San Jose Sharks Activate, Re-Assign Nikolai Knyzhov
The San Jose Sharks have announced that defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov has been activated from his long-term injury conditioning loan, and re-assigned to the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
This return is a long time coming for Knyzhov, 24, who has been recovering from an Achilles injury for over a year. Before his conditioning stint began in January, Knyzhov had last played competitive hockey in May 2021, when he skated in over 21 minutes of a Sharks 6-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Before his injury, Knyzhov had steadily developed for the Sharks, going from a depth defenseman in 2019-20 to a candidate for top-four ice time in 2020-21. He’d taken a bit of a wild road to that point, with stops in the WHL, his native Russia, and the NAHL.
Now, Knyzhov has worked his way back to full health and has re-entered the Sharks’ defensive picture. He’s largely skated in a top-four role during his three-game conditioning stint with the Barracuda and will head back there to in all likelihood play a major role for the squad.
The Sharks currently carry seven defenseman, five of whom either have significant NHL experience or have been leaned on by coach David Quinn. It’s possible that Knyzhov unseats Scott Harrington or Jacob MacDonald for a role in the NHL lineup, although he’ll likely need to spend some time in the AHL getting back up to speed first.
Nashville Predators Recall Tommy Novak, Kevin Gravel
02/05/23: Both Gravel and Novak have been recalled from the AHL, in advance of the Predators’ return to the ice after the All-Star break. The move leaves the Predators with 22 out of 23 spots filled on their active roster.
01/27/23: With the Nashville Predators finished their pre-All-Star break schedule, they’ve sent a couple of bodies back to the minor leagues for the time being. Kevin Gravel and Tommy Novak, neither of whom need waivers at the moment, have been reassigned to the Milwaukee Admirals.
Gravel only came up this week when Alexandre Carrier was ruled out, and will likely be right back with the NHL club following the break. The big defenseman played 11:12 last night, recording four shots on goal, two hits, and three blocks. With Carrier missing for at least a month, the Predators defensive depth will be tested, and even more responsibility placed on the top few names.
Novak, meanwhile has been a semi-regular this year, playing in 19 games for the Predators so far. His performance in those games has been excellent, racking up four goals and 11 points despite playing just over 11 minutes a game.
The 25-year-old forward has been an excellent offensive player in the minor leagues for the last few years, but only has 46 NHL appearances to his name. He’ll also qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer unless he plays in every single remaining game for the Predators this season.
He’ll be back next week when the Predators return to action.
Calgary Flames Recall Jakob Pelletier, Dennis Gilbert
The Calgary Flames have announced that forward Jakob Pelletier and defenseman Dennis Gilbert have been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. The two recalls fill two vacant spots on the Flames’ roster, leaving them with 22 out of 23 used spaces on their active roster.
Pelletier, 21, is the bigger name in this duo. He’s a 2019 first-round pick who is among the Flames’ top prospects, recently ranked third in their system by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler. (subscription link) Pelletier was first called up to the NHL in January and ended up playing four games for coach Darryl Sutter’s side.
Sutter’s cold evaluation of Pelletier’s NHL debut to the media made headlines, and in his first two games, Pelletier got just 6:50 and 7:36 time on the ice, respectively. His ice time ticked up in his final two games, though he didn’t manage to register his first NHL point.
Pelletier is a talented offensive player who has scored very well at the junior and AHL levels. He has 36 points in 33 games for the Wranglers this season and has been a point-per-game player in his 99-game AHL career. He’ll be able to provide an offensive spark to the Flames’ lineup as they prepare for a road trip.
Gilbert, 26, is not nearly as flashy of a recall but does have more NHL experience than Pelletier. The American blueliner has played in 34 career NHL games, nine of which have come this season. He last played in the NHL on January 27th, logging just over 13 minutes in a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken.
Now back on the NHL roster, it’s likely that Gilbert will serve as the team’s seventh defenseman for the duration of their road trip, if not longer. He seems to have settled nicely into his role as a priority call-up and number-eight or nine blueliner on the Flames’ depth chart and gives the organization top-four play in the AHL as well as competence in limited minutes in the NHL.
