Bruins Could Re-Sign Tuukka Rask And Jaroslav Halak
The Boston Bruins have one of the better goalie tandems in the NHL right now and have for several years in the veteran duo of Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. The defending Jennings Trophy winners have shown no signs of slowing down either; Rask finished second in Vezina Trophy voting last season while leading the league in goals against average and Halak currently has a sub-2.40 GAA of his own for his third straight season in Boston. Yet, when the 2020-21 season comes to a close, the Bruins will no longer have either under contract as the tandem are slated for unrestricted free agency. That is unless they re-sign one or both during the season. Appearing on NBC Sports, Bob McKenzie reported that the Bruins are open to extending both Rask and Halak and would considering doing so in-season as well, “if they get the sense from the goaltenders that’s what they want to do.”
Breaking down McKenzie’s report into two pieces, it certainly makes sense that the Bruins would entertain re-signing Rask and/or Halak. Rask, 33, is the player McKenzie acknowledges as the “key” to the future in net in Boston. The Bruins starter is quietly on his way to a Hall of Fame career with a top-five all-time mark in save percentage and the leading save percentage and GAA among all active goalies. Yet, even more important to this conversation is that he is still among the best in the game. While Rask has received criticism throughout his career, he remains one of the more difficult goalies in the NHL to replace. Even with names like Jordan Binnington, Frederik Andersen, and Petr Mrazek potentially available on the open market this off-season, there is no sure thing that the Bruins could confidently replace the play of Rask. Fortunately, Rask is not much of a threat to follow the money to another club. Well-compensated throughout his career and having previously stated that he does not want to play anywhere but Boston, it seems that if Rask wants to keep playing the Bruins will re-sign him.
As for Halak, 35, he may be more valuable to Boston than any other team in the NHL. There is a strong correlation between proper rest and elite performance in Rask’s career and having a dependable backup behind him in Halak these past few years has been an incredible asset for the Bruins. The team’s trust in the aging but productive net minder may just lead to another contract. With plenty of cap space, Boston can afford to pay for a top-dollar backup for another year or two. Of course, the counter-argument to a Halak return is that it would be easier for the Bruins to find another reliable backup in free agency than and they could potentially save money in looking elsewhere. Bringing back such a proven commodity in Halak will also once again block top goalie prospects Dan Vladar and Jeremy Swayman, who each rank in the top ten in the AHL in save percentage so far this season. As the Bruins continue to inject youth into their lineup, the question becomes whether they can give opportunity to the prospects and still provide sound play from the backup position or if the safer route is to simply stick with the tandem that has worked so well.
As for McKenzie’s statement that the Bruins could re-sign Rask or Halak during the season, there is more reason to be more skeptical of that assertion. With Rask and Halak both on expiring contracts, there is no need to protect either in the impending NHL Expansion Draft. Especially given the number of attractive options on the Boston roster available to the Seattle Kraken, the team would not select a UFA goalie. In their current contract state, the Bruins can instead protect Vladar from Seattle while exposing impending RFA fifth-string Callum Booth. Vladar, 23, would otherwise become a potential selection risk if Rask or Halak are re-signed and thus require protection. The young goaltender is enjoying another elite season in the AHL and could very well be the Bruins’ goalie of the future if he can outplay Swayman. Why would the Bruins leave Vladar exposed when they don’t need to?
Well, as McKenzie points out, if there is pressure from Rask or Halak to sign a new deal before the end of the season then that could change the status quo. Additionally, Vladar will drop his waiver exemption next season, meaning that the Bruins could lose him anyway if he is not ready for the NHL. (This is exactly what happened with Malcolm Subban and the Vegas Golden Knights following the last Expansion Draft.) The Bruins may also look at Vladar as worthwhile bait for Seattle to take over one of their many established roster players at forward and defense who will also be exposed. In that case, there is no reason to hold off on an extension for Rask or Halak if the plan would be to protect them as a UFA anyhow in order to expose Vladar.
It remains to be seen what exactly will happen to Boston’s situation in goal, but timing aside it is a safe bet that Rask will be back between the pipes for the Bruins next season and beyond and Halak could be right there with him. If one or both don’t return, it will make for an intriguing off-season in Boston.
Trade Deadline Primer: Anaheim Ducks
Although we’re not even two months into the season, the trade deadline is just over a month away. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make? We begin our look around the league with the Anaheim Ducks.
It has not been a fun season for Anaheim, to put it lightly. While they are still in the middle of transitioning to a younger roster, there was some hope that they’d be able to hang around the playoff race with the re-aligned divisions for this season. That hasn’t happened. Instead, the struggles from the last few seasons continue to plague them, highlighted by a complete inability to score as they are averaging just over two goals per game this season. That has put extra pressure on the goaltending and the results haven’t been there which has them squarely in the basement in the West Division.
