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Minor Transactions: 2/10/2017

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The flip-flop of young backups continues in Columbus. The Blue Jackets announced today that they have demoted Joonas Korpisalo to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters and recalled Anton Forsberg to take his place. The 22-year-old Korpisalo won both of his last two starts, but was unimpressive, allowing a combined ten goals in the process. He did relieve Sergei Bobrovsky recently with 13 minutes of shutout hockey, but it was not enough to keep him around. Korpisalo has an .893 SV% and 3.57 GAA in five appearances this season. Ironically, Forsberg has not done much better. In his first and only game with Columbus in 2016-17, the 24-year-old allowed four goals on 27 shots in a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. With both young keepers set to go unprotected in the upcoming Expansion Draft, perhaps it is GM Jarmo Kekalainen’s strategy to not allow either to get hot at the NHL level in an effort to dissuade the Vegas Golden Knights from damaging the Blue Jackets’ future in net.

Columbus also sent Oliver Bjorkstrand down to the AHL. The 21-year-old Danish winger was expected to have a much greater role with the Blue Jackets this season, but to this point has just one point in five games. Bjorkstrand has spent almost the whole season with the Monsters, scoring 14 goals and nine assists in 35 games.

Elsewhere across the league:

  • Last night, the Edmonton Oilers recalled defenseman Jordan Oesterle and forward Anton Lander from the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. The pair have been sent back-and-forth frequently of late while Edmonton balances their lineup. Lander has been demoted recently during struggles to make a difference with the Oilers, only to dominate the AHL level with 28 points in 18 games. On the flip side, Edmonton has tried inserting Oesterle into the lineup recently due to his 18 points in 26 games to lead all Condors defensemen.
  • Eric Gelinas has been reassigned to the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage by the struggling Colorado Avalanche. The Avs are desperate for defense, but Gelinas has not been the solution. The former New Jersey Devils top prospect was traded to Colorado at the deadline last year, and has been a major disappointment. After playing a prominent role for the Devils, he has just one point in 33 games for the Avalanche.
  • One of the main reasons that the Winnipeg Jets placed defenseman Julian Melchiori on waivers earlier today was to make room for fellow blue liner Ben Chiarot. The Jets announced that they have activated Chiarot from the injured reserve today. Chiarot has been out since early January for the Jets, and his presence will be much-welcomed with Tyler Myers still sidelined.
  • Buffalo announced via Twitter that they have sent forward Evan Rodrigues back to AHL Rochester.  He has played in just four career NHL games – two this season – but is having a strong season at the minor league level with nine goals and 18 assists in 43 contests with the Amerks.
  • The Sharks have made a series of roster moves, announcing that they have recalled defenseman Tim Heed and winger Kevin Labanc from San Jose of the AHL while assigning blueliner Joakim Ryan and center Ryan Carpenter to the Barracuda.  Heed and Labanc have been shuffled back and forth routinely as the team looks to free up extra cap space and will be available for a matinee game against the Flyers tomorrow.
  • Dallas has assigned blueliner Julius Honka to their AHL affiliate in Texas, reports Mark Stepneski of Stars Inside Edge (Twitter link).  Honka has played in ten NHL games this season, recording four assists.  The move suggests that Jamie Oleksiak could be ready to return from his hand injury; he has been out of the lineup since January 11th.

Ryan Carter Attempting Return To Wild

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For the first time since April of last year, Ryan Carter will attend an NHL practice. The Star Tribune reports that the former Minnesota Wild forward will skate with his former teammates today and is expected to continue working with the team through the remainder of the month. Carter played for the Wild for the past two years, recording 25 points in 113 games as a regular on the team’s checking line. However, when the Minnesota native hit free agency this summer, he decided he would sign with his hometown team or not at all. Unable to commit to a contract for the 33-year-old, Minnesota invited Carter to camp this fall, but he was released due to issues with a lingering shoulder injury. Carter underwent a procedure on a torn labrum in his right shoulder four months ago, and is just now returning to full strength.

