NHL Board Of Governors Approves Sale Of Pittsburgh Penguins
Though there was never much doubt, the NHL Board of Governors has voted on and approved the sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The deal, which is for a reported $915MM, will be with Fenway Sports Group, a company that also owns the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool FC, among other sporting ventures.
Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle, the previous owners, will retain a five percent combined stake, according to reporting from Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News.
Forbes recently ranked the Penguins as the 12th most valuable franchise in the NHL, with an increase in value of 58% over the past five years. Their attachment to FSG, one of the most successful sporting ventures in the world, should only increase that value in the future as the Penguins receive even more financial backing.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported last month that FSG first approached Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment with the idea of a potential merger, though for now, that is out of the question with this new acquisition of Pittsburgh. There has also been reporting suggesting that FSG could be heading toward a potential streaming service in the future.
Andreas Athanasiou Activated From COVID Protocol
It’s been almost three weeks since Andreas Athanasiou suited up for an NHL game, but that is about to change. The Los Angeles Kings have activated the speedy forward from the non-roster/COVID-19 protocol and announced he is available for tonight’s game against the Dallas Stars.
Athanasiou, 27, has played in just eight games this season after missing all of October with an injury. He has five points in those games and looked ready to build on the solid season he had for Los Angeles in 2020-21, when he had 10 goals and 23 points in 47 games. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, it was a good way to build back some of his value after the disappearing act he pulled in Edmonton.
Acquired at the 2020 deadline for two second-round draft picks, Athanasiou would register just two points in nine regular season games for the Oilers, zero in four playoff games and then failed to receive a qualifying offer from the team. He signed a one-year, $1.2MM deal with the Kings just before the 2020-21 season kicked off, and landed new a one-year, $2.7MM deal in July.
Importantly, Athanasiou is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, meaning getting him back up to full speed is important to the Kings on two fronts. First, he should be able to add some more offense to a group that has struggled to score at times, but beyond that, he’ll also be a top trade chip should the team fall out of the playoff race entirely. With the Kings sitting at 10-10-4 after a poor recent stretch, those kinds of decisions have to be creeping into the minds of general manager Rob Blake and his staff.
Vancouver Canucks Hire Jim Rutherford
The Vancouver Canucks are set to bring in some veteran front office leadership, announcing Jim Rutherford as the new president of hockey operations. Rutherford will also take on the role of interim general manager for the time being, while he leads the search for a new one. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic notes that it’s a three-year deal for Rutherford in Vancouver. Canucks owner Francesco Aquilini released a statement on the hire:
It is time for a new vision and a new leader who will set a path forward for this team. Jim has tremendous experience building and leading winning organizations and I believe he will help build the Vancouver Canucks into a team that can compete for championships again.
Rutherford, 72, left the Pittsburgh Penguins in January, resigning his position as general manager. In the following months, reports started to surface that the legendary executive wasn’t finished with his front office career and would look for a new opportunity somewhere else at some point. It appears as though the Canucks, who cleared out their coaching staff and hockey operations group this month, is that opportunity.
After firing head coach Travis Green, assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner, general manager Jim Benning, and assistant general manager John Weisbrod, the Canucks have actually won two games in a row. Bruce Boudreau is now behind the bench as head coach, and with Rutherford joining the front office, the team is obviously not going to deal with any inexperience moving forward. It would have been difficult to find a coach-GM/president pair with more experience actually, given how long Rutherford and Boudreau have been around the NHL.
First taking over as GM of an NHL franchise in 1994 with the Hartford Whalers, Rutherford navigated the relocation to Carolina and won a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006. He joined the Penguins in 2014 and took home two more championships, before leaving the organization earlier this year. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2020. Known for his blockbuster deals and out-of-nowhere free agent signings, Rutherford is extremely well-respected around the game even if not all of his moves pay off.
In Vancouver, it’s stability and structure that is necessary now, as they transition away from the Benning era. The team has some spectacular talents at the core of the team, but things have not gone well in recent years. In fact, the team has only made the playoffs a single time since 2015-16, reaching the second round in the 2020 bubble postseason. Rutherford will now decide how to shape the roster around Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, and Thatcher Demko, and whether or not they want to strip things down before building it back up.
