Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire Devin Shore, Move Markus Hannikainen
Though he certainly isn’t at the same level of Andreas Athanasiou, Devin Shore will be the new forward headed to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Anaheim Ducks have traded Shore at the deadline according to Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest. The Ducks will receive Sonny Milano in return.
Selling on Milano seemed inevitable after his struggles this season, even despite his obvious high-end skill. The 23-year old winger has just five goals and 18 points this season and will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in the summer. It simply hasn’t worked for Milano in Columbus since the Blue Jackets selected him 16th overall in 2014, so they cashed him in to bring over a reliable bottom-six option for playoff run.
Shore, 25, has never really shown the offensive upside that Milano may bring one day, but is a legitimate NHL talent that you can roll out on the third or fourth line. The former Dallas Stars draft pick has played 282 games in the NHL, scoring 104 points including a career-high of 33 in 2016-17.
Shore might not have been the player that GM Jarmo Kekalainen had targeted at the deadline, but with the impending return of Alexander Wennberg and Cam Atkinson the group is already going to get a dose of offense.
The team has also traded Markus Hannikainen to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a conditional 2020 seventh-round pick. If Hannikainen plays ten games for Arizona, the Blue Jackets will receive the pick.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Vegas’ Pick, Marleau, Sheahan, Archibald
The NHL announced its Three Stars for last week with Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz getting the top honors. Francouz, filling in for the injured Philipp Grubauer went 3-0-1 for the week, posting a 1.46 GAA and a .941 save percentage along with a 1-0 shutout over the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. Francouz is in his first full season with the Avalanche and had done an exceptional job as their emergency starter where he ranks fifth in the league with a 2.27 GAA and tied for fourth in the league with a .927 save percentage.
Mika Zibanejad of the New York Rangers received the second star, scoring three goals and five assists over three games for the Rangers. He helped lead New York to three victories as the rebuilding franchise suddenly is within four points of a playoff spot. Calgary Flames forward Andrew Mangiapane takes the third star honors with five goals and six points in three games, which includes his first-career hat trick against Anaheim on Feb. 17.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have been quiet so far on Monday, but the team still managed to pick up a fifth-round pick in 2021 from the Carolina Hurricanes, a condition of the Erik Haula deal this offseason, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Haula was traded earlier today to Florida as part of a package for Vincent Trocheck, which enacted a condition in the Golden Knights trade which stated that the Hurricanes would send a fifth-round pick to Vegas if Haula was traded to another team for a player.
- The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz adds that even though the San Jose Sharks have traded away veteran forward Patrick Marleau to Pittsburgh earlier today, the veteran is expected to be welcome back next year to San Jose if he is interested. The 40-year-old is just 53 games away from breaking Gordie Howe‘s all-time games played mark. A reunion would allow him to do it in a Sharks sweater next season.
- The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman reports that the Edmonton Oilers are currently working on getting extensions worked out for forwards Riley Sheahan and Josh Archibald, both who will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. Both players are key players on the team’s penalty kill with Sheahan logging the second-most minutes on the PK, while Archibald is fourth. Both players have fared well after singing one-year pacts this summer. Sheahan has seven goals and 14 points in 57 games, while Archibald has with 10 goals and 17 points in 53 games.
Boston Bruins Acquire Nick Ritchie
The Boston Bruins are going to try their luck with a different Ritchie brother. The Bruins have acquired Nick Ritchie from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Danton Heinen. Brett Ritchie meanwhile is currently playing for the Providence Bruins.
The new Bruins’ winger will fit right into the culture that Boston has built as a physical, grinding team, but it’s hard to know exactly where his ceiling is at this point. The 24-year old Ritchie was a 10th-overall pick in 2014 but has a career-high of 14 goals to this point. In fact, his eight goals and 19 points this year would look even worse if this trade had happened just a day ago—Ritchie had a career-high four-point game for Anaheim yesterday, scoring twice.
That physical presence may fit better in Buffalo than Heinen, but the Ducks will hope they can get the best out of their talented new forward. The 24-year old Heinen has been a frustratingly-underwhelming presence in the Boston lineup this season, but has a history of success. In 2017-18 as a rookie he scored 16 goals and 47 points, but has gone steadily downhill ever since.
Both players are signed through 2020-21, but Heinen’s $2.8MM cap hit is almost twice the size of Ritchie’s $1.498MM salary. That opens up a bit more room for the Bruins, who also cleared space in the recent Ondrej Kase–David Backes deal with the same team.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the trade on Twitter.
