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Deadline Primer: Ottawa Senators

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we continue our look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? As we continue with the Atlantic Division, here is a look at the Ottawa Senators.

This will be a franchise-changing time for the Ottawa Senators who are in a tough situation with three significant players ready to hit unrestricted free agency in Matt Duchene, Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel. The team has made it clear it’s trying to get them signed to long-term extensions, but will the team offer appropriate deals to them and do any of the three really want to stay with a franchise that seems intent on being one of the cheapest franchises in the NHL.

If the team can’t get them to sign on the dotted line before the trading deadline, then the team will move them with the real possibility that all three will be moved before the trade deadline and with every passing day, it looks more and more likely that Ottawa and general manager Pierre Dorion will be shipping them off. The team has made it clear they are rebuilding their team, which might be just fine if they hadn’t paid a fortune last season to acquire Duchene from Colorado. In that mega-package for Duchene, the Senators also traded away their first-round pick, which right now (pending a draft lottery) is likely to be the No. 1 overall pick.

Considering that none of the three will agree to a sign-and-trade, Ottawa will be lucky to get a quality return for their three forwards, especially for Duchene and Stone who are two of the most coveted assets on the trade deadline.

Record

21-31-5, eighth in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Major seller

Deadline Cap Space

$30.79MM in full-season cap hit, 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: OTT 2nd, SJS 2nd*, PIT 3rd, OTT 4th, OTT 5th, OTT 7th, CAL 7th
2020: OTT 1st, SJS 1st, OTT 2nd, OTT 3rd, CBJ 3rd, OTT 4th, OTT 6th, SJS 6th, STL 6th, OTT 7th

* Sharks will give Ottawa the higher of two different picks, their own and the Florida Panthers’ second-rounder.

Trade Chips

As said earlier, the team will attempt to lock up one or two of Duchene, Stone and Dzingel, but if not, the team is ready to move on from them. Stone has received quite a bit of attention as the Winnipeg Jets are rumored to be aggressively pursuing the 26-year-old winger. Fortunately for Stone and the Senators, he’s having a career year as he’s already scored 26 goals and 57 points and looks to be developing into a consistent 30-point scorer for whatever team can eventually sign him.

Duchene himself, should bring a hefty return, although not as much as Ottawa paid for him a season ago. Duchene is also posting big numbers and looks to be heading for a career-year himself as he already has 26 goals and 54 points and should provide many playoff teams with a solid No. 2 center for the stretch run. Dzingel shouldn’t be forgotten either as the 26-year-old is also putting up nice numbers and again, is headed for a career year. Dzingel already has 21 goals and 41 points, and is just two goals of equaling his career-high. While not of the same magnitude as either Stone or Duchene, Dzingel could also bring back a significant return.

The Senators have a number of other players who could find themselves moved as well, including defenseman Cody Ceci. The 25-year-old will be hitting restricted free agency and with a number of young defensemen coming up through the system, the Senators may prefer to trade Ceci and avoid having to pay big money for him. Now that the team has gotten Jean-Gabriel Pageau back from injury, he too could find himself traded as a depth option for a playoff team.

Five Players To Watch For: D Cody Ceci, F Matt Duchene, F Ryan Dzingel, F Jean-Gabriel Pageau, F Mark Stone

Team Needs

1) First-rounders: Without a first-round pick for the upcoming draft, the Ottawa Senators might feel a little better if it could pick up a couple of first-rounders if they end up trading both Duchene and Stone. There is nothing the team can do to get back their own first and they will have to deal with that, especially if the Colorado Avalanche win the draft lottery with Ottawa’s pick. However, even if they can add a couple late first-rounders, that still would look better than having no first-round pick at all. The team does have a couple of second-rounders, but anything they can do to stockpile picks, especially in the first round would only help them.

