Brian La Rose

Rasmus Andersson Suspended Four Games, Flames Will Appeal

October 21, 2023 at 6:12 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 12 Comments

6:12 p.m.: Andersson has been suspended four games as a result of the play, NHL Player Safety confirms. Andersson will be eligible to return on November 1 against the Stars. Charging was the official designation on the play. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis later reported the Flames are planning to appeal the suspension, although a significant reduction in length is unlikely to happen in time based on past precedent.

10:19 a.m.: Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson delivered an elbow to the head of Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine in the dying seconds of last night’s contest, earning himself a major penalty in the process. The clip of the play can be viewed here. It has also earned him a discussion with the league as the Department of Player Safety announced (Twitter link) that he’ll have a hearing today. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that it’s a phone hearing which means the maximum suspension would be for five games.

Laine did not travel with the Blue Jackets following the game for their game today against Minnesota, the team announced (Twitter link). He is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Laine has changed positions this season and has lined up as a center in the early going. Not surprisingly, he has struggled a bit at the faceoff dot, winning just 41% of his draws while he has a goal and an assist in four games so far this season.

As for Andersson, he has once again logged heavy minutes for Calgary in the early going, averaging just shy of 24 minutes per game while chipping in with three points in their first five contests. The Flames are one of just two teams that aren’t in action tonight with their next contest coming tomorrow against Detroit. That means while the hearing will take place today, it’s possible that any supplemental discipline may be announced on Sunday.

Injury Updates: Hurricanes, Boldy, Granlund, Bertuzzi

October 21, 2023 at 3:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Hurricanes are likely to be without center Sebastian Aho tonight against Colorado, relays NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury but skated after the game-day skate today, suggesting he won’t be out much longer. Aho has three points in his first three games so far this season and is coming off his fourth season out of the last five with at least 30 goals.

Meanwhile, while goaltender Frederik Andersen also took part in the morning skate today, he, too, isn’t expected to be available for this game. He exited Tuesday’s game in San Jose early after taking a shot off the mask and hasn’t suited up since. The Hurricanes brought up Pyotr Kochetkov earlier this week and he is currently serving as the backup to veteran Antti Raanta.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

Wild winger Matt Boldy skated on Friday for the first time as he works his way back from an upper-body injury sustained earlier this week in Toronto, notes John Shipley of the Pioneer Press. However, head coach Dean Evason was quick to point out that this doesn’t mean that Boldy is nearing a return; the week-to-week designation remains. The 22-year-old had 31 goals last season and will be a big part of Minnesota’s attack when he’s able to return.
While Sharks forward Mikael Granlund is on San Jose’s five-game road trip, there’s still no timeline for when he might return, mentions Curtis Pashelka of the Mercury News. The 31-year-old played in the season opener but has been out with a lower-body injury since then; with Logan Couture still out, San Jose is down two of their top veterans. Granlund has already been on IR for the minimum of seven days and will be eligible to return as soon as he is cleared.
After being a game-time decision on Thursday, Maple Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi will suit up tonight in Tampa Bay, mentions TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link). Head coach Sheldon Keefe recently mentioned that Bertuzzi isn’t fully healthy which left his status for today’s game in question. The 28-year-old is off to a quiet start with his new club, recording just one point (a goal) through his first four games.

Atlantic Notes: Ekman-Larsson, Sabres, Armia, DeBrusk

October 21, 2023 at 2:50 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

When Vancouver decided to buy out Oliver Ekman-Larsson this summer, it was the richest buyout in NHL history. It’s a move the blueliner didn’t see coming as he told Thomas Drance of The Athletic (subscription link) that he was surprised by their decision after his exit meetings and discussions with the team had been focused on his role with the Canucks for the 2023-24 campaign. Ekman-Larsson elected to take a one-year deal with the Panthers this summer worth $2.5MM and with the injuries to both Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour, they have leaned on him heavily so far as he is averaging more than 25 minutes a night through Florida’s first four games. The last time he passed that threshold was back in 2014-15 with Arizona and while it’s unrealistic to think he’ll play that much the entire season, they’re certainly pleased with the early returns so far.

Predators Claim Liam Foudy Off Waivers From Blue Jackets

October 21, 2023 at 1:04 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Predators have added some extra forward depth as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that they’ve claimed forward Liam Foudy off waivers from the Blue Jackets.

The 23-year-old was a first-round pick by Columbus back in 2018 (23rd overall) out of OHL London. While he put up a point per game with the Knights in his post-draft season, consistent production has been tough to come by in the pros. Foudy has just seven goals and 12 assists in 90 career NHL contests over parts of five seasons. Things have gone a lot better for him in the minors with AHL Cleveland as he has 35 points in 41 appearances at that level but needed to clear waivers to get back there. Clearly, that didn’t happen.

