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Latest On Calgary’s Sam Bennett

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Over the last couple of weeks, it has felt like Sam Bennett has had one skate out the door in Calgary. The Flames forward, although he denies formally requesting a trade, was believed to be upset with his role in Calgary and wanting out. This reportedly came as a surprise to the team initially, but it also seemed like they too were working toward moving Bennett, an idea fueled by a healthy scratch for the young forward days after the news emerged. Yet, as Daniel Austin writes for the Calgary Sun, it has suddenly grown very quiet on the Bennett front.

Part of this change, Austin notes, is simply because Bennett’s trade drama also aligned with several injuries up front for the Flames. Derek Ryan, Elias Lindholm, and most recently Mikael Backlund have all been sidelined for various lengths of time. The Flames need Bennett in the lineup right now. The other major change is where exactly in the lineup Bennett has been playing. Amidst the chaos of Bennett’s unknown future with the team, head coach Geoff Ward made the decision to move Bennett to the top line with stars Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Bennett responded to the promotion with his first two goals of the season over the past four games. While Bennett is still struggling this season relative to his past seasons, his teammates, and his expectations as a top-five NHL Draft pick, his play has noticeably picked up of late.

The question of course, as posed by The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek last week, is why the lineup change was made. Was Ward honestly trying to repair the relationship with Bennett by showing him that the organization trusts him and sees his top-six upside despite his recent struggles and historic inability to hold down the role? Possibly, but it does sound like somewhat of a stretch. The alternative reason could be, in light of Bennett’s desire to leave Calgary, that the team decided to showcase his ability for a while in an effort to maximize a possible return. Given that injuries had shuffled the lineup anyhow, this seems like a very plausible reason for the timing of the move.

The underlying issue for the Flames is that, while they honestly may not want to trade Bennett, both sides stand to benefit. As Duhatschek writes, Bennett represented an impending Expansion Draft problem well before his trade request. The Flames can protect, at most, seven forwards from selection in the draft. With a deep and talented forward corps, Gaudreau, Monahan, Lindholm, and of course Matthew Tkachuk are already locks for protection while Backlund and Andrew Mangiapane also seem like safe bets. If Milan Lucic does not waive his No-Movement Clause, that is your group of seven. Even if he does waive, Calgary will still have to decide between Bennett and the younger, more dynamic Dillon Dube. Whichever of the two they don’t protect seems very likely to be the selection of the Seattle Kraken. As a result, the Flames have to wonder why they would keep a disgruntled Bennett this season to either lose him in expansion or to lose Dube instead and hope Bennett’s production and attitude improve moving forward.

Bennett allegedly wants out of Calgary and the Flames have a very valid reason to trade him. Yet, it has grown quiet on the rumor mill. It could be the timing of injuries or the team wanting to extend Bennett’s stint on the top line as they field offers. Either way, this situation seems far from resolved. Without a major boost in production this season or another major injury or transactional shake-up to the roster, it is difficult to see the relationship between Bennett and Flames lasting the season.

Canadiens Expect To Sign Cole Caufield, Jordan Harris After NCAA Season

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The Montreal Canadiens have been one of the biggest surprises thus far in the 2020-21 season and their success has often been fueled by the play of their rookies and other young impact players. The team’s talent pipeline isn’t drying up any time soon either and the club expects to add a pair of top prospects to organization before the end of the current campaign. Speaking with the media today, GM Marc Bergevin all but confirmed that 2019 first-round pick Cole Caufield will turn pro at the end of his sophomore season at the University of Wisconsin. The Athletic’s Arpon Basu adds that Bergevin also noted that defenseman Jordan Harris is also expected to sign with the club when he wraps up his junior season at Northeastern University.

Caufield, 20, is easily Montreal’s best unsigned prospect and quite possibly the top non-NHL player in the organization. A record-breaking goal-scorer for the U.S. National Team Development Program, Caufield was the 15th overall pick two years ago and even that felt too low to many scouts and analysts. He has since solidified his status as a dangerous offensive weapon, posting a point-per-game season as a freshman on a disappointing Wisconsin squad last season, winning Big Ten Rookie of the Year. He spurned the pros to return for a second year, and so far that has resulted in a whopping 17 goals and 33 points in 22 games and a top NCAA ranking for the Badgers. Caufield also took home a gold medal at the World Juniors for Team USA, collecting five points along the way. Caufield has not let his small stature slow him down against the older and larger competition at the college level nor against his elite peers at the WJC. The Canadiens expect more of the same once he gets to the NHL, as Bergiven glowed about his ability and his growth this season. Basu notes that while Montreal fans will want Caufield on the NHL roster immediately, Bergevin stated that cap considerations, quarantine timelines, and roster structure will all play a part in determining where the highly-touted prospect begins his pro career.

