Dennis Wideman Willing To Waive No-Movement Clause
Since the Calgary Flames acquired Michael Stone on Monday afternoon, much of the chatter around the team has been whether they will be able to find a taker for Dennis Wideman since the veteran defenseman is now basically out of a job. Wideman was scratched yesterday and told Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Herald today that he would definitely be open” to waiving his NMC to facilitate a deal of some sort. Wideman wants to go somewhere he’s “wanted”, though that may be difficult given his declining play and hefty cap hit.
Wideman has played 810 games in the NHL and was once considered a premiere puck-moving defenseman capable of racking up points in bunches. He has four 40+ point seasons under his belt but the game seems to have slipped just out of his grasp this season. Calgary seems determined to give Matt Bartkowski a chance at locking down the third pairing, meaning Wideman will be sitting in the press box more often than not.
It will be interesting to see if Calgary can find a taker for Wideman, who carries a $5.25MM cap hit but $6MM in real salary. The team could retain some of his salary, but are already tight against the cap and using the relief granted from Ladislav Smid‘s LTIR status. Perhaps they’ll include Wideman in another move they make and overpay elsewhere, but it seems like he’s stuck in Calgary for the time being. Don’t forget that the playoffs are a grind though, and one injury—perhaps to a surgically repaired knee of a recent acquisition—could force Wideman right back into a big-minute role for the Flames.
Friedman’s Latest: Vermette, Smith, Oduya, Eaves, Flames
Although Antoine Vermette’s suspension was a CBA-mandated 10 games, there is a growing suggestion that it could be cut in half via the appeal process, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes in his latest 30 Thoughts column. He believes that this could be something that the league and the Players’ Association were working on which could explain the delay in the suspension being announced in the first place (not to mention how quickly it was announced that an appeal had been launched).
However, this doesn’t appear to be something that the NHL officials would be too happy with so this is far from a sure bet. Many officials are still unhappy with Gary Bettman’s decision to reduce the ban on Dennis Wideman last year and Friedman could see the officials pushing back on this one.
As always, the full 30 Thoughts are well worth the read but here are a handful of the highlights:
- The Red Wings are telling teams that they are “open for business” when it comes to the trade market. However, they’re unwilling to move any key youngsters unless a young, top pairing defenseman is involved in the discussions. He notes that Detroit will talk to defenseman Brendan Smith about a possible contract extension in the coming days before committing to moving him as a rental by March 1st. We took a closer look at Smith’s case recently in our Trade Candidates series.
- While Dallas blueliner Johnny Oduya would be an ideal target for many contenders, there is concern over the shape of his ankle, which has caused him to miss time twice already this season (he currently is out of the lineup as a result of it). If he’s able to return in the coming days (or is at least close), there should still be some interest but if not, the Stars may be in tough to get the type of return they’re hoping for. Still with the Stars, there are no talks on an extension with pending UFA winger Patrick Eaves. With 21 goals and a cap hit of just $1MM, there will be plenty of teams interested in him over the next week.
- Friedman expects that the Flames haven’t finished making moves yet after their acquisition of defenseman Michael Stone earlier this week. He notes that they’re looking for some grit on the wing and also wouldn’t be surprised if they look at the goaltending market. Calgary sits 24th in team save percentage this season and both Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson are slated to be unrestricted free agents in July. There are more notable goalies available than usual this season so the time might be right for GM Brad Treliving to try to upgrade that position.
Deadline Primer: Calgary Flames
With the trade deadline now just over a week away, we continue to take a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?
The Calgary Flames kicked off their trade deadline a bit early this season, acquiring right-handed defenseman Michael Stone from the Arizona Coyotes on February 20th, before many other teams have even decided whether they’re true buyers or sellers. With Stone, Calgary is getting one of the top rental defenseman on the market, whether you believe in his underlying numbers or not. Depth on the blueline is no longer much of an issue for the Flames, who are still currently in a playoff spot.
While they likely won’t catch the leaders in the Pacific, they are right in the thick of the wildcard hunt with 62 points and a good young team. It’ll be an interesting deadline to be sure, as the team doesn’t seem like it is finished just yet.
Record
29-26-4, 4th in Pacific Division
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$2.67MM – full-season cap hit due to LTIR space, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly.
