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Central Notes: Mittelstadt, Stars, Kealty

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Casey Mittelstadt’s first full season with the Avalanche hasn’t gone as well as anyone would have hoped.  Acquired at the trade deadline last year for Bowen Byram in a move that was intended to stabilize their center depth, the 26-year-old has instead had some struggles, notching just eight goals and 18 assists through 46 games despite logging nearly 18 minutes a night.  That has led some to wonder if the Avs might need to make a move to upgrade that spot again.  However, Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette argues that selling low on Mittelstadt probably isn’t the right move.  For starters, there aren’t many prominent middlemen expected to be made available in the coming weeks while Colorado isn’t exactly loaded with trade chips and they’d have to use some to upgrade on Mittelstadt.  Those chips might be better served being used to fill other needs so the most prudent course of action for the Avalanche may be to hope that Mittelstadt can work his way out of his first-half struggles.

More from the Central:

  • Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News spoke with (subscription link) assistant GM Mark Janko to go over the reasoning for why Tyler Seguin hasn’t been placed on LTIR just yet which boils down to them simply not needing to do so. Seguin underwent hip surgery six weeks ago, a procedure that will keep him out for at least four months and Assimakopoulos notes that the team doesn’t expect him back at the four-month mark as he’s not expected back until after the regular season.  With his absence, it’s fair to say that the Stars will be looking for some scoring depth between now and the March 7th trade deadline, especially if they eventually do move Seguin to LTIR to open up close to $10MM in extra cap space.
  • USA Hockey announced on Friday that Jeff Kealty will serve as GM for their entry into the men’s World Championship in May. He’s in his 24th season with the Predators and his seventh as their assistant GM and Scouting Director.  While he’s not an NHL GM, he’ll be working with several of them to help assemble the roster as he’ll be assisted by the U.S. Men’s National Team Advisory Group consisting of John Vanbiesbrouck and no fewer than ten active NHL general managers.

Avalanche Recall Ivan Ivan

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Ivan Ivan was one of the early-season surprises for the Avalanche, going from an undrafted free agent signing to someone who played a regular role early on before recently being sent down.  However, his time in the minors is over for now as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been recalled from AHL Colorado.

The 22-year-old spent last season on a minor-league deal with the Eagles, notching 12 goals and 19 assists in 62 games, a more than respectable showing as a rookie.  That was enough for the Avs to ink Ivan to a two-year entry-level deal last March, giving them the chance to use him with the big club.

That opportunity came sooner than many expected as a strong preseason showing helped him break camp with the Avalanche.  Ivan has played in 37 games with them so far this season, recording five goals and three assists while averaging 10:24 per night but hasn’t had a point since late November.  He suffered an upper-body injury in late December and the Avalanche recently sent Ivan down to the Eagles to get a bit of playing time upon recovery.  He got into two games with the Eagles, picking up a goal and an assist.

With Ivan’s return, Colorado is now at the maximum of 23 players on its active roster.

West Notes: Nichushkin, Arvidsson, Gourde

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The Avalanche could have a key winger back in the near future as head coach Jared Bednar told reporters including Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette (Twitter link) that Valeri Nichushkin is getting close to returning.  He has been out since suffering a lower-body injury at the end of December.  He also missed the first month of the campaign while being in the Player Assistance Program but when he has been in the lineup, Nichushkin has been quite productive.  He has 11 goals and six assists through 21 games so far this season, good for eighth in team scoring despite missing more than half of their games.

Elsewhere out West:

  • Oilers winger Viktor Arvidsson left yesterday’s game against Colorado late in the third after blocking a shot. However, Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that the undisclosed injury isn’t believed to be too serious.  That’s certainly good news for Edmonton as the 31-year-old has been a solid performer for them when healthy.  While he missed 15 games earlier in the campaign with an undisclosed injury, Arvidsson has picked up 15 points in 30 games thus far, giving them some much-needed secondary scoring.
  • Given the number of teams believed to be looking for center help, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli believes that the Kraken could be able to receive a first-round pick for pending UFA middleman Yanni Gourde. It has been a fairly quiet year for the 33-year-old who has six goals and ten assists in 35 games thus far.  However, as someone who can kill penalties, play an important defensive role, play the wing if needed, and has a track record of some playoff success, Gourde is sure to receive significant interest.  However, Seattle will almost certainly have to pay down the contract, one that carries a $5.167MM price tag that few contenders can afford.

Avalanche And Mikko Rantanen Not Making Progress In Extension Discussions

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Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen has been one of the top-scoring players in the NHL over the past several seasons.  His contract is set to expire this summer, making him arguably the top pending UFA in the league.  Colorado has been trying to re-sign him but to this point, obviously no deal has been reached yet.

