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Five Key Stories: 11/4/24 – 11/10/24

November 10, 2024 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The first full week of November is in the books as we’ve now passed the one-month mark of the 2024-25 NHL season.  While it was relatively quiet on the transaction front, there was still some news of note which is recapped in our key stories.

Back To Seattle: Winger Daniel Sprong has bounced around in recent years despite some pretty good offensive seasons including back-to-back 40-point-plus campaigns.  He had to settle for a one-year deal with Vancouver this summer and after a sluggish start, he was on the move again as Seattle acquired him in exchange for future considerations.  The 27-year-old had his best year with the Kraken in 2022-23 when he had 21 goals and 25 assists in just 66 games but was still non-tendered that summer.  Now with a cap hit of just $975K, he’s an affordable low-cost pickup to try to a group that sits in the middle of the pack offensively.

Expanded NCAA Eligibility: As expected, the NCAA’s Division I Council has voted to allow players with previous involvement with professional teams to play collegiately.  Notably, this includes CHL players who were previously ruled ineligible.  We’ve already seen some junior players announce which NCAA school they plan to go to and many more will make commitments in the weeks and months ahead.  There are still some questions to be answered regarding when CHL players will be allowed to go the NCAA route and if there will be any changes to the rights of CHL-drafted players who go to college.  Meanwhile, players already signed to an NHL contract will remain ineligible.  The change doesn’t officially come into effect until August so there is bound to be more information clarifying these and other matters between now and then.

Fabbro To Columbus: It was a tough start to the season for defenseman Dante Fabbro who was a healthy scratch several times.  The Predators decided that it was time to shake things up, electing to waive a player who was viewed as a possible key fixture on the back end just a few years ago.  Despite a $2.5MM cap charge, he didn’t last too long on waivers with Columbus picking him up off the wire.  The 26-year-old has more than 300 NHL games under his belt and will get a chance to boost his value heading into his first time through unrestricted free agency next summer.  The Blue Jackets are now carrying eight blueliners for the time being but David Jiricek is waiver-exempt and could be sent down to AHL Cleveland down the road.

Key Injury In St. Louis: Blues defenseman Philip Broberg was off to a very strong start with his new team, notching nine points (already a career-high) in 12 games while logging close to 20 minutes per night.  However, he’ll now miss the next four to six weeks with a lower-body injury.  It’s a big blow to a back end that’s also without Torey Krug for the season while Nick Leddy has missed close to four weeks now with a lower-body issue of his own.  However, there was some good news on the injury front as well.  Although winger Dylan Holloway was taken to the hospital after taking a puck to the neck that eventually saw the game paused to get him immediate medical attention, he was able to return for their next game.

Three For Jeannot: The Kings are currently without winger Tanner Jeannot after he received a three-game suspension for an illegal check to the head against Canucks winger Brock Boeser.  He initially received a match penalty on the play, automatically triggering a league review.  Jeannot will forfeit over $41K in salary as a result of the suspension; he’ll be eligible to return on November 16th against Detroit.  Meanwhile, Boeser did not return following the hit and hasn’t played since as he’s still being assessed for an upper-body injury.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NHL Week In Review

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Kraken Have Received Trade Interest In Yanni Gourde

November 10, 2024 at 7:58 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 12 Comments

The Kraken went into the season extremely tight to the salary cap and have been using Vince Dunn’s LTIR placement to keep compliant since then and even allowing them to pick up Daniel Sprong from Vancouver.  While they’re okay cap-wise as long as Dunn is on LTIR (which should last another three weeks or so), they will need to do something to get back into compliance once he’s cleared to return.

To that end, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported this week (video link) that teams have been calling Seattle about center Yanni Gourde.  To this point, however, it appears GM Ron Francis has been rebuffing those inquiries so far.

