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Colorado’s Jacob MacDonald Suspended Two Games

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The NHL Department of Player Safety is not in the business of going easy on rookies. The league has announced a two-game suspension for Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jacob MacDonald for an illegal hit to the head. The incident in question took place during Wednesday night’s season series finale with the Minnesota Wild, with MacDonald targeting a defenseless Ryan Hartman in the first period. Player Safety described the hit as follows:

MacDonald delivered a high, forceful hit to [Hartman] that picked his head, making it the main point of contact on a hit where such contact was avoidable… MacDonald, arriving on the backcheck, delivers a high hit that cuts across the front of Hartman and picks his head. This is an illegal check to the head… While MacDonald does make some contact with Hartman’s chest, MacDonald’s shoulder hits through Hartman’s jaw and it is the head that absorbs the brunt of the impact… [Hartman] does not change the position of his head or body in any way that contributes to the head being the main point of contact. If MacDonald wants to deliver this check, he must take an angle of approach that hits through Hartman’s shoulder and core rather than one that cuts across the front of his body and makes the head the main point of contact.

The league notes that MacDonald does not have any history of fines or suspensions in his short NHL career (or in the AHL for that matter) but it didn’t stop them from sitting him for two games as discipline for a dangerous hit. The goal is likely to show a young player that actions have consequences, even when the on-ice officials missed the call. MacDonald was not assessed a penalty, when he likely should have received a game misconduct in the first period, so this likely contributed to his suspension being two games rather than just one, even as a first offense.

The 27-year-old has admirably worked his way from an undrafted prospect at Cornell University, through a number of years in the AHL and ECHL, to a regular role on the blue line this season for one of the league’s best teams. Colorado will have to survive without him for two games – fortunately against the lackluster Anaheim Ducks – but MacDonald has proven himself to be a reliable defenseman and should be back in the lineup as soon as he is eligible. His first bad decision as a pro should not impact MacDonald much as long as he keeps it clean moving forward.

College Notes: Team USA, Hellickson, Ford, Peart

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Though it should come as no surprise, USA Hockey has officially tabbed Providence College head coach Nate Leaman to lead the American entry into the 2022 World Junior Championship. Leaman coached Team USA to a gold medal this year and more than earned another go-round as head coach. “It’s always an honor to be asked to coach for my country and I’m grateful to be back behind the bench,” Leaman stated. “I’m excited to see some familiar faces, and coach some of America’s best young talent, as we look to build another championship roster.” The Friars’ bench boss, who has also been linked to NHL openings in the past, has nearly two decades of experience as a head coach at the college level, not only finding consistent success in the standings, but also in developing NHLers. Leaman will also be making his fourth appearance at the WJC for the U.S., but only his second as head coach. The Americans have medaled in six of the past seven tournaments, including two gold medals, so the bar has been raised for their performance. Fortunately, with Leaman at the helm they are in good hands in 2022.

  • Notre Dame defenseman Matt Hellickson has signed with the Devils, but not the ones who drafted him – at least not yet. Hellickson, a seventh-round selection of New Jersey back in 2017, has signed a contract with the AHL’s Binghamton Devils for the remainder of the season, the team announced. The organization going in this direction with the prospect defender as opposed to signing an entry-level contract that begins next season and merely finishing the year in Binghampton on an amateur tryout raises questions about his future. It seems possible that the Devils are still hoping to see more development from the four-year Fighting Irish starter before handing him an NHL contract. Hellickson, 23, was not as productive in the NCAA as he had been in the USHL before he was drafted, but was still a reliable presence on the back end for Notre Dame. Perhaps the concern from New Jersey is not that Hellickson is not pro ready, but simply lacks NHL upside. He will look to prove otherwise over the rest of the season.
  • As the NCAA transfer market continues to operate like NHL free agency this off-season, another notable name is moving on. Bowling Green captain Connor Ford has announced that he will spend his graduate season at North Dakota. Ford, 23, has been one of Bowling Green’s best players in each of his four seasons and has certainly drawn some attention from the pro ranks. However, this move likely indicates that his current offers were of the AHL variety instead of NHL entry-level proposals, so he will take his chances with a fifth year in college. If Ford is able to maintain his top scorer status with a power house like North Dakota, those NHL offers should roll in next year for the impressive forward.
  • As if St. Cloud State University needed anything else to be excited about, the NCAA Tournament finalist can now claim to be the future home of the best high school player in the state. Defenseman Jack Peart has been named the 2021 recipient of the Mr. Hockey Award as Minnesota high school hockey’s top athlete. The dynamic defender recorded a stunning 11 goals and 35 points in just 18 games for Grand Rapids High this year, earning him the honors. He added 11 goals in 18 games for the USHL’s Fargo Force as well. The offensive blue liner is a game-changer on the back end, which will likely lead to his selection in the second or third round of the upcoming NHL Draft. He will then head to St. Cloud where he will be expected to take on a big role right away. There is a strong correlation between winning the Mr. Hockey Award and finding NCAA success and playing in the NHL, with past winners including Ryan McDonagh, Nick Leddy, Nick Bjugstad, and Casey Mittelstadt. Peart is a name to keep an eye on.

