Snapshots: Dumba, Nesterov, Blues
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been looking for defensive upgrades and it was just a matter of time before they were linked directly to Mathew Dumba of the Minnesota Wild. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports today in his latest 31 Thoughts column that the Maple Leafs have looked into Dumba, who has been involved in trade rumors since a report emerged that the Wild were “open for business.”
Dumba checks all the speculative boxes for the Maple Leafs; he’s right-handed, has term on his deal, plays a physical game and can contribute offensively. While it is not clear if a deal for Dumba or anyone else will actually happen, another executive told Friedman that Toronto is “investigating every good defenseman on the market.” That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise after allowing 167 goals through their first 50 games.
- Friedman also notes that there has been interest in former NHL defenseman Nikita Nesterov, but that the 26-year old is expected to sign a long-term deal in the KHL. Nesterov has been excellent for CSKA Moscow over the last three seasons, after suiting up 132 times in the NHL.
- The St. Louis Blues have some interest in a top-six forward, as GM Doug Armstrong revealed on a recent podcast for The Athletic. Today, Jeremy Rutherford examined a list of potential targets (subscription required) for the Blues to add to their group at the deadline. Any move that St. Louis makes will be determined by the health of Vladimir Tarasenko, but he’s not the only forward on the sideline right now. Oskar Sundqvist was placed on injured reserve today after missing last night’s game.
Chris Drury Named GM Of 2020 U.S. National Team
USA Hockey has announced that Chris Drury will be back in his role as general manager of the 2020 National Team. Drury served as GM last year, while also holding down duties as assistant GM for the New York Rangers and GM of the Hartford Wolf Pack. He’ll be joined by an advisory group made up of John Vanbiesbrouck, David Poile, Don Waddell, Dale Tallon, Stan Bowman, Jeff Gorton and Bill Guerin.
Drury will be in charge of creating the team for the IIHF World Championship, this year held in Zurich and Lausanne, Switzerland between May 8-24. The team finished seventh last year.
Vanbiesbrouck, who is the assistant executive director of USA Hockey, released a short statement on Drury’s hiring:
Chris had an exceptional playing career and is an emerging star as a manager. We’re really pleased to have him back as the general manager of our men’s national team, and coupled with our Men’s National Team Advisory Group, we’re fortunate to have what is truly an all-star group engaged in helping us assemble a team that can compete for a gold medal.
Linus Ullmark Out 3-4 Weeks With Lower-Body Injury
The Buffalo Sabres are on the outside of the playoff picture and dealing with the fallout from a 5-2 loss from last night’s game against the Ottawa Senators. During the game, Linus Ullmark left the Buffalo net with an apparent non-contact injury, leaving Carter Hutton to finish out the contest. Today, the Sabres have announced that Ullmark will miss approximately three to four weeks with that lower-body injury. That news actually may come with a few sighs of relief, given how disastrous the injury looked last night. Jonas Johansson has been recalled from the Rochester Americans.
Without Ullmark, who has taken over the starting role in Buffalo, the Sabres are facing a tough climb the rest of the way. The team now sits 22-21-7 on the year and ten points out of a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. There are also two other teams between them and the eighth-place Carolina Hurricanes, while two more are right on their heels.
For GM Jason Botterill, who said just yesterday that his team was still looking to add to their forward group, Ullmark’s injury could complicate the matter. Throwing away points like last night against a weak Ottawa team is going to make a playoff climb impossible, and he may be better selling off some of his expiring assets instead of pushing for the postseason.
It will be interesting to see if the team gives Johansson a chance, given his success in the minor leagues. The 24-year old has a .925 save percentage for the Americans this year, going 13-3-3 in 20 appearances. The third-round pick has not yet seen any NHL action, but with Hutton’s struggles this season it might be time to give him a chance.
Ivan Morozov Signs KHL Extension
The Vegas Golden Knights are going to have to wait a little longer to get a look at Ivan Morozov, as the young forward has signed a two-year extension in the KHL. Morozov is now under contract through the 2021-22 season, meaning he won’t be coming over to North America anytime soon.
Selected 61st overall by the Golden Knights in 2018, Morozov has broken through recently into the KHL, scoring six points in his last three games. Those were his first points at the highest level in Russia, after playing sparingly over the last two seasons. A veteran for his country at international tournaments, Morozov was part of the bronze medal-winning World Junior squad in 2019, and the silver medal-winning group just a few weeks ago. He has also been a dynamic scoring threat in the lower Russian leagues, leading to high expectations in North America.
Because the NHL and KHL do not have a formal transfer agreement, the Golden Knights will retain Morozov’s draft rights indefinitely. That means they can try again down the road to bring him into their organization, though nothing guarantees he’ll ever want to come over. For now, the 19-year old will continue his development with one of the most successful organizations in the KHL, SKA St. Petersburg.
Snapshots: Anderson, Blais, Lafreniere
Despite the fact that the Columbus Blue Jackets have carried through an incredibly discouraging summer and are currently sitting in a playoff position in the Eastern Conference, they are still facing a decision on what to do with one of their core players. Josh Anderson, who scored 27 goals for the Blue Jackets last season and looked like he would be one of the faces of the franchise after Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovksy left in free agency, now be on the move himself. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that the “feeling around the NHL” is that Anderson will be moved either by this season’s deadline or more likely in the summer as he becomes a restricted free agent for the final time.
