Archives for March 2021

Chicago Blackhawks Activate Kirby Dach From Injured Reserve

March 28, 2021 at 9:24 am CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

When the Chicago Blackhawks took the ice on Saturday night, they were joined by a surprise addition. Young star forward Kirby Dach had been activated from the Long-Term Injured Reserve and had re-joined the lineup. Dach had not played yet this season and, while he had been skating with the team, the Blackhawks had made no indication prior to their pregame announcement that Dach was close to a return. Not only was Dach apparently ready for action, but he seamlessly returned to his second-line center role, logging 20:08 time on ice – the third-highest mark among Blackhawks forwards in the game.

Dach re-joining Chicago before the end of March marks a shocking departure from his initial recovery timeline. The talented pivot was injured back in December, suffering a fractured right wrist during one of Team Canada’s World Junior Championship pre-tournament scrimmages. If he had been able to avoid surgery, the timeline for a return was believed to be just four-to-eight weeks. However, the Blackhawks announced on December 28 that Dach had in fact undergone surgery and was instead looking at a four-to-five month timeline. Yet, less than three months later he made his triumphant return to Chicago to begin his second NHL season.

Dach, 20, continues to exceeds expectations in every facet of his pro career. The third overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Dach was considered a reach by a few pundits who believed that Chicago had passed up on drafting superior options at forward or addressing a greater need with a top defenseman. Dach proved his critics wrong when he impressed in training camp and cracked the Blackhawks’ Opening Night roster. Not only that, but Dach also turned in 23 points in 64 games in his rookie campaign, topped off by an impressive playoff debut. The potential long-term loss of Dach this season was a devastating blow for the Blackhawks, but now here he is at least a month early on his recovery timeline and looking to take another step forward in his development. With Chicago surprisingly still clinging to a playoff spot in the Central Division, Dach is a major boost to their postseason hopes.

Trade Deadline Primer: Nashville Predators

March 27, 2021 at 10:11 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments

Although we’re less than three months into the season, the trade deadline is already just three weeks away. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Nashville Predators.

The Nashville Predators are sellers. In fact, the Predators being ready to gut their roster has been one of the more talked-about storylines of the 2020-21 season. Ask any media personality in hockey and they will say that Nashville is shopping this guy and listening on that guy. It seems that almost anyone on the roster could be available as the Predators have been labeled as disappointments.

Yet, hidden behind the headlines, the outrage level likely isn’t that high internally in Nashville. Quietly, the team is actually playing quite well of late. Since Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman proclaimed last month that there were only three untouchables on the entire Nashville roster, the team has gone 10-7-1 including four wins in a row and wins in six of their past seven. The team is up to .500 on the season and that could be enough to sneak into the postseason in the Central Division’s final spot. In their history, the Predators have never really torn apart their roster and restarted and it seems unlikely that they have the proper motivation to do so now.

With that said, this is still not where the 2017 Western Conference Champions thought they would be at this point in time. The season results have gotten worse each year since their Stanley Cup Final appearance: a second-round exit in 2018, a first-round loss in 2019, and a failure to even advance beyond the qualifying round last year. Now, there is a real possibility that the Predators could miss the playoffs entirely this season. A team loaded with depth and numerous talented veterans, Nashville should be better and it is somewhat inexplicable why they aren’t. As a result, there needs to be a shake-up. However, given the recent improvements, the Predators’ approach to the deadline is likely to be less fire sale and more strategic dealing, especially in a buyer’s market.

Record

17-17-1, .500, T-5th in Central Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$2.46MM in full-season space ($10.97MM at the trade deadline), 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

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

Trade Chips

It is probably easier to start with the players who aren’t for sale. As Friedman noted back in February, that definitely includes career Predator goaltender Pekka Rinne, who is in the last year of his contract and quite possibly his career and is being honored with the ability to go out on his own terms (and a No-Movement Clause helps). It also included cornerstone defensemen Roman Josi and Ryan Ellis. At the time, this was the extent of Friedman’s list. He even noted that young defender Dante Fabbro or top scorer Filip Forsberg could be available at the right price. Now, that is almost certainly not the case. Friedman has also since flipped on Ellis’ availability, but he should be safe. Nashville also has no reason to trade young impact players, such as off-season acquisition Luke Kunin, recent first-round pick Eeli Tolvanen, collegiate standouts Rem Pitlick and Jeremy Davies, and impressive goaltender Juuse Saros.

