Pacific Notes: Soucy, Pospisil, Zary, Stalock
Harman Dayal of The Athletic is reporting that the Vancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy will return to the lineup tonight as the team takes on the Los Angeles Kings. Soucy has been out of the lineup for a month and a half with a broken hand suffered on January 20th against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It is the second time this season that Soucy has broken a bone with the first being a broken leg that kept him out of the lineup for two months. On the year, injuries have limited Soucy to just 21 games with Vancouver, scoring two goals and six points overall.
Signed to a three-year, $9.75MM contract with the Canucks this past summer, Soucy still has plenty of time to recover and become an important factor of Vancouver’s defensive core. With Soucy now back in the mix, the Canucks should be able to field one of the league’s deepest defensive units come playoff time, as long as Tyler Myers can return in due time from his undisclosed injury.
Other Pacific notes:
- Calgary Flames forward Martin Pospisil is set to have a hearing for boarding Seattle Kraken’s Vince Dunn yesterday evening, according to the Department of Player Safety. During the play in question, Dunn received the puck below the goal line in Seattle’s defensive zone, with his back completely turned to the rest of the ice. Pospisil delivered a body check to Dunn while he was in a vulnerable spot, and was issued a five-minute major penalty on the play.
- Sticking in Calgary, Ryan Pike of Flames Nation is reporting that the Flames have placed forward Connor Zary on the team’s injured reserve, retroactively to the team’s game on Saturday. This allowed Calgary to open up a roster this afternoon to claim defenseman Joel Hanley off of waivers from the Dallas Stars.
- The Anaheim Ducks have reassigned goaltender Alex Stalock to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, per a team announcement. Even with this transaction marking the fourth time that Stalock has been brought up to the NHL level this year, he has yet to suit up in a game for Anaheim. At the AHL level, Stalock has appeared in 11 contests for the Gulls, earning a 1-9-1 record with a .892 SV%.
Penguins Hoping To Trade Jake Guentzel By Wednesday Night
TSN’s Darren Dreger is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins are hoping to have a trade in place for forward Jake Guentzel by Wednesday evening. The news is significant as it confirms that the Penguins are committed to moving out Guentzel to bring younger pieces into the organization.
In the report, Dreger indicates that the Penguins are looking for a first-round pick, a young NHL-caliber player, as well as prospects. TSN’s Chris Johnston is also reporting that the teams looking to acquire Guentzel are not interested in pursuing a contract extension and are purely viewing him as a rental.
The news comes only a day after reporting indicated the Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights were two primary suitors for Guentzel’s services. Without a doubt, Vancouver can create the best trade package between the two in terms of prospects they would be able to send to Pittsburgh, but the Golden Knights still have a 2024 first-round pick to send to the Penguins, with Vancouver not having a draft pick until the third round of this year’s upcoming draft.
Albeit a rare scenario in the NHL, the Penguins are putting themselves in a position to trade two months of Guentzel for much-needed prospect and draft capital and re-sign him to a lengthy contract in the offseason. It has become clear throughout Guentzel’s eight-year career in Pittsburgh that both he and franchise icon Sidney Crosby are very close both off and on the ice.
Now 10 points back of a playoff position in both the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference wild card race, the logic behind trading Guentzel is clear. However, given that Guentzel is so close to Crosby, the ramifications of a trade may be heavy on the team and General Manager Kyle Dubas.
Nevertheless, whichever team ultimately acquires Guentzel, will undoubtedly be favoring his impressive track record during the Stanley Cup playoffs. In 58 career playoff games, Guentzel has scored 34 goals and 58 points overall, including a Stanley Cup championship against the Nashville Predators in 2017.
Sitting 11th, 12th, and 14th in the league in GF/G, respectively, the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, and Golden Knights all have a need for Guentzel’s offensive prowess come playoff time. Ultimately, there are likely several teams still involved in the mix, allowing Dubas to take the best deal on the table.
Minnesota Wild Place Vinni Lettieri, Jacob Lucchini On Waivers
The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli is reporting that the Minnesota Wild have placed forwards Vinni Lettieri and Jake Lucchini on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Iowa. Both players have spent time in both Minnesota and Iowa this season.
