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Detroit Seeking First-Round Pick In Package For Jimmy Howard

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While the latest “31 Thoughts” of Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned several major names as speculative trade targets, the insider buried the lede with his knowledge of the price of a more concrete trade block name. Friedman writes that Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard is in fact available, as expected. However, he also notes that GM Ken Holland and company have “made it clear (they) want at least a first-round pick” in return.

Howard, 34, has had his fair share of struggles over the year, with one strong season for every one off season over his ten years as a regular in Detroit. However, the impending free agent picked a good season to be on an upswing. Howard has a .923 save percentage thus far, a top ten rate in the NHL, as well as a 2.67 GAA in 22 games. The veteran has thoroughly outplayed free agent pickup Jonathan Bernier, who has struggled greatly in 13 appearances and has settled into a backup role.

Yet, Bernier signed a three-year deal in Detroit this off-season while Howard’s contract is set to expire and is time with the Red Wings is ending. The team has little hope of contending for a playoff spot this season, making Howard an identifiable trade option to teams around the league. Detroit seems ready to oblige the demand of the market, but they won’t give Howard up for nothing. A first-round pick “at least” could be seen as a lofty expectation for a goaltender at the trade deadline, as few teams generally in the playoff race need a starter and are hesitant to overpay for a backup. However, unless Sergei Bobrovsky or another yet unknown big name hits the trade market, Howard is the top available name and by a wide margin. Friedman tabs 37-year-old Craig Anderson as another option, but doesn’t endorse the Ottawa Senators veteran as an ideal pickup and casts doubt on the availability of young Montreal Canadiens keeper Charlie Lindgren. The likes of Michal Neuvirth and Anders Nilsson are also likely to be available, but may wind up on waivers for free as well. Depending on how their respective team’s seasons go from here on out, Cam Talbot and Brian Elliott could potentially hit the market as well, but not until the deadline at the earliest. Howard is and will likely remain the top name on the rumor mill and if the Red Wings want to hold out for a package including a first-rounder, odds are they will eventually receive just that.

Penguins Place Patric Hornqvist On IR, Activate Matt Cullen

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The Pittsburgh Penguins will have a slightly different look up front tonight and moving forward, after the shuffling a pair of injured players. The team announced that Patric Hornqvist has been placed on the injured reserve, retroactive to November 6th, while Matt Cullen has been activated. Hornqvist has been in-and-out of action since late November, while Cullen returns after missing the past eleven games.

Hornqvist suffered a concussion in November and missed three games in the final week of the month. However, Hornqvist did return to action for three more games after that. Yet, he has been back out of the lineup for the past two games with an undisclosed upper-body injury that may or may not be related to his previous concussion. Regardless, the Penguins will miss their power forward, who has 19 points on the year, including 12 goals, which trails only Sidney Crosby for the team lead.

The team will be happy to get veteran leader Cullen back, though. Cullen may not have much an offensive spark left, but is a reliable two-way forward and more importantly a key locker room leader. So long as Cullen isn’t slowed by his return from a lower-body injury, he should slot back into his regular fourth line role. Cullen registered 22 points in 79 games with the Minnesota Wild last season and could return to a similar scoring clip once he’s back to full strength for the Penguins.

Quinn Hughes To Sign With Vancouver After The Season

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After the Vancouver Canucks selected defenseman Quinn Hughes out of the University of Michigan with the seventh overall pick last year, they nearly convinced the freshman phenom to leave school and sign right away. Instead, Hughes opted to return for his sophomore campaign and is again lightning up the score sheet for the Wolverines. Fortunately, the Canucks don’t have to worry about Hughes staying in the college ranks for much longer, as the stud prospect confirmed to Sportsnet that he plans to sign his entry-level contract with Vancouver when the season is over.

Of course, the season that Hughes is referring to is the college season, which at the latest ends with the National Championship game on April 13, but is cut short for non-tournament teams before the end of March. Michigan is currently ranked outside of the top 20 in the NCAA at the midway point of the college season, but it is not outside the realm of possibility that the team could push for a spot in the NCAA tournament. A Big Ten Conference Tournament win or a final ranking within the top ten or twelve teams in the nation would earn the Wolverines a spot in the 16-team postseason. Last year, Michigan took that opportunity and ran with it, earning a spot in the Frozen Four. They could do so again, leaving Vancouver without much of an opportunity to get Hughes signed and into game action, but it does seem right now that Hughes’ final season in college is more likely to end in March. He would then be likely to make his NHL debut this season.