The 32-year-old has been a reliable middle-six center for several years now.  While his point total dropped to 33 last season (11 goals and 22 assists in 81 games), Gourde has still reached the 30-point mark in now seven straight years, his first seven full seasons in the NHL.

That streak might very well be in jeopardy though as this season has not gotten off to a good start for Gourde.  Through the first 15 games of this season, he has yet to score a goal and has been limited to just three assists.  After averaging nearly two shots on goal per game a year ago, he’s barely over one with his shot attempts down by a similar percentage.  His struggles have led to a relatively steep drop in playing time as well, going from 17:27 per game last season to just 14:56 so far in 2024-25.

Gourde is in the final season of a six-year, $31MM contract carrying a $5.16MM cap charge.  When he’s producing at his usual level, Gourde is generally worth that price tag after you factor in his strong defensive game.  But now, that’s looking somewhat on the high side, especially with Seattle having good center depth in front of him in Matthew Beniers, Chandler Stephenson, and Shane Wright.  With their cap situation, one that is slightly exacerbated with the addition of Sprong and his $975K price tag, can the Kraken afford to keep him?

It seems like other teams are wondering the same thing based on their reported interest.  That said, there aren’t many teams that can take that contract on outright; it stands to reason that they’d likely be looking to have the Kraken either retain a portion (they have all three retention slots available) or take a lower-priced contract back to help offset the cost.

For now, Seattle doesn’t have to do anything; they have a few weeks to work with until Dunn is cleared to return.  But if there aren’t any long-term injuries that could buy them a bit more time by the time Dunn gets back in the lineup, the Kraken will have to do something to get back into cap compliance.  It seems like moving Gourde could be one way to accomplish just that and evidently, there will be a market for his services despite his early-season struggles.

Seattle Kraken Yanni Gourde

12 comments

PHR Mailbag: Pricey Contracts, Blues, Stars, Landeskog, Lightning, Paper Moves, Blackhawks, Injury Disclosures

November 10, 2024 at 6:55 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 8 Comments

Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include why the time might not be right for Dallas to look into defensive help, speculating on possible trade targets for Tampa Bay, and much more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, watch for it in next weekend’s mailbag.

PyramidHeadcrab: With Columbus potentially looking to take on a big contract and San Jose actively improving by adding some talented misfits from other teams, who are some players you could see bound for each team as the season progresses?

And if Columbus does take on a big contract, do you think it will be another team paying to unload an overpayment contract, or a team like the Leafs offloading a decent contract as a result of their cap crunch?

I think Columbus is open to both options, as long as the contract they take on is a short-term one (see Dante Fabbro).  Knowing that they’ve typically been more of a budget team, they’re probably not going to want to spend some of their financial capital on a long-term pickup whose primary purpose is to add a draft pick or two.  But something for a year or two could be manageable.

In terms of who that could be, one of the names that comes to mind is Oliver Bjorkstrand who was healthy scratched recently.  Moved to Seattle as a cap-clearing move originally, he’s someone who should be comfortable in the market and it wouldn’t shock me if the Kraken try to move out a pricey contract to give themselves some cap flexibility as they’re really tight when everyone’s healthy.   I could see them being open to taking the final years of Ryan Ellis’ LTIR contract if Philadelphia wants to bank more cap space (or Ryan Johansen wins his grievance later on and gets at least part of his deal back on the books).  With that deal being insured, the actual cost outlay would be minimal in that sense.

I suspect they’d be open to taking a more reasonable deal off a cap-strapped team like Toronto but the Maple Leafs will be looking to move those pieces for some value while the Blue Jackets are probably looking to get a player plus a sweetener for taking a contract on.  With that in mind, I’m not sure that lines up at this point trade-wise for those teams.

Frankly, there aren’t a ton of pricey contracts out there that fit the bill.  When I wrote the piece about them last weekend talking about their willingness to do this, I didn’t bother getting into speculation as I don’t see a lot of fits for them.  Unless they’re willing to take on a longer-term agreement, I don’t necessarily see them accomplishing this in the coming months.