Portzline examines the entire situation revolving around Anderson, including the potential ways his future could unfold. The 25-year old will be an RFA with arbitration rights in the offseason and could potentially take the Blue Jackets (or any acquiring team) to arbitration in order to walk right into unrestricted free agent status in 2021. Dealing with injuries all year, Anderson has just one goal and four points in 26 games with the Blue Jackets and hasn’t played since the middle of December.
- Another physical forward dealing with injuries this season has been Sammy Blais, but he’ll have his return tonight for the St. Louis Blues. The 23-year old Blais has been activated from injured reserve after missing the last 28 games for the Blues. In 20 games this season he has five goals and eight points, both career-highs for the young forward.
- If you’ve been counting the points Alexis Lafreniere has scored on a nightly basis, take a break. TSN reports that the prospective first-overall pick in this year’s draft has been suspended for the next three games in the QMJHL for a headshot, meaning he’ll have to sit at 84 points on the season for a while. Lafreniere leads all QMJHL players in scoring despite taking off part of the season to play in the World Juniors, but this is not the first time he has received supplementary discipline from the league. While his physicality is part of the appeal, he’ll need to avoid these kinds of hits if he wants to keep a clean record when he makes it to the NHL.
Trade Deadline Primer: Buffalo Sabres
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 Buffalo Sabres.
After another incredible start, the Sabres have struggled to score goals and are slipping further and further away from an Atlantic Division playoff spot. They’ve already completed one deal to bring in some help at forward by acquiring Michael Frolik, but may well need another boost if they want to compete in the postseason tournament.
Record
22-20-7, tied for fifth in the Atlantic Division
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$2.57MM in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 45/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Upcoming Draft Picks
2020: BUF 1st, BUF 2nd, BUF 4th, BUF 5th, BUF 7th, DAL 7th
2021: BUF 1st, BUF 2nd, BUF 4th, BUF 5th, BUF 6th, BUF 7th
Trade Chips
The Sabres have a glut of NHL defensemen on the roster even after selling off Marco Scandella for a fourth-round pick and would like to move out some of that surplus to add more speed and offense up front. The problem is that many of the options on the blue line don’t come with a ton of trade value, unless you’re looking at one of the team’s young core pieces.
Zach Bogosian has already requested a trade when he was healthy scratched by head coach Ralph Krueger, but with his $5.14MM cap hit it is hard to see him actually bringing back anything for the Sabres. Colin Miller and Jake McCabe each hold a little more value than that, but Rasmus Ristolainen likely remains the biggest piece the team could potentially move.
Ristolainen has many detractors, but is still logging close to 23 minutes for the Sabres and has 23 points in 49 games. The 25-year old is also carrying a positive +/- rating for the first time in his career, and is a right-handed option that teams may see as an upgrade in the top four. Unfortunately, he comes with a $5.4MM cap hit and two more years on his contract, making him a tough player to add midseason.
Beyond the defensive group, the Sabres also received a trade request from Evan Rodrigues and they do have plenty of other expiring forward contracts that could be moved. It seems unlikely that the team would give up someone like Casey Mittelstadt even though he has struggled at the NHL level.
The team has its first-round pick for this year and next, but with the playoffs a clear uncertainty any deal would likely have to have lottery protection in it.
Five Players To Watch For: D Zach Bogosian, D Jake McCabe, D Colin Miller, D Rasmus Ristolainen, F Evan Rodrigues
Team Needs
1) Scoring Punch: The team will get Jeff Skinner back in the lineup tonight for the first time since December, but if he can’t reach the same level that he showed last season the Sabres will desperately need to add some finish before the deadline. Skinner has just 11 goals in 39 games after scoring 40 last season. Victor Olofsson, the team’s goal-scoring rookie, is still a few weeks away from a return. Players like Marcus Johansson, Jimmy Vesey, Conor Sheary and Kyle Okposo just aren’t putting the puck in the net enough at this point for the team to reliably create an offensive push behind Jack Eichel.
2) Speed Up Front: GM Jason Botterill was very clear when he spoke with reporters on Tuesday; he needs to find some help at forward. Botterill explained that he needed not just offensive scoring touch, but an upgrade to the overall speed at forward. A name like Chris Kreider obviously brings that kind of impact, but it’s not clear if Botterill wants to head down the rental road.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: Vegas, Expansion, Russia
At yesterday’s press conference, AHL president David Andrews suggested that the Vegas Golden Knights may soon be interested in purchasing a minor league franchise. That idea is more than just a suggestion, as Jesse Granger of The Athletic (subscription required) reports the Golden Knights are working to bring a team in as soon as October. The AHL club would be called the Henderson Silver Knights if all goes according to plan.
While this is obviously not a done deal at this point, more and more teams have begun to bring their AHL affiliates as geographically close as possible. Having a team in the same city (or very close, should the team eventually move to Henderson) allows for numerous benefits, including easier game-day call-ups. The Chicago Wolves, currently affiliated with the Golden Knights, would not be the franchise to move and issued a statement yesterday explaining that they would find a new NHL partner.
