Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for September 2021

Injury Notes: Matthews, Holloway, Kesler

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Only fours weeks in to a “minimum” six-week recovery period following impromptu wrist surgery, Auston Matthews is hopeful that he will be at full strength to begin the regular season. The Toronto Maple Leafs star tells NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger that his rehab is “coming along well”, though there are still several major steps to go. Matthews remains in a splint and remains at least a couple of weeks from moving beyond that stage of his recovery to actually testing his wrist and building his strength back up. Matthews claims that the injury, which plagued him for much of last season, is not serious, but he is happy that he decided to address it this summer after the pain had returned during his early off-season workouts. Hopefully an elective surgery for a “not serious” injury doesn’t impact the start of Matthews’ season, but as of right now he does not believe that will be the case. Matthews tells Zeisberger that he plans to resume skating this week and then take his wrist rehab “day by day” as the season approaches. The Leafs open up training camp and begin preseason play within Matthews’ minimum recovery window, so that is surely to impact his preparation for the season, but if the reigning Rocket Richard winner is at least healthy by Toronto’s October 13 opener with no more lingering wrist discomfort, then the surprise surgery will have been the right choice on all accounts.

  • The Edmonton Oilers are not expecting to see much from top prospect Dylan Holloway in their upcoming rookie camp as the talented forward is still working his way back from a broken thumb. Holloway suffered the injury at the end of the collegiate regular season, but continued on with the University of Wisconsin having qualified for the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers only lasted two games, but it still delayed Holloway’s surgery into April. This was expected to still be enough time for him to be fully healed by now, but instead Holloway is still being bothered, reports The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson. Holloway had x-rays done last week and is awaiting and evaluation from the Oilers’ medical staff. He is listed on the camp roster, but unlikely to partake in much if any action. Instead, he will hope to be healed up in time for NHL camp in two weeks. Holloway’s thumb injury cost him a chance to finish out last season with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors and gain some pro experience, so the skilled forward may be looking at a slow start to the season in the minors anyhow before getting a look in Edmonton.
  • Though it may seem obvious by now given that he has not played in two years and now is working as a volunteer coach, Ryan Kesler is officially acknowledging that he does not expect to play in the NHL again. The veteran forward spoke with NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman and stated that he does not see his body getting back into playing condition again. “And to be honest, I’m still a far way away to even coming close,” Kesler said. Suffering through injuries to both hips, Kesler was slowed even before being sidelined. He tells Kimelman that he lost his drive and love for the game for some time as he dealt with constant pain and lacking results and he tried to keep playing. Now, with one year remaining on his contract with the Anaheim Ducks, Kesler continues to rehab and work toward getting back into a place that he is happy with, but acknowledges that he cannot be an NHL player again, nevertheless live up to his own reputation. Hopefully Kesler can get to a point that he is at least comfortable skating and can continue to be on the ice as a coach.

San Jose Sharks Sign Noah Gregor

at CDT | by 14 Comments

4:00pm: The Sharks have officially announced the deal, with GM Doug Wilson releasing a short statement:

Noah showed last season that he has the tools to be an effective player at the NHL level by utilizing his speed. We feel that he will elevate the competition among our forward group for a roster spot this season.

1:38pm: The San Jose Sharks have signed their final restricted free agent, inking Noah Gregor to a one-year, two-way contract according to Jason Gregor of TSN (his uncle). CapFriendly reports that the deal will carry an NHL salary of $750K, an AHL salary of $150K and a $200K minor league guarantee.

Gregor, 23, played in 30 games for the Sharks last season but still wasn’t able to contribute much offensively, recording just six points. The 2016 fourth-round pick has some upside in that department, but will be in a battle with many other forwards at training camp just to get a spot on the roster. The fact that Gregor is still waiver-exempt likely hurts him in that battle, as he’ll be able to be sent to the minor leagues without risk.

Still, there will certainly be a battle at training camp between Gregor and other signings like Nicholas Merkley or Lane Pederson, who are both eligible for waivers but could likely clear at the end of camp if necessary. How things shake out in San Jose is entirely unclear, especially with the speculation surrounding the futures of Evander Kane and Tomas Hertl.

One thing is certain and that’s the solid minor league salary that Gregor secured. He’ll be paid handsomely even if he’s not able to secure an NHL spot.

