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Archives for February 2023

Trade Deadline Primer: Tampa Bay Lightning

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The trade deadline looms and is now just a few days away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have become the class of the NHL in the last decade. With two Stanley Cup championships and a third trip to the finals in the previous three years, the Lightning are poised to make another deep run. But first, they will likely have to battle the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round.

The Maple Leafs have made some big adds in the past few weeks, which prompted Tampa Bay to make a splash this past Sunday with the expensive addition of Tanner Jeannot. While Tampa Bay may have spent big on the rugged forward, GM Julien BriseBois boasted that he had no issues dealing future draft capital for a team firmly entrenched in win-now mode.

After the Maple Leafs made another addition yesterday, could BriseBois feel the need to make another move?

Record

37-18-4, 3rd in the Atlantic

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

Deadline cap space $769,967, 0/3 retention slots used, 49/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2023: TB 6th, TB 7th

2024: CHI 4th, TB 5th, TB 6th, TB 7th

Trade Chips

Tampa Bay has very little in the way of draft capital in the next three entry drafts. They have already dealt their next three first-round picks and don’t have a second-round pick until 2025. Should they stand pat, the Lightning wouldn’t pick until the sixth round this season.

Tampa Bay also don’t have much flexibility for another trade deadline addition, as they have less than $1MM in cap space available for the deadline. This would mean any potential deal would need a third party to facilitate the move or be a dollar-for-dollar trade.

On the prospects side, Tampa has emptied the cupboard during their three runs to the finals, but it is not without good young players. Despite dealing picks seemingly every year, BriseBois and company have found value in the later draft rounds. Nick Perbix is a former sixth-round pick in 2017 who has established himself on Tampa’s backend, and Ross Colton was a fourth-round pick who scored a Stanley Cup-winning goal just three years ago.

Team Needs

BriseBois has stated publicly that he would like his team to be harder to play against; this was an area he addressed with the Jeannot addition. It could be a development to keep an eye on as Tampa is staring down two tough series in Toronto and potentially the Boston Bruins. BriseBois may want to add further toughness to his lineup like an Austin Watson-type player. Watson is a pending UFA in Ottawa and could be the type of addition BriseBois would look at.

The Lightning would also do well to add to their defense core. The back end is the only glaring weakness on the club, and is something BriseBois would do well to address. His ideal target would likely be a right-shot defenseman, as Zach Bogosian currently occupies the top right-side spot next to Victor Hedman. Bogosian is a battle-tested warrior but probably isn’t equipped for those hard minutes at this stage of his career. The cost to acquire this type of player is likely out of Tampa’s price range, but never count out the creativity of Julien BriseBois.

Carolina Hurricanes Acquire Jesse Puljujarvi

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The Jesse Puljujarvi saga in Edmonton is ending. The Carolina Hurricanes have acquired Puljujarvi from the Oilers today, after months (if not years) of trade speculation. The rights to Patrik Puistola are going back to Edmonton in the trade, and the Oilers will not be retaining any of Puljujarvi’s contract.

This ends a long, disappointing tenure for Puljujarvi in Edmonton, starting the moment they selected him fourth overall in 2016. Despite his size, speed, and relative success in the Finnish professional league, he was completely overwhelmed when he entered the NHL in 2016-17. Bouncing up and down between the NHL and AHL hindered his development, and a few years later, Puljujarvi had enough.

In 2019-20, when his entry-level deal expired, he refused to sign a contract with the Oilers and asked for a trade. He would return to Finland to play for the entire season, once again finding great success in a more offensive role back home.

Upon returning to Edmonton the following year, Puljujarvi turned in a relatively good performance, scoring 15 goals and 25 points in 55 games. But his game had inconsistent swings in production, and it was hard to know exactly where his place on the Oilers really was.

Now, with Edmonton looking to make a big splash at the deadline but pushed right up against the salary cap ceiling, Puljujarvi needed to go. His $3MM will come off the books, meaning the team can add something significant in the coming days.

