- It turns out Penguins goalie Matt Murray isn’t the only goalie to be diagnosed with a concussion after the deadline. BSN Denver’s AJ Haefele reports (Twitter link) that Avalanche netminder Andrew Hammond is now in concussion protocol, joining Jonathan Bernier in that situation. As a result, Spencer Martin has been recalled from San Antonio of the AHL.
Avalanche Rumors
Colorado Avalanche, New York Rangers Swap Minor Leaguers
In an unusually late announcement, the Colorado Avalanche have agreed to send defenseman Chris Bigras to the New York Rangers for defenseman Ryan Graves, per BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater. Both players will remain at the AHL level for now.
Bigras, 23, has actually played in 46 NHL games, including 15 this season. However, the 2013 second-round pick has not shown enough ability and upside to warrant keeping him at the top level in a regular role. The former OHL standout is still very raw and needs some seasoning before the Rangers could expect to hand him a full-time job.
Graves, also a 2013 draft pick, is in his third pro season but has yet to make his NHL debut. The massive 6’5″ defender needed a change of scenery and may get the opportunity to display both his physical ability and modest possession game in Colorado.
Avalanche Claim Mark Alt Off Waivers From Flyers
As is often the case on trade deadline day, there have been several waiver claims around the league. Winger Chris Stewart has been claimed by Calgary (first reported by Michael Russo of The Athletic), blueliner Johnny Oduya is on his way to the Flyers (first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman), while defender Mark Alt has been picked up by Colorado (first reported by Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic).
Stewart has put up a respectable nine goals in 47 games with Minnesota this season but has also been a frequent healthy scratch as his game-to-game consistency has been a concern, something that has been the case throughout his career. However, he should still serve as a fourth line option for the Flames and with a $1.15MM cap hit, is certainly an affordable option to add. Meanwhile, the Wild now free up a bit more cap space to work with which is important if they look to bring youngsters Luke Kunin and Jordan Greenway into the fold down the stretch. Stewart will be an unrestricted free agent in July.
Oduya is no stranger to being moved around the trade deadline day although this is the first time he will do so via a waiver claim. The veteran had been shopped by the Sens prior to him being waived but evidently there were no takers. He has four goals and four assists in 51 games with Ottawa this season but is averaging a career-low 17:12 per night of ice time. It’s worth noting that if Oduya plays in 14 more regular season games, the Flyers will owe him a $250K bonus plus another $250K if they hold onto a playoff position. He also has $250K in bonuses if he finishes in the top-five and top-three in average ice time per game.
Alt has spent the majority of the season while Philadelphia’s AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley, posting five goals and five assists in 23 games. He also has suited up in eight games with the Flyers, being held off the scoresheet while averaging 13:26 per game. Alt will likely be a depth blueliner for Colorado and will be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency at the end of the season.
The other players on waivers from Sunday all cleared. Those players are:
Christopher Breen (Boston)
Paul Postma (Boston)
Jussi Jokinen (Columbus)
Cody Goloubef (Calgary)
Lance Bouma (Chicago)
Alexandre Burrows (Ottawa)
Jim O’Brien (Ottawa)
John Muse (Philadelphia)
Chris Thorburn (St. Louis)
Sakic: Avalanche Unlikely To Be Active At Deadline
- One team that is unlikely to be active on Monday is the Avalanche. GM Joe Sakic told Mike Chambers of the Denver Post that they intend to stick to their plan and stay the course. In particular, he noted that they will not be trading draft picks or prospects nor will they be looking to add any pending unrestricted free agents to their roster.
Deadline Primer: Colorado Avalanche
With the trade deadline now just a few days away, we continue our 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 Colorado Avalanche.
Well, it’s been a great run for the Colorado Avalanche this season. Really, who could have expected that the worst team in the NHL in 2016-17 would have still been competing for a playoff spot in February? The team has nothing to be disappointed in: they got a great return for Matt Duchene earlier this year, watched Nathan MacKinnon embrace his superstar role, and exceeded expectations as a group all year long. However, they were never supposed to be a playoff team this quickly and, barring a miraculous stretch run, they won’t be. Colorado has quickly fallen behind in the Western Conference playoff race in recent weeks. Since their ten-game win streak ended in January, the Avs are 5-7-2 and just barely sticking around the conversation for a playoff spot. They are sixth in the Central Division, with teams ahead of them like the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars getting hot at the right time, making it difficult to see Colorado winning a divisional berth. Over in the Pacific, the resurgence of the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, on top of the Stars, Wild and St. Louis Blues, also puts a wild card spot nearly out of reach. While it may not be the storybook ending some hoped for, it’s time for the Avalanche to cut ties with their rental players, if the right deal comes along, and move on, with eyes towards taking another step forward next year.