Trade Deadline Primer: Columbus Blue Jackets
With the All-Star break now upon us, the trade deadline looms large and is just 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 Columbus Blue Jackets.
When the Columbus Blue Jackets signed Johnny Gaudreau to a seven-year, $68.25MM contract last summer, and followed it up with a four-year, $34.8MM deal for Patrik Laine, the message was clear: it’s time for a new identity. Seth Jones had been traded, and there was to be a new duo leading the way to contention. Gaudreau and Laine seemed like a perfect fit stylistically, and the team committed nearly $20MM per season to put them together.
Unfortunately, you can’t predict injuries, and the absences have decimated the Blue Jackets. Laine has missed time on several occasions, Zach Werenski was ruled out early for the season, Jakub Voracek‘s career is in doubt, and the injured reserve list has had at least five or six players on a constant rotation through the year. The Blue Jackets’ season is over, and now they will be focused on securing the best draft position by losing as many games as possible down the stretch. Trading off expiring assets is a must.
Record
15-32-4, 8th in the Metropolitan
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$8.87MM in LTIR relief (with the possibility for much more), 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2023: CBJ 1st, CBJ 2nd, CBJ 3rd, CGY 3rd, CBJ 4th, WPG 4th, CBJ 6th, CBJ 7th
2024: CBJ 1st, CBJ 2nd, CBJ 3rd, CBJ 4th, CBJ 5th, CBJ 6th, CBJ 7th
Trade Chips
The big one in Columbus this year is Vladislav Gavrikov, who has already drawn interest from a number of contending teams. The pending free agent defenseman has likely had his name mentioned more by NHL media over the last few months than his entire career to this point. While he won’t offer a ton of offensive production, the 6’3″ shutdown defender has averaged nearly 21 minutes a night for his four-year NHL career, racking up nearly 400 blocked shots, and over 300 hits during that stretch.
This isn’t a bruiser, exactly – Gavrikov did have 33 points last season for Columbus – but he also isn’t going to come in and run a powerplay. His fit is likely on a contender’s second or third pairing while logging big penalty-killing minutes. Luckily, for the Blue Jackets, that’s exactly what playoff hopefuls are looking for. Most top teams already have their powerplay quarterbacks and top-pairing roles secured internally and are just looking to add a competent defender to the mix before a long playoff grind. With Gavrikov’s $2.8MM cap hit, almost anyone in the league could afford to fit him in, given the right circumstances.
There is also someone like Joonas Korpisalo, who could be acquired as a backup goaltender, though his performance the last few years has been anything but consistent. On an expiring $1.3MM contract, he has a .908 save percentage this season through 23 appearances but was sub-.900 in each of the last two years. As a break-glass option, he might be useful, but there aren’t any true contenders looking at him as a legitimate starter.
One of the most interesting chips that the Blue Jackets have is Gustav Nyquist, who recently was ruled out for the rest of the regular season. That doesn’t mean playoffs, and his camp immediately put the word out that the veteran forward would work hard in hopes of returning for some postseason action. If that is possible, any team currently in LTIR could acquire him (as long as they can creatively open the required space for one day), stash him until the playoffs, and then activate him whenever he’s ready.
The Blue Jackets are actually experienced in this kind of transaction. In 2021, Columbus traded Riley Nash to the Toronto Maple Leafs while he was injured, in exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick. If Nash was able to rehab and appear for the Maple Leafs in the playoffs, the pick would upgrade to a sixth-rounder – which it did. Nyquist is a much better offensive piece than Nash ever was, and the Blue Jackets may be able to secure something even better, should his rehab go well over the next month.
Other potential trade chips: D Marcus Bjork, D Gavin Bayreuther, F Eric Robinson
Team Needs
1) Centers: Unlike some of the other teams fighting for the basement, Columbus isn’t going through a tear-down rebuild. They are actually on their way up, with young players installed all over the roster. One of the biggest problems to this point, however, has been the lack of depth down the middle. As much as the team loves captain Boone Jenner, to be competitive he can’t really operate as a first-line player. Jack Roslovic has never taken that next step, and youngsters like Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson are still finding their way. The Blue Jackets may be one of the rare teams that actually want a veteran back in deadline deals, someone who can step in and play meaningful minutes for them right away. That doesn’t mean over-the-hill stars, but in-their-prime players who can have an impact.
