Snapshots: Trade Targets, Ritchie, Gropp
Trade talk is already heating up around the NHL as teams find out just what they have on the roster, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) examines several situations where a player may be available at the 2020 trade deadline.
While Taylor Hall finds himself involved in this speculation once again, another situation LeBrun suggests is worth monitoring is Ilya Kovalchuk with the Los Angeles Kings. The veteran forward is due the rest of his signing bonus on December 15th, at which point he would be owed just the prorated $700K base salary through the end of the season. Kovalchuk does come with one more year on his deal worth $4.25MM and carries a $6.25MM cap hit, but should his early season success continue it wouldn’t be surprising to see him waive his no-trade clause to go to a contender.
- The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has issued a $4,121.86 fine to Nick Ritchie of the Anaheim Ducks for the roughing incident last night. Ritchie attacked Vladimir Sobotka after a whistle and ended up dragging him to the ground (where Buffalo goaltender Linus Ullmark proceeded to give Ritchie a few punches). This was the maximum allowable fine under the CBA for the incident.
- Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that minor league forward Ryan Gropp has been suspended by the Hartford Wolf Pack for failing to report to the Maine Mariners of the ECHL. Gropp, 23, was a second round pick of the Rangers in 2015 and has spent the last two seasons in the minor leagues. He is on the final year of his entry-level contract and scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
John Tavares Out Two Weeks With Broken Finger
Though he scored a goal late in last night’s game against the Washington Capitals, John Tavares suffered a broken finger and will be out of the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup for a minimum of two weeks. He will be reassessed at that time. Tavares was hit by a point shot earlier in the game and seemed to be favoring his hand, but kept playing.
This is exactly the type of injury trouble that the Maple Leafs can’t afford to deal with given how top-heavy their lineup is at the moment. After handing out more than $30MM to three forwards, the bottom of the roster is made up by less experienced or less effective options that will need to step up. With Tavares out and Zach Hyman still recovering, two-thirds of the team’s top line will watch as the Maple Leafs take on the Boston Bruins twice over the next week.
Though the Maple Leafs have two of the best centers in the game in Tavares and Auston Matthews, their depth at the position will be tested with one of them out. The team could move William Nylander back to the middle or promote Alexander Kerfoot to the top line, but neither option is ideal at this point. It could mean a return to action for Jason Spezza, who has been a healthy scratch several times this season but comes with plenty of experience in an offensive role.
Valentin Zykov Suspended 20 Games
1:30pm: Vegas GM George McPhee held a press conference to address the news, and explained how the team found out. McPhee told reporters including Jesse Granger of The Athletic that Zykov admitted to taking the supplement that caused the positive test for four years.
12:35pm: Vegas Golden Knights forward Valentin Zykov has been suspended 20 games for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. This is the second consecutive year the Golden Knights have lost a player for a suspension like this, after Nate Schmidt was handed a 20-game ban last season. The Golden Knights released a statement:
We were notified by the NHL and NHLPA that Valentin has violated the terms of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. We monitor the nutrition, supplement intake and overall diet of our athletes on a continual basis throughout the entire season. Valentin knowingly used a banned substance without the consent, recommendation or knowledge of our team. We support the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program and respect the decision here.
Zykov also released a statement through the NHLPA:
I have been informed that I am being suspended for 20 games under the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. While I haven’t been able to discover how I tested positive, I understand that I am responsible for what is in my body and will accept this penalty. I want to apologize to my family, my teammates and the Golden Knights organization and fans. I will work hard during my suspension to ensure that I put myself in the best possible position to contribute to my team when my suspension is over.
The 24-year old forward has played seven games with the Golden Knights this season, registering two points in limited ice time. Originally a second-round selection of the Los Angeles Kings, he has just 47 games under his belt at the NHL level and played for three different organizations during the 2018-19 season.
On the second season of a two-year contract that carries a $675K cap hit and scheduled to become a restricted free agent next summer, this suspension will not help Zykov’s quest to become a full-time NHL player.
He is eligible to return for the Golden Knights game on November 29th against the Arizona Coyotes.
