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Archives for April 2021

College Notes: LaFontaine, Weatherby, Kapcheck, Wise

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Goaltender Jack LaFontaine has decided that he’s not ready to turn pro yet after all.  Instead, his college team in Minnesota announced that the netminder will return for his fifth and final NCAA season.  The 23-year-old had stellar numbers with the Golden Gophers this season, posting a 1.79 GAA with a .934 SV% in 29 games which has him as a finalist for Goaltender of the Year while he was among the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Award though he didn’t make the cut for the final three.  LaFontaine started his college career with two seasons in Michigan before transferring to Minnesota, a move that has proven to be a wise one so far.  He’ll now try to win an NCAA title next season before beginning his pro career with Carolina.

More news from the college ranks:

  • Sharks prospect Jasper Weatherby has notified the team that he will remain at North Dakota for his senior year, notes Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. The 23-year-old was a fourth-round pick of San Jose back in 2018 and had a strong junior season with 14 goals, most of which came in the second half.  That was enough for the Sharks to offer him a chance to turn pro but Weatherby stated that he wants to take one more shot at winning a college title.
  • The Maple Leafs have added some defensive depth from the college ranks as the AHL Marlies announced the signing of Brennan Kapcheck to a two-year deal that begins next season; he will also play the rest of this year on an amateur tryout agreement. The 24-year-old recently wrapped up his NCAA career with American International College, posting an impressive 18 assists in just 19 games for the Yellow Jackets this season.
  • Blackhawks prospect Jake Wise has decided to leave Boston University and transfer to Ohio State, reports Scott Powers of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 21-year-old center was a third-round pick of Chicago back in 2018 but had just three goals in 50 games over three years with the Terriers.  Wise will still have two years of NCAA eligibility remaining.

North Notes: Toronto Goalies, Sanderson, Ottawa Injuries, Canucks

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The Maple Leafs have ruled out goaltender Frederik Andersen from the Western leg of their road trip, notes Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun.  That means he will miss at least the next three games with head coach Sheldon Keefe indicating that the netminder will be re-evaluated after that.  Andersen continues to deal with the same lower-body issue that sidelined him in late February and resulted in some struggles upon his return which resulted in him missing time again.  That’s not an ideal spot to be in with a starting goalie.

To that end, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted in a segment on WGR 550 (audio link) that Toronto has spoken to Buffalo about Linus Ullmark.  The Sabres netminder is a pending UFA and would certainly be a viable replacement if Andersen was to miss extended time.  Friedman was quick to classify the talks as simply due diligence at this point and with the Maple Leafs having minimal cap space, they’d be hard-pressed to do a deal unless Andersen was to basically be out for the rest of the regular season.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • While the Senators have signed two of their top prospects this week, they won’t be doing the same with Jake Sanderson. The defenseman confirmed to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald that he will return to North Dakota for his sophomore season.  The 18-year-old was the fifth-overall pick back in October and fared quite well with 15 points in 22 games while playing a big role for Team USA at the World Juniors.
  • Still with Ottawa, head coach D.J. Smith indicated in his press briefing today (video link) that winger Micheal Haley is out for the rest of the season due to his groin injury. Meanwhile, while Matt Murray was activated from injured reserve on Thursday, he is still not ready to return.  Colin White, who left Thursday’s game early with an upper-body injury, is listed as day-to-day.
  • Despite the COVID-19 situation for the Canucks, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre that there has been “no consideration” given to shortening Vancouver’s schedule once they’re able to resume play. The league recently extended the regular season to May 11th to provide an extra buffer when Montreal was shut down for a week but given the severity of this outbreak, they may have to miss more than a week which would make playing their full schedule between their return and May 11th next to impossible.

Trade Candidate: Jonathan Bernier

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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.

It has been a rough ride for players in Detroit in recent years but one of the few exceptions has been goaltender Jonathan Bernier.  The 32-year-old netminder put up respectable numbers in his first two seasons with the Red Wings but has played quite well this season, putting up a winning record on a team that has lost 26 of 38 games so far.  While the goalie market is usually soft around the trade deadline, Bernier’s performance has been good enough to make him a viable trade candidate over the next week and a half.

Contract

Bernier is in the final year of a three-year, $9MM contract with a $3MM AAV and a $2.5MM salary.  The deal does not contain any form of trade protection.  He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

2020-21

When Detroit signed Thomas Greiss to a two-year deal last fall, the intention seemed to be to platoon him and Bernier with Greiss expected to do better than Jimmy Howard’s poor showing a year ago.  Greiss has done that but not by much.  As a result, Bernier – when healthy – has been the clear-cut number one in terms of performance although the veterans have still largely alternated starts when both are available.