Beyond that group, it probably isn’t a stretch to say that GM David Poile will at least listen to offers for anyone else on the roster. Part of that is due to the Predators’ current situation and the slim likelihood that they can contend this season, even if they do sneak into the playoffs in a top-heavy Central Division. This means that they receive no benefit from hanging on to their impending unrestricted free agents. Mikael Granlund is the top trade chip among this group. The skilled forward was a late off-season signing and somewhat of an afterthought heading into the season, but leads all Nashville forwards in time on ice, proving himself to be an invaluable piece. Other teams have taken notice as well, as Granlund’s name has been floated on the rumor mill more than a few times and has been linked to several contenders. Another late off-season addition, Erik Haula will also be for sale. A similarly versatile forward to Granlund, Haula hasn’t made as much of an impact but has previously proven to be an asset in the right system. Among other expiring contracts, veterans Brad Richardson and Luca Sbisa, if healthy by the deadline, could draw some interest at a cheap price point. Despite their recent success, the Predators only reason for not trading any of these potential rentals would be if they had interest in an extension and only Granlund, their most valuable piece, would conceivably fit the bill.

The other reason why Poile is open to moving other players off his roster, those with term on their contracts, is partially due to the impending Expansion Draft. Whether the Predators choose to use the standard 7-3 protection scheme or instead choose the 8-skater scheme in order to protect Mattias Ekholm, they will be exposing key players either way. Ironically, the Predators’ impressive depth on paper is not doing much to help them this season but will hurt them in expansion. Ekholm is at the top of most trade boards as a name likely to move before the deadline. The Seattle Kraken would not hesitate to claim him if he was to be left exposed in the draft and the Predators will not give him up for free when he can command a strong return on the trade market as a balanced, two-way defenseman with an affordable contract and a reliable top-four track record. Yet, even if Ekholm is traded and the Predators can protect three defensemen and seven forwards, they still face liability up front. Nashville simply has too many valuable names at forward, even if many are underachieving. Are they really ready to let expensive, underwhelming former stars like Ryan Johansen or Matt Duchene go for free? Could they really leave career Predators like Calle Jarnkrok or Colton Sissons exposed? And they also need to consider protecting younger names like Pitlick an Yakov Trenin who could be looked upon to take on larger roles moving forward. There are simply too many names in Nashville for a valuable player not to be left exposed, so why not listen to trade offers instead. Moving Johansen or Duchene this season is unlikely due to cap implications, but Jarnkrok, Sissons, Rocco Grimaldi, and Nick Cousins are all for sale at the right price. The difference between last month’s mindset and the current strategy is likely that only one or two of the aforementioned players are likely to go, rather than the whole lot in a fire sale.

The x-factor for Nashville at the deadline is forward Viktor Arvidsson. By no means does the team have to trade the talented winger, who will have a safe spot on their protection list come Expansion Draft time if he is still on the roster. However, Arvidsson has been in decline for two seasons now – an unexpected regression for a 27-year-old. Arvidsson is still relied upon to play a key top-six role for Nashville, but is failing to produce like he did as a back-to-back 61-point player just a few years ago. On one hand, the Predators would be selling low on the skilled forward, who should still have plenty left in the tank. On the other hand, moving Arvidsson if they are happy with an offer could be the reality check that the team desperately needs. If the trade market remains underwhelming though, as many expect, it is more likely that Arvidsson stays put for now. Trading him at his lowest point while the team is finally gaining traction is not the shake up they need.

Others to Watch For: D Mark Borowiecki ($2MM, 2022 UFA), D Matt Benning ($1MM, 2022 UFA), G Kasimir Kaskisuo ($700K, UFA), D Ben Harpur ($700K, RFA), F Michael McCarron ($700K, RFA)

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks – Despite several years in a row of regular season success, the Predators have managed to build themselves a nice pipeline of talent. At every position, they have multiple players who project to be good NHLers. The problem with their current pipeline is that it is getting a little old. Some of their best prospects are already in the pros, bouncing between the NHL and AHL or locked into contracts overseas. Many others are collegiate players on the older side for prospects. Nashville needs some fresh blood and the best way to do that is to add draft picks. Though they have their full complement of draft picks this year (minus a seventh-rounder), draft pick packages will be the way to go as they move on from current roster players.