Puistola, 22, may never actually play for the Oilers. The 2019 third-round pick is unsigned and would need a contract by June 1, or his exclusive draft rights will expire. That gives Edmonton a few months to work something out with the young forward, who scored 38 points in 56 games with Jukurit in Finland this season.

In Carolina, Puljujarvi should feel a little more at home. The Hurricanes’ roster is filled with Finnish players, including 2016 World Junior teammate Sebastian Aho. There’s a real chance that he finally shows some of the offensive potential that has been locked up for so long, though that is by no means guaranteed after so many tumultuous development years.

At the very least, Puljujarvi—who has some very good underlying defensive and possession metrics—will add another big-bodied forward to the Hurricanes attack, and lengthen their forward depth chart even further. The injury to Max Pacioretty gave Carolina some wiggle room in terms of cap space, and they’ve used it to take a swing on a move that could still pay huge dividends down the road.

Puljujarvi is still scheduled for restricted free agency at the end of the year, and would be due a $3MM qualifying offer. Given the money coming off the books in Carolina, there’s no reason why they would be afraid of that number, meaning they could get a longer look at Puljujarvi with a long-term commitment if finds a fit down the stretch.

It is a disappointing outcome for another high pick in Edmonton, but fans will quickly forget the sacrifice if they can turn this cap space into a difference-maker at the deadline.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic broke news of the deal on Twitter.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Deadline Notes: Miller, Oilers, Ekholm

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The Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks were discussing a J.T. Miller trade recently, according to Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Vensel’s sources indicate that talks have stalled but could re-open at some point before the deadline.

Miller, 29, has a seven-year, $56MM contract extension set to kick in next season, but the Canucks are already re-assessing the structure of their roster. This morning, CapFriendly confirmed that a trade with retained salary would extend to the entire extension. If Vancouver wanted to make Miller more enticing to contenders this year, they’d be on the hook for part of his salary through 2029-30.

Devils, Bratt Talking About A Potential Extension

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Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has been a busy man the past few days. Fresh off his acquisition of Timo Meier, Fitzgerald joined the NHL Network yesterday where he revealed that he is involved in extension talks with pending restricted free agent Jesper Bratt.

Bratt opted to bet on himself last summer by signing a one-year deal for $5.45MM. The move has paid off for the pending restricted free agent, as he is sitting at nearly a point a game in what has been another strong season.

The Devils have just four forwards from their current lineup that are signed for next season, meaning any potential extension with Bratt would alleviate some pressure off Fitzgerald in what is sure to be a busy summer. The Devils would still need extensions for the newly acquired Meier, as well as Ryan Graves, Damon Severson, and Miles Wood. All of whom are unrestricted free agents on July 1st.

Nashville Predators Recall Luke Evangelista

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The Nashville Predators are headed in a new direction, and it is time to check out some of the organization’s prospects. The team has recalled Luke Evangelista from the Milwaukee Admirals, the first call-up of his short professional career.

Selected 42nd overall in 2020, the impressive development of Evangelista has gone largely unnoticed by the media, partly because of the missing season in 2020-21 and his return to the OHL in 2021-22.

After playing just 14 games in his post-draft year because of the COVID restrictions that canceled the OHL’s season, Evangelista returned to the London Knights last year and went on a rampage. With 55 goals and 111 points in 62 games as captain of the powerhouse junior program, he showed that a lost year had no impact on his offensive development.

In 49 games with the Admirals this year, he has continued that upward trajectory with 41 points, even if his goal-scoring totals have come back down to earth. Now, following the trades of Nino Niederreiter and Tanner Jeannot, plus more that could be coming down the pipe for Nashville, Evangelista will get his chance at the highest level.

Even if the rest of this season isn’t much fun for Predators fans, they will have some exciting young faces to watch.