I don’t see the Sharks actively trying to add any other veteran players for a while.  They’re also a budget team and right now, they’re going to want to see how some of their younger pieces fare.  If some of them falter too much, then perhaps they look to see if there’s a rental veteran to bridge the gap but there are a lot of rental veterans out there.  At the trade deadline, perhaps they take on an expiring contract from a team that needs to move money to make a bigger splash but again, that could be a lot of players.  If another Timothy Liljegren-type trade comes around where they can get a mid-20s player with some control for a low cost, that might be their preferred route.  Before the season, I’d have said someone like Kaapo Kakko who was in trade speculation but that’s probably not an option at the moment.

vincent k. mcmahon: With the recent injury to Broberg and Leddy still out, do the Blues call up another d-man if they can or do they hold out until Leddy returns?  Also, do you think this might cause an issue with the chemistry of the d-pairings?

I’m a little surprised St. Louis hasn’t brought up a blueliner at this point, to be honest.  They’re already into LTIR so there isn’t a cap-related element to them electing not to do so.  Tyler Tucker is quite familiar with the systems already and would be a safe option to have as a seventh/reserve option while Corey Schueneman has experience in that role as well with Montreal and Colorado (to a lesser extent).  One of them easily could be up as insurance.

I wouldn’t be too worried about the chemistry of the defense pairings.  When Nick Leddy returns – which should be relatively soon – he will go back into the lineup and play a prominent role, deservedly so.  There will be injuries throughout the year or players struggling that will necessitate changes so it’s unlikely the defense pairings will stay together for any sort of extended stretch over the course of the season.

That’s a league-wide observation too, not a Blues-specific one.  Even teams with a proven defensive group will mix things up from time to time as you never know when you might be forced into making a change when injuries strike so St. Louis, a team whose back end is much less secure, shouldn’t have any concerns about needing to mix up their pairings.

bottlesup: Dallas making any calls on defenders? Fowler, Provorov, or even maybe Arber Xhekaj? Which would require the most in return then the one that would require the least?

I’m sure they’re making calls on defensemen but I doubt they’re seriously pursuing any at this time.  At the moment, per PuckPedia, Dallas can only add someone making around $1.7MM.  If their roster remains relatively unchanged, they could have the ability to add someone making more than $6MM.  Those are two very different pools to shop in.  In the first price range, maybe there’s a third-pairing upgrade.  That’s useful but doesn’t move the needle too much.  But at the deadline, being able to pick up $6MM opens up a lot more options, especially at a time when more teams are open to retaining salary.

I don’t see Cam Fowler being a viable option for the Stars solely because of the extra year on his contract.  Dallas can’t afford a $6.5MM player on the books for next season when Jake Oettinger’s big raise kicks in while Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn are among their free agents.  Unless Anaheim paid down half the contract (which would probably up the asking price to a first-round pick and then some), it’s probably not a great fit.

I don’t mind the Ivan Provorov option though.  While he’s a left-shot defender, he’s playing on the right in Columbus and that’s the side the Stars need an upgrade on.  Could he go in and cover 20-plus minutes a night and kill penalties?  I think so and that’s the type of player they need to take some pressure off the top options.  The Blue Jackets will likely be seeking a first-round pick and something else but should be willing to pay down half of their portion of his contract ($4.725MM) which should give them a long list of suitors.

Xhekaj is an odd fit.  He’s also a left-shot blueliner and hasn’t fared great when moved to his off-side.  He’s certainly cheaper ($1.3MM through next season) and has more club control but at most, he might crack the third pairing.  He’s also a hard player to peg value-wise.  I think there are teams who don’t view him as an NHL player and others who would pay a fairly high price tag given his physicality and a decent track record of offense at the lower levels.  It probably doesn’t get to the level of Provorov’s likely price tag but I don’t feel he’s the type of blueliner they should be going after.

mikeyziggy: With the latest update on Landeskog it certainly sounds like if it doesn’t happen this season it doesn’t happen at all. What team is going to take on his contract to free the Avs from the cap hit in the event he can’t play? That $7mil could go a long way in helping fix some of the problems up front.