Derek Grant Traded To Philadelphia Flyers
Not only did the Philadelphia Flyers add Nate Thompson today, but they’ve also acquired Derek Grant from the Anaheim Ducks according to Frank Seravalli of TSN. The Ducks will receive Kyle Criscuolo and a fourth-round pick in return.
Grant, like Thompson, has been all over the NHL throughout his career. A member of the Ottawa Senators, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ducks (twice), he has 257 career games. This year however has been his best, with 14 goals and 20 points through 49 games.
A big body and even more center depth is exactly what the Flyers were looking for, which Grant brings in spades. The team had been linked to Jeff Carter in the past, but with two additions for their bottom-six already in hand it seems unlikely that the Flyers will go after their former star.
The question will now be whether it even makes a difference for Philadelphia in the brutal Metropolitan Division. The team currently sits in third place with 77 points, but the New York Islanders (76 points), Carolina Hurricanes (74) and Columbus Blue Jackets (74) are all still hot on their heels.
Minor Transactions: 02/23/20
Yesterday was one of those days that can only be explained by a glitch in the matrix. The Bruins, Lightning, and Penguins – the NHL’s top three teams – were all blown out, while the Capitals lost to the lowly Devils and, if that wasn’t bad enough, Alex Ovechkin‘s 700th career goal was overshadowed by another story line, which was a 42-year-old zamboni driver named David Ayres manning the net for the Hurricanes as an emergency backup and getting the win over his employer, the Maple Leafs. Will some of these teams overreact to these shocking results, especially on the eve of the trade deadline? It’s quite possible. One thing is for certain, roster tweaks could be in store for all involved. Many teams around the NHL could be making minor moves ahead of Monday’s big day, so keep up with all of the action here:
- The Ottawa Senators have reassigned forwards Drake Batherson and Josh Norris to AHL Belleville, the team announced. While Batherson has been part of this up-and-down shuffle all year, playing in 23 games with Ottawa and 37 games with Belleville, Norris made his NHL debut on this recall. The Unvisersity of Michigan standout leads the AHL Senators with 58 points in 51 games this season.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled a pair of players as they deal with potential long-term injury absences. The team announced the promotion of forward Gerald Mayhew and defenseman Louis Belpedio, both of whom have seen NHL action before but could be in for a larger role this time around. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports that defenseman Carson Soucy is out for at least one month, while forward Luke Kunin could miss 10-14 days minimum.
- After recalling Sheldon Dries and Logan O’Connor on consecutive days, the Colorado Avalanche were faced with a decision on which to keep at the top level and which to return. The team has apparently opted to keep the youth and motor of O’Connor over the greater experience and scoring ability of Dries, as he has been reassigned to the AHL Eagles. Dries is one of the top point-getters for the Eagles this season, but has skated in just three games for the Avs compared to 40 last year. O’Connor has eight NHL games this year and 13 total, but has just one point to show for it. The University of Denver product does bring a lot of energy and speed to the lineup though.
- Taylor Fedun is back with the Dallas Stars, as the team has promoted the veteran from his conditioning assignment with AHL Texas. Fedun has played in 27 games for the Stars this season, contributing nine points, but was a healthy scratch for ten games before being sent to Texas for conditioning earlier this month. Fedun will be a dependable depth option for Dallas down the stretch and in the playoffs.
- The Vegas Golden Knights added some depth to their forward lines as they announced they have recalled Patrick Brown from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. The 27-year-old was signed during the offseason away from the Calder Cup Charlotte Checkers, who defeated Chicago in the finals last season. He was brought in to provide a veteran presence for the team’s young prospects. He has six goals and 19 points in 54 games this season. Now, he gets his first opportunity in Vegas. Brown has 36 games of NHL experience, all with Carolina, where he has tallied just a goal and an assist.
- The New York Islanders announced they have swapped forwards. The team has assigned veteran Andrew Ladd to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. The team also have recalled forward Kieffer Bellows to the team, although Bellows, who was assigned Friday to Bridgeport, never left. He watched the last Islanders’ game in the press box, suggesting that he was expecting to be recalled immediately.
- The Philadelphia Flyers announced they have recalled defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere from his conditioning stint with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. The blueliner has missed 18 of the team’s last 19 games with a knee injury, but looks ready to return after a two-game stint in the AHL where he had one assist. The Flyers hope he can contribute immediately after a poor season so far where he’s seen his ATOI drop to a career low 18:21.