2) Draft picks: That’s not to say they won’t be loading up on picks. Capital in this year’s draft is precious, especially if the Blue Jackets want to make any offseason moves to improve the roster. The goaltending is currently an issue, and they probably need to target another defenseman at some point to replace Gavrikov’s outgoing minutes. Adding some picks at the deadline would give Jarmo Kekalainen a lot more flexibility in making deals on the draft floor.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
League Notes: 2024 All-Star Game, Senators Sale, Revenue Projections
With the on-ice festivities today in South Florida also came some important NHL business notes, courtesy of commissioner Gary Bettman at his pre-game press conference. As part of his media availability today, Bettman confirmed the rumor that Toronto will play host to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.
It’s the first time Toronto has hosted the event since 2000 and the first time a Canadian market has hosted the event in 12 years. Ottawa was the last, hosting the 2012 All-Star Game. It also marks the return to where the All-Star Game began, first as a charity event in 1934 for Toronto forward Ace Bailey after he sustained a career-ending injury, and also where it was officially established in 1947. Whether the NHL will adjust the format or skills events, which have received their fair share of criticism in recent years, is unknown.
- Interest in the purchase of the Ottawa Senators is heating up. Bettman told reporters today that “15 or more” groups have expressed interest in buying the franchise, also reiterating the league’s position against the prospective relocation of the team. Rumors in the past have also connected any potential purchasing party and the involvement of celebrity Ryan Reynolds, who had also expressed interest in purchasing the franchise himself.
- Bettman also told reporters that the league is, “give or take,” approaching $6B in revenue this season. It’s unclear whether or not the figure is an end-of-season projection or how the league currently stands, but either way, it’s an increase from last season’s total revenue of roughly $5.4B. Despite declining viewership numbers in the United States, advertising opportunities for the league and its sponsors have never been more plentiful with the incorporation of ad patches on jerseys and the usage of digitally projected ads on the boards during gameplay.
Washington Capitals Extend Sonny Milano
UPDATE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the contract breakdown is $2.35MM in 2023-24, $1.9MM in 2024-25, and $1.45MM in 2025-26. The low actual salary in the final year of the contract makes it a more appealing sell at the trade deadline or pre-season if Washington opts to move on from Milano at the end of his contract.
The Washington Capitals have extended an offseason acquisition for the second day in a row. NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reports the team re-signed forward Sonny Milano to a three-year contract extension today, with an average annual value of $1.9MM.
Milano had a long and winding road to joining the Capitals for 2022-23, but it’s a shrewd move for general manager Brian MacLellan that’s paid off so far. The 26-year-old American has been a productive depth piece, scoring eight goals and 22 points in 40 games.
The news comes after Washington signed fellow newcomer Dylan Strome to a five-year, $25MM extension yesterday.
It’s a good bit of financial security for Milano, who cycled through a first-line role with the Anaheim Ducks, a failed professional tryout with the Calgary Flames, and now an almost $6MM commitment from the Capitals in less than a calendar year. He signed a one-year, league-minimum one-way contract with Washington on October 15, 2022, after he was cut from Flames camp and subsequently cleared waivers.
Milano was set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
West Notes: Tarasenko, Kane, Brossoit
Winger Vladimir Tarasenko is representing the Blues at the All-Star Game but with him being in the final year of his contract, it’s fair to wonder how much longer he’ll be a part of the team. Speaking with Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (subscription link), the 31-year-old declined to comment if his trade request dating back to last season has been rescinded while also indicating that there have been no recent discussions about a possible contract extension. Tarasenko has 10 goals and 19 assists in 38 games so far this season and is expected to be one of the more sought-after rentals for next month’s trade deadline if the Blues are willing to pay down up to half of his $7.5MM AAV.
More from the Western Conference:
- Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane has long been viewed as one of the likely big deals at the trade deadline but The Athletic’s Arthur Staple suggests (subscription link) that there’s an expectation around the league that Kane needs hip surgery which is going to limit his market. If that’s the case, if he opts to play through the injury and wait to have the procedure in the offseason, there’s a good chance he’d miss the start of next season which could hurt his value in free agency. With that in mind, it’s possible that Kane could decide to have the surgery now which would take a big name off the trade market in the coming weeks.
