Minor Transactions: 10/09/19
The Drew Doughty–Matthew Tkachuk battle stole the show in the NHL last night, but James Neal‘s four-goal performance wasn’t one to miss either. After that outstanding night of hockey, the league is back with three more tilts tonight. Notably, the Vancouver Canucks are set to name their next captain while Wayne Simmonds will be returning to face the Philadelphia Flyers for the first time since signing in New Jersey. As teams prepare for tonight’s action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- The Winnipeg Jets have returned Nelson Nogier to the minor leagues, as Dmitry Kulikov is expected to be available for their next game. Kulikov had been away on a personal leave for the birth of a child, but will be welcomed back in with open arms in Winnipeg. The Jets have a decimated defense group at the moment, but were still good enough to hold off the Pittsburgh Penguins last night.
- After clearing waivers, Kalle Kossila has been loaned to the AHL by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kossila may be a potential call-up at some point this season, but for now just needs to get back on the ice after recovering from injury.
Conor Sheary Out Week-To-Week
After further evaluation, the Buffalo Sabres have announced that Conor Sheary will actually be out on a week-to-week basis with an upper-body injury. Sheary was listed as day-to-day just yesterday, but it seems he’ll miss more time than originally expected. Even with Sheary out, head coach Ralph Krueger told reporters including Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News that the team will not likely recall a forward from the AHL, at least through the weekend.
Sheary, 27, was off to a hot start with the Sabres this season, scoring two goals and three points through his first three games despite averaging just over 11 minutes of ice time. He’d been playing lower in the lineup than last season, but that may have changed at some point given his early success. The Sabres have a 2-0-1 record on the year so far and look much improved over the squads that have finished at or near the bottom of the NHL standings the last several seasons.
It is a very important season for the undrafted Sheary, as he heads towards unrestricted free agency. If he can get back to the level he showed in Pittsburgh as a young player, scoring 23 goals and 53 points, he’d be in for a substantial raise over his current $3MM cap hit. If he struggles with injury and inconsistency again, it’s not clear what kind of a market there will be for the 27-year old.
Snapshots: Pietrangelo, Barabanov, AHL Suspensions
When the St. Louis Blues went out and acquired Justin Faulk from the Carolina Hurricanes, only to sign him to a seven-year $45.5MM extension immediately, eyebrows raised around the hockey world. Where exactly did that leave captain Alex Pietrangelo, who plays the same position and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season? Well, the Blues tried to answer some of that question by pairing Pietrangelo and Faulk together for a time, but that didn’t take (though hasn’t been completely abandoned either, as we saw last night), and now there is a report about some recent meetings between the two sides.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest 31 Thoughts column that Pietrangelo’s agents met with GM Doug Armstrong yesterday, and reports that the Blues are hoping to use Oliver Ekman-Larsson‘s eight-year, $66MM deal as a “baseline” in talks. That $8.25MM average annual value currently makes Ekman-Larsson the fourth-highest paid defenseman in the league behind only Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty and P.K. Subban. Another interesting comparable for Pietrangelo might be Roman Josi, who is also dealing with extension negotiations at the moment with the Nashville Predators.
- One other note from the 31 Thoughts column revolves around Alexander Barabanov, a 25-year old KHL forward that Friedman reports will be scouted in-person by several NHL executives. Barabanov’s ice time has drastically reduced this season, but recorded 46 points in 58 games last year for SKA St. Petersburg. That total put him behind only New Jersey Devils forward Nikita Gusev and ahead of other Russian stars like Pavel Datsyuk and Sergei Plotnikov.
- Suspensions came down today in the AHL, with both Hubert Labrie of the Belleville Senators and Paul Thompson of the Springfield Thunder facing two-game bans for incidents on Saturday. In Labrie’s case, his elbow caused Kenny Agostino of the Toronto Marlies to suffer a concussion that will keep him out indefinitely. Thompson meanwhile hit Thomas Hickey of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but the veteran defenseman was back in action yesterday as he tries to fight his way back to the NHL.
New York Rangers Agree To Terms With Matthew Robertson
The New York Rangers will be signing another one of their top prospects, as the team announced they’ve agreed to terms with Matthew Robertson. The 18-year old defenseman will sign a three-year entry-level contract, though it actually won’t kick in right away. Robertson is playing with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL, meaning his contract will slide at least one year.
Selected 49th overall in June, Robertson joins a wave of prospects set to turn the Rangers into contenders sooner or later. The 6’4″ defenseman put up 41 points in 68 total games with the Oil Kings last season and is was a strong force at both ends of the rink. Part of the Canadian team that won gold at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup last year, he was actually ranked 26th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and expected by many to push for a selection in the first round. Even without that designation, the Rangers surely consider him a big part of their future and will show it by quickly signing him to an entry-level deal.
