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Trade Deadline Recap: Eastern Conference

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After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Eastern Conference:

Deadline Day

Tampa Bay Lightning receive:
D Ryan McDonagh
F J.T. Miller

New York Rangers receive:
F Vladislav Namestnikov
F Brett Howden
D Libor Hajek
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2019 second-round pick

 

Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
F Thomas Vanek

Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Tyler Motte
F Jussi Jokinen

 

Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
D Ian Cole

Ottawa Senators receive:
F Nick Moutrey
2020 third-round pick

 

New Jersey Devils receive:
F Patrick Maroon

Edmonton Oilers receive:
F J.D. Dudek
2019 third-round pick

 

New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner

Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera

 

Boston Bruins receive:
F Tommy Wingels

Chicago Blackhawks receive:
Conditional 2019 fifth-round pick

 

Pittsburgh Penguins receive:
F Josh Jooris

Carolina Hurricanes receive:
F Greg McKegg

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Boston Bruins Add Tommy Wingels From Blackhawks

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The Boston Bruins have added another depth piece. The Boston Sports Journal’s Joe McDonald reports that Tommy Wingels of the Chicago Blackhawks is headed to the Bruins in a deal that got done just before the deadline. Boston has confirmed that the return to Chicago is a conditional 2019 fifth-round pick. If the Bruins re-sign Wingels or advance through the first round of the playoffs, it becomes a 2019 fourth-rounder.

Wingels, 29, is a gritty bottom-six forward who provided a nice edge to the Blackhawks’ forward corps this season after signing as a free agent last summer. Wingels is also a former 30-point scored during his time with the San Jose Sharks and can be an effective power forward in the right situation.

The Bruins were known to be looking for forward depth heading into the deadline, but after the loss of Anders Bjork to season-ending injury and the trade of Frank Vatrano, that interest ramped up. Rick Nash was obviously the major addition up front in Boston, but as far as depth options, Wingels joins free agent signing Brian Gionta and expected rookie signing Ryan Donato as the Bruins’ new understudies for the postseason run.

Ryan Hartman Traded To Nashville Predators

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The Nashville Predators have indeed acquired Ryan Hartman from the Chicago Blackhawks, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The Blackhawks will receive a 2018 first-round pick, a 2018 fourth-round pick and prospect Victor Ejdsell. Nashville will also receive a 2018 fifth-round pick along with Hartman.

Ryan HartmanHartman got off to a flying start to his season, collecting six points in his first two games.  However, he has tailed off offensively since then, tallying just 19 since then in 55 contests.  On the season, he has eight goals and 17 assists while averaging 12:48 of ice time per game.

The gritty winger was Chicago’s first-round pick (30th overall) back in 2013 and is in his second full season in the NHL.  He has spent some time at center this year and while the Predators are well-stocked at that position, that type of versatility was certainly attractive to them.

Hartman carries a cap hit of just $863K this season and does not have any bonuses in his entry-level contract.  He will be a restricted free agent in July but will not have arbitration eligibility.

In terms of a return for Chicago, the Blackhawks will be happy with the package received. Though Nashville’s first pick will come late in the round, it’s still a strong asset to play with and help accelerate the Chicago re-tool. It gives the Blackhawks another shot to select a top prospect, or another piece to use in an offseason trade.

Ejdsell though could be the most interesting piece in the deal. After spending quite a bit of time wooing him last summer, the Predators signed the big winger to an entry-level contract but allowed him to stay in Sweden for another year. He made them look like geniuses, as he jumped to the SHL and has recorded 30 points in 47 games. The 6’4″ winger is a strong goal-scoring threat that can contribute in several different ways in the offensive zone, and could jump right to the NHL level next season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Early Notes: Columbus, Hartman, Vermette

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The Columbus Blue Jackets added Mark Letestu yesterday for their playoff run, but had checked in on several other options before making the deal. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Blue Jackets offered a third-round pick for Artem Anisimov, hoping the Blackhawks would also retain some salary.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet also believes that the Blue Jackets asked about Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Sobotka of the St. Louis Blues, but obviously didn’t make a deal. Letestu ended up only costing Columbus a fourth-round pick, which certainly doesn’t take them out of the running today for an additional upgrade.

  • Scott Powers of The Athletic reports that the Chicago Blackhawks are looking for a first-round pick plus another asset for Ryan Hartman, a big ask for a young player with just eight goals this season. Hartman, 23, is a versatile player that could draw interest from many teams, and is a restricted free agent this summer. That could be part of why the Blackhawks are considering moving the forward, as like most years they’ll have some tough decisions to make on their young free agents due to their ongoing cap crunch.
  • Antoine Vermette was held out of the lineup last night for the Anaheim Ducks, and John Shannon of Sportsnet reports on his eight-team approved trade list. Shannon explains that only two of those teams are currently in playoff spots, which could drastically limit any return should the Ducks decide to move him. Vermette is affordable and playoff-tested, but ultimately holds a lot of power in deciding whether he’ll be traded today.

