Predators Recall Joakim Kemell
Just before their game against Boston, the Nashville Predators recalled top prospect Joakim Kemell, noted by Nick Kieser of Lower Broad Pucks. He was dropped right into the lineup, playing for the first time with the big club since October.
Blockbuster moves from the team have yet to be seen, but GM Barry Trotz has still been aggressive moving out key depth pieces, even if to divisional rivals. Michael Bunting (Dallas), Michael McCarron (Minnesota), Nick Blankenburg (Colorado), and Cole Smith (Vegas) have all been dealt. It leaves the Predators in a fascinating spot where Wild Card berth is still possible, but another early exit is only more likely, a familiar outcome they must avoid. None of the players they’ve moved out are necessarily irreplaceable, but it has been tough on team morale nonetheless.
As a result though, opportunities for young players have opened up, and Kemell is a prospect who is much in need of one. Drafted 17th overall in 2022, the 21-year-old has now played in 192 AHL games with the Milwaukee Admirals, as opposed to just four in the NHL, where he’s yet to record a point. So far this year he has 10 goals and 29 points in 46 games, which is solid production but still ranking sixth on the Admirals.
The 5’11” Finn has a wicked shot with real top six upside. The issue is that Nashville’s track record developing such forwards is not glowing. Eeli Tolvanen, of whom there are many similarities, as well as Philip Tomasino didn’t work out. The Predators have made sure not to rush Kemell, but it’s starting to reach a point where it’s time for him to graduate from the AHL, as he just doesn’t have anything to prove at that level anymore.
In order to put Kemell into an ideal role to succeed where he avoids bottom six duty, it may require moving out 35-year-old Jonathan Marchessault, whether before tomorrow’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, or in the summer.
Whatever the case, fans will get to see youth on full display for the rest of the campaign, hoping Kemell will rise to the occasion and showcase his potential.
Rangers’ Sam Carrick Generating Interest
Ahead of tonight’s game against Toronto, Mollie Walker, beat writer for the team, reported that the New York Rangers were not playing Sam Carrick for roster management reasons. The 34-year-old would not be alone, as Vincent Trocheck received the same designation. It appears that after 140 games as a Blueshirt, Carrick will be moving on to his fifth organization.
A veteran who is clearly not in New York’s plans for the future, Carrick holds a $1MM cap hit which runs through next season. It may be a slightly more ideal scenario if he was instead a rental, but there’s been enough demand for bottom six centers that GM Chris Drury should be able to recoup some value for Carrick.
The Ontario native was a late bloomer, emerging as a full time NHLer at age 29 with the Anaheim Ducks. After a short stop in Edmonton, he caught on with the Rangers, inking his contract as a free agent. Carrick has just 10 playoff games of experience, coming as an Oiler in 2023-24, but he brings the two-way attributes and toughness that any contender would value.
Carrick has 380 games under his belt, with 10 points in 60 contests this season as a Ranger. He’s been trusted under head coach Mike Sullivan, having yet to miss a game for any reason, only now sitting with a trade in mind. Carrick has 53 penalty minutes, capable of dropping the mitts, and has a strong 53.9% face-off win rate.
The Vegas Golden Knights gave up a 2029 second rounder, along with other assets, for Nic Dowd, a center one year older than Carrick at 3x the contract, with same term. The Minnesota Wild forked over a 2028 second rounder for Michael McCarron. Both middlemen have more perceived value than Carrick, but it seems possible Drury could fetch as much as a third-round pick for his offering.
Especially with Vegas and Minnesota out of the mix, most buyers have 4C taken care of. On paper, Colorado or Tampa Bay could benefit from an addition, or Anaheim could seek a reunion with the veteran, their fourth line thin and not overly experienced.
Whatever the case, Carrick’s name will be one to watch as the Rangers move ahead in their new direction.
Lightning Shopping Oliver Bjorkstrand
In this evening’s publication of Trade Deadline Thoughts courtesy of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the insider listed Tampa Bay Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand on his “names to keep an eye on”.
Standing at #5 in the league, and by no means a seller, it figures that GM Julien BriseBois is looking to move out the 30-year-old’s expiring $5.4MM valued contract in pursuit of other forward depth. Such would be tough news for the veteran, as he still has a role on the contending Lightning, averaging just over 14 minutes a night and getting time on the power play. The Denmark native also has some control over his fate, as he holds a 10-team no trade clause. However, Bjorkstrand’s cap hit could simply be allocated better elsewhere should a deal actually materialize.
