Archives for February 2023

Trade Deadline Primer: Carolina Hurricanes

February 9, 2023 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 10 Comments

With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is less than a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Carolina Hurricanes.

After narrowly losing in the second round of the playoffs to the Rangers last season, the Hurricanes made a pair of key veteran additions over the summer to look to cement themselves as a contender. One of those players (Max Pacioretty) is now out for the season but that actually opens up some different opportunities for them to consider from a salary cap perspective with the veteran’s $7MM AAV now on LTIR.

Heading into action tonight, Carolina sits first in the Metropolitan Division and second in the Eastern Conference. Accordingly, it’s not a matter of if they make a move but rather when they make it.

Record

34-9-8, 1st in the Metropolitan

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$10.16MM in LTIR relief, 1/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2023: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, CAR/PHI 3rd*, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, VAN 5th, CAR 6th, CHI 6th, CAR 7th
2024: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, PHI 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th

*-Carolina will keep the lower pick between the two

Trade Chips

While they’ll be a buyer, that isn’t to say that Carolina can’t sell as well. With Frederik Andersen returning to the lineup just before the All-Star break and Pyotr Kochetkov back in the minors, it’s possible that they could look to move Antti Raanta and take advantage of what could be a light goalie trade market. The pending unrestricted free agent has a very manageable cap hit of $2MM and has a nice 2.46 GAA in 19 games this season, almost identical to his output from 2021-22. Such a move would come with some risk given Andersen’s injury history but if they’re able to get a decent asset for the veteran netminder, it might make it easier to part with one of their other trade chips.

One other roster player that seems like a reasonable candidate to move is Dylan Coghlan. The defenseman was the sweetener that Vegas attached for them to take on Pacioretty’s contract and after playing in 59 games with the Golden Knights the year before, it felt like he’d be a useful depth piece. However, the 24-year-old has only played in 16 games and has been a healthy scratch the rest of the way. A pending restricted free agent, Coghlan’s $762.5K cap hit is easy for just about any team to absorb and chances are that some selling squads might want to take a look at him for the stretch run.

From there, they’ll turn to their futures pool of picks and prospects. On the latter front, Jack Drury is likely to be of some interest. The center has gotten his feet wet with Carolina this season, suiting up in 21 games and while he hasn’t produced much (just two assists), he’s only a year removed from putting up 52 points with AHL Chicago. There’s some offensive upside to work with potentially. 2019 first-round pick Ryan Suzuki has yet to see NHL action and is in the midst of another injury-shortened season, playing in just 20 games with the Wolves so far. Noel Gunler slid a bit further than expected in the 2021 draft, lasting into the second round. His first full season in North America has gone well and his stock should be fairly high as a result.

Defensively, Scott Morrow will get some attention. The 21-year-old is having another strong season at UMass and is getting relatively close to being NHL-ready. That type of profile is always enticing to sellers. Dominick Fensore is certainly an undersized blueliner (5’7) but he has had some success at Boston University. He’s in his senior year and isn’t a lock to get a contract from Carolina. If another team wants him, Fensore could be a secondary part of a swap. Joey Keane’s rights might also be of small interest; after a decent showing on his entry-level deal, he somewhat surprisingly opted to play in the KHL this season where he has done relatively well.

Other Potential Trade Chips: F Dominik Bokk, F Patrik Puistola, F Justin Robidas

Team Needs

1) Top-Six Forward: While Pacioretty’s injury opens up some LTIR room, it also opened up a sizable hole in their top six to try to fill. Carolina generally hasn’t favored going the rental route so it shouldn’t come as much surprise that Pierre LeBrun linked them to San Jose’s Timo Meier in TSN’s latest Insider Trading segment (video link). That forward could also be a center with Martin Necas being more of a winger and the trio of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jordan Staal, and Paul Stastny not really being suited for top-six duty.

2) Playable Defensive Depth: It seems evident that there isn’t much faith in Coghlan when the team is fully healthy. Finding a defender (or even two) that they’d be more comfortable using when injuries arise or to spell Calvin de Haan or Jalen Chatfield would be worthwhile.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Atlantic Notes: Toronto’s Trade Chips, Senators, Paul

February 9, 2023 at 7:58 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Maple Leafs are certainly going to be looking to buy heading into next month’s trade deadline but as a result of the team making some splashes in recent years, their prospect pool and collection of draft picks isn’t the deepest to deal from. Speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Kyle Dubas indicated that he can’t see the team dealing away their top chips, either their first-round pick or top prospect Matthew Knies. He wouldn’t entirely rule out the idea of one of those pieces moving but for the time being, it appears that they’re not going to be in play. Toronto has three other guaranteed selections plus potentially their own third-round pick depending on if Arizona opts to take it or a 2025 second-rounder as part of a previous swap.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

