Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Avalanche Rumors

Eastern Conference Snapshots: Hurricanes, Trocheck, Mantha

at CDT | by 2 Comments

From the outside looking in, the stars seem to be aligned for the relocation of an NHL franchise. The Carolina Hurricanes are up for sale and their attendance figures once again rank near the bottom of the league. And up north, Quebec City, the former home of the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise, has a shiny new arena lacking an NHL tenant. It almost makes too much sense but as Chip Alexander of The News & Observer writes, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league remains committed to the “Triangle.”

“Peter may sell, he may not sell,” Bettman said Saturday. “He may sell all of it. He may sell some of it. He may sell none of it. There’s no formal sale process going on. There’s no imperative for the franchise to be sold on any immediate basis, and the franchise is not moving. I hope that was definitive enough.”

While there is a strong possibility the team will be sold, the NHL sees far too much promise in the Carolina market to abandon it now. As Alexander notes, the Triangle is one of the fastest growing markets in the country and given that the Hurricanes appear to have a bright future with loads of young talent int he pipeline, it may only be a matter of time before the organization turns it around, both on and off the ice.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • First time All-Star Vincent Trocheck is on pace to register a 30-goal season, one year after netting 25 goals and 53 points as a 22-year-old in his sophomore NHL campaign. The former third-round pick has turned heads with his strong offensive production the last two seasons but Trocheck believes he is just scratching the surface of his potential, according to Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel. Trocheck is contributing more than just offense, as Fialkov points out, taking the fourth highest number of draws in the entire NHL. He also ranks second on the team among forwards in hits and shot blocks. Florida felt strongly enough in Trocheck’s future to ink the youngster to a six-year, $28.5MM contract extension this past July and the early returns have proven positive for the Panthers.
  • The Detroit Red Wings are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in more than a quarter-century and while that won’t make the fans in Motown happy, the development of the club’s young talent this season could represent a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season. Among the young Wings who are coming into their own is Anthony Mantha, the team’s first-round pick in 2013, as Brendan Savage of MLive.com reports. Mantha enjoyed tremendous success with Val d’Or of the QMJHL, capping off his junior career with a 57-goal season and being named CHL Player of the Year in 2013-14. His pro career got off to an auspicious beginning, due in part to a broken leg his first season with Grand Rapids but the 22-year-old winger is finally showing his promise this year in Detroit. Mantha has recorded 11 goals and 22 points in 34 games this season and is tied for third on the club in goals. Even if the Wings fall short of extending their playoff run, the continued development of players like Mantha will go a long way as the team looks to begin its next streak.

Trade Currency: Surplus Draft Picks

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Trade time is upon us, with the NHL deadline coming just a month from now. While the players take a few days off for the All-Star break, front offices are busy setting up a plan for the next few weeks – unless you’re Joe Sakic that is, who took part in the Celebrity Shootout this afternoon and tapped in a goal.

One of the things team’s use most during this time to add depth to their teams are draft picks. Last year, 13 picks changed hands on deadline day itself, with another handful in the days prior. For teams looking to add for a playoff run, draft picks feel much easier to part with than roster players.

Going into this deadline, some teams have more picks accumulated from prior deals to work with. Here is a breakdown of a few teams that might be buyers, and have extra 2017 picks to dangle in trade talks.

Carolina Hurricanes – New York Rangers’ 2nd-round selection, New Jersey’s 3rd-round selection.

Carolina acquired the Rangers’ second-rounder when they dealt Eric Staal at the deadline last year. The Devils’ third-rounder is one that came with conditions, though they were likely met when Andrei Loktionov went back to the KHL. The Hurricanes could use some help if they’re going to catch anyone in the Metropolitan division.

Chicago Blackhawks – Carolina’s 5th-round selection, St. Louis’ 5th-round selection, New York Islanders’ 6th-round selection.

The Blackhawks will be using anything they can to add at the deadline, meaning these three extra picks could come in handy. They could also use them to beef up a farm system that has continued to develop replacements for players lost to salary cap crunches.

Edmonton Oilers – St. Louis’ 3rd-round selection, Vancouver’s 5th-round selection

Both extra picks the Oilers have are conditional, but unless Nail Yakupov has a tremendous second-half, it looks like neither will change from this season. A team that hasn’t been a buyer in a long time, they have enough young players to sacrifice some draft talent.

Montreal Canadiens – Washington’s 2nd-round selection.