Bjorkstrand has 28 points in 59 games on the season, solid production, but not worth his ticket. Also not helping matters is that his possession metrics at 5-on-5 have dipped this year, a -2.7% in relative corsi for at even strength. Tampa Bay has had more success at even strength when he’s not on the ice, and that’s especially impactful as he takes up over $5MM for a team which is right against the cap.
Exactly one year ago today, Bjorkstrand was acquired by Tampa Bay along with Yanni Gourde from Seattle. He had been productive with the Kraken, hovering around the 50-point level, and figured to be scoring depth for the Bolts. One year later though, his inflated contract could result in another deal.
If Bjorkstrand would actually be moved, the most likely outcome would be somewhat similar to Edmonton’s dealing with Andrew Mangiapane. BriseBois would need to add draft sweeteners while simultaneously bringing in a respectable forward. It came at a high cost to the Oilers, who had to surrender a conditional 2027 first-round pick. However as Bjorkstrand’s deal comes to an end this summer, it should be closer to the third-round pick range. Tampa Bay holds both their second and third round picks for 2026, but without their first, and a fourth, they’d want to avoid running so thin and could look to 2027 or 2028 instead.
Regardless, the question stands as to who they could be after. With Dominic James set to miss eight-to-ten weeks with a lower body injury, the Bolts may be wise to add another center. Internally, Gourde has regressed this year and is best suited in a limited role. Nashville’s Erik Haula or Toronto’s Scott Laughton are options which shouldn’t break the bank, and Brayden Schenn could be a dark horse veteran option, but unlikely, as Bjorkstrand’s outgoing salary along with retention would be key factors.
If content to pursue wingers instead, they could bring back a familiar face. Calgary’s Blake Coleman or the Rangers’ Taylor Raddysh would be welcome additions.
At this point Tampa Bay has seldom been directly linked to any forwards in serious discussion. However, if rumors start picking up Bjorkstrand could be a name to watch. Clearly too late for him to rebuild his stock and bounce back onto another contender, the two-way forward would in all likelihood utilize a larger role on a non-playoff team to help with his free agency optics this summer.
Red Wings Pursuing Robert Thomas, Vincent Trocheck
Insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet published this evening’s Trade Deadline Thoughts, where he noted that the Detroit Red Wings are in the mix on the market’s top two centers: Robert Thomas of St. Louis and the Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck.
Thomas, 26, is the bigger fish and likely the #1 overall player available before tomorrow’s 3 p.m. ET deadline. If GM Steve Yzerman would be able to pull it off, the 26-year-old could be the final piece to the puzzle up front after years of building. The center, an 80+ point getter over the last two seasons, is locked up through 2030-31 at a $8.125MM cap hit, reasonable considering that it will take him through the prime of his career.
Detroit has missed the playoffs for nine straight years, and patience was wearing thin. Making it 10 was simply not an option, and sure enough, the team is well on their way to end the drought. Even just making it is half the battle, but if the Wings could win more than one round, it would be the first time since 2009, when they came just short of back-to-back Stanley Cups.
A center such as Thomas or Trocheck could make Detroit a real dark horse contender. Current 2C Andrew Copp has played well this season, already reaching his second best point total as a Red Wing in 62 games, but he’d be better off as a third line middleman. Cheaper options exist, such as Nashville’s Erik Haula, but looking at their lineup it’s really all or nothing in terms of what could actually push the Wings over the top.
Suffice to say, there’s a reason for Yzerman to be aggressive. Years of patience have assembled a nucleus of young talent which few teams can rival in trade offers. For Thomas, it has been reported that the Blues are seeking multiple first-round picks or equivalent pieces, as Buffalo and Utah have made a push. As for Detroit, it’s not clear who may be in discussion, but St. Louis would have a variety of assets to choose from.
Standout NCAA goaltending prospect Trey Augustine could especially appeal to the Blues as they could move on from Jordan Binnington. Also, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Carter Bear are both wingers selected in the first round over the last two years. They’d allow Yzerman to march on without touching his current group.
On the other hand, Nate Danielson and Marco Kasper would be assets appealing to St. Louis, or maybe even New York as they could jump right into the lineup. Both top 10 selections, their NHL production has hit a bit of a snag, possibly enough that Yzerman could move on.
