Examining Buffalo’s Pending Roster Crunch
It’s fair to say that the Sabres have underachieved relative to expectations this season, leading some to wonder if a big shakeup could be on the way. That might not be the case just yet but it certainly feels like a small one could be coming simply out of necessity.
Buffalo currently has 24 players on its active roster, one over the maximum of 23. They’re allowed to be in that situation during the roster freeze but once that lifts on Thursday, their hand is going to be forced and someone will have to come off the roster. On top of that, Zemgus Girgensons is nearing a return; he skated in practice for a few days leading up to the holiday break. He’s currently on injured reserve so when he’s ready to be activated, that’s another roster spot that will need to be opened up.
While the Sabres have several waiver-exempt players, it seems unlikely that most of them will be sent down. Up front, Zach Benson can’t go to the minors, only to junior and at this point, he’s expected to stay up with Buffalo. John-Jason Peterka is tied for third in team scoring so he’s not going anywhere. Jack Quinn, meanwhile, just returned and was a full-time regular last season so it’s unlikely he’d be sent down for any sort of extended stint.
On the back end, Owen Power clearly isn’t going anywhere either while Ryan Johnson has been a regular most nights lately; on merit, he shouldn’t lose his spot. Dropping him off the roster would also leave them with just six available blueliners which isn’t an ideal situation to be in.
In goal, Devon Levi is waiver-exempt and has been sent down once already this season. However, since returning from his brief stint with AHL Rochester, he has a .916 SV% in six games, a mark that should see him being deployed once again as their starting netminder. That makes him a non-desirable candidate to go down as well.
Faced with a variety of less-than-ideal demotion candidates from their waiver-exempt pieces, the next option might be the waiver wire. They’ve already gone that route recently with Jacob Bryson while Riley Stillman is also receiving a seven-figure salary to play for the Americans as well.
In terms of who could be options on that front, Victor Olofsson’s future with Buffalo has long been in question; had it not been for Quinn’s injury, some had wondered if he’d even be with the team at this point. He’s playing fourth-line minutes at even strength right now and with a $4.75MM price tag, it’s fair to say he won’t be claimed. If they’re looking for a way to keep as much depth as possible around, waiving and demoting him would accomplish that. With his contract, they’d have to take a player back if they traded him which wouldn’t solve the current roster logjam.
Tyson Jost might be on unstable ground as well from a waiver perspective. He now finds himself out of the top 12 with Quinn and Tage Thompson recently returning from their injuries. He has just four points in 28 games so far this season, a far cry from the 22 he had in 59 contests after being claimed from Minnesota in 2022-23. Speculatively, his $2MM cap charge might be enough to dissuade a team from picking him up on waivers although it’s worth noting that the Sabres didn’t balk at that cap hit a year ago. Meanwhile, a trade that didn’t involve taking a contract back as well also seems unlikely so going that route isn’t likely to clear a roster spot.
Eric Robinson, who was just acquired from Columbus, is another option. He has already cleared waivers once this season and considering the trade that brought him over was for about as close to nothing as possible, it’s unlikely he’d be claimed as well. Waiving and demoting him could ultimately wind up clearing the conditional seventh-round pick they gave up for him since it’s contingent on NHL games played for the rest of the season. While he has played well in limited action so far, Robinson is a viable option to land on waivers.
Then there’s Eric Comrie. The netminder has been in the third-string role a lot this season and his numbers when he has played (4.01 GAA, .863 SV%) haven’t been great. On the other hand, he has been a regular backup for the last couple of years. At $1.8MM, he might pass through waivers but if Buffalo was willing to retain on the contract – they have all three retention slots open – they might be able to get at least a late-round pick in a trade for him. While that would weaken their goalie depth, they do still have veteran Dustin Tokarski in the fold who can play in a pinch if need be.
Teams don’t like to be put in a situation where they’re going to be forced to make a move. But the Sabres are about to be in that spot with at least one spot to open on Thursday when the roster freeze ends and another one soon after when Girgensons returns. GM Kevyn Adams has some decisions to make as a result.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
East Notes: Chabot, Peca, Spicer
Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot is currently on LTIR with a leg injury but is eligible to return for their game tomorrow against Toronto. While that won’t happen, it appears he won’t be out much longer as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays that the 26-year-old has resumed skating and could be on target to return at some point on their upcoming Western Canadian road trip which gets underway a week from today. Injuries have limited Chabot to just nine games this season which has been a huge blow to a back end that has certainly struggled so far which played a role in last week’s decision to make a coaching change and bring back Jacques Martin on an interim basis.
Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:
- Larry Brooks of the New York Post examines (subscription link) the impact that Michael Peca has had on the Rangers’ coaching staff. He has been assigned to work on the power play and faceoffs this season and New York reached the break leading the league in both categories, checking in at 31.1% and 54.8% respectively. Accordingly, Brooks wonders if the long-time NHL center might attract consideration for a head coaching job this summer. This is his first season behind an NHL bench while he has two years as an assistant with AHL Rochester as well.
