

Zach Parise To Be Scratched By Minnesota Wild

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The Minnesota Wild will not have one of the cornerstones of their franchise in the lineup on Wednesday night, as according to Michael Russo of The Athletic, Zach Parise will be made a healthy scratch. This will be the first time Parise has been a healthy scratch since signing a 13-year, $98MM contract to join the Wild in 2012.

The Wild have recalled Gerald Mayhew and Kyle Rau from the taxi squad, as Ryan Hartman is also expected to miss the game with an injury, but the big news here is Parise. Now 36, the star forward has racked up 801 points in a 1,034-game NHL career, including nine this season in 19 games. Russo connects the scratch to the end of Monday’s game, where Parise was on the ice for more than a minute and a half. The Vegas Golden Knights ended up tying the game with Parise on the ice, then winning in overtime.

Parise hasn’t been as effective this season but has long been one of the most marketable players in Minnesota, racking up points and goals on the regular. He’ll be 37 this summer though, and new GM Bill Guerin will have to make some tough decisions. There are still four years remaining on that contract and though it includes a full no-movement clause, Parise actually waived it last year to potentially go to the New York Islanders and rejoin Lou Lamoriello, the executive who drafted him with the New Jersey Devils in 2003.

It’s not at all clear if Parise will be dealt at some point this season, given how difficult it is to trade a contract like his, but there’s an obvious change coming in Minnesota. The team is rejuvenated with a new star at the forefront in Kirill Kaprizov, and they sit in a playoff spot today in the West Division. A scratch may be a one-time thing, but a quick look at Parise’s ice time numbers this season shows a player that is slowly being phased out. After averaging at least 17 minutes a night in every season since his rookie year, he’s well under that mark now and played just 12:42 in a game against the Los Angeles Kings last week.

Parise and teammate Ryan Suter signed identical contracts in that summer of 2012, ones that would not be allowed under today’s CBA. The 13-year deals are so heavily front-loaded that the last three years see just $4MM in total salary paid out. Those numbers mean that Minnesota would be on the hook for recapture penalties if Parise retires early, something that potentially could be out of their hands if he is traded to another team. It does mean however that anyone acquiring him wouldn’t be shelling out the $7.54MM that his cap hit indicates. After this season, just $10MM remains to be paid to the veteran forward.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Penguins, Waite, Fines

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The Pittsburgh Penguins are under new leadership, so no one has a clear idea of how they will operate at the upcoming trade deadline. Still, Josh Yohe of The Athletic did his best to create a “most-likely-to-leave” list, ranking the Penguins players and evaluating their future with the organization. While Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin remain in their own categories because of the legacy attachment to the franchise, some other rankings could raise some eyebrows.

Specifically, Yohe sees a potential trade coming for Marcus Pettersson, given the team’s left-handed depth and the young defenseman’s contract situation. Pettersson, 24, signed a five-year extension worth more than $20MM in the middle of last season, before the team brought in Mike Matheson (and his hefty contract). With John Marino’s new contract kicking in next season the Penguins have quite a bit of capital tied up on defense, which could lead to someone having to be moved out.

  • The Montreal Canadiens announced last night that Stephane Waite, the team’s goaltending coach, had been relieved of his duties and Sean Burke would take over as director of goaltending. Montreal GM Marc Bergevin confirmed to reporters including Arpon Basu of The Athletic that Waite was fired during the second period of last night’s game and the decision was not based on anything that happened recently, but a “pattern” that he had noticed. Burke was already under contract with the team through the end of the season and has not been given an extension at this time.
  • Nino Niederreiter has been fined $5,000 for his goaltender interference on Juuse Saros last night, the maximum allowable under the CBA. Niederreiter collided with Saros behind the net, making some contact with his head, and the goaltender left the game with an injury. The Carolina Hurricanes forward will avoid suspension, though this incident will be considered during any future supplementary discipline.

Derek Ryan Clears Waivers

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March 3: Ryan has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

March 2: According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the Calgary Flames have placed checking center Derek Ryan on waivers for the second time this year. He cleared just before the season began and then bounced back and forth between the taxi squad and active roster for the next month, accruing cap space for the Flames on off days. Ryan then suffered an injury but is nearing a return, and to continue that practice, he needs to clear waivers again.

Ryan, 34, has just a single point in ten games this season after failing to crack 30 a year ago. He’s in the final season of a three-year, $9.375MM contract signed in the summer of 2018 but still should be in regular rotation at the bottom of the lineup should he clear tomorrow. The Flames, who have been practicing a delicate salary tight rope walk all season, are trying to bank as much cap space as possible in order to have room for an addition at the deadline. When Ryan was injured, his daily swaps stopped and he was placed on long-term injured reserve instead.

That LTIR designation means he wasn’t able to return for at least ten games and 24 days, both thresholds that have eclipsed recently. Once healthy, he’ll have to be activated, though it’s unclear how exactly the Flames will maneuver the salary cap at that point.

Of course, there is always a chance that someone claims Ryan, though it seems very unlikely. His cap hit, performance and recent injury all point to him sliding through waivers untouched.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/03/21

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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

North Division

  • Glenn Gawdin has been returned to the AHL by the Calgary Flames after a five-game stint with the big club. The 23-year-old Gawdin is quite the story of perseverance and will get another NHL chance at some point. For the Stockton Heat, who are losing Connor Zary back to his WHL team, Gawdin’s appearance will be most welcome.
  • The Ottawa Senators have reassigned Micheal Haley and Filip Gustavsson to the taxi squad, which could potentially open the door for Ryan Dzingel to make his return after making it through his quarantine. The Senators lost to the Canadiens last night but are still playing better of late, going 6-4 in their last ten.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Joakim Nygard from the taxi squad with Patrick Russell being sent to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.  Both wingers have played in four games so far this season with Russell leading in points with one assist to Nygard’s zero.
  • The Montreal Canadiens assigned Paul Byron to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  It’s a move they’ve made several times in recent days since he cleared waivers but he’s likely to be recalled on Thursday.  Cam Hillis was returned to AHL Laval in a corresponding move.