Harris, 20, may not compete with Caufield on name value and draft stock alone, but can hold his own as a productive collegiate player and promising NHL prospect. A third-round pick in 2018 out of the New England prep school ranks, Harris is skilled, puck-moving defenseman. He made a clean jump from high school to college, recording 13 points in 39 games as a freshman for the Hockey East Champion Huskies, but has improved considerably in each of his last two seasons – 21 points in 33 games last year and 16 points and a career-high five goals through just 15 games this year. He is Northeastern’s No. 2 scorer, a locker room leader, is a big reason why the program finds itself in contention for an NCAA Tournament spot. While he may not have the immediate NHL upside of Caufield or an Alexander Romanov, Harris is another player for Habs fans to get excited about and he may even see some NHL action himself later this year if the situation is right.

Of course, the question of whether Caufield or Harris can make an impact with Montreal this season is very dependent on their NCAA schedule. The NCAA Tournament is not scheduled to begin until March 26 and for Frozen Four teams the season may not end until April 10. While the discrepancy between games played and frequent absences of players this season should make for unpredictable conference and national tournaments, both Caufield and Harris have a chance to make a deep run. Caufield’s Wisconsin Badgers are currently ranked No. 5 in the country and seem like a lock for the NCAA Tournament and a title contender. Harris’ Northeastern Huskies are currently right on the edge of qualification at No. 16, but have another month of regular season games and the Hockey East Tournament to clinch a spot. If Harris is not playing in the national tournament, he should have plenty of time to get to Canada and suit up for the AHL’s Laval Rocket or even the Canadiens over the last six weeks or so of the season. However, if either players’ season stretches deeper into April, leaving less than a month of NHL regular season games available following quarantine, there is less of a chance that they make their Montreal debut, especially Harris but potentially for Caufield as well. Fortunately, the Canadiens will get to see both players in action far beyond just the end of this season.

Olli Jokinen Hired As Head Coach Of Liiga’s Jukurit

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Who needs coaching experience when you have 17 seasons of NHL playing experience on your resume? Jukurit of the Liiga, the top pro level in Finland, has announced that former NHL star Olli Jokinen has been hired as the club’s head coach beginning next season, inking two-year deal with a third option year. Jokinen, who retired from the NHL in 2015, is the founder and head coach of the South Florida Hockey Academy youth program, but has not coached at the professional or junior level.

Jokinen, 42, had enough talent as a player, as well as the respect of his teammates, coaches, and competitors, to warrant this major career move. The 1997 No. 3 overall pick began played his developmental hockey at home in Finland, but jumped to North America to join the Los Angeles Kings right after he was drafted. Thus began an 18-year pro career that included 1,231 NHL games (eight 82-game seasons) with ten different organizations, resulting in 750 career points, an All-Star nod, and many other accolades. Of all of his NHL stops, Jokinen spent the most time with the Florida Panthers, suiting up for the team for seven seasons, including four as captain. Jokinen was also a mainstay on Finland’s international entries, winning a World Junior gold medal and a number of other Olympic and World Championship medals.

Jokinen returned to his adopted home of Florida after retirement and has been working on the other side of the game, coaching top U-16 players at the AAA level in Coral Springs. His own nephew, Sami Jokinen, is a recent graduate of the program and is playing junior hockey for KalPa in Finland. Perhaps he will play for his uncle again in the future as Jokinen now take a major step forward in his coaching career with Jukurit. The team’s history is fitting for Jokinen, as they too are relatively new to the Liiga. A former Mestis powerhouse, Jukurit moved to the Liiga in 2016-17. It has been a difficult transition, as they have missed the playoffs in each of their first four seasons and appear likely to do so again this year. The club is currently in 13th (out of 15) and nine points out of even a play-in postseason berth despite having played several more games. Jukurit has not finished above 13th in the final standings since their first Liiga season.