Trade Deadline Primer: Tampa Bay Lightning

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We are now less than a week away from the NHL Trade Deadline and talks are heating up. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning needed to look for a new challenge this season after stomping the competition in the 2020 postseason. They decided that if the league’s teams weren’t good enough to beat them, they would just take on the league itself. This season, the Lightning have stretched the NHL’s hard salary cap to it’s limit. Some might even throw the word “circumvention” out there. Tampa has managed to hold on to it’s extremely talented and fairly compensated roster due almost entirely due to the timely injury of Nikita Kucherov and the acquisitions of other injured players Marian Gaborik and Anders Nilsson. The Bolts have over $17MM in salary on Long-Term Injured Reserve – and they’ve used up all but $370,500 of it. There is zero space for the Lightning to do anything at the trade deadline beyond a minor depth addition, but they will get a major boost in the postseason with the return of Kucherov. Barring another opportunistic injury or a hockey trade that no one sees coming, the Bolts may have to settle for that this season.

Record

26-11-2, .692, 3rd in Central Division

Deadline Status

Stand Pat

Deadline Cap Space

$0MM in full-season space ($371K in LTIR space), 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: TBL 1st, TBL 3rd, TBL 4th, TBL 5th, TBL 6th, NJD 7th, NSH 7th, TBL 7th
2022: TBL 1st, TBL 3rd, TBL 4th, TBL 5th, TBL 6th, TBL 7th

Trade Chips

There is a difference between what the Lightning could offer and what they will offer, given that they are in no position to make much of a trade. It is unlikely that the team is going to move any of their roster players to open up space, so even though pieces like Tyler Johnson and Alex Killorn may seem expendable, it is hard to imagine the team trading them in-season as opposed to waiting for the off-season.

As a result, Tampa has little space to work with and that means their targets will not be high-priced pieces. The most likely result for the Bolts is that they add a cheap depth piece in exchange for a late pick or low-end prospect. Those are the “chips” that will probably move, if there is any move at all.

In the event that Tampa tries to make a bigger move, using the very limit of their salary cap potential despite the risks, they will still be looking at a picks-and-prospects scenario in this buyer’s market. Without a second-round pick for the next two years, the Lightning’s first-rounders are probably off the table unless they are asking a team to give up one of the top rentals on the market and retain the maximum 50% of his salary in order to make the deal work under the cap. The likelihood of such a deal is low. Expect for them instead to dangle multiple mid-round picks and prospects like Jack Finley or Jack Thompson if they really want to make a splash.

Others to Watch For: F Taylor Raddysh ($833K, RFA), F Boris Katchouk ($833K, RFA), F Alex Barre-Boulet ($759K, RFA), F Sam Walker (Draft Rights), D Eamon Powell (Draft Rights)

Team Needs

1) Defense – If, and it’s a big if, the Lightning are able to find a way to clear enough cap space to add a player of note at the deadline, it has to be on the blue line. The forward corps is deep and talented and will only get better once the postseason arrives and Kucherov can return. The net is well-manned, with Andrei Vasilevskiy enjoying another Vezina-caliber season. Both of those units remain largely unchanged from last season’s title-winning lineup. However, the defense has taken a hit. The top four is still stout, but the bottom pair and depth options range from young and inexperienced to old and ineffective. Tampa could really use a stabilizing force on the back end, especially with Jan Rutta sidelined and Erik Cernak dealing with a nagging injury. Of course, cost will be a factor. Without making a trade to move out salary, the Bolts can only open up another $1.5MM max and still be able to ice a full lineup, demoting the likes of Luke Schenn and Ben Thomas. That leaves the Bolts with a maximum $1.9MM or so to acquire a defenseman, but adding that much salary is a risk should another injury occur. The need is there, but the means to address it are problematic. The team likely thinks small with a value addition.

