Minor Transactions: 09/25/19
As teams finish their final week of preparation before the 2019-20 season, there will likely be several transactions around the league. As always, we’ll keep track of all those moves right here:
- All of the players from yesterday have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled ten players as they prepare for their game against the Buffalo Sabres tonight. Markus Hannikainen, Paul Bittner, Zac Dalpe, Nathan Gerbe, Nikita Korostelev, Kole Sherwood, Kevin Stenlund, Gabriel Carlsson, Anton Karlsson and Veini Vehvilainen had already been cut from the NHL training camp, but will be back up with the team temporarily.
- 2004 third-overall pick Cam Barker hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2012-13 season, but that doesn’t mean his professional career is over. The 33-year old defenseman has signed in the Czech league for this season after spending the last several years in the KHL, NLA and Liiga.
- The San Jose Sharks have sent all eight of the players they recalled yesterday back to the AHL, after they helped fill out a roster last night. These names have already been cut from the training camp but were just temporary fill-ins.
- After sending Derrick Pouliot to the AHL following waivers, the St. Louis Blues have recalled Mitch Reinke who will play tomorrow night against the Detroit Red Wings. The Blues will obviously be without Joel Edmundson after trading him away this week, but Reinke still looks like a long-shot to see any legitimate action at the beginning of the season, thanks to the addition of Justin Faulk.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/25/19
Like always, we’ll keep track of all the training camp cuts right here. Keep checking back to see the updated list:
Boston Bruins (per team release)
F Jakub Lauko (to Providence, AHL)
D Josiah Didier (to Providence, AHL)
Dallas Stars (per team release)
F Ty Dellandrea (to Flint, OHL)
F Joel Kiviranta (to Texas, AHL)
F Joel L’Esperance (to Texas, AHL)
G Landon Bow (to Texas, AHL)
G Jake Oettinger (to Texas, AHL)
Detroit Red Wings (per team release)
D Alec Regula (to London, OHL)
Edmonton Oilers (per team release)
D Evan Bouchard (to Bakersfield, AHL)
G Shane Starrett (to Bakersfield, AHL)
Florida Panthers (per team release)
F Troy Brouwer (released from PTO)
Montreal Canadiens (per team release)
F Riley Barber (to Laval, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (per team release)
D Julian Melchiori (to Binghamton, AHL)
New York Islanders (per team release)
F Kieffer Bellows (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Arnaud Durandeau (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Scott Eansor (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ryan Hitchcock (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Mason Jobst (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Otto Koivula (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Jeff Kubiak (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Kyle MacLean (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Nick Schilkey (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F John Stevens (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Sebastian Aho (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Grant Hutton (to Bridgeport, AHL)
New York Rangers (per team release)
F Phillip Di Giuseppe (to Hartford, AHL)
F Tarmo Reunanen (to Hartford, AHL)
G Adam Huska (to Hartford, AHL)
D Matthew Robertson (to Edmonton, WHL)
San Jose Sharks (per team release)
F Alexander True (to San Jose, AHL)
Toronto Maple Leafs (per team release)
F Nicholas Baptiste (to Toronto, AHL)
F Colt Conrad (to Toronto, AHL)
D Joseph Duszak (to Toronto, AHL)
D Mac Hollowell (to Toronto, AHL)
D Jesper Lindgren (to Toronto, AHL)
D Kristians Rubins (to Toronto, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
F Alexander Alexeyev (to Hershey, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets (per team release)
F Skylar McKenzie (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Jansen Harkins (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Jonathan Kovacevic (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Luke Green (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Leon Gawanke (to Manitoba, AHL)
G Mikhail Berdin (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Reichel (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
F Emile Poirier (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
F Cole Maier (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
D Jacob Cederholm (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
G Adam Carlson (released from tryout, will report to AHL camp)
F Seth Griffith (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
F Logan Shaw (placed on waivers before AHL assignment)
Saku Maenalanen Signs In KHL
One of the unsigned restricted free agents that wasn’t getting nearly as much press recently was Saku Maenalanen of the Carolina Hurricanes. Well, unsigned no more, as Maenalanen has now inked a deal with Helsinki in the KHL. The contract is a one-year deal with another option year, and will get him playing hockey almost immediately. The Hurricanes will retain his rights after issuing a qualifying offer earlier this summer.