2) Young NHL-established Players: It already seems like the Senators have a large number of prospects either already on the team, trying to earn more playing time or waiting with the Belleville Senators, waiting for their chance to get called up. While the jury is still out on many of those prospects, the team could easily use some young players who have already broken through to the NHL and might provide even more offense with a new chance and plenty of opportunities in Ottawa. The Senators are rumored to be asking for Jack Roslovic from Winnipeg in any deal involving Stone, but Roslovic is exactly what the team needs — a player who is closing in on 100 NHL games already and is starting to come into his own now. The Senators need more of those types of players to fill the gap that will exist if the lose Stone, Duchene, Dzingel or anyone else they can.

Metropolitan Notes: Johansson, Zibanejad, Lamoriello

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With so many names being bandied about before the trade deadline, no one know who will be the next domino to fall. One name that could be moved sooner than later will be New Jersey Devils winger Marcus Johansson, who according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, has generated quite a bit of interest in the last couple of days.

Johansson, who was featured by Pro Hockey Rumors  as a trade candidate here, was a key player for the Washington Capitals over the years, but the team traded him away the year before they won the Stanley Cup Finals. He’s struggled with injuries since arriving in New Jersey in 2017, scoring just five goals and 14 points last year in just 29 games. He has fared a little better this year as he has 11 goals and 25 point in 46 games, but the 28-year-old has been heating up more recently. He has scored five goals and 10 points in his last 11 games and could provide a team with a solid rental player for a playoff run.

LeBrun adds that Johansson has a five-team no-trade list, but none of the teams on his list are teams that would be interested in trading for him. A trade could come quickly as New Jersey general manager Ray Shero is well known to make his trades long before the trade deadline. The team has already moved Brian Boyle.

  • Colin Stephenson of Newsday writes that despite a breakout season by New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, the 25-year-old isn’t enjoying it as he is having trouble coping with the team’s compounding losses. Zibanejad has 25 goals already this season with his career high being 27, which he scored last year. He currently projects to post 36 goals and 82 points, potentially making him a point-a-game player and giving the Rangers the No. 1 center they hoped for and a key piece to their rebuilding project. However, Zibanejad isn’t dealing with his success well. “Of course I’d be lying if I say I don’t know that it’s my career numbers,” Zibanejad said. “But at the same time, you don’t enjoy it if your team is not benefiting from it, and we’re not winning. That’s what we’re in this business for — winning. And if you don’t do that, good or bad, you don’t really care.’’
  • New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said he’d be fine if the Islanders stand pat at the trade deadline despite having plenty of prospects, picks and pending unrestricted free agents it could deal if needed, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. “I am very comfortable with this hockey team,” Lamoriello said. “Our coaching staff has done an outstanding job and the players have done an outstanding job buying into what’s been asked. You have to be very, very careful. There are so many factors involved, whether it’s the chemistry of your team, needs and making sure that it doesn’t get in the way of what’s transpiring.” Of course, Lamoriello is known to be secretive in nature, however, and could easily pull off the biggest surprise at the trade deadline as he’s has been known to do when with both Toronto and New Jersey.

Central Notes: Byfuglien, Little, Crawford

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Winnipeg Jets fans can breathe a sigh of relief when they learned that defenseman Dustin Byfuglien will be out Saturday in their game against the Ottawa Senators as head coach Paul Maurice indicated that the injury is a minor one and is in no way related to the ankle injury that kept the 6-foot-5, 260-pound blueliner out of 15 games earlier this season, according to Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun.

“It’s another minor one that’s not going to help the original one,” Maurice said. “The original one’s fine enough to play. It’s strong, and it’s getting stronger. He wasn’t going to be able to perform very well, and we think in a few days he’ll settle right in.”

Winnipeg doesn’t play another game until Wednesday and Maurice believes that Byfuglien should be ready to return for that game in Colorado. With the loss of Joseph Morrow, the Jets will be shorthanded on defense, although Sami Niku was recalled earlier today to step into the lineup.

