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Flames Are Believed To Be Looking To Trade A Defenseman

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The Flames are believed to be looking to move one of their defensemen, reports Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe.  The back end has long been viewed as a strength in Calgary but they are projected to finish the season less than $1MM under the salary cap which doesn’t give them a lot of wiggle room to work with if they want to add to the team between now and the trade deadline.

Calgary came into the year with rookie Juuso Valimaki surprising many by earning a spot on the roster while sophomore Rasmus Andersson has played in all but three games so far as well.  Injuries to Valimaki (lower body) and Michael Stone (blood clot) have pressed Oliver Kylington into action and he has held his own in limited minutes.

As a result, the Flames have an impressive surplus to deal with.  Assuming that captain Mark Giordano and offseason acquisition Noah Hanifin are off the table, veterans T.J. Brodie ($4.65MM) and Travis Hamonic ($3.86MM) make sense as impact trade targets for teams.  Both players are on below-market contracts and are signed through 2019-20 so they aren’t pure rentals.  Accordingly, they would each yield a significant return if they were to part with one.

Alternatively, GM Brad Treliving could also be convinced to part with one of his younger defenders.  While that wouldn’t achieve the salary cap savings that they could certainly use, any move like that would likely bring in a quality young forward that could help supplement their secondary scoring.

With how the likes of Valimaki and Andersson have performed, Calgary has an opportunity to cash in on an organizational surplus that many teams could certainly stand to benefit from.  With Hamonic and Brodie set to become unrestricted free agents in 2020, it’s likely that they’d have been looking to deal from that depth no later than the 2019 offseason.  Instead, it appears they’re willing to make that type of move within the next couple of months.

Calgary Flames Activate Mikael Backlund, Recall Kerby Rychel

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Despite having won seven of their last eight games, the red hot Calgary Flames continue to improve their lineup as the team announced it has taken center Mikael Backlund off injured reserve, while recalling Kerby Rychel, the leading scorer on the Stockton Heat. The team also sent Andrew Mangiapane and goaltender Jon Gillies back to the AHL.

Backlund has been on IR since Dec. 8 and has missed four games. The 29-year-old has five goals and 17 points in 29 games this season, but is a key figure centering the team’s second line. Veteran Derek Ryan has been filling in for him, but the infusion of Backlund should invigorate a tired team who is playing the second game of a back-to-back set. The team also brought in Rychel, who has been extremely effective in Stockton where he has already tallied 13 goals and 21 points in 25 games this season. He was acquired in an offseason trade with Montreal for Hunter Shinkaruk. Rychel made four appearances with the Canadiens last season scoring one goal and an assist.

With the healthy return of Mike Smith in goal who is expected to serve as a backup Sunday, the team had no use for Gillies, who just served as a backup Saturday. Gillies hasn’t made an appearance for Calgary this year. Mangiapane was recalled on Nov. 30 and has appeared in seven games since then, but hasn’t gotten on the scoreboard. The 22-year-old had seven goals and seven assists in Stockton.

 

 

Minor Transactions: 12/09/18

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It was a series of exciting results in the NHL on Saturday, with seven of ten winners scoring five or more goals. Both in games and goals, today should be a bit quieter with just seven contests on the docket. Flyers-Jets is a matinee worth watching this afternoon, while the Canadiens and Blackhawks compete in an Original Six match-up and the Battle of Alberta takes place later tonight when the Flames visit the Oilers. Whether preparing for a game today or for the week ahead, keep up with all today’s minor moves right here:

