Salary Cap Deep Dive: Detroit Red Wings
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 2022-23 season and beyond. 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.
Detroit Red Wings
Current Cap Hit: $78,240,646 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Jonatan Berggren (two years, $925K)
D Moritz Seider (two years, $863K)
F Elmer Soderblom (three years, $878K)
F Lucas Raymond (two years, $925K)
F Joe Veleno (one year, $894K)
Potential Bonuses
Raymond: $2.5MM
Seider: $850K
Soderblom: $82.5K
Veleno: $425K
Total: $3.875MM
Raymond made an immediate impact on the Red Wings last season, quickly establishing himself as an impact scorer, something that has carried over in the early going this year as well. GM Steve Yzerman has typically been hesitant to commit long-term contracts off of bridge deals but the winger is a candidate to be an exception. A bridge deal could push past the $5MM mark while a long-term agreement could come closer to the $8MM range if he progresses in the second half of his contract. His ’A’ bonuses are likely to be reached ($850K in total) while the others are less likely. Veleno has locked down a regular role in the lineup but in a limited role. Assuming that continues, he’s someone that will likely receive a short-term second contract that should fall around the $1.75MM to $2MM mark.
Soderblom broke camp with Detroit and immediately became the tallest player in the NHL. When healthy, his role has been limited so far which makes it difficult to project his second contract. Assuming he remains in the bottom six for the next couple of years, he should check in close to what Veleno’s next deal will be. Berggren has done well in his limited action so far while being up on injury recall but is a candidate to go back to the minors as others return. As such, a short-term deal for close to the minimum (with a higher two-way salary or even a one-way pay) is his likely outcome.
Seider made quite the impression last season, quickly becoming Detroit’s top defenseman while taking home the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year. He’s off to a bit of a slower start this year but is still doing quite well all things considered. His contract is another case where Yzerman may have to deviate from the usual standard of going with a bridge deal. A short-term pact could resemble Rasmus Dahlin’s three-year, $18MM pact (likely higher with the salary cap being higher in 2024 than it is now) while a longer-term deal could put him in the range of Miro Heiskanen’s $8.45MM AAV (again, to be adjusted to the cap percentage at that time). He’s a safe bet to hit his four ‘A’ bonuses as well.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
F Tyler Bertuzzi ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Adam Erne ($2.1MM, UFA)
D Robert Hagg ($800K, UFA)
G Magnus Hellberg ($750K, UFA)
F Dylan Larkin ($6.1MM, UFA)
D Gustav Lindstrom ($850K, RFA)
F Matt Luff ($750K, RFA)
D Olli Maatta ($2.25MM, UFA)
G Alex Nedeljkovic ($3MM, UFA)
D Jordan Oesterle ($1.35MM, UFA)
D/F Mark Pysyk ($850K, UFA)
F Oskar Sundqvist ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Pius Suter ($3.25MM, UFA)
D Jake Walman ($1.05MM, UFA)
Decision time is fast approaching on what to do with Larkin. The captain seemed like a logical candidate for an early extension back in the offseason but clearly, the two sides are far enough apart that such a move couldn’t be reached. He’s a strong candidate for a max-term agreement (eight years with Detroit if he signs before free agency, seven years elsewhere) with an AAV that should push him past the $8MM mark. Bertuzzi is another player they have to decide on but staying healthy has been an issue already this season which complicates things. When he’s on, he plays at a 30-goal level which is worth upwards of $6MM on the open market on a long-term deal. But if he can’t stay in the lineup, his market won’t be as strong. While a short-term contract in unrestricted free agency isn’t ideal, it’s an option he might have to consider if things don’t go well this year; such a deal would likely come with a small raise from what he’s making now.
