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Frederik Andersen Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone 2-3 in the five games started by Michael Hutchinson, an emergency fill-in acquired from the Florida Panthers just before the team lost their two NHL goaltenders. Today, both of those goaltenders will be back on the ice as Frederik Andersen has been activated off of injured reserve and Garret Sparks has cleared the concussion protocol. Andersen will start against the Colorado Avalanche with Sparks serving as backup, while Hutchinson has been returned to the AHL for the time being.

Goaltending has been an interesting position for the Maple Leafs, who lost both Calvin Pickard and Curtis McElhinney on waivers just before the season began. That meant at one point Eamon McAdam was just a Sparks injury away from being the team’s starter, a far cry from the deep group they had a year ago. Hutchinson has returned some order to the position with his reliable presence in net the last few games, though the team is obviously thrilled with getting Andersen back.

In fact, the time off may have helped the Danish goaltender immensely. Andersen admitted recently that his groin injury had been affecting his play since December, a month in which he recorded just a .903 save percentage and allowed more than three goals per game. Those are a far cry from his numbers the previous month, where Andersen was playing like a potential Vezina candidate and making the Maple Leafs look like a real contender in the Eastern Conference.

His return comes with just 38 games remaining on the season, meaning he will almost definitely not reach the mark of 66 games he has played in each of the past two years. The team is hoping that rest will keep him fresher for the postseason, given the team’s consecutive first-round exits.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Edmonton Oilers Put On “Full-Court Press” In Search Of Forward Help

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The Edmonton Oilers came into today just two points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. That proximity is not because of their own success though, as almost every team vying for the wild card spots in the west have struggled to find any sort of consistency of late. In face, the Dallas Stars have gone 5-4-1 in their last ten and yet have still pulled ahead of the plummeting Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division. The struggles of the rest of the conference may be a blessing for the Oilers, who are still well within striking distance if they can figure out how to get the most out of their current roster, or make an addition to change up the on-ice dynamic.

It seems as though the front office has focused in on the latter of those two options, as Ryan Rishaug of TSN reports that the team has put on a “full-court press to find help at forward.” Rishaug goes so far as to say that the Oilers may be willing to part with their first-round pick, a goaltender and a young developing forward, though no specific players are mentioned.

With exactly six weeks left before the trade deadline, the league has been deemed a buyers’ market given the amount of teams that know they’re not ready to compete this season. That’s not the case for the Oilers, who can’t afford to waste another prime year of Connor McDavid on a playoff-less team. There’s unimaginable pressure on GM Peter Chiarelli to make this club a winner given McDavid’s talent, but so far the young forward has seen just 13 playoff games in his short career.

Part of that is because of the lack of secondary scoring in Edmonton, something that has plagued the team since McDavid came into the league (and even before that). The Oilers have three players with 40 or more points, but their fourth-highest scoring forward is Alex Chiasson with just 22. Chiasson’s 17 goals make him one of only four forwards with more than four, not counting the seven Drake Caggiula scored before being traded out of town.

Interestingly, one of the players with four goals is Jesse Puljujarvi. That name will immediately come to mind for anyone who reads “young developing forward” in Rishaug’s tweet, though there is nothing to indicate that is the player he is referring to. Puljujarvi has just seven points this season and 35 total in a 127-game NHL career, clearly not the production the team was hoping for when they picked him fourth overall in 2016.

If the Oilers are actually committed to improving through trade, there are certain to be a number of names available as the trade deadline approaches. Even if Artemi Panarin or Mark Stone don’t hit the open market, there have already been reports that teams like the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers are willing to listen on nearly any of their veterans, while other teams like the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers will have to quickly decide what to do with some expiring assets.

Josh Gorges Announces Retirement

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Though he hasn’t played an NHL game since last year, Josh Gorges’ playing career was not officially over. That changed today when the veteran defenseman announced his retirement from the game of hockey. Gorges played 34 games last season for the Buffalo Sabres, and failed to reach an extension with the team as they moved on to a younger core.

The 34-year old defenseman will finish his NHL career with 783 regular season games, most of which were spent with the Montreal Canadiens. Gorges was a fan favorite in Montreal and a warrior in his own end, suiting up 57 times in the postseason for the franchise and averaging nearly 22 minutes a night in those games. Though he was never considered an offensive player, responsibility was heaped upon Gorges to slow down the opponent’s best players every single night.

In 2014 he was traded to the Sabres where he would wear an “A” as an alternate captain for three seasons, before transitioning out of that role last year. The well-liked veteran nevertheless failed to help Buffalo to the playoffs, and was an obvious choice to let go when his contract expired given the youth being injected into the lineup for this season.