Arizona Coyotes Hire Mario Duhamel

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Arizona Coyotes have added another assistant to their coaching staff, hiring Mario Duhamel to a multi-year contract. He joins head coach Andre Tourigny as well as assistants Phil Housley, Cory Stillman, and goaltending coach Corey Schwab. Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong released a statement on his new coach:

We are very pleased to have Mario join the Coyotes organization and Head Coach André Tourigny’s staff. He brings extensive hockey knowledge and coaching experience to our team, and we are confident that he will be a great addition. We are also pleased to have Phil, Cory and Corey return this season. They are all quality people and very good coaches.

Duhamel, 46, follows Tourigny from the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL where he served as associate coach for the last three seasons. He has years of experience in the QMJHL as both an assistant and head coach, and even served as a video coach with the Colorado Avalanche for two seasons under Patrick Roy (Tourigny was an assistant coach on that staff).

Perhaps the bigger announcement today was that Housley, Stillman and Schwab will return in their roles under Tourigny. All three served in their respective roles under Rick Tocchet, and provide a strong staff for the rookie head coach to lean on as he transitions back to the NHL. The Coyotes underwent some drastic changes this offseason in terms of on-ice personnel and have collected a huge number of draft picks to kick start a rebuild. This coaching staff will be asked to navigate what is expected to be a difficult season, given the lack of high-end talent on the roster.

Minor Transactions: 09/13/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Players from all across the NHL are hitting the ice for informal pre-camp workouts, but the majority of jobs have already been handed out. That’s not necessarily the case in the minor leagues, where teams are still tweaking their rosters and will be right up until the start of the season. As always, we’ll keep track of all those notable minor moves right here.

  • The Stockton Heat have announced a quartet of players, inking Westin Michaud, Ryan Olsen, Matt Greenfield and Andrew Shortridge to two-way minor league contracts. Olsen, who was a sixth-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 2012, spent last season playing in the German second league and dominated, putting up 48 points in 44 regular season games and then another 15 in ten postseason contests. In all these players will likely spend a good chunk of the season with the Kansas City Mavericks, the Flames ECHL affiliate.
  • If you were impressed with Romain Loeffel’s play at this summer’s IIHF World Championship and wondered if he’d consider a shift to North America, think again. The veteran defenseman has signed a four-year contract with Bern (which starts in 2022-23) to remain in Switzerland. The 30-year-old led all defensemen in goals at the tournament and has represented his country on many occasions including the 2018 Olympic Games.
  • The San Jose Barracuda have re-signed Steenn Pasichnuk to a one-year AHL contract. The 26-year-old forward is the older brother of Sharks prospect Brinson Pasichnuk and split last season between the AHL and ECHL.

This page will be updated as further transactions are reported.

Ryan Donato Signs With Seattle

at CDT | by 9 Comments

Sep 13: The Kraken have officially announced the contract, confirming the $750K salary. GM Ron Francis released a short statement on Donato:

Ryan’s hockey sense and ability to contribute on the scoresheet are two ingredients we are excited to add to our forward group. We like his offensive potential and believe he can add scoring depth.

Sep 12: Seattle has added to their forward depth heading into their inaugural training camp as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve inked forward Ryan Donato to a one-year deal.  The one-way contract pays the league minimum salary of $750K.

The 25-year-old is coming off a disappointing season with San Jose.  He managed just six goals along with 14 assists in 50 games with the Sharks while rarely being able to make it into the top six.  That led them to not tender a $2.15MM qualifying offer earlier this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Considering that Donato has shown the ability to be a serviceable depth scorer in the past, this is a nice low-risk move for the Kraken.  He’ll give them some extra depth on the wing and actually becomes one of their younger players.  With a decent showing this season, he could also be controlled through restricted free agency although he’ll once again have salary arbitration rights.

Seattle GM Ron Francis has been active in adding forwards through free agency this summer.  Donato becomes the fifth NHL roster forward to join the Kraken via the open market, joining Jaden Schwartz, Alexander Wennberg, Marcus Johansson, and Riley Sheahan.  With nearly $7MM in cap space per CapFriendly, they have the cap room to continue to add although roster spots will be hard to come by given their depth, particularly on the back end.

Columbus Blue Jackets Promote Steve McCarthy

at CDT | by 7 Comments

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been forced to make another coaching change, this time promoting Steve McCarthy from the Cleveland Monsters to replace Sylvain Lefebvre. Lefebvre, who was set to join Brad Larsen’s staff this season, has decided not to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and will not be able to coach under the current NHL protocols. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen released a statement on the move:

While we are disappointed, we respect that this decision is a personal one for Sylvain and wish him well. We feel fortunate to have an outstanding coach join our club in Steve McCarthy, who has played in this league, won championships as a player and been an important member of our hockey operations department as an assistant coach in Cleveland.