If St. Louis was to add defense to their Thomas trade wish list, youngsters Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Albert Johansson emerge, although both are current contributors to the Wings lineup, which is already thin in depth. Especially if Yzerman were to part with the uber-talented Sandin-Pellikka, it may require a bigger deal where someone like Justin Faulk also came along.
Detroit stands out as a suitor as even after all seven of those players listed, there are still several other noteworthy candidates, not to mention their draft capital. Yzerman holds all of the team’s selections besides one second rounder in 2027.
The Red Wings have all the pieces to put together a blockbuster, and it may simply come down to the Aurora, Ontario native’s preferences, as he holds a no trade clause.
Even if Thomas is not meant to be, Trocheck would still be a tremendous fit in Detroit. The 32-year-old already had ties to the area, playing in the Little Caesars program as a youth, and his OHL Hockey in Saginaw. He has already been linked to Detroit for such reasons. Older, and signed through 2028-29 at a reasonable $5.625MM, he would naturally bring less in return than Thomas. However, there’s still plenty to offer that would have the Rangers salivating as they move forward on their youth movement.
New York fans can likely forget about the Wings’ absolute top assets, but a first rounder in either of the next two seasons along with some serious second tier options would be adequate. Rangers GM Chris Drury is not forced to move Trocheck now, as he could hold off until the summer, but the Blueshirts completing their lost season with all three 32-year-old centers still in the fold doesn’t seem favorable.
Whether it could be Thomas in a blockbuster, or Trocheck in what would still be one of the bigger deals of the deadline, time will tell. Yzerman will remain disciplined against high demands. Yet there’s enough reason from Detroit to swing a trade for Thomas or Trocheck, and pushing for more than simply returning to the playoffs this spring.
Image Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images (Thomas)
Image Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images (Trocheck)
Golden Knights Acquire Cole Smith
The Nashville Predators have made another move tonight, sending forward Cole Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2028 third round pick and defense prospect Christoffer Sedoff. The trade has been confirmed by both Nashville, as well as Vegas.
A fourth line winger with strong defensive attributes, Vegas inherits Smith’s $1MM cap hit until the end of the season, where he’ll become an unrestricted free agent. The Golden Knights currently rank 11th in the league in penalty killing, not necessarily an issue, but they add a relentless presence who fans may find similar to Keegan Kolesar. Smith will also reunite with former Preds teammate Colton Sissons, the two forming an effective fourth line over the past few seasons.
Always right up against the salary cap, Vegas has had to lean on unheralded forwards such as Cole Reinhardt and Braeden Bowman to round out their lineup. Adding Smith offers them a high character winger with experience, hungry to add to his just five career playoff games to this point.
It was a strange night for the newest Golden Knight, as he played just three seconds against Columbus, clearly with a trade in the works. At one point Smith left the bench, the team giving him stick taps out of respect, only to return and sit for the rest of the game. At one point Insider Frank Seravalli mentioned Tampa Bay as a suitor, but instead it was Vegas who closed the deal.
The 30-year-old Smith’s efforts rarely show up on the score sheet, with 10 points in 41 games this season, and a career high of 23 points set two years ago. He also is not the most swift skater at 6’3″, but the hallmark of the Minnesota native’s game is work ethic. As far as these types of players go, sometimes their possession metrics aren’t so pretty, but Smith offers a respectable 48.8% corsi for at five on five. Such is slightly below average, but he is never expected to drive play at even strength. Capable of dropping the gloves when needed, Smith has reached the 60 penalty minute mark over the past few seasons but is not a vicious, undisciplined player.
Undrafted out of the University of North Dakota, Smith has had an unlikely path to the NHL, and still is a player not widely known across the league. Never recording more than 18 points in a season in college, he caught on with Nashville, even making a short stop in the ECHL in 2020-21. Smith broke out with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals in 2021-22, putting up 42 points, production far above anything seen at North Dakota.
From there, the winger soon became a full time player for the Predators, eventually appearing in 271 games in gold, where he notched 62 points. Beloved by Predators management and teammates alike, Smith, like his former linemate Michael McCarron who was dealt earlier tonight, was likely considered to be kept around for the long haul. Instead, GM Barry Trotz brings in a nice return for a fourth line player who came to the organization as a free agent.
As part of the deal, Nashville acquires 24-year-old Sedoff, taking back a contract. The 6’2″ lefty was undrafted out of the WHL, catching on with Vegas where he’s played the past three seasons with AHL Henderson. This season he has four assists in 38 games, and as a pending restricted free agent, he has limited NHL upside. Sedoff will likely finish the spring with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL.