For his part, Canucks GM Jim Benning recently stated that he feels Hughes could help the team right away. Hughes has 20 points in 17 games so far this season, currently leading all Michigan skaters in points – including fellow first-round pick Josh Norris – and trailing only Harvard’s Adam Fox, Quinnipiac’s Chase Priskie, and UMass’ Cale Makar in points-per-game among NCAA defenseman. Hughes will also be a star for Team USA and the World Juniors later this month, where he will again get a chance to shine against top cometition as he prepares for the jump to the NHL. An elite puck mover with a pro-ready eye for making plays, one of Hughes’ goals in returning to school was to get stronger, which he feels he has accomplished. Hughes told Sportsnet that he is confident in his abilities and in his chances of making a successful transition to the pros. Vancouver fans may not have much to root for right now in another difficult season, but the talent of their young players is certainly a bright spot and Hughes’ commitment to joining the team, continued improvement, and confidence in his own ability should make the Cancucks and their supporters very excited.

Oilers Notes: Hitchcock, Koskinen, Krug

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Since Ken Hitchcock took over as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers back on November 20th, the team is 7-2-1 and back in the Western Conference playoff picture. The Oilers’ players seem to have embraced Hitchchock’s system and the veteran coach may be the author of a turnaround for a franchise that had been heading in the wrong direction for more than a year. Will that earn him an extension beyond his current interim role? TSN’s Darren Dreger thinks so, as he stated on the latest segment of “Insider Trading” that Hitchcock appears to be a long-term option for the Oilers. The 66-year-old was set to retire from coaching at the end of the 2016-17 season, back when he was with the St. Louis Blues, but was fired by the team before the end of the season. That made his hiring by the Dallas Stars in the following off-season even more surprising. After last season, Hitchcock again announced his “retirement”, only to join the Oilers when they called this season. Hitchcock doesn’t really seem to be committed to moving on from the game and Dreger believes that a winning season would leave Edmonton with little choice but to extend their new coach’s contract. Dreger adds that Hitchcock could wind up with a deal that would allow him to transition from the bench into a front office role if he so chooses, but doesn’t doubt that Hitchcock could continue to coach the team “well beyond this season”.

  • One of the more evident changes under Hitchcock has been his trust in backup goaltender Mikko Koskinen, if backup is even the correct title anymore for the import keeper. After Cam Talbot started each of the Oilers’ first eight games of the season, Koskinen has received 13 starts to Talbot’s nine the rest of the way. Under Hitchcock, it has been seven games for Koskinen out of ten total. After shutting out the Calgary Flames last night, Hitchcock announced that he would stick with Koskinen again tonight when the Oilers take on the Colorado Avalanche. Admittedly, Koskinen has outplayed Talbot with a .929 save percentage, 2.06 GAA, and three shutouts – all among the league’s best marks – so the real test of Hitchcock’s trust in the “rhythm” will come when Koskinen begins to struggle. For now, the new coach and his new starting goalie are helping each other make a case for extended stays in Edmonton.
  • Boston Bruins defenseman Torey Krug has been a name connected to the Oilers, through unconfirmed rumors and media speculation, for some time. It was believed that Boston and Edmonton were close to a deal that would have sent Krug to the Oilers at the NHL Draft this past June, while rumors of ongoing discussions continued through the summer. Edmonton could certainly use Krug, one of the most productive defensemen in the NHL over the past few years, and there is some level of familiarity with the player on the Oilers’ side in former Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli. While they have leaned on Krug as the team fought through injuries early this season, the defenseman is also not as crucial a piece for the Bruins as he would be for other teams, with Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk representing future offensive threats on the blue line and Krug’s contract expiring after next season. As such, a hypothetical deal has some intrigue and Boston Globe beat writer Matt Porter re-ignited the discussion recently when he posited that the Bruins could potentially pry Ryan Nugent-Hopkins out of Edmonton with a package of Krug and a young forward. As the idea picked up steam among fans, The Sports Hub’s Ty Anderson put an end to the possibility – possibly for good – with his report that the Oilers are in fact one of the team’s on Krug’s limited no-trade list, a clause that kicked in for the first time this season. So, while the Bruins and Oilers may make fine trade partners hypothetically, a Krug-to-Edmonton deal is unlikely to happen.