Among goalies with at least 10 starts this season, Bernier is 17th in save percentage.  That may not seem impressive but when you consider the quality of the team in front of him, being in the top-20 is certainly notable.  Considering that potentially interested teams aren’t likely to view Bernier as a starter but rather an upgrade on their backup position, having a second option performing that well becomes quite intriguing.

It’s worth noting that Bernier was placed on IR earlier this week due to a leg injury that has kept him out for the past two weeks.  That was more of a procedural move for roster space than a sign of his recovery as he has returned to practice and is expected to be back soon.  It’s the second time that he has missed time due to injury this season.

Season Stats

17 GP, 8-6-0 record, 2.78 GAA, .918 SV%, 0 SO

Potential Suitors

There are two types of teams that look for goalie help around the deadline.  The first is those that have had an injury and need a replacement (or at least someone to get them through the time until the injured goalie gets back) and the other is a team with playoff aspirations that is in the mix in spite of poor goaltending.  This year, there are teams in both categories.

Among the teams with injuries, Colorado stands out.  Pavel Francouz has missed the entire season and while Philipp Grubauer has been nothing short of outstanding, they can’t keep playing him at the rate they have been if they want to keep him somewhat fresh for the playoffs.  Hunter Miska wasn’t the solution and neither is the recently-acquired Jonas Johansson.  With there being no real update on Francouz’s situation, a proven backup is certainly needed and the Avs are certainly familiar with Bernier from his time with them in 2017-18.

Tristan Jarry’s injury in Pittsburgh and Frederik Andersen’s issue in Toronto also have to be monitored.  Both teams would undoubtedly like to focus their limited cap space to try to fill another need but if the prognosis isn’t good for them, those teams may have to pivot.  Jarry has resumed light skating although Andersen hasn’t.  Arizona is viewed as a possible seller but they are hanging around the playoff race despite being without both Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta.  If they decide not to sell, they could be an outside suitor for him as well.

Then there are the teams that are in the mix but could use an upgrade despite their goalies being healthy.  The Flyers have already been linked to Bernier and have both Carter Hart and Brian Elliott scuffling as of late; it has become a situation where Bernier could potentially come in and start.  I’d also put Chicago in this situation.  Kevin Lankinen has done well but Malcolm Subban has been a bit erratic in his limited action and can’t really be relied upon in a playoff race.  Bernier would give Lankinen a capable veteran to work with while Chicago would get much more consistent backup play.  St. Louis and Washington could also use a veteran backup but their cap situations complicate things.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Assuming Bernier is able to return from his injury as planned, there are still two ifs at play.  The first is Detroit’s willingness to retain money.  Considering they have plenty of cap room and no retained salary slots on the books, that one seems like a yes.  However, the second is entirely out of their control.  If Florida decides to make Chris Driedger available with Spencer Knight now signed, Driedger immediately jumps to the top of the wish list for any team looking for a goalie and at $850K, he’s much more affordable than Bernier even with maximum retention.

The rental goalie market is often tricky to predict as returns have often been lower than expected in recent years on the rare occasions that one does move.  There are definitely a few teams that could benefit from his services and even if Detroit wants to re-sign Bernier, they can still take a run at that this summer in free agency.  This feels like a situation where the actual odds of him moving are lower than they should be.  If GM Steve Yzerman can get a reasonable offer, Bernier should move but a lot will depend on Florida as to whether or not that happens.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Wild, Parayko, Lemieux

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Minnesota has had a strong first half to their season and are sitting comfortably in a playoff spot in the West Division and remain within striking distance of the top two seeds in Colorado and Vegas.  However, Wild GM Bill Guerin suggested to Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the team may not be overly active between now and April 12:

I’m really happy with our team right now. I’m happy with the job our players have done, and obviously our coaches have done a great job. Chemistry-wise, I think our team’s good. Unless something really makes us better, I don’t really feel the need to disrupt this group. If something will make us better, then we’ll do it. But I do see the chemistry that our team has, and that’s very important. To mix that up could be dangerous, but we’ll see.

Like many teams, one element that will limit what they even try to do is the salary cap.  Per CapFriendly, the Wild can only add about $2MM on deadline day which is hardly enough to try to make a splash.  If Guerin does opt to make a move then, it will likely have to be one that simply shores up their depth.

More from the West:

  • The Blues won’t have Colton Parayko back this weekend but his return appears to be on the horizon. Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch notes that the defenseman is not with the team for their two-game set in Colorado but he has been skating for more than a week now as he works his way back from a back injury.  The team has not yet ruled him out for Monday’s matchup against Vegas and he would be a huge boost to a St. Louis squad that has struggled as of late, dropping four straight and nine of their last 11 games.
  • The acquisition of Brendan Lemieux by the Kings over the weekend came as a bit of a surprise but Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the 25-year-old had asked for a trade from the Rangers which accelerated the process. Lemieux was believed to be seeking a larger role after averaging just over 10 minutes per game with New York prior to the move.  While he’s still in quarantine, Lemieux should be able to get that with Los Angeles, especially if they wind up moving a forward or two out between now and the trade deadline.