Jets Were Scouting Blackhawks On Friday

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Multiple Players Placed On Waivers

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With today being the last day to place players on waivers, many teams have placed players on waivers in hopes of adding some roster flexibility for the remainder of the season. According to Bob McKenzie, many players have been placed on waivers, including defensemen Christopher Breen and Paul Postma of the Boston Bruins, forward Jussi Jokinen of the Columbus Blue Jackets, defenseman Cody Goloubef of the Calgary Flames, forward Lance Bouma of the Chicago Blackhawks, forward Chris Stewart of the Minnesota Wild, forwards Alexandre Burrows and Jim O’Brien and defenseman Johnny Oduya of the Ottawa Senators, defenseman Mark Alt and goaltender John Muse of the Philadelphia Flyers and forward Chris Thorburn of the St. Louis Blues.

McKenzie adds that New York Rangers forward cleared waivers today.

Of teams that are still in the playoff race, the New York Islanders will likely get the first shot on many of these players if the team is looking to add more depth after trading for defenseman Brandon Davidson Saturday.

While several of these players are AHL players who aren’t seeing time, there are several veteran players who are affected by the moves. Two of the most obvious are Burrows and Oduya. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that the team failed to find anyone interested in trading for either players, so the hope is a team might be willing to claim them without having to give anything up.

Burrows is one of those the team would like to close the book on. Acquired at the trade deadline a year ago for prized prospect Jonathan Dahlen, the team then made it worse by signing him to a two-year extension, worth $2.5MM per season. While he scored 15 goals between Vancouver and Ottawa last year, Burrows has struggled, having tallied just three goals in 51 games. Oduya was signed in the offseason and the veteran could be a solid candidate to be claimed by a team that needs some defensive depth.

Another player who is likely to be claimed is Stewart, who the Minnesota Wild placed on waivers as the team wants to make room for adding 2016 first-rounder Luke Kunin or if the team signs Boston University star Jordan Greenway. The veteran is an excellent locker room presence, has quite a bit of experience and can score as he has nine goals in 47 games this year. Jokinen who has already been on waivers this year returns to it and could be claimed if a team wants some depth to their forward line. Chicago’s Bouma is another who could be claimed as he has fallen out of the Blackhawks lineup, but provides forward depth that could be useful for a team making a playoff run. He’s played in 53 games this year, totaling three goals, six assists and +1 plus/minus ratio.

Other players like Alt and Postma are likely just heading to the AHL to join their playoff rosters. Alt has played just eight games in Philadelphia, spending most of his season in Lehigh Valley. Postma has been with the Bruins all year and might be heading to the Providence Bruins to help the team with their playoff push. He has appeared in just 12 games all season for Boston.

Both Breen, O’Brien, Muse and Goloubef each signed two-way contracts in the last 24 hours and had to be passed through waivers in order to assign them to their respective NHL teams. O’Brien signed a two-way contract today, while Goloubef signed yesterday. FlamesNation’s Ryan Pike reports that Muse signed a two-way deal today.

 

 

Quenneville No Longer Hopeful That Corey Crawford Will Return This Season

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While Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville had been expecting goaltender Corey Crawford to return at some point this season, he acknowledged to reporters, including Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times, that he isn’t hopeful now that the netminder will play again in 2017-18.  Crawford has been out of the lineup with a head injury since late December and the team has struggled considerably in his absence.  With Chicago falling well out of the playoff race, Quenneville admitted that their placement in the Central Division may play a role in deciding if he returns, even if he gets the green light from team doctors.

Evening Snapshots: Holland, Blackhawks, Carlson

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While Ken Holland is selling assets off following his deal of goaltender Petr Mrazek to the Philadelphia Flyers, he’s quick to caution that it’s not a full rebuild while adding that the Red Wings are “open for business.” NBC Sports’ Sean Leahy notes that Holland and the Red Wings are about to go through some “pain” in order to return to the higher echelon of the NHL, and even then, Holland may not be around to see the full plan in motion. Leahy writes that whether Holland ends up going to Seattle or if the Ilitch family decides that they will move on to a new general manager. Regardless, Holland will not do an entire teardown, preferring to retool the Wings in a gradual sense. Whether that works or not, it will take some time for Detroit to see the fruits of those labors.