The Habs got a couple of second-round picks when they moved Lars Eller this summer, meaning they’ll have some extra currency when the deadline comes around. It’ll be interesting to see if Montreal uses their draft picks instead of prospect capital to make a move at the deadline.

Philadelphia Flyers – Boston’s 3rd-round selection, Philadelphia’s 4th-round selection.

The Flyers have had a rough stretch after starting so well, but after beating the Maple Leafs on Thursday night are currently back in a playoff spot. If they decide that they can still push, they could use these extra picks in a package. Goaltending and defense is on their mind, but they’d obviously have to include more than the mid-round picks.

Toronto Maple Leafs – San Jose’s 2nd-round pick, Ottawa’s 2nd-round pick.

The Maple Leafs already owe Anaheim one of the two picks from the Frederik Andersen trade last summer, but could still use the other one to help them back into the playoffs for the first time since the shortened season. The Shanaplan says to build slow through the draft, but with the extra pick the team could add some veteran depth to a blueline that still has trouble defending.

Latest On The Colorado Avalanche

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The trade deadline is just a month away, and teams are circling like vultures over the bottom feeders in the NHL. They smell blood in the waters of Colorado, with media and fan pressure to shake up the team and start again. This core, though still quite young, is apparently about to be broken up. Matt Duchene and Gabriel Landeskog are the most common names mentioned, and Adrian Dater of the Bleacher Report revealed what one source tells him it would cost to land one of them.

“At bare minimum it’ll take young, established D player and 1st round pick to get either Duchene or Landy”, Dater tweeted Saturday afternoon following it up by saying though Sakic could possibly get more, he’d likely do it for that package. This comes on the heels of an earlier report from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun that said it would cost a young defenseman, first-round pick and a top prospect.

For the Avalanche, who sit in last place in the entire NHL and are on pace for an astonishingly-low season total of 50 points (the Toronto Maple Leafs finished 30th last season with 69 points) it’s clearly a frustrating time. The team has three forwards who are legitimate stars in Duchene, Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon and an emerging talent in Mikko Rantanen, but haven’t been able to put together anything this season. For Landeskog especially this has been a tough year, scoring just 17 points through the first half of the season.

Any team looking to add one of the Colorado forwards has to be wary of their contracts, as both carry hefty cap-hits for the next few years (Landeskog has four years left while Duchene only has two). Both players do come with quite a history of success however, and are young enough to fit into pretty much any stage in a team’s development.

Afternoon Snapshots: Duchene, Wings’ Contracts, McLellan

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Bruce Garrioch from the Ottawa Sun reports that it will cost a lot for the Ottawa Senators to acquire the Avalanche’s Matt Duchene. He adds that it would behoove the Sens to wait on any potential deal for Duchene. According to Garrioch, it would cost upwards to a first round pick, a top four defenseman, and a top prospect. Garrioch adds that the requests are “fantasy” like, and that Colorado might even ask for more should the trade market yield little fruit in the way of impact players. Though Pierre Dorion is looking to improve the roster, he won’t be that desperate to give up so much.

In other news around the league:

  • TSN’s Travis Yost breaks down the nightmarish contracts the Red Wings have and it appears as bleak as it looks. He lists Henrik Zetterberg’s deal as one that will bog the team down as he ages, noting that Zetterberg is not producing as he once did. He adds that Frans Nielsen is not living up to his rich and long term contract, but that at only 32, he’s still movable. It’s the contracts for Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader where Yost sharpens his criticism as the Wings threw money away on players hardly worth the financial investment (a combined $8.1MM cap hit). Those that passed the test? Gustav Nyquist. Though paid to be a goal scorer, Yost points out that Nyquist is a core player and there are other arguments out there defending Nyquist’s value. Mike Green is another name Yost brings up as worth the money. Regardless, it’s another indication that unless Ken Holland is prudent and crafty, the Wings are in for tough times ahead.
  • The Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins believes that Edmonton bench boss Todd McLellan doesn’t get the credit he deserves in the Oilers’ turnaround. An underrated catalyst to the success of the Oilers, McLellan has Leavins’ vote for the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the league’s best coach. To turn around a decade’s long culture of losing is impressive in itself. Leavins even points out that McLellan, a patient man who gets coaching advice while at Edmonton gas stations, is more than willing to accept blame for the team’s failures. Regardless of who deserves the credit for the Oilers turnaround, Leavins feels it’s a disservice to not give McLellan the lion’s share of the kudos.

NHL Releases Celebrity Shootout Rosters

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Today is the skills competition portion of the NHL All-Star weekend, and the league has combined the skill of the sport with the star power of Hollywood. The league released the rosters for the Celebrity Shootout, packed with former NHL stars as well.