Draft Picks
2017: CGY 1st, CGY 2nd, CGY 4th, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th
2018: CGY 1st, CGY 2nd, CGY 4th, FLA 4th, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th
Trade Chips
The Flames used a couple of picks to grab Stone, and it looks like if they want to do anything else it would be more of the same. The Flames don’t have much off their roster that they would be willing to move outside of Dennis Wideman who is making too much money for too little performance for anyone to want him. The team could trade Micheal Ferland or Matt Stajan if they thought they could upgrade in the bottom-six, but it would be tough to find a deal that makes sense for either one. 
The most talked about name going into the deadline will be Sam Bennett, but without much cause. The team doesn’t seem like it is anywhere close to accepting the idea that they need to move on from the former 4th-overall pick, despite his down season. Bennett is only 20, and if teams gave up on their top picks that early they’d find themselves in the lottery more often than not.
In terms of prospect capital, the Flames could waive Hunter Shinkaruk or Tyler Wotherspoon around hoping for a bite, though neither would get the return that the team would jump at. There system is filled with former top prospects who are almost getting to the point where they need to be tested in the NHL, and perhaps a rebuilding squad would take a chance on one or two of them.
Five Players To Watch: G Brian Elliott, D Dennis Wideman, F Micheal Ferland, D Jyrki Jokipakka, F Kris Versteeg
Team Needs
1) Goaltending – It almost stops here (no pun intended) for the Flames after they addressed their second defense pairing with Stone. Their goaltending has simply not been good enough for a team that wants to make a splash in the playoffs. Elliott hasn’t been anything close to what the team had thought they were getting, and Chad Johnson has been admirable but average in his takeover. If the Flames could find a legitimate number 1 goaltender it would be a big help, but even a capable 1A guy that can split the rest of the season with Johnson could be helpful. If Mike Smith hadn’t been told he’s staying in Arizona it would be a perfect fit.
2) Third-Line Center – Though the team shouldn’t give up long-term on Bennett, they need to find a capable leader for their third line that isn’t him. Stajan is no longer capable of that kind of role, and the bouncing ball of wingers isn’t helping. If the Flames could find a legitimate shutdown center capable of driving that line, their forward group would get a lot more dangerous as a whole.
3) Top-Six Right Winger – If they can’t find the center, then adding a better option than Versteeg or Troy Brouwer on the top line is a must. Though both are capable of 20+ goal seasons at their best, they haven’t shown that ability this season. Replacing Versteeg with a more dangerous scoring threat would take some of the pressure off the kids up front and allow Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan to show what they can do offensively.
Arizona Coyotes Trade Michael Stone To Calgary Flames
The Arizona Coyotes have broken open the trade gates, dealing defenseman Michael Stone to the Calgary Flames. The Flames will send a 2017 third and conditional 2018 fifth-round pick back and that Arizona will retain 50% of his salary for the remainder of the season. The condition will kick in should Calgary be able to re-sign him. 
The Flames will only be on the hook for $544K for the rest of the season, a small number for a team that is still trying to make the playoffs this season. This won’t stop them from being active at the deadline, as they still have almost $3MM of further LTIR relief should Ladislav Smid remain out for the rest of the season.
Stone is a 26-year old defenseman who before this season had been a solid contributor at both ends of the rink. Last year he registered 36 points in 75 games but just hasn’t been able to stay healthy throughout his career. A right-handed defender, we ranked him 15th among our Midseason Free Agent rankings, despite a disaster 2016-17.
For just a third-round pick, Stone is an excellent gamble for the Flames who know him quite well. Brad Treliving worked for Arizona before becoming the Calgary GM, and should understand what he can bring to the table when he is healthy. At very worst, they’ll get a few months with him to try and get him under a longer-term contract.
As written previously on PHR, right-handed defensemen are one of the hardest commodities to acquire in the NHL, and if Stone can get back to the form he showed last season (even without the inflated point totals from his powerplay time) he is worth much more than a third-round pick.
This might signal the beginning of the fire-sale in Arizona, who are expected to deal all of their expiring contracts before the March 1st deadline. Martin Hanzal, Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata have all been rumored for the last few weeks, but it is now Stone that has moved first. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets after the deal was completed that Arizona may not even be finished today, as they continue to work on other deals.
Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to break the news on Twitter that the two sides had agreed to a deal, with Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet providing the details.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Pacific Notes: Marleau, Flames, Domingue
San Jose forward Patrick Marleau has seen his stock rise in recent weeks after a relatively quiet start to the season. Accordingly, talk has turned as to whether or not the team will look to sign him beyond this season. As Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News suggests though, a decision on that probably wouldn’t come until after the year. The same can be said for center Joe Thornton, another pending unrestricted free agent.