- Golden Knights goaltender Laurent Brossoit admitted to Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Sun that he sometimes feels frustrated that he hasn’t had a chance to get back up to Vegas. He cleared waivers back in November after being cleared to return from his hip injury and he has been down with the Silver Knights ever since. The 29-year-old has a 2.77 GAA with a .906 SV% in 22 games with Henderson and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer so a return to the top level would certainly help his case on the open market.
Trade Deadline Primer: Boston Bruins
With the All-Star break now upon us, the trade deadline looms large and is just over 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 Boston Bruins.
Unlike the two prior teams covered in this series, the Anaheim Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks, the Boston Bruins’ goal is not to sink as far down in the standings as possible to ensure the best possible chance at landing Connor Bedard. In fact, the Bruins’ play so far this season makes such a plan at this point almost impossible.
The Bruins have been the best team in hockey so far this season, and it’s not really up for debate. The team is 39-7-2 with 83 points.
Last season, the Washington Capitals made the playoffs out of the Eastern Conference. They won 44 games.
The Bruins have already won 39.
This is a team looking to win a Stanley Cup this season, a year that could potentially be the final campaign for core pieces such as Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.
But where the trade deadline is concerned, the team’s success is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the Bruins players have absolutely earned some reinforcements. Should GM Don Sweeney remain entirely passive during the trade frenzy, that could send a poor message to the Bruins’ players, that their immense efforts this season were not rewarded with some additions to their lineup. But on the other hand, it would be reasonable for Boston to be weary of making changes to a lineup formula that has worked so well.
That leaves the team in an intriguing position heading into trade season. There are definitely ways for Boston to bolster its already formidable lineup, and there are quite a few high-end players who would fit very well in coach Jim Montgomery‘s lineup. But with how well the team has done as currently constructed, the team’s trade deadline strategy may not be as simple as just trying to add the most talented player available.
Record
39-7-2, 1st in Atlantic
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$3.25MM today, $3.25MM in deadline space, 0/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2023: BOS 1st, BOS 3rd, BOS 4th, BOS 5th, BOS 6th, BOS 7th, LAK 7th
2024: BOS 1st, BOS 3rd, BOS 4th, BOS 5th, BOS 6th
Trade Chips
This is where things get a bit more complicated. The Bruins’ success this season makes it unlikely that they would entertain removing a roster player from their lineup as part of a trade. It’s not impossible, of course, but subtracting from the current lineup in order to add outside talent would be a risk.
But on the other hand, it may be a risk the Bruins are forced to take. Outside of players currently on their roster, the Bruins have one of the thinner pools of assets to deal from in the entire NHL. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler recently ranked the Bruins’ prospect pool as the 30th-best in the NHL, and the team is missing both this year and next year’s second-round picks. (subscription link)
So if the Bruins want to go all-in on this season and have the best chance at putting together a winning offer for a top-end player, their best trade chip is likely 2021 first-round pick Fabian Lysell. Lysell, 20, has played this season for the Providence Bruins, and scored decently well. He has 22 points in 27 games, and has the potential to be a top-six forward in the NHL.
Like any prospect, there are question marks regarding Lysell’s future and the eventual NHL career he’ll end up having. But he’s an undoubtedly talented offensive threat and clearly the Bruins’ top prospect. If the team is engaged on a player such as Timo Meier, the Bruins may not be able to compete with the offers other clubs can make without including Lysell.
Other trade chips from the team’s prospect pool include Ohio State defenseman Mason Lohrei, undrafted winger Georgii Merkulov, and OHLer Matthew Poitras, though it’s unlikely anyone in that trio would be able to center a trade offer the way Lysell could.
Should the Bruins be forced to deal from their NHL roster in order to get a trade over the line, potential names they could deal include speedy winger Jakub Lauko, whose path to success on the team’s left side seems cloudy, or Trent Frederic, who is in the midst of a breakout year offensively but will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in the summer.
