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Scott Laughton Signs Extension In Philadelphia

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One name that has been thrown around in recent weeks is Scott Laughton, a physical forward for the Philadelphia Flyers who was getting closer to free agency. As it turns out, free agency will have to wait. Laughton has signed a five-year extension with the Flyers which will carry an average annual value of $3MM.

Laughton, 26, hasn’t ever been a huge offensive producer, but there’s a lot of other positives in his game. Able to capably play the center position and line up against the other team’s best, he brings size, speed and physicality to the ice every night. In 38 games this season he has seven goals and 17 points, while recording 99 hits and averaging more than 15 minutes a night.

There was some speculation that Laughton might even bring a first-round pick back to Philadelphia if he were traded today, as the interest was high from around the league. Whether a pick that high was ever actually offered isn’t at all clear, but it won’t matter anyway as Laughton is staying in Philadelphia for another huge chunk of his career.

At just $3MM, he can fit into the bottom-six without impacting the salary cap negatively for Philadelphia and continue to anchor the team’s penalty kill. Getting fie years is a huge win for Laughton, who will now be under contract through his age-31 season.

Colorado Avalanche Acquire Carl Soderberg

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The Colorado Avalanche are bringing back a familiar face, acquiring Carl Soderberg from the Chicago Blackhawks. The Avalanche will send Josh Dickinson and the draft rights to Ryder Rolston in return.

“Soda” as he’s affectionately known in Colorado, spent four seasons with the Avalanche earlier in his career. That included two great years and two disappointing ones but ended with a career-high 23 goals in 2018-19. The 35-year-old center has just seven goals and 15 points in 34 games with the Blackhawks this season and is on a one-year contract.

That deal carries just a $1MM cap hit, certainly reasonable for a depth forward like Soderberg that can still contribute in a limited role. He’ll get a chance to change his postseason reputation this season; Soderberg has just two goals and 12 points in 41 career playoff matches.

Instead of acquiring draft picks in return, the Blackhawks get a couple of names that are lottery tickets at best. Dickinson went undrafted out of the OJHL and has split time between the AHL and ECHL this season. His entry-level contract expires at the end of this season and he likely won’t receive a qualifying offer.

Rolston though is interesting, if perhaps underwhelming. The 2020 fifth-round pick had six points in 28 games as a freshman for Notre Dame, but does have NHL bloodlines–his dad Brian Rolston played more than 1,200 games in the league–and some upside. Who knows at this point if he ever reaches that level with the Blackhawks, but it was clear that Soderberg’s time in Chicago was coming to an end.

Los Angeles Kings Extend Alex Iafallo

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12:45pm: Iafallo is now off the market, officially signing a four-year extension. The contract will be worth $4MM per season, totaling $16MM for the Kings’ winger.

10:08am: One of the more intriguing names that has been involved in trade speculation as of late is Kings forward Alex Iafallo.  A few days ago, it looked as if the two sides weren’t going to be able to agree on a contract extension but that may be changing as Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the two sides have closed the gap and are making progress on getting a new deal done.

The 27-year-old has largely gone under the radar but has been one of the top college free agent signings in recent memory.  After spending his first two seasons in a middle-six role, Iafallo spent most of 2019-20 on the top line and that has continued this year.  As a result, he’s averaging over 20 minutes a night for the first time in his career while picking up 11 goals and 14 assists in 39 games to be tied for third in team scoring.

Iafallo is in the final season of a two-year, $4.85MM contract and is eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer which has made today somewhat of a deadline to get a deal done as if it doesn’t happen, Los Angeles may be inclined to turn around and trade him.  With his emergence as a key cog for the Kings, he’s certainly well-positioned to land a considerable raise on his $2.425MM AAV.

Vegas Golden Knights Acquire Mattias Janmark

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After acquiring Adam Gaudette, the Chicago Blackhawks have sent one of their other forwards elsewhere. Mattias Janmark has been traded to the Vegas Golden Knights in a three-team deal that also includes the San Jose Sharks. The full deal:

  • To Vegas: Mattias Janmark, 2022 fifth-round pick (CHI), Nick DeSimone
  • To San Jose: 2022 fifth-round pick (BUF)
  • To Chicago: 2021 second-round pick (VGK), 2022 third-round pick (VGK)

Chicago retained 50% of Janmark’s cap hit, and subsequently the Sharks retained 50$ of what remained. That means the Golden Knights are on the hook for just 25% of what is remaining on Janmark’s deal.