For those who didn’t see the news earlier this week, the latest update on Gabriel Landeskog certainly wasn’t an ideal one.  Head coach Jared Bednar indicated that Landeskog had a setback as he continues to try to work his way back from a knee injury that has kept him out for the last couple of years.  However, Landeskog is still hoping to suit up at some point this season which doesn’t help the Avalanche in terms of the cap as they can’t spend that money on other players if they think he’s going to play before the playoffs begin.

Let’s use the scenario that says he can’t come back.  Frankly, that feels more and more like the probable scenario.  The Avs don’t necessarily have to trade him as they can just put him on LTIR and spend up to $7MM over the cap on their roster.  (It’s not quite that simplistic and involves optimal timing of placements and whatnot but that’s the gist of it.)  That’s not an ideal scenario to be in as it prevents them from banking in-season space and means any bonuses earned get charged the following season but it’s not as if that $7MM is unusable.

But the other option of trading the contract probably isn’t a great one either.  Landeskog still has four years left on his contract after this one.  That’s a long time for a team to willingly carry a permanent LTIR deal and the one team that was willing to do so (Arizona) is now in Utah with an owner willing to spend so they won’t be doing that anymore.  Is there a team that knows they’re going to be well below the cap through at least the 2028-29 season so that taking on Landeskog’s contract is a low-risk proposition?  I’m not sure there is, to be honest.  Maybe when there are two years left it’s an option but I don’t see the Avs shedding that deal anytime soon if his playing days are numbered.

FeeltheThunder: In Tampa, Nick Paul was on the second line with Hagel and Cirelli, the line was very successful at controlling puck possession at 5-on-5 and was one of the most dominant lines in the NHL over the first couple of games of the season. However, since Paul was put back on the third line at center, his possession numbers at 5-on-5 are starting to look like last year. Over the two-game span against the Wild and the Jets, Paul had an 18.58 on-ice expected goals for percentage share (xGF%) at 5-on-5, ranked lowest on the roster. Furthermore, his 33.62 on-ice shots for percentage (SF%) ranked last on the team. In other words, with Paul on the ice, the Lightning gave up two shots for one they produced. As management starts to think about in-season acquisitions, a third-line scoring forward should be at the top of the list for Tampa especially since Mikey Eyssimont isn’t producing (he’s a better fourth line guy) though Mitchell Chaffee is playing solid; who would you think be some valid options for that third line to help Paul and Chaffee?

I wouldn’t be too concerned about a rough couple of games on a different trio (though admittedly, things didn’t get much better in their last outing).  When you’re shifting to a different role on a different line at a different position, you get a bit of leeway.  That said, there needs to be improvement on that front relatively soon.

As for potential pickups, I think Tampa Bay would prefer to shop on the rental market given that they already have nearly $82MM on the books for next season, per PuckPedia.  I suspect GM Julien BriseBois would like to leave himself some flexibility to try to make a splash again next summer so a one-and-done acquisition would help make that happen.  With that in mind, I’ll limit my picks here to the rental market.

The first name that comes to mind isn’t necessarily a scorer.  I could see Luke Kunin making sense for them.  He could plausibly play the role Paul has now, allowing Paul to move back to the second line.  Kunin also plays with an edge physically, an element they lost when they moved Tanner Jeannot to Los Angeles over the summer.  Assuming they don’t have too many injuries between now and the deadline, the Lightning should be able to absorb his $2.75MM AAV in full as the Sharks don’t have any retention slots remaining.  If they have ample cap space, perhaps they aim higher in San Jose and try for Mikael Granlund ($5MM) which would add some offensive upside to the bottom six and again, probably allow Paul to move up.

