Boston Bruins Sign Brady Lyle
If you’ve been noticing the strong play of number 37 for the Bruins (Providence, that is) this season, you’re not alone. The Boston Bruins have rewarded Brady Lyle with a two-year entry-level contract. Lyle had been playing with the Providence Bruins on an AHL contract that actually extended through the 2021-22 season as well. That second year will be replaced by the entry-level deal and the new contract carries an average annual value of $800K at the NHL level.
Despite scoring at a strong rate in the OHL, Lyle went undrafted in each of his eligible years and ended up settling for that AHL contract last spring. At the beginning of this season when there wasn’t a clear timetable for the minor leagues, he was loaned to Slovakia where he recorded three points in six games with Detva HC. Since returning, he has been one of the most exciting players on the Providence roster, scoring six goals and 12 points in 19 games. Both of those numbers lead all defenders on the Bruins, but Lyle is also tied for the AHL lead in goals by a defenseman.
Sure, there’s still work to be done by the 21-year-old, but securing an NHL deal was the first step. Last month AHL reporter Mark Divver tweeted that “NHL teams are sniffing around” on Lyle, suggesting that Boston may not have been the only team interested in signing him to an entry-level deal.
East Notes: Granato, Halak, Islanders, Chara
The Buffalo Sabres seem like a different team since Ralph Krueger was fired and replaced with interim head coach Don Granato. While it was believed that Granato was strictly holding the fort down for the remainder of the season until the team could hire more experienced NHL coach, there are many voices suggesting that the Sabres may have already found their coach of the future in Granato.
In fact, the Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington notes that the team has played well under Granato, who has stressed the need for the players to have fun and has already made a positive impression on the play of Rasmus Dahlin, Casey Mittelstadt and Tage Thompson. He has practiced the team hard since taking over and while his team started at 0-5-1, he has turned the team around since then and has a 5-3-2 record since that point. His style of coaching is quite a bit different than the defense-first style of Krueger and the players seem to be responding to it, suggesting that Buffalo should hold onto what it has.
- After getting back Tuukka Rask recently, the Boston Bruins could be close to getting back another goaltender shortly as head coach Bruce Cassidy said Sunday that Jaroslav Halak has been skating on his own and could be eligible to return to the team on Monday. Halak was removed from the COVID Protocol list Saturday after having missed two weeks. The 35-year-old has been solid for the Bruins this season in 17 appearances, boasting a 2,44 GAA and a .910 save percentage and should help stabilize the net even more in Boston.
- New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said that the injuries to both Josh Bailey and Cal Clutterbuck are considered to be closer to day-to-day as opposed to week-to-week, according to Newsday’s Andrew Gross. However, he added that there isn’t a clear timeline for the return of either player. Bailey and Clutterbuck are expected to miss their second-straight game Sunday with a undisclosed injuries. Bailey has six goals and 25 points in 43 games so far this season, while Clutterbuck has three goals, nine points and 147 hits on the team’s fourth line this year.
- Washington Capitals defenseman Zdeno Chara missed his first game of the season Sunday after taking some painful shots off his body Saturday against Philadelphia, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. He is considered day-to-day.
COVID Protocol Related Absences: 04/17/21
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. Here is the list for today:
Colorado – Bowen Byram, Philipp Grubauer, Joonas Donskoi
Edmonton – Dmitry Kulikov
Los Angeles – Matt Roy
Montreal – Jon Merrill, Erik Gustafsson
Philadelphia – Jackson Cates
Toronto – Nick Foligno, Riley Nash, Ben Hutton
Vancouver – Nate Schmidt, Jake Virtanen
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: Jaroslav Halak, Boston Bruins
All things considered, this is a positive day in the NHL’s battle against the Coronavirus. A potential outbreak in Colorado seems to have been stymied, with no new names being added to the list today. Likewise, there are no additions anywhere else in the league either. It’s worth noting too that more than half of the names currently on the list are there due to quarantine requirements from a trade or signing and not due to any COVID-related issues.
Meanwhile, veteran goaltender Halak is finally removed from the list after a near two-week hiatus. The 35-year-old can now join Tuukka Rask, who also recently returned to action, in the Boston net. The Bruins didn’t exactly suffer with promising youngsters Jeremy Swayman and Daniel Vladar at the helm, but will be happy to have their regular tandem back for the stretch run in a competitive East Division race.