  • With a divisional face-off with the Boston Bruins awaiting them later today, the Ottawa Senators have recalled veteran defenseman Erik Burgdoerfer, the team announced. The Belleville Senators’ captain has been a frequent call-up for Ottawa, but more often than not as extra security. Burgdoerfer has only played in one NHL game so far this season, despite spending more than a few games up with Ottawa. The 29-year-old has been a solid presence in the AHL, leading Belleville with a +8 rating, but has yet to earn much opportunity to display his defensive abilities for Ottawa. Perhaps that will change on this most recent promotion.
  • Despite missing his minor league game last night due to recurring injury concerns, Gabriel Vilardi has been recalled by the Los Angeles Kings, per the AHL. Vilardi has been on a conditioning assignment with the Ontario Reign for the past few weeks, but has only skated in four games with merely one point. The 11th overall pick a year ago, Vilardi is still expected to grow into a very good two-way forward, but must first shake his injury issues. This recall could simply be to allow the Kings’ medical team to take a closer look, but hopefully it is more of a reflection of his readiness to make his NHL debut sooner rather than later. The Los Angeles Kings also announced they have recalled forward Austin Wagner from the Ontario Reign of the AHL. Wagner, who was assigned to Ontario on Friday, will return, likely due to possible extended injury to Kyle Clifford, who went down Saturday after taking a hit from Vegas’ Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The 21-year-old has played in 18 games for L.A. with a goal and four points.
  • The New York Islanders have returned Christopher Gibson to the AHL, now that goaltender Robin Lehner has returned to action. In a corresponding move, the team announced that young forward Josh Ho-Sang has been recalled from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Ho-Sang has been on a shorter leash under new head coach Barry Trotz and GM Lou Lamoriello and has yet to make his NHL debut this season. He has been very productive in the minors with 22 points in 26 games (albeit with only a pair of goals) which marks a greater scoring clip than his previous two seasons in Bridgeport. However, his scoring pace has not translated to the Islanders in the past and is unlikely to do so this time around. Another unsuccessful call-up for Ho-Sang could lead to the end of his time in New York, as quite a few teams would be interested in providing him a change of scenery.
  • Riley Barber is on his way back to Hershey, as the Washington Capitals announced that they have reassigned the young forward. Barber is second in scoring for the Bears with 18 points and hoped that he had earned a chance to suit up for the Capitals. Instead, Barber did not see any action on his recall and still has just three NHL games under his belt in four pro seasons, despite good production in the AHL.
  • The Calgary Flames announced they have recalled enforcer Anthony Peluso from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. He was a scratch last night for Stockton and it is believed he will be active for the Flames’ Battle of Alberta with the Edmonton Oilers to add a little grit to their lineup. Peluso has appeared in three games with Calgary this year, but has averaged just 4:40 of ATOI. He had played 16 games for Stockton with one goal, three assists and 29 penalty minutes. The team has sent forward Ryan Lomberg to Stockton to complete the roster move, according to Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg. Lomberg who received an automatic one-game suspension for instigating a fight with five minutes left in a game on Thursday against Minnesota, got an extra game from Department of Player Safety the following day. He sat out Saturday’s contest and will have to sit out another contest whenever he is brought back to Calgary.
  • The Minnesota Wild announced good news that veteran forward Mikko Koivu, who was injured in Thursday’s game when he was kneed by Calgary’s Mark Giordano, will only be out day-to-day. That’s a best case scenario as many had projected he may miss as much as three to four weeks. To fill in for Koivu in the meantime, the Wild announced they have recalled forward Luke Kunin from the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Kunin, the team’s 2016 first-round pick, has been playing in Iowa in hopes to getting his game up to speed after undergoing ACL surgery last season. The 21-year-old has fared well in the AHL as he has eight goals and 15 points in 21 games.

Minor Transactions: 12/08/18

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With ten games on deck today spanning nine hours from first to last puck drop, there is plenty of NHL hockey to watch. The Flyers and Sabres get the action started with an early afternoon matinee, followed by the Golden Knights and Kings with their own early game on the west coast, and then eight contests later tonight, highlighted by Maple Leafs-Bruins, Lightning-Avalanche, Capitals-Blue Jackets, and Predators-Flames. In preparation, expect a flurry of moves today as teams align their rosters for Saturday’s games and beyond:

  • The Arizona Coyotes have recalled forward Michael Bunting from the AHL’s Tuscon Roadrunners, the team announced. Bunting is off to a strong start in the minors this season, currently tied for second on the Roadrunners in scoring with 18 points through 20 games. Bunting led the club in goal scoring last season and finished third in points and his continued success begs for a look at the NHL level. This is not Bunting’s first recall, yet he has not actually seen any game action with Arizona just yet. That could change this week as the ’Yotes look to fend off tough competition in the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, and Buffalo Sabres.
  • As expected, the Calgary Flames have called up forward Alan Quine, per a team release, making it his first recall of the season and first with the club. Quine signed with the Flames this summer, expecting to compete for a regular role, but has instead been relegated to a full-time job with the AHL’s Stockton Heat. He’s certainly made the most of that situation, recording 19 points in 15 games, among the top per-game producers in the AHL. With Mikael Backlund joining Michael Frolik on the shelf for Calgary, Quine should slot in nicely as a capable two-way forward. A strong performance could make it difficult for the team to send him back down to the minors at first opportunity. The Calgary Flames also announced they have recalled defenseman Rinat Valiev from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. He likely was brought up as an emergency option for the team with back-to-back games approaching on Saturday vs. Nashville and Sunday in Edmonton. The 23-year-old is already on his third NHL team after the Flames picked him up right before the season from Montreal in exchange for Brett Kulak. Valiev has three assists in 20 games for Stockton this season.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have returned defenseman Cameron Schilling to Manitoba of the AHL, reports Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Sun.  He suited up in four games while on recall, his first NHL action since the 2014-15 season.  With Dustin Byfuglien and Dmitry Kulikov both returning on Friday, Schilling was no longer needed to serve as injury depth and will return to the Moose where he has six assists in 15 games so far this season.
  • The New York Rangers announced that they have recalled center Cole Schneider from Hartford of the AHL.  He is tied for second on the Wolf Pack in scoring with eight goals and nine assists in 25 games so far this season.  If he gets into a game with New York, it will be his first NHL action in more than two years.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes have returned winger Saku Maenalanen and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to AHL Charlotte, per a team release.  Maenalanen made his NHL debut last night, logging just 6:49 of ice time.  He has 11 points in 23 games so far with the Checkers.  As for Nedeljkovic, he was recalled to serve as the backup last night with Curtis McElhinney dealing with a minor injury and will now go back to Charlotte where he will likely split playing time with Scott Darling.