Record
6-12-5, 8th in West Division
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
No base cap room, $5.47MM in full-season space using LTIR, 0/3 retention slots used, 50/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2021: ANA 1st, ANA 2nd, ANA 3rd, ANA 4th, ANA 5th, EDM 5th, ANA 6th
2022: ANA 1st, ANA 2nd, ANA 3rd, ANA 4th, ANA 5th, ANA 6th, ANA 7th*
*- This pick technically belongs to Edmonton until the end of the season as part of a 2020 trade involving defenseman Joel Persson. The Oilers get to keep the pick if Persson plays in 25 NHL games this season but with Persson in the SHL and not on an NHL contract, that won’t happen. However, the pick remains encumbered for now and while the Ducks will get it back, it cannot be dealt at this time.
Trade Chips
Danton Heinen’s name came up in recent discussions with Vancouver in a deal that ultimately didn’t make it to the finish line for financial reasons, a particular caveat that is basically going to be the focal point of every trade that does or doesn’t get made over the next five-plus weeks. The change of scenery last year from Boston was supposed to spark him offensively but that hasn’t happened as he has just six goals and four assists in 27 games with Anaheim including last season, making him a candidate for another change of scenery. The 25-year-old is a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights and is owed a $2.775MM qualifying offer (just below his $2.8MM AAV) and at this point, he looks like a non-tender candidate. Whether it’s moving him for another player making similar money or, frankly, for anything of value, Heinen is someone that should be on the move.
Ryan Getzlaf highlights their list of pending unrestricted free agents but it’s hard to see him moving. First, making the money work due to his $8.25MM AAV would be tricky and the veteran doesn’t seem to have much interest in leaving at this point. Ben Hutton ($950K) could be someone to watch for though. He has just one assist in 17 games this season but is logging more than 18 minutes a night on the back end and could be an affordable addition for a playoff-bound team that’s looking to add some injury insurance. If he’s able to return by the deadline, Carter Rowney ($1.133MM) could be a fourth line upgrade for a team as well.
One wildcard in this market has to be Rickard Rakell. A few years ago, the 27-year-old looked like he was on a steal of a deal with an AAV of just $3.789MM. However, his production has tailed off sharply since his 2017-18 69-point campaign and has dipped even farther this year with just three goals in 23 games. They wouldn’t be moving him from a position of strength by any stretch but it’s now fair to wonder if he’s in the long-term plans. With one year left on his contract, his value probably isn’t going to be much higher in the summer and we saw with the failed Heinen trade that GM Bob Murray is open to a player-for-player swap. Rakell is the type of player that several teams are likely to kick the tires on.
Others to Watch For: F David Backes ($4.5MM, UFA), D Jani Hakanpaa ($750K, UFA)
Team Needs
1) Offensive upgrades – Anaheim has a total of two players that have at least five goals this season and one of them (Isac Lundestrom) barely got there after getting a hat trick on Monday. Even though they’re in a rebuild/transition stage, they need some veteran offensive production and if they move players like Heinen or Rakell, it will probably be for veterans making similar money and not futures.
2) Unsigned assets – If the Ducks want to get a longer look at top prospects Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, it means they’ll be activating the first year of their contracts, giving them no flexibility with regards to the 50-contract limit. The college free agent market figures to be more intriguing this year with players getting a shot at playing for six weeks or so compared to the handful of games that they typically get. It’s a good year for Anaheim to shop in that market but they need to have some available contract slots to be able to do so. Moving signed players like Hutton or Hakanpaa for a pick or unsigned prospect would certainly help in that regard.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Hurricanes Sign Beck Warm To Entry-Level Contract
The Hurricanes have added some goaltending depth to their system as CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that they’ve signed Beck Warm to a two-year, entry-level contract. Notably, while future contracts are eligible to be signed now, the contract begins this season and breaks down as follows:
2020-21: $725K NHL salary (including $25K signing bonus), $60K AHL salary
2021-22: $775K NHL salary (including $25K signing bonus), $60K AHL salary
The 21-year-old went undrafted after a four-year WHL career that ended with Edmonton where he had a 2.30 GAA with a .915 SV% in 15 games for the Oil Kings before the pandemic hit. However, he did well enough to earn a one-year AHL contract with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL back in November, a team that Carolina is sharing this season with their affiliate in Charlotte withdrawing from the 2020-21 season due to the pandemic. Warm has played in four games for the Wolves so far, posting a 2.25 GAA along with a .940 SV% and clearly showed the Hurricanes enough to convert him to an NHL deal.