Fortunately, the addition of Jokinen is not only just for his coaching potential. The veteran NHLer will also be the new face of the franchise when it comes to recruiting free agents and prospects. With upwards of 16 players on expiring contracts or loans unlikely to be back next season, the Jukurit roster should look very different next season and with Jokinen’s help could be much-improved. With Jokinen leading the team and NHL prospects Axel Rindell (TOR) and Henri Nikkanen (WPG) as centerpieces, Jukurit hopes to turn the page on their franchise history and become Liiga contenders.

 

Five Players Clear Waivers

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Despite some major names being available on the waiver wire over the past 24 hours, all five players have cleared. Montreal’s Paul Byron, Detroit’s Danny DeKeyser, and new Carolina acquisition Alex Galchenyuk were all waived for roster flexibility and will be reassigned to their respective taxi squads. Young Columbus defenseman Gabriel Carlsson has been reassigned to the taxi squad for now but will soon join the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters in order to get some play time. Boston’s Par Lindholm has signed a new contract with the SHL’s Skelleftea AIK and will see his NHL contract terminated. No new players have been placed on waivers today.

Of the group, the player who was quietly the most likely to be claimed was Carlsson. The big 24-year-old blue liner, a 2015 first-rounder, lost his waiver exemption this season and the Blue Jackets did not want to risk him on the wire earlier this season. However, through the first quarter of the campaign he has not seen any NHL game action sitting behind a deep Columbus defense corps. With the AHL season now up and running, the team opted to take the chance with Carlsson in order to get him some play time in the minors and it paid off. The stay-at-home defenseman has played in at least one game for Columbus in each of the past four seasons and will likely be back with the team at some point this year. However, the team will try to avoid another trip through waivers as they might not be so lucky a second time putting the sturdy and affordable defender back up for grabs.

Of course, the bigger names available were Byron, DeKeyser, and Galchenyuk. The Montreal Canadiens, short on cap space but not on forward talent, have been playing Byron in a checking role, making him an expensive fourth liner. The club had been trying to trade the veteran, but there were no takers on his contract despite his solid career numbers. The team hoped that Byron would clear waivers so that they could retain the player, who is absolutely still a serviceable top-nine forward, while also opening up some salary cap space by transitioning him to the taxi squad. Galchenyuk was in fact traded already and just on Saturday as a matter of fact. The skilled forward was dealt by the Ottawa Senators to the Carolina Hurricanes as part of a three-player deal. Playing on an affordable and expiring contract, Galchenyuk was a risk-free acquisition for the ’Canes but was even more valuable if he could be stashed on the practice squad and used in case of emergency in a scoring role. Their plan succeeded and now Carolina simply has to decide whether the now-flexible Galchenyuk is worth more to them on their taxi squad or as a trade asset to flip to another team. The surprise inclusion was DeKeyser, one of the few holdovers of the most recent Detroit Red Wings’ powerhouse teams. DeKeyser has been in decline for several seasons now, but playing for a rebuilding club – especially with limited ice time this season – and dealing with injuries does not make for flattering statistics for anyone. A player who still has the support of his coaches and teammates may end up on the taxi squad but is likely to still be a prominent presence for the organization, especially with another year remaining on his current contract.

Lindholm was the outlier of the bunch. After clearing waivers earlier this season, the underutilized veteran was placed on the wire again to begin the process of a contract termination. Lindholm was not expected to be claimed and even if he had been, there still would have been a conflict with the multi-year contract he just recently signed in Sweden. Lindholm may actually be capable of being a reliable fourth line center in the NHL, but that opportunity was not available in Boston and seemingly nowhere else in the league at the current time, so the veteran will return home.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 02/15/21

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It’s the beginning of a new week in the NHL with ten games on the docket on Monday, including a matinee match-up between the Blues and Coyotes to cap off their in-season seven-game series. Teams continue to shake up their rosters with regularity this season, with promotions and demotions from the taxi squad to the NHL and AHL and everything in between. Keep track of all today’s moves right here as teams prepare for a fresh slate of games this week:

Central Division

  • The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that prospect forward MacKenzie Entwistle has been reassigned to the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. Entwistle had yet to see any game action with Chicago yet this season, so a move to the minors will get him some much-needed playing time.  CapFriendly adds that Wyatt Kalnyuk and Reese Johnson were recalled from the taxi squad while Adam Boqvist was sent to the taxi squad.
  • As the Tampa Bay Lightning deal with the long-term absences of Anthony Cirelli and Mitchell Stephens, they have recalled reinforcements from the AHL. The team announced that Alex Barre-Boulet and Ross Colton have been recalled from the Syracuse Crunch and assigned to the taxi squad. Both forwards are still seeking their NHL debuts. Moving from the taxi squad down to the minors is goaltender Spencer Martin. CapFriendly adds that Callan Foote and Gemel Smith were also recalled from the taxi squad.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets took a chance by placing young defenseman Gabriel Carlsson on waivers. However, it paid off as he has cleared and can now get some much-needed playing time with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. For the time being, the team has announced that he has been shifted to the taxi squad while forward Stefan Matteau has been recalled to the active roster.
  • Nashville Predators defenseman Frederic Allard has finally returned from his loan to Austria’s Villacher SV. The Predators have reassigned him to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, Nashville’s temporary shared affiliate for this season.  The team also announced the recalls of Michael McCarron and Eeli Tolvanen from the taxi squad while returning Ben Harpur to the taxi squad.
  • As expected, Detroit defenseman Danny DeKeyser has been reassigned to the taxi squad after being a surprise inclusion on waivers yesterday. The club reportedly wants to keep the long-time Red Wing involved with the team but want to use their roster spots on other players. The first player recalled to get the opportunity to replace DeKeyser is forward Mathias Brome. 
  • With the Hurricanes back in action, they’ve recalled Alex Nedeljkovic from the taxi squad to serve as the backup goaltender, per CapFriendly.  Carolina also recalled defenseman Jake Bean from the taxi squad.
  • The Dallas Stars recalled wingers Joel Kiviranta and Joel L’Esperance from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Kiviranta was sent down just yesterday while L’Esperance has played in three NHL games this season.

East Division

  • With an influx of healthy players coming off the CPRA list, the New Jersey Devils have announced a flurry of moves. Goaltender Aaron Dell has been recalled from his conditioning loan and added to the active roster, finally joining the team after being claimed on waivers earlier this season. Goaltender Gilles Senn has thus been demoted from the taxi squad to AHL Binghamton, as has defenseman Josh Jacobs. Replacing them on the taxi squad for now are forwards Mikhail Maltsev and Brett Seney, recalled from the junior Devils. This will not be the last of the moves for a New Jersey, who have a roster overhaul on their hands after leading the league in COVID-related absences.
  • The Washington Capitals have flipped goaltenders, per CapFriendly.  Craig Anderson has been returned to the taxi squad while Zach Fucale has been recalled.  Ilya Samsonov is nearing a return so they won’t need to carry one of these two on the active roster for much longer.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forwards Maxim Sushko and David Kase from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. As Philly battles through an ongoing COVID breakout, they need all the help they can get with games scheduled for later this week.  CapFriendly adds that Connor Bunnaman has also been recalled.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have pushed a number of players up the depth chart as they prepare to return to action with several players still sidelined with COVID. Steven Fogarty, William Borgen, and Brandon Davidson have been recalled to the active roster from the taxi squad, while forwards Rasmus Asplund and Andrew Oglevie have been promoted to the AHL’s Rochester Americans to replace them on the taxi squad.
  • The Boston Bruins have assigned Trent Frederic to the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  The 23-year-old has played in all 14 games this season but has frequently been sent down on non-game days to bank some cap room.
  • Oliver Wahlstrom is back up with the New York Islanders, per CapFriendly.  The winger has frequently been moved back and forth this season and has a goal in six games so far this season.

North Division

  • The Montreal Canadiens have sent veteran forward Michael Frolik to the AHL’s Laval Rocket for a conditioning stint. Frolik will spend the week in the minors and will be reassigned to the Montreal taxi squad on Saturday. The 32-year-old free agent addition has yet to play this season. Replacing Frolik on the taxi squad is Paul Byron, who cleared waivers today.  CapFriendly adds that Jesperi Kotkaniemi was recalled from the taxi squad while Hayden Verbeek was recalled to the taxi squad from AHL Laval.
  • After being promoted from the AHL to the taxi squad yesterday, Joey Daccord is now moving up again. The Ottawa Senators announced that he has been recalled to the active roster and will dress as the backup for the team’s game tonight. This would imply that the injured Matt Murray is still not ready to return to action.
  • Jansen Harkins has been activated from the injured reserve and has rejoined the Winnipeg Jets. The young forward is expected to draw back into the lineup immediately.
  • After clearing waivers on Saturday, James Neal has been reassigned to the taxi squad by the Edmonton Oilers. In a corresponding move, his roster spot will be taken by Devin Shore, who has been recalled from the taxi squad.
  • The Calgary Flames have recalled defenseman Connor Mackey from the taxi squad.  The blueliner has been shuffled back and forth in recent days and made his NHL debut over the weekend.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled Travis Boyd from the taxi squad while activating Joe Thornton from LTIR, per CapFriendly.  To make room on the roster, Alexander Barabanov and Scott Sabourin were returned to the taxi squad.

