Jason Spezza Hoping To Play Next Season
It looked for a little while like Jason Spezza‘s career was coming to an end. After struggling through his final two seasons with the Dallas Stars, Spezza was forced to settle for a one-year $700K deal with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Made a healthy scratch on opening day and several times after that, the 36-year old was barely hanging on. Things have changed since Mike Babcock was fired from his position as head coach however, and now things are looking up for the veteran center.
Chris Johnston of Sportsnet spoke with the Maple Leafs’ forward today, who explained that he is already hoping to play next season. Spezza’s “I don’t see why not” is exactly what you should expect from a player who has suddenly become a key part of Toronto’s playoff chase and looks like he has turned the clock back a decade.
Spezza’s 2.04 even-strength points/60 ranks only behind William Nylander (2.52), Mitch Marner (2.51) and Auston Matthews (2.50) for the team lead among those on the roster, meaning he’s doing more with his limited ice time than most of those younger options. Given the league minimum contract he’s on, that’s exactly the kind of bargain that will attract plenty of interest on the open market.
What isn’t clear at this point is whether Spezza would be willing to give the Maple Leafs another discount next season. For now he’ll have to just focus on getting his childhood team into the playoffs, a place he actually hasn’t spent all that much time over the years. Despite having over 1,100 regular season games in the NHL, Spezza has only 80 postseason appearances.
Colorado Avalanche Sign Hunter Miska To NHL Deal
The Colorado Avalanche have decided to secure a little more goaltending depth for the rest of the season. Hunter Miska has signed a one-year NHL contract with the Avalanche, meaning he can be recalled if necessary. Miska had previously been playing for the Colorado Eagles on an AHL deal. The financial details have not been released, but the contract will likely carry a prorated $700K cap hit.
Now 24, Miska became an unrestricted free agent last summer when the Arizona Coyotes decided not to extend him a qualifying offer. That offer would have only been $874K, but with the depth in their system and Miska’s struggles at the AHL level it made some sense. After all, the former University of Minnesota-Duluth goaltender had only posted an .895 save percentage in 25 minor league appearances during the 2018-19 season.
Colorado took a chance on him on a minor league deal, and it appears to have paid off. Miska has been excellent for the Eagles this season, posting a .925 save percentage and 11-4-3 record through 19 games. That has him tied for fourth in league save percentage, with two of the names ahead of him already in the NHL (Igor Shesterkin and Jonas Johansson).
Because his birthday comes just a few days into July, Miska will not qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer and will now be a restricted free agent under the control of Colorado. That means they will have the same opportunity to issue him a qualifying offer to keep him in the system.
Snapshots: Three Stars, Fenton, Hamonic
The NHL has released the Three Stars for last week, and to no one’s surprise Elvis Merzlikins has received the top honor. The Columbus Blue Jackets’ goaltender went nearly 180 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal, posting two shutouts and a minuscule 0.67 goals against average. The 25-year old rookie now has a .930 save percentage on the season.
Second and third place go to more familiar faces, as Kyle Connor and Andrei Vasilevskiy take home the honors. The Winnipeg Jets forward had eight points last week and now is just two goals away from his third consecutive 30-goal season. Tampa Bay meanwhile has been on fire with the reigning Vezina Trophy winner showing exactly why he should never be counted out. Vasilevskiy now leads the league in wins with 29 after a slow start to the season and is all the way back up to a .918 save percentage.
- After being fired by the Minnesota Wild just 14 months into his tenure as general manager, Paul Fenton has found a new home. The long-time Nashville Predators assistant GM is working his way through the turn of the century expansion clubs, now taking a job with the Columbus Blue Jackets’ scouting department according to Michael Russo of The Athletic. Fenton has always been known as a strong judge of talent, but things quickly went south when he was put in charge of the Wild.
- Travis Hamonic has left the Flames and returned to Calgary for further testing according to Wes Gilberton of Postmedia. The defenseman left Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, complicating the upcoming trade deadline even further for the Flames’ front office. Hamonic was one of several defensemen that are on expiring contracts and could have been moved, but with captain Mark Giordano already out it will be hard to subtract from the Flames’ blue line at this point. The team has recalled Alexander Yelesin from the minor leagues.
Bode Wilde Returned To OHL
The New York Islanders have decided that the AHL is no longer the best place for Bode Wilde to continue his development. The team has returned Wilde to the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL for the remainder of the season.
Selected 41st overall in 2018, Wilde started this season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers despite being just 19 years old. That’s normally too young for a CHL player, but since he was actually selected out of the USNTDP there was no issue. In 20 AHL contests however, Wilde had recorded just two points and routinely looked out of place against the more experienced competition.
Wilde may still be out of place in the OHL, but only because he can dominate the competition. As a rookie last season for Saginaw, the smooth-skating defenseman recorded 70 points in 62 games, only trailing Cole Perfetti for the team lead. His 19 goals were incredibly impressive from the back end and he will only improve what is already a strong team this season.