Once viewed as a possible important part of their rebuild, the Blue Jackets have since stockpiled several young middlemen which effectively pushed Foudy, a natural center, to the wing. While the position swap worked better for him as a speedster, their extra depth ultimately knocked him out of the lineup first and now off the roster entirely.

Meanwhile, Nashville is in the midst of shaking up its forward group under new GM Barry Trotz. Bringing in Foudy is a no-risk proposition for them as he’s on a contract that’s below the league minimum and he will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. Notably, the Preds had a full roster so a move needed to be made to add Foudy to the active roster. That move was done by placing defenseman Luke Schenn on IR. Schenn was injured in the season opener and was given a four-to-six-week recovery timeline.

Canucks Activate Ilya Mikheyev Off IR

October 21, 2023 at 12:30 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Canucks are getting back a key winger in the lineup tonight as the team announced (Twitter link) that Ilya Mikheyev will make his season debut, meaning that he has been activated off injured reserve. He’s expected to skate on the second line with Elias Pettersson and Andrei Kuzmenko.

The 29-year-old had a productive first season with Vancouver last year when he was healthy as he recorded 13 goals and 15 assists in just 46 games while logging just shy of 17 minutes per night. His 28 points were four shy of his career high despite missing over 40% of the games due to injuries.

Mikheyev suffered a torn ACL back in February, undergoing surgery soon after. At the time, the expectation was that he’d be ready for the start of the season but that wasn’t the case as he wound up not playing in the preseason while the team eventually scaled him back in practice to a non-contact jersey. Fortunately for Vancouver, it turns out that he didn’t need too much more recovery time.

The Canucks had been carrying 22 players so they don’t need to make a corresponding move to create an open roster spot to activate Mikheyev.

Central Notes: Trotz, Fabbro, Vilardi

October 19, 2023 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Predators GM Barry Trotz was a long-time NHL coach, spending 23 years behind the bench with a pair of Jack Adams Awards while sitting third in league history in victories. To that end, it was a bit surprising when he eschewed coaching opportunities last season and eventually replacing David Poile in the managerial role with Nashville. Don’t expect him to have another change of heart as he told Newsday’s Andrew Gross that his coaching days are over:

I can honestly say I have no intentions of coaching again. My coaching career, you can put it in an envelope.

Trotz was active this summer, hiring Andrew Brunette (a more offensive-oriented coach) to replace John Hynes, making several front-office moves, and changing things up with their forward group, parting with Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen while bringing in several veterans in free agency to change up the core. It’s fair to say he jumped in with both feet into his new role and is leaving his old one behind.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Calgary Flames

October 19, 2023 at 7:58 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

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.

Calgary Flames

Current Cap Hit: $85,943,500 (over the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Matthew Coronato (two years, $925K)
F Jakob Pelletier (one year, $863K/$406K SOIR charge)

Potential Bonuses
Coronato: $850K

Coronato turned pro after a strong college season last year, burning the first year of his entry-level deal in the process even though he only played in one game. That makes assessing his second contract next to impossible at this point but it’s fair to say they’re counting on him playing an important role before too long. His four bonuses are of the ‘A’ variety so if he’s able to stay in a top-six role, it’s possible that one or two of those could be hit.

As for Pelletier, he was up for close to half of last season which is what makes his season-opening IR charge harder than most. Until he’s cleared to play, that will stay there. At that time, he can be set to the roster, making the full cap charge come into effect or he can be sent down, taking it off entirely. With the way things went last season where his playing time was limited and now with his shoulder injury, it’s reasonable to think a low-cost bridge deal is heading his way.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

F Dillon Dube ($2.3MM, RFA)
D Dennis Gilbert ($762.5K, UFA)
F A.J. Greer ($762.5K, UFA)
D Noah Hanifin ($4.95MM, UFA)
D Oliver Kylington ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Elias Lindholm ($4.85MM, UFA)
D Jordan Oesterle ($925K, UFA)
F Kevin Rooney ($1.3MM, UFA)
F Adam Ruzicka ($762.5K, RFA)
D Chris Tanev ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Nikita Zadorov ($3.75MM, UFA)

Lindholm’s future with the team (or lack thereof) has been a discussion point for several months now. At one point, it looked like he might not have much interest in staying. That doesn’t appear to be the case now but the two sides still aren’t believed to be close on a new deal. While a repeat of his 42-goal performance in 2021-22 isn’t likely, Lindholm is still a top center in terms of all-around usage and someone is going to pay him accordingly. At the moment, he’s one of the top middlemen that will be set to hit the open market and recent contracts handed out likely peg the low end of his price around the $8.5MM while the high end will start with a nine on a max-term deal or close to it.