It doesn’t seem like the two sides are particularly close either.  Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported in a recent segment on Amazon Prime (Twitter link) that the two sides are believed to effectively be at a stalemate in their discussions.

Seravalli reports that the Avs are hoping to keep Rantanen’s price tag below the $12.6MM that Nathan MacKinnon makes.  However, Rantanen’s camp is more interested in taking aim at Leon Draisaitl’s record-breaking contract, one that begins next season and carries a $14MM cap charge.  Suffice it to say, that’s a pretty significant cap to try to bridge.

The 28-year-old had a very strong first half of the season, picking up 25 goals and 37 assists in his first 46 games though a league-high 13 empty-net points help inflate those totals a bit.  Nonetheless, Rantanen finds himself on pace to surpass the 100-point mark for the third straight year while surpassing his career high of 105, putting himself in a great position heading into his first time potentially testing the market.

Since the 2020-21 season, only three players have recorded more points than the 429 that Rantanen has put up in a 335-game span.  Two of them have already been mentioned here as the benchmarks that both sides are working with while the other is Edmonton’s Connor McDavid.  All things considered, that’s quite the company to be in.  Being in that tier of scorers means that Rantanen should get offers around the price point he’s believed to be seeking if he hits the open market, especially if the Upper Limit of the salary cap goes up by more than the current maximum of 5% as some expect.

Even with a higher-than-expected cap, affording a deal of that magnitude for Rantanen could be difficult for Colorado.  Per PuckPedia, they have just over $79MM on the books for next season with 16 players on their current roster under contract.  Even if they are able to get him in just below MacKinnon at, say, $12.5MM per year, they’d be over $91MM with several players still needing to be signed to get to the minimum-sized roster.  If Gabriel Landeskog remains unable to play, they’d have more wiggle room with him on LTIR but Landeskog is still trying to get back to game action this season so at this point, management can’t count on that potential flexibility being available to them.

This could be a scenario where deferred money could help solve the issue on both sides.  As we’ve seen multiple times this season, players who take deferred money carry a lower cap charge.  Accordingly, it’s possible for Rantanen’s camp to get around $14MM per season on average but include enough deferred money to keep the cap hit below MacKinnon’s.  Of course, Rantanen would have to agree to such an arrangement and considering he’s set to be the top player on the open market, he’ll undoubtedly receive offers that won’t have deferrals in there.

It doesn’t appear as if talks will be picking up right away either.  Instead, Seravalli, who noted that the team has no interest in moving him should an agreement not be reached, relays that discussions are likely to resume during the break in mid-February.  We’ll see if the next few weeks enable the two sides to bridge the gap or if the stalemate will last beyond that.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Metropolitan Notes: Kovacevic, Yegorov, Blue Jackets, Letang

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The Devils are discussing the idea of potentially trying to re-sign defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic, reports Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli (video link).  Acquired for a fourth-round pick from Montreal in the summer to add defensive depth, the 27-year-old is logging nearly 20 minutes a game for New Jersey and has become an important piece of their back end.  His presence helped push Simon Nemec to the minors, something the youngster recently voiced some frustration about; keeping Kovacevic could make it a bit harder for Nemec to get back to the NHL.  Signed to a cap hit below the league minimum this season, Kovacevic could push for $3MM or more on the open market if his second half play is similar to how things went in the first few months.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Still with the Devils, prospect Mikhail Yegorov has found a new place to play. USHL Omaha announced that the goaltender has transferred to play at Boston University, effective immediately, a rare midseason enrolment.  The 18-year-old was a second-round pick by New Jersey last June, going 49th overall.  Yegorov improved his save percentage with the Lancers by 20 points this year, going from .892 to .912 but won just three of his 19 outings.  He’ll now get his feet wet at the college level and becomes the 14th NHL-drafted player on the Terriers.
  • Earlier this week, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported (Twitter link) that the Blue Jackets are open to the idea of holding onto their pending unrestricted free agents. Widely expected to be near the bottom of the division this season, Columbus instead has been on a nice run as of late to get into a Wild Card spot.  The sustainability of that position will be challenged over the next couple of months but given the value of a young core playing meaningful games down the stretch, it seems it might not be a given that their rentals will move if they slide back in the standings over the coming weeks.
  • The Penguins announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Kris Letang was scratched from tonight’s game due to illness. The 37-year-old had a quiet first half of the season by his standards, collecting seven goals and 10 assists in 40 games while still logging over 23 minutes a night of playing time.  That comes on the heels of putting up 51 points just last season.

