Jeremy Lauzon Out Week-To-Week
As the Nashville Predators look to secure their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they will be without their major trade deadline acquisition for the near future. The team announced today that defenseman Jeremy Lauzon will not play tonight against St. Louis and is going to be out of the lineup with a lower-body injury on a week-to-week designation.
Lauzon, 24, had arrived in Nashville via a trade deadline deal with the Seattle Kraken, who acquired him from the Boston Bruins in the expansion draft. The Predators paid a second-round pick to acquire Lauzon, an indication of how highly the team valued the young blueliner as part of the team’s plans for this season and beyond. Lauzon has gotten into 13 games for the Predators since the trade, and has scored one goal, logged 14 penalty minutes, and is a +3, all while playing a touch over 17 minutes a night. The Predators are a team with enviable defensive depth and should be able to absorb this loss, but the team paid a decent price to acquire Lauzon so coach John Hynes and the rest of the Predators organization have to be hopeful that Lauzon recovers sooner rather than later.
For Lauzon, this injury is a disappointment as he may miss time in the playoffs, should Nashville make it there. Lauzon’s hard-nosed, physical style plays better in a playoff environment where officiating is less strict, so if this injury costs Lauzon time in the playoffs it will come as a missed opportunity for him. A good playoff run can greatly enhance a physical defenseman’s reputation across the league, (as the Canadiens’ run in 2021 did for Ben Chiarot) so as a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights this injury could cost Lauzon an opportunity to enhance his case for this summer.
Snapshots: Bordeleau, Megna, Leddy
It has been a season to forget for the San Jose Sharks, but as their campaign winds down their fanbase may be treated to a night to remember. One of the team’s top prospects, Thomas Bordeleau, is set to make his NHL debut tonight in the team’s contest against the Minnesota Wild. According to coach Bob Boughner, Bordeleau will center a line with Rudolfs Balcers and Noah Gregor for his debut game.
Bordeleau, 20, has been one of San Jose’s most talented prospects since he was drafted 38th overall in 2020. As a freshman at the University of Michigan Bordeleau posted 30 points in 24 games, and this season he had 37 points in 37 games on a stacked Wolverines squad. Bordeleau’s professional career has gotten off to a decent start, with three points in two AHL games, and with the Sharks’ offensive issues in recent games Sharks fans have to hope that Bordeleau’s debut can add a spark to their team.
- In another update for the Sharks, defenseman Jaycob Megna will be out for the game against the Wild (and perhaps even longer) after taking a puck to the head in the Sharks’ game against the Stars last night, The Athletic’s Corey Masisiak relays. Megna, 29, has been an NHL-AHL tweener for most of his nine-year professional career, although he has set a career-high in games played this season, getting into 37 ties for the Sharks.
- The St. Louis Blues’ major trade deadline acquisition Nick Leddy had an injury scare on Saturday, leaving the game after being cut under the eye against the Wild. Today, Blues head coach Craig Berube issued an update on his situation, stating that he is “feeling better” but still is unable to play in tonight’s game. The Blues have serious intentions of going on a playoff run, so it will be important for Leddy to return to the lineup. As it stands with this update, it appears that Leddy’s injury will not be a major setback.
Looking At David Perron’s Impending Free Agency
With a dramatic 6-5 overtime victory over the division rival Minnesota Wild yesterday, the Blues clinched their spot in the playoffs this season. While the story of this Blues team is still unwritten, it isn’t too early to look forward to the offseason to examine what the future of this Blues team holds. With the emergence of Ville Husso as the team’s number-one goalie and Husso’s status as a pending unrestricted free agent, most of the attention paid to the Blues’ offseason decision-making has been centered around the situation with Husso and Jordan Binnington, who is the owner of a rich $6MM AAV contract extension. What has flown under the radar as a result has been the pending unrestricted free agency of winger David Perron.