With experience not only playing with much of the current roster, but also with 46 playoff games under his belt, including two last spring, the Wild’s interest in reuniting with Carter makes sense. Although they have been one of the most dominant teams in the NHL this season, Minnesota is not without fault and a gritty veteran is on their wish list this Trade Deadline season. Rather than use up valuable picks and prospects to acquire such a player, they have the option of simply giving Carter a cheap pro-rated deal for the rest of the season. As long as the Wild make the signing official prior to March 1st, Carter will be eligible to play in the postseason.

If he truly is back at full strength, Carter would likely present an upgrade to the Wild’s current group of energy liners like Jordan Schroeder, Kurtis Gabriel, and Tyler Graovac. Carter is a veteran of 473 career regular seasons games, during which he has scored 41 goals and added 52 assists. He’s a physical player who knows how to check and win battles along the boards, and he’s also above average at the face-off dot. More than anything, what makes Carter so appealing to Minnesota at this point in the season is his playoff success. The journeyman grinder won a Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007 and returned to the final in 2012 with the New Jersey, adding five goals for the Devils along the way. A return to the Wild lineup for a local guy who has had to fight his way back into the fold would be quite a story, and will be something to watch for over the next month.

 

Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils

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With the trade deadline now just weeks away, we’re going to start taking a closer look at each team.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?

The New Jersey Devils are not a playoff team this season. Did anyone expect them to be? Probably not. Las Vegas odds-maker Bovada predicted they would finish 13th in the Eastern Conference with 83 points and they’re currently 12th and on pace for 85 points, so at least there’s been some improvement over the projections. However, New Jersey trails the New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Florida Panthers for the final wild card slot in the Eastern Conference, with little chance of catching any of them. And that’s okay.

The Devils have great young forwards in Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, and Adam Henrique locked-up long term at a reasonable rate. They also have invaluable veterans Travis Zajac, Mike Cammalleri, and Andy Greene in the fold for a while longer, along with star goalie Cory Schneider. Youngsters Damon Severson, Pavel Zacha, and Miles Wood have all had solid seasons too and more help is on the way soon in high-end forward prospects John Quenneville, Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian and goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood. The future is bright in New Jersey, and it will only grow brighter with the Devils’ whopping 14 picks in the first four rounds of the next two drafts and $22MM in salary cap space going into next season.

As far as this year goes, New Jersey can be content with getting what they can from their pending unrestricted free agents (as they already did with Vernon Fiddler) and dealing struggling depth players as they continue to stockpile picks and prospects and have another lottery pick in their sights.

Record

23-21-10, 7th in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

Current Cap Space: $27,529,323
Deadline Cap Space: $41,293,985
46/50 contracts, via CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2017: NJ 1st, NJ 2nd, BOS 2nd, COL 3rd, SJ 3rd, NJ 4th, NSH 4th, NJ 5th, NJ 6th
2018: NJ 1st, NJ 2nd, FLA 2nd, NJ 3rd, TOR 3rd, NJ 4th, NJ 5th, NJ 6th, NJ 7th

Trade Chips

In what may end up being the shrewdest move by any NHL GM this season, Ray Shero picked up P.A. Parenteau off of waivers from the rival Islanders prior to puck drop on the 2016-17 season. The Isles signed Parenteau to an affordable one-year deal this summer, only to cut him in camp. Not only has he been one the Devils’ best offensive players this season, with 12 goals and 12 assists in 52 games, but he came free and will almost surely be dealt away for a nice return. That’s called turning a profit for Shero. Last year, the Islanders netted 2nd-round and 4th-round picks from the Boston Bruins for Lee Stempniak, who had 41 points at the deadline. Expect Parenteau, who should have 30+ points by March 1st, to go for a similar price in what is very much a seller’s trade market. A similar situation could be had for Kyle Quincey, who was a last-minute free agent addition to the team on a cheap one-year contract, but is quietly  having his best season since leaving the Colorado Avalanche in 2012. Quincey won’t bring back the same return as Parenteau, but holds value to teams in need of veteran depth on the blue line. The $1.25MM cap hits (worth less than $400K at the deadline) will only help in moving both players.

Jacob Josefson, Sergey Kalinin, and Seth Helgeson all appear to have hit a wall in their development. If the Devils can find takers for any and all of them, don’t be surprised if they jump at the opportunity to move on from disappointing investments.

