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Five Key Stories: 2/5/24 – 2/11/24

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The first full week of February is in the books.  While there wasn’t any activity on the trade market (compared to two notable swaps last week), there was still some notable news around the NHL which is recapped in our key stories.

Kings Hire Smith: With Jim Hiller taking over as interim head coach, the Kings elected to bring in an experienced assistant, hiring D.J. Smith.  Smith began the season with Ottawa as their head coach but was let go a little under two months ago after the team got off to a sluggish start.  Smith spent parts of five seasons behind the bench with the Sens but his time in this role with Los Angeles could be short-lived as the contract is only for the rest of the season.  Smith could be considered for other head coaching positions this summer or perhaps even the top job with the Kings if it’s decided that Hiller won’t be the full-time bench boss.

Kuznetsov Takes A Leave: Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov has taken a leave of absence from the team and has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.  This is the second time he has been in the program with the first one coming back in 2019.  The 31-year-old has struggled on the ice this season, averaging just 0.40 points per game, the lowest rate of his career.  There is no timeline for his return and while he is away from the team, his $7.8MM AAV will not count against Washington’s salary cap.

Injured Again: In his first game back after recovering from a left leg injury, Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev suffered another long-term injury, fracturing his fibula and tibia in that same left leg.  He underwent surgery the next day.  While no official timetable for his return was released, head coach Jon Cooper indicated that the blueliner would miss the rest of the regular season at a minimum.  Sergachev is a big part of Tampa Bay’s back end, logging over 22 minutes a night while being a key contributor so he will definitely be missed.  The Lightning now will be able to go over the cap by an additional $8.5MM once they place him on LTIR, giving them some extra flexibility heading into the trade deadline, albeit at a key cost with Sergachev out long-term.

Edmundson On The Block: In the weeks leading up to the March 8th trade deadline, buyers will be looking to add some extra depth on their back end.  One of the players they’ll be considering is Joel Edmundson as the Capitals are believed to be shopping the veteran.  The 30-year-old was acquired at the start of free agency for a pair of draft picks with Montreal retaining half of his $3.5MM cap hit.  However, Edmundson has underachieved with Washington, logging just over 16 minutes a night, well below his career average while chipping in with just three points in 34 games.  However, he has two deep playoff runs under his belt (2019 with St. Louis and 2021 with Montreal) and was effective in both of those which should help generate some interest in him as a proven postseason performer.

Suspensions: The Department of Player Safety handed out a pair of suspensions to defensemen this week.  First, Jets blueliner Brenden Dillon received a three-game ban for an illegal check to the head on Pittsburgh’s Noel Acciari, keeping him out of their lineup until this coming Saturday against Vancouver.  Speaking of those Canucks, rearguard Nikita Zadorov was handed a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head on Detroit’s Lucas Raymond.  He’ll be eligible to return on Thursday in a rematch against the Red Wings.  Meanwhile, another defender is likely to receive a suspension as Toronto’s Morgan Rielly will have an in-person hearing on Tuesday for his cross-check on Ottawa’s Ridly Greig following a late goal on Saturday.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

The Rental Center Market Has Thinned Out Quickly

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Center depth is something that many teams covet at the trade deadline.  A key upgrade to balance the lineup could be a key difference-maker in the playoffs while even a useful addition to the bottom six could be helpful.  Centers play the premium position up front and teams will often pay a premium to get one.

We saw just that with the recent Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan trades.  Vancouver paid a high price to get Lindholm early and Winnipeg, having seen Lindholm go, was motivated to push a deal for Monahan across the finish line quickly to make sure no one else swooped in.  Those two were clearly the best options on the market.  What’s left among players that can play higher than the fourth line?  Let’s take a look.

Anaheim’s Adam Henrique now stands alone at the top of the rental class.  He’s having a decent season offensively with the Ducks, producing at a 25-goal, 57-point pace.  He can kill penalties and has been above average at the faceoff dot for six straight years now.  He’s not a true top-six player on a contender but he’d be a nice third liner who could move up when needed.  But at a $5.825MM cap hit, that will be hard for most teams to acquire, even if the Ducks retain 50%.  Still, barring an injury, he’s very likely to be dealt.

Jack Roslovic’s time with his hometown Blue Jackets has been up-and-down.  At times, he has looked like a viable top-six piece and at others, his performance has been poor enough to make him a healthy scratch.  His numbers this season are far from pretty (two goals and eight assists in 28 games).  But the 27-year-old put up 44 points last season and 45 the year before.  With this being a contract year, a change of scenery could give him a spark and with his struggles and a $4MM cap charge, it’s unlikely that Columbus could command a significant return for his services but there is some potential upside for whoever winds up acquiring him.