McCarthy, 40, has been with the Monsters for five seasons and has plenty of professional experience as a player. During a 302-game NHL career that included stops with the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks, and Atlanta Thrashers, he totaled 17 goals and 55 points. He would go on to win two league titles with the NLA’s ZSC Lions, and even joined the Lake Erie Monsters for their 2016 Calder Cup championship before retiring.

Lefebvre meanwhile was coming over from the San Diego Gulls, where he served as an assistant the last three seasons. The veteran of more than 1,000 NHL games has been a coach since 2007 when he was, coincidentally, hired by Lake Erie. He also had experience behind an NHL bench with the Colorado Avalanche, and had bounced around through a few other minor league stops.

He was only hired by the Blue Jackets in June, and Aaron Portzline of The Athletic tweets that the team has known this would be an issue since the league’s protocol was revealed in mid-August. In fact, Portzline has Kekalainen on record explaining that Lefevbre didn’t resign, but was fired after his decision because he couldn’t fulfil his duties. Mostly, this is a big blow for the Monsters, who will now have to search for McCarthy’s replacement, who was a huge part of the coaching staff and development team in the AHL.

Five Key Stories: 9/6/21 – 9/12/21

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

There weren’t anywhere near as many big stories as there were a week ago around the NHL but there were still some notable ones which are highlighted in our top stories of the week.

Dorion Extension: While Senators GM hasn’t been able to work out a new contract yet for top RFA winger Brady Tkachuk, he did get one contract done this past week – his own.  Set to enter the final year of his deal, Dorion and the Sens agreed on a three-year contract extension with a club option for 2025-26.  (Those options aren’t legal in player contracts but are still allowable for non-playing personnel.)  Dorion has been with Ottawa since 2007 when he joined them as their Director of Amateur Scouting, eventually moving up the ranks before becoming GM for the 2016-17 season.

Mikheyev Requests Trade: Maple Leafs winger Ilya Mikheyev reportedly requested a trade earlier this offseason although the team clearly hasn’t granted that request.  The 26-year-old has spent his two NHL seasons in Toronto but is coming off somewhat of a disappointing year that saw him post just seven goals and ten assists in 54 games.  Mikheyev is entering the final year of his contract and has a $1.645MM AAV.  Considering he’s likely to play either on their second or third line, the Maple Leafs would be hard-pressed to find a suitable replacement at that price tag which likely has played a role in them not moving him elsewhere yet.

Surgery For Crosby: The Penguins likely won’t have their captain available for the start of the regular season as Sidney Crosby underwent wrist surgery.  The expected recovery timeline is six weeks which would run through to the third week of October where Pittsburgh would have played a handful of games on their regular season schedule.  GM Ron Hextall indicated that Crosby has played through the injury for several seasons now and that after trying less invasive options, they opted to have the surgery done.  Crosby is entering his 17th NHL season and has averaged more than a point per game in every one of them, even with the recent wrist issues.

Calgary Adds Defensive Depth: There is typically one common element on teams coached by Darryl Sutter – grit.  The Flames have already added plenty of it this offseason and added even more with the signing of veteran Erik Gudbranson to a one-year, $1.95MM contract.  The 29-year-old split last season between the Senators and Predators, who added him at the trade deadline.  Gudbranson, whose AAV was cut by just over half of his previous deal, had four points in 41 games along with 64 blocks and 111 hits and should be on the third pairing in Calgary.  The Flames also brought back Michael Stone on a one-year, one-way contract for the league minimum.

Backes Signs And Retires: Veteran winger David Backes received one final contract as he inked a one-day deal with the Blues and immediately announced his retirement.  The 37-year-old played in 965 career NHL contests, 727 with St. Louis before stints in Boston and Anaheim.  In his prime, he was one of the more productive power forwards in the game, recording six seasons of more than 20 goals and 200 hits while finishing in the top five in Selke Trophy voting from 2011-12 through 2014-15.  Overall, his career comes to an end with 561 points along with over 2,600 hits and 1,148 penalty minutes.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: San Jose Sharks

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2021-22 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

San Jose Sharks

Current Cap Hit: $78,138,334 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Mario Ferraro ($925K in 2021-22)
D Nikolai Knyzhov ($797K in 2021-22)
F John Leonard ($925K in 2021-22)

Leonard managed to hold down a regular spot in the lineup in his rookie season, albeit in a limited role.  Barring a jump forward offensively, he’s unlikely to land much more than his current price tag on his second contract which would almost certainly be a short-term one.