As for other options, if Nashville can’t get out of its tailspin and winds up selling, Gustav Nyquist would add some pop on the wing if the plan is to keep Paul down the middle.  If Buffalo finds itself selling again, Jordan Greenway would add some size and scoring potential on that trio as well.  Meanwhile, if they want to pivot the third line into more of an outright checking line, someone like Joel Armia could be a low-cost flyer with some playoff experience.

@SakariL89761: When teams ’paper’ down players to the AHL or ’bank’ cap space, does it affect the players financially and if so, can the union stop it in the next CBA?

If the player is on a two-way contract, yes, it affects them financially as they’d receive their AHL salary for the day over their NHL salary, a difference of several thousand dollars.  If they’re on a one-way deal, the player actually saves a bit of money as there is no escrow taken off when the player is in the minors.

I’m not sure there’s a great way to stop it.  Frankly, I’m not certain the NHLPA would necessarily want to stop it.  If you put a cap on the number of assignments to the minors (like MLB did to try to cut down on the roster churning for optionable pitchers a couple of years ago), you could wind up taking away opportunities from deserving players later in the year if they’re ‘out of options’ so to speak as a team won’t want to call up a player they can’t send down anymore.

Meanwhile, some of the opportunities created for the players on the fringes of the roster are because teams can do the paper transactions.  In essence, their final roster spot only costs part of the $775K minimum salary.  But if you can’t shuffle the players, how many of those teams just won’t bother to carry the extra body?  (Or how many might not be able to afford it?)  Now you might be taking away opportunities for players in the minors, even if they’re only on the NHL roster part-time.

In a cap system that’s pretty restrictive, I can’t see there being any desire from teams to put any restrictions on this and with the NHLPA likely realizing that changing the system will negatively affect some members as well, I can’t see it being a high-priority item for them in CBA talks when they potentially get underway next year.

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Unclemike1525: Isn’t there a draft rule that you can’t have a high pick so many years in a row? So even if the Hawks keep losing what would be the highest pick they could possibly get next year? How does that work or am I completely wrong? Thanks as always.

In 2021, the Draft Lottery rules changed and among the new rules put in is the cap on the number of times a team can move up.  The specific text is as follows:

No single team will be able to advance in the Draft order by reason of winning a Lottery Draw more than two (2) times in any five (5) year period.

Notably, this does not include maintaining your position with a lottery win.  So if a team finishes last and wins the draft lottery, it doesn’t count against one of their two victories above.

Chicago has two lottery wins under the new system.  They went from third to first in 2022, selecting Connor Bedard in the process.  That counts against their limit.  Last year, they won the second lottery but that allowed them to merely retain their position, not advance.  As a result, that one doesn’t count against the limit of two.  That means that there is no cap on how high they can pick in the 2025 draft.  Depending on what happens there will dictate their situation beyond then.

trak2k: I was amazed that the Edmonton Oilers said that Connor McDavid has an ankle injury and not just a lower-body injury.

Could you see more teams actually saying what the injury is, instead of just saying it’s an upper or lower-body injury?

I very much wish the answer to this was yes but no, most teams aren’t willingly going to disclose any specifics unless they absolutely have to.  We’ve even seen a couple of coaches take it a step further by saying their player has a ‘body injury’; it wouldn’t surprise me if we see that a bit more now.  The reality is that there’s little benefit to releasing that information and when you’re dealing with someone’s personal health information (and injury information qualifies), teams are going to opt to say as little as possible in most circumstances.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pro Hockey Rumors Originals PHR Mailbag

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Hurricanes Recall Tyson Jost And Ty Smith

November 10, 2024 at 6:26 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

As their West Coast road trip continues, the Hurricanes have added a pair of reinforcements.  The team announced that they’ve recalled center Tyson Jost and defenseman Ty Smith from AHL Chicago.