- Kiefer Sherwood is back up with the Anaheim Ducks who announced that they have recalled him from AHL San Diego. While he hasn’t seen any NHL time this season, he got into 50 games with Anaheim back in 2018-19, recording six goals and six assists. In 37 games with the Gulls this season in the minors, he has 16 goals and seven helpers.
Boston Bruins Acquire Ondrej Kase
The Boston Bruins are set to make a move addressing their hole on right wing, acquiring Ondrej Kase from the Anaheim Ducks. In return, the Ducks will receive David Backes, Axel Andersson and a 2020 first-round pick. The Bruins will retain 25% of Backes’ contract.
Though he may not have a huge level of name recognition, Kase is a substantial acquisition for the Bruins as they drive towards the playoffs and a Stanley Cup chase. The 24-year old has proven in the past that he can drive play at even-strength, but has had trouble staying healthy throughout his short NHL career.
In 198 career games, Kase has 43 goals and 96 points and is an absolute darling of the analytics community. His possession statistics are off the chart, and he’ll likely be tried in a spot the team has been desperate to fill for some time. The Bruins’ second line right wing spot beside David Krejci has had a revolving door of auditions, but no one has been a perfect fit. If Kase can become that full-time solution, it allows the team to move Charlie Coyle back to the middle lower in the lineup.
Getting out from under the Backes contract is also huge for the Bruins, given he was no longer even playing for the team. The veteran forward has another year left on his deal at $6MM, meaning the Ducks will be taking on a $4.5MM cap hit next year to make this deal work.
The fact that the Bruins actually gain cap space in this contract, given Kase’s $2.6MM hit this season and next, means they’re not necessarily prevented from making another trade in the coming days. Kase will still only be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, making this exactly the kind of move that GM Don Sweeney has started to turn to after acquiring rentals in the past. Last year the team used a young piece to bring back Coyle, who had term on his deal (and has since been extended) to help them longer than just one spring. That’s exactly what Kase will do, though he’ll have to stay healthy for it to work.
For Anaheim, this is exactly what it meant when they made it clear to reporters they would take on bad contracts for young assets. Kase’s name had been in trade rumors for some time, and they cashed in to add two interesting pieces to a rebuild.
Andersson isn’t one of the Bruins very top prospects, but he does come with plenty of upside. The 20-year old defenseman was selected in the second round of the 2018 draft and currently plays in the QMJHL. He has 22 points in 41 games, but still needs quite a bit of time to be ready for the NHL. That’s time the Ducks have but the Bruins don’t, as they are in very different competitive windows.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic was first to break the deal on Twitter.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
League Notes: Rescheduling, Julien, Kane
After the game between the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday was postponed following Jay Bouwmeester’s cardiac event on the bench, it was clear that the Blues’ schedule would be in for a shake-up in order to make up the game. With limited time left in the season – adding a 23rd game to the Blues’ schedule over the remaining 48 games of the regular season – was not going to be easy, especially when the team needed to return to Southern California despite not having any more road games scheduled against the Pacific Division. The NHL did their best to find the best time to play the game and the Blues have announced the re-worked schedule. The team will now resume their game with the Ducks on Wednesday, March 11th. Their home game against the Florida Panther that had been scheduled for March 10th has now been moved up a day to March 9th as well. St. Louis will now wrap up a road trip through New York, New Jersey, and Chicago on March 8th, return home on the 9th, fly to Anaheim for the 11th, and then head back home to face the Sharks on the 13th. It will be a busy week for sure, but likely preferable to making the game up with an extra day after the end of the regular season, as the Panthers and Bruins did two years ago. As for the postponed game itself, the league has decided to keep the points on the board but re-start with a fresh 60 minutes rather than account for the first nine minutes of play from the previous game. As such, the Blues and Ducks will begin the game at 1-1, but there will be no other changes from a typical regular season game.
- Montreal Canadiens head coach Claude Julien has been fined $10,000 for remarks he made about the officiating in the team’s game on Saturday, the league announced. The game in question, a 4-3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars, featured a number of missed penalties suffered by the Canadiens. In fact, the team did not have a single power play in the game. A frustrated Julien listed many of the missed calls in his postgame availability and called the officiating “embarrassing”. Perhaps the most incriminating line was Julien’s implication that the calls were skewed in Dallas’ favor, as he stated that Montreal “had to beat two teams.” While it fair to criticize officiating and to wish that there was more accountability for a poor job by the referees, the league is never going to tolerate such public comments, especially by a head coach. Julien had to have known that a fine was coming, so this should not come as much of a shock, fair or not.
