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Bob McKenzie

Michael Hutchinson Placed On Waivers

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Tuesday: Hutchinson has cleared waivers. The Maple Leafs have already recalled Kaskisuo and didn’t take long to send Hutchinson to the AHL.

Monday: Michael Hutchinson has been placed on waivers today. It appears as though his opportunity as the Toronto Maple Leafs backup goaltender is over, as Bob McKenzie of TSN expects Kasimir Kaskisuo to be called up to take the role.

It’s been a nightmare season so far for Hutchinson, who lost his fifth start last night after giving up four goals to the Chicago Blackhawks in the first period. The Maple Leafs only really play their backup in back-to-back situations, giving Hutchinson the short end of the stick each time, but his .879 save percentage simply hasn’t been good enough.

That’s not to say that Kaskisuo will fare any better, given he has never appeared in an NHL game previously. The 26-year old was an undrafted free agent signing out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth and only really started to find minor league success during last season’s playoff run with the Toronto Marlies. He has a .928 save percentage this season however and has been a rock in net for the AHL club.

For the Maple Leafs, there is some chatter that they could look elsewhere for a different option in net. David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period tweets that they have looked at the market, even reaching out to Scott Darling before he decided to go overseas. The problem is their cap situation that will only really allow the backup to earn a minimum NHL salary of $700K. The team does have some potential flexibility given Mitch Marner will be out at least a month with an ankle injury, but that will come to an end when the star forward returns. Any move for a more expensive backup would complicate things quite a bit.

Dustin Byfuglien Undergoes Ankle Surgery

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The Dustin Byfuglien situation just got even murkier for the Winnipeg Jets, as Bob McKenzie of TSN reported tonight that the veteran defenseman underwent ankle surgery recently. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet adds that Byfuglien faces a recovery that will take him to the New Year, but with the uncertainty around whether he even wants to play in the NHL anymore this really clarifies nothing. Even stranger, the Jets issued a statement explaining that they were not the ones who decided on the surgery (via Paul Friesen of the Winnipeg Sun):

We were aware he was contemplating having surgery, but were not directly involved with the decision making process.

As Friedman and McKenzie point out, this is a confusing outcome given that Byfuglien is currently suspended by the team, which means he isn’t being paid the $8MM salary his contract carries this year. Had he just been placed on injured reserve following the surgery he would be entitled to that salary, even if a good chunk of it was covered by insurance.

At this point, it is not clear how the Jets or Byfuglien will handle this next hurdle, though we at least now know there will be no immediate return to action. The Jets will have to hope their defense can hold things together in the meantime without the 34-year old.

Latest On Alex Pietrangelo

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The St. Louis Blues have already made some big splashes this season, acquiring Justin Faulk from the Carolina Hurricanes and then extending both Faulk and Brayden Schenn to long-term contracts. Now all eyes are on captain Alex Pietrangelo who stands as easily their most notable player scheduled for unrestricted free agency after this season.

Pietrangelo’s camp met with the Blues front office a few weeks ago, but according to Bob McKenzie of TSN on last night’s edition of Insider Trading, there has been no contact since. While that certainly doesn’t mean that an extension can’t be worked out further down the line, it does still keep the spotlight on the veteran defenseman.

In terms of what it might take to retain Pietrangelo, an easy comparison can be made to yesterday’s eight-year, $72.5MM extension for Roman Josi of the Nashville Predators. In fact, there is an argument to be made that Pietrangelo could deserve even more than the $9.059MM cap hit that Josi secured, given his longer track record and recent playoff success.

Both drafted in 2008, Pietrangelo was picked 34 spots ahead of Josi as the fourth-overall selection. While it took a little while for the Predators to insert their second round pick into the lineup, Pietrangelo got a taste almost immediately and recently played his 700th game (Josi is at 575). The Blues captain also has more overall points with 405, though they have come at a slightly lower rate.

Both players will be 30 when their next contracts kick in, making these types of commitments dangerous, but Pietrangelo is such an integral part of the Blues team that it seems unlikely they would want to watch him walk out the door.

Still, the Blues have traded key players on expiring contracts before. At the 2018 deadline they moved Paul Stastny to the Winnipeg Jets for a package of picks and prospects, and just a year before that moved Kevin Shattenkirk for a similar return. Obviously doing the same with Pietrangelo would be a different level of decision entirely, but there at least is some precedent.