Now missing two vital pieces from their bottom six, eyes turn to Nashville’s more attractive pieces; headlined by Ryan O’Reilly, but more likely, Michael Bunting and Erik Haula. The team is still in the Wild Card mix, but after a tough day for morale, upper management may wave the white flag and look to the future especially considering the strong returns they’ve netted so far. Trotz is loading up on futures, now up to six third round picks between 2027 and 2028. Prospect Reid Schaefer, acquired from Edmonton in the Mattias Ekholm deal, will likely slot in for Smith for the rest of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Smith’s new team takes on Detroit in the Motor City tomorrow, but most likely, he will debut on the Vegas strip Friday night against the Wild, lining up against his former counterpart in McCarron.
Image Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to break the trade.
Evening Notes: Smith, Blue Jackets, Protas
Already having sent out Michael McCarron, another pending free agent Predator could be on the move soon. Forward Cole Smith took just a three second shift in tonight’s game against Columbus, at one point leaving for the locker room, but eventually returning to the bench, still not playing. Insider Frank Seravalli reported that Tampa Bay is showing interest.
The undrafted 30-year-old has become a mainstay on Nashville’s fourth line over the past four seasons, where he’s played a total 230 games with 62 points. At 6’3”, he is a relentless penalty killing winger likely to bring back later-round draft capital.
A high character player, the Minnesota native would be missed by Nashville, but cashing in on their depth pieces while keeping the bigger stars still gives them a shot in the playoffs, although they’ll have to overhaul their shorthanded unit.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Along with their opponents making news today, the Blue Jackets are missing two key pieces tonight as captain Boone Jenner and star Zach Werenski were inactive, as noted by Jeff Svoboda, official team reporter. Such news can raise eyebrows in early March, but it’s absolutely not for any suspicious reasons. Werenski is thought to be ill, while Jenner is day-to-day for maintenance, as confirmed by the team. Both could return as soon as Thursday, their Jackets set to host Florida as they continue their push toward the postseason. Until then, Kent Johnson, a scratch in recent days, re-enters the lineup.
- As another headline which could be misinterpreted, Capitals star Aliaksei Protas is absent tonight, but it’s due to personal reasons, as reported by Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. The 25-year-old has missed three games this year, otherwise posting 42 points in 59 games, and reaching the 20 goal mark last week. His Capitals, just shy of Wild Card range, are back in action Saturday in Boston, likely to welcome Protas back then.
Canucks Place Thatcher Demko On LTIR, Pierre-Olivier Joseph To IR
The Vancouver Canucks shared that goaltender Thatcher Demko has been placed on long-term injured reserve, and defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph has also landed on injured reserve, retroactive to March 2. Later on, GM Patrik Allvin announced that Victor Mancini has been recalled from AHL Abbotsford in a corresponding transaction (Twitter Link).
The star netminder’s ailment is well known to this point, as he’s not played since January 10 unfortunately dealing with ongoing hip issues. On the other hand, Joseph left last night’s action with an undisclosed injury, and he’ll be forced to miss Vancouver’s next four contests at least.
Thomas Drance of The Athletic added that the plan is for Demko to go on season-ending LTIR pending league approval. For now the club gains $3.82MM in cap space, but assuming the placement is approved the Canucks will have $5MM in relief. Prior to the Olympic Break it was already confirmed that the Canucks were shutting down Demko for the rest of the year to undergo surgery on the hip.
As his fate was already known, the cap savings could come in handy shortly if the Canucks take on any unfavorable expiring contracts as part of their sell off. Sitting dead last in the league, Demko’s three year extension worth $8.5MM per season takes effect next season just in time for what could be hardcore rebuilding days ahead. Suffice to say, it’s a contract which shows the dramatic turn for the Canucks compared to last summer’s optimism. His campaign comes to an untimely end after just 20 games played, winning eight.
Owner of another contract which no longer aligns with the team’s new direction, Kevin Lankinen will hold things down between the pipes for the time being. The 30-year-old received an extension worth $4.5MM per year, running through 2029-30. The Finn is no stranger to backstopping a non-contender as he broke into the NHL with the Blackhawks in 2020. Lankinen’s stats this year are career worsts at a .874% save percentage and 3.69 goals against average, but his Canucks are the worst NHL team by a considerable margin.