  • Sticking with the Jets, rumors have been thriving about the Jets’ attempts to pick up a top rental player before the trade deadline. However, that acquisition may have to prove themselves to work their way into the Jets’ top six as Maurice defended second-line center Bryan Little, suggesting that Little will not be leaving the team’s second line even if the team acquires a big-name player, according to TSN. “Other than the 16 points in the last 17 games, he’s gotta tighten that up, doesn’t he?” Maurice said. “He’s playing with two really young, unique players (Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic/Nikolaj Ehlers) and he’s done that for the last year and a half and he’s carried them in so many ways. Maybe it’s only the coach’s point of you to see how hard he works to get in and make things happen, but also to get out, to be on the right side of the puck, to battle every shift, to work with these kids who are really unique players.”
  • Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that goaltender Corey Crawford has been cleared to return to the ice after sitting out for the last two months with another concussion. However, the team wants to be cautious before throwing him back in and won’t activate him for Saturday’s game. Lieser reports the team is considering putting him in the lineup on Monday when the host Ottawa, setting the veteran up with an easy home matchup to ease him back into the lineup. Crawford’s return could also force Collin Delia to return to the AHL despite faring well since being recalled.

Pacific Notes: Karlsson, Stone, Benning, Puljujarvi

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The San Jose Sharks have won six of their last seven games and should only get stronger on Saturday as the team expects star defenseman Erik Karlsson to return to their lineup from a lower-body injury after missing the past nine games, according to NBC Sports’ Adam Gretz.

Karlsson, who is still among the top 10 defensemen in scoring this season despite missing those nine games, has three goals and 43 points in 47 games and had been red-hot before getting injured. The team has gone 6-3 without Karlsson in that span, but the team has played its best hockey of the season recently, not including a tough loss to Washington on Thursday, in which it had won six straight games and taken over first place in the Pacific Division.

The blueliner should only add to the team’s offense with his return. He is expected to reunite with Marc-Edouard Vlasic to form one of the NHL’s top defensive lines.

  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reports that while it’s not a surprise that the Winnipeg Jets are the most aggressive suitors for Mark Stone, there is another team that has shown a significant amount of interest as the Vegas Golden Knights are interested in adding Stone to their core of talent, although the Golden Knights are only interested if they can work out an extension with the 26-year-old winger. Stone already has tied his career-high in goals this season with 26 and looks to be having a breakout year. However, considering the Golden Knights have stated in the past that they don’t want to move any more draft picks or top prospects, there are serious questions as to what they would be willing to give up to get Stone.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they have placed defenseman Matt Benning on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury, which will open up a roster spot for recently acquired forward Sam Gagner. The 24-year-old Benning has struggled this year with just two goals and 10 points, but has also seen his playing time dwindle as he is averaging just 14:46 of ATOI this year, well below his career average of 16:25.
  • Sticking with the Oilers, Sportsnet’s Mark Spector reports that Edmonton is likely going to return the struggling Jesse Puljujarvi to the AHL soon. With Puljujarvi struggling again under head coach Ken Hitchcock, the team wants to send him down, possibly for the rest of the season, and let him regain his confidence which was their plan when they sent him down earlier this season. However, Hitchcock immediately recalled him after spending just a few days there, when he took over as head coach for Todd McLellan.

PHR Mailbag: Metropolitan Division Edition

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The Metropolitan Division has been tightly contested all season and not surprisingly, there has been plenty of speculation on the trade front.  That was a popular topic among the mailbag questions this week, so much so that the teams in that division get the attention in this edition of the PHR Mailbag.  Questions that were asked but not discussed here will be covered in an extra mailbag column next week.  You can still add your questions here.

grizzled sports vet: Do you see Pittsburgh doing anything else before the deadline? As far as the back end goes, Schultz is returning, but Maatta was placed on the IR. They’ll need defensive depth for a playoff stretch run. Even if Maatta comes back it wouldn’t hurt to have another D-man to spell or even replace Jack Johnson if needed.