Darren Dreger of TSN first reported that things were “escalating” between the two sides and a deal was expected.
Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Chad Krys
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks have completed a minor trade, swapping Kurtis Gabriel for Chad Krys. The two teams are set to meet over the weekend, meaning they can swap minor league players in the process.
The Maple Leafs are dealing with a few defensive absences, including injuries to both Rasmus Sandin and Travis Dermott. They were forced to insert Kristians Rubins into the lineup over the last couple of nights, allowing the young Latvian defenseman to make his NHL debut. Krys, who hasn’t completed that milestone yet himself, will give the team an extra depth option to fill out the minor league lineup or step in should another injury take place.
Selected 45th overall in 2016, Krys went on to play at Boston University for three seasons before joining the Rockford IceHogs. Injuries and inconsistency has marred his time there, with just 64 games played to this point. In eight contests this year, the left-shot defenseman has one points.
Gabriel meanwhile does have 49 games at the NHL level, though none of them have come this season. The 6’4″ forward is known more for his fighting ability than his skill with the puck, as seen by the 153 penalty minutes he’s racked up to this point compared to just five points. Now 28, he signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Maple Leafs in the offseason but failed to make the team out of camp. In 13 games with the minor league Toronto Marlies, he has two points.
Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Roman Schmidt
The Tampa Bay Lightning have added another prospect to the pipeline, signing 2021 draft pick Roman Schmidt to a three-year entry-level contract, according to his agent Dan Milstein. Schmidt currently plays for the Kitchener Rangers for the OHL, where he will presumably spend the rest of the season.
Still just 18, the third-round pick was not named to the U.S. World Junior selection camp roster, despite his strong play this season for Kitchener. Born in Michigan, Schmidt also has Canadian citizenship from his time living in the Ottawa and Toronto areas, but has represented the U.S. internationally in the past.
A product of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Schmidt is a hulking, 6’6″ defender that routinely overpowers attackers with his size and strength. While that becomes more difficult for some players as they transition out of junior hockey, Schmidt has the potential of a true shutdown player who can use his reach effectively on the penalty kill. He’s also shown some offensive upside this season, posting six goals and 11 points in 22 games with Kitchener, though it’s hard to expect that will be his calling card at the professional level.
Still, it’s another interesting name to keep an eye on as he eventually moves into Tampa Bay’s development program. The team is known for taking players with standout skills or attributes and allowing them to hone that enough to be effective at the next level, and Schmidt’s build could thrive in the right environment. His entry-level deal will slide for this year as he plays in junior, meaning it won’t expire until 2025 at the earliest.
Anatolii Golyshev, Jayson Megna Clear Waivers
Dec 9: Both players have cleared waivers. Golyshev will have his contract terminated, while Megna has been loaned (along with Jacob MacDonald) to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL.
Dec 8: The New York Islanders have placed Anatolii Golyshev on waivers today, and he’ll be joined by Jayson Megna of the Colorado Avalanche, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Given Golyshev was already in the minor leagues and is waiver-exempt still, his placement is on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.
It was easy to spot a termination coming for Golyshev, given he hasn’t yet received a single game at the NHL level. The 26-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Islanders back in 2016, signed his one-year entry-level deal at the end of last season to get it out of the way, and then inked a one-year, $750K one-way deal with the Islanders in October. After a long, successful career in the KHL, it never seemed likely that Golyshev would sit in the minors all season.
The undersized forward has eight full seasons under his belt with Yekaterinburg in the KHL, hitting career-highs of 25 goals and 44 points in 2015-16. In 15 games with the Bridgeport Islanders, he had five goals and seven points, but will likely be heading back overseas. Technically, Golyshev will be a free agent able to sign with another NHL team, but that is unlikely in this case.
Megna meanwhile actually received a great opportunity with the Avalanche this season, continually filling in for whoever was injured at the time. With Nathan MacKinnon back and J.T. Compher closing in on a return, his spot is needed. In 20 games this season, the 31-year-old undrafted forward has registered three assists but hasn’t scored yet. In fact, he hasn’t tallied an NHL goal since the 2016-17 season with the Vancouver Canucks.