2) Top-Four Left-Handed Prospect Defenseman – If available, the one area that Nashville could target a specific player rather than load up on draft picks is at left defense. With Ekholm looking like his time in Nashville is winding down and some concern over whether Boston University defenseman David Farrance will sign with the team or instead opt for free agency, there could be a major hole in the top-four at LHD. The Predators have the cap space to find a capable free agent stopgap, but could use a long-term plan. Young pros Fabbro, Alexandre Carrier, and Frederic Allard are all right-handed and Davies looks like a solid NHLer but is already 24 and lacks top-pair upside. In the pipeline, Marc Del Gaizo is an intriguing prospect but more likely a bottom-pair defender. No one else even projects to be an NHLer. The Predators need to reload on the blue line, and can do that through the draft, but if a top young left-handed defense prospect is offered up, they would be wise to consider. To a lesser extent, center is also a position that could become a need sooner rather than later in Nashville as many of the Predators’ top forward prospects are not necessarily projected to play center at the top level. A natural pivot with top-six upside would be a nice addition, but isn’t as pressing as left defense and could be more easily found where the team expects to pick in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft.

Montreal Canadiens Sign Cole Caufield To Entry-Level Contract

March 27, 2021 at 7:48 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 4 Comments

Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has stayed true to his word and has signed top prospect Cole Caufield as quickly as could be considered possible. After the top-seed University of Wisconsin was unceremoniously upset in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament by Bemidji State University on Friday, Caufield’s collegiate career came to an end. Just over 24 hours later, he is officially under contract. The Canadiens have announced that the 2019 15th overall pick has signed a three-year entry-level contract, which begins this year. Signing as a 20-year-old, the first year of Caufield’s ELC will be burned this season.

While Caufield is expected to report to the AHL’s Laval Rocket once his mandatory quarantine is complete, his entry-level deal is priced affordably to help Montreal out as soon as possible. Rather than a maximum $925K AAV on his ELC, Caufield will make just $700K in salary this first year and $832.5K in each of the next two years. Combined with signing bonus payments of $92.5K each year and additional performance bonuses, Caufield’s cap hit comes out to $880.8K. While only marginally less than the maximum ELC hit, it could still indicate that the Habs have plans to sneak him under the cap and onto the NHL roster this season.

Even if Caufield doesn’t play in Montreal down the stretch or is only used sparingly, he will certainly be a key player for them over the next two seasons and long after. One of the best prospect goal-scorers in recent memory, Caufield was a record-breaking sniper for the U.S. National Team Development Program. His immense offensive ability helped keep Caufield’s draft stock afloat despite concerns about his meager, 5’7″, 165-lb. frame. Caufield has put those durability worries to rest over the past two seasons in the NCAA too, showing that he is more than capable of holding his own against older and bigger opponents. After a point-per-game freshman campaign, Caufield opted to return to Wisconsin this season and in doing so became the most dominant player in college hockey. The Big Ten Player of the Year and a Hobey Baker Award finalist, Caufield recorded 30 goals and 52 points in 31 games for the Badgers, leading the NCAA in both categories on both a total and per-game level. Even if only a fraction of that scoring ability translates to the NHL, Caufield will still be a dangerous weapon.

Los Angeles Kings Acquire Brendan Lemieux

March 27, 2021 at 6:43 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 15 Comments

In a trade that few likely saw coming, the Los Angeles Kings have established themselves as buyers at this trade deadline with the acquisition of New York Rangers forward Brendan Lemieux. The Rangers announced that they have dealt the 25-year-old grinder to L.A. in exchange for a 2021 fourth-round draft pick. Lemieux’s contact carries a $1.55MM AAV and expires after the 2021-22 season, at which time he will be a restricted free agent.

From the Rangers’ perspective, maybe this trade should not have been a surprise. As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes, New York is dealing with a difficult roster crunch right now and he believes that they have been looking to swap a contract for a draft pick for some time. Lemieux has also seemingly hit a wall in his offensive development as well, appearing to be no more than a 25-point player at best, and as such has been relegated to a fourth-line role with the Rangers where his physicality and energy can be best implemented. Lemieux serves the role well, but he is more valuable to a contender than to a team like the Rangers that needs to focus on evaluating their young talent and putting together a playoff-caliber core. With that said, New York is not the most aggressive team and will need to look elsewhere for that spark with Lemieux now gone.