Ferraro’s sophomore season didn’t see him upping his production all that much but his role certainly changed.  Instead of being on the third pairing in sheltered minutes, the 22-year-old was a regular on the top pairing, playing in all situations.  There’s little reason to think that will change this coming season and while limited production will limit his earnings upside, Ferraro could triple his current AAV on a bridge deal.  Knyzhov had the role that Ferraro had in his rookie season, seeing some sheltered minutes on the third pairing but played in every game.  Even if he stays in that role in 2021-22, he’ll be able to pass the $1MM mark on his second contract.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Alexander Barabanov ($1MM, UFA)
F Andrew Cogliano ($1MM, UFA)
F Jonathan Dahlen ($750K, RFA)
D Dylan Gambrell ($1.1MM, RFA)
F Tomas Hertl ($5.625MM, UFA)
D Nicolas Meloche ($750K, RFA)
F Nick Merkley ($750K, RFA)

Hertl’s name has been in trade speculation over the last couple of weeks following some comments earlier this month that suggested he may not be with the Sharks beyond the upcoming season.  He has become their top-producing center, successfully making the transition from playing the wing at the start of his career.  In doing so, his market value has increased considerably.  While he may not be able to market himself as a true number one center, quality middlemen are always in high demand and low supply on the open market.  Accordingly, a $2MM jump in AAV seems realistic and if it’s not coming from the Sharks, will whoever acquires him closer to the trade deadline hand him an extension as part of the swap?

Gambrell had a big jump in playing time last season but the production was still middling.  He’s serviceable in a limited role and can kill penalties but that’s not a spot where they can afford to pay much more than what they’re currently paying and his arbitration eligibility could work against him.  Cogliano is a capable placeholding veteran that could be a trade candidate if they’re out of contention at the trade deadline.  He’ll be subject to the 35-plus designation next year so he’ll probably be going year-to-year from here on out.  Barabanov did well in a very limited stretch after coming over from Toronto and should get a shot at a bigger role.  A good showing could have him in line for a considerable raise but if that doesn’t happen, he’ll be a candidate to go back to the KHL.  Dahlen managed to land a one-way deal which is impressive for someone who played in Sweden’s second division last season.  He’ll get a shot at earning a regular spot in camp and if that doesn’t happen, his time in North America could be short-lived.  Merkley came over in an offseason trade from New Jersey and will push for a spot on the fourth line; that roster spot will likely continue to be filled by someone making the minimum or close to it moving forward.

Meloche split last season between the Sharks and the taxi squad and at this point, they’re likely to carry a seventh defender that can clear waivers and go back and forth when needed.  He’ll battle Jacob Middleton ($725K) for that role unless someone else is brought in between now and then.

Two Years Remaining

F Rudolfs Balcers ($1.55MM, RFA)
F Nick Bonino ($2.05MM, UFA)
D Adin Hill ($2.175MM, UFA)
F Timo Meier ($6MM, RFA)
F Matt Nieto ($850K, UFA)
F Lane Pederson ($750K, RFA)
G James Reimer ($2.25MM, UFA)

Meier hasn’t been able to get back to the per-game production he had before signing this contract, one that carries the poison pill of a $10MM qualifying offer at its expiry.  It’d be hard to justify paying him that much while that qualifier also hurts his trade value unless an early extension can be worked out in 2022-23.  Bonino came over in free agency, signing a deal that was below our projection for him.  As far as third centers go, he’s a decent one on a below-market contract.  Balcers has been one of the better recent waiver claims around the league and is in a spot where he can play a regular middle-six role.  As long as he stays there, they’ll get a good return on this deal.  Nieto and Pederson will be cheap depth players and will be retained around that price point or replaced by someone else making that money.

Hill hasn’t had much of an NHL opportunity but he’ll get one now as he goes from being Arizona’s backup to the starter with the Sharks.  We’ve seen the type of money even top backups get let alone starters; both are price points well beyond what he’s making now so the opportunity for a big jump in salary will soon be there.  Reimer returns for his second stint with the Sharks and after effectively being relegated to third-string duty in Carolina by the end of the year, he still landed a decent contract.  He’ll be 35 for next trip to free agency and likely will have to go year-to-year at that point.

Three Years Remaining

F Kevin Labanc ($4.725MM, UFA)
D Radim Simek ($2.25MM, UFA)

Labanc’s contract was a pricey one for the year he was coming off of but it was also a reward for taking a very team-friendly deal the year before.  Unfortunately for him and the Sharks, last season wasn’t much of an improvement.  If he gets even close to his 2018-19 numbers, they will get a reasonable return on his deal but right now, this one is a bit of an overpayment.