Chuck Fletcher Hoping To Make Trades Early And Often With Flyers

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The overwhelming opinion on the firing of former Phialdelphia Flyers GM Ron Hextall was that he was too patient with the roster and too unwilling to make big moves. His replacement, Chuck Fletcher, has a history of being a deal-maker from his time with the Minnesota Wild and is clearly focused on quick and sweeping change as he takes over in Philly. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports in the latest “Insider Trading” segment that Fletcher has already spoken with at least half of the teams in the NHL about a trade. LeBrun adds that Fletcher has not one, not two, but three different areas of the depth chart that he would like to add to and is hoping to make at least one move prior to the holiday roster freeze beginning next week.

The obvious weakness of the Flyers this season, and for some time, is in net. Injuries and poor play from the team’s goaltenders has made it difficult to consistently win games and an established, long-term starter is needed until promising young prospect Carter Hart is ready to take over down the road. Of course, this was understood as the priority for whoever Philadelphia hired as GM and comes as no surprise as one of Fletcher’s three goals. However, LeBrun states that Fletcher would ideally like to add a veteran defenseman to an otherwise very young unit, as well as a top-nine forward. Even if he has had discussions with 15+ teams, adding three starting-caliber players, especially this early in the season, is a tall order. Yet, Fletcher seems up to the task and hopes to have checked off one of those boxes prior to next Wednesday, December 19th, when the holiday freeze begins.

These hypothetical additions are obviously being made in hopes of reaching the postseason this year. It thus makes sense that Fletcher would like to initiate trade talks and get these deals done as soon as possible, as the Flyers currently sit second-to-last in the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference overall more than a third of the way through the regular season. However, should Philadelphia still be outside the playoff picture come the Trade Deadline, Fletcher is also unlikely to hesitate when it comes to offloading his impending free agents. Wayne Simmonds would be his most valuable trade chip, while Michael Raffl and Jordan Weal could also draw interest. Should he acquire a starting goaltender in the meantime, Brian Elliott could also become an intriguing trade option. Fletcher could even add a veteran defenseman and/or top-nine forward on expiring contracts only to flip them later on. There are infinite possibilities as to what Fletcher could do to change the team and how those moves will work out, but the one thing that is for sure is that changes are coming in Philadelphia.

Prospect Notes: Demko, Makar, Laaksonen

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After the Vancouver Canucks used a second-round draft pick on Thatcher Demko in 2014, following a breakout freshman campaign at Boston College, and he proceeded to improve over his next two seasons with the Eagles, many expected that it wouldn’t take long for him to take over as the starter for Vancouver. Now in his third pro season, Demko has suited up for only one game with the Canucks and continues to sit behind the likes of Jacob Markstrom and Anders Nilsson, who have been far from spectacular in that time. With the Vancouver duo currently combining for a save percentage below .900 and a goals against average over 3.00, this season would seem to be a prime opportunity for Demko to finally break through as an option at the NHL level. However, a concussion in training camp derailed the beginning of the season for the young keeper and he has only recently returned to the net for the AHL’s Utica Comets. The Athletic’s Jason Brough recently caught up with Demko to get an update on how his return from the “scary” injury has gone so far. Demko stated that he really wanted to take his time and ensure he was 100% before returning from the concussion, but feels good now. Demko continued that he has been working closely with the Canucks’ new goalie coach, Ian Clark, and is anxious to get his chance in Vancouver this season. Six games into his season in the AHL, Demko’s numbers aren’t as stellar as they were last season, but as he grows healthier and more comfortable in net, he’s likely to return to that high-level performance. Assuming he does, Demko should have far more than one NHL start on his resume by the end of this season.