Players To Watch

RW P.A. Parenteau, D Kyle Quincey, G Keith Kinkaid, C Jacob Josefson, C Sergey Kalinin

Team Needs

1) Top-Pair Defenseman – As good as New Jersey’s forward core and forward prospect depth is shaping up to be and as solid as they are in net, this team will never be a contender without major changes on the blue line. The 22-year-old Severson has been a pleasant surprise this season and the always-reliable captain Greene is a mainstay, but beyond that the Devils are hopeless on defense. Severson has been great, but doesn’t project to be a star without help. Greene has slowed down and become injury-prone. Ben Lovejoy, John Moore, and Jonathon Merrill are serviceable players, but not top-four defensemen on many teams. Steven Santini is still developing and Helgeson appears to have stopped developing. The entire prospect system is void of any really promising defensive prospects. If a young, high-ceiling defenseman or an established All-Star caliber player hits the trade market this month and the Devils have the pieces to get such a player, don’t expect Shero to hesitate in pulling the trigger. One potential candidate: a sign-and-trade scenario with the St. Louis Blues to get Kevin Shattenkirk. 

2) More Defensemen – For all of the reasons above, if the Devils are offered defensive prospects for players like Parenteau, Quincey, Kincaid, or others, they should jump on them. The blue line needs reloading and it starts at the development stage. New Jersey may have a top-ten pick on the horizon that they can use on a defenseman, but it never hurts to add some depth where there is an obvious lack of talent.

3) Bottom-Six Forward – In a preview of this week’s “Expansion Issues“, the Devils are currently short on qualifying forwards to expose in the upcoming Expansion Draft. Without adding another player to the mix, they risk having to expose a veteran like Zajac or Cammalleri. Josefson or Beau Bennett would qualify for exposure if given an extension, but the Devils may want to trade (or protect) one or both. Adding a throwaway bottom-six forward who they can expose to the Vegas Knights and then likely send to the AHL next year is a likely move.

 

Coyotes May Be Exploring Northwest Relocation

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On the heels of the news that the Arizona Coyotes’ and Arizona State University’s joint venture to build a new arena facility in Tempe, Arizona had fallen through, new reports are emerging that the Coyotes have again started looking into a move to Portland, Oregon or Seattle, Washington. The Glendale Star first reported that members of the Coyotes brass had toured both Moda Center in Portland, home of the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers and the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks, and KeyArena in Seattle, the former home of the NBA’s Seattle Supersonics and the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds. Representatives from both facilities have confirmed the reports. Both cities have long been rumored to desire an NHL franchise, both due to their size and fan base as well as their embrace of WHL junior hockey. Trailblazers own Paul Allen has even gone so far as to say that he would like to have an ownership stake in an NHL team and move them to Portland, while billionaire Chris Hansen has long had interest in building a new stadium in Seattle and moving both an NHL and NBA team to a city that already has tons of avid supporters for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and MLB’s Seattle Mariners.

However, when the Glendale Star reached out to the Coyotes for confirmation, Executive Vice President of Communications Rich Nairn wholly denied the rumors. Coyotes president and CEO Anthony LeBlanc then went further denied the rumors during a podcast, calling the story “100 percent false” with “absolutely no facts”. Whether or not the reports of the tours are true and, despite LeBlanc’s strong-worded response, it seems likely that they are, no Coyotes executive is going to isolate the fan base by hinting at a relocation that is far from secured. The fans have their own role in this issue though, as the Coyotes have the 28th-ranked attendance in the NHL behind just the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders.

Arizona is not necessarily a bad location for the NHL. The establishment of NCAA hockey at Arizona State and, of course, the Auston Matthews story has lead to a substantial uptick in grassroots hockey in the state. There has been an overwhelming embrace of hockey overall in the southwest United States in recent years, and perhaps it is just taking its time in Arizona. As Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps pointed out in the Star article, the Phoenix metropolitan area is the 12th largest market in the U.S. Additionally, Maricopa County, which contains Phoenix, Glendale, Tempe, and Mesa, is the fourth most populous county in the country. As Phelps notes, by sheer numbers, a move out of Arizona to Portland or Seattle would appear to be a “step backward” for the league. However, how long can the NHL and the Coyotes ownership put up with an uncommitted fan base and a state that has been unwilling to work with them on a better arena situation? Portland and Seattle may not have the potential that the Phoenix area does, but they have shown to be passionate sports cities with an interest in hockey, ready to embrace an NHL team of their own. That may be enough to see the Coyotes move in the not-too-distant future.