Still with the Maple Leafs, while Knies has been speculated to be turning pro at the conclusion of his college season, he told TSN’s Mark Masters that he hasn’t decided which route to take yet and will wait until after Minnesota’s campaign comes to an end before considering his decision. The 20-year-old averaged a point per game in his rookie year last season and is ahead of that pace in 2022-23 with 17 goals and 13 assists in 28 contests.
Senators defenseman Artem Zub is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). He has been out for a little under a month with a lower-body injury, his third extended absence of the season which has limited him to just 21 games so far. Meanwhile, Garrioch tweets that while goalie Cam Talbot also skated today, he won’t play this weekend. The veteran is dealing with a lower-body issue of his own and with Ottawa potentially wanting to move him by next month’s deadline, they’ll want to be cautious and make sure he’s fully healthy before bringing him back. Talbot has retroactively been moved to injured reserve but can be activated as soon as he’s ready to return.
Lightning winger Nick Paul was a late scratch before tonight’s game against Colorado with the team announcing (Twitter link) that he’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old has been a capable secondary scorer in his first season with the team, notching 16 goals with 10 assists in 50 games. Notably, with less than $720K in LTIR room per CapFriendly, Tampa Bay does not have enough space to call up a replacement for him on the roster.

Central Notes: Hynes, Toews, Coyotes

February 9, 2023 at 6:57 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 3 Comments

Even though the Predators find themselves outside the playoff picture and have been one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league this season, don’t expect a coaching change for the stretch run. GM David Poile told Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean that John Hynes’ job is “absolutely not” in jeopardy and that he feels the coaching staff is doing a great job. Nashville had quite a few players have career years in 2021-22 but that hasn’t been the case through the first two-thirds of this season. They’ll need a few players to catch fire if they want to stay in the mix down the stretch; they sit four points out of both third place in the Central Division and the Western Wild Card race.

Injury Notes: Matthews, Thompson, Jets

February 9, 2023 at 5:54 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

It’s been over two weeks since Auston Matthews last suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, missing the last three games before the All-Star break with a knee sprain. Matthews told reporters today that he doesn’t know when he’ll be back in the lineup but will “take it day to day” as he rejoins his team for practice.

He may not be on his earth-shattering 60-plus goal pace from last season, but he’s still an elite number-one center on one of the best teams in the NHL. With 25 goals, 28 assists, and 53 points in 47 games, Matthews is on pace to have more assists than goals for the first time in his career, which he mentioned as a personal goal some seasons back. Matthews revealed the injury was sustained in warmups before a January 25 game against the New York Rangers, which he played. He said the injury “got worse throughout the game,” calling it “kind of fluky.”

There’s good news for Buffalo Sabres fans, who will need everything to go right for the rest of the season to maintain their position in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race. Head coach Don Granato said center Tage Thompson was “pretty much back to normal” today at practice, signaling a potential end to a brief injury absence that caused him to miss the 2023 All-Star Game last weekend. He could be ready to go on Saturday when Buffalo returns to play against the Calgary Flames. Thompson is just four goals shy of tying last season’s goal total of 38, which he set in 78 games.
Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness issued a variety of injury updates to reporters today, but most notably said that forward Mason Appleton is on track to play Saturday. The 27-year-old played 14 games this season before sustaining a wrist injury that has cost him much of the 2022-23 campaign. Appleton was off to a strong start with six points and elevated ice time before going down with the injury. Bowness also mentioned that forward David Gustafsson and defenseman Dylan DeMelo, who are both day-to-day, aren’t ready to rejoin full practice.

Blues Notes: O’Reilly, Buchnevich, Perunovich, Tucker

February 9, 2023 at 4:30 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

The St. Louis Blues stole today’s thunder by dealing Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers, but there’s even more Blues news to discuss on the injury front. Head coach Craig Berube said today that another trade chip, Ryan O’Reilly, is possible for Saturday night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes but has yet to be cleared.

O’Reilly added to his coach’s comments, saying he has to be 100 percent sure his injured foot is healed before returning to avoid re-injury. A 12-year NHL veteran, O’Reilly last played in their New Year’s Eve matchup against the Minnesota Wild. He’s missed the following 14 games with the injury. The winner of the 2019 Selke and Conn Smythe Trophies, O’Reilly is in a down season with a -28 rating and just 16 points in 37 games. He’s in the final season of a seven-year, $7.5MM average annual value contract.