New York Islanders Acquire Kyle Palmieri, Travis Zajac

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The first major deal of the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline has landed, and while it is a big move, it should not come as much of a shock. The New York Islanders, seeking a replacement for the scoring and leadership lost by captain Anders Lee’s season-ending injury, have added both in a trade with the Devils, acquiring veteran forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac. The trade, as first reported by The Athletic’s Arthur Staple, marks the second season in a row that the Isles have acquired a career-Devil from their cross-town rivals, as Zajac will reunite with long-time teammate Andy Greene in New York. Both Palmieri and Zajac are immediately available to the Islanders due to their nearby locale and are expected to join the team tomorrow.

As one can imagine, the trade return for the Devils is substantial, even in a buyer’s market. In exchange for their two core forwards and 50% retention on both salaries, New Jersey receives the Islanders’ 2021 first-round pick, a conditional 2022 fourth-round pick, and young forwards A.J. Greer and Mason Jobst. The conditions one the second pick is as follows: if New York reaches the Stanley Cup Final this season, the fourth-rounder becomes a third-rounder and the Devils can choose if they would like it to be in the 2022 or 2023 draft.

This trade obviously has the fingerprints of Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello all over it. The veteran executive was the GM of the Devils when Zajac was drafted in 2004. He tried to re-acquire the two-way center last season, but Zajac would not waive his No-Movement Clause. This time around, with his contract set to expire, Zajac is willing to finally move on from the Devils in pursuit of a Stanley Cup, especially when he’ll be joined by some familiar faces. After giving up a second-round pick for Greene last year, Lamoriello did not hesitate to go back to the well in New Jersey and offer up a first for Zajac and Palmieri. He also may have played to the home crowd somewhat, adding a Long Island native in Palmieri. The 78-year-old GM is all in this year, and making the fans happy along the way.

Just what are the Islanders getting in this deal? For starters, they are adding over 1,600 NHL games of experience to the lineup, an element that can’t be understated for a contender. It certainly will help to make up for the loss of Lee in the leadership department. Offensively, neither Palmieri nor Zajac have been at their best this season, but they are still top-five scorers for the Devils with 15 goals and 35 points between them. Palmieri was considered one of the top targets on the market even in a down season and playing with any of the Islander’s three top-notch centers, especially Mathew Barzal, should help his scoring to improve. Zajac is the perfect fit for head coach Barry Trotz’ conservative system as a smart, measured, two-way forward. Where exactly he fits in the lineup on a deep roster remains to be seen. The Islanders will have to figure out what works best with their many possible line combinations, but for now Palmieri and Zajac will bump Oliver Wahlstrom and Kieffer Bellows from the active roster. An underrated part of this trade from the Islanders standpoint is the retained salary. With only half of Palmieri’s and Zajac’s contracts contributing to the cap payroll, the Devils are still left with about $3MM in Long-Term Injured Reserve space, enough room to make another acquisition if they so choose.

As for the Devils, they land a coveted first-round pick – an asset that is expected to be hard to come by for sellers this season. GM Tom Fitzgerald knew that the Islanders had no second-rounder to spare because he had already acquired last season in the Greene deal, so knew a first-rounder would have to be in play if the Islanders wanted Palmieri. Adding Zajac and retaining salary certainly helped the cause, but in the big picture it is well worth it to add another top prospect to the New Jersey rebuild. As for the players in the package, they aren’t flashy names or long-term building blocks, but could be nice depth additions if the Devils decide to hold on to them. Jobst has yet to get going in the pros with 15 points in 50 AHL games, but was a Hobey Baker candidate at Ohio State and scored at will in his college career. Undersized and already 27 years old, Jobst isn’t exactly a prospect and is on an expiring contract, but could be a good depth forward if New Jersey gives him a chance to translate his game to the top level. Greer, 24, was a second-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2015 and already has 37 NHL games and over 200 AHL games to his credit. Greer plays with size and energy but has also shown a scoring touch in the minors, making him a valuable substitute who can contribute in any role. The impending RFA has not proven himself to be an NHL regular just yet, but should have an opportunity with New Jersey down the stretch to prove he is worth a new contract and an extended look.