Minor Transactions: 01/14/19

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Just six games on the schedule for Monday night but that does include an old-fashioned rivalry game between the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens. The two Eastern Conference franchises will face off with plenty on the line given their places in the standings. Boston currently has a three point lead on Montreal for third place in the Atlantic Division. As teams prepare for tonight’s action we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Ottawa Senators have sent Darren Archibald and Stefan Elliott back to the minor leagues, given they don’t play again until Wednesday. That leaves the Senators with just 21 players on the roster, meaning another move is likely before they take the ice. For Senators fans, that move is hopefully going to be the activation of Thomas Chabot who was at practice this morning in a regular jersey.
  • Stefan Noesen has been placed on injured reserve by the New Jersey Devils in order to make room for Egor Yakovlev on the roster once again. Noesen’s IR stint is retroactive to January 12th, though it’s not clear when exactly he’ll return from this lower-body injury.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent Gabriel Carlsson and Kole Sherwood back to the minor leagues, meaning they’ll have to wait to get into the NHL lineup. Carlsson has played only a single game with the Blue Jackets this season, while Ohio native Sherwood is still waiting on his NHL debut.
  • Michael Hutchinson has been returned to the minor leagues by the Toronto Maple Leafs as Frederik Andersen prepares to return to the crease. Toronto will also get Garret Sparks back on the end of the bench as the backup, meaning Hutchinson can return to the AHL and serve as valuable depth.
  • Similarly Adin Hill has been sent back to the AHL by the Arizona Coyotes, who instead will use Darcy Kuemper in the starting role moving forward. Hill has shown himself to be a capable NHL netminder in his short career, but will be served better by starting every game in the minor leagues to continue his development.
  • After trading away Devin Shore earlier today, the Dallas Stars have recalled Michael Mersch from the minor leagues. Mersch has just 17 games under his belt at the NHL level, all with the Los Angeles Kings in 2015-16. He does however have 20 points in 29 games for the Texas Stars and can be used as forward insurance as the team gets Andrew Cogliano up to speed.

Anaheim Ducks Trade Andrew Cogliano To Dallas Stars

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The Anaheim Ducks have decided it’s time to shake things up, trading iron man Andrew Cogliano to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Devin Shore. The deal includes no other assets or retained salary.

It’s not surprising that the Ducks’ front office has decided something needed to change, given the 11-game losing streak they are currently experiencing. Anaheim was once safely in the playoff picture in the Western Conference, but have plummeted down out of the race in the Pacific Division and find themselves grasping for anything to keep them afloat. Whether this is the first move in a fire sale or just one to try and spark some offense isn’t clear, but they’ll head into the second half of the season with a new face on the ice.

Not only do the Ducks get younger in this transaction, but they’ll also add some extra depth down the middle with the 24-year old Shore. With 17 points this season he’s on pace for basically the exact same offensive season he’s had the past two years when he recorded 33 and 32 points for the Stars. It’s hard to imagine there is a lot more upside there, but perhaps a fresh start in Anaheim will spark the second-round pick. He hasn’t played center regularly since 2017, but could potentially see time there on an Anaheim team that has struggled to stay healthy down the middle.

In Cogliano, the Stars are receiving a depth option of their own to plug into the middle part of their lineup. The 31-year old has just 11 points on the season but still skates extremely well and can add value on the penalty kill. Dallas GM Jim Nill explained as much in a released statement:

In acquiring Andrew, we are able to add a conscientious player who brings a veteran-presence to our room. His explosive speed, 200-foot game and iron-man mentality will help our team both on and off the ice.

That mentality helped Cogliano reach the fourth-longest games played streak in NHL history earlier in his career when he suited up for 830 consecutive games. A suspension broke that streak, leaving him still without a single game missed due to injury in his 12-year career. There’s no doubt that Cogliano will be able to add some consistency to the Dallas lineup, but there is also no shortage of risk in a deal of this nature.

While Shore is under contract for one season after this one at a cap hit of $2.3MM before becoming a restricted free agent, Cogliano is still working on a deal that extends through 2020-21. That contract was signed almost exactly a year ago, and carries a $3.25MM cap hit. The Stars have plenty of cap room going forward after Jason Spezza’s deal expires at the end of the year, but if Cogliano can’t turn things around and contribute at least a little bit offensively he could represent a quite overpaid asset. His 11 points puts him on pace for the worst season of his entire career.