Central Division

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned Brandon Pirri and Lucas Carlsson to the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL, after activating Carlsson from injured reserve. The 23-year-old defenseman had been dealing with a groin injury and likely needs some games to get back up to his previous level. In ten games this season, Carlsson has yet to record a point.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have sent Mathias Brome and Evgeny Svechnikov back to the taxi squad after another loss last night. Detroit now sits at 7-15-3 on the season, but ultimately that is exactly where they want to be in a rebuild. The team isn’t going to make the playoffs this season but will get another high draft pick to add to the prospect pipeline.
  • The Nashville Predators have made their usual daily move, sending Tanner Jeannot, Mathieu Olivier, and Ben Harpur to the taxi squad. The Predators lost again last night, having injuries mounting to their best players and trade rumors swirling about the rest of the roster.
  • The Dallas Stars have assigned Taylor Fedun and Tanner Kero to the taxi squad after last night’s loss against the Lightning. Dallas starts a two-game series against the Blue Jackets tomorrow, at which point they’ll likely make a corresponding move.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have once again returned Alex Nedeljkovic and Jake Bean to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The two have been shuffled back and forth regularly over the past several weeks and will almost certainly be recalled on Thursday for their next game against Detroit.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning returned Ross Colton to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 24-year-old has a goal in two games so far this season.

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have sent Frederick Gaudreau back to the minor leagues while moving Drew O’Connor, Josh Currie, and Anthony Angello onto the taxi squad. With the team also moving Jason Zucker to long-term injured reserve, they have a little cap flexibility if they want to go after someone through trade.
  • The Boston Bruins made several roster moves in advance of their game versus Washington, per CapFriendly.  Trent Frederic and Urho Vaakanainen were recalled from the taxi squad while Greg McKegg was sent back to the taxi squad.  Additionally, Zach Senyshyn was recalled to the taxi squad from AHL Providence.
  • The Buffalo Sabres returned Jacob Bryson to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The rookie has certainly held his own in Buffalo’s lineup over the last ten days, averaging nearly 18 minutes per night over his first four NHL contests.
  • Oliver Wahlstrom’s daily shuffling continues as the New York Islanders assigned him back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 20-year-old is on a five-game point streak and will undoubtedly be recalled for tomorrow’s game against Buffalo.
  • The New York Rangers loaned Igor Shesterkin, Libor Hajek, and K’Andre Miller to the taxi squad in their normal off day cap-saving moves, per CapFriendly.  Keith Kinkaid was recalled to the active roster to meet the two-goalie minimum while Ty Ronning was loaned from the taxi squad to AHL Hartford.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers assigned Connor Bunnaman to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Snapshots: Maple Leafs, Granlund, DeAngelo, Draft

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are the current kings of the NHL, leading the league standings and by a decent margin. In a rare season in which the Leafs don’t have to go through the Tampa Bay Lightning and more importantly the dreaded Boston Bruins early in the playoffs, Toronto is understandably excited about their prospects and willing to load up before the deadline to give themselves their best shot at a title. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the team’s current focus is on bolstering their forward corps. He states that the goal is to add a middle-six forward prior to the trade deadline and, if possible, one that could line up at center on the third line or shift to wing and play higher in the lineup. One potential fit that continues to be linked to Toronto is Nashville Predators forward Mikael Granlund, if you can call him “middle-six”. On a struggling Predators team, Granlund has been one of the few highlights, leading all Nashville forwards in ice time, blocked shots, and Corsi For and second only to Filip Forsberg in scoring. Dreger believes that Granlund, an impending free agent, will absolutely be available as the Predators seem poised to begin a fire sale of sorts and he could be the ideal pick-up for Toronto as a luxury depth addition – a current top-line forward moving into a middle-six role. Of course, given Granlund’s strong play there will be other suitors and Toronto will certainly take a look at additional options should a Granlund deal not prove to be viable.

  • Trade talks have quieted down on New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, as it seems that teams do not want to make the financial commitment this year and next to the polarizing defenseman despite his obvious ability. Yet, DeAngelo wants to get back on the ice. He was told that his time with the Rangers was over and, per TSN’s Frank Seravalli, that extends to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack as well. New York has informed DeAngelo that he will not be assigned to their affiliate; however, they are willing to loan him out to another AHL team. Seravalli reports that DeAngelo and his representation are currently in the process of trying to find a spot for him to play out the rest of this season in the minors. In the big picture, the fact that it has come to this means that a trade elsewhere seems highly unlikely. Expect DeAngelo to be bought out this summer and take a short-term “show me” deal elsewhere.
  • Even as the Canadian junior leagues continue to work towards a full return to play, there are concerns about the 2021 NHL Draft and the pressure on teams due to the lack of complete information on eligible prospects. While European leagues, American junior leagues, and the NCAA have all had some semblance of a full season, the same cannot be said for Canada, the largest producer of NHL talent. A number of teams have expressed support for postponing the draft until later this year or even next year and a number of option have been proposed. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman stated on a recent radio appearance that this change is easier said than done. Due to all of the language pertaining to draft eligibility and rights, all collectively bargained, it will be difficult to postpone the draft, even if it is in the best interests of the teams and many prospects. Friedman notes that the NHLPA presented the league with a number of issues that would need to be addressed before the draft could be delayed and Friedman hears that that there simply may not be enough fight on the league side to figure out the many solutions. Dreger reports that, one way or another, answers are needed soon and there could be a meeting as early as Thursday to discuss all issues and options.

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