Trade Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings
With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than 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 Detroit Red Wings.
The Detroit Red Wings have impressed this season, enjoying growth all around from their young core and gigantic rookie performances from Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider. With the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference virtually set in stone, though, any playoff aspirations for Detroit at this point are ill-advised, but that doesn’t take away from the extremely solid stepping-stone season Detroit and general manager Steve Yzerman have built to help set up the future.
Record
23-24-6, 5th in the Atlantic
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$35.80MM today, $55.49MM in full-season space, 1/3 retention slots used, 43/50 contracts used per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2022: DET 1st, DET 2nd, WSH 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, COL 4th, VGK 4th, DET 5th, DET 7th
2023: DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th
Trade Chips
Detroit’s on the emerging end of a rebuild, so any decent player with term for the Wings is likely safe from trade speculation. However, there’s a decent amount of pending unrestricted free agents for whom Detroit would love to retain assets.
The highest-caliber of these Detroit pending free agents is undoubtedly defenseman Nick Leddy. The long-time New York Islander was shipped to Detroit this past offseason in a salary-clearing move, with Detroit yielding a second-round pick to acquire his services. The 30-year-old has 12 points in 48 games this year and is still capable of logging top-four minutes, meaning that Yzerman should be able to at least recoup similar value for Leddy on the trade market. Leddy has struggled defensively, often being outshined by his partner Seider, but could benefit from facing lesser competition on a better team.
Marc Staal is another left-shot veteran defenseman on an expiring deal that could make some sense for teams. He’s having his best season in recent memory, rebounding with some solid two-way play after being an analytical nightmare for the past few years. His +12 rating is the only positive rating among active Detroit defensemen, and with a reasonable $2MM cap hit, many contenders could work him into a third-pairing/seventh man role with ease. He does have a no-movement clause, however, meaning he’d need to accept any trade in order for it to clear.
On offense, there’s Vladislav Namestnikov. Fifth on the team in goals with 13, he’s having a much better season than his first year in Detroit. He’s a good two-way presence capable of logging middle-six minutes, and his versatility among forward positions makes him an attractive option to have in the lineup when injury strikes. He could likely command a third- or fourth-round pick on the trade market, perhaps more.
Others To Watch For: F Sam Gagner ($850K, pending UFA), D Troy Stecher ($1.7M, pending UFA), G Thomas Greiss ($3.6MM, pending UFA)
Team Needs
1) 2023 Draft Picks — Detroit already has considerable pick depth in 2022 with an additional second-round choice and two extra fourth-round picks, but they’re lacking any additional selections in 2023. With that 2023 Draft class shaping up to be one of the overall highest-quality ones in recent memory, it would be wiser to load up the following year rather than trading for more 2022 selections. It could also give Detroit additional trade chip material at the 2023 Trade Deadline if the team finds itself in playoff contention.
2) Forward Prospects — While the Red Wings have an incredibly bright and deep future on defense, the Red Wings are now lacking many high-end forward prospects in the team’s development system after players like Lucas Raymond and Joe Veleno have graduated to full-time NHL roles. Additional depth there would be a nice get for Detroit.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Muzzin, Oilers, Russia
When defenseman Jake Muzzin landed on long-term injured reserve earlier in the week, speculation ramped up that the Toronto Maple Leafs could make an unexpected big splash at the Trade Deadline with some added salary cap flexibility. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on yesterday’s edition of 32 Thoughts that Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas is telling teams around the league that if Muzzin “is healthy enough to return before the end of the regular season, they’re not going to hold him out until the playoffs.” That’s to say that the team isn’t operating under the assumption that they’ll have the full $4.47MM in deadline cap space that CapFriendly suggests. While the team is still in a position to add a solid depth piece, or even a higher-end middle-six forward with some salary retention, any chance of Toronto being among the deadline’s biggest buyers is likely gone at this point.
Some more hockey notes on this Sunday:
- The Edmonton Oilers will be without both forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto for today’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Defenseman Philip Broberg continues to draw into the lineup as they’ll again ice 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Nugent-Hopkins and Yamamoto are both likely out with short-term injuries, both suffered during yesterday’s game in Sunrise against the Florida Panthers. Colton Sceviour and Brendan Perlini, who both have just five points on the year, will get opportunities to draw into the lineup as Edmonton’s two extra forwards.
- TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the IIHF is likely to make “significant decisions” surrounding the participation of Russia in future international hockey events during a council meeting tomorrow, beginning first and foremost with the upcoming Men’s World Championships in Finland, scheduled to take place in the middle of May. The report comes just as news broke that the Switzerland hockey governing body has requested additional sanctions placed on both the Russian and Belarussian hockey programs. Those additional sanctions include removing Russia as the host of the upcoming 2023 IIHF Men’s World Junior Championship and 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship, as well as the immediate exclusion of Russia and Belarus as member federations of the IIHF as the country’s invasion of Ukraine continues.
Trade Deadline Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs
With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than 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 Toronto Maple Leafs.
As has been the case for the past few seasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs are once again under immense pressure to buy at the deadline and finally make the jump out of the first round of the playoffs. The team has already made one move, adding defensive depth to the roster in the form of former Arizona Coyote Ilya Lyubushkin, but with some potential added cap flexibility due to defenseman Jake Muzzin‘s injury, general manager Kyle Dubas has the chance to make a bigger splash prior to March 21st.
Record
33-14-4, 3rd in the Atlantic
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$4.47MM today, $4.47MM in full-season space, 1/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2022: TOR 1st, TOR 2nd, TOR 7th*
2023: TOR 1st, TOR 2nd, TOR 3rd, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, TOR 6th
* – if Brennan Menell plays 30 regular-season games for Toronto in 2021-22, the Minnesota Wild receive Toronto’s 2022 seventh-round pick. Menell has yet to make his Leafs debut this season.
Trade Chips
It’s been widely reported that the team is reluctant to move their first-round pick this year or much of their top prospect pool. Taking that into account, it’s likely that any trade package includes a body from their now-extremely deep defensive pool. The most appealing option for trade partners is likely Travis Dermott. The team’s second-round selection in 2015 has been continually pushed down the depth chart by the emergence of Rasmus Sandin, but still has upside at 25 years old. He’s consistently mustered solid defensive results, and increased opportunity could help unlock some more offense. He has just five points in 37 games this year.
There’s also the matter of Justin Holl. He offers some cost certainty for teams, which is appealing — he’s locked into a $2MM cap hit through the end of next season. But he’s been prone to some egregious defensive mistakes this season, causing him to slip further down the lineup and become a healthy scratch at times. He does have experience playing top-four minutes, though, and does have a solid defensive track record throughout his short career. He still likely has some trade value.
Toronto also has a trio of young goalies in their AHL system in Erik Källgren, Joseph Woll, and Ian Scott. While the organization is high on Woll and would prefer to retain him, one of Kallgren or Scott could almost certainly be a part of a trade package. Källgren in particular likely carries some value, as he’s posted a solid .909 SV% in 22 AHL games and was the netminder behind Växjo’s run to the Swedish Hockey League championship in 2021.
Others To Watch For: F Alex Steeves ($834K through 2024), F Pontus Holmberg ($828k through 2023), D Mac Hollowell ($800k this year, $750k through 2023)
Team Needs
1) Wing Depth — Toronto has gotten impressive seasons out of free-agent wild cards Michael Bunting and Ondrej Kase, as well as Alexander Kerfoot and Ilya Mikheyev. But too much depth is never a bad thing, and the Leafs could use an upgrade to slot into the top-six, likely alongside John Tavares on the second line. Kerfoot’s versatility allows him to slide back down to a third-line role with ease, helping create a better matchup game for head coach Sheldon Keefe come playoff time.
2) Potential Muzzin Replacement — The health status of Jake Muzzin for the playoffs remains uncertain, as he’s on long-term injured reserve indefinitely as he recovers from his second concussion in a short timeframe. If Muzzin isn’t ready to go, an experienced left-shot D-man (Mark Giordano?) could make sense, especially as to not put too much pressure on the shoulders of the young Sandin and Liljegren.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
West Notes: Golden Knights, Forsberg, Blackhawks
Much has been made of the Vegas Golden Knights’ salary cap management, with the team playing with fire ever since acquiring Jack Eichel. Now, with the team potentially in a bind if they don’t have enough room to activate healthy players off long-term injured reserve prior to the playoffs, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger suggests a post-Trade Deadline cap-clearing move could potentially be in play. The return dates of Alec Martinez and Mark Stone aren’t certain, and it’s possible both could be healthy before May. If that’s the case, the Golden Knights could potentially move a player after the deadline to a non-playoff team in order to become cap-compliant. There’s no rule preventing this, as the Trade Deadline is legally only relevant because players moved after that date aren’t eligible for playoff games. However, as Granger notes, this could likely significantly reduce the trade value of any player Vegas is looking to move out, considering they’d have no other option to become compliant.