Overall, this is a swap between two teams looking for answers. Neither has lived up to the lofty expectations many placed on them, and though Shore and Cogliano are not game-changing talents, a fresh start could invigorate both. It will be interesting to see if the Stars get Cogliano up to speed quickly enough for him to appear in tomorrow’s game, and not risk missing just the third contest of his career.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Trevor Moore To Two-Year Extension

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3:28: The Maple Leafs provided details to Moore’s extension, which will pay him $750K in 2019-20 and $800K in the 2020-21 season.

10:18: Trevor Moore apparently impressed the Toronto Maple Leafs front office with his NHL debut enough to stick around. The team has signed Moore to a two-year, one-way contract extension that will carry an average annual value of $775K. Moore was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and would have been eligible for arbitration.

Now the 23-year old forward has some stability moving forward and must be encouraged by the idea that he could be a full-time player for the Maple Leafs as early as next season. Deals like this are imperative for the Maple Leafs as they continue to traverse the difficult salary cap issues that will arise as they get their star players under contract. In his short NHL stint Moore has shown enough to prove he can be a reliable fourth-line contributor at worst, and now will be a reasonably priced one. Head coach Mike Babcock recently spoke to reporters including Luke Fox of Sportsnet about that obvious NHL floor, but also believes that there might be more to Moore’s game:

He’s going to be an NHLer, for sure. It’s just how soon do you want him to play eight minutes? That’s the beauty of not getting kids here too soon is, you want them to score. The more he scores [in the minor leagues], the more likely he’s going to score at the NHL level.

If we can get healthy, he can go down, score a lot and become a scorer rather than a checker.

Healthy is exactly what the Maple Leafs did after Moore’s six-game taste in the NHL, as Zach Hyman returned to the lineup recently and pushed the young forward back to the AHL. In 30 games for the Toronto Marlies, Moore has 26 points and was named to the All-Star game. That kind of production will be difficult to duplicate in the NHL especially given the tough forward competition, but this deal will at least give him the chance to do just that.

The Maple Leafs still have plenty of work to do before next season if they want to get all of their restricted free agents signed, a group that includes Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, Garret Sparks and Igor Ozhiganov just on the NHL roster.

Minor Transactions: 01/13/19

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It’s a relatively busy Sunday for the NHL as six games are scheduled for today, including an afternoon tilt between the Nashville Predators and Carolina Hurricanes. While the league prepares for another important week, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The San Jose Sharks have sent Rourke Chartier back to the minor leagues, given the team doesn’t play again until Tuesday. The 22-year old forward has played 13 games with the Sharks this season but has just a single goal. He very well could be recalled once again in a few days.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Kole Sherwood, a 21-year old forward that spent time in the ECHL earlier this year. The hometown kid has seven points in 22 games for the AHL Cleveland Monsters, but will get a shot to see what life is like in the NHL for at least a little while.
  • Jordan Kyrou and Jordan Nolan have bother been recalled by the St. Louis Blues, giving the team two forward options in very different situations. Kyrou is still trying to get his footing in his first season as a professional, but has recently found his way as the AHL Rookie of the Month for December. Nolan meanwhile is just trying to hold onto his NHL career after finding himself in the minor leagues this season for the first time since 2012-13.
  • In a minor transaction, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that St. Louis Blues’ goalie prospect Evan Fitzpatrick has been re-assigned from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL to the Tulsa of the ECHL. The scribe adds the transaction is significant because it likely suggests that prospect Ville Husso might be ready to return from injury, which could provide the Blues with a solid emergency goaltender down the road. The 20-year-old Fitzpatrick has served as an emergency backup already, but has spent most of his season in Tusla.
  • The Vancouver Canucks announced they have assigned center Adam Gaudette to the Utica Comets of the AHL as the team expects the return of Josh Leivo, who has been out with back spasms. The former Hobey Baker Award winner spent the early portion of the season with Vancouver, learning as a bottom-line player, but was sent to Utica to get more playing time in. He has been producing in Utica, posting three goal and seven points in seven games, including a two goal, three-point performance on Jan. 5th. He was then recalled after Elias Pettersson went down with his knee injury and scored a goal in his one appearance on Thursday against Arizona.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled goaltender Calvin Pickard from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL now that his conditioning stint is over. The team claimed Pickard off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers due to injuries to both Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper. However, with Kuemper healthy once again and the emergence of Adin Hill, the Coyotes would have to keep Pickard around as a third goaltender, which they may not want to do. Pickard struggled in four appearances in Tuscon, despite a 3-0 record, posting a 3.47 GAA and a .889 save percentage.