Adding a player like Janmark is a sneaky pickup for the Golden Knights, who already have a team capable of contending for the Stanley Cup. The 28-year-old forward has 10 goals and 19 points in 41 games this season and has proven in the past he can produce some valuable secondary scoring from a depth role.

A strong skater, Janmark can play on the powerplay or penalty kill, but it’s hard to see him getting much time with the man advantage in Vegas. Instead, he’ll give the team another moving part in their bottom-six or even move up in a pinch.

Still, one could argue that the Golden Knights gave up more for Janmark than the Bruins did for Taylor Hall. A huge part of that (not to mention Hall’s no-movement clause) is the difference in cap hits; Janmark comes with just a $2.25MM full-season hit on his one-year deal, while even a 50% retained Hall was at $4MM. The Blackhawks did well to receive a second-round pick and another pick swap, adding some valuable draft capital to the cupboard for a player who is on an expiring contract.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic was first to note a deal was coming.

Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire Fredrik Claesson

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have added some more depth to the blue line, acquiring Fredrik Claesson from the San Jose Sharks. The Lightning will send the rights to goaltending prospect Magnus Chrona back the other way. GM Julien BriseBois released a short statement on the deal:

Bringing in Fredrik allows us to have five left shot defensemen and six right shot defensemen with NHL experience on our reserve list. History has proven that you will need depth on defense if you are going to have an extended playoff run.

Claesson, 28, has played just nine NHL games since the beginning of the 2019-20 season, but likely won’t be asked to play much more than that for the Lightning unless they suffer some catastrophic injuries. The Lightning already added David Savard to solidify their top-four, and now have brought in a little more depth at the position as well.

He carries just a $700K contract and can report directly to the Tampa Bay taxi squad, meaning he does not affect the cap hit at all.

Chrona, 20, just finished his sophomore season at the University of Denver, where he put up a .907 save percentage in 18 appearances. Selected in the fifth round of the 2018 draft, the Swedish netminder would need to be signed to enter the Sharks development system.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic was first to report a deal was coming.

Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Adam Gaudette

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The Chicago Blackhawks have acquired Adam Gaudette from the Vancouver Canucks sending Matthew Highmore the other way. Of note, Gaudette is now out of the COVID Protocol and can travel to Chicago to join the Blackhawks.

It’s a swap of depth forwards, but the Blackhawks have certainly added the one with the higher offensive ceiling. Gaudette, a former Hobey Baker Award winner, had 33 points in 59 games last season with the Canucks and has a history of scoring at every level. His numbers dropped this year–just seven points in 33 games–but there’s always a chance that Gaudette finds his game in Chicago.

Highmore meanwhile comes to Vancouver as a fourth-line option, but importantly he is signed for next season at just $725K. Gaudette is in need of a new contract as a restricted free agent and will be eligible for arbitration, a process that the Canucks may not really be able to afford. With Highmore’s deal, the 25-year-old forward provides depth for little more than the NHL minimum.

Still, even at that bargain-basement price, it’s hard to see how Highmore can really become an impact player for Vancouver. He has just four goals and 10 points through his 73-game NHL career and has rarely shown the ability to create chances for himself or his linemates. An undrafted forward out of the QMJHL, he’s done well to even make it to this level.

Senators Claim Victor Mete Off Waivers

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The Senators have added some extra depth to their back end off the waiver wire as Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports (Twitter link) that Ottawa has claimed Victor Mete off waivers from Montreal.  This move comes off the heels of them trading Mike Reilly and Braydon Coburn late last night.