Both Lettieri and Lucchini have surpassed their previous records of games played during a single season throughout their careers this year with the Wild. With multiple injuries up and down the lineup for the organization this year, Lettieri and Lucchini have both had the opportunity for more playing time at the NHL level.
Letteri has suited up in 32 games for Minnesota this season, averaging just under 10 minutes a game, scoring three goals and seven points overall. Suiting up in 10 games for Iowa earlier in the season, Lettieri played very well, scoring four goals and eight points in his limited time with the team.
In Lucchini, he has spent much more time in the AHL this season as compared to Lettieri. In 30 games for Iowa, Lucchini has scored 11 goals and 23 points overall, still sitting fifth on the team in scoring. At the NHL level, Lucchini has been able to play in 21 games for the Wild, scoring one goal and one assist in total while averaging just under nine minutes of ice time per night.
Calgary Flames Claim Joel Hanley Off Waivers
The Calgary Flames have claimed defenseman Joel Hanley off waivers from the Dallas Stars, per a team announcement. In now his 9th season in the NHL, Hanley has spent the last six years of his career in Texas.
Less than a week after trading pending unrestricted free agent Chris Tanev to the Stars, the General Manager of the Flames, Craig Conroy, has added a Stars defenseman to their arsenal. Primarily used as an extra defenseman throughout his tenure in Dallas, Hanley will now have the opportunity for more playing time, especially as Calgary continues to move out expiring pieces from the organization’s blue line.
A defensive defenseman through and through, Hanley has suited up in 32 games for the Stars this season, tallying three assists in the process. Averaging over 13 minutes a night for the fourth time in his career, Hanley regularly averages one blocked shot and one hit a game.
Until more trades are made in Calgary, Hanley will likely suit up on the bottom-pairing alongside fellow waiver claim, Brayden Pachal. Furthermore, Hanley may be able to replace either Noah Hanifin or Oliver Kylington on the left side of the team’s penalty-killing units if either is moved out before the trade deadline.
Washington Capitals Claim Matthew Phillips Off Waivers
The Washington Capitals have reclaimed forward Matthew Phillips off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. After spending 18 days with the Penguins organization, Phillips will return to Washington.
Signing a one-year, $775K contract with the Capitals on July 2nd last summer, Phillips was looking for a fresh start with a new organization. Unable to make his way up the depth chart with the Calgary Flames, Phillips was able to crack Washington’s active roster after an impressive preseason performance.
In his first four games with the Capitals, Phillips got off to a quick start, scoring one goal and three points overall. Unfortunately, in his next 23 games for Washington, Phillips was only been able to muster two assists, leading to his placement on waivers by the team only a few weeks ago.
Only suiting up in three games for Pittsburgh, the Capitals will now have the ability to send Phillips down to their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, without having to place him back on waivers. As they attempt to defend their Calder Cup title, the Bears are well positioned to repeat, sitting in first place across the league in the AHL standings by a margin of 13 points.
Vancouver Canucks Place Guillaume Brisebois On Waivers
The Vancouver Canucks have placed defenseman Guillaume Brisebois on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Abbotsford. Brisebois has been on the team’s long-term injured reserve for the entirety of the season after suffering a lower-body injury during training camp.
Drafted 66th overall by the Canucks organization back in the 2015 NHL Draft, injuries have prohibited Brisebois from becoming a full-time member of Vancouver’s defensive core. With month-long injuries keeping him out of action in 2021 and 2022, this recent injury to Brisebois has kept him away from the organization for five months.
Only accruing 27 NHL games under his belt in the last six seasons, Brisebois has been much more of a fixture in Vancouver’s AHL affiliates, playing for both the Utica Comets and Abbotsford Canucks over his career. In 241 games played for the Canucks’ AHL affiliates, Brisebois has scored 14 goals and 60 points overall, while also tallying one assist in seven career playoff games.