Ondrej Pavelec Out With Injury

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After starting eight of the Winnipeg Jets’ nine games since he was called up from the AHL in mid-January, Ondrej Pavelec will take a seat once again. After leaving Tuesday night’s game against the Minnesota Wild, coach Paul Maurice confirmed today that Pavelec has suffered a lower body injury. The Winnipeg Sun’s Ken Wiebe reports that Pavelec is expected to be out “about a week”.

With Pavelec back out of the picture, the Jets will return to their young duo of Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson for the next week and beyond. When Pavelec was recalled on January, Winnipeg made the decision not to subject the 26-year-old Hutchinson to waivers and to instead carry three goalies. However, in the last month, Hutchinson has not made a single appearance, while Hellebuyck had just one start before relieving Pavelec on Tuesday. The pair have been less than stellar this season anyway; Hellebuyck has been the better of the two with 17 wins, a .909 SV%, and 2.78 GAA in 36 appearances, while Hutchinson has just four wins and a ghastly .894 SV% and 3.23 GAA in 20 appearances.

Despite getting nearly all the ice time in net since his resurrection from the minors, Pavelec has not been all that successful either. In fact, he’s actually been worse than Hellebuyck and Hutchinson. Pavelec currently has a 4-4 record with a horrid .888 SV% and 3.55 GAA. Granted, that is only through eight games, but the Jets may actually be better suited with Pavelec injured and out of the lineup. Winnipeg has just 54 points on the season through 56 contests, which puts them in fifth in the Central Division. While they sit just five points back of the Calgary Flames for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, they have played two or more games than all three teams chasing them for that berth: the Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars, and Vancouver Canucks. The playoffs seem like a long shot for the Jets, and going forward it is Hellebuyck that is the goalie of the future. Increased play time for the young keeper down the stretch rather than the ten-year veteran and impending free agent would be the logical move. Though Pavelec has dedicated his career to the Thrashers/Jets franchise, his preseason demotion and poor play at the NHL level in 2016-17 clearly signal that his time is over. Winnipeg would be better served long-term to give Hellebuyck the majority of starts for the remainder of the season.

Trade Candidates: Jarome Iginla

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

Jarome Iginla is a legend with very bad luck. He’s a six-time All-Star, a two-time Maurice Richard winner, and a past Art Ross recipient. He’s third among active players in points, second in goals, and fourth in assists. He’s a sure-fire future Hall of Famer. However, in his 20-year NHL career, Iginla has not won a Stanley Cup. The face of the franchise for the Calgary Flames for 16 seasons, Iginla holds just about every career offensive record for the team. But, when the Flames made a Cup run in 2004, his 22 points in 26 games were not enough to seal the deal as the Flames fell in Game 7 of the Finals to the Tampa Bay Lighting by a score of 2-1. After years of first rounds exits in Calgary following that close call, Iginla asked for a trade in 2013 at the age of 35 in his hunt for a title. Ironically, Iginla vetoed a trade to the Boston Bruins, instead opting to join the Pittsburgh Penguins, only to have the Bruins end his Cup hopes in the Eastern Conference finals. The Bruins would then fall to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup. Many have opined that if the Bruins had Iginla rather than Jaromir Jagr in 2013, they would have won their second Stanley Cup in three years. Iginla tried to erase his mistake by signing with the Bruins for the 2013-14 season, but it was too late. A much better fit in Boston than in Pittsburgh, Iginla’s efforts again were still not enough, as the President’s Trophy-winning Bruins lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the second round.