*denotes new addition
Tuukka Rask To Return On Sunday
- The Bruins aren’t expected to try to turn John Beecher pro this summer, suggests Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). His sophomore campaign at Michigan came to an early end due to shoulder surgery and he was limited to just 16 games, recording four goals and four assists. Accordingly, it makes sense for Boston to want him to stay in college for another year although Divver indicated that if Beecher wants to turn pro, they will oblige that request.
- Still with Boston, the Bruins were happy to have Tuukka Rask back in the lineup on Thursday for their match-up against the New York Islanders. However, that appears to be the only addition from the infirmary that they’ll get, as Matt Grzelcyk (upper body), Brandon Carlo (upper body), and Kevan Miller (undisclosed) aren’t expected to return for the team’s next game on Sunday, according to The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter.
The 2021 NHL Trade Deadline Deals That Didn’t Happen
The 2021 NHL Trade Deadline came and went with relatively little fanfare. Deadline day saw just 17 trades made (a new 8-year low) that involved only 26 players (a new 20-year low). The obvious downside to a quiet deadline is that it’s not very exciting to follow and doesn’t create the same number of stretch run storylines to follow. The upside? With so little news to cover, nothing slipped through the cracks. Insiders, such as Elliotte Friedman, have come out with more “almost-trades” than in most years and they have been compiled below. Enjoy reveling in what could have been:
Nicolas Deslauriers to the Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins and Anaheim Ducks came so close on a trade for Deslauriers that an article was published on the topic. Friedman reported that a deal was done, but then backtracked as talks fell apart. Pittsburgh ended up adding experience to their bottom-six from another West Division source, adding Jeff Carter from the Los Angeles Kings.
Jamie Oleksiak to the Edmonton Oilers
In the middle of the deadline day chaos, several pundits reported that Dallas Stars defenseman Oleksiak was on his way to Edmonton. Yet, as time ticked by and there was no announcement, it became clear that a deal had not been completed. Oleksiak had been linked to both Edmonton and the Toronto Maple Leafs but stay put, with the speculation now being the the Stars hope to re-sign him. The Oilers, who also missed out on Patrik Nemeth, ended up finding their stay-at-home defenseman in the New Jersey Devils’ Dmitry Kulikov.
Alex Goligoski, Vladislav Gavrikov, or Nikita Zadorov to the Winnipeg Jets
One of the biggest misses of the deadline was the Jets’ failure to add an impact defenseman. Winnipeg did add Jordie Benn late, but that hardly fills their gaping hole in the top-four. In retrospect, the mistake may have been focusing too much on defensemen who weren’t truly available. Friedman believes that the team tried to acquire either Gavrikov or Goligoski, or perhaps even both. Gavrikov would have been a very nice addition for the Jets, but by all accounts the young Columbus Blue Jackets defender was not really for sale. And while the Arizona Coyotes were expected to listen to offers for their expiring contracts, they ended up standing pat and not moving the veteran Goligoski. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Chicago Blackhawks were at least listening to offers for RFA blue liner Zadorov as well and the Jets made a push, but to no avail.
Taylor Hall to the New York Islanders or Vegas Golden Knights
Friedman began his post-deadline “31 Thoughts” by confirming the suspicions that Hall left the Buffalo Sabres little choice but to trade him to the Boston Bruins, stating that Hall had decided that was where he wanted to go and used his No-Movement Clause to make it happen. However, two other teams made a strong push and that was the Islanders and the Golden Knights. Hall was even open to joining New York, but once they acquired Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac he turned his focus to Boston even though the Isles maintained interest. The Sabres were seemingly very interested in making a deal with Vegas, as Friedman notes that multiple teams were contacted about acting as a salary cap broker for a potential deal. In the end, Hall preferred Boston and that is all that mattered.
Daniel Vladar or Jeremy Swayman to the Buffalo Sabres
Many have been critical of the Sabres’ return for Hall – a Boston second-round pick and forward Anders Bjork – but they tried their best to get more. Friedman reports that Buffalo asked Boston about moving one of their promising young keepers, as both Vladar and Swayman have shown NHL ability in recent weeks as the injury replacements in the Bruins net. However, once Boston knew that Hall wanted to go there and could control the decision, they held all the leverage. The team easily declined moving either talented netminder.