While there is a chance he is claimed because of his experience this season, there have been other forwards with higher upside clear recently. Megna will likely goto the minor leagues where he will remain a strong injury replacement for Colorado.
St. Louis Blues To Play Short For Salary Cap Exemption
Dec 9: A worst-case scenario has happened for St. Louis, as both Husso and Jake Walman are now out with injuries. The team will play short again tonight as eight players with the Springfield Thunderbirds are also dealing with COVID-19. The team doesn’t have cap space, doesn’t have recall options, and now will have just 11 forwards and six defensemen tonight. Jon Gillies, who was signed yesterday, will presumably backup Lindgren, though it’s not actually even clear how he can be added to the roster given the cap situation, unless they use their other emergency goaltender exemption (Lindgren is already up on one of them).
Dec 7: The St. Louis Blues head into tonight’s game at a serious disadvantage. Not only has the team lost two in a row and now has to play a second consecutive match against the league’s best team (by points percentage) in the Florida Panthers, but they’ll have to do it shorthanded. The Blues will dress just ten forwards tonight along with seven defensemen, because of the precarious cap situation they find themselves in.
Already using almost all of the long-term injured reserve relief from Klim Kostin and James Neal, the Blues have just over $113K in available cap space according to CapFriendly. That’s not enough to make a recall, and with Robert Thomas missing the game due to injury, they don’t have enough healthy, active players to suit up tonight. Already the team is using an emergency goaltending exemption for Charlie Lindgren–who was called up instead of Joel Hofer because of the difference in salary between the two–after Jordan Binnington joined Tyler Bozak in the COVID protocol.
To secure that cap-free exemption they had to have Kyle Konin, a 23-year-old netminder who last played competitive hockey at Grand Valley State University in 2020, serve as Ville Husso‘s backup against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Now they’ll have to play a man short once again, in order to secure a second recall exemption to bring up an additional forward for Thursday’s game against Detroit.
This new exemption will allow them to recall a player without incurring a cap hit, but there are restrictions on it too. Only players with a cap hit of $850K or less can be brought up, meaning someone like Mackenzie MacEachern is out of the question. The risky part isn’t necessarily playing a man down, it’s that things could get even more complicated for St. Louis if another player suffers a minor injury. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic ponders on Twitter about Thomas’ injury and whether he has been forcing himself to play through it because of his team’s cap situation.
Kostin did skate today, according to Rutherford, but he won’t be eligible to play for another five games because of his LTIR designation. There’s not a quick fix coming for the Blues and things could get worse if anyone else goes down, or is forced to enter the COVID protocol.
Morning Notes: Coyotes, Penguins, Marek
The Arizona Coyotes released a statement in response to the story of outstanding and delinquent bills, including more than $1.3MM in state and municipal taxes:
We have already launched an investigation to determine how this could have happened and initial indications are that it appears to be the result of an unfortunate human error. Regardless, we deeply regret the inconvenience this has caused. We will make sure that by tomorrow morrning, the Arizona Coyotes are current on all of our bills and owe no state or local taxes whatsoever. And we will take immediate steps to ensure that nothing like this can ever possibly happen again.
Katie Strang of The Athletic comments on the statement, explaining that the outstanding tax bill dates back to June 2020, suggesting this is not a few isolated payments that were missed. Chris Johnston of TSN notes that though there is not much concern over whether the Coyotes can pay that $1.3MM debt, the negotiation between Arizona ownership and the city of Glendale over Gila River Arena continues. The city has told the management company to not allow Coyotes workers inside if the bill isn’t paid by December 20, but long before that had also moved to terminate the lease agreement following this season. (Update: John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports radio reports that the Coyotes just wired $1.4MM to the Arizona Department of Revenue for back taxes. The team has announced that they are up to date on all bills and tax liabilities.)
- Pierre LeBrun of TSN meanwhile reports from the NHL Board of Governors meetings, noting that Fenway Sports Group is at the event to meet the rest of the executive committee. The vote on the ownership change of the Pittsburgh Penguins is expected to take place, and LeBrun notes that it is expected to be a “rubber stamp” process with no complications. Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News tweeted recently that the value of the Penguins will be set at $915MM for the sale and current owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle will retain just a combined five percent of the franchise.
