Bruins Recall Patrick Brown
The Bruins play their final game before their bye week and the All-Star break today and they have opted to bring up an extra forward for that contest as they announced that they’ve recalled Patrick Brown from AHL Providence.
The 31-year-old is in his first season with Boston after inking a two-year, $1.6MM contract with them on the opening day of free agency back in July. He was expected to land a spot on their fourth line but things didn’t exactly go as planned. Instead, he didn’t make the team out of training camp and cleared waivers. He cleared them a second time as well back in mid-November.
This is Brown’s sixth recall of the season and he has played in ten games so far with Boston, collecting one assist while logging just 8:29 per night. He also has suited up in 15 games with Providence where he has been much more effective, notching 11 points in 15 contests.
The Bruins had an open roster spot so they didn’t need to make a corresponding move to bring him up. With Jakub Lauko missing last game with an undisclosed injury and Jake DeBrusk and Matthew Poitras out being banged up, Brown should suit up this afternoon against the Flyers. That said, with the long break approaching, there’s a good chance he’ll be sent back down to the minors on Sunday.
Jacob Trouba To Have Player Safety Hearing
The Rangers play their final game before their off week tonight and it’s possible they won’t have their captain available for that contest. The Department of Player Safety announced that defenseman Jacob Trouba will have a disciplinary hearing today by phone for an elbowing infraction on Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev last night.
The incident occurred late in the second period following a faceoff and no penalty was called on the play. Meanwhile, Dorofeyev left the game early in the third period with what head coach Bruce Cassidy called an upper-body injury. There was no further clarity on how long he might be out for. More information on that front is expected today.
Trouba has been suspended once before back in 2017 for an illegal check to the head while he was playing in Winnipeg. While enough time has elapsed that it won’t count against him from a forfeited salary standpoint if he’s suspended, it could be taken into consideration in determining how much time Trouba might miss.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Rangers
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.
New York Rangers
Current Cap Hit: $83,603,531 (over the $83.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F William Cuylle (two years, $828.3K)
D Braden Schneider (one year, $925K)
Potential Bonuses
Cuylle: $82.5K
Schneider: $400K
Total: $482.5K
Cuylle has done a nice job in a full-time bottom six role in his first taste of NHL duty. His offensive numbers aren’t going to stand out by any stretch but it’s a nice way to ease him in. This will certainly limit his earnings upside on his next contract, however; a bridge deal in the $1.5MM to $2MM range might be his best-case scenario. Bonus-wise, his are based on games played so right now, he’s trending to reach that full amount.
Schneider has been a regular on New York’s back end dating back to last season but his role has been rather limited so far as basically a permanent third-pairing piece. That should have his next contract around the $1.5MM mark as well. For him, his bonuses are ‘A’ ones and the only ones he might have a shot at are blocked shots (needs to finish in the top two for defensemen) and plus/minus (top three among Ranger blueliners). At the moment, he doesn’t qualify to reach either of them.
Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level
F Nick Bonino ($800K, UFA)
F Jonny Brodzinski ($762.5K, UFA)
D Erik Gustafsson ($825K, UFA)
F Kaapo Kakko ($2.1MM, RFA)
D Ryan Lindgren ($3MM, RFA)
F Tyler Pitlick ($787.5K, UFA)
G Jonathan Quick ($825K, UFA)
F Blake Wheeler ($800K, UFA)
Potential Bonuses
Quick: $100K
Wheeler: $300K
Total: $400K
After getting 40 points last season, it looked like Kakko was heading in the right direction but he has struggled this year. Still, it’s unlikely New York will give up on the 2019 second-overall pick. However, they might want to go much higher than his $2.4MM qualifying offer. Wheeler took a well below-market contract to go to the Rangers and while his numbers are down compared to his time in Winnipeg, he’s also playing lower in the lineup. He’s worth more on the open market if he wants to max his money out next summer or he could stick with this route on a potential contender. His bonuses are based on games played and have already been achieved.
Bonino made sense as a low-cost depth option with what should have been some offensive upside although he hasn’t been able to display that this season. This close to the league minimum, he could land a similar deal on the open market next summer but could also be a PTO candidate. Pitlick has been on near-minimum deals over the last couple of seasons and as a depth player this season, that’s unlikely to change. He could get a contract at a similar price point in the summer or might have to go the PTO route as he did the year before. Brodzinski, meanwhile, has been a dominant AHL scorer but hasn’t produced much in the NHL. While he’s also likely going to stay around the league minimum, he should be able to at least land a one-way contract for next season.
