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Latest On Bo Horvat

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With every day that passes, it seems a new report emerges about the lack of progress in Bo Horvat extension talks. Today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that “it’s not trending well.” Horvat is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

Of course, some of the same things were said this summer about the Vancouver Canucks and J.T. Miller, before the two sides eventually agreed on a seven-year, $56MM extension that includes a full-no-movement clause through 2026-27. Most insiders at the time had expected the Canucks to trade Miller instead of extending him, something that obviously didn’t happen as the veteran forward instead cashed in with a deal that includes $8.5MM in signing bonuses the first year.

So, until he actually hits the open market or is traded, things could change with regard to Horvat. But it is Miller’s contract that might end up forcing the Canucks to move on. The team is not good enough to contend for the Stanley Cup right now, despite a pair of crazy victories in recent days, and also has several expensive, underperforming contracts on the books.

Miller is still scoring at a good clip but has been anything but consistent this year, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s deal looks like one of the worst in the league as he plays through his age-31 season. The veteran defenseman will carry a $7.26MM cap hit for another four more years (and that’s not counting the portion the Arizona Coyotes are retaining).

Signing Horvat, then, would just add more money onto the pile without actually improving the Canucks roster. There’s no doubt that the 27-year-old center will be commanding more than his current $5.4MM cap hit in a new deal, especially after scoring 20 goals in his first 20 games this year. Goal-scoring centers are some of the highest-paid commodities in the league, as seen by Miller’s massive extension after a career-best 32 goals in 2021-22.

It should be noted that Horvat does not have trade protection in his current deal, meaning the Canucks could auction him off if necessary. Friedman notes that Canucks president Jim Rutherford will likely wait until February to try and squeeze the most value out of any deal, and suggests Luke Schenn as another chip he could cash in.

Toronto Maple Leafs Re-Assign Semyon Der-Arguchintsev

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Ahead of their game tonight against the Los Angeles Kings, the Toronto Maple Leafs have loaned Semyon Der-Arguchintsev back to the minor leagues. This is notable, as it could signal the return of T.J. Brodie, who has been absent for weeks while dealing with an oblique injury.

Victor Mete was the latest Maple Leafs defenseman to go down to injury, leaving the team with even fewer experienced bodies on the back end. If Brodie can return, it would be a huge boost to a group that is being led by 39-year-old Mark Giordano.

Der-Arguchintsev, 22, made his NHL debut this week, playing just a handful of minutes on the fourth line. The 2018 third-round pick has been excellent for the Toronto Marlies, scoring 18 points in 20 games and generally being one of their most reliable forwards. Undersized, he relies on excellent playmaking skills to contribute.

Now 7-0-3 in their last ten, the Maple Leafs will take on the Kings in the first of a three-game homestand starting tonight.

Vegas Golden Knights Recall Jonas Rondbjerg, Place Brett Howden On LTIR

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5:00 pm: Forward Brett Howden was also moved to long-term injured reserve to make the roster space for Rondbjerg, per CapFriendly. Pietrangelo will be away from the team indefinitely as he deals with an illness in the family and has been given a non-roster designation. Howden has missed six games with a lower-body injury.

12:31 pm: The Vegas Golden Knights have completed just their second recall of the season, adding Jonas Rondbjerg to the NHL roster. Alex Pietrangelo, who hasn’t played since November 26 as he continues to deal with a personal matter, is no longer listed on the official roster.

Vegas is also without Jack Eichel for the time being, after suffering a lower-body injury a few days ago. His absence could open up some playing time for the 23-year-old Rondbjerg, who suited up 30 times for the Golden Knights last season. A third-round pick from 2017, the Danish forward has seven goals and 14 points in 22 games with the Henderson Silver Knights this season.

The Golden Knights have continued to win despite these important subtractions, including a statement victory over the Boston Bruins on Monday. The club is now at home for three in a row, including a rematch with the Bruins on Sunday. Third in the league with 39 points, Vegas has allowed just 71 goals through 27 games and are getting offensive contributions from all over. Six different players have at least 20 points on the year, with Reilly Smith and William Karlsson about to join that group.