Conor Garland to the Toronto Maple Leafs or Vegas Golden Knights
While the team ended up acquiring Nick Foligno instead, Friedman notes that the Toronto Maple Leafs did express interest in affordable Arizona Coyotes forward Garland. Garland would have fit nicely under the cap, but would have been expensive to require and near impossible to re-sign for the cap-strapped Leafs. The team thus went in a different direction. The Golden Knights were also linked to Garland, but could not make a deal work with their division rival. Garland remaining with the Coyotes could be what is best for both parties in the long run anyhow.
Ryan Getzlaf to the Vegas Golden Knights or Montreal Canadiens
The Golden Knights just missed out on seemingly everyone, huh? Friedman notes that the team was close to adding Anaheim captain Getzlaf and the career Duck was open to the nearby move. However, Vegas allegedly was unwilling to meet the trade demands for the veteran center. For the same reason, the Canadiens likely missed out. Friedman notes that they had serious interest, but talks never got far. Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now adds that the Penguins kicked the tires on Getzlaf as well, but never made a serious offer. Anaheim clearly put a high price tag on the face of the franchise and never even approached him about waiving his No-Movement Clause.
Travis Zajac to the Pittsburgh Penguins
While it’s easy to lose track of when trades were made and talks were had around the deadline, per Friedman it seems the Penguins had their sights first set on Zajac from New Jersey, then Getzlaf, and finally Carter. The Kings veteran is not a bad acquisition for a third choice. The Penguins do have to face Zajac on a fellow East Division contender the rest of the way though and surely hope that Carter proves to be the superior player head-to-head.
Trade Deadline Summary: East Division
The NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone. A relatively slow day ended with a late burst, as many teams jumped into the mix at the last minute. How do you think your team did? Share your deadline grades in the comments for teams in the East Division.
Boston Bruins
Status: Buyer
In – F Taylor Hall, F Curtis Lazar, D Mike Reilly
Out – F Anders Bjork, 2021 second-round pick, 2022 third-round pick
Buffalo Sabres
Status: Seller
In – F Anders Bjork, 2021 second-round pick (BOS), 2021 third-round pick (FLA), 2021 third-round pick (MTL), 2021 fifth-round pick (MTL), 2021 sixth-round pick (COL)
Out – F Taylor Hall, F Eric Staal, D Brandon Montour, F Curtis Lazar, G Jonas Johansson
New Jersey Devils
Status: Seller
In – D Jonas Siegenthaler, F A.J. Greer, F Mason Jobst, 2021 first-round pick (NYI), conditional 2021 fourth-round pick (NYI), conditional 2022 fourth-round pick (EDM)
Out – F Kyle Palmieri, F Travis Zajac, D Dmitry Kulikov, 2021 third-round pick
New York Islanders
Status: Buyer
In – F Kyle Palmieri, F Travis Zajac, D Braydon Coburn
Out – F A.J. Greer, F Mason Jobst, 2021 first-round pick, conditional 2021 fourth-round pick, 2022 seventh-round pick
New York Rangers
Status: Neutral
In – 2021 fourth-round pick (LAK)
Out – F Brendan Lemieux
Philadelphia Flyers
Status: Neutral
In – 2021 fifth-round pick (VGK via WAS), 2022 seventh-round pick (STL via MTL)
Out – F Michael Raffl, D Erik Gustafsson
Pittsburgh Penguins
Status: Buyer
In – F Jeff Carter
Out – conditional 2022 third-round pick, conditional 2023 fourth-round pick
Washington Capitals
Status: Buyer
In – F Anthony Mantha, F Michael Raffl, conditional 2021 third-round pick (ARI/NJ)
Out – F Jakub Vrana, F Richard Panik, D Jonas Siegenthaler, 2021 first-round pick, 2022 second-round pick, 2021 fifth-round pick
Boston Bruins Acquire Taylor Hall
7:00 AM: The Bruins have officially announced the trade.
10:59 PM: The most talked-about rental this season has finally found a home, as the Boston Bruins turned around from their 8-1 loss this evening and will acquire Taylor Hall from the Buffalo Sabres according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. John Buccigross of ESPN was the first to suggest a deal was coming on Twitter (in quite entertaining fashion). Darren Dreger of TSN reports that the deal will be Hall and injured forward Curtis Lazar for Anders Bjork and a second-round pick. According to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, the Sabres have retained 50% of Hall’s $8MM cap hit through the end of this season.