Although concern for another injury is at an all-time high for Brisebois, there may still be an avenue for him to become a depth defenseman in Vancouver. With limited cap-space mobility, the Canucks currently have four defensemen set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1st, which may give Brisebois a pathway to make the full-time jump to the NHL.
Edmonton Oilers Place Sam Gagner On Waivers
The Edmonton Oilers have placed forward Sam Gagner on waivers for assignment to AHL Bakersfield, according to a team announcement. Gagner is now in his third stint with the Oilers after signing a one-year, $775K contract with the organization back on October 31st.
Nearing the end of his career, Gagner is on his fourth straight contract paying him under $1MM a season. Primarily used as nothing more than a bottom-six forward, Gagner continues to add decent value to whichever organization he finds himself in.
In his last full season back in 2021-22 with the Detroit Red Wings, Gagner put together a 13-goal, 31-point performance over 81 games, finishing seventh on the team in scoring while playing on a one-year, $850K contract. However, it was not enough to earn him a raise on the free agent market, as Gagner had to wait until September 2nd to sign a one-year league minimum contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
Unfortunately, Gagner was used sparingly by the Jets as he only averaged a little more than 12 minutes of ice time per game. Scoring eight goals and 14 points in 48 games, Gagner had his season cut short on March 16th after going down with a hip injury.
Now back in Edmonton for the first time since the 2019-20 season, Gagner got off to a hot start, scoring five goals and 10 points in his first 20 games. Unfortunately, Gagner has now gone scoreless in his last seven games, seeing his average ice time drop by a full minute. With 12 other forwards currently on the active roster, the Oilers are likely preferring more cap space leading up to the deadline rather than Gagner’s recent play.
New York Rangers Sign Jonathan Quick To Extension
Mar. 4: Quick’s deal includes an additional $25K performance bonus, per CapFriendly. He’ll earn the bonus if he makes at least 20 starts in 2024-25 and ends the season with a save percentage of .915 or above.
Mar. 3: The New York Rangers announced they have signed goaltender Jonathan Quick to a one-year contract extension. Signing a one-year deal with his hometown team this past offseason, Quick became eligible to sign an extension with the Rangers on January 1st of this year. Arthur Staple of The Athletic is reporting that New York will give Quick a slight increase on his current $825K salary, now paying the goaltender $1.275MM for the 2024-25 NHL season. CapFriendly adds that Quick will receive a $775K base salary with a $500K signing bonus along with a 20-team no-trade clause.
Spending 15 and a half seasons with the Los Angeles Kings organization, Quick went on to become one of the top United States-born goaltenders in league history. Aside from Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014, Quick would win two William M. Jennings Trophies, earn three top-five finishes in Vezina Trophy voting, and one Conn Smythe Trophy.
In the last season of a 10-year, $58MM contract extension signed with the Kings on July 1st, 2012, Quick was soon made expendable by the only franchise he had ever known. Amid a poor season, Los Angeles sent Quick to the Columbus Blue Jackets as a part of a deal that brought Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov to California.
Without having much to compete for last season, the Blue Jackets were adamant about sending Quick to a playoff contender. Before even having the opportunity to suit up for Columbus, the organization sent Quick to the Vegas Golden Knights only one day later.
Quick performed mildly better for the Golden Knights, producing a 5-2-2 record in 10 games down the stretch, earning a .901 SV% and a 3.13 GAA. Even without having played a game for the team throughout the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, Quick had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup for a third time after Vegas hoisted the trophy for the first time in franchise history.
Becoming an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, the Milford, Connecticut native quickly signed with the Rangers on the first day of free agency. Carrying low expectations after a disappointing season last year, Quick has rebounded exceptionally well in the Big Apple.
Serving in the backup role behind Igor Shesterkin, Quick has arguably been the Rangers’ best goaltender this season. In 21 games played, Quick has accrued a 13-5-2 record, maintaining a .916 SV% and 2.45 GAA in the process.
With no serious contenders for the backup role making their way up the organizational depth chart, the strong play of Quick throughout this season led to today’s contract extension. Not only will Quick continue to play for his favorite team growing up, but earned himself a raise to boot.