  • Colorado Avalanche top prospect and college hockey superstar Cale Makar was invited to play for Team Canada at the Olympics last year, but declined the opportunity. History has repeated itself this year, as The Athletic’s Julie Robenhymer reports that Makar was offered a spot on Canada’s entry into the Spengler Cup tournament in Switzerland later this month, but has again passed up the international experience. Robenhymer writes that Makar has opted to work on getting back to full health before the second half of the NCAA season begins in January. With UMass ranked as the top team in the country, they need their top defenseman ready to go as they chase a national championship this season. While the Avs may have liked to have seen Makar in a different context at the Spengler Cup, they won’t hesitate to sign him as soon as his college season is over regardless.
  • One defenseman who may not be so eager to make the jump to the NHL is Buffalo Sabres prospect Oskari Laaksonen. Laaksonen, 19, was a third-round selection by the Sabres in 2017 and is a well-regarded young puck-mover. However, Laaksonen is comfortable staying in his native Finland for the time being, as Ilves has announced a two-year extension with their young stalwart. While the press release included a quote from Laaksonen that he is happy to stay with the team until something happens in the NHL, Buffalo certainly wouldn’t mind if he wanted to log some time in the AHL beforehand and it would help Laaksonen reach to top level much sooner. With Rasmus Dahlin, Lawrence Pilut, and Rasmus Ristolainen all relatively young and seemingly locked in to long-term starting roles, Laaksonen likely sees a lack of opportunity right now in Buffalo. However, he does seem willing to make the move once the blue line opens up somewhat with the Sabres.

Minor Transactions: 12/09/18

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It was a series of exciting results in the NHL on Saturday, with seven of ten winners scoring five or more goals. Both in games and goals, today should be a bit quieter with just seven contests on the docket. Flyers-Jets is a matinee worth watching this afternoon, while the Canadiens and Blackhawks compete in an Original Six match-up and the Battle of Alberta takes place later tonight when the Flames visit the Oilers. Whether preparing for a game today or for the week ahead, keep up with all today’s minor moves right here:

  • With a divisional face-off with the Boston Bruins awaiting them later today, the Ottawa Senators have recalled veteran defenseman Erik Burgdoerfer, the team announced. The Belleville Senators’ captain has been a frequent call-up for Ottawa, but more often than not as extra security. Burgdoerfer has only played in one NHL game so far this season, despite spending more than a few games up with Ottawa. The 29-year-old has been a solid presence in the AHL, leading Belleville with a +8 rating, but has yet to earn much opportunity to display his defensive abilities for Ottawa. Perhaps that will change on this most recent promotion.
  • Despite missing his minor league game last night due to recurring injury concerns, Gabriel Vilardi has been recalled by the Los Angeles Kings, per the AHL. Vilardi has been on a conditioning assignment with the Ontario Reign for the past few weeks, but has only skated in four games with merely one point. The 11th overall pick a year ago, Vilardi is still expected to grow into a very good two-way forward, but must first shake his injury issues. This recall could simply be to allow the Kings’ medical team to take a closer look, but hopefully it is more of a reflection of his readiness to make his NHL debut sooner rather than later. The Los Angeles Kings also announced they have recalled forward Austin Wagner from the Ontario Reign of the AHL. Wagner, who was assigned to Ontario on Friday, will return, likely due to possible extended injury to Kyle Clifford, who went down Saturday after taking a hit from Vegas’ Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The 21-year-old has played in 18 games for L.A. with a goal and four points.
  • The New York Islanders have returned Christopher Gibson to the AHL, now that goaltender Robin Lehner has returned to action. In a corresponding move, the team announced that young forward Josh Ho-Sang has been recalled from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Ho-Sang has been on a shorter leash under new head coach Barry Trotz and GM Lou Lamoriello and has yet to make his NHL debut this season. He has been very productive in the minors with 22 points in 26 games (albeit with only a pair of goals) which marks a greater scoring clip than his previous two seasons in Bridgeport. However, his scoring pace has not translated to the Islanders in the past and is unlikely to do so this time around. Another unsuccessful call-up for Ho-Sang could lead to the end of his time in New York, as quite a few teams would be interested in providing him a change of scenery.
  • Riley Barber is on his way back to Hershey, as the Washington Capitals announced that they have reassigned the young forward. Barber is second in scoring for the Bears with 18 points and hoped that he had earned a chance to suit up for the Capitals. Instead, Barber did not see any action on his recall and still has just three NHL games under his belt in four pro seasons, despite good production in the AHL.
  • The Calgary Flames announced they have recalled enforcer Anthony Peluso from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. He was a scratch last night for Stockton and it is believed he will be active for the Flames’ Battle of Alberta with the Edmonton Oilers to add a little grit to their lineup. Peluso has appeared in three games with Calgary this year, but has averaged just 4:40 of ATOI. He had played 16 games for Stockton with one goal, three assists and 29 penalty minutes. The team has sent forward Ryan Lomberg to Stockton to complete the roster move, according to Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg. Lomberg who received an automatic one-game suspension for instigating a fight with five minutes left in a game on Thursday against Minnesota, got an extra game from Department of Player Safety the following day. He sat out Saturday’s contest and will have to sit out another contest whenever he is brought back to Calgary.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced good news that veteran forward Mikko Koivu, who was injured in Thursday’s game when he was kneed by Calgary’s Mark Giordano, will only be out day-to-day. That’s a best case scenario as many had projected he may miss as much as three to four weeks. To fill in for Koivu in the meantime, the Wild announced they have recalled forward Luke Kunin from the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Kunin, the team’s 2016 first-round pick, has been playing in Iowa in hopes to getting his game up to speed after undergoing ACL surgery last season. The 21-year-old has fared well in the AHL as he has eight goals and 15 points in 21 games.