Suter’s per-game numbers aren’t far off what they were in his rookie season with Chicago. While those don’t jump out off the page, he looks primed to hit the market at 27 with a more proven level of production and an ability to play both center and the wing. There’s bound to be a strong market as a result which could push him into the $4MM range. Sundqvist hasn’t been able to crack the top six but has settled in the last few years as someone that can contribute from the third line. He also plays both center and the wing and can kill penalties but the limited production will limit his earnings upside. Even so, he has a good enough track record to add half a million or so on his next deal.
Erne hasn’t quite been able to live up to the offensive upside he showed a couple of years ago although he remains a physical presence in the bottom six. If a team or two thinks they can unlock the production, he could add a few hundred thousand to his AAV while if not, a similar contract to his current one is possible. Luff was injured shortly after being recalled and is a strong candidate for a one-year, two-way deal at the NHL minimum once again.
Maatta came to Detroit with the hopes of rebuilding his value after a few tough seasons. So far, so good on that front as he’s logging a little over 20 minutes a game while being on pace for 30 points which would narrowly beat his career high. Even so, his struggles before that should limit his market somewhat. If he stays at this level of play, a jump into the $3.5MM range could be possible for him. Oesterle hasn’t been able to lock down a regular spot in the lineup with Detroit and barring any changes in that situation over the rest of the season, he’s likely looking at a deal closer to the league minimum next summer.
Walman recently returned from injury and is looking to secure a full-time role in the lineup. If he can do that, a small raise should be on the table for him. Lindstrom is a depth player who can’t crack either special teams role which isn’t ideal. He’s owed nearly $1MM on his qualifying offer and it shouldn’t take much more than that to sign him for next season. Hagg and Pysyk both signed their deals last summer and there’s no reason to think their markets will drastically change for next July, especially with Pysyk having missed all of this season so far due to a torn Achilles tendon.
This has not been a good contract year for Nedeljkovic who has struggled mightily this season to the tune of a 4.33 GAA and a .873 SV%, numbers that are among the worst in the league. His track record is still rather limited (just 94 regular season games) which complicates things. If these struggles continue, he’s likely to land a one-year deal somewhere in the hopes of rebuilding his value. If he can turn things around a bit, a medium-term agreement around this price point isn’t impossible. Hellberg has bounced around this season without playing a whole lot. Those don’t help his cause for his next deal which, at this point, shouldn’t cost much more than his current one. If he can find a way to get into a few games at least and hold his own, that could push him closer to the $1MM mark.
Signed Through 2023-24
D Filip Hronek ($4.4MM, RFA)
F Dominik Kubalik ($2.5MM, UFA)
F David Perron ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Michael Rasmussen ($1.46MM, RFA)
F Jakub Vrana ($5.25MM, UFA)
Vrana’s case is going to be difficult to predict as he has played just twice this season before entering the Player Assistance Program. Last season, he was injured for most of the year. When available, he has been quite effective since joining Detroit, with 22 goals and 10 assists in 39 games. But coming off what’s likely to be two limited seasons, can he realistically command much more than he’s getting now? Perhaps on a short-term deal but there may be some hesitance to work out a long-term agreement. Perron won’t have that question as he’ll be 36 by the time his next contract starts so his will be a short-term deal no matter what. If he continues to hover around the 60-point range, he could garner a small raise.
Kubalik’s hot start might not be fully sustainable but as long as he can hold down a top-six role, he’ll outperform this contract. If he can play near this level for this season and next, he could command more than $6MM on the open market. But that’s a big if based on what transpired over his time with Chicago which makes it difficult to forecast what his next contract will be based on his previous volatility in production. Rasmussen is on his bridge deal now and is very slowly but surely starting to assert himself more. Even if he stays on the third line, he could have a shot at doubling this price tag in 2024 and if he can move up higher in the lineup with some regularity, something closer to the $4MM range is doable.
Hronek’s future with Detroit was in question over the summer although he’s still with them now and is still logging big minutes while being off to the best start offensively of his career. He’ll be owed a $5.28MM qualifying offer when this deal is up while being one year away from unrestricted free agency. If he produces close to the 35-point level he has been at in the past, a long-term deal around $6MM could come his way. If he can sustain his current level of production, however, add a couple million per season onto that.