As is likely to be the case with a lot of potential UFAs in the next few months, the expansion draft will play a role. Neither veteran has a no-move clause so the Sharks could leave them exposed, allowing them to protect some other players. Then, after the draft is completed, they could look at giving them an extension. While it’s believed that Thornton is seeking a three year deal, there is no indication yet on how long of a contract that the 37 year old Marleau would be looking for.
Elsewhere in the Pacific:
- While the Flames are among the NHL leaders in spending on their blueline this season (and that doesn’t include Ladislav Smid’s $3.5MM on LTIR), they have a glaring weakness on their back end which is holding them back, argues Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun. Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, and Dougie Hamilton comprise a high-end top three but the team is lacking a quality number four to have that unit take another step forward. Recently, Deryk Engelland (who Francis reports the team would like to sign to a contract extension, likely after the expansion draft) has moved into a top four spot but he’s better suited as a third pairing option. Calgary may be able to add a rental player to help now but will probably have to wait until the offseason to add a player that would fill that role long-term.
- After faring relatively well in the second half last season due to an injury to Mike Smith, Coyotes goaltender Louis Domingue has struggled considerably so far this year, writes Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic. Among goalies to play at least 22 games this season, he has the lowest save percentage (.895) and the second highest goals against average (3.29). With Smith now healthy, Domingue’s playing time has dropped considerably which likely is contributing to the struggles. Goalie coach Jon Elkin suggests that his struggles are more from adapting to being a full-time NHL player for the first time. At any rate, with Arizona well out of the playoff picture, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the younger Domingue play more in the weeks ahead which should help turn his season around somewhat.
Minor Transactions: 2/17/2017
The Washington Capitals announced that they have recalled rookies Zach Sanford and Jakub Vrana from the AHL’s Hershey Bears. The pair has combined to play in 33 games for the Capitals in 2016-17, and their continued growth will become even more important down the stretch. Sanford has played in 21 games, but has only a goal and an assist in limited ice time. Vrana has suited up for just 12 games, but has a goal and two assists in that time, as well as a +2 rating. When active, Vrana has seen more ice time with the Capital’s skill players, while Sanford has settled into a bottom-six role. Regardless, both players need to work harder to bring their strong AHL production to the next level in Washington. With Andre Burakovsky sidelined, the Capitals approach the Trade Deadline with very little forward depth beyond their starters other than the two rookies. If Sanford and Vrana can’t pick up the pace when the Caps return from their bye week on Saturday, Washington will very likely target one or two veteran forwards by March 1st.
Elsewhere around the league:
- Arizona was forced to promote goalie Marek Langhamer last night on an emergency basis, as backup Louis Domingue was injured earlier in the day. The AHL Tuscon Roadrunners’ keeper traveled to Los Angeles to meet the team prior to their road game and will head back to Arizona and remain with the team for now. Langhamer hasn’t had his best season in 2016-17, posting a .914 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average to accompany a losing record in 12 games with the Roadrunners, but performed much worse in his first AHL season last year. Langhamer has looked much better down in the ECHL over the past two campaigns and seems to just need more time to develop. He is still a better prospect than many would have expected when he was drafted in the seventh round in 2012 out of the Czech Republic national junior program.
- In the wake of injuries to Olli Maatta and Justin Schultz, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled fellow defensemen Steven Oleksy and Cameron Gaunce from their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Maatta will miss the next six weeks, while Schultz’ condition is still unknown, so a long-term role or two may have just opened up for Oleksy, Gaunce, or Chad Ruhwedel.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have promoted forward Gabriel Dumont from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch. Dumont was passed through waivers last month and demoted to the minors, but in need of an extra body up front, he’ll return to West Florida from upstate New York. Dumont has just two points in 14 games with the Bolts, and five points overall in his NHL career.
- The Calgary Flames assigned defenseman Brett Kulak to the AHL’s Stockton Heat, the team announced. Kulak has played in 21 games with the Flames this year, picking up three assists while averaging a little more than 14 minutes per game. He also has suited up in 11 minor league games with the Heat, recording five points.
- Anaheim Ducks blueliner Shea Theodore has once again been re-assigned to their AHL affiliate in San Diego per a team release. This marks the 12th different time he has been sent down this year in an effort to save cap space and to get him as much playing time as possible. In 30 games with the Ducks, Theodore has eight points but has been more of an offensive threat in the minors with nine points in just 13 games.
- The San Jose Sharks continued their near-daily shuffle of youngsters to and from the minor leagues, announcing (via Twitter) that winger Timo Meier and defenseman Tim Heed have been assigned to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. Meier has played in 26 games with the Sharks while Heed, despite being recalled eight separate times since January, has played just one NHL game this year.