West Division

  • With a number of players still sidelined due to COVID but a game coming up on Tuesday night, the Minnesota Wild have to make some moves. Fortunately for the team, some non-COVID players are also getting healthy just in time. The team has announced that defenseman Matt Dumba and forward Mats Zuccarello have been activated from the injured reserve. Additionally, goalie Andrew Hammond, forward Luke Johnson, and defenseman Dakota Mermis have been promoted to the active roster from the taxi squad. Taking their places, up from AHL Iowa, are goalie Dereck Baribeau and forwards Joseph Cramarossa and Mason Shaw. 
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have demoted forward Patrick Brown and goaltender Logan Thompson to the AHL’s newest team, the Henderson Silver Knights. Neither player appears to be in Vegas’ NHL roster plans this season but made a brief appearance on the taxi squad.
  • The Colorado Avalanche shuffled their reserve defenseman, per CapFriendly.  Dan Renouf has been recalled from the taxi squad while Dennis Gilbert goes down to make room.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have shuffled their goalie depth chart, per a team release. The re-claimed Troy Grosenick has been recalled from the AHL’s Ontario Reign and assigned to the taxi squad. He bumps young Jacob Ingham down to the minors. Either goalie would require an injury to the NHL tandem of veteran Jonathan Quick and future starter Cal Petersen in order to play at the top level this season.
  • The San Jose Sharks have recalled defenseman Jacob Middleton and winger Noah Gregor from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both players have been shuffled back and forth in recent days.
  • As they’ve done almost every day lately, the Anaheim Ducks made another lengthy set of moves, per CapFriendly.  The team recalled Sam Steel, Max Jones, and Andy Welinski from the taxi squad while demoting David Backes to the taxi squad.  Anaheim also promoted Chase De Leo from AHL San Diego to the taxi squad.
  • The St. Louis Blues have recalled Mackenzie MacEachern and Austin Poganski from the taxi squad, per CapFriendly.  Both were sent down yesterday.

COVID Protocol Related Absences: 02/14/21

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Each day, the NHL will publicly release the list of players that are unavailable to their respective teams due to being in COVID-19 Protocol. The league is still awaiting updated lists from the Sabres and Avalanche, but the following are the complete results from the other 29 teams:

Arizona – John Hayden
Buffalo – Dylan Cozens, Curtis Lazar, Jake McCabe, Casey Mittelstadt, Brandon Montour, Tobias Rieder, Rasmus Ristolainen
Colorado –  Samuel Girard, Tyson Jost, Gabriel Landeskog
Los Angeles – Andreas Athanasiou
Minnesota –  Nick Bonino, Jonas Brodin, Ian Cole, Brad Hunt, Victor Rask, Carson Soucy, Nico Sturm, Cam Talbot
New Jersey – Nathan Bastian, Nikita Gusev, Nico Hischier, Dmitry Kulikov, Travis Zajac
NY Rangers – Filip Chytil
Ottawa – Ryan Dzingel*
Philadelphia – Justin Braun, Morgan Frost, Claude Giroux, Scott Laughton, Oskar Lindblom, Jakub Voracek, Travis Konecny*
Vegas – Tomas Nosek

As a reminder, inclusion on this list does not mean that a player has tested positive for Coronavirus or even that they have been confirmed as a close contact to another positive person. Included in the NHL’s list of possible reasons for someone being on the list is are the following:

(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the COVID-19 Protocol

Players removed today: Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres; Calvin Pickard, Detroit Red Wings; Blake Lizotte, Los Angeles Kings; Jesper Bratt, Connor Carrick, Eric Comrie, Jack Hughes, Damon Severson, Ty Smith, Matt Tennyson, Sami Vatanen, New Jersey Devils; Travis Sanheim, Philadelphia Flyers; Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning

It’s another strong net positive day for the CPRA. The only true addition to the list comes in the form of Flyers forward Konecny. The other addition, Dzingel, has entered the required quarantine period for any player crossing into Canada after he was dealt to Ottawa by Carolina on Saturday, but by all accounts has not qualified for any other reason. Meanwhile, the Red Wings and Lightning wipe the slate clean while the Devils take a major step forward with eight players coming off the list. Joining Dahlin back at Sabres practice today was also head coach Ralph Krueger, a welcome sight after his own bout with Coronavirus.