While Iginla had some close calls in Calgary, Pittsburgh, and Boston, his next decision was as far off as possible in his search for Lord Stanley. Iginla signed a three-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche, expecting the young team to grow into strong contenders during his tenure. In 2016-17, his third year with the team, the Avalanche are instead the worst team in the NHL. Mere games away from statistical elimination, Colorado stands no chance at making the playoffs this season and, if he’s not traded, Iginla’s title championship dreams may forever remain unfulfilled. His play has dropped off as he approaches 40 years old, with just 14 points in 50 games. It is expected that Iginla will call it a career at the end of this season. With nothing to lose in trading the valuable veteran and with a General Manager in Joe Sakic who understands the importance of a respected veteran winning a title (see: Ray Bourque, 2001), the Avalanche seem likely to move Iginla.

Contract

Iginla is in the final season of a three-year, $16MM contract that he signed with Colorado when free agency opened in 2014. His $5.33MM cap hit will be pro-rated to about $1.5MM at the Trade Deadline.

2016-17

Iginla has been a high-end point producer deep into his playing years. With Boston in 2013-14, Iginla had 61 points in 78 games and in his first two seasons in Colorado, he had 106 points combined while playing every single game. In 2016-17, Iginla has hit a wall. The 39-year-old has just seven goals and seven assists through 50 games for the Avalanche. It is almost a foregone conclusion that, traded or not, Iginla will have the lowest scoring season of his career. His shooting percentage is also a career-worst and significantly below his average and his hits are way down as well; Iginla is no longer an elite sniper nor an elite checker. As could be assumed, all of this has led to Iginla averaging his least amount of ice time in 18 years.

Despite all of this, one of the game’s great veterans is still a valuable asset. He may not be a high-end scorer or defensive player any more, but on the right team and fueled by a desire to finally win a Cup, he can still be effective in those areas. His leadership and locker room presence is also invaluable, especially to young teams. Iginla may be at the end of the line in his career, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t go out with a bang.

Season Stats

50 GP: 7 goals, 7 assists, 14 points, -16, 100 shots, 7% shooting percentage, 59 hits, 14:44 ATOI

Potential Suitors

Iginla has made it known that he would like to be traded. Obviously, he will only be interested in top teams with realistic shots at making it out their respective conference, giving the 20-year veteran a final shot at the Stanley Cup. However, these teams will also have to have the cap space to squeeze in his pro-rated cap hit. The Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, and a return to the Pittsburgh Penguins would all be logical destinations and have previously expressed interest in one way or another, but all three teams would need to make other roster changes to fit Iginla in under the salary cap.

Instead, two teams that jump out as having the space and the need for some bottom-six depth and playoff experience are the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets. The two biggest surprises of the season are also in need of some additional depth and have the cap flexibility to add Iginla without having to surrender too much trade capital. With solid goaltending and defense already in place in Minnesota, Iginla likely has his best shot at a Stanley Cup by joining the Wild and strengthening their forward corps.

Likelihood Of A Trade

The Avalanche have no reason not to trade Iginla and actually would face some significant backlash if they chose not to. Assuming someone with space and need comes calling, Iginla will almost surely be traded. Finishing off a phenomenal career with a championship would certainly be a fitting end for Iginla.

Stars Targeting Marc-Andre Fleury

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Marc-Andre Fleury has done little to improve his draft stock this season. The veteran goaltender has a pedestrian 3.05 goals against average and .906 save percentage through 28 appearances in 2016-17. He’s been pulled from three games and has surrendered four or more goals ten times already, including in two of his last three starts. Matthew Murray, who stole the show in the postseason last year and led the Pittsburgh Penguins to a Stanley Cup title, has been back at this year, monopolizing the goal when healthy and forcing Fleury into a definitive backup role. However, for the Penguins to protect their prodigious young keeper in the upcoming Expansion Draft, they must find a way to rid themselves of Fleury and his no-movement clause. The best option for the team is to trade their longtime goalie, and Fleury has expressed a willingness to waive his clause to facilitate such a move. The problem now is that Fleury’s play had seemingly eliminated the market for his services. Many had speculated that any previous interest had dried up, and if the Penguins wanted to move Fleury out, they would have to send a top pick or prospect along with him to a cap space-rich squad.