The league will start with the Celebrity Shootout which features celebrities like Tim Robbins and Cuba Gooding Jr. Justin Bieber was name highlighted by the NHL. Both teams will wear patches honoring Alan Thicke who passed away in December. Thicke was a noted actor for his work on the 80’s television show Growing Pains, and was also a diehard hockey fan.

The Celebrity Shootout is scheduled for 4:15 pm CST. Below are the rosters for both teams.

Team Lemieux (Black)

77 Ray Bourque
21 Peter Forsberg
91 Sergei Fedorov
17 Jari Kurri
19 Larry Robinson
27 Scott Niedermayer
44 Chris Pronger
20 Luc Robitaille
26 Peter Stastny
24 David Boreanaz
37 Taylor Kitsch
91 Riker Lynch
32 Ross Lynch
7 Ron MacLean
13 Steven R. McQueen
8 Teemu Selanne
22  Vincent Piazza
4 Angela Ruggiero
2 Mr. Zhou (goalie)

Team Gretzky (White) 
6 Justin Bieber
88 Patrick Kane
4 Rob Blake
11 Mike Gartner
88 Eric Lindros
5 Nicklas Lidstrom
19 Joe Sakic
18 Denis Savard
21 Borje Salming
12 Cuba Gooding Jr
19 Jerry Bruckheimer
25 Joe Nieuwendyk
44 Billy Flynn
7 Michael Rosenbaum
37 Tim Robbins
20 Carter Thicke
72 Ken Baker (goalie)
1 James Badge Dale (goalie)

Remembering The Early Trades From 2015-16

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The month between the All-Star game and the NHL trade deadline is an interesting one. While most of the action happens right at the end, even sometimes extending past the official deadline due to trade calls, sometimes big moves happen early in February.

Last season, 33 trades happened in the last few days (from February 26-29) before the deadline,  but there were also seven deals that happened in the weeks immediately after the All-Star break. Those deals were just as important to the futures of their teams as any made on the day itself. Let’s look back at the seven deals made between February 9th and 25th last season.

February 9th: Toronto trades Dion Phaneuf, Matt Frattin, Casey Bailey, Ryan Rupert and Cody Donaghey to Ottawa for Jared Cowen, Colin Greening, Milan Michalek, Tobias Lindberg and a 2017 2nd-round pick.

Starting with a whopper, the Maple Leafs continued their drastic tear-down by trading their current captain and highest paid player to a cross-province and divisional rival. The Senators had been looking for another big-minute defenseman and thought Phaneuf could become that player for them.

While it hasn’t worked out perfectly for the Senators, Phaneuf has logged over 23 minutes a night since coming over and is having a fine if unspectacular season offensively this year. While his massive looks like an albatross on their books – he’ll have a cap-hit of $7MM (more than Erik Karlsson) until 2020-21 – the actual salary is much lower. The team also rid themselves of dead money in Cowen, Greening and Michalek and only had to pay the price of a middling prospect in Lindberg and what looks like a fairly late second-round pick.

Lou Lamoriello and the Maple Leafs worked some accounting magic, and have effectively rid themselves of the cap-hits for all three players, burying Greening and Michalek in the AHL and buying out Cowen after a lengthy dispute. Moving Phaneuf was an integral part of the plan going forward, and both teams are fighting for playoff spots a year later.

Read more

Trade Candidates: Francois Beauchemin

at CDT | by 3 Comments

With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that are likely to be dealt by March 1st.

The Colorado Avalanche remain in the NHL’s basement, and 36 year-old defenseman Francois Beauchemin could move in exchange for draft picks and prospects. Veteran defenseman are a playoff team GM’s guilty pleasure, and the cup-winning Beauchemin could prove tempting come trade deadline time. Unfortunately for the Avalanche, Beauchemin’s contract situation may hinder any potential deal.

Contract

Beauchemin is in the 2nd year of a three-year deal worth $4.5MM a year. The contract also contains a No-Movement Clause. Finally, because it is a 35+ contract, the cap hit remains if Beauchemin retires before next season.

2016-17

Beauchemin’s production dropped from last season’s surprise resurgence, but remains in line with his career average. The Avalanche started the season with Beauchemin on the 2nd pairing, but recent injuries to Erik Johnson and Tyson Barrie have propelled Beauchemin to average over 27 minutes a night. The increased ice time doesn’t seem to have a negative influence on the veteran defenseman, who has potted 1G and 1A in those last five games. If this season tells us anything, it’s that Beauchemin still has enough gas in the tank to eat large minutes for a contending NHL team.