While the situations in Buffalo and Colorado remain undetermined at this point, the Devils appear to be on the mend and Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason stated that he expects some of his players to begin coming off the list soon as well. If the situation in Philadelphia can be sorted out – especially with their Lake Tahoe game coming up next weekend – the NHL could be looking at a refreshingly short CPRA by this time next week.

 

Minor Transactions: 02/14/21

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Today is supposed to be about significant others, and the NHL did their part with just two games on the docket, but there are some significant moves worth paying attention to as well, both at home and abroad. Keep up with all of the day’s minor transactions right here:

  • In some surprising news that will certainly require a follow-up, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers have released Nick Pastujov from his AHL contract, according to league’s transaction log. Pastujov, a New York Islanders 2016 draft pick, signed with Bridgeport this fall following a successful four-year stint at the University of Michigan. Although the Isles seemingly felt he was not ready for an entry-level contract, they wanted to keep the prospect winger within the organization. Yet, without having even played a game for the Sound Tigers, Pastujov has been released from the team. It is unclear whether this was his decision or if the move was prompted by the club. The oldest of three brothers, with Michael also at Michigan and Sasha bound for Notre Dame and looking like a potential first-round NHL draft pick, Nick looked primed to begin the Pastujov era in pro hockey. It will be interesting to see what comes next for the young forward.
  • Another problem prospect for the Islanders, Joshua Ho-Sang is on the move again. Still technically under contract with New York, Ho-Sang was loaned to the SHL’s Orebro HK last month. After just five games – and one point – that relationship has already been terminated. Ho-Sang has now signed on with another Swedish club, Linkoping HC, hopefully for the rest of the season, the team announced. Ho-Sang will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, but it seems unlikely that the Islanders will extend a qualifying offer.
  • After bouncing around the AHL over the past few seasons, former Winnipeg Jets defenseman Julian Melchiori has found a home in Germany. Melchiori, who had played on an NHL contract in each of his first eight pro seasons, became an unrestricted free agent this off-season when his contract with the New Jersey Devils expired. Unable to find another NHL deal, Melchiori first signed in the KHL but terminated his deal in favor of a contract with the DEL’s Grizzlys Wolfsburg. Germany’s top league also had a delayed start to their season, but in just 15 games so far Melchiori has apparently impressed his new club and has enjoyed the fit himself. Wolfsburg has announced that the two sides have already agreed to a one-year extension. The team’s release called Melchiori a “leader” and “top performer” who “integrated very quickly”.
  • Another former NHL defenseman, Marc-Andre Gragnani, has signed a new contract in Europe as well. Gragnani has inked a deal for the remainder of the SHL season with Djurgardens IF, the team announced. Since he last played in the NHL as a member of the New Jersey Devils in 2015-16, Gragnani has been stellar for the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk and Kunlun Red Star as one of the better offensive defensemen in the league. Even at 33, it would not be a surprise if Gragnani’s late signing this season was due to his desire to find a contract in the NHL. A journeyman in his North American days who was always far more effective in the AHL than the NHL, Gragnani no doubt has more confidence after several high-scoring seasons in Europe. He will have to re-focus now on helping his new Swedish club, as Djurgardens is still fighting for a playoff spot despite severely lacking talent on the blue line.

Latest On The Hurricanes-Senators Trade

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Yesterday’s surprise trade that saw three impending free agents swapped, with Ryan Dzingel returning to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for role players Cedric Paquette and Alex Galchenyuk moving to the Carolina Hurricanes, provided more questions than answers. Speaking on Sportsnet’s broadcast of Hockey Night In Canada on Saturday, Chris Johnston tried to provide some explanation or at least some projection on what it could all mean. Johnston clarifies that the centerpiece of the deal is really Paquette, who is expected to stabilize the Hurricanes’ fourth line over the remainder of the season and very likely into the playoffs. As for Dzingel and Galchenyuk, he warned that they should not “get comfortable”. Not only are both, as well as Paquette, very likely heading to the open market this summer, but Dzingel and Galchenyuk could be on the move again before the end of the season.

