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Archives for February 2023

Minor Transactions: 02/06/23

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NHL teams return to the ice tonight after the conclusion of the All-Star break. Twelve teams are set to do battle, and the slate of contests is highlighted by newly-minted $68MM man Bo Horvat’s debut with the New York Islanders and Anthony Beauvillier’s debut for the Vancouver Canucks. As fans enjoy tonight’s games, teams in minor and foreign leagues are making tweaks to their rosters. We’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • 2002 34th overall pick Tobias Stephan will hang up his skates. Swiss club HC Lausanne has announced that Stephan will retire at the end of this season. While the 39-year-old goalie never quite stuck in North America and was limited to just 11 career NHL games, he is an extremely accomplished veteran of the Swiss league. He won NLA Goalie of the Year in 2009-10 and has won a Spengler Cup and Swiss Cup over the course of a 20-year career at the top of his country’s professional hockey ladder.
  • Former Vancouver Canuck Marc Michaelis has made the choice to switch clubs at the end of the season. Regning Swiss champions EV Zug have announced the signing of Michaelis to a contract to a two-year deal, set to begin next season. Michaelis was a coveted college free agent after scoring 162 points in his 142-game career for Minnesota State, and he got 15 games with the Canucks in 2020-21. He didn’t manage to get on the scoresheet, though, and signed with the Toronto Marlies. His AHL tenure in Toronto was shaky as well, leading to an exit back to Europe. Michaelis’ debut in the Swiss league has gone extremely well, and he has formed a deadly partnership with former top prospect Aleksi Saarela. With 15 goals and 39 points in 44 games, Michaelis will be headed elsewhere for next season.
  • Liiga’s TPS Turku have signed veteran defenseman Taneli Ronkainen on loan from Oulun Karpat for the rest of the season. Ronkainen is an experienced blueliner in Finland’s top league, having won a championship in 2017-18. He has nearly 300 games of experience in Liiga, and will be able to reinforce a TPS Turku blueline that has been solid so far this year, ranking sixth in goals-against this season.
  • Young Finnish winger Jere Henriksson has had his three-game loan to HPK Hameenlinna converted into a full loan, and has additionally signed an extension for next year as well. The 21-year-old already has over 120 games of Liiga experience to his name, and won the league title last season with Tappara Tampere.
  • Veteran KHL forward Nikita Pivtsakin and his club, HC Sochi, have agreed to a mutual contract termination. The 31-year-old, who has over 500 games of KHL experience under his belt and won World Juniors gold for Russia in 2010-2011, will now look elsewhere to continue his career. Pivtsakin has scored six points in 50 games in the KHL this season, and perhaps this release is meant to give him a chance to return to the Finnish Liiga, where he was last season when he played 16 games for KalPa Kuopio.

This page will be updated throughout the day

Calgary Flames Activate Chris Tanev

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The Calgary Flames have activated defenseman Chris Tanev, according to a team tweet. Tanev has been out with an injury since January 23rd, when he left early in a 4-3 overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Flames now are left with eight defensemen on their active roster with this activation, thanks to the recent recall of Dennis Gilbert from the AHL. It’s possible Gilbert’s recall was made with the intention of him being a contingency plan in case Tanev wasn’t ready to go for tonight’s game against the New York Rangers, so he could be on the way back to the AHL should the team want to carry only seven defensemen and add another forward to the mix.

That being said, though, the Flames are on an East Coast road trip, meaning they also might prefer to keep Gilbert with the team for the rest of the trip rather than just send him home with zero games played. Worth noting is that the Flames do have veteran forward Kevin Rooney in the AHL, seemingly out of place there since the team so recently gave him a two-year, $1.3MM AAV guarantee.

The Flames get a major boost with Tanev’s return just as they enter a crucial stretch of their season. They’re looking to keep pace with other Western Conference contenders in the race for a playoff spot, and Tanev will undoubtedly help them in that pursuit. Long regarded as one of the league’s better stay-at-home defensemen, Tanev has been a crucially important defensive anchor for head coach Darryl Sutter.

Tanev is the centerpiece of the Flames’ penalty kill, skating nearly three minutes a night with the opponent on the man advantage. He’s blocked 85 shots this season as well, and beyond more traditional defensive counting stats, which have their limit in usefulness, public analytics models remain exceedingly high on Tanev’s work in the defensive zone.