Other potential trade chips: 2023 first-round pick, 2024 first-round pick, Jakub Zboril, Mike Reilly, John Beecher
Team Needs
1) Another high-end offensive weapon: It’s difficult to really pick any major “needs” on the Bruins’ roster, as the team is extremely well-rounded. When the roster is at full health, 2018 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall is the Bruins’ third-line left winger. That’s the kind of depth and roster balance most teams can only dream of. But if there’s one thing the team could prioritize going into the deadline, it’s adding another high-end piece to really solidify their spot at the top of the NHL. Sweeney hasn’t been shy about adding big-name players in the past, whether it’s in trades for players such as Hall, Hampus Lindholm, or Rick Nash. If the Bruins are committed to going all-in on this year’s team, they could shop at the top of the market once again.
2) Left-Shot Defenseman: At the current moment, the Bruins have Reilly, an NHL veteran, in the AHL due to not only his cap hit but also the immense amount of depth the team has on the left side of their defense. But if the Bruins want to add major cap dollars to their roster, trading Reilly could be one of the more viable ways for the team to get that done. In that case, adding another left-shot defenseman could end up being a priority. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wrote on his 32 thoughts column that the Bruins are “believed to be in the left-defense market,” citing names such as Jakob Chychrun and Vladislav Gavrikov as possibilities.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
PHR Mailbag: Blues, Flyers, Rangers, Penguins, Avalanche, Predators, NHLPA
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include the future of Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher, the challenges the Penguins will face if they try to rebuild, the trade deadline challenge for the Avalanche, and more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check for it in next weekend’s mailbag. Unless you asked about Dylan Larkin. He’ll be the focus of a bonus mailbag column tomorrow.
Gmm8811: It pains me to say this but I fear the Blues are in need of a major overhaul from top to bottom. Their fiscal situation isn’t sustainable. They need to start stockpiling draft picks. Their reserve list is ok but pretty bare of any significant talent. Tarasenko and O’Reilly could bring some nice draft picks. Parayko has become the fans whipping boy…I can see him being moved. Maybe Krug goes too. Binnington overpaid for the return the team gets from him. Defense needs to get tougher and bottom six forwards need to improve. This team is not set up for the future at all in my opinion.
I would be surprised to see anywhere this level of an overhaul coming from St. Louis in the coming weeks before the deadline. Yes, some changes will be coming, largely because of their cap situation when $10.65MM gets added to their books with the new deals for Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas kick in and that won’t allow them to re-sign or replace both Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly. Barring a drastic improvement over the next few weeks, the pending UFAs could be traded but I doubt we’ll see much more than moving out their rentals by March 3rd.
I do think there’s a desire for the back end to be tougher but this is an easier-said-than-done scenario. Colton Parayko’s injury history hurts his value, as does the fact he’s signed until 2030. There’s some concern that his contract won’t age well. Given his importance on their current back end, I don’t think they want to sell low on him. Torey Krug has four years left at $6.5MM as well. Look at what happened with Shayne Gostisbehere a couple of years ago with Philadelphia having to pay to get the last two years of his deal off their books. I don’t think that’s a route they want to take. Jordan Binnington is in a similar situation, four years left at $6MM is a negative-value deal right now. In the short term, creating a spot for Tyler Tucker to play regularly on the third pairing will give them a bit more physicality while I wouldn’t hold your breath about big improvements coming to the bottom six for cap reasons.
There’s a changing of the guard underway with Kyrou and Thomas becoming the new centerpieces of their forward group. I think that change will continue but it will be gradual. Once some of these longer-term contracts start to get shorter (think a couple of years from now) and become easier to move, that’s when I think we’ll start to see some more of the veteran core changing up.
DonnieBaseBallHOFer: How surprising is it that Fletcher still with the Flyers? If he is allowed to make moves at the deadline, doesn’t that pretty well mean he stays even into next season? Not fair to a potential new GM to let Fletch make any moves now…is Briere ready to take the next step? If so, do they risk losing him to another team by sticking with Fletch now?
I’m not that surprised that Chuck Fletcher is still at the helm for Philadelphia. This season hasn’t been pretty but injuries certainly haven’t helped things which could be a factor. It’s also year one of a coaching change. To me, the fact the team allowed Fletcher to give John Tortorella a four-year, $16MM contract means they still had a lot of faith in him at that time. They’re six points out of a playoff spot despite not having Sean Couturier, Ryan Ellis, and Cam Atkinson all season long. I don’t think there’s a big appetite internally to change things as a result. I wouldn’t say Fletcher has a long leash but I don’t think there will be any restrictions on him at the deadline.