Kevin Weekes of ESPN was the first to report that Quick had signed an extension in New York.
Trade Deadline Notes: Hanifin, Markstrom, Guentzel
On yesterday evening’s rendition of ‘Saturday Headlines’ on Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman spoke at length about several rumblings across the league leading up to the trade deadline. One of the major discoveries presented by Friedman is that the Tampa Bay Lightning are the preferred landing spot for Calgary Flames’ defenseman Noah Hanifin and that he would be willing to discuss an extension.
The news comes shortly after a report suggested that the Florida Panthers were making a concerted push for Hanifin, which could simply be some rivalry gamesmanship on their part. At any rate, this report confirms that the Lightning are making a strong effort to fill in the void left by the injury to Mikhail Sergachev, and are not ready to cede the Atlantic Division to other up-and-coming teams in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
An extension in Tampa Bay would be the most difficult part of any hypothetical transaction to acquire Hanifin, due to the Lightning only having around $10.85MM available to them in cap space this offseason, even with the salary cap set to rise to $87.7MM. If Tampa Bay is amicable to signing Hanifin at a deal they believe gives them solid value, General Manager Julien BriseBois may have to make a difficult choice between Hanifin, and pending unrestricted free agent forward Steven Stamkos this summer.
Other notes:
- Friedman also noted some specifics regarding the trade speculation surrounding Flames’ goaltender Jacob Markstrom, and the details behind his public frustration with the organization. Markstrom was originally displeased with the front office due to them indicating they had a deal in place to send him to the New Jersey Devils but then reversed course due to the solid play of the team in recent weeks. Friedman reports that even if the Devils are unable to acquire Markstrom before March 8th, New Jersey would be more than happy to reignite trade talks with Calgary at the 2025 NHL Draft.
- Lastly, Friedman confirmed that the Pittsburgh Penguins had set the asking price for forward Jake Guentzel at two prospects; not one prospect and a first-round pick. Friedman’s report comes a few days after President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas said to reporters that the Penguins’ primary focus at this year’s trade deadline would be to get younger overall. With several buyers not interested in parting with a first-round pick at this year’s trade deadline, the asking price for Guentzel may lead to a larger market for Pittsburgh to choose from.
Florida Panthers Making Push For Noah Hanifin
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes is reporting that the Florida Panthers are making a solid push to acquire defenseman Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames. It is important to note that the Panthers do not have a first-round pick to offer in either the 2024 NHL Draft or the 2025 NHL Draft.
Even with the Panthers now involving themselves in the fray; the Arizona Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Toronto Maple Leafs have all had reported interest in Hanifin’s services. Already carrying an impressive defensive unit, Florida may be trying to drive up the price for their rival in the Lightning.
If Hanifin does make his way to Sunrise by March 8th, it would immediately create a very good problem to have for the Panthers. By acquiring Hanifin, the organization would now have four top-four defensemen set to hit unrestricted free agency including Brandon Montour, Gustav Forsling, and the resurgent Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
The team would create some long-term flexibility on their back end, especially if one of Montour or Forsling left for greener pastures this summer. However, as all of them will no longer be a part of the Panthers organization on July 1st, 2024, there is no guarantee that any of them will decide to re-up in Florida.
The inclusion of the Panthers in the race for Hanifin is very reminiscent of the Boston Bruins’ acquisition of Dmitry Orlov last spring from the Washington Capitals. Now on pace to win the President’s Trophy with their current defensive core, Florida may be looking to put themselves over the top in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs after falling three games short last year.
In now his sixth season with the Flames organization, Hanifin is once again putting together a solid year, making him the most popular trade deadline rental option this season. In 59 games so far, Hanifin has scored 11 goals and 34 points overall, averaging 23:44 minutes of ice time per night.
The looming question surrounding any acquisition of Hanifin is how receptive he will be in discussing a contract extension with the acquiring organization. Earlier in the year, Calgary reportedly offered an eight-year, $60MM extension to Hanfin and his camp, but that was evidently not enough to convince Hanifin to stay in Alberta long-term.