Coming back up, Mancini has been in the AHL for just under a month, last playing January 27 against San Jose. With no stats other than a fighting major in 10 games as a Canuck this season, he’s been more productive for Abbotsford, with 12 points in 34 games. The 23-year-old will be a restricted free agent this summer, and he figures to have more opportunities with the Canucks next year.
Roster management aside, hopefully Demko can use the time to finally heal up with brighter days ahead. Still just 30, the California native is nothing short of elite when healthy. He’ll have to look ahead to 2026-27, but Joseph could return as soon as March 12 against Nashville, eager to prove something as his contract expires this summer with restricted free agent status.
Wild Acquire Michael McCarron
Moments ago, the Nashville Predators announced that center Michael McCarron wouldn’t play tonight against Columbus for what they called “roster management purposes”. Sure enough, he has been dealt to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 2028 second round pick, per Michael Russo of The Athletic. The Wild as well as the Predators have officially announced the trade.
Once a first round pick in 2013 by the Montreal Canadiens, the 30-year-old McCarron grinded away in the AHL for several years, emerging as a full time NHLer in his late twenties. At 6’6″, he is strong at the face-off dot, currently with a 52.8% win rate, coming in north of 54% last season.
McCarron showed unusual scoring touch in 2023-24, recording 12 goals and 22 points in his best season, but since then has put up numbers synonymous with a pure fourth liner. He has five goals and 12 points in 59 games across the campaign. At even strength, McCarron’s possession metrics are unsurprisingly below average, hovering around the 46% mark in recent years. Yet GM Bill Guerin is not adding the Michigan native with those traits in mind.
Minnesota inherits McCarron’s reasonable $900k cap hit which expires this summer. Rumored to be after a top six center, Guerin still has the space to make another splash, but the Wild are limited in assets as they go all in. After tonight’s deal, they don’t have a second round pick in the next three drafts, also losing this year’s first in the Quinn Hughes blockbuster.
Acquired by Nashville from Montreal in 2020 in exchange for Laurent Dauphin, a top AHL scorer who departed the Habs organization but has actually returned to Laval, McCarron became a fan favorite in Nashville. Even if they move forward on a rebuild, they could have re-signed the towering grinder as he fills an important role. However, in a seller’s market, a second round pick was enough to entice GM Barry Trotz to send McCarron to a divisional rival, although they’ll have to wait two years to use it.
The Predators lack anybody in the cupboard to replace McCarron’s role, but October waiver claim Tyson Jost figures to slot in at 4C from here on out. Nashville will likely shop for a new physical face-off specialist this summer in free agency.
A steep price to pay, Minnesota has again supplemented their bottom six, having claimed Robby Fabbri off waivers from St. Louis yesterday. The Wild have struggled with defensive zone face-offs, and McCarron offers more of a mean streak than Nico Sturm. He has reached the 100 penalty minute mark in each of the last two seasons, and currently at 73, it’s not impossible he could keep the streak going especially while motivated to endear himself to the Wild faithful.
Wild head coach John Hynes likely gave the green light on the acquisition, reuniting with McCarron, who broke through in 2021-22 with 51 games as a Predator under Hynes. He could also play alongside Yakov Trenin, a teammate then, the two hitting everything in sight.
McCarron could make his Wild debut as soon as Friday, as the group travels to Vegas.
Image Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
Rangers Place J.T. Miller On Injured Reserve, Announce Several Roster Moves
New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller is headed to injured reserve with an upper body injury, reported earlier today by Peter Baugh of The Athletic. In a series of corresponding transactions, the team announced that Jaroslav Chmelar and Juuso Pärssinen have been recalled from AHL Hartford. Meanwhile, Brendan Brisson and Scott Morrow are headed back down.
Miller played just shy of 20 minutes last night, so it’s not immediately clear what happened, however ESPN’s Emily Kaplan confirmed that it’s not related to the upper body issue which sidelined him from late December into early January. However long Miller may be out, it’s just another in the latest of several injuries throughout what has become a forgettable year for the Blueshirts.
Becoming a polarizing figure in New York, Miller has held his own this year when healthy. He’s ranked third in team scoring with 38 points in 51 games, behind the club’s other two 32-year-old centers in Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck. Miller’s -24 is a glaring indicator of the team’s struggles this year, but despite the career worst mark by a wide margin, he still holds a respectable 51.6% corsi for at five on five, his best since 2022-23.