That may not be the case, though. ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun reported in a radio interview this morning with Toronto’s TSN 1050 that the Dallas Stars have opened up preliminary talks with Pittsburgh regarding Fleury. If there’s any team in the league whose goaltenders have underachieved more than the Penguins’ vet, it’s the duo in Dallas. The Stars have long been considered a likely destination for Fleury due to their horrible situation in net. Kari Lehtonen has an 11-15-6 record in 36 appearances this season and is sporting a 2.89 GAA and .902 save percentage. He also has another year remaining on his contract, which carries an astronomical $5.9MM cap hit and limited no-trade clause. Antti Niemi has been even worse, posting a 10-8-4 record in 28 appearances with a 3.20 GAA and .901 save percentage. The former Vezina candidate has another year on his deal left as well, along with a limited no-trade clause of his own and a $4.5MM cap hit. The $10MM+ team has the Stars in 29th in the NHL in goals against in 2016-17, with a 3.17 average that is second-worst to only the lowly Colorado Avalanche. Last year, Dallas was able to overcome their 19th-ranked 2.78 average and make to the playoffs, but injuries and a loss of key contributors on the blue line have hurt the Stars’ scoring and team defense this year. Lehtonen’s struggles go back yet another year, to 2014-15, when he led the team to a 27th-ranked 3.13 team goals against and a tenth place finish in the Western Conference.

The Stars will be lucky if they finish tenth in the West in 2016-17. The team currently sits in sixth in the Central Division and tied for 12th overall in the conference, trailing the Calgary Flames by seven points for the final wild card spot. A closer look reveals that Dallas is averaging less than a point per game, putting them in a class with only the Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, Winnipeg Jets, and Vancouver Canucks as the worst teams in the league. So, you might ask why the Stars should acquire Fleury with such little hope this season? The problem in Dallas extends beyond just this season. With Lehtonen and Niemi locked up for next year, unlikely to be tradeable assets or expansion selections, the team would be forced to buy out one or the other or stick with both of them for yet another season in 2017-18. The Stars also lack any promising prospects in the system to supplant either keeper. A trade with the Penguins seems to be the perfect fit to at least attempt to solve their goalie problems for a few reasons. First, Fleury can be the goalie of the future. At 32 years old, he is younger than both of their current options and was putting up high end numbers in each of the past two seasons. Fleury has shown an inability to play well as a backup, but when given an unchallenged starting role, has been much better. He also has two years remaining on his current contract with a $5.75MM cap hit, which is lower than Lehtonen’s. Any deal with Pittsburgh for Fleury would also help them to eliminate one of their two current goaltenders. If Pittsburgh deals away Fleury without finding a suitable veteran backup by the Trade Deadline, they will be left with the young Murray, who has had some injury troubles, and Tristan Jarry, who has yet to make an NHL appearance. An easy fix is to have the Stars throw in one of their goalies, likely Niemi, to serve as Murray’s backup. While he has been unimpressive in Dallas, Niemi at least has successful playoff experience should Murray get injured down the stretch or in the postseason. The Penguins can then always buy out Niemi after the season, which would be a much lesser burden in dollars and term than if they decide not to trade Fleury and are forced to buy him out instead. Finally, acquiring a solid starter in Fleury and trading Niemi (or Lehtonen) would allow the Stars, who have ample cap space heading into next season, to buyout their remaining backup, completely erasing the mistake that they made two years ago.

Despite Fleury’s struggles, he clearly presents an upgrade for the Stars. They also know that Pittsburgh is desperate to make a move to protect Murray. The fit is there and the cost will be cheap. Fleury to Dallas makes too much sense, so expect the chatter to only heat up as we head toward March 1st.

Red Wings Place Nielsen On IR, Activate Ott

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Detroit is down an All-Star, but at least they’re welcoming back a veteran contributor. The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James reports that the Red Wings have placed Frans Nielsen on the injured reserve with a shoulder injury and have filled his roster spot by activating Steve Ott. She adds that the IR placement is retroactive to Saturday, meaning Nielsen is eligible to return after missing the Red Wings’ next two games, versus the Columbus Blue Jackets tomorrow night and visiting the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. Nielsen missed his first game of the season on Saturday, but Detroit was able to squeak out a 1-0 win over the Nashville Predators.