 

Snapshots: Johnson, Winnik, NCAA Transfers

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After Adam Johnson’s sudden and unexpected departure from the SHL’s Malmo Redhawks, the forward has landed back in North America. Johnson has signed a contract with the AHL’s Ontario Reign for the remainder of the year, the team announced. This isn’t quite the NHL contract that was expected when Johnson returned home from Sweden, but is still a good opportunity for the 26-year-old to show off for the L.A. Kings and other NHL teams before the off-season. Johnson played in 13 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins over the past two years, recording four points, and has put up good numbers in the AHL previously. The University of Minnesota-Duluth product is hoping that another strong showing in the minors will prove that he is worthy of another NHL deal.

  • Veteran forward Daniel Winnik will not be returning home, though. Winnik, 36, will continue his playing career for at least another season by signing a one-year extension with Geneve-Servette of the Swiss National League. The contract also includes an additional option year, if the experienced pro actually has two years left in him. Winnik played in nearly 800 career NHL games before departing for Switzerland in 2018, suiting up for eight different teams along the way. He has found more consistency in the second stage of his career, having already played three seasons with Geneve-Servette and now gaining one or two more to come. Winnik has excelled overseas even in his late thirties, playing at a near point-per-game pace.
  • There will be a number of familiar faces in new places across the NCAA next season. It has already been an unprecedented off-season for notable transfers, even with the Frozen Four still yet to be played. More than a dozen players have already switched schools, including some NHL prospects. Two of the more recent names to make a change include Vegas Golden Knights’ forward prospect Brandon Kruse and Winnipeg Jets’ goalie prospect Jared Moe. Kruse, 22, has already played four full seasons at Bowling Green, but will take advantage of his fifth year of eligibility due to COVID to become a graduate transfer to Boston College, the program confirmed. The 2018 fifth-round pick has been one of the Falcons’ best forwards and is a nice pickup for the Eagles, who are still believed to be in the running for several other noteworthy transfers as well. Moe, 21, is moving on from Minnesota after sitting behind Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect Jack LaFontaine this season (and LaFontaine has committed to another year with the Gophers as well). Moe has reported on his own that he will flip to Big Ten rival Wisconsin next season, where the starting job is at least open to competition. Moe may not be the only Winnipeg keeper to transfer this off-season too; UMass Lowell goaltender Logan Neaton is also in the NCAA Transfer Portal after he too was used sparingly this season.

Trade Deadline Primer: San Jose Sharks

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We are now less than a week away from the NHL Trade Deadline and talks are heating up. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the San Jose Sharks.

Earlier this season, it appeared as if the San Jose Sharks were in for another disappointing year. The club wanted to use the shortened 2020-21 campaign to evaluate their core and the early returns were not encouraging. However, the past few weeks have changed everything. The Sharks are 6-3-1 in their past ten games, including four straight wins. In the meantime, the St. Louis Blues have continued to slump while four of the Sharks’ recent wins have come against the Los Angeles Kings. Suddenly, San Jose finds themselves in contention for a playoff spot in the West Division, just three points back with a game in hand on the fourth-place Arizona Coyotes.

With that said, some recent luck is not going to change the Sharks’ plans for the season. The team is not going to give up major assets for short-term help just on the off-chance that they can sneak into the playoffs where the West’s daunting top three teams await. The core is still in the process of proving themselves and San Jose likely wants to see if they have the pieces in place to be a playoff team once again, knowing that rentals will not put themselves over the top this season. This does not mean that the Sharks will sit back at the deadline though; the club has some fringe pieces on expiring contracts that they could look to deal away and there are some needs beyond this season that they may discover a chance to address. In short, San Jose is unlikely to stand pat, but don’t expect them to sell off anything more than rental pieces or to acquire any major rental help of their own.