Other rumblings from the Wild West:
- Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reports that he’s hearing the Nashville Predators are “actively shopping” Filip Forsberg ahead of the deadline. While the team is a likely playoff lock in the Western Conference at this point, they’re likely not in the Stanley Cup conversation, and Forsberg is a free agent at season’s end. The NHL’s leader in even-strength goals would likely become the deadline’s biggest prize, and any Forsberg deal could reap considerable rewards for Nashville’s future and help replenish a prospect pool that, while it has some nice names, isn’t the strongest. He’s carrying an extremely reasonable $6MM cap hit that most contenders can stomach with some retention.
- According to Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus at The Athletic, if the Chicago Blackhawks and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury agree on a trade, it could potentially net the team a first-round pick. While they do say a second- or third-round selection is probably more realistic, some do believe teams will pay up for last year’s Vezina winner. The team does not have their first-round pick this year after including it in the Seth Jones trade.
Jake Muzzin Placed On Long-Term Injured Reserve
After a series of complicated roster moves earlier in the day, the Toronto Maple Leafs have now placed defenseman Jake Muzzin on long-term injured reserve.
The team made a series of recalls and re-assignments today to get as close to the salary cap as possible, including briefly sending Rasmus Sandin back to the AHL and recalling defensemen Brennan Menell and Kristians Rubins. This permits them to get as much LTIR relief from Muzzin’s $5.625MM cap hit as possible.
Muzzin will be out for at least 10 games and 24 days. But after suffering his second concussion in a short timeframe, Toronto is expected to be cautious with his return.
If Muzzin is healthy before the end of the regular season, Toronto would need to be cap-compliant in order to return him to the active roster. But if Muzzin won’t return until the beginning of the postseason or sometime during it, the Maple Leafs have roughly an additional $5.6MM to throw around at the trade deadline and have those players for the playoffs.
In the meantime, look for Sandin and Timothy Liljegren to see an increased role.
Blue Jackets’ Daniil Tarasov Out For Remainder Of Season
Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Daniil Tarasov will miss the remainder of the season as he recovers from right hip surgery, the team announced today. Tarasov’s recovery timeline is six months.
The news isn’t entirely unexpected. Tarasov has been on the shelf for a little while now, last playing for the Blue Jackets on New Years’ Day after a three-game string in early December.
The 22-year-old, who was drafted 86th overall in 2017 by the team, had a strong showing this year, posting a .937 save percentage despite only being credited with two losses and no wins.
Columbus, for the time being, will need to continue to rely on NHL/AHL tweener veteran Jean-Francois Berube between the pipes. He’s recorded two wins in his past two starts, his first such victories in the NHL since 2018. Their NHL tandem in Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo are both day-to-day with lower-body injuries.
Tarasov should be ready to go for training camp for 2022-23 and stands a chance to win an NHL spot, especially considering Korpisalo’s pending unrestricted free agent status.
Snapshots: Hertl, MacKinnon, Devils
One of the biggest question marks at this year’s Trade Deadline will undoubtedly be the availability of star San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl, who will be a pending unrestricted free agent this offseason. Despite an early-season surge, the Sharks aren’t likely to be in the playoff picture and although Hertl’s voiced his desire to stay in San Jose if the team doesn’t feel an extension is reachable, he could be on his way out for a nice return. However, while those contract talks have started, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that the team hasn’t made an official extension offer to Hertl as the deadline is now just one month away. Pagnotta speculates that the Sharks should extend an official offer to Hertl within the next week or two, giving them an abbreviated timeframe to decide on whether or not to trade him.
Some more notes on this Monday night:
- Eyebrows rose across the internet when a video of Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon seemingly slashing a linesman on the legs after the opening faceoff of their game today against Boston went viral. However, Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet 590 says that he was told NHL hockey operations and officials investigated the incident, and no further discipline will be handed to MacKinnon for the play. That’s great for the Avs, who have already been without MacKinnon for chunks of time this season as injuries have limited him to 35 games.