Dzingel specifically is somewhat of a suspect acquisition for the Senators. Previously a two-time 20-goal and 40-point player for Ottawa, Dzingel’s stops in Columbus and Carolina since departing the Senators have been less than inspiring. In his final season with the Senators, Dzingel was scoring at a 63-point full season pace; in his 96 games since, Dzingel is scoring at a 38-point pace. Perhaps Senators GM Pierre Dorion feels that a return to Ottawa and to a top-six role for Dzingel can reignite his offensive prowess. The team needs scoring and Dzingel could be the solution. However, if Dzingel continues to struggle or, alternatively, if he succeeds but is unwilling to re-sign in Ottawa, the rebuilding Senators have no use for his expiring contract. They would would very likely put him back on the trade block and hope that they could recoup the trade capital they might have received for renting out Paquette and Galchenyuk. Considering he must quarantine for two weeks before joining the Senators in this shortened NHL season, Dorion and company will not have much time to make a determination on Dzingel, but still felt the calculated risk was worth the potential long-term payoff.

  • As for Galchenyuk, Johnston’s premonition that he could be on the move again could prove true far sooner than he likely expected. With Galchenyuk being placed on waivers today by Carolina, it could be that by tomorrow afternoon he has a new team for the second time in 48 hours. Of course, Galchenyuk is no stranger to frequent movement. After six seasons with the Montreal Canadiens to begin his career, he is now on his sixth team in four year and has been traded in-season in back-to-back years. Once a rising star in Montreal, Galchenyuk has been reduced to a one-dimensional hired gun goal-scorer due to his defensive struggles and many inconsistencies. Galchenyuk still has value as a substitute in case of a top-nine injury, but has not proven over the last year that he is worthy of being handed an everyday role. As a result, it is no surprise that a cap-strapped team like the Hurricanes would rather move Galchenyuk to the taxi squad, thereby burying his entire $1.05MM salary, and simply use him as depth down the stretch. There may very well be a team out there however who also likes the 27-year-old forward for that role and has the roster flexibility to claim him and keep him active. Even if he does clear waivers, that would only improve his value due to the added transactional flexibility and if the Hurricanes don’t like what they see, they could still flip him before the deadline.
  • Galchenyuk’s placement on waivers has also changed the travel plans for Carolina’s latest acquisitions. Sportsnet’s John Shannon reported on Saturday that Paquette and Galchenyuk planned to skip the required quarantine that accompanies commercial air travel by instead joining the Senators on their team flight to Toronto today and then making the 13-hour drive to Raleigh, potentially even in time for the Hurricanes’ Monday night home game. The new plan, as revealed by Carolina beat writer Michael Smith, is for Paquette to make the solo trek from Ottawa to Raleigh today, a similar 13-hour drive, again with the expectation that he will be available on Monday. Galchenyuk meanwhile will remain in Ottawa until waivers clear tomorrow. Not only did he not want to make the long trip only to be claimed by a different team, but he also did not want to leave the country in case he was claimed by another Canadian club. If Galchenyuk clears waivers and is assigned to the taxi squad, he will presumably then make the drive to Raleigh himself and would be available for the ’Canes as early as Wednesday.

Penguins Notes: Crosby And Malkin, Pryor, Attendance

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Though it should come as no surprise, Pittsburgh Penguins ownership consulted their biggest stars before making the recent hires of Ron Hextall as GM and Brian Burke as President of Hockey Operations. The Athletic’s Rob Rossi writes that Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were informed of the Hextall-Burke possibility and endorsed the move, according to sources close to the players. While owners Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle typically do not intrude on hockey operations matters, the once exception over the years has been an insistence on keeping Crosby and Malkin in Pittsburgh at all costs. This why the pair, despite being 33 and 34 years old respectively, were consulted on a front office move that could outlast either’s career. Ownership’s lone mandate to Hextall and Burke is that they would like Crosby and Malkin to retire as Penguins if they so choose. Crosby is already signed through 2024-25 and has never given the team any reason to want to move him. Malkin however has not been as consistent and will be a free agent after next season. He has previously expressed a desire to sign on for three more years in Pittsburgh at the conclusion of his current contract to line up with the expiration of Crosby’s deal, allowing the two iconic Penguins to potentially retire together. Whether this is the same expectation shared by Hextall and Burke remains to be seen, but it appears as though the duo have been asked by their new bosses to treat Crosby and Malkin differently than the rest of the roster.