Morning Notes: Cap Circumvention, Chychrun, Kane

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According to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets, the NHL sent out a memo this morning to teams explaining that they would “closely scrutinize” any trades of injured players with the express intent of keeping them on long-term injured reserve until the playoffs. Gustav Nyquist is a perfect example of this kind of trade chip, as he is not expected back in the regular season.

Scrutiny is one thing, but it’s hard to believe that the league would put a complete stop to these moves. In 2021, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Riley Nash, knowing he wouldn’t be ready before the playoffs, only to activate him for game one. It might mean a closer look at situations like Adam Henrique, as the Anaheim Ducks forward is not expected to miss the rest of the season, but is still on the shelf for another few weeks. Any acquiring team would likely be expected to activate him (and have the room to do so) well ahead of the playoffs, instead of waiting for the salary cap to disappear on day one of the postseason.

  • More smoke is rising from the Arizona Coyotes, who have one of the biggest trade chips in Jakob Chychrun sitting in the press box. Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports that the Los Angeles Kings, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Edmonton Oilers are all pursuing the Coyotes defender. Chychrun hasn’t played since February 10 as he awaits his new destination.
  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet points out that the New York Rangers don’t actually have to wait until tomorrow to acquire Patrick Kane, only past today’s salary cap threshold. The cap is calculated on the active roster at 4pm CT every day, meaning the Rangers could land Kane a few minutes later and have him applied to Wednesday’s number instead. All signs continue to point to Kane joining the Rangers this week, potentially even in time to take on the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow night.

Detroit Red Wings Extend Jake Walman

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After finding a new home with the Detroit Red Wings, Jake Walman is cashing in. The defenseman has signed a three-year contract extension worth $10.2MM ($3.4MM AAV) to keep Walman in Detroit through the 2025-26 season.

Walman, 27, was a pending unrestricted free agent but has fit so perfectly in Detroit since arriving, an extension always seemed the most likely scenario. Acquired from the St. Louis Blues as part of the Nick Leddy deal last year, he has emerged as a legitimate top-four option for the Red Wings, mostly skating next to Moritz Seider at even strength. The two complement each other well and Walman’s playing time has surged, including a 23-minute outing against the Ottawa Senators last night.

While a spot on the top pair may not be his forever—the Red Wings do have some serious defense prospects on their way—Walman has proven to be a reliable member of a team that is on the rise. Even after two recent losses, Detroit is still 7-3 in its last ten games and has climbed within a few points of the final wildcard spot. If not this year, they will soon be back in the playoffs, and Walman is going to be around for the ride.

That makes two players that the team has extended this month, following Olli Maatta’s two-year deal on February 16. There could be more coming. The Red Wings have just 12 players signed to one-way contracts for 2023-24, with a long list of pending UFAs. With very few long-term deals on the books, general manager Steve Yzerman can still shape this roster accordingly, and reward players like Walman who have found success in bigger roles this season.

Latest On Vladislav Gavrikov

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The options are dwindling for the Columbus Blue Jackets, as every day, another contender adds depth on defense without acquiring Vladislav Gavrikov. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is still “perturbed” that a deal with the Boston Bruins— the reason for pulling Gavrikov from the lineup—fell apart.

With the Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and even Buffalo Sabres already making defensive additions, Kekalainen has his work cut out for him if he’s to bring back the package of future assets previously rumored to be attached to Gavrikov. Notably, Portzline reports that agent Dan Milstein has recently told teams that the pending free agent defenseman will likely test the open market in the summer, instead of entertaining extension talks with any acquiring team.

Kekalainen, master of drumming up significant interest in players that don’t have a huge impact, may have missed his chance. After landing first-round picks for David Savard and Nick Foligno in 2021, it’s difficult to see that market for his biggest chip this time around.