Los Angeles Looking To Make Another Move

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When the Los Angeles Kings fired head coach John Stevens on November 4th, the team was 4-8-1 with a points percentage of .346. Since then, L.A. is 7-10-0 with a points percentage of .412. Despite the change behind the bench to Willie Desjardins and also the swap of Tanner Pearson for Carl Hagelin, not much has really changed for the Kings. As such, it’s no surprise that GM Rob Blake is still searching for another trade partner to shake up his roster.

The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the Kings are actively working the phones and are hoping to make another move ahead of the NHL’s holiday roster freeze, beginning on December 19th. That gives Blake ten days to put together another trade. A rumor emerged yesterday that the offensive struggles and hefty contract of Jeff Carter, who lacks any trade protection, could lead the Kings to move the former scoring star this season. However, Garrioch feels that Tyler Toffoli is the more likely name to move next, stating that L.A. is receiving plenty of interest in the young winger. Toffoli’s $4.6MM cap hit is only about $700K less than Carter’s, but expires at the end of next season, whereas the 33-year-old Carter has three years remaining after this season. On top of that, the 26-year-old Toffoli has only two less points than Carter thus far and has the relative youth to change his game on a new team and return to his previous 50-point pace of play. Carter may simply be slowing down and may not be able to make a similar post-trade adjustment. Blake is likely impartial when it comes to moving his disappointing forwards and is likely to get a better return for Toffoli, despite Carter’s name value.

In terms of finding a trade partner, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman hears that the market is active right now. Friedman relayed the opinion that the resolution of the William Nylander situation in Toronto has re-ignited trade interest in other players across the league. In naming a number of teams reportedly looking to make a deal, Friedman not only names the Kings, but also a pair of potential matches in the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild. Both teams have strong rosters capable of competing for the Stanley Cup this season, but have run into struggles lately for one reason or another. Both Boston and Minnesota share a need for secondary scoring and have the intriguing young and fast forwards that L.A. would likely look for in return. The Bruins could move on from a Danton Heinen or Anders Bjork to add Toffoli, while the Wild could part with Charlie Coyle or Joel Eriksson Ek. Other teams that would seem to be fits to add a Kings scoring forward include the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, or Philadelphia Flyers. If Garrioch’s report that Blake is eager to make a move before the Christmas break proves true, a deal involving these players and teams could be on the way soon.