- Bruins prospect Cole Spicer’s season has come to an early end but not because of injury. The 2022 fourth-rounder has been ruled academically ineligible to play the second half of the year, reports Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune. Spicer is in his sophomore year at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and was moved onto their top line early in the season. After putting up six points in 32 games in 2022-23, the 19-year-old had a better showing in the first half of this season, notching five goals and four assists in 17 appearances.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Columbus Blue Jackets
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.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Current Cap Hit: $80,952,057 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Adam Fantilli (three years, $950K)
D David Jiricek (three years, $918K)
F Kent Johnson (one year, $925K)
F Kirill Marchenko (one year, $925K)
F Cole Sillinger (one year, $925K)
F Dmitri Voronkov (two years, $925K)
Potential Bonuses
Fantilli: $3.2MM
Jiricek: $1MM
Johnson: $1.85MM
Marchenko: $850K
Sillinger: $850K
Total: $7.75MM
Fantilli has come as advertised, quickly becoming one of the top players for the Blue Jackets. After briefly starting him on the wing, they’ve moved him down the middle where he has more than held his own. While it’s still quite early to project his next deal, if he can progress as expected, he’s a candidate to bypass the bridge contract. Comparables are around the $8MM mark now but that could be a little higher by 2026. Marchenko didn’t put up many assists last season but after scoring 21 goals, the coaching staff probably didn’t mind. He boasts a more typical scoring line early on this year and has established himself as a top-six piece. However, he feels like more of a bridge candidate; another 20-goal campaign could put him in the $3MM range.
Voronkov’s short-term future was in question not long ago but he has decided to stick it out in North America. He has settled in nicely in the bottom six and can play center and the wing. He’s someone who profiles as a longer-term secondary piece which means he’s likely looking at a bridge deal as well, one that comes in a bit below Marchenko’s. Sillinger had a nice rookie year but a rough sophomore campaign that has him still as a secondary piece. That will have him looking at a short-term second contract, possibly even a one-year deal in the $1.5MM range. Johnson, meanwhile, had a good first full season last year but has spent time in the minors this year, putting him squarely in bridge territory as well. His might come closer to the $2MM mark.
Jiricek has been eased into a full-time role with the Blue Jackets this season, averaging around 14 minutes a night. A decision will need to be made within the next month or so to determine whether they will let him accrue a year of service time toward free agency (triggered at 40 games on the roster). In a perfect world, he progresses to the point where they lock him up long-term but it’s still too early to call at this point.
As for the bonuses, Fantilli has a shot at all four ‘A’ bonuses ($1MM total) while Marchenko could hit a couple of his ($212.5K each). The other three are more long shots to hit any of theirs. GM Jarmo Kekalainen will likely want to try to finish this season enough below the Upper Limit to absorb any of these on this year’s cap rather than rolling some of the costs over to 2024-25.
Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level
D Jake Bean ($2.33MM, RFA)
F Emil Bemstrom ($900K, RFA)
D Nick Blankenburg ($825K, RFA)
F Yegor Chinakhov ($800K, RFA)
G Spencer Martin ($762.5K, UFA)
F Jack Roslovic ($4MM, UFA)
F Alexandre Texier ($1.525MM, RFA)
At times, Roslovic has been a productive cog but at others, he has struggled to the point of being dropped down in the lineup or even scratched. That said, he has back-to-back years of at least 44 points and was on pace for that early on this year before an ankle injury took him out last month. Impact centers are hard to come by so there will be teams showing interest even with his inconsistency; a multi-year contract around this price point should be doable for him.
Texier returned this season after spending 2022-23 in Switzerland; his contract was tolled as a result. He has shown flashes of top-six upside but consistency continues to be an issue. He’ll need a $1.75MM qualifying offer with arbitration eligibility. Columbus should give it to him but his next contract shouldn’t cost much more than $2MM barring a big uptick in production in the second half.
Bemstrom has cleared waivers in each of the last two seasons but has worked his way back up to the NHL relatively quickly both times. He’s a serviceable middle-six player but doesn’t have that one part of his game that makes him stand out. A $945K qualifier isn’t too high but with arbitration rights, he will be in non-tender territory. As for Chinakhov, he has voiced his frustration with his role and to his credit, he has been productive since then. Still, he’s likely heading for another short-term deal. This one should push past the $1MM mark with arbitration rights.
Bean had a good first season with the Blue Jackets in 2021-22 and looked like a key part of their top four on the blueline but injuries limited him last year while he has been a fixture on the third pairing this season. He’s still young enough to not give up on but a $2.8MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights might be a bit too rich for what they’re willing to pay. Blankenburg has been a nice college free agent addition to give Columbus more depth on the back end. His waiver exemption has hurt him this season and will likely cap him on a short-term deal once again, one that could land around the $1MM mark.