Rondbjerg will try to jump on that moving train and contribute, though it isn’t clear how much actual playing time he’ll receive on this recall. Last year, he averaged almost exactly 10 minutes a night in his 30 appearances, scoring six points.

James Van Riemsdyk Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Philadelphia Flyers are finally getting a bit of good news on the injury front, as veteran forward James van Riemsdyk has been activated from injured reserve and is set to make his return against the Washington Capitals tonight.

While it may be too late for the Flyers to make any sort of run toward the playoffs, getting van Riemsdyk back into the lineup is important for another reason. The 33-year-old is on an expiring contract and could potentially be a top trade deadline target later this season.

Even though he doesn’t have quite the same impact he might have had in his prime, there are still few players as dangerous as van Riemsdyk when planted in front of the net. He has long been one of the best in the league at deflecting pucks and cleaning up rebounds, and even this year he had two powerplay goals in the first six games of the season.

Yes, his $7MM cap hit makes him an overpriced asset for a club like Philadelphia, but at the deadline, he will look like an interesting depth scoring option for a contender. Perhaps most importantly, van Riemsdyk does not have any trade protection in his contract.

Getting him back up and running, racking up powerplay points, and showing he can still contribute should only help the Flyers flip him later on. For now, he’ll also give the lineup a boost as they try to build on a big win over the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Montreal Canadiens

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With American Thanksgiving now behind us and the holiday season coming up, PHR continues its look at what teams are thankful for in 2022-23. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Montreal Canadiens.

Who are the Canadiens thankful for?

Kent Hughes.

It hasn’t even been a year since the Canadiens installed Hughes as general manager but his impact is already found throughout the organization. He has completed 14 trades in the months since arriving, adding nearly a dozen high-end future assets including Kirby Dach, Justin Barron, and multiple first- and second-round picks without taking much value out of the organization.

Yes, fans have had to say goodbye to Artturi Lehkonen, Jeff Petry, Ben Chiarot, and Tyler Toffoli, but none of those players were expected to be around the next time the Canadiens were competitive. Alexander Romanov could have been part of the rebuild but Hughes saw an opportunity and jumped at it, cashing in an asset to get a player in Dach that he more highly coveted.

Perhaps his most important move, however, was having the guts (and relationship) to hire Martin St. Louis to run the bench, despite no formal coaching experience. The home run cut appears to have worked, as St. Louis’ impact has been felt throughout the roster – nowhere more significantly than with Cole Caufield. Last season, the young sniper didn’t score his second goal until February 10, after a stint in the minor leagues. He would score 22 times in 37 games down the stretch under the new coaching staff, and has continued that production this season. Caufield now has 37 goals in 63 games under St. Louis and has become the core piece that Montreal fans knew he could be.

What are the Canadiens thankful for?

Nazem Kadri’s long free agent process.

There is one trade that looks like a complete gold mine for the Canadiens, and had Kadri – one of the league’s top free agents last summer – not taken so long to make a decision, who knows if Hughes would have come out so far ahead. By the time the Calgary Flames signed the free agent center to a seven-year, $49MM contract, it was already August 18, and training camp was right around the corner. Calgary didn’t have a ton of time to sort out its financial situation and clear cap off the books. Right away, they made the move to flip Sean Monahan to the Canadiens along with a first-round pick for nothing in return.

Now, after returning from another hip surgery earlier this year, Monahan looks rejuvenated and is playing big minutes for the Canadiens. If the team wants to, they shouldn’t have any trouble flipping the 28-year-old at the deadline, perhaps even for an extra first-round pick, given his strong performance so far.

Had Kadri not signed with Calgary, or had it not taken more than six weeks from the start of free agency, the Flames might not have been in such a rush to dump Monahan’s contract. Taking advantage of that timing worked out perfectly for Montreal, who gained a high pick and a top-six center to ice for the first part of this season, if not longer. They do have the option of extending his expiring contract, though the future assets that are possible with a deadline deal might seem too good to pass up.

What would the Canadiens be even more thankful for?

The return of Brendan Gallagher.