I know Jim Rutherford said he’d like to have a quiet trade deadline but let’s face it, he’ll find a way to do something.  Justin Schultz coming off of long-term injury reserve cuts down their cap room but they’ll still have a couple million of full-season space to work with.  At the very least, I can see them looking to upgrade on Chad Ruhwedel in terms of injury depth on the back end.

I wouldn’t be shocked to see him try to do something with winger Tanner Pearson.  His acquisition for pending UFA Carl Hagelin was a risky one given that Pearson has two years left at a pricey $3.75MM AAV after this one.  They were hoping that a change of scenery would help him rebound but it hasn’t happened and he is sliding down the depth chart (he’s a healthy scratch today).  If there’s a team out there that likes him as a middle-six winger, they’d be wise to look to move him.

Will Pittsburgh be as active as they were last year with swinging a unique three-way deal that saw Vegas retain on Derick Brassard with him being on the roster for all of a few minutes?  Probably not.  But Rutherford will be heard from again.

Jaysthoughts: Rutherford has always spun twine into gold. Now what player that doesn’t fit in on another team will be traded for Jack Johnson and hoist the Cup at season’s end?

With four years at $3.25MM per left after this one, the market for Johnson will be very limited.  The AAV isn’t terrible but the term is the big killer here.  (In other words, if he had two years left instead of four, I think there would be a reasonable trade market for him.)

There has been a significant escalation of player salaries at the top end of the market in recent years which has resulted in teams needing to scale back on their spending of mid-tier players.  Johnson can play in the top four when needed but in a perfect world, he’s a third pairing defender.   However, there aren’t many teams left that are able or willing to commit that much money long-term for a third pairing guy.  Instead, they’ll want blueliners making half of that or less to be able to reallocate the savings to a better player.

To be honest, I don’t think Rutherford is necessarily looking to get out from under Johnson’s deal.  The signing was widely panned (and justifiably so given the five-year term) but I’d suggest he has more or less played as they expected.  He’s giving them a little more than 19 minutes a game and while there have been some rocky moments along the way, those weren’t to be unexpected given how his time in Columbus ended.  I don’t think they were expecting a ton more from him, to be honest, so I don’t think he’s at the top of the wish list for the Penguins to trade.

Connorsoxfan: Could Hayes and Zuccarello be moved to the same team? Would someone like Boston who could use a 3rd line center (Hayes), a winger for Krejci (Zuccarello), and some immediate help if Pastrnak is out for a while? What would that return look like?

The idea is certainly interesting but I don’t think there are many teams who could pull that off with the salary cap implications (the two combine for nearly $10MM in a full-season deal and not a lot of contenders can take that on).  Yes, there’s always the potential of getting New York to retain but that will only up the asking price and the cost for a package like this would be steep.  Out of the teams really looking to add, I think Boston and maybe Winnipeg are the only ones that would do this.

Individually, I have both players getting a second rounder plus another piece with the second asset being more significant for Hayes.  If Ottawa takes one or both of their premium rentals off the market, then Hayes may be able to get a first but there are only a handful of those that are going to move.

To get both of them, however, I think the emphasis would shift towards quality over quantity.  A first rounder would need to be in there and instead of a second-round pick, a young roster player would be a target (from Boston, think of Danton Heinen or Matt Grzelcyk and from Winnipeg, someone like Jack Roslovic, players that are a little more established).  Depending on the player going back to New York, there may not be much more than that.

It’s a really interesting idea and one I think GM Jeff Gorton would be wise to try to do but a few of the big names would have to be off the board for this to be palatable.

mikedickinson: Hurricanes are making a run at the playoffs, but can’t afford to lose Ferland for nothing in the offseason. Do you see him moving on at the deadline?

I think the decision on this is probably still a week away.  If Carolina is still in the thick of the playoff race, then yes, I think they’ll hold onto Micheal Ferland and use him as their own rental player.  They have a big stretch coming up with four more games by next weekend and if they struggle, they could be out of it by then as well so GM Don Waddell should play it slow.