Lindgren is one of New York’s more interesting expiring deals this summer. He’s a very effective defensive defenseman but simply doesn’t put up many points to help drive his price tag up. His qualifying offer is $3.6MM and he should get more than that but his ceiling might be closer to the $4.5MM range even with arbitration rights. Notably, he’s a year away from UFA eligibility. Gustafsson, meanwhile, is the exact opposite. He is a productive offensive defender but struggles considerably in his own end. Settling for this contract after a 42-point campaign suggests that teams aren’t willing to pay a premium for the points knowing his defensive struggles and the need to shelter him at five-on-five. A small raise past the $1MM mark wouldn’t be shocking but it’s hard to project a big increase.
Expectations weren’t high for Quick after a rough 2022-23 campaign but he has been a difference-maker for the Rangers this season. However, he just turned 38 so it’s unlikely there will be teams looking at him as a starter or a strong-side platoon option. If he wants to go for the money, he could do better than this on the open market but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him stay or take a similar deal to this one with a contender for next season. The details of his bonuses aren’t known.
Signed Through 2024-25
D Zachary Jones ($812.5K, RFA)
F Alexis Lafreniere ($2.325MM, RFA)
D K’Andre Miller ($3.82MM, RFA)
G Igor Shesterkin ($5.667MM, UFA)
F Jimmy Vesey ($800K, UFA)
With Lafreniere scuffling through his first few NHL seasons, it came as no surprise that he followed Kakko in signing a bridge deal. He’s fared a bit better in his first year under Peter Laviolette although he hasn’t yet become that consistent top threat that they hoped he’d be when they picked him first overall in 2020. If he keeps at his current pace and then takes another small step forward next year, he’ll certainly do enough to beat his $2.65MM qualifying offer. But will New York be convinced that he’s worthy of that long-term big-money contract in the $7MM range if that happens? Or might they try one more bridge deal (likely a one-year pact) worth closer to half that? It’s still early but there is a wide range of outcomes when it comes to his next deal.
Vesey opted to avoid going through free agency, instead choosing to sign this contract in-season last year. It gives him some stability while he has outperformed the deal so far as a capable depth scorer. Having bounced around in his career will hurt him a bit if he gets to free agency next time as teams will wonder if he’s turned a late corner or if he’s just a fit for how the Rangers play. Still, a small raise at a minimum should be doable.
Miller had no choice but to take a bridge deal over the summer as well given New York’s limited cap space. He continues to be a valuable two-way piece on their back end despite not seeing much power play time. Miller will be owed a $4.646MM qualifying offer in 2025 but his next contract could check in closer to double his current one if a long-term agreement is worked out. Jones, on the other hand, has had a very limited role so far. He’ll need to lock down a full-time spot if he wants to reach the seven-figure mark on his next deal.
Shesterkin has been one of the top goalies since coming over for the 2019-20 campaign although his first half of this season has been more pedestrian. Still, the 28-year-old is regarded as one of the top netminders league-wide and he’ll be well-positioned to capitalize on that reputation on this next contract. He’ll likely look to Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck (seven years, $8.5MM on his recent extension) as a starting point for discussions.
Signed Through 2025-26
F Artemi Panarin ($11.643MM, UFA)
D Jacob Trouba ($8MM, UFA)
No one will ever call Panarin’s contract – the richest for a winger in NHL history – a bargain but at the same time, it’s fair to say that he has lived up to it so far, producing at a 105-point per 82-game rate to put him among the top-scoring forwards in the league. There’s little reason to think a big collapse is on the horizon but that concern should come into play on his next deal, one that’s likely to be more of a medium-term agreement at a small discount on his current rate given the age risk.
Trouba hasn’t been able to get back to the offensive highs he reached in his final season with Winnipeg but for the tough minutes he logs, the captain is still providing some value on this deal. Having said that, if he wants to land any sort of sizable raise, he’ll need to rediscover at least some of that scoring touch. Otherwise, his next deal should check in close to this one.