Despite being named to his first career All-Star Game, Nielsen is still searching for his identity in Detroit. One of the top free agents on the market this summer, the Red Wings scooped up the veteran center on July 1st with a six-year, $31.5MM contract. Thus far, he has only rewarded them with 10 goals and 16 assists through 51 games, which puts him on pace for about 40 points this season, assuming he only misses the next two games. Nielsen is at risk of having his worst full pro season in 2016-17. Nielsen scored 33 points as a rookie with the New York Islanders in 2008-09, but did so in just 59 games. The next season he scored 38 points in 76 games, a mark that he at least hopes to beat this year. In the first season of a deal that costs Detroit $5.25MM against the cap, the Red Wings were certainly hoping for more from the Danish pivot. However, the Red Wings can little afford to have any play-makers out of the lineup, and despite his struggles, Nielsen is still tied for the fourth-most points on the team. Hopefully he misses just the next two games and returns re-focused for a Detroit team that currently sits five points out of a playoff spot and in jeopardy of snapping their record 25-year postseason streak.

The return of Ott may help the cause as well. The 34-year-old grinder joined Nielsen as a free agent addition to this Red Wings team as a tough, seasoned veteran at an affordable rate. While Ott hasn’t been much of a scorer for the last five years or so, he still brings a gritty, hard-nosed game and veteran hockey sense that Detroit can use in their young forward corps. However, Ott has been out since January 12th with a shoulder injury and has played in just 37 games this season. He returns at an opportune time, with Nielsen out of the lineup. If Ott can return to form and help to fill the void up front with consistent two-way contribution, he may prove yet to be a smart signing by the Wings. Even if they struggle to make up ground in the standings, strong play by Ott could make him a valuable trade commodity for a contender by March 1st.

Sabres Extend Justin Falk

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The Buffalo Sabres announced this morning that they have signed defenseman Justin Falk to a one-year extension. Falk had been set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, after signing a one-year, one-way deal with Buffalo on July 1st last year. The extension is identical to Falk’s current contract, carrying a $650K cap hit for next season and no additional bonuses or clauses.

Falk has had a much greater role in Buffalo this season than many expected. Heading into the 2016-17 season, the Sabres had a solid six-man defensive lineup featuring the newly-acquired Dmitry Kulikov alongside Zach Bogosian, Rasmus Ristolainen, Josh Gorges, Cody Franson, and Jake McCabe. Additionally, highly-touted college free agent Casey Nelson was expected to be the next man up. Arguably one of the deepest defensive units in the NHL did not hold up for very long. Injuries set in early in the season, resulting in Kulikov, Bogosian, and Gorges missing a combined 63 man-games (so far). Ristolainen is the only Sabres defenseman to have played in all 51 of the team’s games to date, while Franson and McCabe have been missed very few contests, but Buffalo has faced difficulties making up for the damage to their blue line. Nelson struggled when called upon, and stepping in to take a somewhat permanent spot on the team’s bottom pair was Falk. The 28-year-old, who has bounced back-and-forth between the NHL and AHL for seven years, was added this off-season for veteran depth in the minors, but has surprised with his pro-caliber confidence. Just 12 games away from matching his career high, Falk has played in 35 contests this season and has saved the Sabres with his ability to fit in well as the stay-at-home defenseman of the group. Although he has just four assists and averages just 13:11 in ice time, Falk has been defensively sound and is playing perhaps the most physical, shut-down style of his career. In appreciation of his efforts, Buffalo has rewarded the blue liner with a new contract.

Like nearly all in-season extensions this year, the deal also carries some Expansion Draft significance. Teams have been very wary of the their player eligibility for the upcoming draft this June, and the Sabres are no different. Buffalo had four players that met the exposure requirement of one defenseman with term remaining on his contract that has played 40 games this season or 70 games over the past two seasons: Bogosian, Ristolainen, McCabe, and Gorges. The Sabres will protect three of those players and leave one available to the Vegas Golden Knights. The youngters Ristolainen and McCabe will surely be protected and, unless he is traded, so will Bogosian. However, the extension for Falk gives the team even more flexibility approaching the Trade Deadline. Assuming Falk plays in five more games this season, his extension now adds him to the list of exposure qualifiers. The Sabres have been playing better of late, but a playoff berth still seems like a long shot. If they decide to make a big move and trade Bogosian, or better yet, can find a take for Gorges final year, they no longer have to hesitate on pulling the trigger. Falk is a harmless selection for exposure; both highly unlikely to be picked and not much of a loss if he is.