Season Stats

45 games: 2 goals, 9 assists, 11 points. 45.8 CF%, -5, 21:18 ATOI, 100 BLK

Potential Suitors

Playoff-bound teams with enough cap room to handle Beauchemin’s $4.5MM cap hit, and appealing enough for Beauchemin to waive his NMC. The Columbus Blue Jackets could use Beauchemin’s services, and have the cap room to spare. The team could benefit from a veteran presence on a blue with only one player older than 26. Columbus may even be attractive to Beauchemin as a return to a former team. Beauchemin played 11 games for the Blue Jackets in 2005-06 before being traded to Anaheim.

Another potential suitor with ties to Beauchemin is the Montreal Canadiens. Even though the Canadiens just acquired Nikita Nesterov from the Tampa Bay Lightning, a couple of cap moves would create enough space for a proven veteran defenseman. Andrei Markov is 38 and no guarantee to remain healthy during a long playoff run. Beauchemin would provide insurance and additional protection in front of Carey Price.

Likelihood Of A Trade

50-50. Without considering Beauchemin’s contract, his skill and experience make him a hot commodity around the NHL. The problem lies with the three-pronged contractual downside. He still has one year left at $4.5MM, he is on a 35+ contract, and he has a NMC. Any of those three factors could deter interested teams, or at least lower the Avalanche’s expected return. A team with cap space and a good chance at making the finals, however, could provide the perfect landing spot.

Snapshots: Duchene, Fleury, Philadelphia, Wisniewski

at CDT | by 3 Comments

After Matt Duchene set the hockey hot-stove on fire this morning when he reportedly told media he was open to the idea of a trade, Darren Dreger confirmed as much on TSN’s Insider Trading. Dreger reports that though Duchene is open to a deal, he hasn’t formally asked for one and GM Joe Sakic may wait until the summer to move the talented forward. Though he would likely command a hefty sum right now, the team might be able to pry an even greater package away in the summer when teams have a little more cap flexibility.

While it’s not guaranteed that this season will be Duchene’s last in Colorado, it is certainly seeming more likely. The former third-overall pick has had an up-and-down career in the NHL but certainly has the offensive talent to be a contributor for any team.

  • In the same TSN segment, Bob McKenzie spoke about the growing frustration for Marc-Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh. The former first-overall pick hasn’t played in the last seven games for the Penguins and is starting to be considered the back up. With a no-movement clause in his contract, Fleury currently has control of his future. If he doesn’t waive it, the Penguins would be forced to protect him instead of Matt Murray in the expansion draft. If Murray was available, Las Vegas would surely select him (unless a deal was made behind the scenes) making Fleury the starter again. But since the team clearly doesn’t want him as the full-time starter any more, perhaps he’ll agree to a trade in-season or before the draft to move somewhere else around the league.
  • McKenzie also reported on the Philadelphia goaltender situation, which is currently unresolved long-term. While the team has Anthony Stolarz looking closer and closer to providing NHL netminding, they have had talks about extending one of Steve Mason or Michal Neuvirth at some point before the expansion draft. The team is likely to wait until they have to though, with neither netminder really showing they deserve a long-term deal. If the Penguins weren’t bitter rivals of the Flyers, one might suggest that the two could be trading partners for the frustrated Fleury. The summer looks like it will have a handful of starting goaltender candidates available however, with Ben Bishop leading the way as an unrestricted free agent. If Philadelphia wants to move on from the Mason-Neuvirth combo, they could wait to see what is available after the season.
  • Dreger added in a separate tweet that James Wisniewski has signed a 25-game tryout with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. “The Wiz” was playing in the KHL after not being able to secure and NHL deal this summer. The former Blackhaws, Ducks, Canadiens, Islanders, Blue Jackets and Hurricanes defenseman was once a premiere right-handed puck mover in the NHL but injuries have limited his thirties to less than a full season of games. Chicago is the AHL squad of the St. Louis Blues, who may lose a right-handed defensemen in the next month in Kevin Shattenkirk. While Wisniewski is by no means a replacement for Shattenkirk, he does add some depth on the right side should he be able to find even a sliver of his former NHL talent.

