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Arizona Coyotes Extend Liam O’Brien

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The Arizona Coyotes announced that they have signed forward Liam O’Brien to a two-year contract extension (link). As per club policy, the terms of the contract have not been made available at this time. O’Brien had signed a one-year deal with the Coyotes back on July 28, 2021, and would have become a UFA after this season. PuckPedia reports that the contract will carry a cap hit of $775K.

O’Brien has been a bright spot for the Coyotes and their fans this year. While he has just two goals and one assist in 37 games for Arizona this season, he does lead the NHL in penalty minutes with 106 and is second on the team with 131 hits. Coyotes’ GM Bill Armstrong described O’Brien as a “hard-working player with great character who is always there to support his teammates.”

The O’Brien extension is the second handed out by the Coyotes this weekend, having extended forward Travis Boyd yesterday. While these players may not be the building blocks of the Coyotes rebuild, the club has made clear that they want to keep parts of their veteran core in place, presumably to help develop and move along the future young core of this team, especially as it transitions to its temporary home at Arizona State University. The extensions also represent a willingness of current Coyotes players who are comfortable signing on to continue their stay in Arizona despite the many changes ahead of them.

Snapshots: Capitals, Comtois, UFA Extension Discussions

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With the March 21st trade deadline approaching, and the Washington Capitals currently in the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, the organization is looking at different trade deadline scenarios. The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir shared his thoughts on the team’s deadline approach (subscription required). Perhaps most notably, the Capitals could look for an upgrade at the goaltender position, as the team is currently running a tandem of Vitek Vanecek and the struggling Ilya Samsonov. While Vanecek has impressed as of late, El-Bashir mentions the desire for the Capitals to add a veteran goaltender who would be a “significant or legitimate” upgrade over their current goaltenders.

Also mentioned was the Capitals’ possible desire to add a forward. While an addition such as Filip Forsberg or Claude Giroux has not been ruled out, it is unlikely. El-Bashir suggests Seattle forwards Calle Jarnkrok and Marcus Johansson as potential options for depth scoring. Both players are unrestricted free agents after this season, Jarnkrok carrying a $2MM cap hit and Johansson a $1.5MM cap hit. In addition to those two, the Capitals could also call on the Detroit Red Wings’ Vladislav Namestnikov, as well as New York Islanders’ forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Zach Parise. While none of these players would bring the excitement of a Giroux or a Forsberg, they can certainly provide the low-cost, depth scoring the Capitals need.

  • Last night on Hockey Night in Canada, SportsNet’s Jeff Marek added a new name to the list of trade deadline candidates: Max Comtois. The young forward has struggled to stay in the lineup this year, and has struggled when he is in the lineup.  Comtois has just six points in 31 games this season, missing time with a hand injury and COVID-19 earlier in the year, and has been scratched lately as well. It certainly has been a turn this year for Comtois, after leading the Ducks with 33 points in 55 games last season.
  • Also on Hockey Night in Canada yesterday, SportsNet’s Elliotte Friedman touched on several notable pending UFAs, including Forsberg, Johnny Gaudreau, Tomas Hertl, and Hampus Lindholm. Friedman mentions that their teams are pushing hard to extend them prior to the trade deadline, and of course before the free agency period. While the Calgary Flames are quite unlikely to try and move Gaudreau, with the team poised to make a playoff run, rumors about Forsberg, Hertl and Lindholm continue to swirl, especially with San Jose and Anaheim on the outside of the playoff picture. Nashville on the other hand, is in a tricky position, as they currently sit in a playoff spot, but holding on to a major trade chip in Forsberg. Friedman also adds that while the contract talks have really heated up on Hertl and Lindholm, word around Forsberg and Gaudreau is notably quiet.

Injury Updates: Wood, Smith, Domingue, Kase

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Positive news on the New Jersey Devils injury front, as head coach Lindy Ruff said this morning that he hopes forward Miles Wood can return to the lineup sometime in the next seven to ten days (link). It has been a rough stretch for the Devils and for Wood, the Devils sitting in last place in the Metropolitan and Wood not having played a game yet this season due to injury. While Wood certainly won’t turn the season around in New Jersey, his grit and speed could certainly spark the team’s young core as they try to end the season on a positive note heading into 2022-23.