- The Nashville Predators have flipped backup goalies once again, sending Juuse Saros to AHL Milwaukee while recalled Marek Mazenec, reports Adam Vingan of the Tennessean. The move will allow Saros to get into a game or two in the minors to stay in game shape before likely returning to Nashville next week.
- The Montreal Canadiens announced that they have recalled center Michael McCarron from St. John’s of the AHL. McCarron had been sent down to play while the team was on their bye week. McCarron, who is one of the players Arizona is coveting in a Martin Hanzal trade, has a goal and four assists in 18 games with the Canadiens this season.
- The Winnipeg Jets announced that they recalled winger Brandon Tanev from the Manitoba Moose. Defenseman Toby Enstrom was placed on injured reserve (retroactive to February 12th) to make room on the roster for him. Tanev has spent the bulk of the season with the Jets, playing in 39 games while scoring two goals and two assists.
Flames Ink Matt Bartkowski
In a widely expected move, the Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Matt Bartkowski to a two-year, two-way contract.
Bartkowski joined the Flames on a Professional Try-Out (PTO) on Wednesday morning, after spending the first half of the season on a minor-league contract with the Providence Bruins. It’s his second PTO this season, after going unsigned by the Ottawa Senators back in training camp. The defenseman had two goals and 10 points in 34 games during his second stint in the Bruins organization. He has six goals and 42 points in 211 NHL games, split between Boston and Vancouver.
It’s a strategic signing by GM Brad Treliving; because Bartkowksi is under contract for this year and next, he will count towards the Flames’ expansion draft requirement of exposing one defenseman who has played 40 games in this season or 70 games over the previous two seasons. Bartkowski appeared in 80 games with the Vancouver Canucks last season, and therefore satisfies the requirement.
Bartkowski joined the Canucks after five seasons with the Bruins. He was brought over by Canucks GM Jim Benning, who was previously in the Bruins front office. In Calgary, he’ll be playing under head coach Glen Gulutzan, who was the assistant coach with the Canucks last season. The Flames are looking for defensive help, and while Bartkowski is a bottom-pairing defenseman, he’ll get a shot with the big club under a familiar face in Gulutzan.
Matt Bartkowski Expected To Sign With Calgary
The strange career arc of Matt Bartkowski continues. The Providence Journal’s Mark Divver reported this morning that Bartkowski has been released from his minor league contract with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. Bartkowksi had two goals and eight assists in 34 games for the P-Bruins, and had been somewhat underwhelming at both ends of the ice. Just when you think that maybe that’s it for the 28-year-old’s pro hockey career, there’s this follow-up tweet from Divver: Bartkowski will sign with the Calgary Flames. Divver adds that deal is expected to be a two-year, two-way contract. However, the Flames have since announced that (for now) Bartkowski is just on a professional tryout.
If you don’t know much about Bartkowski you’re not alone. After all, he was on a minor-league contract this season. Yet, just a few years ago, Bartkowski’s career was trending in a very different direction. A seventh-round selection of the Florida Panthers in 2008, Bartkowski’s rights were traded to the Boston Bruins along with Dennis Seidenberg at the 2010 Trade Deadline. Bartkowski left Ohio State University after the 2009-10 season to join his new organization. In his first three pro seasons, Bartkowski was an impressive two-way threat in the AHL for the Providence Bruins, and each year would earn some play time in Boston as well. In 2013-14, Bartkowski finally earned a role with the Bruins and somewhat burst on to the scene with 18 assists and a very solid +22 rating in 64 games. Bartkowski appeared to have the makings of a top-six NHL defenseman, and Bruins Assistant GM Jim Benning thought so too. After another year in Boston with a reduced role and less production, Bartkowski became an unrestricted free agent and bolted for Vancouver, where Benning had taken over as GM of the Cancuks. Bartkowski played in a career-high 80 games with the Canucks in 2015-16, going from zero career goals to six by the end of the season and adding 12 assists along the way. However, the uptick in offense came with a bit of a breakdown in defense. While still a physical player, he became somewhat of a liability in his own end, finishing the season at -19 and losing ice time as the year progressed. Vancouver chose not to re-sign Bartkowski this summer and the blue liner saw little interest before returning to his roots with a PTO-turned-contract with the Providence Bruins.