Nikolaj Ehlers Undergoes Surgery
Nov 23: Ehlers underwent surgery today in Detroit, according to Sean Reynolds of Sportsnet. Team reporter Sara Orlesky tweets that the expected recovery period is between six and eight weeks. Even that timeline seems optimistic, and sports hernia surgeries are notorious for affecting hockey performance long after a player is medically cleared.
Nov 19: It has been a tough year so far for Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers. He suffered an injury in the second game of the season and hasn’t played since then, missing a month. It’ll be quite a while before he’s back as head coach Rick Bowness told reporters, including Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun that Ehlers will undergo sports hernia surgery next week with no timetable for his return. However, he is expected to return at some point this season.
The 26-year-old has been a key part of Winnipeg’s attack for several years now and was coming off arguably his best season in 2021-22 when he had 28 goals and 27 assists in 62 games. He was even productive in his lone two appearances with a trio of assists this year. Unsurprisingly, his absence has been a blow to the Jets’ offense this season as they enter play today sitting 28th in the league in goals scored although strong goaltending has helped lead them to a 10-4-1 record. Ehlers had taken part in a skate with the team back on Wednesday in the hopes of returning but clearly, something didn’t go as planned.
Winnipeg is one of only nine teams with at least $1MM in cap space at the moment, per CapFriendly which gives them at least a little bit of flexibility to work with. They’re currently carrying eight defensemen and could move out one of those to free up a bit more space to add a replacement forward beyond a recall from AHL Manitoba which is how they’ve managed so far even with forwards Morgan Barron and Mason Appleton out after undergoing wrist surgeries. While GM Kevin Cheveldayoff was likely wanting to hold onto his cap space to maximize his options at the trade deadline, a prolonged absence for one of his top forwards might be enough to force his hand sooner than he’d have liked to.
Metropolitan Notes: Capitals, Reaves, Konecny, Popugayev
There could be some much-needed help coming on the injury front for the Capitals as NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti relays (Twitter link) several updates. First, winger T.J. Oshie skated before practice today and could rejoin the team tomorrow. The 35-year-old has missed the last ten games due to a lower-body issue and had five points in nine games prior to the injury.
Meanwhile, center Nicklas Backstrom also took part in the skate before practice. He is attempting to work his way back from hip resurfacing surgery back in June. He’s not expected to skate tomorrow and there remains no timetable for his return but the fact he’s skating now is a promising sign that he might be able to come back at some point this season.
Lastly, winger Tom Wilson has also started skating on his own lately as he works his way back from ACL surgery back in May. There is no timetable for his return as well but the recovery period for that injury typically ranges from six to eight months and he’s already past the short end of that timeline.
More from the Metropolitan:
- For years, Rangers winger Ryan Reaves has been a consistent presence on the fourth line for several teams. However, that hasn’t been the case this season as he has only played in three games so far this month, spending the rest of the time as a healthy scratch. Accordingly, Larry Brooks of the New York Post opines that New York could opt to waive the 35-year-old in order to free up some extra cap space both now and at the trade deadline. They wouldn’t be able to clear his entire $1.75MM cap hit off the books if he was to be sent to AHL Hartford (they’d only get a prorated $1.125MM in space) but if he’s going to continue to have a limited role, it’s a move they’ll have to seriously consider.
- Flyers winger Travis Konecny won’t play tonight in Montreal as he has returned to Philadelphia to be evaluated for his upper-body injury, notes Olivia Reiner of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The injury is believed to be to his hand and was sustained on Thursday against Boston. Konecny had been off to a very strong start to his season as he leads the team in scoring with 19 points in 17 games. Now, he joins a long injury list up front that includes Sean Couturier, Cam Atkinson, and James van Riemsdyk, among others.