  • The Hurricanes could be close to getting defenseman Brendan Smith back in the lineup (link). Smith had not played since suffering an injury in a game against Pittsburgh on February 20th. Adding Smith back into the lineup would certainly be a welcomed defensive depth addition for the Hurricanes.
  • Goaltender Louis Domingue is back at practice for the Penguins today (link). Domingue has only played one game this season for Pittsburgh, a win on January 15th in San Jose, and has been working his way back from a foot injury. It still remains unclear what the timetable is for the goaltender.
  • Yesterday evening, the Toronto Maple Leafs placed forward Ondrej Kase on injured reserve. Kase has not played since Toronto’s 10-7 win over the Detroit Red Wings on February 26th. While Toronto has plenty of quality depth, losing Kase, who has 23 points in 44 games this season, is still a tough blow.

Montreal Canadiens Could Move Shea Weber’s Contract

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Earlier tonight on the 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night in Canada, Elliotte Friedman added another name to the list of potential Montreal Canadiens defensemen to be moved: Shea Weber (link). Friedman believes Montreal will look to move Weber’s contract to a team that either needs long-term injured reserve room or who needs to get to the cap floor and prefers not to spend much over the next few years.

The 36-year-old Weber has not played this year, having had his playing career likely come to an end due to injury. Weber last played in the Stanley Cup Finals for Montreal against the Tampa Bay Lightning last season before being placed on long-term injured reserve this season.

What is most notable about Weber’s situation is his remaining contract terms. While he has another four years left on his contract, carrying a $7.9MM cap hit each season, he is only owed $6MM total over those four years. In other words, a team that acquires Weber would only have to pay him $6MM, despite his contract having four years at $7.9MM each year. This would be an intriguing option for a team that is looking to take on cap for their own benefit or to alleviate another team’s salary cap concerns.

Montreal may not be inclined to move Weber, however, unless the terms were in its best interests. If the Canadiens are committed to a rebuild, then they might be the exact team that could benefit from having Weber’s contract on the books in the first place. Still, this idea has only thus far been reported and a market for Weber has yet to establish itself, and could carry on into the offseason potentially.

Latest On Philadelphia Flyers’ Trade Deadline Targets

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Earlier this evening on Hockey Night in Canada, Jeff Marek noted that several high-profile Philadelphia Flyers’ front office members, including Chuck Fletcher, Daniel Briere, Dean Lombardi, and Bill Barber had attended the Lehigh Valley Phantoms game against the Charlotte Checkers, the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers (link). Marek said:

We’ve talked before about how Claude Giroux may end up at the end of all of this, as a Florida Panther. Who are they there to see? We believe it is Owen Tippett, and we’ve talked before, Ron, about how Owen Tippett’s name is very much out there and how the Florida Panthers have let it be known that he could be available.

While Giroux to the Panthers has certainly been discussed before, and Tippett as a potential return is not news either, it is of note that a sizable contingent of the Flyers’ front office has gone to see Tippett play in person.

Tippett has been up and down for the Panthers this season, most recently having been sent down to Charlotte on February 22nd. While Tippett has not yet lived up to the potential the Panthers saw when they drafted him 10th overall in 2017, he has shown promise as of late. The 23-year-old winger has just 14 points in 42 games in the NHL this year, but he does have 10 points in eight games with Charlotte this season. Perhaps a change of scenery and an increased role with another team such as the Flyers could benefit Tippett and spark his development.

Anaheim Ducks Prefer To Re-Sign UFAs

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9:15 pm: In his 32 Thoughts segment on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday evening, Elliotte Friedman reiterated the Anaheim Ducks desire to extend Hampus Lindholm if possible. However, he notes that the organization has expressed concern regarding the potential term of a Lindholm extension.

6:41 pm: With the trade deadline soon approaching, and the Anaheim Ducks on the outside looking in of the Western Conference playoff picture, speculation about the Ducks trade chips has started to heat up. Elliott Teaford of The Orange County Register reports that Ducks’ General Manager Pat Verbeek made clear to season ticket holders yesterday that his primary intention was to re-sign his impending unrestricted free agents, including defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson, and forward Rickard Rakell.