Record
32-23-5, sixth in the Central Division
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$37,680,931 in deadline cap space
44/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Draft Picks
2018: COL 1st, COL 2nd, NSH 2nd, COL 3rd, COL 4th, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
2019: OTT 1st, COL 1st, COL 2nd, OTT 3rd, COL 3rd, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
Trade Chips
Even if GM Joe Sakic and company decided they still wanted to keep pushing for a playoff spot, their deadline plans would be more or less the same. Colorado does not have a firm enough seat in the Western playoff race to warrant buying, but there is little difference between standing pat and “selling”. The team has only a few impending unrestricted free agents and Sakic will move them if the right deal comes along. If not, he will likely be happy to keep them as the Avs’ own “rentals” and, in some case, may even have extension talks. Headlining the group of available Avs are goaltenders Jonathan Bernier and Andrew Hammond, either of which could be expendable whether Colorado is a traditional “seller” or not. Bernier, who is currently sidelined with an injury but expected back soon, has been a great value addition to the team this season, outplaying incumbent starter Semyon Varlamov and forcing a near-even split in net. Bernier, if healthy, could be an attractive addition for a team in need of a more reliable backup goalie for the postseason. He could always re-sign in Colorado even if he is dealt. Hammond, on the other hand, has not seen any NHL action this season, but could be affordable added insurance for a playoff-bound squad. Blake Comeau, a former 20-goal scorer and consistent bottom-six contributor, will likely get the most attention as the deadline draws closer. Comeau would be a nice depth addition for any number of contenders. To a much lesser extent, Gabriel Bourque and Joe Colborne could also draw some interest. Colin Wilson has been a huge disappointment in Denver, but if the team is willing to eat some of his near-$4MM salary in 2019, they could easily trade the veteran forward away less than a year after acquiring him from Nashville.
Players to Watch: RW Blake Comeau, G Jonathan Bernier, D Mark Barberio, LW Gabriel Bourque, G Andrew Hammond
Team Needs
1) Picks and prospects
Again, the success that this team has achieved is a total surprise. They are still very much in a rebuild and, like all rebuilding teams, simply need to stock up on draft picks and prospects. The team got a great return for Duchene earlier this year, including a first-round pick and player selected with a first-round pick last year, and simply want to continue to accumulate those franchise building blocks. Given the pieces they’re willing to move, the Avs won’t be getting much back outside of mid-round picks and middling prospects anyway. If the Avalanche walk away from the trade deadline with some combination of third- and fourth-round picks and a prospect scoring winger or two, it will be a major success.
Penguins Could View Carl Soderberg As Fallback Option
- As Pittsburgh’s well-publicized center search continues, BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater reports (Twitter link) that the Penguins have some interest in Avalanche pivot Carl Soderberg as a fallback option if they can’t land a more prominent target. Soderberg has had a bit of a bounce-back season with 24 points (11-13-24) in 56 games after recording just 14 in 80 contests last season. However, he has two years remaining on his contract after this one with a $4.75MM cap hit, someone that Colorado would likely have to retain on to facilitate a move.
Colorado Dealing With Big Changes On Defense
The Colorado Avalanche are one of this year’s best stories, coming back from a historically bad season in 2016-17 to be a potential buyer at the upcoming trade deadline. The team sits five points behind the Minnesota Wild for the last playoff spot, but does have a game in hand. Today, that playoff chase took a big hit when the team announced that both Erik Johnson and Anton Lindholm would be out indefinitely due to injury. In their place, the Avalanche have recalled David Warsofsky and Andrei Mironov from the AHL, pushing their depth to the limit.
Whatever you think of Johnson’s value versus his long-term contract, his impact on the Avalanche is immense. Logging more than 25 minutes a night, the 29-year old sits fifth in league average time on ice and plays in all situations for Colorado. While Tyson Barrie has a bigger impact offensively, Johnson is the glue that holds the entire blue line together and his presence will be sorely missed.
The team now has to weigh their options, and decide whether adding another defenseman is worth the price. Making the playoffs would be a huge accomplishment for the young team, especially after trading Matt Duchene earlier in the year, but there are some impact prospects on the way and this team is nicely set up for future success. Selling off some assets wouldn’t cripple that future, but there’s no guarantee it results in a playoff run this year.
How Flyers Can Deal With Injuries In Net
Things have been going well for the Philadelphia Flyers. The team has won six of their past ten games and are firmly engaged in a battle for a Metropolitan Division playoff spot. However, the one shortcoming of the Flyers for years now has again reared its ugly head: goaltending. Philly’s goalies have performed well this season, with starter Brian Elliott holding 21 wins and backup Michal Neuvirth performing statistically even better as Elliott’s understudy. For the first time in years, goalie performance has not been a defining issue for the Flyers. However, Elliott is now out of the picture for the time being after suffering a core muscle injury earlier in the month which required surgery and could keep him sidelined through the end of March. Meanwhile, Neuvirth succumbed to a lower-body injury earlier today and had to leave the Flyers’ match-up with the rival New York Rangers. While young Alex Lyon performed admirably in relief, allowing only one goal en route to his first NHL win, the Flyers face a real possibility of being without their top two goalies for some time. So what do they do?