Interestingly, that even includes defenseman Kris Letang. Rossi reports that previous GM Jim Rutherford had been told that any trade involving Letang would need to be approved by ownership. However, Hextall and Burke are not operating under the same mandate. Rutherford had allegedly been gauging the trade interest in Letang around the league prior to his resignation and Hextall and Burke may be similarly interested in moving the veteran defenseman, whose expensive contract expires after the 2021-22 season. While Lemieux is still believed to prefer extending Letang, it seems he would be okay with moving the career Penguin “the right way”.

  • Rossi also notes that, while no other front office moves were made alongside the additions of Hextall and Burke and the return of interim GM Patrick Allvin back to his role as Assistant GM, permission was given to make an addition to the staff. Hextall reportedly asked that he be allowed to hire his former assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers, Chris Pryor, before accepting the position with the Penguins. Pryor was fired alongside Hextall in Philadelphia and has since been working as an amateur scout for the Nashville Predators. It is unclear why Pryor has not yet joined the Penguins and if the Predators have anything to do with the hold up. However, the expectation is that Pryor will eventually become a second Assistant GM for Pittsburgh, resuming his role as Hextall’s draft guru. Rossi does not believe that any other changes to the front office are imminent until after Hextall and Burke handle the numerous major tasks ahead – in-season trades, entry draft, expansion, etc. – and have time to review the department.
  • The Penguins continue to play in an empty building, but they might have 4,500+ in attendance before too long. Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune writes that the team has made requests to the Pennsylvania Department of Health as well as the Governor’s office to allow for PPG Paints Arena to open to fans at 25% capacity. He adds that quarter capacity for the venue is 4,596 spectators, a far cry from the current 500 players and personnel maximum currently allowed on game days. With COVID rates on the decline in the state and neighboring New York opening sports venues to 10% capacity, the Penguins’ request is not unrealistic. The team has already undertaken a number of health and safety measures at PPG in anticipation of crowds. The club certainly hopes that those with the power to allow Penguins fans back in the building will take all factors into account and grant their request.

Danny DeKeyser Waived By Detroit Red Wings

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In a stunning move, the Detroit Red Wings have placed defensive mainstay Danny DeKeyser on waivers. The career Red Wing still has one year remaining beyond this season on his current contract at a $5MM AAV, but Detroit appears ready to move on. Will that mean DeKeyser clears waivers and is assigned to the taxi squad or AHL? Or will another team swoop in and steal the defenseman?

DeKeyser, 30, is a polarizing figure in Detroit. On one hand, he’s second only to Darren Helm as the longest-tenured member of a team that has seen a mass amount of turnover in recent years that scrubbed nearly every reminder of their days as a Western Conference powerhouse. On the other hand, he has also been part of the problem as the club has devolved into a perennial bottom dweller in the Eastern Conference. DeKeyser impressed as an unheralded undrafted free agent out of nearby Western Michigan University, quickly claiming a top-four role for Detroit in his first few pro seasons. However, since signing his six-year, $30MM extension in 2016, DeKeyser has had – at most – one season where he has lived up to expectations. He has been plagued by injuries and when healthy has had diminishing offensive ability, has been prone to turnovers, and has simply struggled to help a team that needed him to be a savior on the back end.

Yet, with all that said, many question whether DeKeyser has himself been unfairly impacted by the lack of talent around him in Detroit. Are his struggles his own or is he still capable of being a well-rounded, minutes-eating, 30-point puck-mover? This season with the Red Wings has not helped to answer that question. The team has moved on from DeKeyser as a centerpiece on the blue line even before he hit waivers. The veteran has played in only 10 of 16 games and almost exclusively in a bottom-pair role, averaging just 15:30 of ice time with no special teams role. Claiming DeKeyser is a massive risk, especially in a flat cap era where being saddled with a $5MM salary this year and next for an unproductive player would be devastating. However, DeKeyser has his supporters around the league and it is hard to judge his true ability given his recent injury history and his position with Detroit. Don’t eliminate all possibility that someone might be willing to take a chance or that DeKeyser could still return to form if he moves elsewhere.

Also on waivers today are Montreal’s Paul Byron (link), Boston’s Par Lindholm (link), Columbus’ Gabriel Carlsson, and Carolina’s newly-acquired Alex Galchenyuk. Edmonton’s James Neal has cleared after being waived yesterday.

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