Minor Transactions: 10/17/19
All six home teams won last night in the NHL, including the high-flying Edmonton Oilers continuing their resurgence against the Philadelphia Flyers. Connor McDavid led the way with five points and put himself squarely in the conversation for a second consecutive first star of the week, while Mikko Koskinen made 49 saves as the Flyers poured on the pressure. The action continues tonight with nine more games on the schedule, including the first meeting of the top two 2019 draft picks. Jack Hughes is looking for his first NHL point while Kaapo Kakko and the New York Rangers will suit up for just the fourth time this season. As teams prepare, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The San Jose Sharks have returned Trevor Carrick to the minor leagues, something that we should get used to this season. Carrick seems to be the player GM Doug Wilson will flip back and forth to save cap room this season on off days (at least until Radim Simek is back to full health), as he’s already been involved in four transactions since the start of the month.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have sent Brian Gibbons back to the AHL after playing two games with the NHL club. Gibbons, 31, has spent plenty of time in the minor leagues over his career to this point but is a nice depth piece for Carolina to call on when they face injury up front.
- Nelson Nogier has been recalled once again by the Winnipeg Jets, who take on the New York Islanders tonight. Winnipeg is off to a 4-4 start to the season despite massive changes to their defense corps, but will need even more from their group to compete for a Central Division playoff spot.
St. Louis Blues Agree To Terms With Mathias Laferriere
The St. Louis Blues have agreed to terms with another one of their young prospects, and will sign Mathias Laferriere to a three-year entry-level contract. Laferriere is currently playing with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the QMJHL, where he will remain for the rest of the season.
Selected in the sixth round in 2018, Laferriere already looks like he’ll be worth the investment. The lanky forward exploded last season when given a bigger role on the Screaming Eagles, scoring 28 goals an 74 points in 68 games. Though injury has limited him to just one game so far this time around, he was named to the QMJHL team for the upcoming Canada-Russia series and is expected to retake his role as one of Cape Breton’s most dangerous forwards when he returns to action.
The entry-level deal will not start until next season for Laferriere, at which point he will be transitioning to professional hockey. Though any future in the NHL is still a distant dream, he took one big step towards it today by getting a deal with the Blues.
Bode Wilde Assigned To AHL
An interesting name has come across the AHL transactions page today. New York Islanders prospect Bode Wilde has been added to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers roster after previously starting on season-opening injured reserve. Wilde must be healthy enough to return to action, but what’s interesting about his assignment to Bridgeport is that he is still eligible to play for the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL where he spent last season. The Islanders must believe that he’s ready to make the leap to professional hockey after scoring 70 points in 62 games for the Spirit last season.
Still just 19 years old, the smooth-skating defenseman was picked 41st overall in 2018 after falling out of the first round. Though he still has the odd bout of poor decision making, his ability at both ends of the ice make for a very strong prospect that profiles as a potential top-four option for the Islanders down the road.
Lou Lamoriello, Barry Trotz and the rest of the New York management group have already shown they are willing to be aggressive with their top prospects, keeping Noah Dobson on the roster and recently recalling Oliver Wahlstrom. Both of those players were also selected in 2018, a draft class for the Islanders that is showing early returns as a potential franchise-changing group.
For Wilde, a chance to show what he can do at the AHL level only gets him that much closer to his eventual NHL debut. After dominating the OHL as a rookie there wasn’t a ton left for him to learn in Saginaw. Bridgeport will include a host of new challenges.
Latest On Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are one of the most interesting teams in the league right now, with immense pressure on their coaching staff to get things turned around after their early season struggles. Those struggles go beyond just the immediate future of John Hynes though, as the team continues to try to convince Taylor Hall to sign a long-term extension. Elliotte Friedman starts off his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet with an examination of the situation, and then explained himself further on the Tim and Sid show:
The Devils know that if they’re not looking like a consistent playoff team, the chances of him staying are extremely unlikely. So they know they have to get going. They made a pretty interesting move today behind the bench. They realize if it doesn’t change they’re going to have to start having these [trade] conversations with other clubs.
Friedman even went on to speculate about a potential suitor, noting that the Edmonton Oilers have wanted to “correct” the previous trade for a long time. The Oilers obviously have a new front office in place now, but the simple fact that it is getting to the point of speculation like this is not the way the Devils hoped this season would go.