While his return won’t solve the Flames’ lingering issues in net and with underperforming top forwards such as Jonathan Huberdeau, he will help the team close out games where they maintain a late lead.

For a club seeking to build momentum and return to the playoffs, getting a player like Tanev back to full health can mean the difference between picking up or leaving behind those few standings points that separate the playoff teams from the near-misses.

New York Islanders Activate Hudson Fasching

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The New York Islanders have announced that forward Hudson Fasching has been activated off of the team’s injured reserve list in advance of tonight’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. The move leaves the team with a full 23-man roster.

Fasching has been out since a January 18th contest against the Boston Bruins due to a lower-body injury. He will in all likelihood resume his role on the Islanders’ fourth line, filling the role now-injured Cal Clutterbuck has long occupied next to Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin.

The 27-year-old has been a nice find for the Islanders this season and has set a new career-high in NHL games played with 19. While he hasn’t scored much (he has just three goals and five points) he’s provided head coach Lane Lambert with the kind of physicality and energy the organization has long valued in its bottom sixers.

Fasching arrived in the Islanders organization over the summer, signing a one-year, two-way contract. The prior season, Fasching had served as the captain of the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners for the Arizona Coyotes organization and scored 37 points in 51 AHL games.

Instead of serving as a leader and valuable power forward for the Islanders’ AHL affiliate, Fasching has firmly placed himself in the NHL mix as a depth forward and has likely earned himself another NHL deal in the process.

For players on the NHL-AHL bubble, life can sometimes lack stability as teams generally view these players as expendable. While Fasching’s play hasn’t changed that overall reality, it has so far changed his reality as he’s proved he could have more value to an NHL team than many might have believed a year ago.

Trade Deadline Primer: Edmonton Oilers

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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 Edmonton Oilers.

After some early panic, the Oilers have settled into a groove of late and are making a strong push for the Pacific Division crown. Connor McDavid has reached another level of offensive greatness with 92 points through 50 games, and Leon Draisaitl is second in the league scoring race (but still trails by 16 points). Stuart Skinner has given them some stability in net, and Zach Hyman continues to outperform his contract.

Still, there are some concerns about the defense in Edmonton, and the forward group still lacks depth. The gap from the fourth-highest scoring forward (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins) to the fifth (Ryan McLeod) is 45 points, showing just how much room for improvement there is at the deadline. If they can find creative ways to make the cap work, everything is set up for the Oilers to make a big splash this year to fill out the lineup card and try to go on another deep postseason run.

Record

28-18-4, 4th in the Pacific

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$1.125MM in LTIR relief, 1/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2023: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 3rd, EDM 5th, EDM 6th, EDM 7th
2024: EDM 1st, EDM 2nd, EDM 4th, EDM 5th, EDM 6th

Trade Chips

First and foremost, it is all-in time for Edmonton with regard to their draft picks. The team only has three more playoff runs with Leon Draisaitl before his bargain contract expires and four until McDavid once again becomes the highest-paid player in the league. Their first-round pick this year and next should be in play if it can get them closer to a championship.

That’s not to say they throw it away for an insignificant rental, but there are no more building years in Edmonton. The time is now to challenge for the Cup, and if an impact player is available (even better if they come with a few years of control), Ken Holland should be willing to lose as many picks as it takes.

Beyond that, some other chips could be on the table as the deadline approaches.

Jesse Puljujarvi is the one that stands out, as his time in Edmonton appears to be dwindling one way or another. The 24-year-old can’t score this season, and sits with just four goals and ten points through 49 games. Is he getting a great opportunity? Not anymore, but that shouldn’t stop him from outscoring someone like Brett Kulak or Derek Ryan. Puljujarvi isn’t going to bring back much on his own, but moving him out would open up some cap flexibility for the Oilers to make a bigger move.

On the other hand, a young player like Dylan Holloway could also be dangled in a significant trade. The 21-year-old has shown enough in his rookie season to prove he will play many NHL games but not enough to guarantee he is a top line player. Selected 14th overall in 2020, if he isn’t ready to make an impact this year, he shouldn’t be off limits in trade talks. With just nine points in 46 games, that seems to be the case.

Something similar could be said about Evan Bouchard, who has seen his ice time slashed this season. The 10th overall pick from 2018 is still just 23 and had an encouraging 43-point rookie season last year, but is still a liability on defense and can’t be entirely trusted by the coaching staff. If the Oilers target a legitimate top-four defenseman at the deadline, there’s certainly a chance the other team targets Bouchard as a piece coming back.