Trade Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators

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We are now less than 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 Ottawa Senators.

It has been a bit of an up-and-down year for Ottawa as they’ve been able to hold their own against half of the North Division but have been dominated badly by the other half.  The end result has them about where many expected, in the basement but showing signs of improvement as the season progresses.  However, with where they are, they’re not yet in a position where they’ll be trying to add players at the deadline.

Record

12-21-4, 7th in North Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$25.2MM in full-season space ($35.87MM at the trade deadline), 0/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: OTT 1st, OTT 2nd, SJ 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 6th, OTT 7th
2022: OTT 1st, OTT 2nd, TB 2nd, OTT 3rd, OTT 4th, OTT 5th, OTT 6th, OTT 7th, SJ 7th

Trade Chips

When you’re a team in the basement, rentals are usually the currency to be moved and that’s no exception here.  Erik Gudbranson is no doubt overpaid at $4MM but can still help a third pairing of some playoff-bound squads.  This is the time of year where teams will look for grit and he provides plenty of that as he’s one of the more physical blueliners in the league.  Teams also tend to look for players who can play shorthanded and Gudbranson does that too.  It’ll certainly take some retention in order to facilitate a trade but as long as Ottawa is willing to do so, there should be a market for the 29-year-old if they don’t work out any sort of contract extension first.

From the day that Ottawa acquired Ryan Dzingel, it felt like he could be on the move again.  The winger has actually produced relatively well since joining the team with five goals in 12 games but with their young group of forwards, he’s someone that seemingly doesn’t fit into their long-term plans.  Again, some retention will be needed as he carries a $3.375MM cap hit but he could fit the bill for a team looking for depth scoring.  Mike Reilly, a puck-moving defenseman, should also draw some interest.  He’s more affordable than Gudbranson with a $1.5MM price tag and already has 15 assists on the season.

As for a non-rental player, Logan Brown has been in trade speculation for a while after his agent Andy Scott sounded off about Ottawa’s treatment of his client back in October of 2019.  The 11th-overall pick in 2016 has just 29 career NHL games under his belt and doesn’t appear to be a big part of their long-term plans.  What doesn’t help here is that Brown has been out for most of the AHL season with no timeline for a return but this is a situation where teams may be trying to buy low knowing that the pending restricted free agent will be waiver-eligible next season.  Of course, GM Pierre Dorion isn’t obligated to provide the center with a change of scenery at this juncture but it wouldn’t be surprising to see teams call about his possible availability.

Others to Watch For: D Josh Brown ($1.2MM through 2021-22), D Braydon Coburn ($1.7MM, UFA)

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks – With the possible exception of Logan Brown, none of the others on this list are likely to garner enough interest to the point where a quality prospect would be involved.  Instead, they’re more likely to be worth mid to late-round draft picks.  The Sens are down fourth and fifth-rounders from trades that brought in veterans and these next couple of weeks represent a good opportunity to replenish those.

2) Impact Defenseman – While this goes directly against the idea of being a seller, Ottawa’s back end has been a problem for a while now.  There is hope on the horizon with some of their prospects and it even appears that Jacob Bernard-Docker is going to get a look once he gets through quarantine.  But a stabilizing top-four option would really help this roster.  It would take some pressure off the youngsters that are developing and ideally lessen the need to play Thomas Chabot over 30 minutes a night, a mark he has surpassed in four of the last six games.  If there’s an opportunity to take advantage of a cap-strapped team to add such a blueliner, they’d be wise to take it now rather than wait until the offseason when such a move may make more sense.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/02/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Here is the list for today:

Boston – Jake DeBrusk
Chicago – Brandon Hagel*
Los Angeles – Brendan Lemieux
Minnesota – Zach Parise
Montreal – Joel Armia, Eric Staal
Vancouver –Adam Gaudette, Travis Hamonic, Alexander Edler*, Braden Holtby*, Quinn Hughes*, Zack MacEwen*, Antoine Roussel*

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: Brett Howden, New York Rangers

It’s a terrible day for the Canucks, who have added five more players to the protocol. The team is currently shut down through April 6, but there are obviously questions about whether they will need to stay dark longer than that as the team recovers. For now, their game on April 8 is still scheduled, but the league will be monitoring the situation on a daily basis.

Hagel’s addition was already reported by the Blackhawks earlier, though it is not clear how long he will be in the protocol.