The next step for Robertson is to really dominate at the WHL level this year and next, while also lending his talents to Canada’s international contingent once again. Though he may find himself on the outside looking in for this year’s World Junior team as an 18-year old, you can bet he’ll be in contention for a spot after another year of development.
Patrick Marleau Market “Heating Up”
When the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Patrick Marleau to the Carolina Hurricanes who subsequently bought him out earlier this summer, it wasn’t expected to end his career. The 40-year old forward made it clear that he wanted to continue playing, but the season eventually started without a contract being signed. Marleau has continued to skate hoping something would come up however, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that things are “heating up” with regards to a potential offer. LeBrun reports that multiple teams including the San Jose Sharks have reached out to Marleau’s camp.
Any contract for Marleau now would obviously qualify as a 35+ deal, meaning it comes with certain restrictions and benefits. For one, it would mean that if the veteran forward retired at any point or was bought out, the entire cap hit would remain on the books. However it also allows a team to include performance bonuses in a one-year deal, something that could limit the risk involved with adding a player of his age after the season has already started.
For the Sharks, who are dealing with some injuries up front (Marcus Sorensen is now listed as day-to-day according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic), would have to send down or waive one of their other forwards in order to even bring Marleau on board, and it would need to be for a near-minimum salary in order to fit in under the cap ceiling. The team would have to worry about potential bonuses being carried over to next season, though obviously there are infinite ways to structure the contract at this point.
There has been a prevailing though that Marleau would prefer the end up on the west coast, but at this point perhaps other teams are reaching out to see if he’ll consider somewhere else. Former Sharks teammate Joe Thornton just this morning told Kurz that Marleau “should be playing somewhere,” indicating that his old friend can still skate well enough to be in the league. Marleau scored 16 goals and 37 points in 82 games with the Maple Leafs last season, and hasn’t missed a game due to injury since the 2008-09 season.
Nashville Predators, Roman Josi Hit “Snag” In Extension Talks
If there is one thing that Nashville Predators GM David Poile is known for other than his penchant for blockbuster trades, it’s getting his core players signed to long-term extensions at reasonable prices. The Predators have locked up names like Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, Kyle Turris, Mattias Ekholm, Ryan Ellis and others to long deals over the past several years, and Roman Josi seemed destined to be next. The Predators’ captain is in the final season of his seven-year deal signed in 2013 that carries a ludicrously-low cap hit of just $4MM (another example of Poile’s work) and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in 2020.
An extension for Josi seems inevitable, given his role and history with the team, especially after the Predators moved P.K. Subban out of town. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest 31 Thoughts column however that the negotiation has “hit a snag” and that “there is surprise it isn’t done yet.” Josi has been one of the most reliable two-way defenders in the league for the last several seasons, receiving Norris Trophy votes regularly. In fact, the 29-year old has finished no lower than 11th in voting in each of the past five years though he has yet to actually be named a finalist.
Not only has the league recognized him, but it is obvious how the Predators’ coaching staff feels about Josi’s ability. Since the start of the 2013-14 season he has logged an average of more than 25 minutes of ice time per game, and even more than that in the playoffs.
Still, with any extension negotiation there are risks involved. Josi will be 30 by the time next season begins and could very well be looking to become one of the highest-paid defensemen in the league. The Predators have a huge amount of money coming off the books next season thanks to the expiring contracts of Mikael Granlund, Craig Smith and others, but also have to consider potential future extensions for Ekholm, Forsberg, Dante Fabbro and young goaltender Juuse Saros. There is also the fact that Poile almost never gives out signing bonuses or no-trade clauses, though both of those rules were bent by Matt Duchene in the recent free agent period.
Obviously it is impossible to know exactly where the “snag” is at this point, but as Friedman points out it is surprising to see the Predators fail to reach an agreement yet with Josi. His case will be one to watch throughout the year as he would be one of the very top free agents available in 2020, though an extension with Nashville still seems the most likely conclusion.
Edmonton Oilers Activate Riley Sheahan
The Edmonton Oilers have activated center Riley Sheahan from injured reserve, giving the team another option down the middle as they try to continue their recent success. To make room, Josh Archibald has been moved to IR retroactive to his last game on October 2nd.
Sheahan has not yet played this season after signing a one-year $900K contract with the Oilers at the beginning of September, but is expected to play on the third line tonight against the New York Islanders. Interestingly, Archibald actually practiced this morning with the team and is only out with the flu, meaning there is likely another roster move coming later this week.