Now, in a wild twist, he’ll be back in the NHL. Bartkowski was reportedly on the ice for Flames practice this morning and ready to begin his PTO. Calgary isn’t exactly desperate for defense with Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Dougie Hamilton, Dennis Wideman, and Deryk Engelland in the fold, but what they don’t have is anyone they’re willing to lose in the upcoming Expansion Draft. If Divver is right, and Bartkowski’s PTO is a front for an eventual two-year contract, that is a very strategic move by GM Brad Treliving. As we recently discussed, the Flames would have to expose one of Giordano, Brodie, and Hamilton if they made no further moves before June 21st to meet the quota of having one defenseman available to the Vegas Golden Knights that has term on his contract and 40 NHL games played this season or 70 NHL games over the past two years. Bartkowski presents a very rare opportunity; he was on a minor league contract and could be acquired without having to give anything up in a trade and he played in 80 games just last year, fulfilling the games played requirement. If the Flames hand Bartkowski a two-year deal as Divver suspects, he immediately qualifies to be exposed even if he doesn’t play a single NHL game this season. This could be a genius maneuver by Treliving and is worth following over the next week or two.
Bob McKenzie On Talent Outside The NHL
In his latest piece, Bob McKenzie of TSN breaks down two players who may be under NHL contract in a few months. First, is Josh Healey who has made an impact on the NCAA ranks in a few different ways. His bone-crushing hits have been felt across the country, with the league even suspending him twice now. One executive that McKenzie quotes says that he “hits too hard for college hockey” and he really does. Even if he’ll never be a top-pairing guy in the NHL, his skating ability and physical presence has basically every team in the league considering signing him when his season at Ohio State finishes.
Healey headlines what is an underwhelming NCAA class, but he will create somewhat of a bidding war regardless. He has attended the summer development camps of the Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers in the past, and all three should be expected to be in the conversation for him this spring. Other teams—like the defense-strapped Toronto Maple Leafs—will surely have a conversation with him as well.
The other player McKenzie mentions is 25-year old Jakub Jerabek, a Czech defenseman who has been turning heads all year. Though he had several successful years in the Czech men’s league prior to this year, it’s the transition to the KHL and a higher level of competition that has NHL scouts considering him. With 32 points in 56 games and a strong offensive skillset, he’ll likely earn a contract if he chooses to come to North America. As McKenzie notes, at his age he’ll only be able to sign a one-year entry-level contract, like Nikita Zaitsev of the Maple Leafs this past summer.
Snapshots: Del Zotto, Treliving, Howard, Lightning
Although he has been listed as day-to-day for the better part of three weeks now, Flyers defenseman Michael Del Zotto is finally close to returning to the lineup from his ankle injury and is targeting Wednesday against the Flames as a return date, reports Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post. He had started skating a couple of weeks ago but had to stop after suffering a setback.
Del Zotto’s season has largely been one setback after another due to injuries and struggles that have seen him spend time as a healthy scratch as well, hardly an ideal spot for a pending unrestricted free agent. In 30 games, he has four goals and six assists but a poor -10 rating while seeing his average ice time drop by nearly four minutes per night. Accordingly, there’s a chance that the Flyers could look to move him by the deadline despite still being in the playoff picture.
[Related: Del Zotto’s Trade Candidate Profile]
Elsewhere around the league:
- While Calgary GM Brad Treliving remains without a contract beyond this season, Eric Francis of the Calgary Sun doesn’t anticipate that ownership will be looking to make a change. The scribe takes a closer look at his moves since joining the team a little under three years ago and notes that there are considerably more successful ones than mistakes. Francis notes that the team is comfortable with having their off-ice personnel operating in the final year of their deals, a departure from most teams across the NHL who don’t typically prefer to have their general managers in their ‘lame duck years’.
- The Red Wings announced that they have recalled goaltender Jimmy Howard from his conditioning assignment in Grand Rapids. He has been out of Detroit’s lineup since sustaining a sprained MCL back in December. To make room for him on the roster, the team placed defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (who was ruled out for the season earlier today) on long-term injury reserve. MLive’s Brendan Savage adds (Twitter link) that Howard will not skate with the team until Monday meaning the current tandem of Petr Mrazek and Jared Coreau will remain in place for their two games over the weekend. Prior to the injury, Howard had been off to a strong start to the season with a 1.96 GAA and a .934 SV% in 17 games.
- Tampa Bay center Tyler Johnson is likely to miss the Lightning’s next two games as a result of an undisclosed injury he suffered on Tuesday night, notes Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. On the flip side, they are getting some good news on the injury front as well as wingers Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat are both expected to be in the lineup tonight against the Wild.