Dube has shown steady improvement throughout his young career and is coming off a career year that saw him put up 45 points. Another season like that will have him well-positioned to earn a fair bit more than the $2.4MM qualifier he’s owed; a long-term deal would push past the $4MM mark. Rooney spent most of last in the minors but since he has a one-way contract, he’s counting in full against Calgary’s cap for the time being. He’s likely looking at a deal close to the minimum next summer. Greer did alright on Boston’s fourth line last year, resulting in a preseason waiver claim by Calgary. That said, that role in the lineup is usually filled by someone making the minimum or close to it. Ruzicka has shown some offensive promise but his NHL minutes have been limited. As things stand, a deal just past the $1MM mark is doable but with a bigger role this season, there’s room for him to beat that.

While there is a bit of optimism with Lindholm, there still isn’t a ton when it comes to Hanifin even though he said last month that he’s open to the idea. As a number two defender, he’s in line for a considerable increase on a long-term deal regardless of who gives it to him. He’ll be 27 next summer so a max-term contract surpassing the $7MM mark should be heading his way. Tanev is a throwback shutdown defenseman, the type of player that isn’t seen as frequently now as it was a few years ago. However, he has managed to stay relatively healthy with Calgary which will help his value. It’d be a bit surprising if he beat this on his next deal but with his reputation, it could be possible.

Zadorov had a surprisingly strong season last year from a goal perspective, notching 14 after his prior career high was seven. His size and physicality have allowed him to get some decent-sized contracts thus far despite being more of a fourth or fifth defender but a repeat of that performance offensively could really boost his market next summer. If he reverts back to his usual level of production though, he still could push for something in the $4.5MM range. Kylington missed all of last season for personal reasons and after vowing to be ready for this year, is back on LTIR for personal reasons once again. At this point, it’s hard to pinpoint what his next deal might look like until he’s actually back in uniform.

Oesterle came to Calgary in free agency after spending the past two years in Detroit. Until he can lock down an every-game role, he’s likely to stay below the $1MM mark. As for Gilbert, he has yet to play a full NHL season and is therefore also likely to be below $1MM on his next deal. The fact he has an AAV below the league minimum might help his chances of sticking at the top level, however.

Signed Through 2024-25

F Walker Duehr ($825K, UFA)
F Dryden Hunt ($775K, UFA)
F Andrew Mangiapane ($5.8MM, UFA)
F Yegor Sharangovich ($3.1MM, UFA)
G Daniel Vladar ($2.2MM, UFA)

Mangiapane wasn’t quite able to live up to his 35-goal breakout year in 2021-22, scoring instead at a second-line level. That’s not a poor performance but from a value perspective, they’re paying him to be one of their go-to scorers, not a secondary piece. Sharangovich was acquired in the Tyler Toffoli trade this summer, basically buying themselves an extra year of control with this contract that they quickly gave him. The 2021-22 version is worth a bigger deal than this one on the open market while the one from last year wouldn’t be likely to get much more than this. We’ll see which version he is for Calgary.

Duehr spent more time in the minors than the NHL last season but still managed to earn a one-way deal for his troubles. Now, it’s about establishing himself as an every-game player and if that happens, he could land a deal a bit better than this one. If his seven goals over 27 games translates to full-season production at that level though, then the $2MM mark is achievable. Hunt bounced around the league last season, twice claimed on waivers before being traded at the deadline. He’s a player on the fringes right now and those ones usually stay pretty close to the minimum.

Vladar has been in trade speculation dating back to the summer with Dustin Wolf showing that he’s ready for some NHL action. However, they likely don’t want Wolf playing just once a week so how willing they are to move Vladar at this point is far from a certainty. He’s still relatively inexperienced with one good and one not-so-good year under his belt. More of the former could push him toward the $3MM mark but more years like last season will likely result in a dip on his next deal.

Signed Through 2025-26

D Rasmus Andersson ($4.55MM, UFA)
F Mikael Backlund ($5.35MM in 2023-24, $4.5MM in 2024-25 and 2025-26)
G Jacob Markstrom ($6MM, UFA)

Backlund was originally planning to wait things out before deciding about possibly extending but had a change of heart and was immediately named captain thereafter. He had a career year last season and if he stays at that level, this deal would be a team-friendly one quickly. That’s not realistic but if he goes back to his career averages, this is a fair-value contract that will carry him through 18 seasons with the Flames.