In all likelihood however, there will still be an extension between the two sides at some point. The longer this goes on however, the more speculation will continue to bubble up to the surface.

Snapshots: Capitals, World Juniors, CBA Talks

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Two of the biggest names among impending unrestricted free agents belong to the Washington Capitals. Long-time cornerstone Caps and Stanley Cup winners Nicklas Backstrom and Braden Holtby will both see their current contracts expire this summer, barring an extension before then. Yet, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that there has been little in the way of contract talks between Washington and either Backstrom or Holtby. LeBrun states that the team has decided to be patient with the decisions, letting the season play out as a way to better gauge their needs moving forward. He adds that the team is on the same page with both camps in this regard as well. It could be that the team waits through the whole season before making a call on Backstrom and Holtby, taking both individual and team performances into account. Thus far, Holtby, 30, has struggled in net – for the second year in a row at that – posting an .884 save percentage and 3.60 GAA in eight games for the Capitals, losing three starts to 22-year-old Ilya Samsonov. Continued poor performance, especially in light of Samsonov’s strong play, could convince Washington GM Brian MacLellan that he does not need to pay the premium price required to retain the 30-year-old Holtby. Meanwhile, Backstrom is still playing at the same elite level, recording nine points in eleven games so far and leading all Capitals forwards in even strength ice time. The 32-year-old has been the epitome of consistency throughout his whole career, recording 882 points in 906 career games while skating in less than 90% of Washington’s games in a given season just once. It’s hard to say that Backstrom has ever had a bad season and it may be difficult for MacLellan and company to say goodbye to a player who has never given any indication that his days and an impact player are anywhere close to being over, unless they determine that the Capitals days as true contenders are over and the team is in need of transition. The salary cap will of course play a major role in these decisions as well. Washington has $63.5MM tied up in just 14 players next season, and likely lack the space needed to re-sign both Holtby and Backstrom while filling out the rest of the roster. Which way they go, re-signing on or the other or perhaps neither, will be a tough call and the Capitals are smart to use all of the information available, including this season’s results, to make that decision.

  • TSN colleague Bob McKenzie also notes today that Hockey Canada is in the beginning stages of forming their official roster for the 2020 World Junior Championships later this winter and are hoping that they can count on the three players currently in the NHL who also qualify for inclusion on the U-20 roster: the Coyotes’ Barrett Hayton, the Blackhawks’ Kirby Dach, and the Islanders’ Noah Dobson. The pair of centers and dynamic defensemen are each of their respective team’s top prospects, but their usage so far this season has been minimal. All three of Hayton, Dach, and Dobson have played in just two NHL games so far this year and are still eight games away from burning a year on their entry-level contracts. However, for Hayton and Dobson, McKenzie does not believe that the ten-game limit is a concern, as he doesn’t feel Arizona nor New York plan on sending their promising prospect back to the junior level. That doesn’t mean that they can’t still be loaned to Team Canada for the WJC though; it is not an uncommon practice for young pros in need of experience playing at different levels of competition instead of solely in the NHL to briefly leave their clubs for the international exhibition. With that said, both the ‘Yotes and the Isles hope to be playoff teams and may be unwilling to give up top young players mid-season, especially if they have become regular contributors. As for Dach, it is still unclear what Chicago’s intentions are this season. The youngest of the group, the No. 3 overall pick in June, Dach has spent some time in the AHL this season and has seen limited ice time in his two games with the Blackhawks. The team could still decide he would be better off with another year in the WHL, although McKenzie believes they are not yet ready to make that decision. Either way, Dach stands the best chance of participating in the WJC, given his current role in Chicago and the expectations of the team this season.
  • LeBrun also reports that, while there haven’t been any in-person meetings this month, collective bargaining continues between the NHL and NHLPA. Back in September, both the league and the players’ association declined to use their opt-out clause in the CBA, which would have prematurely ended the current agreement after this season. The decisions extended the CBA through the 2021-22 season, giving the parties plenty of time to work through their issues. However, both sides felt comfortable in declining their opt-outs as a result of positive ongoing talks and all stakeholders of hockey wanted to see that progress continue. LeBrun writes that those talks have not stalled, but are simply now ongoing in a more behind-the-scenes fashion. The hope is that the NHL and NHLPA can sort out a new collective bargaining agreement long before the September 2022 expiration date of the current deal and put to rest any thoughts of another work stoppage. Continued talks are a good sign that labor peace will come easier this time than in years past.