In terms of impact or upside plays for rental centers that are almost certain to be available, that might be it for the list.  Chicago’s Tyler Johnson is at a 20-goal pace this season but he’s also playing more on a rebuilding Blackhawks team than he would elsewhere.  With max retention, he could yield a later-round pick but Johnson would likely be a depth player more than an offensive one on a new team.

There are a couple of players who could be wild cards to become available depending on how things go the next few weeks and certain teams potentially fall out of the playoff picture.  Alexander Wennberg hasn’t lived up to his contract with Seattle but could be an upgrade on the third line for a few playoff-bound teams although maximum retention will be needed to make his $5MM price tag more affordable.  That shouldn’t be the case for Nashville’s Thomas Novak, who checks in at just $800K.  He isn’t quite producing at the level of a year ago when he had 43 points in 51 games but he is above the half-point-per-game mark.  If the Predators make him available, his cheap contract will make him highly sought after.

On top of these players, there are some depth pieces that will likely be moved as potential fourth line additions or reserve forwards as there are every year.  But if you’re a team looking for someone with some offensive upside, the pickings were already slim and just got a whole lot slimmer.  That should be good news for a team with one of those players while others may decide to look at shopping a non-rental middleman to try to capitalize on the lack of impact supply remaining on the market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Sabres, Avalanche, Blue Jackets Injuries, Rielly

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While the Sabres sit a dozen points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, it doesn’t seem as if they’re ready to give up on this season just yet.  In his Saturday Headlines segment on Saturday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported (video link) that Buffalo is looking to add win-now pieces.  One thing they have that many buyers won’t is cap space as CapFriendly pegs them at having over $22MM in cap room today, a number that balloons to over $36MM on trade deadline day.  Accordingly, they have the ability to add some pieces to try to overcome this sizable deficit with 31 games left in their season.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • The Avalanche lead the NHL in goals scored with 196, an average of 3.7 per game. Despite that, Corey Masisak of The Denver Post suggests that adding more scoring might be a good way for them to go at the trade deadline.  With the status of Valeri Nichushkin moving forward in doubt while he’s in the Player Assistance Program and the fact that the bulk of their scoring is coming from two lines, adding someone to help deepen their attack could certainly be beneficial when the checking tightens up in the playoffs.  However, cap space is quite limited and if they do opt to go that route, it could prevent them from shoring up their backup goalie spot as well.
  • The upper-body injury that Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov sustained last night will cause him to miss at least Tuesday’s game versus Ottawa, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription link). If Columbus wants to call up a replacement forward, they’ll need to open up a roster spot first which could be done by shifting Adam Fantilli to injured reserve.  Meanwhile, Portzline adds that defenseman Nick Blankenburg is dealing with a concussion, the second one he has sustained this season.  The 25-year-old has been shuffled back and forth between Columbus and AHL Cleveland this year but it appears he’ll be staying in the minors for a little while until he’s cleared to return.
  • In a follow-up announcement to their offer of an in-person hearing to Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly for his cross-check on Ridly Greig on Saturday, the Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter link) that Rielly accepted the offer and that the hearing will be held on Tuesday afternoon in New York. Considering Toronto plays on Tuesday night, a decision on the length of his suspension will need to be made fairly quickly after the hearing.

Evening Notes: Schultz, Coyotes Arena, Chinakhov, Malinski

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Kraken defenseman Justin Schultz has left the team for personal reasons, relays Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.  However, head coach Dave Hakstol is hopeful that the veteran will be able to rejoin the team in the coming days on their four-game road trip.  The 33-year-old is having a bit of a quieter year offensively with just 16 points in 42 games so far; he had 34 in 73 contests last season.  Seattle is still trying to climb back into the playoff picture but if they wind up selling closer to the deadline, Schultz could be an interesting addition to the market as a right-shot blueliner on a $3MM expiring contract.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • The long-running arena saga in Arizona could be taking another direction. PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports (video link) that a local government source suggested that a new arena deal in North Phoenix could be wrapped up in the next three months.  Their situation was discussed in an executive session (not open to the public) at a council meeting earlier this week with the meeting believed to have gone well.  While there’s a long way to go before shovels are in the ground, it’s possible that the Coyotes could wind up with a new arena plan in the near future which could delay any potential talk of relocation.
  • The Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that forward Yegor Chinakhov left tonight’s game versus Tampa Bay with an upper-body injury. After a slow start to his campaign following his early-November recall, the 23-year-old has become a capable contributor for Columbus, notching 14 goals and 10 assists in 39 games heading into tonight’s action.
  • Following their loss to Florida, the Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned defenseman Sam Malinski to AHL Colorado. The 25-year-old was recalled on Tuesday and played that night but was scratched for their past two games.  Malinski has 10 points in 23 games with the Avs so far while logging a little over 14 minutes a night and will likely be brought back up again in the coming days.