East Notes: Chychrun, Flyers, Devils, Werenski
With the Senators struggling this season, some sort of core shakeup is expected under new GM Steve Staios. Accordingly, some have suggested that defenseman Jakob Chychrun could be a candidate to be moved. The blueliner spoke with Ian Mendes of The Athletic (subscription link) and voiced his frustration about being involved in trade speculation once again (he was in rumors for multiple years while in Arizona). He also pushed back on any suggestions that he has soured on playing in Ottawa, going as far as saying that he’s “loving every moment here”. While his desire may be to remain with the Sens, teams are certainly calling about Chychrun who has one year left on his contract after this season with a below-market $4.6MM cap hit. He has 27 points in 43 games so far this season while logging over 22 minutes a night.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- The Flyers have been one of the biggest surprises of the season, sitting second in the Metropolitan Division heading into tonight’s action. However, don’t assume they’ll change plans and become buyers at the March 8th deadline. Speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Daniel Briere indicated that the team is still thinking about the future and that they shouldn’t be counted on as being big buyers by then. However, he also suggested that he won’t necessarily look to move out veteran pieces for the sake of making trades either. Philadelphia has been speculated as a possible seller, especially on the back end with blueliners Sean Walker and Nick Seeler set to become unrestricted free agents but it’s definitely possible that they largely stand pat with how well their season has gone.
- The Devils are set to welcome back a pair of veterans tomorrow as team reporter Amanda Stein relays (Twitter link) that winger Ondrej Palat (lower body) and defenseman Colin Miller (illness) should return to the lineup tomorrow against Carolina. Palat has yet to play in 2024, another tough blow on what has been a quiet season so far as the 32-year-old has just five goals and nine assists in 35 games. Miller, meanwhile, missed Monday’s game against Vegas and has had a sparing role in the first half of the year, collecting just five points in 25 games.
- Blue Jackets blueliner Zach Werenski was expected to return at some point on their ongoing road trip but it appears it’ll be sooner rather than later. Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch notes (Twitter link) that the 26-year-old appears to be on track to return on Thursday versus Calgary. Werenski hasn’t played in nearly a month due to a lower-body injury but is still tied for second on the team in scoring with 25 points in 34 games.
Rangers Recall Jake Leschyshyn
The Rangers have elected to make a roster move in advance of their game Friday against Vegas, announcing (Twitter link) that they have called forward Jake Leschyshyn from AHL Hartford.
The 24-year-old has spent the majority of the season with the Wolf Pack, getting into 16 games so far where he has four goals and three assists. Leschyshyn was up with New York briefly earlier this month, making one appearance at the top level. For his career, he has six points in 77 NHL appearances between the Rangers and Vegas. He’s in the second season of a three-year, one-way deal that carries a cap hit below the minimum salary, coming in at just under $767K.
The Rangers already had 13 healthy forwards on their roster before this move so it’s a bit curious that they’ve opted to add Leschyshyn as well. The move will officially be registered on Thursday (since the recall came after 4 PM CT) so it will be interesting to see if there’s any sort of corresponding roster move at that time.
Five Key Stories: 1/15/24 – 1/21/24
With teams now past the midway point of the season, activity is starting to pick up across the NHL. Here’s a rundown of the biggest stories in what was a very busy week across the league.
One In, One On The Way Out? As expected, the Senators signed RFA center Shane Pinto to a one-year deal that checked in at the league minimum of $775K. The 23-year-old missed the first 41 games of the year after violating the league’s sports wagering rules, negating the two-year deal with an AAV in the $2MM range that was being negotiated. Pinto will once again be a restricted free agent without arbitration rights this summer. Meanwhile, the Sens are believed to be listening to interest in blueliner Jakob Chychrun. The 25-year-old was acquired last season from Arizona in the hopes he’d shore up their back end but Ottawa has struggled in all facets in the first half of the year. With one year left on his contract after this one with a $4.6MM price tag and the fact he’s on pace for his best season offensively, his trade value might be at its highest over the next few weeks if GM Steve Staios wants to make a big move.
Merzlikins Wants Out: After recently voicing his frustration over a lack of playing time but noting that he hadn’t asked for a trade, Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins has confirmed that he has now indeed requested to be moved. The 29-year-old has bounced back from a tough showing last year, upping his save percentage from .876 to .905 but his game-to-game consistency has still been a concern, resulting in Daniil Tarasov getting an extended look as the starter. With three years left after this one on his deal with a $5.4MM AAV and with Spencer Martin now in Carolina after being claimed off waivers earlier in the week, it seems unlikely that Merzlikins will see his request granted in the near future.