- Speaking of new franchises, The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek published the outlet’s first take on a Seattle expansion roster based on the current situation. The group is headlined by several exciting forwards and has plenty of Stanley Cup experience in net. Obviously things are going to change considerably before the 2021 draft, but it’s time to start thinking about expansion circumstances when evaluating every move around the league.
- Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet gave some clarification on Twitter about a potential NHL visit to Russia in the coming years, explaining that it will not happen next season but there is still interest for the 2021-22 campaign. Friedman suggests that the St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals would be potential teams to take part in the showcase, both obvious choices given their respective Russian stars.
Minor Transactions: 01/28/20
Just two games are on the NHL schedule tonight, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be worth watching. The late game involves the St. Louis Blues in the second half of a western Canada back-to-back after losing to the Vancouver Canucks in regulation last night. This time they’ll take on the Calgary Flames in a game that suddenly seems extremely important for the reigning Stanley Cup champions. The Blues have lost their last three and will need to get back on track before losing their lead on the Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division. As they and the rest of the league prepare, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves:
- Jansen Harkins is fresh off an appearance at the AHL All-Star Game and now is back with the Winnipeg Jets. The team recalled the 22-year old forward and sent Cameron Schilling back to the Manitoba Moose. Harkins has exploded offensively this year for the Moose, scoring 31 points in 30 games–the same total he had in 70 appearances last season.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Marcus Pettersson Signs Five-Year Extension
The Pittsburgh Penguins have locked up one of their young defensemen, signing Marcus Pettersson to a five-year extension. The deal will carry an average annual value of $4,025,175 and keep Pettersson under contract through the 2024-25 season. The deal also includes a modified no-trade clause GM Jim Rutherford explained why he made the deal:
In just over a year, Marcus has had a significant impact on our defensive group. He is young, reliable and smart, which is important in today’s game. Marcus is part of our young core and it was important to get him signed long-term.
As CapFriendly points out on Twitter, it looks like the Penguins and Pettersson have added the new deal to the $874,125 qualifying offer he signed last summer. That would basically make this a six-year, $21MM deal for the young defender who has found his legs in Pittsburgh after starting his career with the Anaheim Ducks.
Acquired in exchange for Daniel Sprong last season, the 23-year old Pettersson has quickly emerged as a promising option for the Penguins. A solid partner for Erik Gudbranson at the end of the 2018-19 campaign, he registered 19 points in 57 games. This season, especially when paired with rookie John Marino, Pettersson has been even better and now routinely logs more than 20 minutes a night. That role is locked in now that he’s going to cost the team a pretty penny.
In fact, Pettersson now becomes the third-highest paid defenseman on the Penguins for the 2020-21 season trailing only Kris Letang ($7.25MM cap hit) and Brian Dumoulin ($4.1MM). Add in Jack Johnson‘s deal that extends through the 2022-23 season and the Penguins already have four defensemen with substantial long-term cap hits. Pettersson’s contract will raise questions about Justin Schultz, who is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. The Penguins could extend him as well, but have some tough decisions to make in order to stay under the cap ceiling. Jared McCann, Dominik Simon, Dominik Kahun, Matt Murray, Tristan Jarry and Juuso Riikola are all arbitration-eligible restricted free agents that will be looking for raises this summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Jake Muzzin Would “Love To Stay” In Toronto
While the focus right now for the Toronto Maple Leafs has to be on how they can improve their defense for this season, general manager Kyle Dubas also has to keep one eye on the future. The team has four key defensemen scheduled for free agency at the end of the season, with Jake Muzzin, Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci all unrestricted. The team apparently is looking for players that aren’t just pure rentals in trade, but at least one of their free agents might want to stick around. Muzzin spoke to reporters at today’s morning skate after he was recalled from a recent conditioning stint (via TSN):
The organization, the way they look after us. The guys here the buzz in the city about hockey is huge. Being close to home is always a nice touch, especially with a little one around now. There’s lots of good things here and I’d love to stay.
Muzzin, 30, is from Woodstock, Ontario, just a couple of hours down the highway from Toronto. He played most of his career to this point about as far away as you can possibly get with the Los Angeles Kings, but came to the Maple Leafs last season. A stabilizing presence on the blue line, his current five-year, $20MM deal will expire at the end of June.
If the team wants to keep one of their pending UFA defensemen, Muzzin might make the most sense. While Barrie and Ceci are both right-handed—which has been the weaker side of the Maple Leafs’ group in recent years—the former may be too expensive while the latter has struggled. Muzzin meanwhile could be right in the sweet spot in terms of salary demands, though they already have three other left-handers—Morgan Rielly, Travis Dermott and Rasmus Sandin. With Muzzin’s return tonight the team will keep Sandin in the lineup, perhaps trying out what the group could look like in a year’s time.
The veteran defenseman was also asked about the potential availability of Alec Martinez, a former partner of his with the Kings:
Oh really? I mean he’s a great, great defender. I know him well, I played with him for a long time. You know whatever happens, happens, I don’t know.