- Also according to Pagnotta, the New Jersey Devils could be active at the Trade Deadline, but not necessarily as a stereotypical seller. General manager Tom Fitzgerald could look to make a traditional asset-for-asset type of deal, and that’s not entirely surprising. The team’s been linked, by multiple reports, in recent days to the Vancouver Canucks, and could look to acquire either one of Conor Garland or Brock Boeser to improve the team’s waning depth on the wings.
Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Carter Hutton
7:47 pm: PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports that the Maple Leafs are expected to loan Hutton back to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners for the time being. Considering the Leafs’ considerable depth at the position in the AHL, the move is such as to not separate Hutton from his family. In the unlikely event he’s needed, he can still be recalled to Toronto.
6:38 pm: Goalie Carter Hutton is on the move from the Arizona Coyotes to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for future considerations, per the team. Hutton had cleared waivers today, meaning that he can be assigned directly to the AHL.
This is the second trade between the two teams within a matter of days. The Maple Leafs acquired Ilya Lyubushkin and Ryan Dzingel from Arizona in exchange for Nick Ritchie and a conditional draft pick, only to lose Dzingel on waivers today to the San Jose Sharks.
Hutton, now 36, played just three games for the Coyotes this season before going down with a lower-body injury. Healthy now, he’ll in all likelihood report to the Toronto Marlies, providing the organization with some additional goalie depth.
Hutton had an eye-popping .741 save percentage and 7.83 goals-against average in those three games with the Coyotes. With youngster Karel Vejmelka and mid-season acquisition Scott Wedgewood holding the fort admirably behind a weak Arizona team, Hutton’s place within the organization had faded away.
The acquisition is somewhat confusing, considering Toronto already has Michael Hutchinson, Erik Källgren, Joseph Woll, and Ian Scott in the minors.
Clark Bishop, Carter Hutton Clear Waivers
Feb 21: While Dzingel was claimed by the San Jose Sharks, both Bishop and Hutton have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.
Feb 20: TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Dzingel, Ottawa Senators forward Clark Bishop, and Arizona Coyotes goaltender Carter Hutton were all placed on waivers today.
Dzingel’s placement is certainly somewhat unexpected, considering the team acquired him last night via trade from the Arizona Coyotes. However, as a casualty of the salary cap, the team was forced to send Rasmus Sandin down to the minors as a paper transaction today. In order for the team to keep both skilled young defensemen Sandin and Timothy Liljegren in the NHL, the team needed to clear additional salary. Dzingel’s cap hit of $1.1M is fully buriable in the AHL.
Bishop is a 25-year-old who’s seen a lot of time up and down between the NHL and AHL over the past few seasons. He’s gotten into nine games with Ottawa this year, but has averaged just 8:21 of ice time per game and has notched one assist.
With Hutton on waivers today, it’s an indication that the veteran goalie is finally healthy. Hutton suffered a lower-body injury just weeks into the season and has been out of the lineup for nearly four months. Seeing as Karel Vejmelka and Scott Wedgewood have both decisively outperformed Hutton’s early-season numbers, it’s the logical choice here for the Coyotes.
Latest On Jakob Chychrun
The Trade Deadline is still over a month away, but that hasn’t stopped activity from slowly beginning to increase across the league. That trend doesn’t appear to be stopping, as multiple big names are still on the market and could be moved prior to the deadline. One of those names is Arizona Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who’s probably the best defenseman available.
Trade talk has surrounded Chychrun all throughout this season, as a tough year for the Coyotes has meant a tough year for him personally on the ice. Now, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that there’s an “increased level of activity” surrounding Chychrun trade discussions, and it appears as though the Los Angeles Kings are the current frontrunner in those talks.
While it’s obviously impossible to predict a return, Pagnotta reports that sources indicate the Coyotes are interested in a package from Los Angeles that includes prospect Gabriel Vilardi. Selected 11th overall back in 2017, Vilardi’s struggled with injury during his development process but looked at home in L.A. last season with 23 points in 54 games. With just one assist in 7 NHL games this season, though, he’s been spending a lot of time with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. There, he’s chugging along with 29 points in 29 games, a positive indicator there.
The Kings currently sit with 59 points and the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. While the team’s received strong play from Drew Doughty, Matt Roy, and Sean Durzi on the right side defensively, their left side lacks a higher-end, experienced NHL defenseman. While Chychrun is just 23, he’s at least been in the league for a few seasons and even has some brief playoff experience under his belt. There’s a natural fit for him atop the defensive depth chart on a pairing with Doughty, a situation that could help him rediscover the offensive side of his game.