- Devils prospect Nikita Popugayev has been traded in the KHL as SKA St. Petersburg announced that they have acquired the winger from Sochi in exchange for cash considerations. The 23-year-old has already set new career highs offensively with nine goals and five assists through 28 games which could get him back on the NHL radar this summer. Popugayev’s contract in Russia runs through this season with New Jersey retaining his rights indefinitely due to there being no transfer agreement in place with the Russian Federation.
PHR Mailbag: Capitals, Ristolainen, Ruff, Gibson, Summer Regrets, Kraken, Wild, Predictions, Fedotov
Topics in this edition of the mailbag include what might be next for Washington, Lindy Ruff’s future in New Jersey, some summer moves that teams might want a mulligan on, and more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in last weekend’s column.
2012orioles: Will the Capitals do anything with their LTIR money?
KRB: Only 22.5% of teams outside of a playoff position at American Thanksgiving make the playoffs. Washington may be outside looking in at that cut-off date, Peter Laviolette’s contract expires at the end of this season, and only Carlson is signed of their D corps, beyond this year. Are the Caps sellers at the deadline? Too early to speculate?
As we did with the Los Angeles questions last week, let’s combine the Washington ones.
I fully expect Washington will use their LTIR money, it just might not be the way you think. For starters, they’ve already used some on claiming Nicolas Aube-Kubel from Toronto. The rest is going to depend on Nicklas Backstrom. If he’s able to return later this season (he skated today which is certainly promising), they’re going to need what’s left of Connor Brown’s LTIR money to try to get cap-compliant to be able to activate him. (They’ll have to get a bit creative to free up the rest of the room from there.) But if Backstrom can’t return in-season, then yes, they’ll be able to go out and add another piece. LTIR space doesn’t bank like regular cap space does so in theory, they could do something sooner than later but knowing the uncertainty with Backstrom, I suspect they’ll wait for a little while until they have a firmer understanding of when he might be able to come back.
I have a hard time thinking Washington is going to be sellers unless things really go off the rails and they have no choice but to move some expirings at the deadline. And even in that scenario, it’d be a one-year sell with an eye on getting back into the mix in 2023-24.
As bad as the early season has gone, they’re just three points out of a playoff spot heading into today’s games. Tom Wilson is going to be back before too long and that will be a significant boost to an injury-depleted forward group so there’s a bit of room for optimism on the horizon.
There was speculation last month that Laviolette would be the next coach to sign an extension. Perhaps the sluggish start gives GM Brian MacLellan pause but I don’t think Laviolette’s contract situation is going to play much of a role in their decision-making. They’re built to be a win-now team and I expect they’ll operate that way as long as they can which means that if they can add (depending on Backstrom’s situation), they’ll do that.
DonnieBaseBallHOFer: I know it’s early yet to talk trades, but what are the odds the Flyers try to move Risto and that terrible contract? He’s currently on the outs with Torts (but then on a daily basis someone always is) but I feel that even though he brings the physicality Torts wants, the defensive lapses are just too much to overcome. And, who would be more likely to move…Risto or JVR? I lean towards JVR, even though he has more value to the Flyers than Risto at this point. Between these contracts and the career-threatening injuries, the immediate future seems bleak…hoping some of the younger kids in the AHL develop soon….
To say there has been some angst during Rasmus Ristolainen’s tenure with the Flyers would be an understatement. The price to acquire him seemed high and then the decision to not trade him at the trade deadline didn’t go over well. Neither did the five-year, $25.5MM extension he signed. And now that he is seemingly in John Tortorella’s doghouse, things are somehow getting worse.
Having said all that, I’d say the odds of them trying to move Ristolainen right now range from slim to nil. It’s clear that GM Chuck Fletcher is a big believer in the 28-year-old and a rough seven-week patch probably isn’t going to change that. There’s also the matter of the contract. The trade market is minimal at this point to begin with but I find it hard to believe that there will be teams lining up to trade value for Ristolainen when his value is by far the lowest it has ever been. And if the options are either to give up assets to get out of the contract or keep him and hope things work out, I suspect they’ll opt for the latter.