Blackhawks Give Brendan Perlini Permission To Seek Trade

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The relationship between the Chicago Blackhawks and young forward Brendan Perlini has seemingly been a tumultuous one from the start. Fortunately for both sides, it appears that relationship could soon becoming to an end. After a start to the season that neither party expected or has been content with, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the Blackhawks have given Perlini and agent Darren Ferris permission to seek a trade. Both sides have agreed that it is in the best interest of both player and team for Perlini to find a new home, so a trade could be imminent.

Perlini, 23, was trending towards becoming a legitimate top-six forward through his first two NHL seasons with the Arizona Coyotes. The No. 12 overall pick in 2014 by the ‘Yotes, Perlini was a big, strong prospect whose aggressive offensive game seemed built for the NHL. In his first pro campaign, he played in 57 NHL games with Arizona, followed by 74 games in his sophomore season. Through those first 131 contests, Perlini recorded 31 goals and 51 points and looked like he had the makings of an impact power forward in the NHL.

Yet, Arizona made the somewhat surprising decision to deal both he and Dylan Strome to the Blackhawks last season in exchange for the more established Nick Schmaltz. While Strome took off in Chicago, Perlini struggled and only began to find his game late in the season. Altogether, Perlini recorded just 15 points in more than half a season with the Blackhawks and never looked to fully gain the trust of the coaching staff. It thus came as little surprise that Perlini’s name was floated on the rumor mill this summer while he worked through contract negotiations as a restricted free agent. The two sides finally came to an agreement – if you can call it that – in early September, as Perlini signed his one-year, $874K qualifying offer. The move signified that neither the Blackhawks nor Perlini saw Chicago as a long-term fit at that time and things have certainly not gotten better since. Perlini has played in just one game with the ‘Hawks and has been left to watch the remainder from the press box. He is desperately in need of a change of scenery and today’s report likely comes as a major relief.

A young forward with offensive instincts and, at one time anyway, a promising track record should have value on the trade market. Add in his super affordable cap hit of less than $1MM, and teams should be very interested. While other alienated forwards exist on the trade market – the Oilers’ Jesse Puljujarvi and the Islanders’ Josh Ho-Sang – Perlini does not bring the baggage of behavioral questions and career-long underwhelming production that the others do. The Blackhawks also are unlikely to charge a steep price, as Perlini’s value has dropped considerably since the team acquired him and they probably just want to cut bait and move forward. Perlini was once on his way to a solidified top-six role and there will be some team that believes he could get back to that position in his development. Perhaps even the Coyotes would have interest in a reunion, seeing how well Perlini played in his first two seasons with the team. Time will tell what is next for the young forward, but it should take too much time, with both sides incentivized to move on from one another as soon as possible.

Snapshots: Stecher, Rantanen, AHL Suspensions

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The Vancouver Canucks are sitting at 5-3 through the early part of the season thanks to the strong play of some of their young players, but are still fifth in what is shaping up to be an extremely tough Pacific Division. With the improved roster, one player that has lost some of his ice time is Troy Stecher. He was the topic of discussion on TSN radio today because of a “rumbling” that host Jason Brough had heard about potential trade talks. Insider Bob McKenzie gave his take on the situation:

The same little rumble that you’ve heard, I think everybody has kind of heard it and [are] trying to figure out how much significance to attach to it. But the reality is that if [Tyler] Myers and [Chris] Tanev are both going to be healthy and play ahead of him, then probably you’re right. Then he’s probably not going to love third-pair minutes, and maybe he’s an asset that’s more valuable than that, though not on the Canucks. 

McKenzie noted that if Stecher does become available there would likely be lots of teams interested, but was quick to explain how there might be an issue with how the Canucks would value him compared to what the offers may be. Through the first three years of his NHL career, Stecher has averaged close to 20 minutes a game for the Canucks, but has logged under 14 in six of eight games this season.