Verbeek had stated at an event for season-ticket holders that while he is working on extending those players, he would look to trade them if he did not believe he could extend them. Verbeek’s primary concern, he said, would be allowing those players to leave in free agency, not having gotten something back for them, or of course re-signing them. Teaford also added that while Verbeek mentioned having ongoing discussions with Lindholm on an extension, he did not mention any of the Ducks’ other unrestricted free agents by name.

If the Ducks do choose to re-sign the trio of Lindholm, Manson, or Rakell, it could come at a high cost. Lindholm is currently in the final year of a six-year, $31.5MM contract he signed with the Ducks in 2016, carrying a cap hit just north of $5.2MM. Lindholm has been one of the Ducks’ best defensemen the past few seasons, even during some lean years in Anaheim. This season, Lindholm has put up 20 points in 53 games, and is second on the team to Cam Fowler in average time-on-ice at 22:43 per game. Lindholm is expected to received a fairly significant raise over his $5.2M cap hit, however if he is dealt, the price for the 27-year-old could be rather significant as well.

Manson is in the final year of a four year, $16.4MM contract he signed with the Ducks in 2017, a contract which has seen Manson emerge as a sturdy, reliable defender for the Ducks through their rebuild. Manson could expect a similar contract this offseason, however a veteran, right-handed, shutdown defenseman like Manson could certainly be a valuable asset to sell on the trade deadline market.

Rakell has been a name mentioned in recent rumors and by Teaford here as well. The forward could be an intriguing name on the deadline market, as a proven point-producer carrying a cap hit just below $3.8MM. However, he may be a player the Ducks could look to extend at a reasonable cost. Rakell is in the final year of a six-year, $22.8MM contract he signed in the fall of 2016, before he began to truly break-out for Anaheim. However, Rakell’s production has dissipated since his stellar 34 goal, 35 assist 2017-18 season. While Rakell is almost certainly due a raise this time around, he may be a player the Ducks could keep at a fair price for a proven scoring touch.

In addition to this trio, the Ducks unrestricted free agents also include Ryan Getzlaf, Sam Carrick, and Nicolas Deslauriers.

Stars Notes: Seguin, Heiskanen, Holtby

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Dallas Stars’ forward Tyler Seguin was back on the ice for practice today in Minnesota, according to The Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks (link to Tweet). Not only has Seguin returned to practice, but afterwards Stars’ head coach Rick Bowness said that Seguin “should be fine” for Sunday’s game in Minnesota against the Wild, adds DeFranks.

Seguin missed last night’s game in Winnipeg due to a non-COVID illness. The forward has 17 goals and 13 assists in 53 games this season, but will need to be a key factor in the Stars’ push to the playoffs. The Stars currently sit in a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, sitting on 65 points in 54 games, just a point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers and Sunday’s opponent, the Minnesota Wild.

  • The Stars may still be without another key piece, writes DeFranks, as Miro Heiskanen did not practice today and is currently questionable for the game against the Wild (link). Like Seguin, Heiskanen missed last night’s game in Winnipeg with a non-COVID illness.  This was only the second game Heiskanen has missed this season, after he missed a game in December with a non-COVID illness as well. The Stars have had to rely heavily on Heiskanen this year, as the young defenseman has posted 29 points in 52 games and leads the team in average time-on-ice at 24:46. With Dallas just holding onto a playoff spot, even one extra game without a player like Heiskanen could be a big loss.
  • Shifting gears on the Stars,, should the organization decide to sell any pieces at the deadline, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan believes that goaltender Braden Holtby is definitely in play (link). Holtby is having himself a solid bounce-back season after struggling greatly the last two seasons. Holtby’s .913 save percentage and 2.78 goals against average are the best he has had since the 2018-19 season with the Washington Capitals. While he is no longer the elite goalie he once was, Holtby may still carry some value to a team looking for a quality backup, or even someone to split time in net, especially given Holtby’s pedigree as a Stanley Cup winning goaltender. Holtby only carries a $2MM cap hit that expires after this season, so acquiring him should not be a strain for interested teams.