Maenalanen, 25, only came over to North America a year ago and split his time between the AHL and NHL in the Carolina organization. In 34 regular season games with the Hurricanes he recorded eight points, but did well enough to be included in nine postseason contests. The 6’4″ winger had shown real offensive promise during his days in Finland, but couldn’t quite seem to bring that same level of success to the NHL.
Even though the Hurricanes will own his rights for now, it does seem as though perhaps that is the end of the NHL experiment for the big Finn. He’ll turn 26 at the end of the 2019-20 season and will likely find more success in the KHL than he ever could in North America.
Calgary Flames Sign Matthew Tkachuk
The Calgary Flames have finally found some common ground with restricted free agent Matthew Tkachuk. The young forward has signed a three-year contract worth a total of $21MM, ending a long negotiation and getting him back in the fold before the season begins. Darren Dreger of TSN adds that like Brayden Point, Tkachuk will have a $9MM salary in the third year, securing a large qualifying offer that could take him right to unrestricted free agency.
A deal of this magnitude not only gives Tkachuk the highest three-year bridge deal in history (eclipsing Point, who signed for three years at $6.75MM), it also makes him the highest-paid player on the entire Flames roster. While that has more to do with the bargains that are Johnny Gaudreau ($6.75MM) and Sean Monahan ($6.375MM), it also shows just how good Tkachuk has been throughout his young career.
Still just 21 years old, the sixth-overall pick from the 2016 draft has now amassed 174 points in 224 NHL games and is coming off a 34-goal campaign. His offense has continued to improve while the rest of his game—most notably his physicality and ability to get under the skin of opponents—allows him to make an impact no matter the score. The fact that he is able to compete in that fashion while not taking a ton of penalties (his 62 PIM in 2018-19 put him alongside players like Nikita Kucherov, Blake Wheeler and Ryan Strome) makes him one of the unique talents in the NHL and incredibly valuable to the Flames.
Even so, this deal certainly isn’t a perfect scenario for the Flames. Not only does it keep them in an extremely difficult cap situation this season, Tkachuk could now potentially get to unrestricted free agency as soon as possible by accepting that $9MM qualifying offer. The team will have to open extension talks at some point before that happens or risk their prize hitting the open market. Coincidentally, both Gaudreau and captain Mark Giordano have contracts that expire in 2022 as well, giving the team some real flexibility when it comes to extensions.
There’s no doubt that getting Tkachuk back under contract is cause for celebration in Calgary, but the new structure of these bridge deals is something to be concerned about for many teams. Introduced really for the first time by Timo Meier earlier this year, restricted free agents have found a way to create leverage for themselves as they near UFA status. Meanwhile those who sign long-term and give up UFA years like Mitch Marner are getting huge dollar figures right up front, meaning teams will have to be more and more conscious of leaving enough room to get their young players signed.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Pittsburgh Penguins Announce Scouting Changes
The Pittsburgh Penguins have made several changes to their front office and scouting departments as the season approaches. Derek Clancey has been promoted from director of pro scouting to director of player personnel, while Ryan Bowness will take his old job after serving as a pro scout. Kevin Stevens, Jay McClement and Duane Sutter have all been added as pro scouts, while Al Santilli will be a global crossover scout. Erik Heasley, who serves as manager of hockey operations, has also been promoted to the assistant general manager of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL.
McClement may stand out to recent hockey fans, given he last played in the NHL just two years ago. The 36-year old spent the 2017-18 season in Switzerland before hanging up his skates, but had previously played 12 seasons in the NHL. A veteran of 906 games, he scored just 244 points but was always heralded for his hard-nosed play and work ethic on the third or fourth line.