Record

17-16-4, .514, T-5th in East Division

Deadline Status

Light Seller/Opportunistic Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$2.41MM in full-season space ($10.74MM at the deadline), 0/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: SJS 1st, SJS 3rd, SJS 4th, SJS 5th, SJS 6th, SJS 7th
2022: SJS 1st, SJS 2nd, SJS 3rd, SJS 4th, SJS 6th, MIN 7th

Trade Chips

In terms of rentals, the Sharks do not have much to offer other buyers. However, for that same reason they will probably not hesitate to move any of their expiring contracts if there is interest. None of the Sharks’ impending UFA’s are anything more than depth pieces, in San Jose or elsewhere. The Sharks’ ability to retain salary if need be could result in some better trade returns, but there isn’t much to get excited about.

Among the rental group, veteran goaltender Devan Dubnyk is likely their most valuable trade chip, if only because he is one of a small number of available net minders with postseason experience. The Sharks’ plan to combine Dubnyk and Martin Jones and hope one will rediscover their starter status has not really worked out. Jones has improved marginally this year, but Dubnyk has been a bust. The 34-year-old has an .898 save percentage and 3.18 GAA thus far, resulting in just three wins on the year. Dubnyk will not command much of a return unless the scarcity of goalies creates a bidding war. There are certainly those in San Jose who would like to see Jones traded, but that move won’t happen at the deadline, if it ever happens at all.

Up front, Patrick Marleau is the biggest name, but not likely to be the most valuable. Sure, Marleau brings more experience and leadership than most in the game, but he did not work out as a rental for the Pittsburgh Penguins last year and that was even after finding decent success with the Sharks pre-trade. The 41-year-old has been a non-factor this season with just six points 37 games and may not even have any suitors. Making the playoffs one last time with the Sharks would probably mean more than another go-round as a rental for the respected veteran. The real name to watch among San Jose’s expiring forwards is Marcus Sorensen. Although his production has been poor this season, Sorenson is a good two-way forward and notched 17 goals and 30 points just two years ago. Contenders looking for fourth line options could do worse than Sorenson. Matthew Nieto and Kurtis Gabriel are other bottom-six forwards who could have value, but Nieto is currently injured and Gabriel has become a well-liked locker room presence for the Sharks this year, so neither is a lock to leave.

Others to Watch For: D Fredrik Claesson ($700K, UFA), F Fredrik Handemark ($925K, UFA), F Stefan Noesen ($925K, UFA), F Antti Suomela ($700K, UFA), D Nick DeSimone ($700K, Group 6 UFA)

Team Needs

1) Term Forward – Even if the Sharks don’t venture into true “buyer” territory, they still need to keep their eyes open for possible forward additions for next season – or more accurately, for the Expansion Draft. San Jose is in a tough situation when it comes to meeting the exposure requirements of the impending draft. Currently, they have just five forwards who meet the games played and term criteria and all five will almost certainly be protected: Logan Couture, Evander Kane, Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, and Kevin Labanc. They have zero forwards who can meet the exposure requirements simply by playing more games this season. This means that the Sharks must add two forward before the draft, either by re-signing or acquisition. Their extension candidates, who would qualify by only signing on for another year, include Sorenson, Marleau, and Nieto – any of whom could be traded and none of whom appear to be part of the Sharks’ future – and Dylan Gambrell and Rudolfs Balcers, who would seemingly be competing for the seventh and final protection spot. As a result, it seems more likely than not that San Jose will need to make an addition before June and they may as well add some additional help before the deadline, especially if the likes of Sorenson, Marleau, or Nieto head out of town. The Sharks could honestly use another long-term top-six forward, especially with the futures of Kane and Hertl in doubt, if they do decide to take a bigger swing at the deadline.

2) Goaltender – If the Sharks do trade Dubnyk, they won’t have much choice but to add another goaltender. The club likes young keepers Alexei Melnichuk and Josef Korenar, but the duo’s AHL numbers show that they are not ready for NHL backup duty this year and probably not next year either. San Jose could look for a cheaper rental to replace Dubnyk or they could look for a goalie with term or an impending free agent that would warrant an extension. The Sharks have previously been linked to the Florida Panthers’ Chris Driedger.

3) Prospect Defensemen – If the Sharks are not successful in landing valuable draft picks in exchange for their rentals, they should target defensive prospects. While San Jose has some nice young defensemen at the NHL level, the pipeline is all but bare behind polarizing Ryan Merkley. The team desperately needs to add bodies on the blue line, especially with an aging core in the NHL and the potential to lose a roster defenseman in the Expansion Draft.