For now though the Oilers will attempt to extend their winning streak to three games and continue their chase of that elusive playoff spot in the Pacific Division. Sheahan doesn’t come with much offensive guarantee after recording just nine goals and 19 points in 82 games last season, but does have a history of providing at least passable numbers in the bottom-six. He also brings an excellent faceoff percentage to the table, something head coach Dave Tippett will likely rely on in the defensive zone.
Kalle Kossila Placed On Waivers, Gemel Smith Clears
The Toronto Maple Leafs have put Kalle Kossila on waivers today according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, indicating that the forward is ready to return from injury. Kossila will likely start the season with the Toronto Marlies should he clear, though there’s a chance the NHL club would want to see what he can do as well after signing him to a two-year contract earlier this summer.
Now 26, Kossila was an undrafted free agent signing out of St. Cloud State in 2016 after he dominated the college ranks to the tune of 54 points as a senior. The undersized forward actually didn’t take long to make an impact at the AHL level, but never got much of an opportunity with the Anaheim Ducks. Now in Toronto he could serve as some injury insurance but will most likely play a big role on the Marlies as they try to get back to the Calder Cup.
In addition, Tampa Bay Lightning forward Gemel Smith actually cleared waivers and has been assigned to the Syracuse Crunch, though his placement there wasn’t reported yesterday. Smith has played in three games for the Lightning this season, but with Brayden Point nearing a return the team can afford to move out a forward. Point was taking part in powerplay practice today and could potentially return on Thursday against the Maple Leafs.
Minor Transactions: 10/08/19
After a relatively quiet Monday night around the NHL, things are ready to kick into high gear tonight with eight games on the schedule. Among those are some heavyweight matchups and upstart battles, but perhaps most interesting will be one between the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames. Though the Kings may not be quite ready for playoff contention, don’t tell Drew Doughty that. The veteran defenseman has been in the news this week as he prepares to face his young rival in Matthew Tkachuk tonight.
As always we’ll keep track of all the minor moves teams make in preparation for tonight’s action.
- The Winnipeg Jets have officially recalled Sami Niku and Nelson Nogier from the AHL, while placing Bryan Little on injured reserve. The team has also given Dmitry Kulikov a personal leave, making their defense quite an inexperienced group for tonight’s game. Josh Morrissey will also not be back in the lineup even after returning to practice in full yesterday, meaning the team will have a tough test containing Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.
- After using some deft roster management to get the full benefit of long-term injured reserve yesterday, the Detroit Red Wings have sent Oliwer Kaski and Ryan Kuffner back to the minor leagues. Andreas Athanasiou has also been activated and should be in the Red Wings’ lineup tonight against the Anaheim Ducks.
- Kevin Connauton has been recalled by the Colorado Avalanche, who were carrying just six defensemen while Ian Cole continues to recover from injury. The team will take on the Boston Bruins on Thursday, though it is not clear who exactly will be in the lineup at this point.
Evgeni Malkin, Nick Bjugstad Out “Longer-Term”
4:15pm: Both Malkin and Bjugstad have been placed on injured reserve. In their place the Penguins have recalled Sam Lafferty and Andrew Agozzino under emergency conditions from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Malkin suffered a soft tissue injury and is expected to be out at least a month.
11:45am: The Pittsburgh Penguins have already been dealt a debilitating blow in their quest for a Metropolitan Division playoff spot. Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bjugstad will both be out “longer term” with injuries according to head coach Mike Sullivan, though he did confirm that Malkin’s is not expected to be a season-ending one. Even if it doesn’t put him on the shelf all year, losing Malkin for a long period of the season is a huge hit to the Penguins’ chances, as they were hoping for a strong bounce-back season from the veteran center.
Malkin was injured when he was hit by Columbus Blue Jackets defender Vladislav Gavrikov and pinned up against the boards on Saturday. He suffered a lower-body injury and will have to watch from the press box as Pittsburgh tries to stay afloat. The 33-year old center recorded just 21 goals last season, the fewest he’s ever had in a year in which he played more than 50 games. That still came with 51 assists to give him 72 points in just 68 games, but by all accounts his season wasn’t up to the standard he had set previously. After working hard to re-establish his mental state this summer, Malkin and the Penguins had big plans for this year with an eye on the playoffs. That resolve will certainly be tested now.
Without Malkin and Bjugstad in the lineup, the Penguins had Jared McCann in the second-line center role between Alex Galchenyuk and Brandon Tanev, a unit that will need to find another level of production if the team is to succeed. It certainly seemed on Saturday like McCann was ready for the challenge, recording three points including the game-winning goal in a 7-2 demolition of the Blue Jackets. The 23-year old forward had previously only ever recorded three points in a single game once in his career, but will certainly get the opportunity for more of that success if he’s moved higher in the lineup.