The more intriguing aspect of this deal is the team on the other side. The Kings have been one of the NHL’s positive surprises thus far, still very much in the conversation for a playoff spot in the West Division albeit more so before their current cold streak. It’s not so much L.A.’s impressive pipeline turning the team around either as it is their veterans leading the charge. Bringing in a relatively older player who is seemingly locked into a fourth-line role, especially one with term remaining on his contract, would have been a very strange move for the rebuilding Kings prior to this season, but given their recent success it could help them both get into the postseason and handle the increased pace and physicality of playoff hockey. Lemieux also adds the aggression element that L.A. too often lacks; the team averages about 18 hits per game (7th-worst in the NHL) and has just six fighting majors on the year (tied for 9th-fewest).

One repercussion of this move that may not immediately jump to mind but could become important down the road is the Expansion Draft impact. For the Kings, Lemieux is an additional term forward that the team will need to decide whether or not to protect, although his addition does guarantee that they should meet exposure requirements at forward one way or another. The Rangers are not in as lucky a situation following Lemieux’s departure. Although New York needed to move a player to create roster space, moving a regular starter signed beyond this season could put them in a difficult spot. As of right now, the team only has two players who meet the requirements for the two-forward exposure quota – Ryan Strome and Kevin Rooney – and Strome is likely to be protected. The only other player who can meet the requirements this season is Colin Blackwell, who needs to play in five more games. If Blackwell does not reach the games played requirement due to injury or trade or if the Rangers instead choose to protect the current top-six scoring forward, they will be one body short of the quota – a spot that Lemieux was expected to fill – and will have to make an addition before the draft.

Injury Notes: Kunin, Dal Colle, Fix-Wolansky

March 27, 2021 at 6:33 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

After missing nearly the entire month of March with an upper-body injury, Luke Kunin is finally healthy and has been activated from the Injured Reserve. In his first season with the Nashville Predators, Kunin got off to a slow start with just five points in his first 17 game – almost half of his scoring pace from last season with the Minnesota Wild – and has since been sidelined for the past 13 games. He hopes to return to the lineup and make an impact for a team that desperately needs it. After all, Kunin’s five points is still a top-12 mark among Predators forwards even after missing close to half the season so far. Nashville needs the 23-year-old to be at his best and to help those around him improve as well if they want any hope of climbing into a playoff spot in the Central Division.

The New York Islanders have had to make a split decision today in order to accommodate an injury. Earlier this morning, head coach Barry Trotz stated that forward Michael Dal Colle had suffered a lower-body injury and would be unable to suit up for the team’s next two games against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Trotz did not indicate that Dal Colle would need any more time than that though. However, due to a roster crunch, Dal Colle will have to sit longer than that. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple reported this evening that Dal Colle has been placed on injured reserve so that the team could recall a replacement in young Kieffer Bellows. This means Dal Colle will be out of commission for at least ten days, beyond just the original two-game timeline.
One player who will really be out long-term is Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Trey Fix-Wolansky. The club has announced that the 2017 draft pick suffered an ACL injury in his right knee in an AHL game earlier this month and has undergone surgery to repair the damage. The estimated timeline for his recovery is six months, but ACL tears have been known to sideline hockey players for longer than expected. Fix-Wolansky, an undersized winger, has shown some impressive offensive upside in his young pro career, but this injury could be a setback in his pursuit of an NHL role.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/27/21

March 27, 2021 at 5:25 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 2 Comments

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 official complete list for today:

Anaheim – Alexander Volkov
Boston – Jake DeBrusk, Sean Kuraly, Brad Marchand*
Minnesota – Zach Parise
Montreal – Joel Armia, Jesperi Kotkaniemi
NY Rangers – Brett Howden
Pittsburgh – Mark Jankowski*, Brandon Tanev*
Vancouver – Travis Boyd

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 NHL took another step in the wrong direction today, with Boston Bruins leading scorer Marchand hitting the list prior to their matinee game this afternoon, and Pittsburgh’s Tanev and Jankowski appearing on the published list. Bruins assistant coach Kevin Dean was also unavailable to the team today per NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin, as he was placed in the protocol due to a close contact.

Fortunately, there was one positive note and that is the New York Rangers’ coaching staff finally returning to full health. The Athletic’s Rick Carpiniello notes that head coach David Quinn has finally cleared the protocol and will be back behind the bench on Sunday. However, Howden does still remain on the CPRA list.