Per The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, O’Reilly resumed skating on Tuesday, and NHL.com’s Lou Korac said the Blues captain practiced in full equipment today.

Berube also told reporters Pavel Buchnevich is possible for Saturday after missing the past two weeks with an ankle injury. Buchnevich, with 38 points in 38 games, is the team’s leader in points per game, just ahead of Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. If he’s cleared to return, along with O’Reilly, they’ll likely skate together on the second line alongside Brandon Saad.
In a very positive development, top defense prospect Scott Perunovich has been cleared for contact and, per Berube, is “ready to do everything.” Perunovich, 24, hasn’t played in all in 2022-23 after sustaining a preseason shoulder injury. After missing the entirety of 2020-21 and most of 2021-22 with injuries, a strong finish to the season could salvage Perunovich’s stunted development. He showed true flashes of stardom in the minors last season, recording 22 points in just 17 games with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds.
Defenseman Tyler Tucker is coming up from Springfield to replace Niko Mikkola’s now-vacant spot on the roster, as he was included in the trade to New York earlier today. Tucker, a seventh-round pick in 2018, has shot up the Blues’ depth chart to play in 12 games this season, recording one assist.

Ottawa Senators Recall Ridly Greig, Mads Sogaard

February 9, 2023 at 3:47 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators recalled forward Ridly Greig and goaltender Mads Sogaard from the AHL’s Belleville Senators on Thursday, per the team’s communications department.

The moves come as Ottawa gears up for their first game after the All-Star break, Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. Ottawa sent down Greig and Sogaard, along with forward Mark Kastelic, following their last game on January 31 to get the trio playing time in the AHL.

Greig, 20, earns reinstatement on the NHL roster after a strong four games to begin his NHL career. Scrambling for an answer at the second-line center position with Joshua Norris out of the lineup, Greig has two assists and a +4 rating in four games between Alex DeBrincat and veteran Claude Giroux. Advanced numbers also applaud the line’s play, as MoneyPuck has the trio with an expected goals share of 67%.

Sogaard returns to the Sens as Cam Talbot remains sidelined with a lower-body injury. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reported last week that Talbot was expected to resume skating today, but it’s unclear whether Talbot is still on track to return next week.

The 37th overall selection in 2019, Sogaard’s AHL play has taken a step back this season. After 35 appearances and a .908 save percentage in Belleville last season, which also saw him make his first two NHL appearances in a brief call-up, his save percentage has dipped below the .900 mark in 2022-23. He’s yet to make an appearance in the NHL this year but could be forced into action if Talbot’s absence is more long-term.

PHR Live Chat Transcript: 02/09/23

February 9, 2023 at 3:45 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Click here to read a transcript of this week’s live chat with PHR’s Gavin Lee.

Snapshots: Makar, Lauko, Cicek, Berni

February 9, 2023 at 2:42 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 2 Comments

The Colorado Avalanche won’t have Cale Makar for at least the next two games, as he deals with a head injury. Peter Baugh of The Athletic confirms that it is from the collision with Jeff Carter, and notes that while the star defenseman passed the initial concussion protocol, he woke up feeling unwell the next day. So far, he has only been ruled out through the rest of this road trip, which ends on Saturday against the Florida Panthers.

Makar has 45 points in 45 games so far this season and is playing an incredible 27 minutes a night for the Avalanche. The 24-year-old has maintained a point-per-game pace through his first four seasons in the league and will likely once again receive Norris Trophy votes. Here are some more minor notes from around the league:

The Boston Bruins have recalled Jakub Lauko, and had him skating on the fourth line as the team awaits the return of Jake DeBrusk. The latter’s flight was canceled, meaning he missed practice today, and head coach Jim Montgomery told reporters, including Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic that DeBrusk isn’t expected to play against Washington on Saturday night.
Nick Cicek is back up with the San Jose Sharks after spending the All-Star break in the AHL. The young defenseman has played 14 games this season for the Sharks, last appearing on January 24 and playing just under 15 minutes. Still looking for his first NHL goal, he’ll join San Jose as they continue this road trip in Florida today and Washington on Sunday afternoon.
Similarly, the Columbus Blue Jackets have brought Tim Berni back up, ahead of their back-to-back against the Maple Leafs that starts tomorrow night. The 22-year-old defenseman has played 28 games for the Blue Jackets this season, scoring his first NHL goal and racking up 18 penalty minutes.

Dallas Stars Reassign Marian Studenic

February 9, 2023 at 2:20 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Feb 9: After just eight minutes of ice time, Studenic has been loaned back to the AHL.