  • Elliotte Friedman offered his 31 thoughts as the deadline nears. One such thought was that the Chicago Blackhawks prefer to hold onto Artem Anisimov since centers don’t exactly drop into teams laps all that often. Because of the language in his contract, Anisimov has less choice as to where he can go starting July 1, so should interested teams call, he can be pickier now with a no-move clause than a partial no-trade this summer. Friedman adds that after the Michal Kempny deal, the Blackhawks are focused on getting what they can for impending UFAs which include Lance Bouma, Jan Rutta, Tommy Wingels, and Patrick Sharp.
  • Friedman also pours some cold water on any hopes that John Carlson could reach free agency. Saying the Caps and Carlson seem “very comfortable” to discuss contract terms at the end of the season, teams hoping to snag the 28-year-old defenseman may be disheartened to read that. Freidman attributes the Steven Stamkos Sweepstakes (that never were) two seasons ago as a reason why teams are not nearly as “scared” when it comes to later negotiations. Stamkos, of course, seemed to be linked a new team every day until he inked an eight-year, $68MM extension.

 

Deadline Primer: Chicago Blackhawks

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Chicago Blackhawks.

2018 looks like it will bring the end of a decade of playoff appearances for the Chicago Blackhawks, who came as close to a dynasty as you can in today’s NHL by winning three Stanley Cups in six seasons. The team sits last in the Central Division and started selling today by moving Michal Kempny for a third-round pick. That should be followed by several other moves, but more substantial changes may have to wait for the summer.

Record

25-26-8, seventh in Central Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$3.9MM full-season cap hit, 0/3 retained salary transactions, 46/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: CHI 1st, CHI 3rd, WSH/TOR 3rd*, CHI 5th, CBJ 5th, CHI 6th, CHI 7th
2019: CHI 1st, CHI 2nd, CHI 3rd, CHI 4th, CHI 5th, CHI 6th, CHI 7th, ANA 7th

*Chicago will receive the earlier of the two picks

Trade Chips

Ryan HartmanDespite some interest from Blackhawks fans in a rebuild, Chicago isn’t in a position to tear it all down. With Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith all still signed through at least the 2022-23 season it will be some time before a new leadership group comes to town.

That said, there have been interesting rumors surrounding several of the other top names on the club. Brandon Saad’s name has surfaced after he hasn’t made the immediate impact expected, and Artem Anisimov has drawn interest despite his full no-movement clause (which drops to a 10-team no-trade list after this season). Both could bring back nice packages, but are tough trades to make in-season.

Beyond the top names, expiring contracts like Lance Bouma, Tommy Wingels and Cody Franson (who is currently in the minor leagues) could all be swapped for a draft pick before the deadline. Restricted free agents like Ryan Hartman and Tomas Jurco could also draw interest, as could Connor Murphy if a team is willing to take on his long-term deal.

Five Players To Watch For: F Ryan Hartman, F Tommy Wingels, D Cody Franson, D Connor Murphy, F Artem Anisimov

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks & Prospects: Despite it not being a full tear down in Chicago, the team still needs to keep restocking their system with young players. That’s the only way to compete when so much of your cap is committed to an aging quartet, and they’ve dealt away much of their future in previous seasons. If GM Stan Bowman believes the Blackhawks can still compete next season, prospects close to NHL-ready could be more valuable than draft picks, though tough to acquire with certainty.

2) Defensive Help: After watching players like Trevor van Riemsdyk and Niklas Hjalmarsson forced out of town over the past few seasons, the team hoped that Murphy could handle a large role and grow with the team. Instead, they’ve had to lean on a rapidly declining Seabrook and install Jordan Oesterle as one of their top options. While Oesterle has performed better than anyone could expect, the Blackhawks need to find the next group of defenders to take some of the strain off Keith as he heads into his mid-thirties.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Michal Kempny Traded To Washington Capitals

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The trade market is heating up once again, with Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Michal Kempny on his way to Washington to join the Capitals. The Blackhawks will receive a conditional 2018 third-round pick in return, the higher of the two Washington currently has (their own, and Toronto’s).

Kempny makes sense as a target for the Capitals, who don’t have much cap room for additions at the deadline. The 27-year old defenseman is earning just $900K this season, and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer.

For a team like the Capitals that is heading to the playoffs, defensive depth is a huge issue. Everyone around the league is trying to add pieces that could step into an NHL role should injuries arise, and Kempny fills that for Washington. Though he’s not really a top-4 option, he can provide a team with a stable option for a third pair that won’t be noticed much at either end. With 15 points in 81 games since coming over from the KHL in 2016, he won’t be asked to run a powerplay or contribute much offensively.

He’ll slide into the group on the left side for Washington, that also includes Brooks Orpik, Dmitry Orlov and Christian Djoos. Though he may not play every game for them down the stretch, it’s a much needed addition to a defense corps that has seen several pieces leave over the last year.

For the Blackhawks, a third-round pick is an excellent return for a player who was headed for free agency. Kempny had played just 31 games this season, and with Chicago sitting in last place in the Central Division, selling off expiring contracts is the only thing left to do.  The third-rounder will help replace the two selections—second and fourth—that the Blackhawks are already missing for the upcoming draft.

Scott Powers of The Athletic was first to report the deal, after being told by Kempny himself. Bob McKenzie of TSN added the third-round pick return, 

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