That should not come as a surprise, though, as flying under the radar has become something of a trademark for Perron. Since he was selected from St. Louis to play for Vegas in the Expansion Draft, Perron has quietly become a star scoring winger in the NHL, flirting with point-per-game production several times over the past five years. After his campaign in Vegas where he had 66 points in 70 games, Perron signed in St. Louis, and with the Blues for the past four seasons Perron has a combined 218 points in 245 games, which is a 73-point pace over 82 games. That’s the kind of production that makes a player an elite winger, but Perron isn’t often viewed as the elite winger his production says he is. So, that can complicate his contract situation, as he has been by all accounts one of the better scoring wingers in the NHL for the past five seasons, but doesn’t carry the same name recognition that other scoring wingers hold. As an example, Max Pacioretty, one of the other successful scoring wingers from Perron’s 2007 draft class, has 187 points in 218 games over these past four seasons, which is 70-point pace. So Pacioretty has had similar levels of production to Perron (actually slightly lower) over the past four seasons’ worth of games, but Pacioretty is routinely mentioned as one of the league’s best left wingers while Perron typically maintains a lower profile.
So, why is that relevant for Perron’s free agency situation? Because relative to his production, Perron has been underpaid. Perron’s contract in St. Louis carries a $4MM cap hit, a number that is significantly below market value for wingers who score at a 70+ point pace. To use the Pacioretty comparable again, his extension with the Golden Knights holds a $7MM AAV, and the going rate for wingers like Perron and Pacioretty is around $7MM, if not more. So that begs the question, is a $7MM+ contract something Perron will be aiming for this offseason? Moreover, given that Perron is already 33 years old, will he be able to get a contract at that number with any real term attached to it, beyond just one or two years? The market will obviously dictate the answers to those questions, but since Perron’s career has reached new heights as he’s aged (rather than getting worse with age, as happens with most players) it will be fascinating to see how the open market values him. Wingers who can score like Perron don’t grow on trees, so despite his age, it cannot be put out of the question that Perron will be able to earn a major contract.
While talented scorers like Perron don’t grow on trees for most NHL clubs, they seem to be readily available for Perron’s Blues. The Blues’ top three forward lines are an embarrassment of riches, and the team has seven players above 50 points on the year, and two more (Ryan O’Reilly and Brandon Saad) are set to reach that plateau by the end of the season. The team’s wealth of weapons up front further complicates Perron’s free agency situation, as, given the raise he is in line to receive, St. Louis may not be in a position to retain him. St. Louis’ forward corps has significant money on the books, with Brayden Schenn, Pavel Buchnevich, and Saad already locked into long-term deals. Additionally, two centerpiece young talents in Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou are set to be restricted free agents after next season. Two franchise icons in O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko also are set to be free agents after next season as well.
All of this is to say that the Blues are going to have some major decisions to make in the near future, and it’s very possible that given the contracts set to expire, the situation with Husso this offseason, and the team’s need to add to their defense, there simply isn’t enough room to pay Perron what he deserves. While Perron’s third tour of duty as a Blue has been a success, and Perron obviously has a real connection with the market and the organization, if he wants to be paid like the elite winger he has been for the past five seasons, it’s going to be difficult for him to get that contract in St. Louis.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Update On Johnny Gaudreau
The Flames have had a remarkable season this year, bouncing back from last year’s disappointment and clinching a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They sit sixth in the NHL with a 46-20-9 record and are in the conversation for the best team in the Western Conference. But despite these good times for the franchise, there is one looming uncertainty that could pose a serious threat to the team’s ability to compete after this season: Johnny Gaudreau‘s pending unrestricted free agency. Gaudreau, 28, has been the most skilled player to don a Flames sweater in years, and he has reached a new dimension of production this season, with 105 points in 75 games. He has played himself into the Hart Trophy conversation and cemented his status as the team’s most important player. But after this season, Gaudreau’s $6.75MM AAV contract expires, and he is set to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent.
Naturally, that situation has been a consistent storyline all season for Calgary. The Flames reportedly began extension talks with Gaudreau last July, but those talks obviously have not borne fruit. After this season began both parties decided they would not negotiate a contract mid-season in order to remove all distractions for the team and player. As a result, Gaudreau’s contract situation still looms large over the franchise, so much so that in an interview with Sportsnet after his team clinched the playoffs, Flames GM Brad Treliving was asked about Gaudreau’s situation directly. Treliving stated that the two parties’ choice to “keep things quiet” on the extension front during the season “should by no means be taken as any indication” that the team does not want Gaudreau back. Treliving even goes further on that sentiment, saying that the Flames will “move heaven and earth” and “do everything [they] possibly can to get Johnny back.” Treliving communicated a general sentiment in his comments that the Flames’ overall philosophy is to try to retain and support the team’s most talented players rather than to trade them away or let them leave. These comments cannot be seen as anything but a strong indication that Treliving intends to apply that philosophy to the contract situation of Gaudreau.