So, to answer the second half of your question, James van Riemsdyk is the likelier of the two to move. Closer to the trade deadline, there should be some interest in him as a middle-six scoring upgrade as long as the Flyers are willing to retain 50% of the rest of the contract (which runs through the end of this season). It might not be a significant return as there will be other wingers like him available (probably on cheaper deals) but they should be able to get a small something for him.
Grocery stick: Coach Ruff has been seen as a stopgap solution between now and the moment the Devils are ready for contention. The Devils had a strong start to the season and – perhaps even more importantly – have some impressing offensive and possession metrics. I guess that offensive uptick was exactly what they hoped for when they signed Ruff. Did this start to the season improve Ruff’s chances of staying at the helm long-term? Or is he basically just accelerating time until his successor steps in?
New Jersey’s strong start has only gotten better since this question was posed as they enter play today on an 11-game winning streak which has them first in the Metropolitan Division. But I still don’t think Ruff is viewed as the long-term coach for the Devils.
You used stopgap as the type of coach Ruff was viewed as heading into the season and I had a similar term for him as well and still do. He turns 63 in February and while there’s no must-retire age for coaches, he’s probably not too far away from that point. I’m not even sure this earns him an extension right away – he’s in the final year of his contract – as GM Tom Fitzgerald probably wants to see if this is sustainable before entertaining that idea.
The moment they hired Andrew Brunette, New Jersey had their coach of the future as long as someone doesn’t swoop in and hire him away before they’re ready to make that switch. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they hired an offensive-minded younger coach to apprentice behind an offensive-minded older coach; it’s a natural succession plan but Brunette won’t want to be in the number two role for any extended period of time.
When Ruff was hired, I pegged him as a bridge coach, one that could get the team going offensively and aid in the development of core youngsters like Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. He has done that, even when the results weren’t great last year. Perhaps this buys him a short-term extension over time but this is his third season with the team now. I’d be surprised if he lasts three more which is probably needed for him to be considered as a long-term coach.
Vegas Moved: Is there any indication Anaheim might move Gibson? What sort of haul could they expect?
There has been speculation about John Gibson and the possibility of a trade for a few years now but I don’t really see why. I get one side of the discussion – Anaheim is in a rebuild and Gibson might not mind going to more of a contending team. However, the other side is where I struggle to see a fit. With how Gibson has played lately, what contending team will want him?
Gibson has been below the NHL average in save percentage for each of the last three seasons and is once again below that mark early on this year at .893 while his 4.13 GAA is far from ideal either. Is that the statistical profile that teams would want? Granted, there is a possibility that he’d improve on a better team. But to what extent? If he gains 10 points on his save percentage, that just brings him back to where he was the last three years, below average. If he shaved half a goal per game off, he’d still be near the bottom of the league. At a full goal per game improvement, his GAA would improve to mediocre.
There’s also the contract to consider as he’s signed through 2026-27 at $6.4MM. For that money and commitment, you’re not exactly getting bang for your buck anymore. So what teams are lining up to provide anything let alone a haul for Gibson? If anything, Anaheim would be trying to incentivize teams to take on the rest of the contract.
I have to be honest, I misread this deal a few years ago. I thought this would be a contract that was ahead of the curve, one that was about $1MM higher than the goalie median at the time but as the cap continued to increase, goalie salaries would go up and they’d have an above-average goalie at about an average price tag. But the cap stopped going up and Gibson stopped being an above-average goalie. That was the worst-case scenario for the Ducks and it came true here.
West Notes: Myers, Shaw, Luypen, Blumel
With the Maple Leafs set to miss Jake Muzzin for several more months and perhaps longer, it has led to some speculation that they could look to acquire a veteran rearguard in his place. To that end, some have suggested that Canucks blueliner Tyler Myers could be a fit but Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston reports that Toronto’s interest is believed to be lukewarm at most. Myers is signed through next season with a $6MM AAV and has logged over 20 minutes a night throughout his career. However, his production has fallen off over the past few seasons as he has only scored once in his last 97 games.