Martin was claimed off waivers in training camp and while he has played better than he did in Vancouver last season, that’s a pretty low bar to clear; his numbers are well below average this season. At this point, he looks more like a third option than a backup. Even so, the way that market moved over the summer, Martin could still be in line for a small raise in free agency on a one-way agreement.
Signed Through 2024-25
D Adam Boqvist ($2.6MM, RFA)
F Justin Danforth ($975K in 2023-24, $1.1MM in 2024-25, UFA)
F Sean Kuraly ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Mathieu Olivier ($1.1MM, UFA)
D Ivan Provorov ($4.725MM, UFA)*
G Daniil Tarasov ($1.05MM, RFA)
*-Los Angeles is retaining another $2.025MM on Provorov’s contract
Kuraly had a career season in his first year with his hometown team but hasn’t been able to produce at that level since then. Nonetheless, he’s still an effective checker who plays with an edge and can kill penalties. This might be a small premium for someone who might be best served on the fourth line but they rely on him to play a big enough role to justify this cost although it’s hard to see him landing much more than that in 2025.
Olivier is a pugilist who can handle a regular shift. There aren’t many of those still around so it’s possible he could still land a small raise on his next deal. When healthy, Danforth has been a versatile piece who can play up and down the lineup and hold his own. Getting that for close to a million a year is a nice piece of business. If he can stay healthy, a jump to the $1.5MM range could be doable.
Provorov was one of their big acquisitions to bolster the back end over the summer after coming over in a three-way trade and the results have been mixed so far. Nonetheless, he still is logging heavy minutes in all situations and will only be 28 when he hits unrestricted free agency. Provorov’s offense hasn’t come around like Philadelphia hoped it would when they gave him his current contract but he has settled in nicely as a secondary contributor on that front. Put that package on the open market in a more favorable cap environment and Provorov should be able to land at least a bit more than his current $6.75MM price tag (between what the Kings and Blue Jackets are paying him) while securing a max-term deal or close to it.
Boqvist was a key part of the return for Seth Jones but while he has shown some offensive promise in his time with Columbus, he has struggled to stay healthy (he’s currently out with a shoulder injury) and has spent time this season as a healthy scratch. At this point, his $3.12MM qualifying offer might be a bit too pricey unless he’s able to establish himself as an every-game regular by the end of next season.
Tarasov has shown some promise in limited NHL action although he has struggled at times as well. Ideally, he’s part of the longer-term solution between the pipes for Columbus but at this point, he needs to prove he’s worthy of the full-time backup role. If he can do that, he could push for closer to $2MM as an RFA with arbitration rights.
Signed Through 2025-26
D Erik Gudbranson ($4MM, UFA)
F Boone Jenner ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Patrik Laine ($8.7MM, UFA)
D Andrew Peeke ($2.75MM, UFA)
While the price tag was high, the fact that Laine signed a multi-year deal to stay with Columbus looked good considering the player he was traded for basically forced his way out of Winnipeg. When healthy the last two years, he has been near the point-per-game mark, helping to justify this price tag. This year has been one to forget, however, between his struggles and multiple injuries. He’ll need to get back to top form if he wants another contract anywhere near this price point.
As for Jenner, he has been underpaid for a lot of his tenure with Columbus. He has become more of a scoring threat over the last few years while being a faceoff ace and logging big minutes in all situations. He’ll be 33 when this deal ends but he should be able to land more than $5MM per season on a multi-year agreement if he can keep up this level of performance.
Gudbranson’s contract was widely panned from the moment it was signed as it seemed like an overpayment for someone best served on a third pairing. He has played a bigger role than that with the Blue Jackets, allowing them to get more bang for their buck so far. However, it would still be surprising to see him beat this price tag on his next deal. Peeke, meanwhile, looked to be on the rise after logging more than 21 minutes a night the last two seasons, leading to this contract. But this season, he has struggled to stay in the lineup, making him a potential change of scenery candidate. He’ll need to get back to being a regular to have a shot at getting more than this in 2026.
PHR Mailbag: Ovechkin, Lindholm, Campbell, Flyers, Blues, Calder, Final Four
Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include Alex Ovechkin’s chase to 895 goals, the potential viability of Edmonton moving Jack Campbell, and more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in our mailbag from over the weekend. We’ll also run one this weekend from the most recent callout for questions.
rule78.1: Based on what you have seen this year, does Ovechkin ever pass Gretzky?
As we sit here today, Ovechkin is at 828 goals, 66 behind Wayne Gretzky; he obviously needs 67 to pass him. This year has been ugly for Ovechkin and Washington’s offense although they’re holding onto a Wild Card spot, albeit ever so slightly.