As for Daniel Briere, I don’t think the Flyers are at much risk in terms of losing him. Yes, he was in the mix for Montreal’s job last season but they’re a team that places high importance on speaking French which doesn’t give them a deep pool to choose from. Since then, I don’t think Briere has been a serious candidate for the few openings that have come up.
He’s still pretty inexperienced in the NHL in terms of management. He has been a consultant for a year and a half and a special assistant for a year and a half. Sure, some experience building up ECHL Maine from the ground helps but is he a little too green to take over a team? I think other organizations think he is. Give it a year or two, then he should come up in speculation a bit more. Who knows, perhaps at that time, Fletcher moves up to Team President and Briere takes over as GM, something we’ve seen other organizations do? I’m sure that’s not your favorite scenario but unless this team completely nosedives next season, I wouldn’t be shocked if it happened.
mhaftman7: The Flyers DESPERATELY need to go all in on a rebuild. Is Provorov to the Kings for a package including Byfield realistic? Could Hayes, JVR, Konecny, and Ristolainen all be moved?
On paper, I like the fit of your trade idea. Ivan Provorov would certainly fill a need in Los Angeles and while his value is down, so too is Quinton Byfield’s so it’d be an interesting buy-low move on both sides assuming the other pieces are in place to make the money work (and we’d be talking about needing to match his $6.75MM contract, more or less). Is it realistic right now? I’m not so sure. I think the PR element from what happened last month during Philadelphia’s Pride Night is going to come into play in trade talks. On top of that, these types of trades are likelier to happen at the draft or in the summer than they are now.
As for the need to do a rebuild, I don’t disagree. At best, this is a team that’s spinning its wheels. But a healthy Couturier and Atkinson (I’ll leave Ellis out as who knows if he’ll play again) probably get this team a few more points in the standings and then they’d be right in the Wild Card battle. I don’t see a big blow-it-up scenario happening as a result.
But let’s look at your trade options. Kevin Hayes has too pricey of a contract to move. Same for Rasmus Ristolainen. At best, they’re summer swaps for other expensive deals but I expect them to stay put. I think James van Riemsdyk goes with 50% retention for a draft pick. Travis Konecny though, that one’s tricky. If they intend to go for the playoffs next season, he stays. If they actually consider taking a step back though, this is a sell-high situation for someone in the prime of his career with two years left after this on what’s looking like a team-friendly $5.5MM. I wouldn’t put him in the likely-to-be-dealt category but in the back of my head, he’s an interesting dark horse candidate.
NYRFan 2: The Rangers NEED to get more ❤️ not prettier. Any chance they package some younger talent like Hajek, Robertson, Jones, or Blais and a pick or so for players like Jeannot (who is struggling) and Xhekaj who plays a game Jeff Gorton hates? Instead of multiple firsts and talent for a rental when I don’t think we are there yet. Need guys to hammer pucks and bodies!
Let’s look at your trade chips first. Libor Hajek’s trade value right now is next to non-existent. He can’t go to the minors and hasn’t played well enough to stay in the lineup which has limited him to just ten games. He’s a throw-in piece at this point. So is Sammy Blais who is basically salary ballast. Matthew Robertson still has some value but he’s not a headliner in a move for an impact player. Zachary Jones could be though. I think his value is down a bit this year but there will be rebuilding teams that look at him and think there’s a spot on the depth chart. Jones, a pick, and one of the throw-ins is a package that could be of some interest to fill a need in the coming weeks.
That said, I don’t think Nashville has any interest in selling low on Tanner Jeannot and that trade combo as a result would certainly be selling low. I could see a scenario where Montreal considers moving Arber Xhekaj as they have a lot of left-side depth in their defenseman pipeline but that would be to fill another organizational need, not replacing him with another left-side defender in Jones.
Maybe it’s just me but I don’t look at New York’s back end and think that they need more toughness. Adam Fox is a finesse player, sure, but there isn’t anyone else that I’d put in that category. (Ryan Lindgren isn’t the most physical but he’s capable of playing a hard game.) I think they need an 18-minute player to partner with Braden Schneider, one that can kill penalties and move up if injuries arise. That player doesn’t really profile as the intimidator that you’re aiming for.