*denotes new addition

Hurricanes Open To Moving A Goaltender

March 27, 2021 at 4:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 8 Comments

With Alex Nedeljkovic thriving in recent weeks and Petr Mrazek set to return soon from his thumb injury, Carolina is nearing a goalie logjam on their hands with James Reimer also in the mix. Speaking with Sara Civian of The Athletic (subscription link), GM Don Waddell indicated that they’re comfortable carrying three goalies on the active roster for the rest of the season but also suggested that he’d be open to moving one by April 12th as well:

If we’re gonna do something at the trade deadline, maybe one of the chips is one of our goalies. I can’t say which one. It depends.

Nedeljkovic has been on quite the run in March, posting a .939 SV% in seven starts and has once again become waiver-eligible in the process. While he cleared back in January, it’s safe to say that he won’t pass through unclaimed if they were to try it again, especially with the frequency that goaltenders have been getting claimed since the start of the regular season.

As for Reimer, he is having a decent season with a 2.68 GAA and a .909 SV% in 17 appearances, numbers that are right around his career averages. He isn’t a starting goalie at this stage of his career but he’d represent an upgrade for several teams at the backup position.

It would be difficult to envision Mrazek being moved at this point. He has been limited to just four games this season due to the thumb injury and went into the year as their presumptive starter (or 1A to Reimer’s 1B, at least). While Nedeljkovic is on a nice run right now, it probably hasn’t been enough to make their most proven goaltender expendable at this point.

It’s worth noting that Carolina has a bit of cap flexibility with the ability to add more than $6MM in full-season salary, per CapFriendly. While none of their goalies makes much (Reimer leads the way at $3.4MM, Mrazek is at $3.15MM, and Nedeljkovic is at just under $738K), the Hurricanes certainly aren’t in a situation where the cap is going to dictate what happens; they can easily afford to carry all three the rest of the way. Both Reimer and Mrazek are pending unrestricted free agents as well.

As for what Waddell would like to add, be it with one of his goalies or something else? He told Civian that a right-shot defender would be ideal as they only have two on the roster in Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce so adding another one to balance out their third pairing would make some sense. Depth defenders are pieces that often move around this time but it shouldn’t take one of their goaltenders to move one unless they’re setting their sights a bit higher. We’ll see what direction Waddell ultimately goes in the coming weeks.

West Notes: Grubauer, Calvert, Schmaltz, Simek

March 27, 2021 at 2:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

With Jordan Binnington signing an extension and taking himself off the UFA market, Avalanche netminder Philipp Grubauer may be the top goalie that is set to hit free agency this summer. With the season he’s having, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post suggests that the 29-year-old could be in a position to double his current $3.33MM AAV over the offseason, a price tag that Colorado may not be able to afford. With a 1.69 GAA and a .931 SV% in 27 games this season, he’s first in the league in GAA and second in SV% so even in this market, doubling his price tag isn’t unreasonable. For his part, Grubauer isn’t worried about his contract status:

We are so busy and my main focus lays on Vegas and stopping the puck. Everything else is going to take care of itself. If it’s now or in a week or a couple months or like after the season — I don’t think there is any rush to do that right now.

Grubauer is one of several key Avalanche players in need of a new contract for next season, joining wingers Gabriel Landeskog and Brandon Saad (UFA) plus defenseman Cale Makar (RFA). With more than $56MM in commitments for next season already per CapFriendly, they won’t be able to afford to keep them all.

Trade Candidate: Dmitry Kulikov

March 27, 2021 at 1:50 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue our closer look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and April 12th.

For the past few years, Dmitry Kulikov’s contract made it a foregone conclusion that he wouldn’t be going anywhere at the trade deadline as teams didn’t want a depth defenseman making more than $4MM. But the 30-year-old isn’t on that contract now and is now carrying a much more reasonable price tag. Between that and the fact that the Devils are well out of the playoff picture, Kulikov the veteran blueliner could certainly be on the move in the coming weeks.

Contract

Kulikov is on a one-year, $1.15MM contract. The deal does not contain any form of trade protection.

2020-21

While it hasn’t been a great year for New Jersey, Kulikov has had a decent season overall. He sits fourth on New Jersey in ice time by defensemen and has split time between the second and third pairings. He also has played heavy minutes on the penalty kill, anchoring their top unit.