I can’t see Ovechkin’s scoring struggles carrying on for the entire season. He’s at six in 31 games, a 16-goal pace. I think he at least hits 20 by the time the year ends. Let’s pick a completely random number and say he winds up at 23 and that the Caps find their scoring touch to an extent. Now the gap is 49 to tie, 50 to beat him.
Ovechkin has two years left on his contract. Could he average 25 goals per year in that stretch? I wouldn’t put it past him even if it looks like he’s slowing down.
But let’s say he comes up a bit short following the 2025-26 campaign. If he’s within, say, 10 goals of Gretzky at that point, I have to think Ovechkin is going to want to give it one more go to try to get the record. I’m sure Washington would be more than happy to bring him back for that attempt, even though he’d be 41; the marketing alone could make it worthwhile if he gets there. If not them, there would be other teams who certainly would be willing to give him that shot.
I know Ovechkin has struggled this season but I still think he’ll get the goal record eventually.
SkidRowe: Could the Bruins acquire Elias Lindholm in exchange for Hampus Lindholm and a Lindholm to be named later?
It’s too bad that Par Lindholm is no longer on Boston’s reserve list, we could have thrown him in there for good measure.
Calgary’s Lindholm is a fantastic fit for the Bruins. There’s no doubt about that. He’d help fill the role that Patrice Bergeron filled for many years which would fill arguably the biggest hole in their lineup right now.
The problem is that this probably isn’t the type of move the Flames should be looking to make. This is a treading water type of trade and would probably need to be made in conjunction with them moving Noah Hanifin for a young center. If they can pull this combo off and ownership provides a directive to not rebuild, maybe a package highlighted by the two Lindholms could work. That’s a couple of big ifs, however.
The idea of Boston adding Lindholm down the middle has been raised a lot going back to the summer but the same problem exists now as it did then. They don’t have many high picks in the near future to deal from and their prospect pool isn’t the deepest. The emergence of Matthew Poitras perhaps makes him more appealing than he might have been a few months ago but if GM Craig Conroy winds up starting a rebuild, I still think he’d be aiming for a higher-ceiling piece.
aka.nda: How can the Oilers trade Campbell? With the cap going up, is a buyout not feasible?
Let’s look at the buyout cost first as that’s going to play a role in any trade possibility as well. The total cost in actual dollars would be $9MM with a $10.5MM cumulative cap charge that would be spread out as follows:
2024-25: $1.1MM
2025-26: $2.3MM
2026-27: $2.6MM
2027-28: $1.5MM
2028-29: $1.5MM
2029-30: $1.5MM
(The variation in the first three seasons of the cap charge is due to the frontloaded structure of the contract.)
Jack Campbell is having a horrific season, no doubt about that. His trade value is most definitely on the negative side and it’s going to take a significant incentive to offload in its entirety. If you’re the acquiring team, you’re probably not taking on Campbell with the idea of trying to rehab his value and get him going again. That means you’re probably taking on a $9MM cash payout and dead cap money into the next decade. A first-round pick or a good prospect probably isn’t enough to justify taking that on.
Is it possible that Edmonton can move Campbell? Sure, but it doesn’t seem likely. Their best bet might be taking back a similarly high-priced underachieving contract but given their salary cap challenges, that’s a move that’s a lot easier said than done.
Now, is a buyout feasible for Edmonton? Fundamentally, the idea of a six-year dead cap charge is something I’d usually say no to but I think an exception could be made here.
If the Oilers are confident in Stuart Skinner being the starter, could Edmonton get a suitable backup for less than Campbell’s $5MM cap charge minus the buyout cost? Next season, they absolutely could with a bit of money left over which would be crucial given how tight their books are. For 2025-26 and 2026-27, it’s still possible although there probably wouldn’t be any savings left over. But if you can get someone who can play better than Campbell has, it’s still a net gain.
Three additional years at $1.5MM on the books will sting down the road but Edmonton is certainly a win-now team. A Campbell buyout could help them on that front so the short-term gain is arguably worth the longer-term pain.
Emoney123: Tortorella for Coach of the Year! Has this team turned the corner enough to use some draft capital to add in an attempt for some playoff wins or hold the course in the rebuild since they have two first-round picks [their own and Florida’s] and two second-round picks [Columbus and LA Kings] and Michkov, Gauthier, and Bonk in the system?
Right now, John Tortorella has to be right up there for the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year. The Flyers have been a lot more competitive than probably just about anyone expected. But with around 50 games left in the season for most teams (give or take a few), there’s still a long way to go. I’m not convinced they’re going to still be in a playoff spot two months from now let alone at the end of the year which probably will be what decides if Tortorella gets the award or not.