But despite Treliving’s intention to “move heaven and earth” for Gaudreau, like with any unrestricted free agent, the decision is not his alone to make. Gaudreau has had a fantastic platform season as he enters the open market, and he looks in line to command a massive contract. The Flames have a Matthew Tkachuk extension to consider after this season and are heading into the final two years of Elias Lindholm‘s team-friendly $4.85MM AAV deal. There is definitely room for the Flames to give Gaudreau that extension, especially if the team can find a way to move Sean Monahan and his $6.375MM cap hit, but it won’t be easy.
Additionally, one external factor complicates things as well. Gaudreau is from southern New Jersey and has in the past flirted with the idea of playing for the Flyers. The Flyers will be under significant pressure this offseason to build a team that can win in 2022-23, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on a 32 Thoughts podcast that the Flyers’ strategy for dealing with the financial pressures of losing is typically to “go out and get something shiny” that “the fans find attractive.” What would be more attractive to the Flyers fanbase and sponsorship base than a Hart Trophy candidate who grew up rooting for the Flyers? With all those factors in play, one has to wonder if the Flames are in the position to win a potential bidding war against a highly motivated Flyers club that has that hometown advantage over their player. But if Treliving’s comments from yesterday are any indication, the Flames look set to make a major push this offseason to retain their homegrown star.
Photo Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Tristan Jarry Out Week-To-Week
Despite clinching a playoff berth on Wednesday, this week may finish as a disappointing one for Penguins fans. Goaltender Tristan Jarry, who was strong in that playoff-clinching win, is out with a lower-body injury, and Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan stated that the team has designated Jarry’s status as “week to week.” Since the playoffs begin in just over two weeks, such a designation is highly concerning for the Penguins. Although it is definitely possible that Jarry returns in time for the team’s first playoff game, this recent development is not an optimistic one.
Goaltending is perhaps the single most important factor that can separate good teams from bad teams, and this season Jarry has greatly helped the Penguins distinguish themselves as firmly in the “good” category. Jarry, 26, has bounced back from the pessimism surrounding his play in the 2021 playoffs to post a strong .919 save percentage in 58 appearances this season. There have been many nights where Jarry’s heroics have given the Penguins a chance to win their game. Given Jarry’s struggles in last season’s playoffs, it is likely very important to both the team and the player that Jarry is able to carry over his regular-season performance into the playoffs, in order to wash away the stain some of last year’s mistakes have made on his reputation as a potentially elite goaltender.
While a week-to-week designation does leave room for Jarry to return in time for the playoffs, it still does do some damage to the Penguins’ outlook this season. Even if his return is quick and he manages to re-enter the lineup in time for the playoffs, he will have lost a few valuable starts that could help him ramp up for the increased intensity of playoff hockey. That being said, though, a return from injury with little time to ramp up did not seem to hurt Montreal’s Carey Price when he was in a similar situation last season. So, this injury is far from a death sentence for the Penguins’ season, but as of right now the team and its fanbase have to warm themselves up to the possibility of backup Casey DeSmith still manning the crease by the time the playoffs start. DeSmith has not been bad this season, with a .906 mark in 21 games, but he has not matched Jarry’s brilliance. With uncertain futures ahead for franchise icons Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, this injury development further clouds the near-term future of the Penguins.
AHL Shuffle: 04/16/22
Today features a major slate of games on the docket, highlighted by some quality contests between playoff teams. The Colorado Avalanche are taking on the Carolina Hurricanes in what very well could be a Stanley Cup Final preview, and in addition, the schedule features other matchups between quality teams such as Minnesota vs. St. Louis, Boston vs. Pittsburgh, and Edmonton vs. Vegas. As there always is in the NHL, there will be shuffling between the NHL and AHL, and we’ll keep track of that here.
Atlantic Division
- The Ottawa Senators have made a swap of backup goalies. The team announced that goaltender Mads Sogaard has been sent down to the AHL’s Belleville Senators, and in his place netminder Filip Gustavsson has been recalled. Sogaard, 21, returns to Belleville where has been for the majority of this season. He has a .906 in 31 games in the AHL and a .889 in two games for the big club. Gustavsson, 23, has been up and down from the NHL and AHL more often this season than Sogaard has, as he has appeared in 15 games for Ottawa and 18 games for Belleville. Gustavsson has a .913 save percentage this year for Belleville and an .886 mark for Ottawa.