After more than two weeks in the press box, Gavrikov will have to do more than just settle in whenever he does find a new home. The 27-year-old will have to shake off the rust of an eight-game absence and get back in game shape. He last played on February 11, the second half of a home-and-home with the Maple Leafs. Columbus won that game, with Gavrikov playing nearly 22 minutes. No matter where he goes, he will unlikely get that kind of playing time at his next stop. Paying a premium for time-on-ice—Gavrikov’s underlying defensive metrics leave something to be desired—seems like a mistake that teams will avoid, especially with so many other defensive options available.

If there was a legitimate package on the table (or even agreed to) from the Bruins, it certainly makes sense why Kekalainen would be frustrated. He may now end up with far less than once expected for his pending free agent defenseman.

West Notes: Karlsson, Chychrun, McDonough

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With Timo Meier already out the door, many have wondered if even more big changes will be coming to the San Jose Sharks before Friday’s trade deadline. More specifically, many have wondered if two-time Norris Trophy winner and leading defensive scorer Erik Karlsson could be traded. According to Karlsson himself, it doesn’t seem like that’s going to be a possibility. In speaking to The Athletic’s Corey Masisiak, Karlsson said “it would be weird” if Sharks GM Mike Grier asked him to waive his no-trade clause just a few days before the deadline, indicating that it would be a complete shock at this point if he were dealt in the next few days.

While the 32-year-old has had a vintage season (he’s on pace to score 105 points) Karlsson’s $11.5MM cap hit through the 2026-27 season has seemingly presented a significant obstacle toward finding an agreeable trade. The Edmonton Oilers have been widely rumored as having had interest in acquiring Karlsson, only for any trade talks to stall once the issue of retained salary came under the microscope. Despite his stellar play, it could be the Sharks’ reported unwillingness to retain a major chunk of Karlsson’s average annual salary (more than $1-2MM per year) that has thrown a wrench in any blockbuster mid-season deal happening.

  • With Karlsson seemingly off the market, the top defenseman on the market before Friday’s deadline is widely considered to be Arizona Coyotes blueliner Jakob Chychrun. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta issued an update on Chychrun’s status, tweeting that trade “talk has picked up,” although no trade is expected to be imminent. He also adds that the Washington Capitals, Los Angeles Kings, and Carolina Hurricanes are “three of the teams very much in the mix” to acquire Chychrun.
  • Northeastern University captain Aidan McDonough has had a strong senior season for the Huskies, scoring 36 points in 31 games, and is nearing a significant decision regarding his professional career. He’ll have the ability to choose his pro destination this summer and could potentially sign with a different team besides the Vancouver Canucks, the club that selected him 195th overall at the 2019 draft. Per CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, McDonough “is still very open to signing in VAN,” and his ultimate decision is “not far away.” It’s likely that quite a few teams would be interested in adding McDonough, so should Vancouver get him it would be a quality addition to their prospect system.

Edmonton Oilers Loan Devin Shore To AHL

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The Edmonton Oilers have announced that forward Devin Shore has been loaned to their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. Shore was originally called up to the Oilers on February 18th. This move signals that Klim Kostin is likely ready to return to the lineup after an injury-related absence.

The 28-year-old is a veteran of over 400 NHL games and managed to get into coach Jay Woodcroft’s Oilers lineup four times in this stint on their roster. Shore played reasonably well, getting between seven and a half and thirteen minutes of ice time per game.

He registered an assist and scored a goal, and the Oilers went 2-1-1- during his time in their lineup. While he’s spent the majority of his season at the NHL level and therefore can’t be entirely thrilled about heading back to the minor leagues, he is firmly in a position to be called back up to the active roster.

In 33 games this season, Shore has five points. He’s been more of a difference-maker at the AHL level, though, where he has five points in five games.

It’s been Shore’s first bit of AHL action since 2015-16 when he played for the Texas Stars, and he’s performed quite well, cementing his status as a viable depth option for Edmonton. Shore is a pending unrestricted free agent who is making $850k against the cap this season.

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