  • Colorado Avalanche fans will have to hold their collective breath for one more day as the team will not issue an update on Mikko Rantanen’s injury until Wednesday according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post. The star forward’s foot got caught on the ice last night and twisted his left leg awkwardly, taking him immediately out of the game. Rantanen was off to another blistering start to his season with 12 points in his first nine games (including one in the eight minutes he managed last night), and hopefully won’t be out long-term with this injury.
  • The AHL has suspended several players for incidents over the last few days. Michael McCarron has been given a two-game ban for interference and Givani Smith has been suspended one game for clipping, while A.J. Greer and Jarred Tinordi have been given six and three games respectively for what happened on Saturday. Greer left the penalty box to fight Tinordi after already participating in a fight, meaning he actually earned himself three game misconducts and 40 penalty minutes all at once.

Brian Boyle Signs One-Year Deal With Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers added some key veteran depth to their team Sunday when they announced they have signed unrestricted veteran free agent Brian Boyle to a one-year deal, one-way contract. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports the deal is worth $940K. The 34-year-old Boyle is expected to join the team in Coral Springs for practice on Monday.

“With over 700 games played in the NHL and over 100 more in the playoffs, Brian brings a wealth of experience to our club,” said general manager Dale Tallon. “He adds versatility and character to our lineup.”

Boyle, who will be now playing for his seventh NHL team and fifth team in the last three years, is coming off an 13-goal performance with the New Jersey Devils last year. However, with their season lost, the Devils traded Boyle to the Predators for a 2019 second-round pick. Boyle netted five goals in 26 games for the Predators. He scored 13 goals in 2017-18 for the Devils, and 13 goals in 2015-16 and 2016-17 for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Boyle received the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2017-18 for perseverence, sportsmanship and dedication for returning to hockey after being diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia.

The veteran is expected to immediately join their bottom-six, likely centering the fourth line. Head coach Joel Quenneville has spoken often about the importance of puck possession, which Boyle should help with. Throw in his 6-foot-6 frame and physical play and Boyle should add much needed grit to the Panthers this year. The team has already assigned youngster Henrik Borgstrom to the AHL to get more playing time, which should open up a spot on the team’s roster.

McKenzie was the first to report on the signing.

Hynes, Boudreau Not In “Imminent” Danger

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Both the Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils have started slowly this season, leading to much speculation regarding their head coaching situations. In Minnesota, Bruce Boudreau was inherited, not hired, by new GM Bill Guerin and has his team off to a 1-4 record to start the year. John Hynes and the New Jersey Devils are off to an even worse 0-4-2 record even with all of the hype surrounding the team after big offseason changes. Despite the struggles, Pierre LeBrun and Bob McKenzie report that neither is in imminent danger of being fired on the latest edition of Insider Trading for TSN.

In fact, LeBrun notes that Guerin will be patient with the entire Wild organization, taking full stock of what he has before making any major changes. Minnesota made Kevin Fiala a healthy scratch tonight in Toronto, sending a message to the young forward that no job is secure at the moment.

The Wild made sweeping changes to their core under former GM Paul Fenton, trading away Nino Niederreiter, Mikael Granlund and Charlie Coyle while adding Mats Zuccarello to a lengthy free agent deal. None of those moves have really panned out as of yet, meaning Guerin still has lots of work to do in Minnesota.

The Devils are in a much different situation. The team has made the playoffs just once in the last seven years, missing it three times under Hynes since he was hired in 2015. An 0-4-2 start may have been acceptable in some of those other years as they worked through a rebuild, but after adding Jack Hughes, P.K. Subban, Wayne Simmonds and Nikita Gusev in one summer the team had big expectations.

Even if GM Ray Shero isn’t ready to make a change behind the bench right now, it’s hard to imagine that it wouldn’t happen at some point if the Devils continue to struggle. Hynes has just a 141-150-43 record as head coach of the team.

Snapshots: Boyle, Penguins, Stuetzle

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After Patrick Marleau ended up signing with the San Jose Sharks after an offseason of uncertainty, heads are now turning to other still unsigned veteran forwards as potential options. Bob McKenzie of TSN reported last night on Insider Trading that Brian Boyle is drawing interest from several teams, and could be signed soon. McKenzie points out that the interested clubs may need to clear roster spots or cap space in order to fit Boyle in.