Snapshots: Capitals, Bruins, Durzi, Fines

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The Capitals are believed to have held preliminary talks about contract extensions with pending UFA goaltenders Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson, reports Pierre LeBrun in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link).  The two have combined for a 2.42 GAA and a .912 SV% on the season despite having a combined cap hit of under $2MM, by far the NHL’s most economical tandem.  Both players are in line for substantial raises and could plausibly push for closer to $10MM combined on their next deals, a price tag Washington might not be able to afford.  LeBrun notes that the team is treading carefully in discussions, not wanting to risk disrupting chemistry if one gets an early deal and the other doesn’t while they also have defenseman Jakob Chychrun to contend with as a pending UFA who will need a considerable raise as well.  Knowing that, it might make more sense for them to prioritize getting Chychrun signed first and deal with the netminders later on.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Bruins team president Cam Neely spoke with reporters today (video link) and acknowledged that it won’t be business as usual when it comes to the trade deadline. Often a strong buyer leading up to deadline day, Neely admitted that the team is going to have to consider two paths, one where they’re a buyer and another where they retool.  Boston has struggled this season but enters play today holding down the first Wild Card spot in the East.  But even if they hold onto that over the next little while, it might not make sense for them to make a big addition for a team that could be in tough to get through the first round.
  • After getting John Marino back last night, Utah will have to wait a while for their other key missing blueliner to return. Head coach Andre Tourigny told reporters including Cole Bagley of KSL Sports (Twitter link) that there’s a good chance that they’ll have defenseman Sean Durzi back for the last month of the season.  The 26-year-old had his best performance in 2023-24, notching 41 points in 76 games but he suffered a shoulder injury in the fourth game, keeping Utah without a key rearguard for most of the season.
  • The NHL announced that Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic has been fined just under $2K (his maximum allowable under the CBA relative to his salary) for a cross-checking incident in last night’s game against Florida. Meanwhile, the league also announced that Utah center Jack McBain was fined a little under $4.2K for a high-stick on Montreal’s Brendan Gallagher last night.  The fines go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Jason Zucker Interested In Signing Extension With Sabres

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Last summer, the market once again wasn’t favorable to Sabres winger Jason Zucker.  After playing on a one-year, $5.3MM deal last season, he ultimately had to settle for another one-year pact for this year with a small pay cut as well as he carries a $5MM price tag.

However, after last year didn’t go so well, this season has gone much better for the soon-to-be 33-year-old.  A strong first half has him third in team scoring heading into tonight’s game and he’s within striking distance of scoring leader Tage Thompson.  Accordingly, instead of being viewed as a short-term stopgap option as he seemingly was back in July, some are wondering if Zucker’s stint with Buffalo should be extended.

Sticking around with the Sabres is something that Zucker certainly appears to be open to.  Speaking with Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic (subscription link), the veteran indicated that a new deal is something he would be very interested in and that when the time comes, they can have that conversation which suggests substantive discussions about a new deal have yet to begin.

Early in his career, Zucker was a reliable secondary scorer, notching at least 20 goals in five of his first six NHL seasons.  However, injuries and inconsistency have hurt him since then as he has only reached that mark once in the last four seasons, that coming in 2022-23, his final year with Pittsburgh.

Last season, Zucker started the year with Arizona but struggled, collecting 25 points in 51 games.  With the Coyotes needing to clear the rest of his contract, they were only able to secure a sixth-round pick for his services at the trade deadline.  However, Zucker entered tonight’s action with 15 goals and 16 assists in his first 43 outings and is on pace for one of the best seasons of his career.

Assuming Buffalo remains out of the playoff picture, GM Kevyn Adams will have a decision to make.  On the one hand, Zucker’s performance will make his market much stronger this time around.  Assuming they’re willing to retain salary (something Arizona wouldn’t), the price to acquire him should even go higher.  Getting a solid future asset out of a one-year investment would certainly be a strong piece of business for the Sabres.

On the other hand, Buffalo is the youngest team in the NHL and certainly benefits from Zucker’s presence.  Knowing that they’ll need some solid veterans as they look to emerge from their extended rebuild, this could be a case where it makes more sense to try to keep him in the fold.

With his recent year-to-year inconsistency and the market not going his way the last couple of years, Zucker might not be in a position to command considerably more than he’s making now.  Instead, term might be the focus, getting some much-desired stability security after playing for four teams over the past couple of calendar years.  If a modest raise coupled with a few years on the contract is on the table, that might be enough to keep a good thing going between Zucker and the Sabres in the weeks to come.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Injury Updates: Doughty, Laferierre, Drouin, Joshua