While Warm is probably sixth on the depth chart for this season, there is definitely room for him to move up for 2021-22. As things stand, all five of their other goalies are unsigned for next year; Petr Mrazek, James Reimer, and Antoine Bibeau are all unrestricted free agents while Alex Nedeljkovic and Jeremy Helvig will be restricted free agents. At this point, it’s unlikely that all five will be re-signed so Warm, who was immediately re-assigned to the Wolves, should be in line for more playing time next season but for now, he’ll remain in a three-way timeshare in Chicago.
Central Notes: Seguin, Bishop, Pesce, Blackhawks
When Ben Bishop (knee injury) and Tyler Seguin (hip injury) were both ruled out with long-term injuries, the initial hope for the Stars was that they would be able to be back at some point in March. While it doesn’t look like that will be the case, it doesn’t appear as if they’ll be gone much longer than that. GM Jim Nill told Mike Heika of the Stars’ team site (Twitter link) that both players have started skating lightly and are about four-to-six weeks from returning. Dallas could certainly use the veterans as they sit sixth in the Central in point percentage (they’re last in points but have several games in hand on every team). Seguin’s absence, in particular, has been tough with the Stars scuffling offensively but it appears they’ll be waiting a bit longer for their top center and long-term starting goaltender.
Elsewhere in the Central Division:
- The Department of Player Safety doesn’t typically issue discipline within hours of an incident occurring but that’s what happened to Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce as the league quickly announced a fine of $5K for a tripping incident on Detroit forward Robby Fabbri in the second period of Thursday’s game. It is the first time in Pesce’s career that he has received some sort of supplemental discipline from the league.
- The Blackhawks are working towards purchasing their AHL affiliate from the City of Rockford, reports Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. The current operating group opened the request for proposal process earlier this week with the NHL club being expected to be the successful bidder. While their current affiliation agreement is in place through next season, this would all but cement Rockford as the home of Chicago’s top minor league club for years to come.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
The NHL season is speeding along at a breakneck pace, with teams playing games basically every other day in an attempt to squeeze in 56 contests. We’ve seen the COVID list dwindle over the last few weeks and now the trade deadline is fast approaching.
With that in mind, it’s time to run another edition of the PHR mailbag. If you missed it last time, the last mailbag was broken into two pieces. The first focused on the rash of postponements, the saga of Tony DeAngelo in New York, and Kevin Lankinen‘s early play. In the second, Brian gave his thoughts on young players like Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Martin Necas, tried to figure out the Philadelphia defense, and touched on some hot seats around the league.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter or by leaving a comment down below. We’ll try to get to everything when the mailbag runs this weekend.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 03/05/21
Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. Though the league is still waiting on a report from the Kings, here is the rest of the list:
Colorado – Dennis Gilbert*
Philadelphia – Joel Farabee
San Jose – Tomas Hertl, Marcus Sorensen*
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: Charlie Coyle, Boston Bruins
Gilbert comes onto the list in Colorado, certainly not the first person ruled out for them this season. We’ll have to wait and see what this means for the club and if any other players will be added in the coming days. Sorensen is also a late addition after last playing for San Jose on Monday.
Coyle, who was only added on Wednesday, comes off for the Bruins, clearing their board and meaning they’re back to full capacity.
*denotes new addition
Jack Eichel Has Not Requested A Trade
After several other general managers around the league have recently spoken to the media to deflect pressure from their players and coaching staffs, Buffalo Sabres executive Kevyn Adams announced a press conference today to do the same thing. The presser was not to announce anything in particular, as Adams instead just answered questions. Right away, the Buffalo GM made one thing clear: Jack Eichel has not requested a trade.
It is surprising it even came to this point for the Sabres, who added Taylor Hall and Eric Staal in the offseason in an effort to compete for the playoffs. With Eichel and other young pieces like Rasmus Dahlin, Victor Olofsson and Sam Reinhart, the Sabres were supposed to be on the upswing. Instead, the team has crumbled, losing their last five and compiling a 6-12-3 record through their first 21 games of the season.
A big part of that terrible record is the play of Eichel, Hall and expensive winger Jeff Skinner, who have combined for just two even-strength goals (and four total). Those three combine for a $27MM cap hit, a huge number for any team, let alone one that’s just trying to pull itself out of the basement. Those struggles have led to plenty of speculation about Eichel, who is quickly approaching 400 games in his career without ever sniffing the postseason.