Elsewhere in the Western Conference:
- Mason Shaw has impressed since being recalled from the minors last month and has made enough of an impression on the Wild that they’ve told him that he’ll be staying up with them for the rest of the season, relays Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press. The 24-year-old played in three games with Minnesota last year but has already surpassed that with a dozen appearances this season that have seen him pick up two goals and three assists along with 24 hits while averaging nearly 13 minutes a night of ice time. Shaw is making the league minimum this season and will have arbitration rights next summer.
- Back in August, when the Blackhawks signed prospect Jalen Luypen to an entry-level contract, it was expected that the 20-year-old would play with AHL Rockford this season. However, Scott Powers of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that the plan has changed now that his junior rights were acquired by Tri-City. Instead of turning pro, Luypen will report for his final season in the WHL once he’s cleared to return after he underwent rotator cuff surgery in the summer. Even though he’ll go back to junior, he will burn the first year on his contract this season.
- The Stars have brought back Matej Blumel, notes Matthew DeFranks of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). He was sent down yesterday when it was expected that they’d need to bring up an extra goaltender. However, that’s no longer the case so Dallas has the cap room to bring the 22-year-old back up.
Sabres Claim Tyson Jost Off Waivers From Wild
The Sabres have added some extra depth up front as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that they have claimed center Tyson Jost off waivers from Minnesota.
The 24-year-old was acquired by the Wild back at the trade deadline last season in exchange for Nico Sturm. They were hoping that a change of scenery would help Jost to unlock the potential he showed in the past that made him the 10th overall pick in 2016. He was a little better down the stretch last season with six points in 21 games which gave them cause for a little bit of optimism heading into this season.
Unfortunately, things haven’t gone well this season. Jost was limited to just three assists in 12 games while spending a lot of time on the left wing. He was also a healthy scratch in five games and that’s simply not a good return on a $2MM price tag. Unable to trade him, the Wild put Jost on waivers yesterday. His full contract will come off the books which will give GM Bill Guerin considerably more flexibility as he looks to upgrade his roster that currently sits on the outside looking in at the playoff race.
As for Buffalo, it’s a claim that doesn’t carry a lot of risk and there’s a clear path to playing time for Jost. Riley Sheahan is currently playing center on their fourth line and Jost represents a younger, more talented option at this point of his career. If the Sabres envision him on the wing, Anders Bjork has already cleared waivers this season and the Sabres took advantage of that as he was sent back to AHL Rochester in a corresponding move.
Notably, Jost’s contract is a little back-loaded so while his cap hit is $2MM, his qualifying offer next summer stands at $2.25MM, his actual salary this season. He’ll need to show some improvement if he wants a chance at receiving that tender in June; perhaps this change of scenery will be the one to help get him going.
Canadiens Activate Mike Matheson Off Injured Reserve
The Canadiens will welcome back a key defenseman tonight against Philadelphia as the team announced (Twitter link) that Mike Matheson will make his Montreal debut after being activated off injured reserve.
The 28-year-old was acquired from Pittsburgh over the offseason in a move that saw defenseman Jeff Petry and center Ryan Poehling join the Penguins. Matheson, who was coming off a career year with Pittsburgh that saw him put up 11 goals and 20 assists in 74 games, was expected to play the role that Petry had last season as Montreal’s number one defender but he suffered an abdominal injury early in the preseason. Originally diagnosed as a day-to-day issue, it was then suggested that he’d be out until mid-December but clearly, he’s ahead of that timeline.
Montreal freed up a roster spot yesterday when they returned forward Rem Pitlick to AHL Laval so they don’t have to make any other moves for now. Instead, they’ll opt to carry eight defensemen and will sit one of their rookies as Jordan Harris is expected to be scratched for the first time this season. With four rookies (three of them being waiver-exempt) on their active roster, that’s not a particularly tenable situation from a long-term perspective but for now, they’ll welcome Matheson back and potentially begin a rotation of the final two spots on the back end.