Sutter too will stand out as a pretty notable addition, after spending the last eight seasons with the Edmonton Oilers. One of the famed Sutter brothers, Duane has spent several decades in the hockey world as a player, coach, scout and front office executive. The 59-year old was most recently the vice president of hockey operations in Edmonton.
Injury Notes: Boeser, Blidh, McDavid
The Vancouver Canucks have announced that both Brock Boeser and Oscar Fantenberg have been placed in the concussion protocol, but gave no update on their recovery timeline. Boeser was crunched into the boards by Ottawa Senators forward Chris Tierney last night, which is likely when he suffered the concussion. The Ottawa player received a two-minute minor, but Boeser did return to the game.
This is terrible news for a team looking to compete for the playoffs this season and a player that has struggled with injury throughout his young career. Boeser has still not played 70 games in a single season and is now in trouble of missing at least the end of preseason with this latest injury.
- Anton Blidh has a much longer recovery timeline, as the Boston Bruins announced the prospect underwent surgery on his right shoulder yesterday and will be out for four months. Blidh, 24, has played just 21 games at the NHL level but was a mainstay in the Providence Bruins lineup last season with 23 points and 94 penalty minutes in 74 games. He’ll have a long road back if he wants to battle for a spot in the NHL at any point this season.
- Connor McDavid has already fought that battle, and is expected to be in the lineup for the Edmonton Oilers tonight when they take on the Arizona Coyotes in preseason action. McDavid injured his knee at the very end of the 2018-19 season and had to slowly rehab it through the summer, missing out on informal skates and his normal training practices. The fact that he’s ready to go a week before the season begins is extremely good news for the Oilers as they try to instill a new identity under head coach Dave Tippett.
St. Louis Blues Acquire Justin Faulk
The St. Louis Blues have added another exciting right-handed defenseman to their group, acquiring Justin Faulk from the Carolina Hurricanes. The Blues will send Joel Edmundson, Dominik Bokk and a 2021 seventh-round pick to the Hurricanes in exchange for Faulk and a 2020 fifth-round selection. Faulk has also immediately agreed to a seven-year extension worth a total of $45.5MM ($6.5MM AAV), taking him off the board as a potential unrestricted free agent next summer. The full contract details were tweeted by Andy Strickland of Fox Sports Midwest:
- 2020-21: $9.0MM salary + full NTC
- 2021-22: $9.0MM salary + full NTC
- 2022-23: $5.85MM salary + full NTC
- 2023-24: $7.9MM salary + full NTC
- 2024-25: $4.75MM salary + full NTC
- 2025-26: $4.5MM salary + partial NTC
- 2026-27: $4.5MM salary + partial NTC
The Hurricanes will also be retaining 14% of Faulk’s cap hit this season according to Strickland, which would equal just over $676K. GM Doug Armstrong explained the deal:
We are excited to add Justin to our core group for the next eight years. He’s a Top-4 defenseman who averages over 23 minutes a game and we are confident he will be a strong addition to our club.
Faulk, 27, had been involved in trade talks for years in Carolina, always seen as the extra defenseman that may be expendable given they already had Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce on the right side. When Jake Gardiner was signed recently as another powerplay option, it led to even more speculation about Faulk’s availability and even a nixed trade with the Anaheim Ducks. He’ll now find himself on the reigning Stanley Cup champion Blues, in a similar depth chart situation but with a lot more job security.
The Blues can now ice Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko and Faulk as their three right-handed defensemen, giving each pairing a strong puck-moving option that can contribute offensively. The team’s powerplay will also get a significant boost, as Faulk has generated a good amount of offense over the years with the man-advantage. In fact, 40 of his 85 career goals have come a man up. He also comes at just a $4.83MM cap hit this season (before salary retention), only $1.7MM more than Edmundson was set to make.
It’s the $6.5MM AAV extension that will turn heads, as the Blues already had Pietrangelo heading into the final year of his current deal. Signing Faulk long-term means that there is already $12MM locked up on the right side before any extension for their captain, a substantial amount given Brayden Schenn also needs a new deal up front. Armstrong has been known to be ruthless with his veteran expiring players before, trading the likes of Kevin Shattenkirk and Paul Stastny in the middle of playoff runs, though Pietrangelo obviously represents a better and more important player than either of them.