 

Mark Giordano Given Two Game Suspension, Ryan Lomberg's Suspension Extended By An Extra Game

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The Department of Player Safety announced that Flames defenseman Mark Giordano has received a two-game suspension from a kneeing incident involving Minnesota center Mikko Koivu on Thursday night.  In addition, the league also revealed that winger Ryan Lomberg has also been suspended one additional game on top of the automatic one-game suspension he received for instigating a fight in the final five minutes of that same contest.

Mark Giordano, Ryan Lomberg To Have Hearings With Department Of Player Safety

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The Calgary Flames and Minnesota Wild exchanged various pleasantries last night in a physical battle, and several participants will be given supplementary discipline. Mark Giordano will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety regarding his knee of Minnesota’s Mikko Koivu, while Ryan Lomberg will have one for initiating a legal line change in order to start a fight. Lomberg has also automatically been issued a one-game suspension for instigating a fight in the final five minutes, while his coach Bill Peters has earned a $10,000 fine.

This isn’t the first time that Giordano has been caught kneeing an opponent, and it could result in the Flames captain sitting down for a few games depending on how the league classifies it. Koivu suffered an injury on the play, though it is not clear how serious it is at this point. Lomberg on the other hand will be guaranteed at least one game after he chased down Mathew Dumba and started a fight late in the game. Dumba had delivered a hard, open-ice hit on Mikael Backlund previously, but will not be disciplined further for it.

It’s a tough outcome for the Flames, who won the game but could lose two players in the process. Calgary is leading the Pacific Division with an 18-9-2 record, and a big part of that has been the play of Giordano of late. If he has to sit, the Flames will have to turn to a less experienced option on defense, especially given that Michael Stone is still out—although skating today—with a blood clot. Lomberg will not face the automatic 10-game suspension for leaving the bench to instigate a fight since it was deemed a legal line change, but could have another few games added on.

Minor Transactions: 12/06/18

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After a quiet Wednesday night in the NHL the league scheduler is back in action with 11 games on tap for tonight. That includes some prime divisional matchups in the Eastern Conference and a big game between the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames. While we wait for the action to get started this evening, we’ll keep track of all the minor roster moves made ahead of time.

  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Brian Lashoff in time for their game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. With Danny DeKeyser’s recent hand injury, the team was left with just six healthy defensemen for the game. It’s unlikely that Lashoff is inserted into the lineup, but will serve as insurance in case anyone is injured over the next few hours.
  • Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled their own defenseman, as Gabriel Carlsson is on his way back to the NHL. Carlsson has played just a single game for the Blue Jackets this season, but is a huge part of their future blue line plans after being selected in the first round in 2015. His long reach and defensive ability should come in handy if the team puts him into the lineup right away.
  • In a somewhat surprising move, the Dallas Stars have sent Roope Hintz to the AHL. If the move is anything more than a paper transaction to save some cap space during a day between games, it makes the loss of Gemel Smith on waivers even more questionable. The Stars were already carrying just 22 players after the loss of Smith, meaning they could activate Martin Hanzal from long-term injured reserve.
  • Nelson Nogier made his season debut for the Winnipeg Jets this week, but is already on his way back to the minor leagues. The Jets made the move earlier today, expecting one of their regular defensemen to be ready when they get back on the ice. Nogier will surely get another chance, but for now will have to continue his development in the AHL.
  • Matt Beleskey is on his way back to the Rangers who announced that they have recalled him from Hartford of the AHL.  His stint in the minors was short-lived as he was sent down back on Sunday.  The veteran has played just once with New York this season but has been productive in the minors with nine points in 14 games.

Michael Frolik Suffers Setback In Recovery From Lower-Body Injury

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  • Flames winger Michael Frolik has suffered a setback in his recovery from lower-body injury, reports Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson. He last played on November 19th and was initially listed as day-to-day but it appears he’ll be out a fair bit longer as he has yet to even skate over the past week.  Frolik has had a quiet start to his season; while he has a respectable seven goals in 20 games, he has yet to record a single assist while his ice time has dropped to a career-low 12:07 per night.