There are some players in the NHL that get by for years without suffering serious injuries, and play well into their thirties without much of a decline. Gallagher is not one of those players. The in-your-face, bang-and-crash, do-anything-required forward has long been the engine of the Montreal forward group, flying around the ice and creating havoc in the opponent’s end. For a time, he was also one of the most effective players in the league below the hash marks, despite being just 5’9″. He scored 64 goals over a two-year stretch from 2017-19, 51 of them coming at even strength.

But after years of abuse, his game has declined. Gallagher has just eight points in 22 games and is seeing fewer minutes than he has since finishing second in Calder Trophy voting in 2013. While the Canadiens aren’t desperate for his production as they move through this rebuild, the problem lies in his contract. Gallagher is signed at a $6.5MM cap hit through 2026-27, a deal that will be extremely difficult to move if the team needs additional space. Remember, this isn’t a complete teardown – the Canadiens already have some of the pieces in place for their next competitive team. Four more years of Gallagher being paid like a top-end forward is one of the only difficult contracts on the books.

There is still hope, at least, that the 30-year-old can rebound at some point. But there are a lot of miles on that body from the playstyle Gallagher has embraced and injuries just keep piling up.

What should be on the Canadiens’ holiday wishlist?

Another young, NHL-ready forward.

Grabbing first-round picks is great, but the Canadiens already have so many draft picks that they should shift their trade focus to players closer to contributing. Dach was a move in that direction, and there will be more opportunities to grab players in the same age range. As they start shedding expiring veteran contracts like Monahan, Mike Hoffman, Evgenii Dadonov, Jonathan Drouin, and even potentially Joel Armia, there will be spots and ice time to hand out.

Adding another dynamic piece to build around should be the goal now, instead of just collecting lottery tickets for the future. If one becomes available, Hughes has proven he won’t hesitate to pull the trigger, even if it costs another future asset in the process.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Evgeny Svechnikov, Dominic Toninato Clear Waivers

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Dec 7: Both players have cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

Dec 6: Two more forwards have hit waivers today, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Evgeny Svechnikov of the San Jose Sharks and Dominic Toninato of the Winnipeg Jets are available for claim.

The former’s placement is especially curious, given the Sharks just placed Matt Nieto on injured reserve today, recalling C.J. Suess to take his place. Svechnikov played a season-high 16:26 in the team’s most recent game, and has six points in 20 appearances this year. The older brother of Carolina Hurricanes star Andrei Svechnikov, the 26-year-old finally saw regular NHL action last season, playing in 72 games with the Winnipeg Jets and scoring 19 points.

Toninato, meanwhile, cleared waivers in October, but has spent enough time on the active roster to need it again if the Jets want to assign him to the minor leagues. The 28-year-old has played in just four games, registering a single point. Like Svechnikov, he too was a regular in the Winnipeg lineup last season, scoring 14 points in 77 games.

Both players come with cap hits of the league minimum $750K.

Sam Poulin To Take Leave Of Absence

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that prospect Sam Poulin is taking a leave of absence from the organization due to personal reasons, returning home in the meantime. General manager Ron Hextall released the following:

The Penguins support Sam’s decision to take time away from hockey to focus on himself. As with all of our players, our priority is them as individuals first. We look forward to having him back with the team when he is ready.

Poulin, 21, was the 21st overall selection in 2019 and made his NHL debut this season with the Penguins. In three games, he recorded one assist. His production in the minor leagues has been limited, with just four goals and zero assists in 13 games for the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins. This is just his second season of professional hockey after starring for the Sherbrooke Phoenix and Val d’Or Foreurs in the QMJHL.

The Penguins have not explained the reasoning behind the leave, and are not expected to do so. It is not clear when he will be able to return to hockey. While the organization supports his decision, it does leave the club with one fewer depth piece to call upon should injuries occur. Hopefully, Poulin will be able to get back on the ice and continue his career as soon as possible.

Latest On Jakob Chychrun

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It’s been seven games now since Jakob Chychrun returned for the Arizona Coyotes, and if interested teams wanted to see proof that he can still be an impact player, he’s done everything they need. The 24-year-old defenseman is averaging 22:25 in ice time on the year and has three goals and six points in those seven games. Granted, six of the seven contests have been losses, but that likely has to do more with his teammates than his individual performance.