1) Stand Pat
It’s too early to know how long Neuvirth will be out, so the Flyers could let cooler heads prevail and wait to see what the prognosis is on his injury. If Neuvirth will simply miss a few games, the team could rely on Lyon and veteran journeyman Dustin Tokarski, acquired in October for this exact emergency situation, for the time being. Lyon, a former phenom at Yale University, has struggled in limited NHL action this season, but has been good for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms in each of the last two seasons. Now could be a good time to see what the 25-year-old brings to the table.
2) Acquire a stopgap
Perhaps if Lyon had more than three NHL appearances or Tokarski had more than 10 minutes of NHL action in the past two years, the Flyers would be willing to stick with this tandem, even if Neuvirth remains out for a week or two. Maybe if Anthony Stolarz, shut down for the season after knee surgery in September, was available they would be fine with waiting for Elliott and Neuvirth to return to health. However, the Flyers are in the middle of a playoff race and cannot afford to stick with such inexperienced options for more than a handful of games nor wait on injury timelines with the NHL Trade Deadline a week away. Instead, they could turn to the trade market and look for a short-term option. There isn’t much goalie talk on the rumor mill right now, other than the fact that the Flyers turned down a recent offer from the Detroit Red Wings of Petr Mrazek for a third-round pick. They could certainly revisit bringing in the impending restricted free agent for a tryout down the stretch. The team could also look at trading for San Jose Sharks backup Aaron Dell, who’s having a breakout year and comes with a cheap price tag for the remainder of the season. However, the Sharks are a fellow playoff-chaser and might be hesitant to move their backup unless they were getting another in return, either Neuvirth or Elliott. Other options could include Michael Hutchinson from the Winnipeg Jets (though they too have injury issues in net), Andrew Hammond from the Colorado Avalanche, or one of the many minor league keepers from Toronto or Calgary, if those teams are willing to deal.
3) Acquire a starter
Of course, the Flyers could also take this opportunity to bring in a starting-caliber goalie; one who could eliminate the worry of whether Elliott will be healthy by playoff time. Philadelphia could look at short-term starter, such as impending free agents Antti Raanta from Arizona or Robin Lehner (RFA) from Buffalo. However, more interestingly, they could also look for a long-term fit. Both Elliott and Neuvirth are only signed through next season. If they could send one or the other back in a trade, they could look to acquire a starter with term on his contract. That could be as easy as bringing in Lehner or Mrazek with the intention of extending them. Either one could do the job for a few years, bridging the gap to star prospect Carter Hart. It could also open the door to Detroit’s other goalie, Jimmy Howard, who could benefit from a change of scenery with one year left on his deal. The Vancouver Canucks could entertain moving Jacob Markstrom during a down year, though he may not be much of an upgrade over Philly’s current stable and is signed for two more seasons. One possible dark horse candidate would be Colorado starter Semyon Varlamov, who has been outplayed by backup Jonathan Bernier this season and is signed through 2018-19 at an expensive $5.9MM cap hit. For those of you thinking Carey Price though, think again.
Jonathan Bernier Out, Avs Recall Andrew Hammond
Surprise call-ups are often not the good kind of surprise for the team and its fans. Such is the case with the Colorado Avalanche, who earlier announced that they had recalled goaltender Andrew Hammond from the Belleville Senators of the AHL. With, presumably, two healthy goalies, there would be no need for Hammond. Thus, the move was a cause for concern among Avs supporters.
Now, it seems that their worries were warranted. AJ Haefele of BSN Denver reports that Hammond’s recall comes as Jonathan Bernier has suffered a head injury and has entered the league’s concussion protocol. Bernier got the start for Colorado last night against the Winnipeg Jets, but was forced from the game after the second period after a collision with Nic Petan. Signed to a one-year deal to be Colorado’s backup in 2017-18, Bernier has instead forced a time share with Semyon Varlamov and has actually narrowly outplayed the Avs’ “starter”. Bernier’s loss, for however long he is out, will be felt by the Avalanche, as they look to stay relevant in the tight Western Conference playoff race.
Fortunately, the timing could not be better for Colorado to use Hammond, if they even need to. The Avs play their next six games against just three teams: the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames. The Canucks and Oilers are two of the worst teams in the Western Conference and both struggle to score goals, while the Flames – admittedly a fringe playoff squad like the Avs – also have their offensive struggles.
Nathan MacKinnon Questionable To Return On Sunday
- Colorado is getting closer to getting their leading scorer back. Mike Chambers of the Denver Post notes that center Nathan MacKinnon participated in an optional skate today with a non-contact jersey. However, he has been ruled out of their game on Friday in Winnipeg as he did not make the trip with the team. However, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar classified MacKinnon, who will miss his eighth straight game tomorrow with shoulder troubles, as questionable for Sunday’s tilt against Edmonton.