Board Of Governors Notes: Salary Cap, Melnyk, Seattle

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The NHL’s Board of Governors Meeting began today in Sea Island, Georgia, as the league’s owners and executives sat down today for the first of two days of discussions. Commissioner Gary Bettman then spoke with the media this evening, apprising the press of certain topics of discussions. The biggest announcement made by Bettman related to the projected salary cap for next season. As relayed by NHL.com’s Dan Rosen, Bettman expects the 2019-20 salary cap to raise to $83MM, a significant jump of $3.5MM for this season’s ceiling of $79.5MM. Rosen notes that this value could change, but that the league has been consistently accurate in their predictions in the past. Such an increase would serve to accommodate the growing salaries of younger players, as emphasized by the recent William Nylander negotiations. With several high-profile players on high payroll teams becoming restricted free agents this summer, this added cushion should help those squads to stay together in a more comfortable manner.

  • TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk is not in attendance at the meetings, which is perhaps why Bettman took the opportunity to speak about his unhappiness with the situation in Ottawa. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman relayed that Bettman is “disappointed” in how the progress on a new arena in Ottawa has been going, although he did not point any fingers and stated that he understands it is a complex process. Nevertheless, with Melnyk’s seemingly poor management of the team, as well as his poor placement in the public eye, and now an admission from the commissioner that he is frustrated with the situation, perhaps the idea that the Senators owner will be forced to sell is not as outlandish as it once seemed.
  • The meeting today did not involve any discussion on the expansion bid of the potential Seattle ownership group, although Rosen reports that David Bonderman and Jerry Bruckheimer were in attendance. Instead, any discussion has been tabled until tomorrow, when the owners will vote on Seattle’s entry into the league. A two-thirds vote in favor of expansion is needed to make Seattle official and there is a strong expectation of such a result. However, the vote also more or less is a vote of realignment, as Seattle will almost certainly be added to the Pacific Division, whereas the Central Division is currently short a team. One organization who could be moved, but has no desire to do so, is the Edmonton Oilers. The team does not want to move to the Central, meaning the Oilers’ and Calgary Flames’ owners could be two potential votes against on Tuesday. If those two teams don’t move, it’s likely the Arizona Coyotes being shifted to the Central and they can’t be too happy about the possible move either.
  • The one piece of Seattle news that did come out today, albeit still not official, is that the team is likely to begin play in 2021. TSN’s Darren Dreger states that no one would go on the record, but that all signs point to the team’s inaugural season being 2021-22. While this is a year later than most expected when the current round of expansion officially began, the delays in making the move official combined with concerns over collective bargaining have hinted at a 2021 start for some time.

Edmonton Has No Interest In Moving Out of Pacific Division

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With the expected approval on Tuesday for the Seattle expansion franchise at the board of governor’s meeting, the next question that will have to be determined is how to re-align the Western Conference as Seattle will obviously move into the Pacific Division, giving them nine teams, while the Central Division would have just seven. While there has been talk about moving the Arizona Coyotes over to the Central Division, many feel the team should stay where it is as they have short rivalry trips to Las Vegas and Los Angeles/Anaheim.

Another popular suggestion is to move both the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames together to the Central Division and sending the Colorado Avalanche back to the Pacific Division. However, Terry Jones of The Edmonton Sun writes that option isn’t very popular in Edmonton.

“We want to stay in the Pacific. And we’re pretty strong about it,” insists Bob Nicholson, vice chairman and CEO of the Oilers Entertainment Group. “Seattle is going to come into the league and when they do come in, we definitely do not want to move. We feel the rivalries are too strong for the NHL to do that to our franchise.”

The two teams have built rivalries in the Pacific, including one between the Flames and the Vancouver Canucks, while Edmonton has built some significant rivalries with some of the California teams, most specifically with recent playoff matchups with the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks. Nicholson said the team intends to appeal to the NHL to allow the Oilers as well as the rival Flames to stay in the Pacific Division.

“I just believe we’ve been in the league a long time now and hopefully the league will respect our rivalries, especially the Calgary and Vancouver rivalries,” said Nicholson.

Of course, there are new potential rivalries between both Calgary and Edmonton with a team such as the Winnipeg Jets and even the Minnesota Wild. Regardless, Nicholson has a strong feeling the league will accept the wishes of Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.

“I’m relatively confident from the unofficial conversations that have gone on, so far,” Nicholson said. “I’m expecting it to be simple and that it will be Arizona that would move into the Central. If it gets more complicated than that, I think there would be big debates. We expect to stay where we are. I would think it would be Arizona that would move.”

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