Carolina meanwhile will happily snap up the return, adding a quality defenseman in Edmundson and a 2018 first-round pick in Bokk. The former could very well be flipped at some point given the Hurricanes’ blueline depth, but right now comes in as a potential third-pairing option behind Jaccob Slavin and Gardiner. Edmundson is also scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2020, making him a nice looking trade chip if the Hurricanes believe they can fill that spot with the likes of Gustav Forsling, Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean.
Bokk meanwhile is a very interesting prospect in his own right. Selected 25th overall in 2018, he spent last season in the SHL and recorded 23 points in 47 games with the Vaxjo Lakers. He’s spending this year overseas again (though with Rogle this time), but is already signed to his entry-level deal and should compete for a spot on the Hurricanes roster before long. The 6’2″ winger is a force when he gets some speed down the wing, and showed dominant offensive ability in both the German and Swedish junior leagues.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
East Notes: Faulk, Canadiens, Hall
The Carolina Hurricanes kept Justin Faulk off the ice today leading to mass speculation about a potential trade. The 27-year old defenseman has been on the block for some time, with a deal getting extremely close with the Anaheim Ducks recently. Faulk is healthy according to head coach Rod Brind’Amour, who had Jake Gardiner running the powerplay today in his place.
Scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, Faulk is an expendable piece for the Hurricanes after adding Gardiner and other depth pieces to the blueline. The team should be able to boost their prospect system or forward group with a deal, returning some value for the former co-captain. Faulk scored 11 goals and 35 points last season, the sixth consecutive year he has broken the 30-point threshold.
- Perhaps there would be a fit in Montreal, where the Canadiens are looking to move a forward according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The scribe points out that Jonathan Drouin played the fewest minutes of any forward in Monday’s home loss to a Toronto Maple Leafs squad made up of almost entirely fringe NHL or AHL players. Several young forwards are pushing for more playing time in Montreal, giving them enough options to make someone expendable in the coming days.
- Friedman also chimes in on the Taylor Hall extension speculation, noting that he believes they “are trying to make a serious run” at a deal right now. Hall is one of the premiere talents available in next summer’s unrestricted free agent crop and should command a huge dollar figure on any extension with the New Jersey Devils. In recent days the talks have picked up between the two sides, after GM Ray Shero did everything he could to improve the roster for the upcoming season.
Waivers: 09/24/19
With AHL training camps getting underway, many players will be put on waivers over the next several days. We’ll keep track of all of them right here:
Anaheim Ducks
F Justin Kloos
F Blake Pietila
D Patrick Sieloff
D Chris Wideman
G Anthony Stolarz
Montreal Canadiens
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
F Andy Andreoff
F Kurtis Gabriel
F Nicolas Aube-Kubel
D Chris Bigras
St. Louis Blues
Minor Transactions: 09/24/19
Minor league training camps open this week and their NHL affiliates will be sending players down to compete for jobs in the AHL. With that in mind, there will likely be several more minor transactions coming across the wire. Like always, we’ll keep an eye on all the minor league, college and European moves right here:
- All the players from yesterday have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Kasimir Kaskisuo, following their release of Michal Neuvirth earlier today. The team needed another goaltender in camp, but unless a waiver claim is made at some point it looks like the NHL backup job is now Michael Hutchinson‘s to lose. Kaskisuo is also fighting to show the organization what he can do, as two young goaltenders in Ian Scott and Joseph Woll are pushing for the AHL jobs.
- The San Jose Sharks have recalled eight players from the AHL, giving them some extra bodies for the last few preseason contests. Joachim Blichfeld, Ivan Chekhovich, Sasha Chmelevski, Nick DeSimone, Noah Gregor, Nikolai Knyzhov, Andrew Shortridge and Jeffrey Viel have all been brought back up for the time being.