Other potential trade chips: F Raphael Lavoie, F Xavier Bourgault, F Reid Schaefer

Team Needs

1) Third-line center: Defense doesn’t always mean defensemen. Acquiring a true two-way pivot that can fill the third-line role, allowing Nugent-Hopkins to move up into the top-six full-time, would solve several of the Oilers’ problems. Sometimes, the term two-way is used to describe defense-only players – that’s not what Edmonton would be targeting here. This is a true impact player who can drive play in the right direction while keeping the puck out of his own net. He doesn’t need to be McDavid on offense or Patrice Bergeron on defense, but a true difference-maker in this spot would help take some of the pressure off the top players while also elevating the Oilers whenever they are off the ice.

2) Top-four defenseman: The need for a defenseman might eventually disappear with the play of Philip Broberg, but it’s hard to bet on him ascending into a big role this postseason. Getting a minute-munching defender who can play in all situations is a must for the Oilers at the deadline. The caveat here is that it shouldn’t be the kind of bruising, physical addition several other contenders will look for. Edmonton desperately needs another player who can defend hard but also move the puck quickly to their talented forwards. Someone who could theoretically take over the powerplay duties from Tyson Barrie would be ideal, though it would be hard to mess with a unit that is clipping along at 32%.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

New Jersey Devils Activate John Marino

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For the first time since December 20, the New Jersey Devils will have John Marino back in the lineup. The team activated the defenseman from injured reserve and will dress him tonight against the Vancouver Canucks.

With Marino in the lineup this season, the Devils are 21-9-2. His steady defensive presence has fit in perfectly with the young group, and further opens up talent like Dougie Hamilton to flourish offensively. Averaging more than 21 minutes a night, the offseason acquisition looks like a core piece to build around, and one that is likely going to outperform his reasonable contract.

Marino is signed through the 2026-27 season at a $4.4MM cap hit, joining Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler as Devils defensemen with long-term deals. His presence may mean the team can afford to lose Damon Severson in the summer – or even potentially trade the pending free agent at the deadline should the right deal present itself.

First, Marino must show that he can immediately make the same impact upon his return. It’s been more than six weeks since he played, and the Devils are in a different situation. No longer the Metropolitan Division leaders, they will have to keep fighting off the charging New York Rangers to maintain home ice advantage in the first round.

Chaz Lucius Undergoes Surgery; Will Miss Rest Of Season

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The Winnipeg Jets have announced disappointing prospect news, tweeting that Chaz Lucius underwent shoulder surgery today and will miss the rest of the season. The young forward had been playing with the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL after being loaned back to junior last month.

Lucius, 19, was the 18th overall pick in 2021 and has taken an odd development path in the time since. He first went to the University of Minnesota for just one year, before turning pro and joining the Manitoba Moose at the beginning of this season. After just 12 games there (and a shoulder injury that kept him out for a while), he was headed to the CHL.

The NCAA-AHL-CHL route isn’t often taken, but it appeared to be paying off for Lucius, who had five goals and 15 points in his first six games for Portland. He dominated the younger, more inexperienced competition and built plenty of confidence along the way.

Now with this injury, he’ll have an odd little six-game footnote on his career. Given that he will turn 20 in May, Lucius will almost certainly return to the AHL next year instead of going to junior as an overage player, meaning his time in the WHL is over. His contract, meanwhile, will slide forward, meaning he will now reach restricted free agency in the summer of 2026.

Snapshots: Flyers, Stone, Stars

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In 2018, the New York Rangers issued a letter to their season ticket holders explaining that a rebuild was coming and beloved players would be on their way out. The Chicago Blackhawks followed suit in 2020, and now the Philadelphia Flyers are the latest to try and explain their actions through personal appeal. The Flyers sent out a note today from head coach John Tortorella that read, in part (via Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic):

This season I’ve challenged the veterans on the team, and I’ve been very happy with their response. Beyond the stts, they’ve shown a willingness to adapt, compete, and lead our group both on and off the ice.

Now, I’m not going to lie to you – and I want to be clear about this – we’re not there yet. Thi year was the first step in building the future of the FLyers and restoring our reputation as one of the most respected teams in hockey. 