- San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane is also unhappy with the league’s officials, both on the ice and within the Department of Player Safety. Kane was suspended three games for an elbow to the head of Winnipeg defenseman Neal Pionk on Friday. Kane spoke out on the suspension and his gripe was not with his individual penalty, but with the inconsistency of the call. “There have been countless incidents of the same nature through this season and past seasons that have gone unsuspended or (un)fined,” Kane said. “No one person can tell you what is and isn’t a suspension in today’s game, it’s a complete guess. There is a major lack of consistency with NHL Department of Player Safety… You can’t continue to give some players a pass and throw the book at others.” The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell concurs with Kane’s statement, pointing out a very recent example. Just last week, Arizona Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse hit Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy in the head with an elbow and received only a roughing minor. Not only was the hit nearly identical to that of Kane on Pionk, but it was also very similar to another hit in the same game, a check by the Bruins’ Jeremy Lauzon on the Coyotes’ Derek Stepan that earned Lauzon a two-game suspension. The inconsistency of the Department of Player Safety, as well as on-ice officials, is well-documented, but this is the first time that any player has spoken out so publicly about it. Perhaps Kane’s call to action will do more than just earn him an additional fine. He is advocating for a third party to review all questionable hits and penalties rather than the NHL, which could become a bargaining plea for the players in the next CBA if the league does not improve in this area.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Nicolas Deslauriers To Two-Year Extension
The Anaheim Ducks have locked up some forward depth for the next couple of years as they announced they have inked Nicolas Deslauriers to a two-year contract extension that will keep the winger under contract until 2022. The Athletic’s Eric Stephens adds that the deal is worth $2MM total with a $1MM AAV.
The 28-year-old has been an NHL regular since the 2014-15 season as a bottom-six option, who provides size and the ability to provide a much-needed physical presence on a young team that is trying to rebuild. With that rebuilding route likely to take another year or two, it makes sense to lock up Deslauriers to protect some of that young talent that continues to filter into the team’s system.
While he doesn’t provide much offense, the 6-foot-3 forward already has 109 hits and 80 penalty minutes and 12 fights in 45 games. He averages just 9:32, but the team believes that his presence on the team’s fourth line could provide that much-needed energy boost. After four years in Buffalo and two years with Montreal, Deslauriers struggled to establish himeself in Dallas Eakins‘ lineup, but has now played 33 straight games with the Ducks. Anaheim acquired Deslauriers this summer from the Canadiens for a 2020 fourth-round pick.
Minor Transactions: 02/12/20
The entire hockey world is waiting with bated breath to hear an official update on Jay Bouwmeester‘s status after a cardiac incident during last night’s St. Louis Blues game. GM Doug Armstrong will speak on the matter later this afternoon, but for now the rest of the league will have to move on with preparations for their own games. As always, we will keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- Before the game in question between the Blues and Anaheim Ducks started, Josh Mahura was sent back to the AHL. The young Ducks defenseman has split his time between the NHL and AHL this season, scoring four points in 11 contests with Anaheim.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Gabriel Carlsson from the minor leagues, giving them another defensive option with Seth Jones sidelined for two months. Carlsson has played six games for the Blue Jackets this season, instead spending most of his year with the Cleveland Monsters where he has 12 points in 40 contests.
- The Boston Bruins have called up Jeremy Lauzon, but he won’t be playing tonight for them. Lauzon still has a game to serve on his suspension from earlier this month, despite going down to the minor leagues recently.
- Andrei Chibisov has been returned to the AHL by the Winnipeg Jets, after the team lost to the New York Rangers last night. Chibisov didn’t play, and is still waiting for his first opportunity in the NHL.
- Carl Grundstrom is on his way back to the AHL, with Martin Frk taking his place on the Los Angeles Kings roster. Frk, 26, has 23 goals in 37 games with the Ontario Reign and set the all-time North American hardest shot record at the AHL All-Star Game with a 109.2 mph blast.