Nikita Zadorov Receives Two-Game Suspension

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After announcing a hearing just a few hours ago, the Department of Player Safety has made a quick ruling on Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov.  The league announced (Twitter link) that the blueliner has been handed a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head against Detroit forward Lucas Raymond.

The incident occurred early in the second period today with Zadorov receiving a match penalty on the play.  As the league’s accompanying video notes, Zadorov’s hit satisfies both elements for an illegal check to the head with the head being the principal point of contact and the hit being avoidable; it was deemed that Zadorov’s hit was mistimed and that he needed to take a better angle to hit Raymond’s core.

With Vancouver being back in action on Sunday, the league needed to make a ruling fairly quickly.  Zadorov will miss that contest against Washington as well as Tuesday’s game versus Chicago; he’ll be eligible to return on Thursday when they host Detroit in a rematch of today’s game.  It’s the first suspension of Zadorov’s career and he will forfeit a little over $39K in salary, that money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Pittsburgh Penguins

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2023-24 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Current Cap Hit: $84,629,281 (over the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

None on the active roster.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

F Jeff Carter ($3.125MM, UFA)
F Jake Guentzel ($6MM, UFA)
F Jansen Harkins ($850K, UFA)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph ($850K, RFA)
G Alex Nedeljkovic ($1.5MM, UFA)
D Chad Ruhwedel ($800K, UFA)

Guentzel’s situation is well-known at this point.  There haven’t been any substantive discussions about a new deal but the 29-year-old is set to be one of the top forwards available in free agency this summer and will be eyeing a multi-million-dollar raise on a long-term agreement.  That will still be the case whether it’s Pittsburgh or someone else giving it to him.  Whoever has him on their roster after the trade deadline will be the only team that can offer the max-term eight-year deal; everyone else will be limited to seven.

Carter did well in his first year and a bit with the Penguins, earning this extension as a reward.  But on this contract, he has struggled considerably, especially this season.  Now 39, it’s fair to wonder if this will be his final year.  If it’s not, he’ll be looking at a deal worth close to the league minimum with perhaps some small incentives.  Harkins came over in October as a waiver claim before clearing waivers less than three weeks later.  Despite that, he has spent most of the season in the NHL on the fourth line.  That gives him a chance at securing another one-way contract but it’s also likely to be at or very close to the $775K minimum salary.

Joseph has battled injuries this season and hasn’t played a lot when he’s healthy.  While his qualifying offer is for just under $900K, tendering it would give him arbitration eligibility.  With over 100 NHL games under his belt, the potential award could be more than what Pittsburgh would want to pay him.  If they can reach a deal beforehand, it should come in close to the $1MM mark.  Ruhwedel has been a serviceable depth piece for several years now and being a right-shot player certainly helps his value.  Another one-way contract close to this one should be doable.

After a particularly rough showing last season with Detroit, Nedeljkovic has bounced back quite nicely with his best performance since his breakout stretch in 2020-21.  If teams feel this level of play is sustainable, then he could conceivably double this on the open market.  But with the year-to-year volatility, something closer to the $2.75MM range may be more realistic.

Signed Through 2024-25

F Sidney Crosby ($8.7MM, UFA)
F Lars Eller ($2.45MM, UFA)
D John Ludvig ($775K, RFA)
F Matt Nieto ($900K, UFA)
F Drew O’Connor ($925K, UFA)
D Marcus Pettersson ($4.025MM, UFA)
F Jesse Puljujarvi ($800K, UFA)
F Reilly Smith ($5MM, UFA)

Crosby has been a Penguin for his entire 19-year NHL career and while some have openly speculated about him being traded, that doesn’t seem like a probable outcome at this point.  He will have just turned 38 when the 2025-26 season gets underway so another multi-year agreement (between two and four years) isn’t entirely unrealistic.  For Pittsburgh, the longer the term of the offer, the lower the cap hit would be, similar to some of the other deals their long-term veterans have received.  Considering how he has performed this season, there’s a chance that his next contract could carry the same cap charge as this one and the one that preceded it.