Mete has played a very limited role with the Canadiens this season, suiting up in just 14 games this season, picking up three assists while averaging a career-low 14:09 per game.  It’s a sharp contrast from the beginning of his career when he spent considerable time on the top pairing with Shea Weber but he was surpassed on the depth chart by Ben Chiarot, Joel Edmundson, and Alexander Romanov as they were brought in over the last two years.  That resulted in an early-season trade request, one that was clearly not fulfilled and evidently Montreal couldn’t find a taker before waiving the 22-year-old yesterday.

With the limited role he had in the bubble, Mete opted to accept his $735K qualifying offer, making him a low-cost acquisition for Ottawa down the stretch.  However, he is eligible for salary arbitration this summer and with nearly 200 career NHL games under his belt, he will have a good case for a somewhat notable raise if it was to get to a hearing despite how things have gone this season.

But that’s an issue for the summer.  In the meantime, the Senators will get a free opportunity to take a closer look at Mete to see if he can be a part of their future plans.  As for Montreal, they basically brought in his replacement yesterday with the acquisition of Jon Merrill from Detroit so this news won’t affect any of their other plans before today’s trade deadline.

Dallas Stars Claim Sami Vatanen

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While speculation continues to swirl around some of the Dallas Stars defenders, they’ve added a new one. The Stars have claimed Sami Vatanen off waivers from the New Jersey Devils according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

The claim of Vatanen certainly won’t quiet any talk of a Jamie Oleksiak trade, given the Stars now have eight defensemen on the NHL roster. That includes Andrej Sekera however, who suffered an injury last night and could be out for some time depending on testing today.

Dallas is now on the hook for the remainder of Vatanen’s $2MM salary through the end of the season. Whether he can provide much value for that salary isn’t clear after a poor start to the year in New Jersey. Once a reliable two-way option, Vatanen had just six points in 30 games for the Devils and was playing the fewest minutes of his career.

Remember that even though the Stars could be moving some rentals, the Stars aren’t completely out of the playoff race and can use a player like Vatanen to strengthen their back end.

Four Other Players Placed On Waivers Sunday

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April 12: Mete and Vatanen were both claimed, but the other four players all cleared waivers. They can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

April 11: While Victor Mete and Sami Vatanen headline the waiver wire Sunday, the last day to put players on the waiver wire before the trade deadline, four other players were also waived, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Among those are Detroit Red Wings defensemen Danny DeKeyser and Alex Biega as well as Nashville’s Josh Healey and Ottawa’s Cody Goloubef.

For DeKeyser and Biega, this is the standard waivers practice as both players have seen the waiver wire earlier this year. While playoff teams may be interested in a veteran like DeKeyser, there is no chance that a team would take a chance on the 31-year-old considering he has a $5MM AAV this year as well as next year. No team will be willing to take on the injury-prone defenseman for a second year. DeKeyser, however, has been healthy this season, playing in 31 games for Detroit with two goals and six points. Biega, on the other hand, has just appeared in four games for the Red Wings this season, but has served mainly as a taxi squad player and emergency replacement player. The 33-year-old has one assist this season.

As for the other two — Healey and Goloubef — both must be placed through waivers after each signed an NHL contract earlier in the day. Healey signed a one-year deal with the Predators, while Goloubef signed an NHL deal with the Ottawa Senators.

Edmonton Oilers Acquire Dmitry Kulikov

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The Edmonton Oilers have added some defensive depth at the deadline, acquiring Dmitry Kulikov from the New Jersey Devils. The Oilers will send a conditional 2022 fourth-round pick that will become a third if Edmonton wins a playoff round.

Kulikov, 30, has been arguably the Devils’ best defenseman in his own end this season and has played more than 700 games in his NHL career. He will no longer offer much offense—he has just two points in 38 games—but is a nice addition to an Oilers team that needs to keep the puck out of their end and in the hands of their talented forwards.

The veteran can play the penalty kill and add some physicality, likely skating beside Adam Larsson in something of a shutdown pair. Kulikov is on a one-year deal with a salary of $1.15MM, adding affordability to effectiveness. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

For the Devils, it’s all about collecting assets at this point after a disappointing season. The team has some nice pieces coming, but the overall depth of the organization just hasn’t been good enough. A mid-round pick by itself isn’t going to change that, but it’s another small step towards building the full system out.

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