Jost signed a one-year, $775K one-way deal with Carolina on the opening day of free agency after being non-tendered by Buffalo, giving him guaranteed NHL money and the Hurricanes an experienced center.  However, he failed to make the opening roster and cleared waivers last month, getting sent to the Wolves soon after.  The 26-year-old has played in eight games in the minors so far this season, picking up a goal and two assists.  For his career, Jost has 140 points in 456 career NHL appearances between Colorado, Minnesota, and Buffalo.

As for Smith, it’s his second stint with the big club this season after spending ten days up with Carolina last month but didn’t see any game action.  The 24-year-old has played in three games with the Wolves so far in 2024-25, picking up a pair of assists.  The Hurricanes acquired Smith last season at the trade deadline as part of the Jake Guentzel trade but left him with Pittsburgh’s farm team, meaning this is his first year in their system.  Smith has 123 career NHL games under his belt with 47 points, the bulk of those coming a few years ago while with New Jersey.

With Carolina sending down Spencer Martin today (at least on a paper transaction), Carolina’s active roster currently stands at 22 players.

AHL| Carolina Hurricanes| Transactions Ty Smith| Tyson Jost

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Injury Updates: Canucks, Brossoit, Romanov

November 9, 2024 at 3:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

The Canucks will be without winger Brock Boeser tonight against Edmonton as he’s still being evaluated for the upper-body injury he sustained on Thursday, shares Sportsnet 650’s Brendan Batchelor (Twitter link).  After a breakout performance last season that saw him score 40 goals and 33 assists in 81 games, the 27-year-old is off to a nice start offensively this year with six goals and five assists in his first dozen games.  It’s a contract year for Boeser so he’ll certainly be hoping to avoid any long-term absence.

Meanwhile, Canucks GM Patrik Allvin shared some updates on a few other players to Batchelor and other reporters.  The team is hopeful that forward Dakota Joshua will make his season debut at some point on their current home stand as he continues to work his way back from testicular cancer.  Goaltender Thatcher Demko still has no timeline to make his season debut as his knee injury continues to keep him out of the lineup.  Lastly, prospect Jonathan Lekkerimaki (a speculative recall candidate following the Daniel Sprong trade), tweaked something and won’t be available for AHL Abbotsford tonight which takes him out of the potential recall equation for the time being.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson told reporters including Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago (Twitter link) that there is now no timeline for when goaltender Laurent Brossoit will make his debut. Brossoit is dealing with a meniscus injury, one that he was supposed to be back from weeks ago.  Richardson likens the injury to Demko’s situation in Vancouver in that it’s going to be difficult to pinpoint a potential return time for him.  Brossoit signed a two-year, $6.6MM contract with Chicago in July after a strong season as the backup in Winnipeg.
  • While Islanders blueliner Alexander Romanov isn’t expected to play tonight, he will accompany the team on their upcoming Western Canada road trip, relays Ethan Sears of the New York Post (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has missed the last week with an upper-body injury but did skate today.  With the Isles already down Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly, they’ll certainly be looking forward to getting Romanov back sooner than later.  He’s logging over 21 minutes a night and has a pair of assists in eight games so far this season.

Chicago Blackhawks| Injury| New York Islanders| Vancouver Canucks Alexander Romanov| Brock Boeser| Dakota Joshua| Jonathan Lekkerimaki| Laurent Brossoit| Thatcher Demko

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Kraken Recall Ales Stezka On Emergency Basis

November 9, 2024 at 3:10 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Saturday: As expected, Seattle has returned Stezka to Coachella Valley.  He dressed as the backup last night but with the Kraken now off until Tuesday, there’s no need for them to be carrying three goaltenders.

Friday: Late last night, the Kraken announced (Twitter link) that they recalled goaltender Ales Stezka on an emergency basis from AHL Coachella Valley.  The roster move was officially registered earlier today.  They had three open roster spots so no corresponding move was necessary although it did push them into using LTIR for the time being.