This is not a core group that’s a player or two away from doing damage in the playoffs so moving away some of their top draft capital for win-now options doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. I still think the likelier scenario is that they wind up selling by March 8th, not buying. And if they do hang in the mix and want to add, I’d want to see them moving later-round picks for specific role players in the hopes of giving their young core pieces some meaningful games without giving up much of consequence.
The only way I’d advocate for trading one of those draft picks is if they were getting someone in the 19-22-year-old range with high value. That fits their current younger core and if the player is a few years post-draft, it could help speed up the rebuild. But they’re very much still in the rebuild so moving those picks for veteran win-now pieces is not a move GM Daniel Briere should be considering.
Atlantic Notes: Nylander, Hutchinson, Miller
While the Maple Leafs locked up a key pending UFA back in August when they inked Auston Matthews to a four-year extension, they still have another member of their ‘core four’ to sign, winger William Nylander. In a recent TSN Insider Trading segment, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported that the two sides seem to be on the same page on a number of fronts while Nylander has affirmed his desire to stay with Toronto long-term. Currently carrying a cap hit of just over $6.96MM, the 27-year-old has a chance to push past the $10MM mark on his next agreement. He had a career-high 87 points last season and is on pace for 119 as things currently stand this year.
More from the Atlantic:
- While Michael Hutchinson wound up inking a two-way deal with the Red Wings earlier this week following a stint with their farm team, he acknowledged to Ken Wiebe and Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press that his preference was to go back to Winnipeg, the franchise he has had the most success with over an 11-year NHL career. Hutchinson noted that he did hold contract talks with the Jets but they ultimately opted to go with Collin Delia as their third-string option. Meanwhile, with Detroit missing both Ville Husso and Alex Lyon at the moment, the 33-year-old finds himself back at the top level for the time being so it’s safe to say that things wound up working out well for him after all.
- The trade deadline is fast approaching in the CHL and several NHL-drafted prospects will be on the move in the next couple of weeks. One of those appears to be Canadiens goaltender Quentin Miller as Kevin Dube of the Journal de Quebec reports that Miller will be moved to QMJHL Rimouski on Friday. The 19-year-old was a fourth-round pick back in June and has a 3.05 GAA and a .901 SV% with Quebec so far. Even though the trade has been agreed to in principle, Miller is expected to make one more start prior to the swap.
Five Key Stories: 12/18/23 – 12/24/23
The holiday break is upon us so it was a relatively quiet week around the NHL. Nonetheless, there was some news of note which is recapped in our key stories.
Hutton Extension: Not long after signing with Vegas the first time, Ben Hutton inked a two-year extension, the last season of which is 2023-24. But instead of testing the open market next summer, he has decided to stick with the Golden Knights, signing another two-year extension. The new deal will carry a cap hit of $975K, a raise of $125K on his current contract. The 30-year-old was expected to be a depth defender but has basically been a regular this season, getting into 29 games so far, picking up nine points while logging over 16 minutes a night.
Poitras Loaned: The Bruins will be without one of their regular centers for the next couple of weeks as they loaned Matthew Poitras to Team Canada for the upcoming World Juniors. The 19-year-old made a strong early impression in Boston this season, earning a full-time spot in the lineup and while he had slowed down a bit lately, he still has 13 points in 27 games. Notably, this delays Boston’s timeline for needing to decide on allowing him to accrue a full season of service time toward free agency. That threshold is 40 games on the roster (not 40 games played) but since he’s on loan, that clock will stop for the time being.
Smith Fired: The Senators have been a trendy pick to be a playoff team for a few years now but they have continually come up short. After another sluggish start this season, the team opted to make a change, firing head coach D.J. Smith. Taking his place is long-time NHL bench boss Jacques Martin who had joined Ottawa earlier this month as a consultant. Smith departs Ottawa with a 131-154-32 coaching record, good for just a .464 points percentage while the Sens never finished higher than sixth in the division under his tutelage. At 71, Martin is hardly a long-term option behind the bench but it seems likely he’ll serve as the coach for the rest of this season. He’ll be tasked with trying to fix Ottawa’s consistency issues along with their challenges in the defensive end. However, they hit the break 15 points out of a playoff spot so a second-half postseason push seems rather unlikely at this point.
Bear To Washington: Over the last few weeks, free agent Ethan Bear has been speculatively linked to Washington. That deal is now one step closer to being made official as the team announced that they expect to sign him at a later date. The reasoning for not doing so right away likely corresponded with the holiday break; with Bear still working his way back from a shoulder injury, there’s little need for them to sign and pay him until he’s ready to play. Speculatively, a deal should be finalized this coming week or soon after. The 26-year-old logged over 18 minutes a night on the back end with Vancouver last season and will give the Capitals some quality depth as they look to hang onto a playoff spot.