Coaching Change: With the Islanders struggling, some had wondered about Lane Lambert’s future with the team. GM Lou Lamoriello indeed decided to make a change but who he hired caught many by surprise as Patrick Roy was named their new head coach. Lambert spent barely a year and a half behind New York’s bench with his team playing to a 61-46-20 record while the Isles lost in the first round of the playoffs last year and Lamoriello clearly felt that a change could help kickstart this team. He turns to Roy, who hasn’t been behind an NHL bench since the 2015-16 campaign, his third and final year with Colorado before he abruptly resigned the following offseason over a lack of say in personnel decisions. He’s unlikely to get much input in that regard as long as Lamoriello is in charge but the former Jack Adams Award winner certainly had some success with the Avs and will now get his second crack at running an NHL bench.
Extensions: A pair of centers in very different situations inked new deals with their current teams. First, the Blackhawks signed Jason Dickinson to a two-year, $8.5MM extension. Dickinson is in the middle of a breakout season offensively, notching 15 goals already; he had yet to crack double-digits over the past five years. He was a pending unrestricted free agent but will now continue to serve as a bridge veteran in Chicago. Meanwhile, the Capitals inked a key part of their future, agreeing to terms with Aliaksei Protas on a five-year, $16.875MM extension. The 6’6 23-year-old has just ten career NHL goals in 134 games but is a little under half a point per game this season. Clearly, Washington believes that he can get to another level offensively and be a strong middle-six piece for the foreseeable future.
Leaves Of Absence: Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin will be away from the team indefinitely as he has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. The 28-year-old was in the midst of his best season offensively as he notched 22 goals and 20 assists in his first 40 games before stepping aside. There is no set timeframe for how long he might be out as Nichushkin will only return once he’s cleared by program administrators. Meanwhile, the Flames announced that winger Dillon Dube has been granted an indefinite leave of absence to attend to his mental health. Last season, the 25-year-old had a career year with 45 points but he has struggled this season with just seven points in 43 contests and will now take some time away from the organization.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Coyotes Recall Justin Kirkland On Emergency Basis
The Coyotes have made a move to add some more forward depth before their game on Monday against Pittsburgh, announcing (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled winger Justin Kirkland from AHL Tucson on an emergency basis.
This is the fourth recall of the last month for the 27-year-old but his playing time over the first three was limited to just two appearances where he averaged just 7:14 per game. Kirkland has done well in limited action with the Roadrunners, however, collecting 16 points in 18 games; he’s nearly up to his AHL point total from last season already in 14 fewer appearances.
Arizona currently has just 12 forwards on its active roster and one of those – Nick Schmaltz – has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury. Head coach Andre Tourigny told reporters today including Remy Mastey of The Hockey News that he doesn’t expect that Schmaltz will be available to play against the Penguins. The Coyotes have dressed seven blueliners since then but with Kirkland’s presence on the roster, they’ll now have the option to go with the typical twelve-forward alignment.
Pacific Notes: Arvidsson, Fagemo, Duclair, Karlsson, Lyubushkin
The Kings have been without a key winger all season as Viktor Arvidsson works his way back from a back injury sustained during training camp. It appears they’ll be without the 30-year-old for a while yet as Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times notes that while Arvidsson has started skating on his own, he’s still two or three weeks away from rejoining the team for practice; it would obviously be longer than that before he’d be good to return. Arvidsson, who had one of his best years last season with 26 goals and 59 points, is currently on LTIR, giving Los Angeles ample room to carry a full-sized roster. They’ll have to get cap-compliant when the time comes to activate him which could come not long before the March 8th trade deadline.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Division:
- Still with Los Angeles, they have returned winger Samuel Fagemo to AHL Ontario, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 23-year-old has been up and down a couple of times now this week, getting into one game with the Kings during that time. Since being claimed back off waivers in November, Fagemo has been quite productive with the Reign, notching 20 goals in just 24 games.