The 27-year-old is in his second season with Seattle after signing with them as a free agent last year.  He was originally drafted by Minnesota back in 2015 but didn’t sign with them.

Stezka had a solid rookie year in the minors last season, posting a 2.48 GAA with a .914 SV% in 27 regular season games with the Firebirds.  He didn’t see any playoff action with them though as Chris Driedger played every minute in their run to the Calder Cup Final.  However, things haven’t gone as well for Stezka this year.  Through his first six appearances, he has put up a 3.61 GAA with a .881 SV%, only winning one of those outings.

This should be a short-lived recall for Stezka.  Goaltender Philipp Grubauer missed practice yesterday but took the morning skate today; he’s listed as day-to-day.  While it’s possible that Stezka will dress as the backup tonight, it’s likely that he’ll be sent back down after that, allowing them to exit LTIR and go back to banking cap space.

AHL| Seattle Kraken| Transactions Ales Stezka| Philipp Grubauer

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Atlantic Notes: Byram, Matthews, Jarnkrok, Gadjovich

November 9, 2024 at 2:46 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

With the Sabres struggling out of the gate, it appears that some teams are kicking the tires to see if a core piece could be pried away.  TSN’s Darren Dreger reported earlier this week on Sekeres and Price (video link) that some teams from the West have inquired about defenseman Bowen Byram although Buffalo has been informing teams he’s not available.  Byram is in his first full season with the Sabres after being acquired at the trade deadline from Colorado and he’s certainly off to a solid start with nine points in 14 games while logging over 21 minutes a night.  A pending restricted free agent, Byram will be in line for a significant raise on his current $3.85MM AAV next summer.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews skated today for 25 minutes with no signs of discomfort, relays TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link). Toronto moved him to injured reserve on Friday, making him ineligible for tonight’s game against Montreal but he is eligible to return Tuesday versus Ottawa.  Assuming Matthews is cleared to play in that game, the Maple Leafs will have to make a roster move beforehand, likely a waiver placement as things stand, to open up a roster spot.
  • Still with Toronto, head coach Craig Berube told reporters including Nick Barden of The Hockey News that winger Calle Jarnkrok is “probably a ways away” from making his season debut. The 33-year-old is dealing with a lower-body injury that’s believed to be a sports hernia.  Jarnkrok skated before practice a couple of times this week but it looks like he’s still not particularly close to being cleared to play.  Jarnkrok had 10 goals and 11 assists in 52 games for the Maple Leafs last season.
  • The Panthers will welcome back winger Jonah Gadjovich to the lineup tonight against Philadelphia, the team announced (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has missed the last three weeks with a back injury.  Gadjovich has played in six games so far this season, notching a goal and 26 hits while averaging just 7:25 per night on the fourth line; he leads the league in hits/60.  Mackie Samoskevich will come out of the lineup to make room for Gadjovich’s return.

Buffalo Sabres| Florida Panthers| Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews| Bowen Byram| Calle Jarnkrok| Jonah Gadjovich

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Capitals Make Three Roster Moves

November 9, 2024 at 1:38 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Capitals have shuffled things up roster-wise in advance of their game tonight against St. Louis.  The team announced that they have activated defenseman Jakob Chychrun off injured reserve.  Additionally, winger Sonny Milano has been placed on IR while center Michael Sgarbossa has been recalled from AHL Hershey.  Washington’s roster now stands at the maximum of 23 players.

Chychrun has missed the last couple of weeks with an upper-body injury but appears poised to return tonight.  The 26-year-old is in his first season with the Caps after being acquired on the opening day of free agency from Ottawa and it’s fair to say he has made an early impact.  Chychrun has four points in eight games so far this season and was logging over 21 minutes a night before getting injured.  A pending unrestricted free agent, Chychrun has helped bolster the left side of Washington’s back end so his return will certainly be a welcome one.