Last night on TSN’s Insider Trading, Darren Dreger updated the situation:

I still think there is aprehension among clubs with the most interest to pay the price that Bill Armstrong and the Coyotes are looking for. But I also think there is a group of teams that are getting to the point they realize they may have to. 

Armstrong has maintained a high price for Chychrun going back to last season, despite the defenseman’s public admission that he wants to be traded to a contender. That’s because he isn’t just a rental. Chychrun is signed through the 2024-25 season at a reasonable $4.6MM cap hit, though the actual salary owed will continue to increase. While that might sound like a lot, it puts him 65th among active defensemen in the league, tied with Jamie Oleksiak of the Seattle Kraken and just ahead of players like Shayne Gostisbehere, Tyson Barrie, and Nikita Zaitsev.

Several teams around the league are dealing with significant injuries to their defense corps, and others have just seen their players struggle. The Edmonton Oilers, for instance, have been looking for a top-end defenseman as Dreger suggests in the same piece, referencing Evan Bouchard’s recent benching. Biding his time appears to have worked perfectly for Armstrong, who can now just wait until a team is desperate enough to meet his high asking price.

The Coyotes, meanwhile, are losing even with Chychrun in the lineup, and are doing just fine in their pursuit of the first-overall pick. There’s no rush on their end, even if he does have a no-trade clause that comes into effect next summer. At this point, it’s hard to see the young defenseman blocking a trade anywhere as long as it gets him closer to another playoff appearance.

Sweden Announces 2023 WJC Roster

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After the U.S. and Canada released their preliminary rosters earlier this week, Sweden is the latest to announce a group of young players that will try to win gold later this month. The roster is notably without Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who according to Swedish reporter Uffe Bodin, turned down an invitation to the tournament. Edvinsson, selected sixth overall in 2021, is playing with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL.

The roster:

F Fabian Wagner (WPG 175th overall, 2022)
F Fabian Lysell (BOS 21st overall, 2021)
F Noah Ostlund (BUF 16th overall, 2022)
F Filip Bystedt (SJS 27th overall, 2022)
F Isak Rosen (BUF 14th overall, 2021)
F Liam Ohgren (MIN 19th overall, 2022)
F Leo Carlsson (2023 draft eligible)
F William Stromgren (CGY 45th overall, 2021)
F Jonathan Lekkerimaki (VAN 15th overall, 2022)
F Milton Oscarson (undrafted)
F Victor Stjernborg (CHI 108th overall, 2021)
F Oskar Pettersson (OTT 72nd overall, 2022)
F Simon Robertsson (STL 71st overall, 2021)

D Elias Pettersson (VAN 80th overall, 2022)
D Hugo Jonasson (undrafted)
D Axel Sandin-Pellikka (2023 draft eligible)
D Victor Sjoholm (undrafted)
D Calle Odelius (NYI 65th overall, 2022)
D Adam Engstrom (MTL 92nd overall, 2022)
D Ludvig Jansson (FLA 125th overall, 2022)
D Jakob Noren (undrafted)

G Ian Blomquist (undrafted)
G Marcus Brannman (undrafted)
G Carl Lindbom (VGK 222nd overall, 2021)

Unlike most years, when the Swedes have a blueline made up of superstar prospects, this year’s group is forward-heavy. Six first-round picks are upfront, with Carlsson expected to be a top pick himself next year. Sweden will kick off their tournament on December 26 with a game against Austria.

Snapshots: Blackhawks, Boeser, Boucher

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The Chicago Blackhawks are the team to watch when it comes to selling at the trade deadline, with so much focus on Patrick Kane’s potential destination. Scott Powers of The Athletic examined the situation regarding Kane and Jonathan Toews, but also touched on the trade market for lesser players like Max Domi and Andreas Athanasiou.

Signing those two always seemed like a move destined to lead to trade deadline flips, but the Blackhawks may not get as much as they think for them. One executive told Powers that Domi and Athanasiou would likely cost third or fourth-round picks in a trade, though admitted things can change if teams get “desperate.”

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