Hall had full control of this process, given he held a no-movement clause and could block a trade to any team in the league. He decided to waive that clause to go to Boston. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period notes that the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals were also in the running earlier today. The fact that the Sabres were unable to secure a first-round pick for Hall will be the takeaway for Buffalo fans, but Hall is in the midst of a brutal season. While you can’t forget that he was the league MVP in 2018, you also can’t ignore the fact that he scored just two goals in 37 games for the Sabres this year.
Still, giving up just a second and Bjork, who has just two goals of his own this season, is a no-brainer for the Bruins, with their eyes set on postseason contention. If Hall can find any semblance of his past self in Boston he can be a difference-maker on the second line, giving the team some secondary scoring that they’ve been lacking for so long.
Bjork has established himself as an NHL player with good defensive abilities but will turn 25 later this summer and has just 39 points in 138 career regular season games. One important factor here is that he’s under contract through the 2022-23 season at a reasonable $1.6MM, but it’s not like he is going to provide a huge impact for the rebuilding Sabres. In fact, one could argue that Lazar can provide about the same value when healthy and is under contract through next season for just $800K. Moving Bjork at tomorrow’s deadline doesn’t seem out of the question if the Sabres can find an interested party.
The Bruins are also taking on $4MM in cap, which is much higher than some of the other names that have been moved around recently. The fact that they can absorb that hit is why Hall’s price is so low, as they did not need to involve another team, which would have meant giving up another asset. Even without going into long-term injured reserve, the Bruins should have just enough room to fit Hall in after sending Bjork the other way.
At the end of the day, this deal will mean nothing for Boston if Hall can’t find his form. The team has taken swings on high profile wingers before and had them struggle down the stretch, but Hall will certainly be surrounded by more talent in his new locker room. In all likelihood, the 29-year-old winger will get just his third chance at the postseason this year, though it isn’t even a guarantee at this point. Boston is now just four points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers for fourth place in the East Division (though they do have two games in hand), meaning Hall will need to start contributing right away if he wants to get another taste of the playoffs.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Bruins Acquire Mike Reilly
The Bruins have added some depth to their back end as they’ve acquired Mike Reilly from Ottawa in exchange for a 2022 third-round draft pick. Both teams have announced the trade.
Reilly was highly coveted coming out of college after opting to not sign with Columbus who drafted him back in the fourth round in 2011. However, he never really established himself as a regular with Minnesota who signed him in free agency and things didn’t change after he was flipped to Montreal in 2018. That resulted in Ottawa picking him up for a fifth-rounder last season and while he still isn’t quite established yet as a key piece, he has taken some steps towards that.
This season, the 27-year-old has played in 40 games and while he has yet to score a goal, he has a career-best 19 assists, one behind Thomas Chabot for the team lead while the 19 points are also a career high. That performance was enough to get Ottawa GM Pierre Dorion to try to work out a short-term contract extension this weekend, per Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, but those talks clearly didn’t result in a new deal although they were able to get a two-round upgrade on what they paid to get him a year ago which is still nice.
As for Boston, they have been hit hard by the injury bug this season with Charlie McAvoy, John Moore, Brandon Carlo, and Matt Grzelcyk all currently out of the lineup with Kevan Miller requiring some rest after missing all of last season so there was a clear need for depth. They also didn’t replace Torey Krug when he left for St. Louis in free agency so Reilly’s playmaking will certainly be beneficial. A good showing with Boston would certainly bolster his value heading into the open market but could also create an opportunity for him to stick around.
Reilly is a pending unrestricted free agent with a $1.5MM salary and cap hit which still leaves GM Don Sweeney some space to work with before Monday’s trade deadline. They could still stand to add defensive depth in light of the injuries but they could also turn to try to add up front and add some secondary scoring, an element they’ve frequently coveted in recent deadlines.
Joe McDonald of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette was the first to report the trade.
Charlie McAvoy Scratched With An Upper-Body Injury
The Bruins got some more bad news on the injury front as just prior to their game against Philadelphia, the team announced (Twitter link) that Charlie McAvoy was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury. The 23-year-old has been a key cog on their back end this season, leading the way offensively with 22 points in 35 games while averaging a team-high 24:23 in ice time. For context, he’s the only regular Boston blueliner averaging more than 20 minutes a night. Adding help on the back end has seemingly been a goal for the Bruins dating back to last offseason and if McAvoy is going to miss any extended period of time, that need will only intensify.
College Notes: Galajda, Pelton-Byce, Becker
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.