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Archives for March 2022

Derick Brassard Acquired By Edmonton Oilers

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The Edmonton Oilers have acquired forward Derick Brassard from the Philadelphia Flyers, per Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reports that the return is a fourth-round pick going back to Philadelphia, while The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor confirms that the draft pick is in 2023.

Most of Edmonton’s bottom-six forward group had a rough start to the year, but a recent hot streak has changed a lot of that. Players like Derek Ryan are starting to heat up, but still, others (like Warren Foegele) have disappointed this season. Now, the team has another veteran in the fold in the form of Brassard to add some offensive depth.

Brassard, for now, likely replaces Devin Shore as the team’s third-line center. When healthy, he’s produced well in Philadelphia this year, notching 16 points in 31 games, a tad over a half-point-per-game pace. That’s a significant upgrade on the production of any player Edmonton currently has on their third and fourth lines, and with only surrendering a fourth-round pick to add him, this is a solid trade for general manager Ken Holland.

Brassard will now suit up for his seventh team in the past four seasons.

New York Rangers Acquire Tyler Motte

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The New York Rangers are acquiring forward Tyler Motte from the Vancouver Canucks, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. The Canucks will receive a 2023 fourth-round selection in return.

Motte, 27, has apparently generated plenty of interest over the past few weeks, which may make Canucks fans a little bit disappointed that the team was only able to secure a fourth-round pick from the Rangers at the deadline. The energy forward has continued to impress ever since the 2020 playoff run that introduced him to the national stage, but with such little offensive output, he falls into the category of many other bottom-six forward additions.

In 49 games this season, Motte has scored seven goals and 15 points, adding another 90 hits to his increasing total. Through 260 NHL games, he’s racked up 628 of those hits, including a whopping 200 during the 2018-19 season, his only full campaign to date. That’s exactly the kind of hockey that Rangers general manager Chris Drury has been trying to play ever since taking over, meaning Motte will fit right into a bottom-six that already includes players like Ryan Reaves (231 hits this season), Dryden Hunt (127), and Barclay Goodrow (102).

The Rangers obviously believe they’re good enough to compete this season, riding a hot goaltender and some potent scoring to battle for a playoff spot earlier than some predicted. They’ve now added Motte, Frank Vatrano, Andrew Copp, and Justin Braun to a group that was already in a playoff position. In each case, the player is a pending UFA, meaning they aren’t locked in past this season, when some of their younger players start to get expensive. Adam fox for instance will jump from an entry-level $925K to a whopping $9.5MM cap hit in 2022-23, while Mika Zibanejad will be earning $8.5MM. There will be time to add in the offseason, but making any deals with term obviously didn’t make sense to them this time around.

New York Rangers To Acquire Andrew Copp

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As originally reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, the New York Rangers are set to acquire forward Andrew Copp from the Winnipeg Jets. Per Dreger, the trade is as follows:

NYR receives: Copp, 2023 sixth-round pick
WPG receives: F Morgan Barron, two conditional 2022 second-round picks, 2023 fifth-round pick

One second-round pick, the Rangers’ 2022 pick, can be upgraded into a first-round pick if the Rangers make the 2022 Eastern Conference Final and Copp plays in 50% of the team’s playoff games. Winnipeg can opt for the other second-round pick to be the Blues’ 2022 second-round pick or the Rangers’ 2023 second-round pick.

Winnipeg ended up being both buyers and sellers at the Trade Deadline this year, making this deal after acquiring Mason Appleton back from the Seattle Kraken. It’s inarguable, though, that the departure is a more significant sign as to the current direction of this team.

While Winnipeg is 6-3-1 in their last ten games, they’ve had an inconsistent year and still sit four points back of a playoff spot. Keeping Copp was a gamble, as the 27-year-old is an unrestricted free agent this offseason with no guarantee that the Jets would be able to afford his new deal. Whether the Rangers invest money into Copp past this season remains to be seen, however.

But for the Rangers, Copp is well worth the rental, especially without having to give up a guaranteed first-round pick or one of the organization’s true top prospects. Copp is an extremely versatile forward who can really slot in anywhere in their middle-six forwards, helping create a depth matchup against other teams that’s been missing all season in New York. He’s now strung together back-to-back 30+ point seasons and is likely to hit the 40-point mark this year. Copp is also an extremely effective penalty killer who can help the team in that regard.

Sharks, Rangers Swap Nick Merkley, Anthony Bitetto

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The San Jose Sharks have acquired defenseman Anthony Bitetto from the New York Rangers, who will be sending Nicholas Merkley in return.