- The Boston Bruins have returned defenseman Jack Ahcan to the Providence Bruins of the AHL. Ahcan has played in five NHL games this season for Boston, but did not play in this latest call-up, last playing March 10th. The 24-year-old has played more regularly for Providence, posting 22 points in 42 games this season in the AHL.
Metropolitan Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled goaltender Felix Sandstrom from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms on an emergency basis. Sandstrom, 25, has appeared in 42 games for the Phantoms this season and has a .901 save percentage. He has also appeared in two NHL games this season and has a .924 save percentage there. Flyers coach Mike Yeo recently signaled that starting goalie Carter Hart may be out for the rest of the Flyers’ season, which would make Sandstrom’s recall necessary.
- The New York Islanders have sent goaltender Ken Appleby back to the Worcester Railers of the ECHL. It was a confusing call-up for some, selecting a goaltender from the ECHL, with the Islanders announcing that goaltender Semyon Varlamov would not be able to play or back-up last night in Montreal due to a non-COVID illness, however as the team explained, Appleby and the Railers were geographically close to the Islanders, playing in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.
Central Division
Pacific Division
- The San Jose Sharks have brought up winger Jasper Weatherby from the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. This will be the 24-year-old’s third stint with the Sharks this season. He has 14 points in 45 NHL games so far while being a bit more productive in the minors with 15 points in 25 games.
This page is updated throughout the day.
Looking At John Klingberg’s Impending Free Agency
Now that the free agency situations of Josh Manson, Darcy Kuemper, and Ryan Strome have been examined, it’s time to move on to another big name set to headline this offseason’s free agent market: John Klingberg. This is Klingberg’s seventh and final season on the deal worth nearly $30MM that he signed after he finished his entry-level contract. The only NHL club Klingberg has known, the Dallas Stars, have given out major contracts to both Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen on their blueline. Additionally, the Stars’ cap situation is further complicated by the fact that Tyler Seguin has a $9.85MM cap hit through 2026-2027 and Jamie Benn costs $9.5MM through 2024-25. The point of mentioning those names is to show that the Stars already have major money committed to their team going into the future, which makes Klingberg’s situation an interesting one.
It is made even more interesting by the contracts still yet to come. Jason Robertson is a restricted free agent this offseason, and Roope Hintz becomes one after next season. Given how those two players are going to be major pillars of the Stars’ future, it’s likely the team would prefer to pursue long-term extensions with each. Therefore, a Klingberg extension in Dallas seems highly unlikely.
That unlikeliness is made even more extreme by the kind of contract Klingberg is reportedly set to look for this offseason. According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, Klingberg is seeking a maximum-term deal worth around $8MM per year. With all of those factors in play, it is highly unlikely that Klingberg can receive that deal from the Stars. So, he will hit likely free agency and be among the top defensemen on the market.
In an offseason market, a player like Klingberg can be rare. Players traditionally signed in free agency are older, declining, and lacking in dynamic talent. While Klingberg, 29, isn’t young anymore, he isn’t nearing the end of his playing days either. Klingberg is a highly productive offensive defenseman and has posted 43 points in 65 games this season, which is a 54-point pace. He isn’t known for his defensive game and shouldn’t be an all-situations minute-eater like many coaches covet, but as a defenseman for the modern NHL, there are few more dangerous than Klingberg.
So, with all that in mind, the main question surrounding Klingberg will likely end up being about how much NHL clubs value offense-first defensemen nearing the age of 30. Dougie Hamilton got $9MM AAV from the Devils this past offseason but did it as a 28-year-old free agent. Klingberg will be 30 when next season starts and has not had as strong of a season as Hamilton had in his platform year. Will a team see enough value in Klingberg for him to get the contract he desires? Or will Klingberg’s foray into free agency prove to be a disappointment? Like with many major free agents, it could come down to not necessarily what he signs for, but where he signs his contract. Regardless, his time on the free agent market will be one of the marquee storylines during this offseason.