From an offensive perspective, Kulikov hasn’t done much. While he has never been a top-notch point producer (his career high is 28), this has been his worst season in terms of points per game as he sits at just 0.06 (two assists in 31 contests). While offense has never been his calling card, teams typically are expecting a bit more than that from even their stay-at-home options.

One element that may be intriguing to some teams is Kulikov’s possession numbers which are the best of his career and one of the best on the Devils. With half of a shortened season under his belt, it is a bit of a small sample size but as front offices become more analytically inclined, that’s something that will work in his favor as a lot of depth defensive blueliners aren’t typically on the positive side of possession.

Season Stats

31 GP, 0 goals, 2 assists, 2 points, -2 rating, 22 PIMS, 34 shots, 19:25 TOI, 54.0 CF%

Potential Suitors

While Kulikov has spent time on the second pairing with New Jersey, prospective buyers and playoff teams will likely view him as a more of a depth option, one that can play closer to 16 minutes per game.

In the East, the Islanders have some cap room with Anders Lee on LTIR and done for the year. Clearly, their focus will be on adding a forward but assuming they don’t spend all of their flexibility on that upgrade, GM Lou Lamoriello – a fan of extra defensive depth – could turn his focus to someone like Kulikov. The Rangers and Flyers – teams tied in points but heading in opposite directions at the moment – could also stand to add some depth on the back end if they’re still in the race closer to April 12th.

As for the Central, Chicago is another team with plenty of LTIR room. While they’re not necessarily in a spot where they’d be wise to spend big on rentals at the deadline, adding a capable veteran or two for a low price to give them some extra depth would be wise and Kulikov certainly fits that type of idea.

In the North Division, Winnipeg could stand to add more depth and has some familiarity with Kulikov from his time there so that can’t entirely be ruled out. Montreal is in a money-in, money-out situation but with Ben Chiarot out and Victor Mete struggling this season, there is a definite need for a short-term boost. Calgary could use a boost on their third pairing with Nikita Nesterov scuffling offensively and they have enough cap flexibility that they may not need a salary offset.

St. Louis makes sense from the West Division with Carl Gunnarsson out for the year; Kulikov would, in theory, replace him. The Blues will lose some of their LTIR flexibility once Colton Parayko returns although Oskar Sundqvist (ACL surgery) can be transferred there at any time. Colorado is currently using Jacob MacDonald on an emergency loan, a role that Kulikov could certainly upgrade on.

Likelihood Of A Trade

With the Devils well outside of the playoff picture, there isn’t much of a need to keep someone like Kulikov around, as much of a decent fit as he has been. There are always teams looking for defensive depth for the stretch run and as one of the more affordable ones out there in terms of cap hit and salary, that works in New Jersey’s favor. As a result, there’s a very good chance he moves with a mid-round pick coming the other way sometime in the next few weeks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Central Notes: Hurricanes, Ryan, Lehtonen

March 27, 2021 at 12:38 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

As Carolina looks to stay in the hunt for the top spot in the Central, they are starting to make their list of who to consider adding before next month’s trade deadline. Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer reports that one player that garnered consideration was former Kings defenseman Slava Voynov. The 31-year-old last played in the NHL in 2014 after being arrested on domestic violence charges that he pled no contest to. Voynov has played in the KHL since then and has looked to return to the NHL in the past but GM Don Waddell indicated that while the blueliner was considered, the Hurricanes won’t be signing him.

Elsewhere in the Central:

Everyone knows the Red Wings will be selling between now and the April 12th trade deadline and Bobby Ryan is certainly in that group. He told MLive’s Ansar Khan that he knows that he will likely be on the move by then and that it’s the first time in his career that he’s approaching the deadline with that feeling. Ryan’s first season in Detroit hasn’t been overly productive but he has still managed seven goals and seven assists in 31 games. With just a $1MM cap hit and salary, he’s certainly affordable for cap-strapped teams and while he won’t yield much of a return, Detroit would be wise to pick up any future asset they can get for him.
Blue Jackets defenseman Mikko Lehtonen has finally been able to join the team after clearing up his immigration issue, notes Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (Twitter link). Columbus acquired the 27-year-old from Toronto just over two weeks ago in exchange for goaltender Veini Vehvilainen and he should give them some extra depth should they decide to sell by next month’s trade deadline. After being off for this long, however, he will probably need a few days of practice time before he’s ready to suit up.

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