College Notes: Galajda, Pelton-Byce, Becker

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When the Ivy League announced that they would not allow winter sports competition this year, college hockey lost out on one its best goaltenders and Matthew Galajda lost out on his fourth and final season at Cornell University. As Ivy League schools do not permit graduate student-athletes, the senior netminder knew he would have to depart Cornell to continue his NCAA career. This worked out to the benefit of Notre Dame University though, who announced today that Galajda has decided to join the Fighting Irish next season. While a year away from the game has quieted the buzz around Galajda’s game, there is no arguing that he has been one of the NCAA’s very best goaltenders in recent years. In three seasons at Cornell, Galadja was consistently outstanding. The 23-year-old has a stunning .930 save percentage and 1.60 GAA in his NCAA career to go along with a 60-15-9 record. With those numbers, Galajda will likely take on a workhorse role for Notre Dame and should be an upgrade to the departing Dylan St. Cyr. If the 2019-20 Mike Richter Award finalist can return to that same level of play after a year off and facing a more difficult Big Ten schedule, he will have plenty of NHL suitors this time next year.

  • Ty Pelton-Byce of the University of Wisconsin was expected to be one of the top college free agents available to NHL teams this spring, but the Winnipeg Jets have been able to secure the talented forward on a minor league deal. The Jets’ affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, have announced that Pelton-Byce has signed an AHL contract for the 2021-22 season and will join the club on an amateur tryout agreement for the remainder of the year. The 23-year-old forward, who split his college career between the Badgers and the Harvard Crimson, is coming off a career year in which he recorded 31 points in 24 games. He helped to lead Wisconsin to the Big Ten regular season title and to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament this year. With good size and a well-developed game, Pelton-Byce should adjust well to the pro game and could be pushing for an NHL deal in no time.
  • It was expected that Boston Bruins prospect Jack Becker would return to school for a somewhat unprecedented fifth season of college hockey and now the move is official. Craig Morgan of AZ Coyotes Insider reports that Becker has committed as a graduate transfer to Arizona State University. The Sun Devils add an experienced two-way forward who captained the University of Michigan this season and has 124 NCAA games under his belt. Whether Becker will try to turn pro – and whether the Bruins will still want him – after a fifth college season remains to be seen. The 2015 draft pick will turn 25 years old before the 2022-23 season begins.

Anaheim Ducks Demote Trevor Zegras

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No matter how it’s viewed, the Anaheim Ducks have made a unique move. The team has announced that rookie phenom Trevor Zegras has been re-assigned to the AHL. But there’s a catch; Zegras’ demotion is not being viewed as a punishment by the organization, but rather a reward. The team is actually so impressed with the 20-year-old forward’s development that they are shifting him from the wing to his natural center position and simply want to start him in that role with the San Diego Gulls before bringing him back to the NHL squad. The club’s press release stated as follows:

Our goal was to help Trevor transition more smoothly into the NHL, so we started him out on the wing. He’s ahead of  our scheduled progression, and as a result we are moving him to center ice effective immediately. He will need some experience in the AHL first, but our expectation is that he will be back with us in the near future and play center for the Ducks for years to come.

On it’s face alone, it is a stunning move to see Zegras demoted amid a strong first pro season. The 2019 ninth overall pick recorded nine points in eight games in the minors before he was swiftly promoted to the NHL and has added seven points in 17 games with Anaheim since (not to mention 18 points in seven games at the World Juniors before the season.) The cerebral forward looks like a potential first-line center for the Ducks moving forward, as the team acknowledged, so fans assuredly would have been shocked to see him demoted if not for the context. Especially in the midst of another poor season, some may have turned on the team for removing their most exciting young player from the lineup without reason.

Fortunately, the club did make clear their reasons for the move. It is very rare and very refreshing for an NHL team to be so transparent with their developmental path for a player. Whether or not this specific move is needed given Zegras’ ability is beside the point, as the team’s justification is at least logical. As they noted, Zegras may not need much time in San Diego to get comfortable down the middle either. The Boston University product has previously excelled at the position given his elite vision and passing ability. Zegras should be flying with the Ducks again soon.

Luke Johnson, Jacob de La Rose Clear Waivers

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April 5: Both players have cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

April 4: A pair of depth forwards hit the waiver wire today, added by a couple of competing West Division contenders no less. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Minnesota Wild’s Luke Johnson and the St. Louis Blues’ Jacob de La Rose have been waived. Edmonton’s Joakim Nygard, the only player on waivers on Saturday, has cleared.