Trade Rumors: Senators, Blackhawks, Avalanche

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With leading scorer Matt Duchene on injured reserve and expected out for “weeks”, what little chances the Ottawa Senators had of making the playoffs this season are likely to slip away. This was always the expected result of the 2018-19 season for Ottawa, but their efforts thus far to stay out of the basement of the NHL have surprised many and inspired some. However, as reality now begins to finally set in, the team must decide what they want to do with Duchene and fellow impending free agents Mark Stone and Ryan Dzingel. As Ken Warren of the Ottawa Sun writes, Duchene – currently tied for ninth in the league in scoring – will likely ask for an eight-year deal in the ballpark of $60-70MM to remain in Ottawa, reflective of the salary he will likely command on the open market. Stone will be in the same neighborhood, with Dzingel significantly lower albeit not cheap by any means, but the Senators cannot even begin negotiations with the pair until the new year, per the rules pertaining to their recent salary arbitration decisions. As such, the team is dealing with three high-quality expiring assets without any guarantee that they will be re-sign or if the team will be willing to meet their salary demands. In a season in which Ottawa could finish with one of the worst records in the league but lacks their first-round pick – given to the Colorado  Avalanche in the deal that landed Duchene – it stands to reason that GM Pierre Dorion will strongly consider recouping as much trade capital as possible if extensions are not in place by the trade deadline. Given the uncertainly surrounding the ownership status of Eugene Melnyk, whose tactics thus far leave much to be desired anyway, Warren believes that Duchene, Stone, and Dzingel, as well as any other free agent in the coming off-season, will think twice about a future in Ottawa. All things considered, it’s beginning to look like the trio stand a better chance to all be traded away in the coming months than any of them do of signing a long-term extension.

  • The Athletic’s Graeme Nichols wonders if yet another Senator is prime trade bait right now as well. With veteran goaltender Craig Anderson playing his best hockey of the season so far, Nichols opines that Ottawa would be best-served to try moving their starter while his stock is high. While the recent home-and-home series with the Montreal Canadiens did not go so well, Anderson did look very good in wins over the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks prior, recording 63 saves on 65 shots over the two contests. Anderson also made 48 saves against the Dallas Stars last month and notched wins over the Tampa Bay Lighting and Pittsburgh Penguins. Admittedly, even as this best, Anderson is still a 37-year-old replacement-level goaltender at this point in his career and won’t command much of a return. However, the Senators’ season is sinking and they should get what they can while his value is potentially at its peak. The knock on moving Anderson this season has been that Ottawa has no suitable replacement – backups Mike Condon and Mike McKenna have performed very poorly in limited appearances – and thus trading Anderson means giving up on the season. Yet, with Duchene out long-term, any postseason hopes will fade and moving Anderson will begin to make more sense. As Nichols recalls, Anderson himself also alluded to a desire to move on from Ottawa this summer, so making a deal seems to be in the best interest of all parties. There are plenty of teams out there who would be intrigued by adding an established veteran in net this year and Anderson could soon fill that role.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks made it known yesterday that they are looking to move out some of their defensive depth, but NBC Sports’ James O’Brien asks if they are focused on the wrong players. Rather than try to flip the likes of Brandon Manning or Jan Rutta, for which they would receive relatively little, O’Brien believes that the team’s long-term needs would be better served by trading away a mainstay like Duncan Keith or Brent Seabrook. This is not so cut-and-dry, as O’Brien admits, but would be worth looking into. Both players carry no-trade clauses that Chicago GM Stan Bowman would first need to ask them to waive. Even if Seabrook was to agree, it seems very unlikely that Bowman would find a taker for the depreciating defenseman and his albatross of a contract. If by some chance he does, it would be a small return similar to Manning or Rutta, but with a far greater salary cap relief. Keith is another matter; while not what he once was, the 35-year-old is still a very capable defenseman who would play in the top four for nearly every team in the NHL, at least for now. The worry is that Keith will continue to age and his ability will fall off, while the Blackhawks continue to pay him more than $5.5MM per year and rely on him for top minutes. Removing that crutch (and cap hit) now, in what appears to be another lost season for the team, would give Chicago a strong return that they could use to begin rebuilding the team. The alternative, which also appears to be the current plan, of waiting for the current roster to turn things around, will only increase the risk of injury or drop-off from Keith while damaging his market value as he ages. A move now would be painful to the fan base in the short term, but the right move looking toward the future.
  • One team who could be a dangerous player at the trade deadline this season are the Colorado Avalanche. Per CapFriendly, the Avs are currently projected to have more than $56MM in cap space available at the deadline, or in other words have no limit to the amount of talent they can bring in if they so choose. Colorado is currently tied for the lead in the Central Division with the Nashville Predators and could even emerge as President’s Trophy threats this season. Armed with the best line in the NHL, including the top two scorers in the league, Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon, and the best power play as well, the Avalanche are second in goals for per game among all teams. They also play well in their own end, seventh in goals against per game behind the efforts of Semyon Varlamov. Yet, the Avalanche are not without fault and could stand to add a contributor or two both on defense and up front. The team was expected to add top prospect Cale Makar to their blue line by the end of the regular season, but with his college squad, the UMass Minutemen, ranked No. 1 in the nation, Makar could be occupied through the Frozen Four tournament in mid-April. A capable puck-moving defenseman should thus be at the top of the list for Colorado, followed by an injection of offensive ability and two-way accountability among the forward corps, where their secondary scoring and penalty kill could both use work. While the matter of cost in trade capital is another question entirely, the Avalanche will have the cap space to hypothetically address their needs by adding the likes of Jordan Eberle, Kevin Hayes, and Jay Bouwmeester for example. That’s a dangerous premise for other contenders to consider as Colorado continues to excel this season.