Recently, Eichel was put second on The Athletic’s Trade Deadline Big Board, with one league executive even suggesting that he was “going to end up a New York Ranger” at some point in the future. Adams today downplayed his captain’s availability, once again explaining that he isn’t looking to trade one of, in his words, “the best players in the world.” On the idea that he solicited offers in the offseason, Adams just said that he listened if people called, as he would with any other player.
Even though his goal totals are down, Eichel does still have 16 points in 19 games for the Sabres, tied for the most on the team with Reinhart and Olofsson. There’s no one doubting his ability as a top player, but since he’s making $10MM per season and wears the “C”, the target will continually be placed on his back. The 24-year-old has shown clear frustration in the past when his team continued to lose, and his trade availability is a story that isn’t going anywhere–even if he hasn’t requested one yet.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Vancouver Canucks “Have To Figure This Out From Within”
The Vancouver Canucks beat the top team in the North Division last night, but they still sit second last ahead of only the Ottawa Senators. That’s a long way from the team that came within a game from the Western Conference Finals last summer and has many wondering what’s next for the organization. GM Jim Benning, himself the target of much speculation, spoke to the media today about many subjects, including the upcoming trade deadline.
In just over a month, teams will no longer be able to make trades to help them for this year’s playoffs, meaning decisions will have to come relatively soon on whether a club is buying or selling. Though Benning hasn’t made his final decision, noting there are still quite a few games before the deadline, he did say the club would “have to figure this out from within,” pointing to the long quarantine period that Canadian teams face on anyone coming up from the U.S.
The front office executive also put his confidence behind head coach Travis Green and the rest of the staff, saying they have “done a good job” with the group. Green, notably, does not have a contract past this season, though both sides have signaled their intent to get something done.
The biggest question that many have about the Canucks is how they will sign Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes this offseason, given the money that is already committed to depth players all over their roster. Benning grouped a third player with those two, saying they have “three really good young players” to sign. Thatcher Demko, the man who held the Maple Leafs to just one goal on 32 shots last night, is the other pending RFA that will need a substantial raise.
With money still owed to Loui Eriksson and bottom-six names like Antoine Roussel and Jay Beagle—not to mention a recapture penalty for Roberto Luongo‘s retirement—it’s not going to be an easy task to fit those three in and still put together a competitive team.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/05/21
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
- The Colorado Avalanche have swapped taxi squad goaltenders, sending Adam Werner to the AHL and recalling Peyton Jones. Werner is a potential future option for the Avalanche at the NHL level, but still needs seasoning and will get a chance to play some games in the minors. Jones, a 25-year-old undrafted goaltender, has an .891 save percentage in two appearances with the Colorado Eagles this season. They then recalled Conor Timmins, Kiefer Sherwood, Logan O’Connor, and Dan Renouf from the taxi squad on an emergency basis, per CapFriendly.
- The San Jose Sharks have done their usual few transactions, this time recalling Stefan Noesen and Noah Gregor to the taxi squad. The Sharks are back in action tonight against the Golden Knights. Per CapFriendly, recalled from the taxi squad were Alex True, Joel Kellman, Kurtis Gabriel, and Frederik Claesson.
- The Los Angeles Kings have made their usual flurry of gameday moves in advance of their game versus St. Louis. Tobias Bjornfot and Rasmus Kupari were both recalled from the taxi squad while the Kings also recalled Tyler Madden, Sean Durzi, and Mikey Eyssimont from Ontario of the AHL to the taxi squad with Drake Rymsha being sent from the taxi squad to Ontario.
- The Anaheim Ducks returned David Backes to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The veteran has only suited up nine times so far this season, recording two goals.
- The Arizona Coyotes have loaned Adin Hill to AHL Tucson on a conditioning loan, per CapFriendly. Hill last played on February 26th, just one of two games he has played this season. The conditioning loan allows him to go down but avoid waivers and can last up to two weeks. Meanwhile, Michael Chaput was recalled from the taxi squad.
- The Minnesota Wild have sent Gerald Mayhew back to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. One of the top scorers in the AHL last season, he has just one assist in four NHL games so far this year.
- The St. Louis Blues recalled Dakota Joshua from the taxi squad on an emergency loan and Jake Walman from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, reversing Thursday’s demotions.
North Division
- Following last night’s loss, the Ottawa Senators have moved Erik Brannstrom to the taxi squad. The young defenseman has five points in 11 games for the team this season and is expected to be back on the roster when the team is back in action later this weekend.
- The Calgary Flames have moved Byron Froese to the AHL, opening up a spot on their taxi squad for the time being. The team doesn’t play again until Sunday, meaning they can move Derek Ryan to the taxi squad to save some cap space.