As for not being able to afford to lose him for nothing, I agree but only to an extent.  I don’t believe the trade market for him is going to be overly significant.  Again, there are only a handful of first-rounders in play and with all due respect to Ferland (who has played quite well this season), he’s not at the level of the high-end rentals that are in play.  At best, Carolina is foregoing a second rounder and a decent prospect.  While they could certainly benefit from adding more young assets to the system, keeping Ferland for a meaningful playoff push would be good for this core as well (assuming they don’t fall out of the race by next weekend, of course).  If they’re in it, I think they’ll keep him but if not, they’d be wise to ensure they get something for him.

acarneglia: Are the Blue Jackets a buyer and a seller at the deadline? Could Panarin be moved and then bring in someone like Duchene?

ThePriceWasRight: Do the Jackets wait till the very end to decide on Bob and Artemi? They need to know 100% where they are in the playoff picture as well as what prices are as they likely can’t trade Panarin for less than Duchene if he goes.

At this point, I’d almost be inclined to call Plan A being a seller on Artemi Panarin and then flipping those assets (and/or others) for another significant asset (be it Matt Duchene or someone else).  Keeping Panarin long-term looks entirely unrealistic at this point and he’s significant enough of a player that they really can’t lose him for free.

Barring Columbus going on a big losing streak next week, they’re still going to be in the mix so I don’t think they necessarily have to wait.  That said, they’re going to wind up waiting as Ottawa’s top guys are basically holding up the market at this point.  If Duchene and Mark Stone re-sign, that’s going to really up the ante on Panarin as the last one standing but if they’re made available, then flipping Panarin to acquiring one may be at the top of the to-do list.  Until Duchene and Stone decide what they’re doing, the market is at a standstill.

As for Sergei Bobrovsky, if the right deal was there, I think he’d be gone already.  Given the year he’s had, I can’t see Columbus giving him the contract he’s going to be seeking but at the same time, his struggles have hurt his trade value.  I’m leaning towards thinking he’ll stay with the trade return not being enough to justify weakening their playoff chances.

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Atlantic Notes: Senators, Kapanen, Nielsen

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The Senators have been keeping a very close eye on the Jets lately, notes Jason Bell of the Winnipeg Free Press.  GM Pierre Dorion along with two other front office members have been in Winnipeg since Thursday to take a closer look at some potential trade targets; Bell speculates that center Jack Roslovic, defenseman Sami Niku, and goalie Eric Comrie are among the players they’re keeping tabs on.  Ottawa has a pair of prominent rental players that the Jets would certainly be interested in with center Matt Duchene and winger Mark Stone but each would command a significant return that would likely involve Winnipeg’s first-round pick and potentially one of those youngsters as well.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Toronto is expected to hold exploratory discussions regarding a possible contract extension for winger Kasperi Kapanen, reports TSN’s Darren Dreger. The 22-year-old’s first full NHL season has been a highly successful one as he already has 18 goals and 18 assists through 57 games, lining him up for a considerable raise on his current salary of just over $830K.  With a tight salary cap situation looming for the Maple Leafs, he has been a popular speculative target for an offer sheet this summer so it’s not surprising that GM Kyle Dubas is at least going to look into what it’s going to cost to lock him either long term or on a bridge contract.
  • Although the Red Wings were without center Frans Nielsen this afternoon against Philadelphia, this should be the only game he misses. The team noted (Twitter link) that Nielsen is dealing with a minor illness and they are hopeful that he’ll return to the lineup on Sunday.  The 34-year-old very quietly sits fourth in team scoring with 30 points (9-21-30) in 54 games so far this season.

Trade Candidate: Charlie Coyle

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 25th.

Minnesota forward Charlie Coyle has been in trade speculation for several years now and every time it looks like a deal could be close, it doesn’t come to fruition.  However, now that ownership has given the green light to make some bigger moves even if it results in the team taking a step back short-term, Coyle’s name will once again be at the forefront of talks with several teams.

Contract

Coyle is signed through 2019-20 with an AAV of $3.2MM.  However, the actual dollar cost is higher in both years.  He’s making $3.75MM in salary this season and $4.25MM next year.  Coyle will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal which does not hold any trade protection.