Trade Candidates: Jannik Hansen

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Vancouver Canucks can choose from a few different reasons why they should trade Jannik Hansen. 1) The injuries are becoming a concern; after missing 15 games last year, he’s played in only 18 games this season. 2) They probably won’t end up protecting him in the upcoming Expansion Draft and would then very likely lose him for nothing. Hansen has been a hard-working and loyal contributor, but you don’t risk losing a Sven Baertschi or Markus Granlund to keep an injury-prone 30-year-old. 3) Whether they think so or not, the team is in a rebuild and they can get a quality return for a forward with a year remaining at $2.5MM who scored almost 40 points and posted a +16 in 2015-16. The playoffs always seemed to be out of reach for this Canucks team this season, and despite their best efforts, it just doesn’t seem likely to happen this year. If there is any consolation, Vancouver can become bona fide sellers at the Trade Deadline, of which there are very few, and can find a fair deal for Hansen.

Contract

Hansen is in the third year of a four-year, $10MM extension with the Canucks. While his cap hit will count for under $900K at the deadline, any team that acquires him will be on the hook for another year at a $2.5MM cap hit and $3MM salary.

2016-17

Hansen’s 2016-17 season has been forgettable to this point, due primarily to the fact that he has barely played. Hansen missed all but three games in the month of November with broken ribs and returned in mid-December, only to suffer a knee injury just two weeks later. Hansen has not played since December 22nd, and there has been little noise about an impending return. While you can say he was on a career-high pace with nine points through 18 games, that’s a lot of speculation based on a small sample size. It’s more fair to call this season a wash for Hansen, at least so far. Lucky for him, last season was one of the best of his career and the last five years tell the story of one of the most under-rated players in the NHL. Hansen had 157 points in 348 games over the past five seasons and before that was a key piece of the team’s 2011 Stanley Cup run, all while making under $2MM per year on average.

Season Stats

18 games: 5 goals, 4 assists, 9 points, even +/-, 30 shots, 16:11 ATOI

Potential Suitors

The Edmonton Oilers would be an excellent fit for Hansen. The team is playoff-bound and lacks a right-shot scorer other than Jordan Eberle. They also have a young team, but not much cap flexibility, and a good, affordable veteran for next season and possibly beyond could go a long way. By March 1st, Vancouver should be far enough outside the postseason picture that they would be willing to deal even with their division rival.

However, if the Canucks are uncomfortable with the thought of facing Hansen, a nice bargain that they have kept to themselves all of these years, on a regular basis in 2017-18, they may seek an option outside of the Pacific. The Montreal Canadiens could be willing to move some capital to make Hansen part of the team. Another team in a cap crunch and in desperate need of a right-handed scorer behind Brendan Gallagher, Hansen would be able to help the Habs in the postseason this year and help them to get back to the postseason next year. Other Atlantic teams like the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins could also use another scoring winger, and both have plenty of cap space next season, such that $2.5MM would hardly make a dent. Watch out for the Columbus Blue Jackets as well, who need a right-shot forward this year and may need one even more next year if they are unable to retain Sam Gagner.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Hansen is a rare commodity in this market. He is not an impending free agent, nor does he carry a long and expensive contract. Instead, he has just one year remaining at an affordable cap hit, and with many concerns over the salary cap not increasing next season, that is very valuable. The Canucks are often believed to be disillusioned with the state of their franchise, seemingly trying to build a contender when their success implies a need for a rebuild. It’s possible that Vancouver passes on moving Hansen and decides to protect him over a younger asset in the Expansion Draft. However, GM Jim Benning is not that short-sighted. If he can figure out a way to keep Hansen without hurting his squad, he probably will, but the odds are that his best bet is to trade the career Canuck a get a good return for him. Teams may not be lining up for a player with only 18 games under his belt this season, but Hansen’s value extends past the stretch run and the postseason and several squads will surely jump at that opportunity.

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