Ottawa Senators Acquire Cody Goloubef From Boston Bruins

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After making a minor league swap with the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier today, the Ottawa Senators were back at it with the Boston Bruins. Ottawa has acquired minor league defenseman Cody Goloubef from the Bruins in exchange for Paul Carey. Both players will report to their respective new AHL teams.

Goloubef has been playing with the Providence Bruins for the entire year after winning an Olympic bronze medal last year as part of Canada’s non-NHL squad. The 29-year old defenseman was the 37th overall pick in 2008 but has failed to really establish himself as a full-time option. He did play 33 games for the Colorado Avalanche in 2016-17, but that was as part of one of the worst teams in hockey history. Still, he’s been an excellent contributor over the years at the minor league level and will help the Belleville Senators on the blue line for the rest of the year. Goloubef is on a one-year two-way deal that pays $650K at the NHL level.

Carey meanwhile is a veteran forward that can help fill in for the injuries in Providence while giving Boston some NHL experience at the ready. The 30-year old forward played 60 games for the New York Rangers last season, recording 14 points. He’s also on a one-year two-way contract, but earns $700K at the NHL level. It’s unlikely that we’ll see either of these players for long stretches in the NHL.

Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Casey DeSmith To Three-Year Extension

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have locked up one of their goaltenders for the next few years, signing Casey DeSmith to a three-year extension. The contract will carry an average annual value of just $1.25MM, making DeSmith quite the bargain in Pittsburgh. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford explained why he signed DeSmith:

Since joining the Penguins’ organization, Casey has excelled for us at every level, first in Wheeling and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and now here in Pittsburgh. We’re pleased to have him signed with our organization for the next three-and-a-half seasons.

It’s important to note the mention of the Wheeling Nailers in Rutherford’s comments, because it didn’t always look like DeSmith was destined for the NHL. Undrafted out of the USHL, DeSmith first attended the University of New Hampshire where he dominated over three seasons, posting incredible save percentages and being named to the conference All-Rookie team as a freshman.

Unfortunately as UNH prepared for their 2014-15 season with DeSmith expected to start as a senior, he was arrested in a domestic violence incident and suspended by the team. DeSmith did not play a game during the 2014-15 season and didn’t have an NHL contract waiting for him anymore. Instead, he signed to play in the minor leagues with the Penguins and had to start his professional career in the ECHL with Wheeling. Obviously still a talented goaltender he found success there and eventually when he joined the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

DeSmith signed his first NHL contract in 2017, and is still on a two-way deal with the club. That contract is scheduled to expire at the end of this season, which would have put him on the free agent market. Obviously DeSmith wanted nothing to do with that, as he has now locked himself into the Penguins organization for the next three years at a price likely lower than he could have received on the open market. Through 26 games this season the 27-year old has a .924 save percentage and may have been seen as a potential starter for a goaltending-needy franchise. Instead, he’ll stay in Pittsburgh where he can be an excellent tandem option for Matt Murray as the team continues to pursue a Stanley Cup.

Buffalo Sabres Expected To Start Negotiations With Jeff Skinner “Pretty Soon”

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It is a pretty exciting day for Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner, who was just announced as the “Last Man In” to the 2019 All-Star game just hours before taking on his former team. The Carolina Hurricanes traded Skinner away last summer after a new management group took over, and the talented forward has responded by putting up 29 goals through his first 43 games for the Sabres, the best pace of his entire career.

That pace is coming at the perfect time for Skinner, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. That status likely helped inform the decision to trade him, but the Sabres have always believed they could sign him to an extension at some point. Now, as Skinner is in the news for all the right reasons today, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News tweets that the Sabres are expected to start contract negotiations “pretty soon” with their All-Star forward.

One of the very first things that Buffalo GM Jason Botterill did after taking over the franchise in 2017 was hand out an eight-year, $80MM extension to Jack Eichel and he very well may come close to that with his next big long-term deal. Skinner has the advantage of being a pending unrestricted free agent and has plenty of leverage over the Sabres, so when salary numbers around $8.5-9MM were floated earlier this season it was easy to understand. While it may not get quite that high, investing heavily into a 26-year old forward who has found great chemistry with the face of your franchise and very well could score 50 goals in his first season in town makes a lot of sense.

It’s important to note that Skinner cannot technically sign an eight-year extension until after this season’s trade deadline passes, though he can obviously agree to one in principle beforehand. One would have to believe that is where negotiations are headed, given it is basically the only piece of leverage the Sabres have. If Skinner hits the open market in July, he would only be able to sign a seven-year deal.

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