As for Milano, it has been a rough year for him thus far.  He played less than six minutes in the season opener and then was scratched for nine straight games before returning to the lineup two games ago.  However, he suffered an upper-body injury in his most recent outing, one that will keep him out for the next week at least.  He hasn’t recorded a point in his three appearances this season after putting up 15 goals and 23 points in 49 games in 2023-24.

Sgarbossa, meanwhile, has been up and down with Washington in recent days.  The 32-year-old has suited up twice with the Capitals this season, averaging a little over eight minutes a night.  Meanwhile, with the Bears, he’s off to another strong start, recording a goal and eight assists in seven appearances with them.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see Washington continue to shuffle him back and forth between there and Hershey, allowing them to delay his waiver clock in the process.

AHL| Transactions| Washington Capitals Jakob Chychrun| Michael Sgarbossa| Sonny Milano

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Predators Place Dante Fabbro On Waivers

November 9, 2024 at 1:06 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 11 Comments

Dante Fabbro has been a speculative trade candidate in Nashville for a few years now and it appears he could be on the move although not via a trade.  Instead, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Predators have placed the blueliner on waivers.

A few years ago, the 26-year-old looked like another fixture on the back end for the Preds.  He had three seasons averaging more than 19 minutes a night (primarily on the second pairing) between 2019-20 and 2021-22, even putting up a breakout 24-point effort in the 2021-22 campaign, making his then-$2.4MM price tag look like a bargain.

However, things haven’t gone as well since then.  Fabbro’s playing time has dipped since then, dropping to 17:27 per night in 2022-23 and then 16:21 last season.  This year, it’s even lower when he has been in the lineup as he has logged just 13:06 per game in his six appearances where he has been held off the scoresheet thus far.  In Nashville’s other eight games, Fabbro has been a healthy scratch.

Fabbro is making $2.5MM this season on a one-year deal he signed at last year’s trade deadline, locking him in at the same rate as the year before without any potential for uncertainty in what would have been his final year with arbitration eligibility; he could have very easily been a non-tender candidate had he been unsigned heading into late June.

That price tag would be difficult for quite a few cap-strapped teams to absorb but even so, it’s possible that Fabbro could be claimed.  A rebuilding team might want to get a look at him to see if he’s worth keeping around longer-term or to try to build up his value and then flip him (possibly with salary retention) closer to the March 7th trade deadline.  With over 300 NHL games under his belt, he could be a worthwhile pickup for some teams looking for depth and experience on their back end.  Teams will have until 1 PM CT on Sunday to place a claim on him.

Nashville Predators| Newsstand| Transactions| Waivers Dante Fabbro| Elliotte Friedman

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Kings Recall Samuel Helenius, Place Alex Turcotte On IR

November 9, 2024 at 12:11 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Kings have made a pair of roster moves leading up to their game tonight against Columbus.  The team announced that they’ve recalled forward Samuel Helenius from AHL Ontario on an emergency basis; to make room on the roster, forward Alex Turcotte was placed on injured reserve.

This is the first recall for Helenius in his young career.  The 21-year-old was a second-round pick by Los Angeles back in 2021, going 59th overall.  Standing 6’6, the hope was that Helenius could become a solid checking piece and now in his third professional season, things appear to be on track.

This season, Helenius has three points in eight games along with 22 penalty minutes for the Reign.  That’s a small improvement in offensive pace for him after he put up 19 points in 69 contests last season.  Helenius should take Tanner Jeannot’s place in the lineup as he begins a three-game suspension tonight.

As for Turcotte, he was injured back on Monday against Nashville, suffering an upper-body injury.  However, it’s not supposed to be a long-term issue as he has already resumed skating, albeit in a non-contact jersey.  The 23-year-old has done relatively well in his first full NHL campaign, notching five points in 13 games while logging a little under 12 minutes a night.

AHL| Los Angeles Kings| Transactions Alex Turcotte| Samuel Helenius

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