Injury News: There was some good and bad news on the injury front across the NHL. The Red Wings welcomed back captain Dylan Larkin after missing a little more than a week of action after sustaining a head injury against Ottawa, one that yielded a six-game suspension for David Perron which is still going through the appeal process. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, the Wild will be without Mats Zuccarello on a week-to-week basis due to an upper-body injury. The 36-year-old is still going strong this season, averaging a point per game in his first 28 contests. Anaheim had plenty of injury news as well as they welcomed back center Mason McTavish and Jamie Drysdale early in the week while losing Leo Carlsson for four to six weeks in that same game. Then on Saturday, they activated Trevor Zegras off IR after he missed 20 games with a lower-body injury. The Ducks are well out of playoff contention but getting some of their top young players back will certainly be beneficial from a development standpoint.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minor Transactions: 12/24/23
With no games on the NHL schedule until Wednesday, many teams snuck last-minute transactions in before the full roster freeze kicked in. We’ve covered a handful of them here throughout the day in Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, and St. Louis; here’s a rundown of the remaining moves. All transactions are via the AHL’s transactions log unless otherwise noted.
- The Capitals returned winger Ivan Miroshnichenko and center Hendrix Lapierre to AHL Hershey. Both players were recalled on Tuesday with Miroshnichenko making his NHL debut. He was held off the scoresheet in his three appearances while Lapierre has five points in 14 games with Washington so far.
- The Red Wings re-assigned center Austin Czarnik and defenseman Simon Edvinsson back to AHL Grand Rapids. Czarnik has been shuffled back and forth frequently this month and has one assist in 16 games with Detroit while Edvinsson, who was only brought up Saturday, made his season debut last night.
- The Kings loaned Jacob Moverare back to AHL Ontario after playing just shy of 15 minutes last night versus Calgary. The 25-year-old has been recalled and sent back down ten separate times each since mid-November.
- The Golden Knights have loaned goaltender Isaiah Saville back to AHL Henderson, per CapFriendly (Twitter link). He has been serving as their interim backup with both Adin Hill and Logan Thompson injured. As Thompson remains on the active roster, Saville was eligible to be sent back down. The 23-year-old was activated off SOIR earlier this month and has made three appearances for the Silver Knights.
- The Bruins sent three players back to AHL Providence – defensemen Mason Lohrei and Parker Wotherspoon along with center Patrick Brown. Lohrei has five points in 17 games so far in his first full professional campaign while Wotherspoon is logging nearly 16 minutes a night in eight games with Boston. As for Brown, he cleared waivers early in the season and has been brought up four separate times now; he has an assist in nine games at the top level so far.
- Boston also made one other transaction as they converted defenseman Ian Mitchell from an emergency recall to a regular one, per CapFriendly (Twitter link). Mitchell was recalled on Saturday and has two assists in 13 games with Boston so far. The Bruins will now be ineligible to send him down until after the roster freeze lifts.
- The Maple Leafs have returned center Pontus Holmberg to AHL Toronto. It’s the third time he has been sent back down since Wednesday as Toronto has been shuffling him up and down quite frequently. The 24-year-old has an assist in eight games with the big club so far.
- A day after recalling him, the Coyotes have sent center Justin Kirkland back to Tucson of the AHL. The 27-year-old had spent the full year with the Roadrunners prior to yesterday’s move, notching ten points in nine contests.
- Grant Hutton is once again on the move as the Islanders have sent him back to AHL Bridgeport, CapFriendly reports (Twitter link). He has been recalled and re-assigned six times apiece in the last month and has been limited to just two appearances with New York so far this season.
Many of these transactions will be undone on the 27th or 28th as NHL teams return to action. In the meantime, these teams will save a bit of salary money and cap space with these demotions. Toronto and Ottawa’s moves could have AHL implications as well as their two affiliates will play on Tuesday so the players they sent down could suit up in that contest.
Snapshots: Kahkonen, Three Stars, Minten
Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen is on an expiring contract, making him a candidate to be moved before the March 8th deadline. The 27-year-old told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News that he likes the direction that the team is heading in and would be open to re-signing with San Jose although he’s unaware of any discussions on that front at this point. Kahkonen was traded two years ago when he was on an expiring deal, coming to the Sharks in a swap with Minnesota. He has a .899 SV% in 15 games this season, a number that’s a little below league average but with the state of their roster and their struggles this season, that’s not a bad showing. Accordingly, teams looking for help between the pipes might be inclined to inquire about Kahkonen in the coming weeks.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- With the games for the week now over due to the holiday break, the NHL released its weekly Three Stars today. Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov was named First Star on the heels of recording seven points in four games including back-to-back overtime winners. Rangers center Mika Zibanejad is the Second Star after also notching seven points in four contests. Meanwhile, Red Wings winger Patrick Kane takes home the Third Star nod after leading the league in scoring with eight points in his four appearances.