- There’s a new player in the trade bait world, as Jeff Marek debuts his new Rink Fries column for Sportsnet by breaking down what he calls the “players of interest” as the deadline approaches. That list starts with Seattle Kraken captain Mark Giordano, who could potentially represent a huge chip for the expansion club to play at some point this season. Giordano is on an expiring contract and is now 38, but would be highly coveted at a deadline that could very well have a lack of impact defensemen available.
Joel Farabee Out Week-To-Week With Upper-Body Injury
Dec 4: Farabee has been moved to injured reserve, giving the team room to recall Jackson Cates from the AHL. Cates, 24, made his NHL debut last season after signing out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth and has been playing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this year.
Dec 3: The Philadelphia Flyers’ nightmare season rolls on, this time with another injury to a key player. Joel Farabee suffered an upper-body injury against the New York Rangers on Wednesday night and will be out on a week-to-week basis. Farabee was not at practice today and the team has recalled Max Willman and Connor Bunnaman under emergency conditions.
Farabee left in the first period of the game after falling awkwardly into the boards, holding his left arm gingerly at his side. To that point, he was tied for the team lead in goals with seven, though his overall impact has been stifled like many of the Flyers forwards this season. With 10 points in 21 games, he was on pace to just barely crack his previous career-high, set at 38 points last season in just 55 games. That doesn’t mean the team won’t miss him though, as he’s still one of the few bright spots in the lineup as they navigate a brutal seven-game losing streak.
The Flyers will likely be going through drastic changes to the core if this season continues the way it has gone so far, but Farabee isn’t going anywhere. The 21-year-old signed a six-year extension in September that will carry a cap hit of $5MM through the 2027-28 season. His continued development is key for the organization and long-term injury would only hinder that. Hopefully, he can get back on the ice in the coming weeks without needing surgery or missing a huge chunk of the season.
AHL Shuffle: 12/09/21
It’s a busy Thursday around the NHL, with ten games on the schedule including the red hot Minnesota Wild looking to extend their lead in the Central Division with a win over the San Jose Sharks. Minnesota is already seven points ahead of second-place Colorado and have won their last seven games in a row. The Kirill Kaprizov-led Wild are threatening to run away with the top seed in the Central by Christmas. As they and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Jacob Bernard-Docker from the AHL, after sending Lassi Thomson down yesterday. Bernard-Docker is another top prospect who will receive a chance to show what he can do at the NHL level as the Senators look to the future.
- The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Brian Lashoff from the AHL, as they move Gustav Lindstrom to injured reserve. Lashoff, 31, has 136 games of NHL experience, all of them coming with Detroit. An undrafted free agent signing a decade ago, he’s spent his entire professional career with the Red Wings organization, playing for Detroit or Grand Rapids.
Metropolitan Division
- The New York Rangers have sent Morgan Barron and Adam Huska back to the AHL, while recalling Keith Kinkaid. Kinkaid had been in COVID protocol, but will assume the backup duties in the NHL now that he’s out. The team announced that Greg McKegg is also out of the protocol, meaning an extra roster spot was needed.
Central Division
- Hudson Fasching has been returned to the Tucson Roadrunners again, as Arizona does frequently on off-days. The Coyotes don’t play until tomorrow and can save some money by keeping Fasching in between games. He’s already been involved in three transactions just this month.
Pacific Division
- The Seattle Kraken have officially moved Kole Lind to the minor leagues, a move they announced yesterday when Colin Blackwell entered the COVID protocol. Lind, 23, has played just three games for Seattle this season, spending most of the year with the Charlotte Checkers.
- The Calgary Flames have recalled Byron Froese from the minor league club, sending Juuso Valimaki down to make room. The team obviously felt they needed the extra forward over an extra defenseman, and Froese has more than 100 games of NHL experience.
- Alexei Melnichuk is headed back to the AHL locker room after the San Jose Sharks reassigned the young goaltender to the San Jose Barracuda. Melnichuk is still struggling to hit his stride in North America, now in his second season, but the Sharks’ lacking depth in net makes him the next man up.
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