- Pending unrestricted free agent winger Anthony Duclair has not yet had any discussions about a contract extension with the Sharks, reports Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. The 28-year-old has eight goals and eight assists in 41 games so far but has also been scratched as of late. Duclair, who represents himself, said that he expects to sit down at some point with GM Mike Grier to discuss a new deal. He’s currently making $3MM and with a 31-goal season under his belt on this contract back in 2021-22, he’s likely going to be looking for at least a small raise on that contract.
- After being recalled late Friday, Canucks forward Linus Karlsson has been returned to AHL Abbotsford, per a team announcement (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has played in four games with Vancouver over his four recalls and is still looking for his first NHL point. Karlsson has been productive in the minors though, collecting 25 points in 27 games so far.
- The Ducks announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin was scratched for their game tonight against the Rangers due to an upper-body injury. The 29-year-old has been a regular on Anaheim’s third pairing all season long, logging over 17 minutes a night in 45 games. While the pending UFA only has four assists, he also has contributed 117 blocked shots and 71 hits and is likely to attract some interest from playoff-bound squads looking to toughen up the back end of their defense corps in the coming weeks.
Ducks Receiving Strong Interest In Adam Henrique
Now less than two months before the trade deadline, teams are starting to get a sense of what might be out there on the trade front. Early indications are that it’ll likely to be a relatively thin center trade market on the trade front. Between that and his strong track record, the Ducks are receiving a lot of trade interest in middleman Adam Henrique, reports ESPN’s Kevin Weekes (Twitter link).
The 33-year-old has been a consistent second-line center for the past decade, reaching the 20-goal mark six times, the most recent of which was last season. He’s on pace to come close to that this year with 12 goals and 14 assists in 44 games; his 26 points rank fourth on Anaheim.
Of course, Henrique is also known for his two-way play as he has been a dependable matchup center and penalty killer for most of his career, a trend that has continued this season. He’s averaging nearly three minutes a night shorthanded and is over the 50% mark at the faceoff dot for the sixth straight year.
With an ability to play up and down the lineup, it comes as little surprise that the interest in Henrique has been strong. He’d slot in nicely on the third line on several contenders and could fit on the second line on a team that’s a bit more balanced while also giving a big boost on the penalty killing side. Players with the ability to do that are often coveted for the stretch run.
However, it must be noted that Henrique is on the pricey side from a salary cap perspective as his cap hit checks in at $5.825MM, an amount that matches his salary this season. While Anaheim can hold back half of that to help facilitate a trade, that would only pay down the pro-rated cap charge to $2.9125MM, an amount that would be difficult for some cap-strapped teams to take on. Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Ducks get asked to take a player back to help offset the rest of the cost or to try to get a third team involved to hold back another chunk of Henrique’s contract. Either way, expect his name to be in the rumor mill for the foreseeable future as he’s a strong bet to be moved by the March 8th deadline.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Reaves, Rafferty, Lightning
Maple Leafs winger Ryan Reaves has been on injured reserve for more than a month now with a knee injury. However, he told Sportsnet’s Luke Fox that he has been ready to return for a couple of weeks and he has simply been scratched for that time. The 37-year-old is in the first season of a three-year, $4.05MM contract signed back in July and things haven’t gone as planned with the veteran struggling when he was in the lineup to the point of being healthy scratched at times before the injury. Reaves noted that he’ll need to “stay patient to get in the lineup — or stay patient for whatever else is going to come” but clearly, his comments suggest that patience is starting to wear a little thin if he has indeed been ready to come back for the last two weeks.
More from the Atlantic:
- Before their game against Tampa Bay, the Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Brogan Rafferty from AHL Grand Rapids. It’s the second recall of the month for the 28-year-old although he didn’t see any NHL action in his first stint and barring injuries, it’s unlikely he’ll suit up much if at all this time around. Rafferty is in his first season with Detroit’s farm team after signing a two-year, two-way contract back in July. In 35 games so far with the Griffins, he has 15 points.
- The only injured Lightning player who could return before the All-Star break is defenseman Erik Cernak, relays Eduardo A. Encina of The Athletic (Twitter link). Cernak has missed a little more than a week with an upper-body injury but it appears he has a chance to come back in their final three games. Meanwhile, Encina adds that winger Tanner Jeannot remains listed as week-to-week while blueliners Mikhail Sergachev and Haydn Fleury – both currently on LTIR – could return after the break.