- Eric Comrie has had quite the year so far, moving around the league on waivers and spending more time in quarantine than on the ice. Now, he has been assigned to the AHL by the Winnipeg Jets where he can get some action.
- The Vancouver Canucks have loaned Guillaume Brisebois to the minors but not to their AHL affiliate in Utica. Instead, they’ve sent him to AHL Laval for the time being. That ensures that Brisebois, who had been on the taxi squad all season, will be able to be recalled without having to go through quarantine while allowing him to get some game action at least.
- The Montreal Canadiens have returned Paul Byron to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly, their usual non-gameday move. With him going down, Montreal then returned Cam Hillis to AHL Laval.
Central Division
- The Detroit Red Wings have assigned Michael Rasmussen and Gustav Lindstrom to the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 21-year-old Rasmussen has three points in 10 games for the Red Wings this season and six in seven for the Griffins. They also loaned Evgeny Svechnikov to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.
- In their daily move, the Nashville Predators have recalled Michael McCarron from the taxi squad, while moving Ben Harpur down in his place. Joining Harpur on the taxi squad is Tanner Jeannot, who is up from the minor leagues.
- The Dallas Stars have once again assigned Tanner Kero to the taxi squad. This is the eighth time this season that he has been loaned there but despite that, he has played in 11 games this season for Dallas, picking up two assists.
- An off day for the Hurricanes means that Alex Nedeljkovic and Jake Bean are once again back on the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. In addition, David Gust was loaned back to AHL Chicago.
East Division
- The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-assigned Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Drew O’Connor to the minor leagues; Anthony Angello and Josh Currie have been moved to the taxi squad. After carrying a huge load through the early part of the season, Joseph’s role on the Penguins has been greatly diminished recently and he will now get a chance to get back on the ice in some minor league tilts. The 21-year-old has five points in 16 games this season.
- The New Jersey Devils have moved Michael McLeod to the taxi squad, recalled Brett Seney from the AHL to the taxi squad and re-assigned Joshua Jacobs from the taxi squad to the AHL. The Devils got stomped by the Rangers yesterday and have an afternoon rematch tomorrow.
- The Boston Bruins recalled Trent Frederic and Jack Studnicka from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. The two youngsters have been up and down frequently this season to save cap room but Frederic has played in all 20 games while Studnicka has suited up 11 times.
- The Buffalo Sabres assigned Jacob Bryson to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Considering that the defenseman led the Sabres in ice time on Thursday, it’s safe to say that this is just a cap-saving move and that he’ll be recalled for their game on Saturday.
- With the New York Rangers off, they made a long list of roster moves, per CapFriendly. Anthony Bitetto, K’Andre Miller, and Libor Hajek were all sent back to the taxi squad while Jonny Brodzinski and Patrick Newell went from the taxi squad to AHL Hartford.
- The Philadelphia Flyers loaned Connor Bunnaman to their taxi squad, per CapFriendly. Despite frequently moving up and down, the 22-year-old has played in 15 games with the Flyers so far this season.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Brendan Guhle Clears Waivers
March 5: Perhaps surprisingly, Guhle has cleared waivers and has been assigned to the minor leagues. The 23-year-old will remain in the Ducks organization and have a chance to get his game back on track following his recent injury.
March 4: The Anaheim Ducks have placed a surprising name on waivers today, as Brendan Guhle is available to the rest of the league according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The 23-year-old defenseman must be healthy enough to return from his recent stint on long-term injured reserve, meaning to place him on the taxi squad or send him to the minor leagues, he’ll need to clear waivers.
Guhle certainly isn’t a star, but it should raise a few eyebrows in front offices around the league to see him on waivers today. The 51st overall pick in 2015, he has 59 games under his belt at the NHL level and has recorded 14 points. An all-around option that has shown flashes of real NHL potential—including playing three games in the 2016-17 season as a 19-year-old for the Buffalo Sabres—he also happens to come locked up at an $800K cap hit through next season.
Just two years ago, Guhle was a big part of the return for Brandon Montour, when the latter was shipped from Anaheim to Buffalo. It seems now that the Ducks feel comfortable risking him, given the other young options in the system.
For a rebuilding team or even a contender dealing with injuries, claiming Guhle would be more than reasonable though. Jarred Tinordi and Mark Friedman have both been claimed recently and neither one is a clear upgrade (at least in certain areas) over the young Duck.
If Guhle does clear, he’ll be able to get on the ice again with the San Diego Gulls and continue to work his way back from injury. In five games on a rehab stint, he recorded zero points.