*denotes new addition

Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Vinnie Hinostroza

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The Chicago Blackhawks have brought back a familiar face, reacquiring Vinnie Hinostroza from the Florida Panthers. In return, the Panthers will receive minor-league forward Brad Morrison.

Hinostroza, 26, was drafted by the Blackhawks in 2012 and played his first 106 NHL games for the club before a trade took him to the Arizona Coyotes. He returns to the club in the midst of a brutal season for the Panthers, where he has dressed just nine times and doesn’t have a point. The undersized forward reached a career-high of 16 goals and 39 points in the 2018-19 season for the Coyotes but hasn’t been the same player since. Now on just a one-year, $1MM contract, he is a low-risk, low-reward play for the Blackhawks ten days before the deadline.

It’s low-risk because Morrison isn’t much of a prospect, despite his five points in six games so far this season for the Rockford Icehogs. He’s been up and down between the ECHL and AHL since turning pro and is a non-tender candidate when his entry-level contract expires at the end of this season.

If Hinostroza wasn’t going to play for the Panthers, they didn’t need to be carrying his $1MM cap hit on the books any longer. While Florida isn’t in desperate need of cap space and they could have freed up this amount simply by putting him on waivers and then the taxi squad, this at least gets them a closer look at Morrison down the stretch. Really, this is a deal about getting Hinostroza–a Chicago native–back where he feels most comfortable and with the management group that drafted and developed him.

He still may find himself on waivers at some point, but perhaps Hinostroza can refresh his career and find the level he had in the past. For a team still on the playoff bubble, adding some NHL-level depth is never a bad thing.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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The trade deadline is now less than two weeks away and activity is starting to pick up around the league.  However, with this being a unique year in terms of so many teams being up against the salary cap, it’s likely to be a unique deadline.

With that in mind, it’s time to run another edition of the PHR mailbag.  If you missed the last one, it was broken into two pieces. The first discussed Jake DeBrusk’s struggles in Boston and his potential to be moved, what New Jersey needs to, plus some thoughts on the upcoming UFA goalie market.  The second looked at the idea that the Sharks could be buyers at the deadline, what Dougie Hamilton’s next contract might look like, and the never-ending search for a top-line center in Columbus.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below.  The mailbag will run this weekend.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 04/02/21

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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

  • The Montreal Canadiens have sent Laurent Dauphin and Xavier Ouellet to AHL Laval to get them into a game after spending most of the last couple of weeks on their taxi squad.  Cole Caufield and Lukas Vejdemo were recalled in corresponding moves to keep the tax squad at four players; Caufield is currently ineligible while quarantining while Vejdemo is injured.
  • The Ottawa Senators have made several roster moves. Artem Anisimov has been recalled from the taxi squad with Clark Bishop and Alex Formenton going from Ottawa to the taxi squad. Additionally, Logan Shaw and Olle Alsing were recalled from AHL Belleville to the taxi squad.
  • After clearing waivers, the Edmonton Oilers assigned Tyler Ennis to the taxi squad.  Additionally, Alex Stalock was activated from IR, giving them three goalies on the active roster which allowed them to send Dylan Wells from the taxi squad back to the minors.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Alex Galchenyuk from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Timothy Liljegren was moved back to the taxi squad in a corresponding move.  Galchenyuk has three assists in six games so far with Toronto.

Central Division

East Division

This page will be updated throughout the day.

San Jose Sharks Sign Scott Reedy

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The San Jose Sharks have added another prospect to the depth chart, signing Scott Reedy to a two-year entry-level contract. The deal will kick in for the 2021-22 season and Reedy is expected to join the San Jose Barracuda on an amateur tryout for the rest of the 2020-21 season. Sharks GM Doug Wilson released a short statement on the signing:

Scott just capped off a tremendous career at Minnesota, leading the Gophers in goal scoring each of the last two years, and as one of the nation’s youngest seniors he has steadily improved with each season. His big frame allowed him to play a very important, versatile role and some tough minutes on one of the top teams in college hockey this past season.

Reedy, 21, was originally selected 102nd overall by the Sharks in 2017 but is coming off a strong four years of development at the University of Minnesota. The 6’2″ forward managed a point-per-game senior season, scoring 28 in 28, though he didn’t actually lead the Gophers in goal scoring as Wilson suggests. Reedy had just 11 tallies this season, well behind Colorado Avalanche draft pick Sampo Ranta’s 19.

Still, there is a bright future for Reedy in professional hockey. His versatility and size should allow him to seamlessly move into an AHL lineup, playing either center or the wing. Whether he can ever make it all the way to the NHL is still very much uncertain, but the Sharks obviously believed in him enough to hand out an entry-level contract.

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