Montreal Canadiens Place Jonathan Drouin On LTIR
If the Vegas Golden Knights’ flurry of moves wasn’t enough to satisfy those yearning for more long-term injured reserve (LTIR) machinations, the Montreal Canadiens have probably helped them out. The Canadiens have placed Jonathan Drouin on LTIR, according to PuckPedia. Drouin has been out since a late March contest against the Boston Bruins, and his season was ended by wrist surgery.
Drouin, 27, was the third-overall pick in the 2013 draft and has been known for his dazzling skills and somewhat enigmatic inability to parlay those skills into consistent production. He finishes this season with six goals and 20 points in 34 games, which is a 48-point pace. With next season being Drouin’s last before his $5.5MM AAV contract expires, it will be important for Drouin to put this injury-plagued year behind him and try to have as strong of a season as possible to set himself up for a valuable next contract.
For the Canadiens, placing Drouin on LTIR adds an interesting wrinkle to their season, which has largely been one to forget, save for the events following the hiring of interim coach Martin St. Louis. Because Drouin has been placed on LTIR, enough cap space has been “cleared” for the Canadiens to activate Carey Price, as noted by CapFriendly. Price has been practicing and seems to be recovered from the knee troubles that have cost him most of this season. He even traveled with the Canadiens for their road game in New Jersey. The Canadiens are a team in need of a lift, and Price’s return would undoubtedly represent a major one for their fanbase. With Drouin’s placement on LTIR, it seems that lift could arrive before this season comes to a close.
Boston Bruins Extend Oskar Steen
The Boston Bruins have announced that they have extended forward Oskar Steen, landing him on a two-year, one-way contract with an $800,000 cap hit. Steen, 24, was set to be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this offseason, meaning with this extension Boston has avoided the prospect of going to arbitration with Steen, a process many view as a headache to be avoided if possible.
Steen was the Bruins’ sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft (#165 overall) and has developed nicely since that point. Not every sixth-round pick gets a contract from the team that drafts him, let alone makes it to the NHL, so Steen’s career thus far has exceeded what could reasonably be expected from him given his draft slot. Steen has gotten into 19 NHL games this season and has posted a respectable six points. Steen is listed at five-foot-nine, 199 pounds, so he is a bit undersized, but he has found success as a professional in North America despite that limitation, thanks to his skating and compete level.
Steen has scored well for the AHL’s Providence Bruins this season, with 15 goals and 31 points in 41 games, good for fourth on the team. It’s clear from the fact that this is a one-way deal that the Bruins’ management views him as someone ready to step into the NHL lineup. At an $800k cap hit, there is very little risk for Boston in signing Steen for these next two seasons, because at the very least he’ll be a reasonably young impact player in Providence. But if Steen can continue his development, the Bruins will have gotten something that is ever-valuable in the NHL: a young, reliable, (and most importantly) cost-controlled depth player.
Seattle Kraken Sign Matty Beniers
The Kraken’s first-ever draft pick is arriving in Seattle. The team has announced that 2021 second-overall pick Matty Beniers has signed a three-year entry-level contract to join the Kraken. Beniers is expected to join practice with the team Monday and travel with the squad on their road trip to Calgary and Winnipeg. Kraken GM Ron Francis made the following statement on Beniers’ signing:
We’re excited to officially welcome Matty to our organization. He capped off a productive career at Michigan with a trip to the Frozen Four and has impressed our staff over the past couple of years with his leadership and strong two-way game. We’re looking forward to working with him as he takes the next step in his development.
With this signing of his professional contract, Beniers, 19, ends his college career at the University of Michigan. Beniers played two seasons with the team, starring as an offensive dynamo, two-way stalwart, and heart-and-soul leader. Beniers finishes his Michigan career having scored 67 points in 61 games. The Hingham, Massachusetts native is a coach’s favorite and has impressed with his all-around game and work ethic at every level he’s played at.
In addition to his success at Michigan, Beniers also caught the eye of selectors for the United States’ Beijing 2022 Olympic squad. Beniers played in four games at the Olympics and recorded two points. Beniers is a natural center and could become the first true star player in Kraken history if he lives up to the lofty expectations set by his number-two overall draft slot. He may take some time to adjust to the rigors of the NHL, but given the state of the Kraken and their lackluster forward corps, Beniers has a strong opportunity to quickly become an impact NHL player as well as a fan favorite.