After selecting Jack Hughes first overall, adding P.K. Subban, Wayne Simmonds and Nikita Gusev, New Jersey was supposed to be not only improved but competing for a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division. They’ve now gotten off to an 0-4-2 start to the season and can’t seem to find their way in either end of the rink, allowing more than twice as many goals as they have scored to this point.
It is too early for the Devils to throw in the towel—after all, it’s just six games—but after watching their rival New York Islanders lose captain John Tavares for nothing as an unrestricted free agent (a decision by the forward that Hall has said “took a lot of guts”) they’ll need to make a tough decision before the trade deadline on whether their future includes the 2018 Hart Trophy winner if he doesn’t yet have a contract in hand.
Hall will turn 28 next month and has five points through six games.
Prospect Notes: Canada-Russia, U17, Dach
The CHL has announced the rosters for the 2019 Canada-Russia series, which pits the top junior players from both countries against each other in a showcase as preparation for the World Juniors. The WHL, OHL and QMJHL will each enter a team for the series that takes place next month.
Leading the way are some top 2020 draft names including Alexis Lafreniere, Quinton Byfield, Justin Barron and Jamie Drysdale among many others. The event has been going on for more than 15 years now and often gives an insight into who is trending towards making an impact at the U20 tournament later on in the year.
- The roster also includes Kirby Dach, even though he is technically not back in the CHL at the moment. In fact, Chicago Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton told reporters including Scott Powers of The Athletic that giving Dach his NHL debut is “on the radar” after his AHL conditioning stint comes to an end. Dach can’t spend the whole season in the AHL due to his age, meaning the Blackhawks may eventually be forced to send him back to the CHL if they feel he’s not ready for the NHL full-time.
- Hockey Canada has also announced the 66 players that will take part in the World U17 Hockey Challenge next month. Canada will have three different teams in the tournament that also includes teams from the United States, Russia, Finland, Sweden and the Czech Republic. The group includes Shane Wright, the latest to be given exceptional status into the CHL. Still just 15 years old, Wright has nine points in nine games for the Kingston Frontenacs this season after dominating Toronto minor hockey—to the tune of 150 points in 72 games—last year. Eligible for the 2022 draft, he’s already being considered as a franchise-changing talent.
Minor Transactions: 10/16/19
If you’re a hockey fan in Nova Scotia, tonight’s NHL action must feel like the Stanley Cup Final as provincial heroes and good friends Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon square off in Pittsburgh. The two superstar centers are off to great starts this season with the former taking the full weight of the Penguins on his back after Evgeni Malkin suffered an injury and the latter leading his Colorado Avalanche to a perfect 5-0 record so far. That’s one of six games on the schedule for this evening, and as teams prepare for action we’ll be right here to keep track of all the minor moves.
- The Avalanche have returned Kevin Connauton to the Colorado Eagles of the AHL, activating J.T. Compher from injured reserve in the process. The Avalanche have so many NHL defensemen that they’re going to scratch Nikita Zadorov tonight, meaning it would have been tough for Connauton to get into the lineup.
- The Chicago Wolves have released Brett McKenzie from his professional tryout after just a single game with the team. McKenzie, 22, was a seventh-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in 2016 but spent almost all of last season with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL. McKenzie will return to the Fort Wayne Komets, where he’ll continue to try and show he is good enough to move up to the AHL.
Daniel Carr Placed On Waivers
Wednesday: Carr has cleared waivers according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, but won’t be heading to the minor leagues after all. After Filip Forsberg suffered an injury last night, Carr will stay with the Predators for now.
Tuesday: The Nashville Predators have placed Daniel Carr on waivers today, likely with the intention of sending him to the minor leagues should he clear.
Carr, 27, could be a very interesting candidate for several teams around the league who are dealing with injuries or inconsistencies up front. Though he played just six games for the Vegas Golden Knights last season, it was still a successful one for Carr, who dominated the AHL. Recording 71 points in 52 games, he led the Chicago Wolves in scoring and finished third league-wide.
That kind of offensive upside has always been interesting, but the veteran forward hasn’t ever really been able to land a full-time NHL role. Through 102 games in his career he has 35 points, but does carry just a $700K cap hit.