Blue Jackets Recall Billy Sweezey
As the injuries continue to pile up in Columbus, the Blue Jackets have had to dip deeper into their depth chart with some players getting their first NHL opportunities. Today, that’s the result for defenseman Billy Sweezey as the team announced they’ve recalled him from AHL Cleveland.
The 26-year-old undrafted free agent has taken a slower route to the NHL. After playing out his college career at Yale, he signed a minor-league deal with Pittsburgh in 2020. That was enough to get him a minor-league pact with Columbus last season where he put up 11 points in 70 games along with 114 penalty minutes. Those numbers don’t jump off the page but GM Jarmo Kekalainen thought highly enough of him to commit a two-year, two-way deal for this season, one that pays him the league minimum at the NHL level in both seasons.
This season, Sweezey has been a bit more involved offensively with five assists through his first 14 games with AHL Cleveland which has helped him earn this recall. Columbus is currently without Zach Werenski, Jake Bean, Adam Boqvist, and Nick Blankenburg who are all on injured reserve and while David Jiricek has done well in the minors so far, the Blue Jackets are trying to manage his NHL action as his contract would slide a year as long as he plays in nine or fewer games. With Sweezey’s recall, the team now has seven healthy defenders on their active roster.
Atlantic Notes: Lightning, Senators Sale, Barkov
The Lightning transferred defenseman Cal Foote to injured reserve today, notes Erik Erlendsson of Lightning Insider (Twitter link). He has missed the last three games since suffering an upper-body injury on a hit from Capitals winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel last week, one that earned him a three-game suspension. The placement might be a short-term one, however, as the 23-year-old is skating in a non-contact sweater which suggests he might be close to returning. Tampa Bay has the option to back-date the placement to last week in which case they’d be able to activate Foote as soon as Monday.
What the placement does is give the Lightning an open roster spot, one that Erlendsson suggests could be used to activate blueliner Zach Bogosian tomorrow. The 32-year-old has yet to play this season since undergoing shoulder surgery back in July and would be a welcome addition to their third pairing if he is indeed given the green light to suit up in that one.
More from the Atlantic Division:
- Add another suitor to the list of groups interested in purchasing the Senators as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Angelo Paletta and his family have expressed interest in the franchise. Paletta looked to bring another team to Southern Ontario back in 2018 while also looking to purchase the Coyotes one year later.
- While the Panthers had to play short a player last night due to a lack of cap space, that won’t be the case for their game against Calgary on Saturday. Head coach Paul Maurice told reporters including Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) that he is optimistic that center Aleksander Barkov will return for that contest after missing yesterday’s game against Dallas due to an undisclosed injury. Since they played with only 17 skaters for that one, they’re now allowed to make an emergency cap-exempt recall from AHL Charlotte but Maurice indicated that they don’t plan to do so at this time.
Canucks Activate Curtis Lazar, Assign Will Lockwood To AHL
The Canucks are set to welcome back one of their centers in advance of tonight’s game against Los Angeles as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve activated Curtis Lazar off injured reserve. To make room for him on the roster, Vancouver re-assigned winger Will Lockwood to AHL Abbotsford.
Lazar signed a three-year contract with the Canucks on the opening day of free agency back in July and was expected to anchor their fourth line, the role he held for a lot of his time with Boston previously. He got into seven games last month but was shut down late in October after it was revealed that he was playing through an undisclosed injury. Lazar had a goal and 17 hits in those contests while logging just shy of 12 minutes per game.
As for Lockwood, his second NHL stint of the season lasted longer than the first but that’s not saying much as he was only brought up on Tuesday and lasted just one extra day this time. However, he did make his first NHL appearance of the season on this recall, picking up an assist against Buffalo on Tuesday. Lockwood has been productive in the minors this season with five goals and two assists in ten appearances down there which will keep him at or near the top of the recall list whenever another recall is needed.