Simek’s deal also falls under that category.  He was their sixth defender some nights and that type of term and money for someone in that role is not good value.

Read more

Winnipeg Jets Need To Make Changes To Be Cap-Compliant

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Winnipeg Jets are a team looking to improve after a couple of subpar regular seasons. Most of their shortcomings have been due to the team’s defense after unexpectedly losing Dustin Byfuglien after the 2018-19 season. Winnipeg made a flurry of moves to address that issue this offseason, acquiring Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon to replace Derek Forbort and Tucker Poolman, both of those replacements being undeniable upgrades. While the team looks poised to have more success than in the past few seasons.

They brought Paul Stastny back into the fold on a one-year, $3.75MM deal to help continue to solidify their top-six forward group. But one long-time important piece won’t be returning to Winnipeg this season — Bryan Little. Little suffered a concussion and ruptured eardrum after playing just seven games in 2019-20, and it’s unlikely that the longtime Thrashers/Jets forward suits up ever again. Instead, his $5.3MM cap hit will go on long-term injured reserve for yet another season.

Still, that maximum of $5.3MM as a cap cushion isn’t enough for Winnipeg right now, as they currently sit at $5.8MM over the cap with a full roster. While Winnipeg could send just one forward down to become cap-compliant, it leaves them with very little wiggle room throughout the season in case of injury and hinders their flexibility at the trade deadline.

The most likely short-term solution is to send forward David Gustafsson to Manitoba. He’s one of only two players who aren’t waiver-eligible on the Winnipeg active roster. But after scoring 19 points in 22 AHL games last year, he’ll likely push for an NHL role throughout the season. They also could opt to send defender Sami Niku down to the minors, as his tenure with the club hasn’t gone very smoothly, but risk losing him on waivers to a team willing to take a chance on his development. They’ve tried to deal Niku in the past with no takers, as teams likely anticipate that he’ll be available for them to select on the waiver wire at some point in the future.

There are other names, such as Dominic Toninato and Jansen Harkins, that could see some time in the AHL as a short-term solution to Winnipeg’s salary cap situation. The reality stands that Winnipeg likely needs to make an additional move to create some cap flexibility for a team that needs it to be a contender this year.

All cap figures courtesy of CapFriendly.

West Notes: Yamamoto, Demers, Olausson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

This weekend continues to be a slow one for the hockey news cycle. With less than two weeks until the start of preseason, teams and players remain in limbo alike on remaining negotiations. One of the more prominent restricted free agents remaining is Edmonton Oilers forward Kailer Yamamoto, who needs a new deal after scoring eight goals and 21 points in 52 games last season. It’s a step back in production after he broke onto the scene in 2019-20, scoring 26 points in just 27 games. But as names like Joel Farabee and Drake Batherson, both decent comparables to Yamamoto, have signed larger, longer-term contracts recently, The Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson surmises that this likely won’t be the case for Yamamoto. As the addition of Zach Hyman and Warren Foegele into the picture puts Yamamoto’s top-six role in a small amount of jeopardy, combined with a tight salary cap picture for the Oilers, Matheson suggests Tyson Jost’s two-year, $2MM cap hit deal as a closer comparable for the former first-round pick. As of now, that deal would still push Edmonton over the maximum $4.17MM that they’ll be able to exceed the cap by due to Oscar Klefbom being placed on long-term injured reserve. Edmonton is listed as having a full 23-man roster on CapFriendly, though, and could send players like William Lagesson and Brendan Perlini to the minors to become cap-compliant.

Elsewhere from around the Western Conference:

  • PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan writes that unsigned free agent defenseman Jason Demers is still skating in Arizona, hoping to land an NHL role for the upcoming season. While Demers was never known for his offensive production, he scored only four assists in 41 games this year and saw his ice time dip below 20 minutes a night for the first time since 2016-17. His defensive game struggled this season as the 32-year-old defender combatted injury but still remains an effective third-pairing option. Morgan also notes that once Demers is done in the NHL, he plans to make a stop in the Swiss National League, noting it’s always had an appeal to him.
  • The Athletic’s Peter Baugh reports that Avalanche prospect Oskar Olausson has confirmed his intention to join the OHL’s Barrie Colts this season. Attending Avalanche development camp at the moment, Olausson signed his entry-level contract at the end of August. While he was a first-round pick this last season (28th overall), it was unlikely that he’d make the team out of training camp, and now confirms that he won’t return to Europe, reaffirming the news from late August that he’d joined Barrie.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top