- With Bouwmeester placed on injured reserve, the Blues have recalled Niko Mikkola from the minor leagues. There’s no telling how long Bouwmeester will be out, meaning Mikkola may have a large opportunity to establish himself.
- The Edmonton Oilers have placed James Neal on injured reserve as well, recalling Tyler Benson to take his spot on the roster. Neal’s IR stint it retroactive to January 30th, meaning he can be activated whenever ready to return.
Minor Transactions: 02/09/20
It’s the first Sunday without football since September 1st, but the NHL is here to take over with a five-game slate today. The action kicks off at 12:30 local time in Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Boston Bruins. The contest doubles as both an Original Six match-up and a meeting between the best and worst records in the league. Zdeno Chara, who was honored yesterday in Boston for 1500 career games and 1000 games with the Bruins, will lead his team into what they hope is their seventh win in a row. Meanwhile, the Blackhaws-Jets and Avalanche-Wild present Central Division collisions between teams all jockeying for playoff position. Colorado would like to catch St. Louis atop the conference, while Chicago, Minnesota, and Winnipeg are just hoping they can punch their ticket to the postseason. Amidst the action today, there will also be a number of minor moves as teams prepare their rosters for the week ahead. Sunday is typically a busy day for transactions, and early indications are that today will be no different. Follow along with all the moves here:
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that rookie center Ryan MacInnis has been reassigned to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. MacInnis, 23, has just one point in nine games with Columbus this season. The once-promising pivot looks as though his future in the NHL will likely be as a bottom-six contributor, rather than the top-six forward he was projected as when the Arizona Coyotes selected him in the second round in 2014. His spot is being taken on the roster by top prospect Liam Foudy as his OHL team in London announced that the 20-year-old has been recalled on an emergency basis. The 18th pick in 2018 has 43 points in 32 games with the Knights this season and can play in up to nine games without burning the first season of his entry-level deal.
- After sending defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the AHL on Saturday, the Buffalo Sabres have turned around and called him back up this morning. Pilut has been an impressive contributor for the Rochester Americans this season, but has been held off the scoreboard with Buffalo.
- Conversely, the Washington Capitals have demoted their young defender Martin Fehervary after he was recalled and added to the lineup yesterday ahead of the team’s game against the Flyers. CapFriendly reports that Fehervary is on his way back to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, where he has already logged 45 appearances this season.
- CapFriendly also reports that Edmonton Oilers forward Tyler Benson has been returned to the AHL. The promising prospect leads the Bakersfield Condors with 35 points in 42 games so far this year.
- The Vegas Golden Knights announced that oft-on-the-move forward Nicolas Roy has again been reassigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The big forward has split his season between both clubs and has been a consistent contributor at both levels. At least if Roy continues to be a frequent mover next season, the trip will be shorter, as the Knights hope to bring an AHL affiliate to the Las Vegas area.
- The Athletic’s Eric Stephens relays that the Anaheim Ducks have swapped a trio a prospects. Heading to the parent club are defensemen Brendan Guhle and Josh Mahura, while forward Kiefer Sherwood will return to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. The uneven exchange and the addition of two defensemen indicates that veteran Erik Gudbranson has been moved to the injured reserve. The defensive duo should be able to fill in nicely, as they have each registered four points in a combined 29 points this season.
- With the Bruins “expecting something” from Jeremy Lauzon’s hearing with Player Safety this morning, Brandon Carlo flying to meet the team in Detroit after a personal day on Saturday, and John Moore leaving yesterday’s game in the third period, the team had more than enough reason to use an emergency recall on Urho Vaakanainen. However, the top D prospect is not expected to play after all, as Carlo and Moore are anticipated to be good to go for the matinee. Vaakanainen was sent back to Providence after the game, the team announced.
- The Detroit Red Wings have activated defenseman Mike Green off of injured reserve, according to CapFriendly, and he is playing against the Boston Bruins Sunday. Green has missed six contests with an upper-body injury. He has just eight points this season to go with a minus-27 rating.
- The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned defenseman Robbie Russo to the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. Russo was recalled on Thursday to serve as an extra defenseman, but wasn’t needed and didn’t appear in a game for the Coyotes. The 26-year-old has 14 points in Tucson.
- The Edmonton Oilers announced they have recalled forward Colby Cave from the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL. Even after sending Tyler Benson down earlier today (look above), the team still had an opening on the roster, which Cave should fill. He has just one goal in five games with Edmonton this season and 10 goals in 40 games in Bakersfield.