Smith came over from Vegas in a cap-dumping move but he’s still a capable middle-six player.  However, this price point is on the high side for someone in that role based on his usage with the Penguins.  If he winds up being in the 40-point range (compared to the 56 he had in his final year with the Golden Knights), Smith may need to take a small pay cut heading into his age-34 campaign in 2025.  Eller is still a serviceable third-line center for now but he’ll be 36 when his next contract starts.  Assuming he slows down a bit more, he’ll likely have to go year-to-year with a price tag a bit below this one.

O’Connor had been more of a role player until this season where he’s averaging nearly 15 minutes a night while setting career highs offensively.  If that usage and production hold next season, he could at least double his current price tag on his next deal.  Nieto has battled injuries this year but, when healthy, has been a regular on the fourth line, a role he is used to holding.  This has been his price range for the last two contracts and it’s unlikely that will change on his next one.  Puljujarvi’s market was recently set with the winger finally signing earlier this month.  Unless he can establish himself as a top-nine regular, he’ll continue to be on the fringes, keeping his price tag close to the minimum.

Pettersson had a couple of rough seasons but turned things around last year and has been even better in 2023-24, showing he can still be a top-half defender on a depth chart.  However, his lack of offensive output most years will limit his earnings upside.  Still, another long-term agreement and at least a small raise should be doable, an outcome that would have been surprising just a couple of years ago.  Ludvig was a waiver claim but an early-season concussion has limited him thus far.  If he can stick around as even a seventh defenseman, however, he could land at least a mild raise a couple of years from now.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Noel Acciari ($2MM, UFA)
F Evgeni Malkin ($6.1MM, UFA)

Malkin has certainly slowed down this season but at 37, that’s to be expected.  He’s still producing at a top-six rate so for now, they’re getting a good return.  As he ages, however, the value of this contract will drop.  Similar to the Crosby discussion, that’s the trade-off for getting an AAV that’s lower than what his market value would have been otherwise.  Acciari has shown flashes of third-line production over the year (he even had a 20-goal campaign) but is best utilized as a fourth liner with some extra faceoff utility.  This contract is a bit pricey for someone with that profile but it’s not a significant overpayment either.

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East Notes: Forsling, Peeke, Iskhakov

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Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling is one of Florida’s prominent pending unrestricted free agents.  The 27-year-old has gone from being a waiver claim in 2021 to a top-three defender and his price tag is set to jump considerably from his current $2.667MM AAV.  Keeping him, blueliner Brandon Montour, and forward Sam Reinhart will be difficult to do but Forsling told Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald that he has made it known that he wants to remain with Florida.  However, discussions on a new deal have been minimal so far.  Forsling has 22 points in 50 games so far this season while averaging over 22 minutes a night, putting him in a position to more than double his current cap hit.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli wonders if the Blue Jackets might look at buying out defenseman Andrew Peeke this summer. Columbus has been shopping a blueliner for most of the season (Peeke and Adam Boqvist have been the players believed to be available) but has yet to find a suitable trade, likely because both blueliners have cap hits at or above $2.6MM.  Peeke struggled last season and has been a frequent healthy scratch this year (playing just 20 times), providing a weak return on a $2.75MM price so far.  He has two years left on his deal and if Columbus was to buy him out, they’d eat a $917K dead cap charge for the next four seasons.
  • Dan Milstein, the agent for Islanders prospect Ruslan Iskhakov, told Stefan Rosner of The Hockey News that contrary to speculation from earlier this week that had him linked to the KHL, the forward has yet to engage in discussions for next season. The 23-year-old is in his second AHL season and has been quite productive, collecting 34 points in 44 games this season after putting up 51 points in his rookie campaign in 2022-23 but is still looking for his first NHL opportunity.  Iskhakov is set to become a restricted agent with arbitration eligibility this summer.

Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Rangers, Pacioretty

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The Devils have been pondering about making a big push to acquire Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.  After a rough 2022-23 campaign, the 34-year-old has bounced back nicely this year, posting a .914 SV% in 31 starts to keep Calgary within striking distance of a Wild Card spot in the West.  Markstrom is signed through 2025-26 with a $6MM cap hit and has a full no-move clause, giving him control on where he goes if he decides to accept a move; Pagnotta notes that Markstrom would seriously consider approving a trade to New Jersey should talks get that far.  The Devils have a team save percentage of just .881 this season, tied with Ottawa for last in the NHL so a significant upgrade between the pipes like Markstrom would be would give them a huge boost for the stretch run.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • The Rangers are believed to have interest in center Adam Henrique but are not willing to part with the first-round pick the Ducks are seeking, reports USA Today’s Vince Z. Mercogliano. The 34-year-old is the best rental middleman left on the trade market, giving Anaheim some extra leverage in discussions.  Henrique has 15 goals and 18 assists in 49 games so far this season while winning 53.4% of his faceoffs.  However, he carries a $5.825MM cap hit, one that the Ducks will need to pay down half of to maximize his value.
  • When Max Pacioretty signed with the Capitals in free agency, he landed a full no-move clause as part of the contract, seemingly hoping to stick with them for the full season. However, Pierre LeBrun notes in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link) that his sense is that the 35-year-old might waive that trade protection for the right fit and a chance to go for a Stanley Cup.  Pacioretty has a base $2MM cap charge, plus another $2MM in games played bonuses.  Half of those bonuses have been met already while another $500K will be earned when he plays his next game which should come on Saturday versus Boston.

Maple Leafs Among Many Teams Interested In Maxim Tsyplakov

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Maxim Tsyplakov is having a career year in the KHL and saying he has caught the eye of some NHL teams would be putting it lightly.  Tsyplakov’s agent Alexander Chernykh told The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke that at least a dozen NHL teams have expressed an interest in signing the winger for next season.  He confirmed that the Maple Leafs are among those teams pursuing Tsyplakov.

The 25-year-old had a bounce-back season in 2022-23, picking up 25 points in 63 games with Spartak Moscow.  However, Tsyplakov has found another gear this season, lighting the lamp 30 times already while chipping in with 15 assists in 58 contests while logging nearly 18 minutes a night.  His goal total is tied for the third-highest in the KHL this season behind former NHLers Reid Boucher and Nikolay Goldobin.

Standing 6’3, Tsyplakov is also able to play with some physicality which would help him potentially fit in on a lower line to start next season as it’s rare that an undrafted free agent would jump into an NHL top six right away.  Kloke notes that Toronto also discussed the possibility of trying to play Tsyplakov at center which would certainly increase his value if he’s able to do so consistently.

Tsyplakov is still subject to entry-level regulations so wherever he signs, it will be a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL salary worth less than $1MM.  Considering the level of interest expressed so far, it stands to reason that he should be able to secure some performance bonuses which are capped as well.  Most teams will make the same offer so it will be up to Tsyplakov to determine the best fit, especially since he’d be arbitration-eligible following next season.

Unlike pending NHL free agents, KHL contracts expire at the end of April so Tsyplakov will be eligible to sign at that time.  With the interest he has already received, there’s a good chance it won’t take long for him to sign when the calendar turns to May.

Atlantic Notes: Newhook, Robertson, Tarasenko

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The Canadiens are expected to activate forward Alex Newhook off injured reserve on Saturday, paving the way for him to return against Dallas, relays Herb Zurkowsky of the Montreal Gazette.  The 23-year-old has missed nearly two and a half months with an ankle injury but had gotten off to a decent start to his first year in Montreal before that, recording 13 points in 23 games.  While Newhook has spent a lot of time on the wing in his career, he’ll likely play at center more frequently down the stretch following the recent Sean Monahan trade.  The Canadiens opened up a roster spot to activate Newhook earlier today when they returned Lucas Condotta to AHL Laval.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Nicholas Robertson has popped up in recent trade chatter and the Maple Leafs are believed to be willing to move the winger, reports The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. The 22-year-old has managed to stay healthy this season, resulting in him playing in a career-best 31 games where he has seven goals and seven assists.  However, Robertson hasn’t been able to lock down a full-time spot in Toronto’s lineup.  Considering his offensive success at the lower levels, it stands to reason that several rebuilding teams would have some interest in seeing if Robertson can take a step forward with a new organization.
  • While many expect the Senators to move pending UFA winger Vladimir Tarasenko before next month’s trade deadline, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli notes that it’s not a lock that Ottawa even wants to move him. The Sens are known to be looking to add quality veterans to help their younger core and have been impressed with how he has become a leading voice in their dressing room.  Tarasenko recently changed agents again; perhaps it was on the hopes of spurring along extension talks that have yet to begin at this point.

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