The 34-year old Boyle actually scored 18 goals last season and has been an extremely versatile player over the years. Able to play both center and left wing, he could give a boost to a club dealing with injuries or one needing a little punch of playoff experience in the lineup. Boyle has played in 114 playoff games over his career, getting to the postseason in each of the last nine years.

  • While there has been no indication that the Pittsburgh Penguins would be a club interested in Boyle, they certainly fit into the category of a team needing some more depth at forward. Not only are Evgeni Malkin, Nick Bjugstad and Bryan Rust out long-term, but today both Alex Galchenyuk and Patric Hornqvist missed practice with injuries and are listed as day-to-day. The Penguins lost to the Winnipeg Jets last night and are already six points behind the 4-0 Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division. Though there is obviously tons of hockey left to be played, Pittsburgh may not be able to afford such a slow start in a division that should be much more competitive than last year.
  • Tim Stuetzle is a name you’ll be hearing plenty over the next several months according to Gord Miller of TSN, who points out the 17-year old forward already has eight points in nine games playing in Germany’s top league this season. Miller suggests he could be a top-10 pick in the 2020 draft, and there’s little doubt that he will be in that conversation next spring. The young forward has effortless speed and offensive skill, but as with so many players around the world there will be questions about his size and ability to hold up in the North American game. One thing to note about Stuetzle’s future is that he was selected 19th overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the 2019 CHL Import Draft, a team he could potentially end up with if whichever NHL team drafts him wants him over right away.

Injury Notes: Larsson, Prout, Raanta

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The Edmonton Oilers have internal options to replace top defender Adam Larsson, who unfortunately suffered a major injury – a fractured fibula – in the very first game of the year. The team has recalled promising prospect Evan Bouchard and could also turn to another prospect in Caleb Jones or veteran Brandon Manning, who both remain with AHL Bakersfield. However, none of those three will be a seamless fit as Larsson’s stand-in and Edmonton will feel his absence even if the rest of their defense corps steps up. Facing a six-to-eight week prognosis, the Oilers may need to look elsewhere if they want to avoid a rocky start through the first two months of the season. TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports that the team is not necessarily looking for a trade already, but is not opposed to going outside the organization to try to replace Larsson. McKenzie opines that a similar defender, one who can log major minutes and play a shutdown role, is not exactly available though. The one name McKenzie mentions as an affordable acquisition is recently-waived veteran Thomas Hickey of the New York Islanders, but McKenzie doubts that Hickey could adequately fill the role left by Larsson and feels his three-year contract is not worth the gamble. It seems the team is most likely going to work with their current group for the time being, with Kris Russell the most likely candidate to move up to the first pair, and will wait to see if an addition is truly needed. Of course, if the Oilers decide to truly try to replace a player of Larsson’s ability via trade, Jesse Puljujarvi remains the organization’s biggest trade chip.

  • Ahead of the San Jose Sharks’ season opener, it seemed that the final blue line spot was a decision between rookie Mario Ferraro and veteran Dalton Prout. However, both defenders ended up playing as Erik Karlsson missed the game for the birth of his child. The decision won’t be very difficult moving forward though. After missing the team’s morning skate, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz has confirmed that Prout is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury suffered in the opener. There is no timeline for his return, meaning Ferraro could have plenty of time to assert himself as a regular member on the San Jose blue line. Additionally, the team has recalled defenseman Jacob Middleton to add some more depth on the back end.
  • It looked like Antti Raanta would be healthy to begin the season for the Arizona Coyotes, but the team opted not to rush him back, likely in light of how Darcy Kuemper played in his stead last season. Raanta began the season on a conditioning stint with AHL Tuscon, but it was unclear if he would actually see action or simply treat the experience like an extended training camp. Wonder no more, as beat writer Alexander Kinkopf reports that Raanta will actually get the call for the Roadrunners in their season opener tonight. Kinkopf relays word from Arizona head coach Rick Tocchet, who says that Raanta wanted to “sharpen his game” with live action before returning to regular NHL duty and he will get that opportunity tonight. It remains unclear how long the Coyotes expect to be without Raanta as he’s on a conditioning stint, but with the recently-extended Kuemper and recently-claimed Eric Comrie in the mix, with a serviceable third-string in Adin Hill around as well, the team may be looking to make a trade from their goalie depth upon Raanta’s return.

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