AHL Shuffle: 02/27/22

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After an exciting Saturday of hockey featuring an outdoor game, a 1-0 nail-biter, and a 10-7 thriller, the NHL is back in action Sunday with an eight-game slate, featuring what should be an exciting Edmonton Oilers vs. Carolina Hurricanes matinee.  We can still expect plenty of player movement throughout the day:

Atlantic Division

Metropolitan Division

Central Division

Pacific Division

  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced that they have recalled forward Jonas Rondbjerg from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights (Twitter link). In a corresponding move, Vegas assigned forward Jake Leschyshyn to Henderson. Leschyshyn has just one goal and three assists in 20 games this season for Vegas, but has put up a strong 12 goals and 12 assists in 31 games for Henderson this season. Rondbjerg, on the other hand, has had a remarkably similar season, tallying two goals and two assists in 16 games for Vegas, while putting up 11 goals and 12 assists in 31 games for Henderson this season. The team has also reassigned goaltender Logan Thompson to the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have shifted veteran defenseman Kris Russell to long-term injured reserve, the team announced. Russell has been on IR since February  7 with an undisclosed injury, but with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto now sidelined, the team needed additional cap space to field a full roster, necessitating Russell’s transition. Brad Malone has received the call to fill that newfound space; the 32-year-old forward is in his fifth season with the Oilers organization, but hasn’t played in an NHL game since 2018-19.
  • With starter John Gibson likely to miss some time with an illness, the Anaheim Ducks have recalled young netminder Lukas Dostal from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. Dostal, 21, has been very impressive in three appearances with the Ducks this season and certainly appears to have the makings of an NHL regular in the near future.
  • Rudolfs Balcers has been placed on injured reserve by the San Jose Sharks. Replacing him on the roster is Scott Reedy, the team announced. Reedy, 22, has played in five NHL games in his first pro season but has yet to record a point. However, the big center has 18 goals and 27 points in 38 games with the AHL Barracuda in an impressive rookie campaign.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Washington Capitals Activate Vitek Vanecek And Loan To AHL

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The Washington Capitals announced Sunday morning that they have assigned goaltenders Vitek Vanecek and Pheonix Copley to the AHL’s Hershey Bears. Vanecek, the Capitals announced, will only be with Hershey on a conditioning loan after spending time on injured reserve. Copley, meanwhile, will remain in Hershey.

The Capitals had been without the steady Vanecek since he was injured in a game February 1st against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While Vanecek has been strong in net for the Capitals this season with a .915 save percentage and 2.39 goals-against average, his net-partner Ilya Samsonov has struggled to a .905 save percentage and 2.85 goals-against average. Vanecek’s return should provide a more reliable presence in net for the Capitals, while allowing them to put Samsonov in for favorable matchups.

The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell suggests that Vanecek will likely play tonight for Hershey and if all goes well, he could be recalled to Washington in time for their game tomorrow night against Toronto.

Also sent down to Hershey is Copley, who had only played in two games after being recalled in the wake of Vanecek’s injury. Copley had not played in the NHL before this season since he suited up for 27 games with the Capitals back in the 2018-19 season. Since he does not need waivers, Copley should join Hershey immediately and remain available to the Capitals should they need him down the stretch.

Trade Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils

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With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms larger and is just a month away. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the New Jersey Devils.

The New Jersey Devils looked poised to put their rebuild behind them this season and push for a playoff spot after signing star defenseman Dougie Hamilton to a seven-year, $63MM contract, and adding veteran forwards Tomas Tatar and Jimmy Vesey, goaltender Jonathan Bernier, and defenseman Ryan Graves to complement a group of developing young talents such as Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, and Ty Smith. That hoped-for success the Devils saw going into 2021-22 was not realized however, after a tough series of injuries, COVID-protocol absences, and poor play. While the Devils are not the buyers they may have wanted to be, the organization also likely does not consider itself a traditional seller either. The team is poised to shop several veteran assets, but may also look for longer-term building blocks to add in the right situation.