Offensively, I think they should be targeting someone that can score as the Rangers have a middle-of-the-pack attack. A key top-six addition could push them closer to a top-ten offense which, coupled with Igor Shesterkin, would make them very dangerous heading into the postseason. They could benefit from adding a heavy player in the bottom six (preferably one that could kill penalties) but you’ll need to set your sights lower than Jeannot.
koz125: I’m embarrassed to be a Penguins fan at the moment. Shouldn’t they just start the rebuild with how terrible GMRH has screwed the team over? Obviously, they’re no longer a serious contender and likely not a playoff team either.
On the surface, it’s one thing to say they should start the rebuild. But how exactly do they do that? Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Evgeni Malkin aren’t going anywhere; even if Pittsburgh wanted to move them, I think they’d invoke their no-trade protection. That’s a sizable chunk of their veteran core right there which makes a full-scale rebuild a lot harder to do.
Could they move Jeff Petry? Sure. Jake Guentzel would fetch a nice return as well. But Bryan Rust probably isn’t movable with his long-term contract and lower production. Rickard Rakell has had a nice year but his up-and-down track record will give teams pause, especially in the current cap environment. Jason Zucker would bring back a draft pick at the deadline as a rental so I suppose that’s something but that’s not moving the needle much. Brian Dumoulin has had a tough year so his value isn’t great and I think if they could have moved Marcus Pettersson by now, he’d be playing somewhere else. That doesn’t leave them much of tradable options in terms of their core (or at least higher-priced) players.
This is probably going to sound a little goofy but staying on the current path might make more sense. If you can’t rebuild properly, why go halfway and sit in the mushy middle of non-playoff teams? If the other veterans don’t want to move or can’t be moved, they can’t really do a full-scale rebuild. I agree that this team isn’t a contender but they’re close enough to the playoffs to justify staying the course for now.
It’s not a great spot to be in but quite frankly, none of their options are ideal at this point – do nothing, take a step back to become a non-playoff team that’ll finish 12th in the conference, or spend to try to sneak into a Wild Card spot. If they fall out of the race a bit more in the coming weeks (Tristan Jarry’s injury will play a role there), then sure, flip Zucker and get a future asset for someone that you’d otherwise lose for nothing. But that’s about the only rebuilding move I can see them making over the next few weeks.
Canucks Recall Three Players From AHL Abbotsford
With the Canucks set to return to action on Monday against New Jersey, they’ve made a trio of roster moves, announcing (Twitter link) the recalls of forwards Vasily Podkolzin, Phillip Di Giuseppe, and Nils Aman from Abbotsford of the AHL.
Podkolzin is the headliner of the three. The 21-year-old was a regular last season in Vancouver, picking up 14 goals and 12 assists in 79 games in his rookie campaign and the 2019 first-rounder was expected to take a step forward this year. However, he struggled out of the gate, notching just three assists in 16 games, resulting in him being sent to the AHL back in November. While Podkolzin didn’t light up the scoresheet by any stretch, he still fared reasonably well with Abbotsford, picking up seven goals and 11 helpers in 28 contests prior to the recall. Vancouver had just ten forwards on their roster before the recall so there’s a good chance that Podkolzkin will be in the lineup against the Devils.
This will be the third recall of the year for Di Giuseppe who had been sent back down when Vancouver hit the bye week. The 29-year-old has played just one game with Vancouver so far, his first appearance at the top level since 2020-21. Di Giuseppe has been quite productive in the minors, however, picking up 30 points in 33 games. He has seen NHL action in seven of the last eight seasons, tallying 16 goals and 37 assists in 202 appearances.
Aman, meanwhile, somewhat surprisingly cracked Vancouver’s opening roster out of training camp in his first season in North America. He got into 35 games with the team, logging just over 12 minutes a night but managed just a goal and four assists. That resulted him in him being sent down in late December and the demotion seemed to help him a bit offensively as he was more productive with Abbotsford, collecting four goals and five helpers in 17 contests.
With these moves, Vancouver’s roster now sits at the maximum size of 23 players.