Meanwhile, a pair of forwards are set to come up and audition as the Rangers’ season winds down. Chmelar, 22, made his NHL debut back in November, playing in six total games before going back to the AHL where he’s been since mid December. The Czech has not yet recorded a point, but he’s looking like a solid find in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. Standing at 6’4″, Chmelar offers bottom six upside, showing progress in his second full professional season, with 25 points in 46 games for the Wolfpack.
Also, Pärssinen returns having not played with the big club since November. The 25-year-old was a seventh round selection of Nashville, emerging as a potential steal. Since then, he’s bounced around, ending up with New York where he has six points in 11 AHL contests, and three in 14 at the NHL level in 2025-26. Pärssinen is signed through next season, but he’ll be eager to earn more ice time, averaging just 8:56 under coach Mike Sullivan this year, a career low.
Losing two top forwards, Hartford’s lineup is supplemented with Brisson. A former first rounder of Vegas, he came to New York just shy of one year ago in the Reilly Smith deal. With 23 points in 46 games for the Wolfpack, the 24-year-old’s production has stalled out in the past few years. In recent days, he made his Ranger debut, recording one assist in three contests. Brisson is a restricted free agent at season’s end.
Finally, Morrow, the team’s top defensive prospect, is a player fans would like to see at this point without anything to lose. However, New York is being patient with the 23-year-old who has six helpers in 29 games on the year on 15:40 a night. Morrow will join the 20th-ranked Wolfpack as a top blue liner, and it’s likely he will get some more action in New York before the season comes to an end.
Back in action Thursday as they host Toronto, the hope is that Miller won’t need to miss much time. Yet as they sit 30th in the league, the Rangers can get some younger players into the lineup as they look to the future, not exactly desperate for wins.
Image Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Panthers’ Luke Kunin Clears Waivers
3/2: St. Louis has lost Fabbri to a waiver claim from the Minnesota Wild, while Kunin has cleared waivers per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Kunin has now been assigned to the AHL.
3/1: Today has become a busy day on the wire, as the St. Louis Blues have waived forward Robby Fabbri, and the Florida Panthers placed Luke Kunin on waivers. Both were reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Fabbri and Kunin are both former first round picks with at least 450 games of NHL experience, although they’ve become journeymen at this stage in their careers.
For Fabbri, the news is not much of a surprise, as Robert Thomas was activated from injured reserve earlier today. A top prospect of the Blues a decade ago, Fabbri found himself back where he started, signing a one year deal worth $775k back in December. The agreement came after the 30-year-old’s unsuccessful PTO bid with the Pittsburgh Penguins, along with a brief tryout agreement with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Since then, Fabbri appeared in 15 games with St. Louis, finding the back of the net once to go with three assists.
The Ontario native netted 18 goals in 68 games just two years ago as a Red Wing, but his 18.6% shooting percentage was never thought to be sustainable. Fabbri continues to have lackluster possession metrics at even strength, currently at the 45.5% mark.
With such a low cap hit, it’s not out of the realm of possibility, but a claim seems unlikely. If that’s the case, Fabbri will head to AHL Springfield, a league which impressively, the veteran has played just nine games in his career, otherwise in the NHL. He still offers organizational depth, but the 31st ranked Blues are in a position where playing younger players is in their best interest. If this is the beginning of the end for Fabbri in the NHL, he’s had an impressive 457 game career with 220 points, and his name on the Stanley Cup.
Meanwhile, Kunin also brings a very reasonable $775k cap hit which expires this summer. Once a first rounder of the Minnesota Wild with top six upside, the Missouri native has become a fourth liner with gritty attributes, as he has just four points in 44 games. He caught on with the reigning champions last August to provide depth, which has been needed, considering the team’s glut of injuries this year.
After some solid play with Nashville from 2020-22, Kunin was sent to San Jose. Over the next three seasons wearing teal, Kunin got to enjoy a larger role and help lead on a rebuilding Sharks squad. However, he never recorded more than 18 points, and fully embraced a more physical brand of hockey.
Between Fabbri and Kunin, the latter seems to be more likely of a claim. Players in Kunin’s mold are often targeted by buyers at this time of year. At last year’s trade deadline, Kunin was dealt to Columbus for a fourth round pick. His stock hasn’t improved after unremarkable play as a Panther this year, but teams will have the chance to bring in the 28-year-old with a minimal cap hit for nothing in return, and he could benefit from a fresh start.
Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images