Minor Transactions: 02/10/20
We’re now just two weeks from the 2020 NHL trade deadline and the rental market is still not exactly clear. Even after the Toronto Maple Leafs squeezed a backup goaltender out of Los Angeles, we’re still waiting on teams to really start buying and selling. As they prepare for the six games on the schedule, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- The Buffalo Sabres have returned Andrew Hammond to the minor leagues, though it is not clear whether he’ll be back for tomorrow’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. Carter Hutton was away from the team for a family reason during yesterday’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks.
- Mathieu Joseph has been recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning, returning to the NHL after more than a month away from the team. The 23-year old winger has seven points in 34 games with the Lightning this season.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Pontus Aberg to help them out at practice, given some absences up front. Though William Nylander is back, John Tavares and Justin Holl have taken his place on the shelf with an illness. Zach Hyman is also missing the practice as a maintenance day, while Kyle Clifford is away attending a funeral.
- Alex Lyon has been returned to the AHL by the Philadelphia Flyers, indicating that Carter Hart is ready to return for them. The Flyers take on the Florida Panthers tonight in the first half of an important back-to-back.
- Martin Fehervary has been recalled and will play for the Washington Capitals again tonight, after being involved in a paper transaction yesterday. Fehervary is getting a look in order for the Capitals to know what kind of depth they have on defense as the deadline nears.
- Calle Rosen has been returned to the Colorado Eagles, as the Avalanche return home after a five-game road trip. Rosen has played eight games for the Avalanche this season after being acquired in the Tyson Barrie–Nazem Kadri deal last summer.
Deadline Primer: Florida Panthers
With the trade deadline now less than a month away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs? Next up is a look at the Florida Panthers
In Joel Quenneville‘s first season as head coach of the Florida Panthers, the team is looking to do something for just the sixth time in franchise history: make the playoffs. Yes, in their 25 years of existence the Panthers have made the playoffs just a handful of times, only once even progressing past the first round. That only deep run was more than two decades ago, meaning a good showing in this year’s postseason tournament could be historic. With that in mind, you can bet that GM Dale Tallon is working the phones making sure his club has the best chance he can give them down the stretch.
Record
29-18-6, third in the Atlantic Division
Deadline Status
Buyer*
*The Panthers also have some intriguing rentals that could be available
Deadline Cap Space
$141K in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 45/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2020: FLA 1st, FLA 2nd, FLA 2nd, COL 3rd, FLA 4th, TOR 5th, BUF 6th, FLA 7th
2021: FLA 1st, FLA 2nd, FLA 3rd, FLA 4th, FLA 5th, FLA 6th, FLA 7th, WPG 7th
Trade Chips
Even though the Panthers are in a strong position in the standings and will likely try to add before the deadline, they also may end up being a place for other contenders to do some shopping. Most notable is Mike Hoffman, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and was asked to submit his 10-team no-trade list in December, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required).
Hoffman is exactly the kind of mercenary winger that could add immediate offense at the deadline and if the Panthers were out of the running there would likely be a bidding war for his services. Whether they will decide to move him is unclear, but given how tight their cap situation is, they would have to move something out if they want to make a substantial change.
Of course, there is also the other pending UFA Evgenii Dadonov, but there has been less chatter about his potential availability over the recent weeks. Brian Boyle and Mark Pysyk are also on expiring deals, though they hold much less value.
The Panthers do have a long list of exciting forward prospects that could be dangled, including Henrik Borgstrom who still hasn’t adjusted to professional hockey as quickly as many expected. The 23rd overall pick in 2016 had 18 points in 50 games for the Panthers last season, but has spent the vast majority of 2019-20 in the minor leagues.
Five Players To Watch For: F Mike Hoffman, F Brian Boyle, D Mark Pysyk, F Henrik Borgstrom, D Mike Matheson
Team Needs
1) Veteran Defense: Tallon was quite clear when speaking with Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com recently, explaining that he wanted a veteran defenseman to pair with Aaron Ekblad. After losing badly to the Vegas Golden Knights last night, Ekblad skated beside Keith Yandle at practice today while Matheson was dropped to the third pairing (via George Richards of The Athletic).
2) Experienced Forward: In the same interview, Tallon also said he will try to find a “steadying influence” up front, though it’s not clear exactly what that term represents. Perhaps it’s someone with a little more playoff experience that can be added to the top-six mix if Hoffman is sent packing. Aleksander Barkov (6), Jonathan Huberdeau (6), Vincent Trocheck (2), Noel Acciari (35), Frank Vatrano (6) and Dadonov (0), the six forwards averaging the most ice time (not counting Hoffman), currently have 55 games of playoff experience between them.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Ilya Kovalchuk Drawing Trade Interest
Since Ilya Kovalchuk went to the Montreal Canadiens and started producing at a high level again, rumors have swirled about his fate at the 2020 trade deadline. The veteran forward agreed to a league minimum $700K contract making him an inexpensive option for teams at the deadline, but just two days ago Frank Seravalli of TSN wrote that the Canadiens would only be able to get a mid-round pick for him–and his availability wasn’t even a guarantee.
Today in a column examining all of the Canadiens’ trade candidates, Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames all have some interest in the former superstar.