Andersson started out his career in more of a supporting role but former GM Brad Treliving thought that the blueliner had another level to get to, handing him this six-year deal. He was certainly proven right. The 26-year-old had a 50-point showing in 2021-22 (his previous benchmark was 22) and followed it up with a 49-point effort last season while pushing his ATOI past the 24-minute mark. Those are basically number one defenseman numbers for a player who is being paid like a third or fourth option. Lots can happen over the next three seasons that could change things but if Andersson has three more years like the last two, he has a chance to push for double his current price tag in 2026.

Markstrom is coming off a down season but remains one of the more consistently reliable goalies across the NHL which helped land him this contract back in 2020 at a time when the cap was just starting to tighten. It’s a deal that puts him in the top ten for cap hits among NHL netminders (including those that will be on LTIR for the entire year) but when he’s on his game, he’s worth the premium.

Signed Through 2026-27 Or Longer

F Blake Coleman ($4.9MM through 2026-27)
F Jonathan Huberdeau ($10.5MM through 2030-31)
F Nazem Kadri ($7MM through 2028-29)

Huberdeau was the centerpiece of the package acquired for Matthew Tkachuk last summer and he was promptly signed to this max-term extension before he ever suited up for them. One year in, that doesn’t look like the wisest of moves as he struggled mightily, putting up only 55 points after notching 115 the year before. There’s cause for optimism that he can turn it around somewhat but right now, this contract doesn’t look particularly good.

Kadri was also brought in last year, with the Flames sending Montreal a first-round pick to take on Sean Monahan’s contract to free up the cap space. He also took a step back offensively but still wound up around his career numbers, tallying 56 points in total. At that level of production, this is a tick high but overpayment for an impact center is usually needed if you’re signing one in free agency. Coleman is an impactful middle-six forward but has also yet to reach 40 points in a single season (although he has 30-plus in five straight years). Relative to his production, this is also an overpayment but he brings enough other elements to the table that it’s not a significant issue for them.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Best Value: Lindholm
Worst Value: Huberdeau

Looking Ahead

For the time being, Calgary is getting by with LTIR but even so, cap space is pretty much non-existent for them at the moment which could present an issue when recalls are needed. If Kylington is able to return at some point, there will be an even bigger crunch to work through and at that point, they’ll have to trim their roster size. GM Craig Conroy will be hard-pressed to create cap space for any sort of meaningful acquisition this season as things stand.

With over $27MM coming off the books next summer, Conroy will be positioned to shake up his core. However, a good chunk of that money will be needed to re-sign Lindholm (and Hanifin, if he’s willing to extend) so some of the other changes are going to be by necessity, not choice. They’re one of the many teams that is going to be capped out for a little while.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Transactions: 10/19/23

October 19, 2023 at 6:58 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

With the ECHL starting up its season tonight, NHL and AHL teams have been shuffling players to that level in recent days. Some of those recent moves are highlighted in our latest batch of minor transactions.

The Senators’ AHL affiliate announced the assignments of forward Philippe Daoust and defenceman Donovan Sebrango to ECHL Allen. Daoust was a sixth-round pick back in 2020 but was limited to just nine games last season due to injury. He had seven points with Belleville but will get more time to work on his rehab at the ECHL level. Meanwhile, Sebrango was acquired from Detroit as part of the Alex DeBrincat trade this summer and split last season between their AHL and ECHL affiliates. Both players are entering the second year of their entry-level contracts.
Colorado’s AHL squad announced that they’ve sent goaltender Trent Miner, forward Ryan Sandelin, and defenseman Gianni Fairbrother to ECHL Utah. Miner posted a 3.04 GAA along with a .910 SV% in 37 games with the Grizzlies last season and is in the final season of his entry-level deal. Sandelin wrapped up his college career last year with Minnesota State (Mankato), putting up 29 points in 38 games which helped him earn a minor league deal. As for Fairbrother, the Avalanche acquired him as part of the Alex Newhook trade this summer but missed all of last season with a knee injury. He’s also in the final season of his entry-level pact.
Former NHL blueliner Christian Jaros is on the move to the KHL as he has signed with Severstal Cherepovets, per a team release. The 27-year-old received a two-year deal. Jaros has 94 career NHL games under his belts over parts of five seasons between Ottawa, San Jose, and New Jersey but opted to head overseas last season, seeing action with two separate KHL squads.

Five Key Stories: 10/9/23 – 10/15/23

October 15, 2023 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

The first week of the NHL season is in the books and as is often the case, it was a busy week on the transactions front with extensions highlighting the majority of the key stories.