Bitetto, 31, has been nothing more than a minor league depth option for the Rangers this season, seeing all game action in the AHL. His 39 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack are actually the most AHL games he’s played since 2014-15, when he had still yet to even break into the NHL with the Nashville Predators. He perhaps will get a chance to see some time with the Sharks after their trade of Jacob Middleton, though things are still rather crowded there. If he does go to the San Jose Barracuda, it could be in an attempt to steal the last AHL playoff spot in the Pacific Division, which is currently the San Diego Gulls just five points ahead.

Interestingly, Merkley’s addition could be the much more impactful one. The 24-year-old forward has just 41 games of NHL experience under his belt, but has been great for the Barracuda this season with 36 points in 43 games. A first-round pick in 2015, Merkley has yet to really establish himself as anything more than a minor league top-six forward.

In fact, given how few NHL games he has played to this point, Merkley is actually set to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent in the offseason when his one-year, two-way contract expires. Perhaps a good showing with the Hartford Wolf Pack–with how much depth the Rangers added up front today, it seems unlikely he’ll spend much time with them down the stretch–would earn him another deal with the organization.

New Jersey Devils Acquire Andrew Hammond

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For the second time this season, Andrew Hammond is on the move. The goaltender has been traded from the Montreal Canadiens to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Nate Schnarr.

Hammond, 34, was acquired earlier this season when the Canadiens had a lack of healthy goaltending options, but is actually now hurt himself after playing in four games for them. Expected back in the next few weeks, he’ll head to a New Jersey team that has had plenty of their own injury issues when it comes to goaltending.

A name that will be forever remembered by Ottawa Senators fans for his incredible run as a 26-year-old rookie in 2014-15, the “Hamburgler” actually played great in his short time in Montreal. In four appearances, he posted a .920 save percentage and went 3-0, his first wins since 2016. While there’s probably not a ton left for his playing career, it was a nice little addendum for a goaltender that was so well-liked in his early days. Signed to a one-year, two-way contract, Hammond will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

In Schnarr, the Canadiens actually are getting something of value back, even if he’s never played at the NHL level. The 23-year-old has been good for the Utica Comets this season, posting 13 goals and 26 points in 43 games, and can help the Laval Rocket down the stretch. Whether Schnarr, who is in the last season of his entry-level contract, earns a qualifying offer this summer isn’t totally clear, as to this point he hasn’t really shown any NHL upside despite his status as a third-round pick in 2017.

Winnipeg Jets Acquire Zach Sanford

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The Winnipeg Jets are the next team that will take a chance on Zach Sanford, acquiring him from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round pick. Sanford is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

Sanford, 27, was originally selected in the second round by the Washington Capitals, as his mix of size and skill was quite the attractive prospect. After just 26 games with the Capitals though he ended up traded to the St. Louis Blues in a deal for Kevin Shattenkirk, where he would spend the next few seasons. Another trade took him to Ottawa last fall, and now he’ll get one last chance to show what he can do before hitting the open market. In 62 games this season he’s registered nine goals and 17 points, though is still providing that trademarked physicality, racking up 131 hits in that time.

It’s kind of an odd move for the Jets, given they sold Andrew Copp to the New York Rangers, but there’s certainly still a possibility that they could contend down the stretch. A fifth-round pick isn’t going to hurt the future very much, and it could also give the team a headstart on an extension, should they feel like Sanford fits what they’re trying to do in Winnipeg.

For Ottawa, grabbing a draft pick for Sanford was better than losing him for nothing, as it was becoming clear that the team’s young forward prospects would likely keep him from reaching an extension anyway. With their moves the last few days, the Senators have racked up a good number of draft picks, assets they can use to acquire more talent in the summer or continue to stock the cupboard with prospects.

Darren Dreger of TSN broke the trade on Twitter.

Petr Mrazek, Four Others Clear Waivers

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March 21: Mrazek, Clifford, Turris, Jaros, and Nash cleared waivers today ahead of the Trade Deadline. Sateri, Richardson, and Pouliot were all claimed.

March 20: The Toronto Maple Leafs have been dealing with goaltending issues for the past while, and after Erik Kallgren was given the net for the last several games, it was unclear where Petr Mrazek fit into the future of the team. Today, the Maple Leafs have offered Mrazek to the rest of the league by placing him on waivers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. He is one of three Maple Leafs on the list today, joined by Kyle Clifford and Harri Sateri, a free agent goaltender the Maple Leafs have signed from the KHL, who has to clear waivers before he comes back to North America.