Record:

17-28-5, 8th in the Metropolitan

Deadline Status:

Hesitant seller

Deadline Cap Space:

$21.45MM today, $36.46MM in projected deadline space, 1/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks:

2022: NJD 1st, NJD 2nd, NJD 3rd, NJD 4th, EDM 4th, NYI 4th, CBJ 5th, NJD 6th, NJD 7th

2023: NJD 1st, NJD 2nd, NJD 3rd, NJD 4th, NJD 5th, NJD 6th, NJD 7th

Trade Chips:

Depending on which direction, or directions, the Devils decide to go at this deadline, they have several pieces they could move in either situation. The most notable piece the Devils have to offer is that of defenseman P.K. Subban. Subban is on an expiring contract, becoming an unrestricted free agent after this season. While certainly a big name who can still make an impact on a powerplay, he is not the player he was when he won the Norris Trophy in 2013 or the player who helped lead the Nashville Predators to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2017. Subban has picked up three goals to go along with 14 assists in 47 games this season for New Jersey but has also seen his ice time drop off significantly from last season, decreasing from 22:22 in 2020-21 to 19:34 in 2021-22. Subban’s offensive prowess could be useful to a playoff team, though he does carry a steep $9MM cap hit. While it comes off after this season, it may be a tough squeeze for teams that would benefit from his services, even if the Devils retain a large portion.

New Jersey also has an intriguing unrestricted free agent piece in Vesey. After big-time hype coming out of college, Vesey has been a steady presence in the NHL, albeit not at the level some had him pegged. After struggling last year to just ten points in 50 games between Toronto and Vancouver, which saw him placed on waivers and claimed by the Canucks, Vesey was invited to Devils training camp and made the team. He has performed well for New Jersey, tallying seven goals and six assists in 46 games and being a presence on the penalty kill. While he won’t be a major trade chip, the Devils could expect some demand for the veteran who carries just an $800K cap hit for the remainder of the season.

Looking in another direction, New Jersey could look to buy, so long as they can acquire a piece that acts as a building block for the future. The most notable and discussed of these potential pick-ups is Canucks’ forward Brock Boeser. In addition to draft picks, the Devils have several talented young players they could part with to make a splash. Perhaps the likeliest of candidates is forward Pavel Zacha. Zacha, who the Devils selected sixth overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, has not necessarily reached the heights that were expected of him, but has appeared to find his groove in the past couple of seasons, putting up 29 goals and 29 assists in 97 games over the course of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons so far.

In a trade like this, the Devils could also conceivably be asked to move one or both of Yegor Sharangovich or Smith. Sharangovich, a fifth-round pick in 2018, has been a nice find for the Devils, scoring ten goals and 24 points in 44 games this season on top of 16 goals and 14 assists in 54 games last season. Smith was the Devils’ first-round pick in 2018, going 17th overall. He made his NHL debut last season and played well, but has struggled for much of this year. Presumably, the Devils would prefer to build a package around Zacha, as opposed to a Sharangovich or Smith.

The organization also boasts a strong prospect pool from which to deal. Teams would of course be interested in a top prospect like fourth-overall selection Luke Hughes, or others like Alexander Holtz, Chase Stillman, or Shakir Mukhamadullin, but New Jersey would obviously likely prefer to counter with smaller, but still impactful names such as Reilly Walsh, Nolan Foote, or Daniil Misyul.

Other Potential Trade Chips: F Nathan Bastian ($825K, 2 years, RFA); D Christian Jaros ($800k, RFA); Jon Gillies ($750K, UFA)

Team Needs:

1) Scoring Wingers: The Devils have plenty of depth down the middle, most times employing some of those players on the wing. The team has seen incredibly strong production out of Bratt, and solid, expected production out of Tatar and Andreas Johnsson, but the team should look to add another wing or two to complement the likes of Hughes and Hischier. If all works out, Holtz will fill one of those spots moving forward, but acquiring a player like Boeser, or even Conor Garland, could have a strong impact on the Devils scoring, and bolster the overall depth of the forward group.

2) Defensive Depth: Between Graves and Hamilton, the Devils have created themselves a formidable top pairing. However, for long-term success, the organization must be able to round out its entire defense core. Subban’s tenure with the Devils appears to be ending shortly, and there are questions about Smith’s development. Jonas Siegenthaler has rounded out his game nicely and appears to be a reliable piece for the team. Mukhamadullin and Hughes, if their development goes well, should join the team in the coming years.  Still, the team could benefit from adding one or two more formidable defensemen to complement Graves and Hamilton, and bring along the young players.

3) Draft Picks: While the organization is looking to add pieces to join the line up now and end the rebuild, this will be the likely return for any deadline sales the team makes.

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