It is rather telling that the team decided this letter should come from Tortorella, not general manager Chuck Fletcher. As O’Connor points out, it suggests that the organization “knows Torts is the better (or more trusted) messenger” at the moment. Fletcher’s moves have largely disappointed in recent years, while Tortorella at least has the undermanned Flyers group fighting (sometimes literally) every night.

  • Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone was listed out indefinitely after undergoing back surgery, but head coach Bruce Cassidy wouldn’t rule him out completely when asked today. Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Sun relays Cassidy’s comments that there could be an “opportunity” for Stone’s return if the Golden Knights can make the playoffs. Vegas currently sits in the third Pacific Division spot but holds a tenuous lead over the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.
  • The Dallas Stars are in no rush to make moves and will wait to “get a feel for the market,” according to general manager Jim Nill in conversation with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Nill noted that injuries over the next few weeks could drastically impact the team’s strategy at the deadline, and so too could strong performances from young players in the minor leagues. Sometimes overlooked as a contender, Dallas currently leads the entire Western Conference with 66 points and a +40 goal differential.

Latest On Patrick Kane

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With just a few weeks to go before the 2023 NHL trade deadline, everyone is watching the Chicago Blackhawks and Patrick Kane. The legendary forward has full control of his future with a no-movement clause but is on an expiring contract and playing for a bad team.

Mark Lazerus of The Athletic got an update on the situation from Kane today, who explained that his agent Pat Brisson has already heard from a few interested teams. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period tweets that the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers are among those teams. The veteran winger has no decision yet on his future, and it likely will be a last-second choice at the deadline.

Not only will that give teams time to assess their situation, it also reduces the amount of cap space Kane would require. Every day that goes by, it becomes more likely that a team can fit him in – with the help of a little salary retention from the Blackhawks (and possibly a third team).

It’s more than just choosing the right playoff team to join, though. Kane has spent his entire career in Chicago, winning three Stanley Cup championships and becoming arguably the greatest American-born player of all time. While this year hasn’t gone to plan, it’s hard to imagine him pulling on a different sweater.

Of course, that may happen regardless in the summer, should the Blackhawks not attempt to re-sign the 34-year-old. There are 13 games left before the trade deadline – the final one coming in Chicago against the Dallas Stars on March 2. It will be an emotional evening if that is the end of Kane’s time (and that of Jonathan Toews, potentially) with the Blackhawks.

Florida Panthers To Activate Sergei Bobrovsky

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The Florida Panthers will have another $10MM man in the lineup tonight, as Sergei Bobrovsky will be activated from injured reserve and start. Spencer Knight will serve as the backup, meaning Alex Lyon is likely returning to the minor leagues.

Bobrovsky, 34, last played on January 19, but lasted just two minutes before being pulled with a lower-body injury. That was his 30th appearance of the season, and things haven’t gone very well. One of the most inconsistent netminders in recent history, Bobrovsky can alternate between Vezina-caliber superstar and backup-level cap anchor on a near daily basis.

Almost no one can compete with his athletic ability if he is fully healthy and playing his best. A two-time Vezina winner, he also led the league in wins just last season when he posted a .913 save percentage. This year that number has dropped all the way to .897, and Bobrovsky has lost more times than he has won.

Despite his poor play, the Panthers have managed to stay within striking distance of the playoffs. The club is just three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second wildcard and has enough talent on the roster to make a run. To do that, though, they’ll need a goaltending tandem performing much better than they did in the first half. It starts tonight, with Bobrovsky trying to keep the Tampa Bay Lightning shooters at bay.

Nashville Predators Extend Cole Smith

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The Nashville Predators have decided to reward one of their depth forwards with a contract extension, signing Cole Smith to a one-year, $775K contract for the 2023-24 season. Smith was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Signed to a one-year, two-way contract for this season, Smith is a 27-year-old rookie at the NHL level. The undrafted forward never did much scoring during his time at the University of North Dakota but found a new level last year for the Milwaukee Admirals, racking up 21 goals and 41 points in 59 games.

This year, with Nashville, he has two goals and 11 points in 42 games while playing a physical, in-your-face style every night. His 112 hits and 43 penalty minutes trail only Tanner Jeannot among Predators forwards, despite playing fewer than 12 minutes a night.

Getting him to sign on again for the league minimum is certainly a win for Nashville, even if he isn’t going to light up the scoreboard much. Smith is a great bottom-six option that will allow the Predators to spend a little bit more money elsewhere.

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