You can bet Kovalchuk understands the possibility of a trade. Earlier this week he told reporters that he didn’t want to talk about a future in Montreal just yet, indicating they needed to focus on the next few weeks to try and claw back into the playoffs. With his help and some stellar goaltending from Carey Price, the team has at least raised the question of postseason contention. Montreal is 8-3 in the 11 games since the long losing streak that started in late December, moving them back within five points of the final Atlantic Division playoff spot (with three more games played than the Florida Panthers).
Still, Kovalchuk remains one of the more interesting names to watch over the next several weeks. His minuscule cap hit will be very interesting for teams pushed up against the ceiling, and Montreal may well try to get a bidding war started over a player that was available to the whole league earlier this season.
Minor Transactions: 02/07/20
Just four games grace the NHL schedule this evening, but there are sure to be some whoppers. The Buffalo Sabres head into Madison Square Garden to try and find some tiny bit of success in what has been a trying time for everyone involved with the team. The Sabres lost yesterday to the historically-bad Detroit Red Wings and are now 23-23-8 on the year. Meanwhile, the reeling Toronto Maple Leafs will throw Jack Campbell into the net right away against the Anaheim Ducks to try and save their season. As they and the rest of the league get ready, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- The Ottawa Senators have recalled Andreas Englund from the minor leagues, as Mark Borowiecki prepares for the birth of his first child. Borowiecki won’t be with the team as they travel to Winnipeg for tomorrow’s afternoon tilt against the Jets.
- Jeremy Lauzon and Karson Kuhlman have been recalled by the Boston Bruins, who welcome in Phil Kessel and the Arizona Coyotes tomorrow night. Brandon Carlo will not be playing for the team as he is dealing with a personal matter, but is expected to re-join them in time for Sunday’s game.
- Antti Suomela has been returned to the AHL after sitting out the last few games for the San Jose Sharks. The 25-year old center has played 12 games this season, recording three assists.
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Kiefer Sherwood from the minor leagues, sending Daniel Sprong down in his place. Sprong, 22, has played most of the season in the AHL for the San Diego Gulls, scoring 24 points in 31 games.
- After losing Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta recently, the Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled Cameron Gaunce from the minor leagues. The team will need to find a way to keep their blue line in order after the recent losses.
- Morgan Frost is on his way back to the NHL, recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers after a month in the minors. In total, the young forward has played 30 games in the AHL this season, scoring 20 points. Andy Andreoff has been sent back down.
- Guillaume Brisebois has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks, coming up for just the second time this season. The 22-year old defenseman hasn’t played a game at the NHL level this year, but does have 14 points in 43 games for the Utica Comets.
Columbus Blue Jackets Extend Dean Kukan
The Columbus Blue Jackets have decided to reward one of their emerging defensemen with a new contract. Dean Kukan has signed a two-year extension with the club. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports the deal will pay Kukan $1.3MM in 2020-21 and $2.0MM in 2021-22 (for an AAV of $1.65MM). Blue Jackets’ GM Jarmo Kekalainen released a short statement:
Dean is a smart and quick, puck-moving defenseman that has improved steadily since joining our organization in 2015. We are very happy that he will continue to be an important part of our club’s deep and talented group of defensemen.
Kukan was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season and currently carries a $725K cap hit. The 26-year old undrafted defenseman came to the Blue Jackets organization as a free agent in 2015 after several years in the Swedish Hockey league, and has slowly worked his way up the depth chart. This season he has suited up 33 times in the NHL and has five points, though a recent injury has kept him out of the lineup.
The Blue Jackets, intent on proving they were always more than just Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky, have exceeded expectations this season with a core led by Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, Cam Atkinson and Pierre-Luc Dubois. The first three names of that group are signed at very reasonable prices for the next several years, while Dubois is coming off his entry-level deal. With savvy extensions for depth players like Kukan and a development system that is churning out NHL-level talent, Kekalainen’s organization is looking like one of the strongest in the Eastern Conference.
The question now will be how they work their way through a few drafts without much pick capital after spending it at the deadline last season, but acquiring players like Kukan has softened the blow.
Cody Ceci Placed On Injured Reserve
After suffering a high-ankle sprain earlier this week, Cody Ceci has been placed on injured reserve by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team has recalled Timothy Liljegren in his place. Ceci will be re-evaluated in a month’s time.
Toronto is now without Ceci and Morgan Rielly indefinitely, putting even more pressure on their defensive group. With the trade deadline just a few weeks away it also may lead to even more urgency for GM Kyle Dubas, though after making a recent move to solidify the backup goaltending position he was clear the team is looking for a long-term fix on the blueline instead of targeting the rental market.
The real decisions will likely have to wait a week until they know a more accurate timeline for Rielly. If the star defenseman is going to be out for the rest of the season they can use his cap space to land a bigger name. Otherwise, they’ll have to leave enough room for his return off long-term injured reserve before the playoffs.
For Liljegren, this is the biggest opportunity of his young career. The 20-year old was selected 17th overall in 2017 but has played in the minor leagues for all but one game to this point. Arguably one of the better two-way defensemen in the AHL at the moment, he has 29 points in 38 games for the Toronto Marlies while being used in all situations. For a team that has been desperately searching for help on the right side, the right-handed Lilejegren may get a chance to stick around.