Seven For Toews: Term was believed to be a sticking point in extension talks between the Avalanche and defenseman Devon Toews but the two sides were able to bridge that, agreeing to a seven-year, $50.75MM extension. The 29-year-old has become a key cog on Colorado’s back end after being acquired from the Islanders for a pair of second-round picks, very quietly putting up back-to-back years of at least 50 points while logging at least 25 minutes a night in both of them. While this deal starts at age 30 meaning that it could carry a bit of risk at the end, it’s fair to suggest that Toews took a bit less than he could have received on the open market to make sure he stays with the Avs for the long haul.

Ruff’s Sticking Around: A year ago in the early going, there were chants of “fire Lindy” from some of the crowd in New Jersey after the Devils got off to a slow start. Of course, they rebounded, putting up their highest point total in franchise history while getting to the second round. Not surprisingly, New Jersey has rewarded head coach Lindy Ruff for his efforts, inking him to a multi-year contract extension. His original deal had expired but Ruff had exercised his option for this season, creating a ‘lame duck’ situation that teams often try to avoid with their bench bosses. Ruff is now set to lead the Devils for the foreseeable future.

Sticking Around: Well, we can forget about the idea of Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele testing the market next summer. Widely speculated to be unwilling to extend with Winnipeg to the point where trade options were explored, the two decided to stay with the Jets after all as both players signed identical seven-year, $59.5MM contract extensions. Hellebuyck has been a workhorse between the pipes for most of his now nine-year career, leading the league in shots faced four times and games played four times. This contract makes him fourth in AAV among all netminders. As for Scheifele, the franchise’s first pick after they moved back to Winnipeg has been a dependable scorer for a long time now, having picked up at least 60 points in eight straight years. Both players now have chances to play out their entire careers with the Jets, a scenario that didn’t seem plausible just a few weeks ago.

Sabres Lock Up Blueliners: There was an expectation that contract extensions would get done for Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power during the offseason. They might have come later than expected but they did get done. First, they made Rasmus Dahlin one of the highest-paid players in the league, giving him an eight-year, $88MM extension. The 2018 top pick has blossomed under head coach Don Granato, becoming one of the top offensive rearguards in the league while being an all-situations player. He will be the third-highest-paid defenseman in the league.

Meanwhile, Owen Power’s extension was completed a little later in the week as well; he received a seven-year, $58.45MM pact. The 2021 top selection has less than 90 games of NHL experience under his belt so this comes with some risk but if he becomes a true number one option as well, Buffalo’s back end will be a strong spot for years to come. Notably, the agreement only buys the Sabres two extra years of club control.

Garland On The Block: The Canucks freed up some payroll last month when they moved Tanner Pearson to Montreal but they have more work to do on that front. To help accomplish that, they’ve given Conor Garland and his agent permission to try to work on a trade. The 27-year-old is coming off a 46-point season which isn’t bad but with three years left at a $4.95MM cap charge, they haven’t gotten the best bang for their buck. A handful of teams are believed to have shown interest so far while Vancouver is thought to be hoping to open up $1MM to $2MM in room in a trade while adding some help on the back end.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

East Notes: Stamkos, Lindgren, Shea

October 15, 2023 at 7:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 11 Comments

Lightning center Steven Stamkos was a late scratch before their game tonight against Ottawa. The team announced (Twitter link) that the captain is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Stamkos is off to a nice start to his 16th NHL season, notching two goals and two assists in his first two appearances. However, he was banged up in last night’s game against Detroit. Stamkos is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and has already expressed some frustration with the fact an extension isn’t yet in place. One won’t be coming anytime soon though with GM Julien BriseBois telling Stamkos that discussions about a new deal won’t come until after the season comes to an end.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

Rangers blueliner Ryan Lindgren was a surprising scratch for last night’s game against Columbus. Mollie Walker of the New York Post relays that Lindgren sat with what the team called an upper-body injury. The defenseman took a shot off the hand in New York’s season opener back on Thursday but was a full participant in practice Friday and in the morning skate Saturday. The fact he was fine to participate in those two suggests that the Rangers are primarily being precautionary with Lindgren and that he shouldn’t be out for too long.
Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea acknowledged to Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that Pittsburgh was the runner-up when NHL teams were pursuing him out of college back in 2020. The 26-year-old ultimately signed with Dallas at the time but never suited up for the Stars despite being recalled for a handful of days here and there. Shea somewhat surprisingly cracked Pittsburgh’s opening roster after signing with them this past summer with a good showing in training camp and could get a chance to make his NHL debut in the coming days.

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