Johnson, 26, cleared waivers early this season, but his most recent outing with Minnesota marked the ten-game limit that necessitated another go-round. The former Chicago Blackhawks prospect, now in his second season with the Wild, is unlikely to be claimed. Johnson has one point in 28 career NHL games and has yet to record a point with Minnesota in two years. While his minor league production has previously been impressive, he has only played in two games with AHL Iowa this season, spending most of his time on the Minnesota taxi squad. And that is where Johnson is likely to remain for much of the remainder of this season.

De La Rose, 25, could be more of a risk, albeit is still unlikely to be claimed. The 2013 second-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens was claimed the very first time he was waived, snagged by the Detroit Red Wings back in 2018. Detroit then traded de La Rose to the Blues early last season in a one-for-one deal to land Robby Fabbri, a swap that has worked out nicely for the Red Wings. In St. Louis, de La Rose has failed to make much of an impact and has been slowed by injuries as well. While his offensive game has never reached his draft expectations, de La Rose’s physical contributions have also slipped this year, leading to a career-low in ice time. For the Blues, it likely no longer made sense to reserve an active roster spot for the Swedish forward. Whether another team sees enough ice time to make a claim remains to be seen, but it would not be a major loss for St. Louis if it does happen.

Overseas Notes: Komarov, Kadeykin, Nickl

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New York Islanders forward Leo Komarov is far from a free agent. Not only is the veteran still actively playing with the Islanders this season, who hope to have a long playoff run ahead of them as well, but Komarov also has one year left on his current deal. Yet, that hasn’t stopped European clubs from making their interest known, should Komarov be bought out by New York this off-season. After all, Komarov had landed on waivers thrice this season and has just four points in 21 games. The Islanders could easily see the upside in opening up more than $1MM in savings next season by buying out the remaining year and $3MM cap hit of Komarov’s contract. There would not likely be much NHL interest in the 34-year-old either if he hits the open market this summer, hence the push from European suitors already. Just how far has the early courting process already come? Finnish hockey insider Markus Nuutinen reports that Komarov actually has a handshake agreement in place for next season in the event he is bought out by the Islanders, but it isn’t in his native Finland. Instead, Komarov is expected to return to the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow, the same club he was with prior to beginning his NHL career back in 2012-13. There are obviously no terms available yet for this unofficial agreement, but it would come as little surprise if a Komarov reunion with Moscow does come to fruition.

  • Though most Detroit Red Wings fans have likely forgotten or are unaware of the name Alexander Kadeykin, the club is assuredly keeping tabs on him. Unfortunately, they will not have the opportunity to negotiate with the KHL forward for yet another year. Following a career year with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, in which he set new highs in goals and points, Kadeykin has signed a one-year extension to remain with Ufa, the club announced. It certainly didn’t hurt his extension chances that Kadeykin was second on the team in postseason scoring, as Ufa made it to the conference semifinals of the Gagarin Cup. Kadeykin, 27, was a seventh-round pick of the Red Wings in 2014 and since he has never made the move overseas, he remains under indefinite team control. One more year in the KHL does not completely rule out the chances that he will ever sign with Detroit, but with each passing year it grows more and more unlikely. Should Kadeykin finally decide to try his hand in the world’s top league, the 6’5″, 220-lb. center with ever-improving offensive numbers would certainly be a name to watch.
  • Anaheim Ducks defensive prospect Thimo Nickl returned to Europe this season after spending last year in the QMJHL, a decision that was likely spurred by numerous factors. The young blue liner initially signed with the U-20 club of Rogle BK, but that was a short-lived stint. After recording five points in his first nine games at the junior level, Nickl was recalled to the SHL squad and has never looked back. In fact, Rogle has been so impressed with the 19-year-old that they have signed him to a one-year extension on an SHL contract. This is unlikely to bother the Ducks at all; a 2020 fourth-round pick out of Austria, Nickl was not expected to push for a spot in the organization any time soon. Playing against pro competition in Sweden, and more so finding success, is surely a developmental path that Anaheim is content to let him follow. The next challenge for Nickl will be postseason play, with the SHL playoffs approaching and Rogle sitting pretty in second place.

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