2018-19

Coyle’s season has been a lot like his 2017-18 which is a bit of a mixed bag.  There are times where he has been an impact producer but there have been long stretches where he has been quiet as well.  He has primarily been used in a top-six role and has shifted between playing the right wing and center depending on Minnesota’s injury situation.  That versatility will be intriguing to teams but at the same time, going back and forth between the two likely hasn’t helped Coyle either.  Coming into the season, the 26-year-old was looked at as a potential bounce-back candidate but the way it has gone so far, he may need a change of scenery for that to actually come to fruition.

Season Stats

58 GP, 10 goals, 18 assists, 28 points, +2 rating, 16 PIMS, 110 shots, 17:06 ATOI, 50.7 CF%

Potential Suitors

Unlike the many players with expiring contracts that will be limited to just playoff-contending teams as suitors, the fact that Coyle is still fairly young and locked up for another year really opens up more options for Minnesota to pursue.

In the East, Boston was linked to him back in November and they still haven’t addressed their vacancies up front so it’s quite probable that they remain in the mix.  They also have several young forwards that could be of interest to Wild GM Paul Fenton in return.  Montreal has been tossed around as a potential suitor for Coyle for years so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them involved as well.  Buffalo has three first-round picks at their disposal and while they may not want to deal one for a rental, they may be willing to do so given that he’s signed for another year at a pretty good rate.  Carolina and Minnesota discussed other players at the time of their Nino Niederreiter–Victor Rask swap and with the Hurricanes still looking for forward help, Coyle was likely in those talks back then and the two sides could circle back to those now.  Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher opted to hold onto Coyle when he was GM in Minnesota which is a sign that he is a fan so he may try to work out a deal for him as well.

Out West, Nashville and Calgary have been looking for forward upgrades and have the long-term salary cap space to fit in his salary for next season.  (Winnipeg doesn’t so they’re not likely a fit here.)  Colorado is a team that appears to be hesitant to make a move for a rental but having Coyle for another year should pique their interest.  Edmonton could use all sorts of help on the wing but they’d need to find a way to move out some salary the other way in order to get a deal done while Anaheim, who could also use some new blood on the wing, is in a similar situation.  Dallas is in dire need of offensive help so they will undoubtedly inquire as well.  Between the two conferences, there are plenty of potential fits for a trade.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Considering the number of times that a Coyle trade looked likely but didn’t actually happen, a deal is far from a guarantee.  However, the odds are probably higher now than they’ve been for quite some time.  Fenton has the green light to shake things up and with Coyle’s cheap cap hit and the extra year of control, he’ll be one of the more sought after players in the coming days.  If the Wild can get a bidding war going, they could wind up with a very strong return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Oilers Acquire Sam Gagner From Canucks For Ryan Spooner

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The Oilers and Canucks have swapped underachieving forwards with Edmonton acquiring center Sam Gagner from Vancouver in exchange for forward Ryan Spooner.  Both teams have announced the move.  It’s the second trade in less than 24 hours for interim Oilers GM Keith Gretzky after shipping goalie Cam Talbot to Philadelphia.

Despite playing a regular role with Vancouver last year that saw him record a respectable 31 points in 74 games, Gagner was somewhat surprisingly waived at the beginning of the season and has spent the majority of 2018-19 at the minor league level on loan with Toronto’s AHL affiliate.  The 29-year-old has been productive with the Marlies, posting 12 goals and 25 assists in just 43 games and didn’t fare particularly poorly in a seven-game stint with the Canucks earlier in the year where he picked up three points while averaging over 18 minutes per night.

Meanwhile, this season has been a disastrous one for Spooner.  He was able to parlay a strong showing the Rangers last season into a two-year, $8MM deal but things went off the rails early.  After being largely a non-factor in New York through 16 games, he was dealt to Edmonton in a one-for-one swap for Ryan Strome where he proceeded to struggle even more.  Eventually, the Oilers had enough, sending him through waivers late last month.  On the season, he has just five points in 41 NHL games but has been better with AHL Bakersfield, picking up six points in seven contests.