Feb 8: The Dallas Stars have made a slight change to the roster, calling up Marian Studenic from the minor leagues. The move comes after Joel Kiviranta missed practice yesterday, and could indicate that someone is unavailable due to injury.

Studenic, 24, has been excellent for the Texas Stars this season, scoring 14 goals and 30 points in 43 games. If he appears in a game for Dallas it would be his first of the season at the NHL level, but 42nd overall, after appearing 16 times for them in 2021-22.

Claimed off waivers from the New Jersey Devils nearly a year ago, Studenic has been right on the fringe of NHL rosters for years now. With the right opportunity, it seems likely that he could secure a role in the bottom-six, though a team like Dallas may have their sights set a little higher given their Stanley Cup aspirations.

For now, he’ll serve as some organizational depth and try to force his way onto the fourth line with some strong play. Dallas is back in action tonight against the Minnesota Wild in a key Central Division matchup.

New York Rangers Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko, Niko Mikkola

February 9, 2023 at 1:45 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 35 Comments

The trade deadline is still a few weeks away, but the New York Rangers aren’t waiting around. Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola have been acquired from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a conditional 2023 first-round pick, a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick, Sammy Blais, and Hunter Skinner. The Blues will retain 50% of Tarasenko’s contract, which expires at the end of the season.

The first-round selection will be the later of the two the Rangers currently have (NYR and DAL). Since the Dallas pick is also top-10 protected from the Nils Lundkvist trade, if it moves to 2024, the Blues will receive the later of the two next year. The fourth will become a third-round pick if the Rangers make the playoffs this season.

It’s a significant return for the Blues, but likely still one that fans will be disappointed with. Tarasenko has been a favorite in St. Louis for more than a decade, and was a key part of the franchise’s first (and only) Stanley Cup championship in 2019. The 31-year-old sniper has eclipsed the 30-goal mark in six different seasons, including last year when he came back from multiple shoulder injuries to post 34 goals and 82 points in 75 games.

This year hasn’t gone quite as well, with just ten tallies and 29 points in 38 games for the big Russian, but he is still one of the most feared shooters in the league and should fit right in next to good friend Artemi Panarin in New York. The Rangers had been linked to other players like Patrick Kane and Timo Meier to fill that spot but will end up with a player who not so long ago requested a trade out of St. Louis.

Tarasenko needed to waive his no-trade clause for this to happen, but that never seemed like much of an issue for a contending, big market team like New York. He’ll now get to showcase his skills down the stretch and try to land another huge contract on the open market. His current eight-year, $60MM deal will expire in a few months, and while the Rangers could potentially extend him, they have some other negotiations on the horizon. This could end up being a pure rental, if Tarasenko is demanding anything close to the $7.5MM cap hit he currently carries.

Not to be overlooked in this trade is Mikkola, who had drummed up his own interest as the deadline approached. The 26-year-old defenseman is a big, physical presence that can handle tough minutes against good players, even if he isn’t going to contribute offensively. The Rangers already have enough defenders who can move the puck – adding a player like Mikkola will give them some added depth for what they hope is a long playoff run.

Blais heads back to St. Louis after a short unsuccessful stint in New York. The 26-year-old was part of the Pavel Buchnevich trade in the summer of 2021, and was expected to be a heart-and-soul bottom sixer for years to come. Instead, he suffered an early injury that limited him to just 14 games in 2021-22 and has never been able to recapture the upside he showed in St. Louis. Through 54 games for New York, Blais failed to score even a single goal, recording nine points along the way.

Skinner, 21, has split this season between the ECHL and AHL, and is likely only included to balance out the contracts. The fourth-round pick has two points in eight games for the Hartford Wolf Pack, and is far from adding any value at the NHL level.

Adding a first-round pick in this year’s draft is a big addition for St. Louis though, especially for a player who they had no real chance of re-signing. A split was coming one way or the other with Tarasenko, and now the Blues have some extra ammunition to use in the offseason. As we discussed recently in the St. Louis deadline primer, general manager Doug Armstrong has followed this playbook before. Sell expiring veteran contract for picks, flip picks into valuable NHL talent at the draft. We’ll have to see if that’s what is in store this time, but it’s no rebuild in St. Louis. With Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou locked in long-term, the team will build around a new core and see if they can get back to the playoffs next season.

It also isn’t the end of the dealing for Armstrong. The team still has Ryan O’Reilly and Ivan Barbashev, among others, to trade at the deadline if necessary. In the span of a few weeks the cupboards in St. Louis could look a lot more full.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff was first to break the news that Tarasenko had been traded.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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