- Maple Leafs prospect Fraser Minten has been named captain of Canada’s World Junior team, per an announcement from Hockey Canada (Twitter link). The 19-year-old made his NHL debut this season, getting into a pair of games before being sent back to the WHL where he has since been traded. Canada has four players with at least one game of NHL experience; all four of them are among the players who will be among their group of captains.
PHR Mailbag: Red Wings, Flyers, Devils Goaltending, Canucks, Senators Coaching Staff, Vincent
With plenty of questions submitted, we’re going to split the mailbag into three this time with the bonus edition running during the holiday break in the NHL calendar. Topics in this edition include who New Jersey should try to target for a goalie upgrade, Vancouver’s surprisingly strong first couple of months, and more.
gowings2008: The Red Wings clearly need to address their goaltending and could probably use another solid d-man or two. What are some options that Yzerman could reasonably explore to address those issues? It looks like Jonatan Berggren is available for trade, he could maybe be a key piece heading in the other direction in a trade.
I’m going to answer these out of order. Let’s talk about Berggren first. He’s a decent young player but if he’s the key piece of a trade proposal, they’re probably not getting a needle-moving veteran in return. That’s not to say he doesn’t have value but I’m not sure he’d be more valuable in an offer than a first-round pick. He’d get Detroit a decent veteran but it’d be more of a secondary addition, maybe a fourth or fifth defender using your wish list. Personally, I think they’d be better off playing him in the NHL and seeing if there’s another level he can get to.
As for the goaltending, I agree that it can be upgraded on but I don’t know how many assets they want to spend doing so. I’m going to touch on this in another question in a bit more detail but the goalie market isn’t the strongest right now. Yzerman could make a move for one of the few options out there but there’s no guarantee that player will come in from a different system and be materially better. A few points on a save percentage compared to Ville Husso is definitely doable but is that the big difference-maker in the playoffs if they can get there?
To that end, the idea of making the blueline better makes a lot of sense in theory; a better back end could fix some of Husso’s struggles between the pipes. But here’s the problem. Beyond Shayne Gostisbehere (who they’re probably not moving), the rest of their veteran blueliners are all signed beyond this season. That probably takes the Red Wings out of the rental market for defensemen as a lot of sellers won’t want to take a contract with term back for an expiring; they’d rather have the cap space. Jeff Petry might have a bit of value somewhere being below $2.4MM but Detroit can’t pay down that deal any further. Maybe flip him and then go for a rental? But even then, there’s trade protection that could complicate that idea.
But since you’re asking for some specific players, let’s look at other blueliners with term where Detroit could try to send a veteran back as a salary offset and then a key future asset or two. San Jose’s Mario Ferraro comes to mind as someone who could be an upgrade while his salary is around what some of the veterans they would need to move make. If Pittsburgh wants to shake up their secondary core, Marcus Pettersson could be a target as well. Bigger scale, I could see them sniffing around the idea of a sign-and-trade with Noah Hanifin although the acquisition cost would be a lot higher obviously. With Simon Edvinsson now up, it wouldn’t shock me if he gets a look to see if he can help stabilize things.
Black Ace57: What do the Flyers do? Even with their success this year should they be buyers considering they are still trying to rebuild? Do they stand pat? Even with their winning do they trade off pieces?
For the next month or two, they should stand pat. I don’t think this is a team that’s going to hold onto a playoff spot for too long so spending assets to try to cling to a postseason position doesn’t make much sense. At the same time, you don’t want to sell early either as there’s a lot of value in getting their younger players experience playing in a meaningful (for now, at least) playoff push.
Closer to the trade deadline in March, I’d deal from their defensive depth. We know Sean Walker and Nick Seeler are getting plenty of interest already and Marc Staal played a regular role for Florida through their playoff run last season so there might be a market for him. Clearing them off the roster will open up some more consistent playing time for the likes of Yegor Zamula and Ronnie Attard, among others. If they’re willing to pay down a decent chunk of Cam Atkinson’s deal, I could see there being a bit of interest in him as well. There’s nothing wrong with stockpiling some extra picks at this point in the process.
They’re also going to need to decide what to do with Morgan Frost. Right now, I think he still has some real trade value as young centers are always going to pique the interest of rebuilding teams. A player-for-player swap, getting someone who is a similar age with multiple years of team control, would make sense. But the longer he’s in and out of the lineup, the more his value decreases. I still think he can be a capable secondary contributor so I’m not saying move him now but they would be wise to make a decision on him regarding if he’s expendable or part of the plan sooner rather than later.
SpeakOfTheDevils: Who is the answer in net for the Devils???