Gagner is also signed through next season and the cap hits are nearly identical.  Gagner’s cap hit is at $3.15MM while Spooner is costing Edmonton $3.1MM with the Rangers kicking in the other $900K so if a deal is done, the effects on the salary cap for both teams will be negligible.  TSN’s Bob McKenzie adds (Twitter link) that there is no salary retention on either side.  Both players could certainly benefit from a change of scenery and now will be getting that opportunity.  Notably, Gagner could be in the lineup for Edmonton tonight against the Islanders.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter links) was the first to report the trade.

Brian Gibbons Clears Waivers

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Saturday: Gibbons has cleared waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link).

Friday: The Anaheim Ducks have very few impending free agents to peddle at the deadline, especially as they continue to pursue an extension with forward Jakob Silfverberg. One of the few rentals of value was thought to be veteran forward Brian Gibbons. Well, instead the team placed Gibbons on waivers today, reports The Athletic’s James Mirtle, and contenders are now free to scoop him up.

Gibbons, 30, had played exclusively in the minors for more than two years before the start of the 2017-18 season. An aging, undersized forward, Gibbons was an unlikely candidate for a breakout year. Yet, he won a job with the New Jersey Devils and recorded 12 goals and 26 points in 52 games, both career highs and among the Devils’ top nine forwards. When he reached free agency this summer, Gibbons turned down opportunities elsewhere to sign a one-year, $1MM contract in Anaheim, where he saw a chance to remain in the NHL full-time through another season. Barring a claim in the next 24 hours, that might not happen.

Gibbons has been a non-factor for the Ducks this year, registering just five points in 43 games. With the team trying to turn their season around, and GM Bob Murray now at the helm as head coach, it seems they have opted to move on from Gibbons, who has not lived up to his performance from last season. However, that doesn’t mean another team won’t take a chance. Gibbons’ affordable cap hit is virtually meaningless at this point in the season, so a team with some roster flexibility looking for a veteran body may be interested in taking a risk-free, cost-free gamble. Gibbons showed last year that in the right situation he can still be a capable goal-scoring winger and even with the Ducks has shown consistent effort and two-way contribution. There are many players of Gibbons’ caliber available at the deadline, but not often are they up for grabs on waivers. A playoff contender could certainly put in a claim if they have not been scared off by the drop in production this year.

West Notes: Canucks, Stars, Hunt

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While the Canucks are presently holding down the final playoff spot in the West, don’t expect them to be chasing some rental players to help their postseason push.  In an interview with NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger, GM Jim Benning indicated that he’s not going to give up picks and young players for short-term fixes and will instead continue on their current path which has focused more on drafting and player development in recent years.  He did state that he feels that a playoff appearance would be great for their young core so even if they don’t pursue anyone on an expiring contract, it wouldn’t be too surprising if Vancouver looked to add someone that’s under team control beyond this season.

Elsewhere out West:

  • The Stars could be a darkhorse candidate to land Blue Jackets winger Artemi Panarin, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested in an appearance on Sportsnet 590 (audio link). Dallas has limited cap space at the moment but with Martin Hanzal and Stephen Johns out for the year and Tyler Pitlick out for a while yet, they could transfer them to LTIR to open up enough room to make a significant splash on the trade market.  Dallas is in a tie for third in the Central Division and could certainly use an offensive upgrade as they have the fewest goals of any team currently holding down a playoff spot in the league.
  • Minnesota plans to deploy defenseman Brad Hunt as a right winger at times moving forward, notes Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press. The Wild have been hit hard with injuries as of late and while playing a blueliner up front is a strategy that doesn’t typically work long-term, it will allow them to keep using him on the power play, an area that he has specialized in.  Out of the 28 points he has put up since last season, 18 of those have come with the man advantage.

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