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There could be some good news on the horizon for Kings defenseman Drew Doughty.  Darren Dreger reported in TSN’s latest Insider Trading segment that the blueliner could practice in a non-contact capacity next week.  At this point, the team is hoping that the 35-year-old could return to the lineup before next month’s 4 Nations Face-Off.  Doughty has yet to play this season due to an ankle injury, causing a big blow to Los Angeles’ back end.  The Kings are currently using LTIR and haven’t banked much cap space so when Doughty does return, their cap flexibility will take a hit but their blueline will get a significant boost as they look to move up in the Pacific Division.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Still with the Kings, Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider relays that winger Alex Laferriere won’t play on Thursday due to an upper-body injury with a further update on his status expected later in the week. The 23-year-old is having a strong sophomore year, notching 13 goals and 13 assists through his first 41 games, already besting his numbers from last season.  His absence should open up a spot for Samuel Helenius – just recalled today – to get into the lineup.
  • Avalanche winger Jonathan Drouin has battled injury issues this season and it appears that the injury is something he’s going to be battling for a while yet. He told reporters including Evan Rawal of The Denver Gazette that this is something that’s likely to linger for the next little while and is hoping that the long break for the 4 Nations Face-Off will allow the injury – Rawal indicates that it’s a rib issue – to properly heal.  When healthy, Drouin has fared quite well with 10 points in 12 games but it’s fair to say that this hasn’t been the best first half in what is another contract year for him.
  • Canucks forward Dakota Joshua has skated a couple of times as he starts to work his way back from a leg injury suffered earlier this month, notes Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston. However, they’ve been light skates and he’s still not particularly close to returning as he remains listed as week-to-week.  After a breakout showing last season, this year hasn’t gone as well for Joshua (who missed the start of it while recovering from testicular cancer) as he has just four points along with 83 hits in 24 games.

Islanders Reassign Jakub Skarek

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Jan. 13: Skarek was returned to Bridgeport on Monday, per the NHL’s media site (hat tip to Stefen Rosner of NHL.com). As such, Sorokin will likely be available tomorrow against the Senators after missing the Utah game with illness. Skarek backed up Hogberg in a 2-1 win for the Isles, so he’s still awaiting his NHL debut.

Jan. 11: With Ilya Sorokin dealing with an illness, the Islanders have had to turn to the minors to make a roster move before tonight’s game against Utah.  The team announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled goaltender Jakub Skarek from AHL Bridgeport.

The 25-year-old has been brought up several times over the years but has yet to make his NHL debut.  Skarek has played in 17 games with Bridgeport so far this season and has played to a 3.29 GAA and a .891 SV% while only winning four of those outings.  Those numbers are nearly identical to his career numbers at the AHL level where he has a 3.31 GAA and a .891 SV% over parts of six seasons.  With Marcus Hogberg (who will start tonight in Sorokin’s absence) already up, Skarek has been serving as the starter for Bridgeport in recent weeks.

Sorokin saw his save percentage drop by 16 points last season from .924 to .908.  Unfortunately for him and the Isles, that number has gone down six more points so far this year to .902 along with a 2.83 GAA in his first 30 starts.  In the first season of an eight-year, $66MM contract, it’s fair to say that New York was counting on him to be much more impactful this season.

The Islanders are using one of their two 48-hour goaltender exemption recalls, allowing them to exceed the 23-player roster limit temporarily.  As a result, no corresponding roster move needs to be made for the time being to add Skarek to the active roster.  Skarek will need to be sent down by Monday to stay compliant with the rule but could stay up if New York elects to send someone else down to open up a spot that way.

Hurricanes Waive, Reassign Ty Smith

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1/12: Smith has cleared waivers and been reassigned to the AHL, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff.

1/11: Hurricanes defenseman Ty Smith has been no stranger to being involved in transactions this season as he has been shuffled to and from the minors numerous times already.  However, he’s now spent 30 days on Carolina’s roster since clearing waivers at the beginning of the year.  That means that he must now clear waivers again before that can continue.  The Hurricanes have made that move today as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that Smith has been placed on waivers.

The 24-year-old is in his first full season with Carolina after being acquired at the trade deadline last season as part of the Jake Guentzel deal and is on a one-year, $775K two-way contract.  Smith has spent a big chunk of the year in the reserve role with the big club (or in transit to or from the minors) so playing time has been difficult to come by thus far.

Smith has played in 13 games with AHL Chicago this season and has been fairly productive, putting up three goals and seven assists in those outings.  He has also gotten into eight appearances with the Hurricanes, collecting a goal and an assist while averaging 13:40 per game.  For his career, Smith has 49 points in 131 NHL contests, most of which came with New Jersey after they drafted him 17th overall back in 2018.

Teams will have until 1 PM CT on Sunday to place a claim on Smith.  If he passes through waivers unclaimed, his waiver clock will reset on both fronts.  In other words, he won’t need to clear again once he reaches the 10-game mark on the season but rather if and when he gets into 10 games after his waiver period expires tomorrow.

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