Salary cap aside, I’d say John Gibson. I think playing behind a much better team with win-now expectations will get him back to being at least a little above average for the next couple of seasons. With New Jersey in a win-now window, that fits. Of course, the salary cap does play a big factor here and the fact he’s signed through 2026-27 at $6.4MM per season can’t be overlooked. With over $67MM in commitments for next season already per CapFriendly, adding another big ticket on their books will certainly complicate things. Of course, some of that can be offset in the short term by sending Vitek Vanecek and his $3.4MM AAV through 2024-25 the other way.
The problem here for New Jersey is one I alluded to earlier. In a season where good goaltending is hard to find, those who have it aren’t going to want to move it. Accordingly, the goalie market simply isn’t that deep in terms of who’s available. Jake Allen is a perfectly serviceable veteran. Is a perfectly serviceable veteran what they need right now? Probably not; I think they need more of an impact piece.
But who is that impact piece? Most of the netminders speculated to be available are of the depth variety. Daniel Vladar probably isn’t a difference-maker. If Detroit moved one of their three, James Reimer isn’t the solution. Spencer Martin could be had but he’s no better than what they have now. Maybe Karel Vejmelka moves the needle enough but the asking price is going to be rather high as someone with an above-average save percentage and a pretty good contract, one that carries a $2.725MM through the end of next season. Barring a huge return, the Coyotes have minimal incentive to move him, especially since they’re in a playoff spot at the moment.
Plan A for New Jersey is that Vanecek turns things around and Akira Schmid goes back to his 2022-23 form and that’s the answer in net, one that doesn’t require doing much. But if they want an impact netminder that could make a difference, I think Gibson is who they have to go after. It’ll take a salary offset (Vanecek) going the other way. It might even require compensating Anaheim for three-plus years of some level of retention so it won’t be easy. But if that’s what they need, it’s a move they need to find a way to make.
blues1967: Is Vancouver for real? I’m not a Canucks fan, but I’ve been impressed with their play. They are overdue for some success, as is Buffalo.
I don’t quite know what to make of the Canucks. They weren’t as bad a team as they were from last season so some improvement was reasonable to expect. But to be among the top teams in the league more than two months into the season? I’m not sure that was expected and I’m not sold that it’s entirely sustainable.
Brock Boeser is scoring at a torrid clip, one that’s entirely unsustainable at around 25%. They have two other forwards over 20% in a league where the average is generally around 8%. J.T. Miller is nearly at 20%, well above his career average. This is a good offense but not the best attack in the league. I keep expecting them to slip a bit in that regard and suspect it will happen at some point.
One element that does give me some confidence with regards to staying power is their goaltending. Thatcher Demko is back to being a high-level netminder and he has the ability to stay at that level or at least close to it. I’m not sure Casey DeSmith can maintain a .920 SV% but he’s an above-average backup who gives Vancouver a chance to win pretty much every game.
I’m ready to call them a playoff team but are they a contender? I wouldn’t go that far just yet as I think their offense is due to take a step or two back at some point in the second half of the season.
World Junior Notes: Donovan, Nelson, Molendyk, Luneau, Lindstein
Senators prospect Jorian Donovan was cut by Team Canada at their World Juniors selection camp earlier this month but Hockey Canada announced (Twitter link) that the defenseman has been added to their roster along with Kraken defense prospect Ty Nelson, another player originally cut from their selection camp.
Donovan was a fifth-round pick of the Sens in 2022 and has eight goals and 26 points in 31 games with OHL Brantford so far this season. He was notified of his addition on Friday and arrived in time for today’s 6-5 overtime loss to the United States in pre-tournament action and was named their Player of the Game.
As for Nelson, he was a third-round pick by the Kraken in 2022 and has been a prolific point producer with OHL North Bay. Last season, he finished third in the league for points by a defenseman with 76 in 67 regular season games while adding 25 more in 20 playoff contests. He’s producing at a similar rate this season with 31 points in his first 28 appearances.
Other news from the World Juniors:
- Those two being added to the roster means that two players have to come off. Those are Predators blueliner Tanner Molendyk and Ducks defenseman Tristan Luneau who are both out due to injury. Molendyk was dealing with a wrist issue while Luneau had missed pre-tournament games due to illness which has turned out to be a viral infection. Molendyk was off to a nice start with WHL Saskatoon before making the team as he already has 28 points on his season in just 24 games. Luneau, meanwhile, cracked Anaheim’s roster in training camp although playing time has been limited; he has played in seven games for the Ducks and six more while on a conditioning loan with AHL San Diego.
- Team Sweden has also made a roster move for the upcoming World Juniors. They announced (Twitter link) that Blues defenseman Theo Lindstein has been added to their roster for the event, replacing Jakob Noren who was injured in pre-tournament action. The 18-year-old was the 29th pick back in June and has spent the majority of this season in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan level, recording 11 points in 27 games so far. Louis now has seven prospects at the tournament, tied for the most among NHL teams with Arizona and Buffalo.