Minor Transactions: 12/08/18

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With ten games on deck today spanning nine hours from first to last puck drop, there is plenty of NHL hockey to watch. The Flyers and Sabres get the action started with an early afternoon matinee, followed by the Golden Knights and Kings with their own early game on the west coast, and then eight contests later tonight, highlighted by Maple Leafs-Bruins, Lightning-Avalanche, Capitals-Blue Jackets, and Predators-Flames. In preparation, expect a flurry of moves today as teams align their rosters for Saturday’s games and beyond:

  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Michael Bunting from the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners, the team announced. Bunting is off to a strong start in the minors this season, currently tied for second on the Roadrunners in scoring with 18 points through 20 games. Bunting led the club in goal scoring last season and finished third in points and his continued success begs for a look at the NHL level. This is not Bunting’s first recall, yet he has not actually seen any game action with Arizona just yet. That could change this week as the ’Yotes look to fend off tough competition in the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, and Buffalo Sabres.
  • As expected, the Calgary Flames have called up forward Alan Quine, per a team release, making it his first recall of the season and first with the club. Quine signed with the Flames this summer, expecting to compete for a regular role, but has instead been relegated to a full-time job with the AHL’s Stockton Heat. He’s certainly made the most of that situation, recording 19 points in 15 games, among the top per-game producers in the AHL. With Mikael Backlund joining Michael Frolik on the shelf for Calgary, Quine should slot in nicely as a capable two-way forward. A strong performance could make it difficult for the team to send him back down to the minors at first opportunity. The Calgary Flames also announced they have recalled defenseman Rinat Valiev from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. He likely was brought up as an emergency option for the team with back-to-back games approaching on Saturday vs. Nashville and Sunday in Edmonton. The 23-year-old is already on his third NHL team after the Flames picked him up right before the season from Montreal in exchange for Brett Kulak. Valiev has three assists in 20 games for Stockton this season.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have returned defenseman Cameron Schilling to Manitoba of the AHL, reports Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun.  He suited up in four games while on recall, his first NHL action since the 2014-15 season.  With Dustin Byfuglien and Dmitry Kulikov both returning on Friday, Schilling was no longer needed to serve as injury depth and will return to the Moose where he has six assists in 15 games so far this season.
  • The New York Rangers announced that they have recalled center Cole Schneider from Hartford of the AHL.  He is tied for second on the Wolf Pack in scoring with eight goals and nine assists in 25 games so far this season.  If he gets into a game with New York, it will be his first NHL action in more than two years.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have returned winger Saku Maenalanen and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to AHL Charlotte, per a team release.  Maenalanen made his NHL debut last night, logging just 6:49 of ice time.  He has 11 points in 23 games so far with the Checkers.  As for Nedeljkovic, he was recalled to serve as the backup last night with Curtis McElhinney dealing with a minor injury and will now go back to Charlotte where he will likely split playing time with Scott Darling.

 

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