Those aren’t the only players on waivers though. The full list is as follows:

Riley Nash (ARI)
Brad Richardson (CGY)
Kyle Turris (EDM)
Christian Jaros (NJD)
Kyle Clifford (TOR)
Petr Mrazek (TOR)
Harri Sateri (TOR)
Derrick Pouliot (VGK)

Sateri, 32, just won an Olympic gold medal with Finland and has been an excellent netminder in the KHL for the last three seasons, but certainly doesn’t have a very long track record of success in North America. Drafted 106th overall back in 2008 by the San Jose Sharks, he struggled in parts of four minor league seasons before going to Russia. A few years later he was back with the Florida Panthers, where he played in nine NHL games and posted a .911 save percentage. After another sub-par year in the minors he was back overseas.

His signing, which will consist of a one-year contract that carries a cap hit of $750K through the end of this season, could be seen as nothing more than organizational depth at the deadline. With Mrazek’s struggles and placement on waivers today though, along with a recent injury to Jack Campbell, the Maple Leafs crease is completely up for grabs, even for a player like Sateri that is coming in fresh from outside the organization. That is of course as long as he clears, something that is certainly not a guarantee given how inexpensive his contract is.

It’s Mrazek that is the big name, given the fact that he signed a three-year, $11.4MM contract with the Maple Leafs just last summer. With a $3.8MM cap hit through 2023-24, a loan to the minor leagues would only clear $1.125MM for Toronto ahead of the deadline. With how quickly he has fallen out of favor with the Maple Leafs, Mrazek seems a prime buyout candidate for this offseason, should the team be unable to trade his contract elsewhere in the coming months.

Among the rest of the names are some veterans who could be snatched for a playoff run, though none are difference-makers at this point in their respective careers. Notably, for a player to be eligible for the rest of the AHL season and playoffs, he has to be on the roster at tomorrow’s deadline. For these players to get to that threshold, they needed to be placed on waivers today, if there was any thought of stashing them in the AHL down the stretch.

San Jose Trades Andrew Cogliano To Colorado Avalanche

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The Colorado Avalanche are acquiring forward Andrew Cogliano from the San Jose Sharks, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports San Jose receives a fifth-round pick in 2024. It’s another depth acquisition, secondary to the team’s bigger splash of acquiring Artturi Lehkonen just a few minutes ago.

Cogliano adds a veteran element to Colorado that Lehkonen doesn’t bring. The unheralded versatile forward can play any forward position and has 1,122 NHL games under his belt. He had 15 points in 56 games with San Jose this season, a sizeable uptick in his offensive production from the past few seasons.

Known for his durability, Cogliano went from the beginning of his career in 2007 to the 2017-18 season without missing a single game. Cogliano carries a $1MM cap hit and is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Harri Sateri, Brad Richardson, Derrick Pouliot Claimed On Waivers

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Trade Deadline day doesn’t mean trades are the only player movement. Three players were claimed on waivers today, with goalie Harri Sateri heading to Toronto from Arizona, forward Brad Richardson going to Vancouver from Calgary, and defenseman Derrick Pouliot going to Seattle from Vegas.

Sateri is a fresh NHL arrival. The Maple Leafs signed him to a contract yesterday, immediately placing him on re-entry waivers. Sateri had a .926 save percentage in 38 games with the KHL’s Novosibirsk Sibir this season, helping them to a 14-16-5 record with him in the net.

Richardson was placed on waivers yesterday as he’s been pushed out of the NHL lineup with the acquisitions of Tyler Toffoli and Calle Jarnkrok in Calgary. He had two goals and four points in 27 Flames games this year, and he’ll get a chance to supplement Vancouver’s bottom-six forward group as Brandon Sutter remains out with long COVID symptoms.

Pouliot signed an NHL contract earlier in the week after Vegas’ blueline was continually struck with injuries. He got into two games, notching one assist before the team attempted to send him back to AHL Henderson. He’ll now get another NHL shot in Seattle as they continue to ship out players at the deadline.

Washington Capitals Acquire Johan Larsson

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The Washington Capitals have added even more depth up front, acquiring Johan Larsson from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick. The Coyotes will also be retaining 50 percent of Larsson’s remaining contract.

Larsson, 29, hasn’t played since January 25 for the Coyotes but isn’t expected to be out the entire season. He underwent surgery on a sports hernia in early February and was given an eight-week timeline, meaning he’ll be an option for the Capitals at some point.

That injury history does make the third-round pick seem like a bit of a risk, but Larsson was playing well before he went down. With 15 points in 29 games he was going to blow past his previous career-high of 18, and he is still a strong defensive contributor. In Washington, he likely won’t be asked to play in very many offensive situations but does give the team some added depth down the middle.

At a $1.4MM cap hit he comes at a relatively inexpensive contract, and since it expires at the end of the season it won’t affect the Capitals moving forward. This is a go-for-it type trade, with Washington knowing they needed some added depth up front if they want to compete in the Eastern Conference playoffs–or even just the Metropolitan race.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet first reported the trade. 

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