Minor Transactions: 1/26/2017

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

PHR is monitoring all of the day’s roster transactions and will update this post throughout the day:

  • The New York Rangers have announced via their official Twitter account that they have reassigned goaltender Magnus Hellberg to Hartford of the AHL. Hellberg was called up 10 days ago to serve as the backup to #1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist after Antti Raanta suffered a lower-body injury in his last appearance on January 14th. Hellberg appeared in one game in relief of Lundqvist, stopping all four shots faced. The reassignment indicates Raanta will be ready to go after the All Star break.
  • St. Louis Blues center Kyle Brodziak has been placed on IR with a right foot injury and will be out at least five weeks, according to Lou Korac of NHL.com. Korac adds in a separate tweet that the team has recalled Ivan Barbashev. Brodziak has tallied six goals and 10 points in 47 contests this season for St. Louis. Barbashev was a second-round pick of the Blues in the 2014 entry draft. He is in his second professional campaign and has registered 19 goals and 37 points for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The Moscow native could make his NHL debut tonight.
  • With Evgeni Malkin sidelined with a lower-body injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forward Carter Rowney from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, tweets Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Rowney, who has yet to appear in an NHL game, has tallied 10 goals and 21 points in 24 AHL games for the baby Pens.
  • Jim O’Brien and Spencer Martin have been reassigned by the Colorado Avalanche to their AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, the club announced via Twitter. O’Brien was called up Tuesday but didn’t dress for the team’s game last night against Vancouver. Colorado doesn’t play again until next week Tuesday and obviously won’t need a backup goalie. The move will allow the team to bank some cap space and give Martin a chance to see some game action in the minors.
  • Steve Oleksy, placed on waivers yesterday, has cleared, reports Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. At this point it appears he will remain with the team though he can be reassigned to the AHL at any point in the next 30 days without again being subject to the waivers process. Update (1:25pm): Oleksy has indeed been sent down to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
  • The San Jose Sharks have activated center Tomas Hertl from IR and also recalled forwards Kevin Labanc and Timo Meier from the AHL, according to Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area. Hertl last appeared for San Jose on November 17th and has missed the last 32 games. Labanc and Meier both were reassigned to the San Jose Barracuda yesterday in what was essentially a procedural move designed to allow the Sharks to bank a little extra salary cap space.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have announced that they have reassigned blue liner Shea Theodore and forward Kalle Kossila to San Diego of the AHL. Theodore has been a frequent mention in these posts as he’s been recalled by the club eight times this season, only to be returned to the Gulls each time. Kossila, meanwhile, was called up yesterday and made his NHL debut last night. He didn’t register a point but played 6:54 in the Ducks 4 – 0 loss to Edmonton.

Semyon Varlamov Set To Undergo Season-Ending Surgery

at CDT | by 1 Comment

A tough season is only getting worse for the Colorado Avalanche. Earlier today a report surfaced indicating that star center Matt Duchene would be open to a trade from Colorado. On the heels of that news, The Denver Post’s Terry Frei is reporting that Semyon Varlamov will undergo season-ending surgery to solve the groin issues that have plagued the team’s #1 goalie this season.

Varlamov has struggled to stay on the ice this season due to the groin issues and the team’s medical staff finally decided the best course of action would be surgery. The hope, according to Avalanche GM Joe Sakic, is to have Varlamov fully healthy and ready to go for training camp next summer.

“After further evaluation from our team doctors, it was determined that the best road to recovery was surgery. Doing this procedure at this time ensures that Semyon will be fully healthy for the start of training camp.”

The 28-year-old netminder was in the midst of the worst statistical season of his career, winning just six of his 23 starts while posting a GAA of 3.38 and a S% of 0.898. Varlamov has battled inconsistency throughout his nine-year NHL career but when he is on he has shown he can be one of the better goalies in the league. As recently as the 2013-14 campaign, the Russian backstop finished second in Vezina trophy voting after winning 41 games while registering a GAA of 2.41 and a S% of 0.927. He has two seasons remaining on a contract that calls for a $5.9MM cap charge.

In the interim, Frei suggests the team will stick with Pickard and current backup, Spencer Martin, for the balance of the current season. It wouldn’t make sense for the team to sacrifice assets for a stopgap alternative in the midst of a lost season. However, if a long-term option were to be made available, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see the Avalanche entertain a move in that direction; especially if they harbor doubts about both Varlamov and Pickard as reliable starting goalies moving forward.

The Avalanche will have an interesting decision to make ahead of the June expansion draft. They will have to expose one goalie under contract for the 2017-18 season and it’s likely that netminder will be Varlamov. However, Calvin Pickard, who has taken over between the pipes in Varlamov’s absence, hasn’t exactly grabbed the starting job with his play this season. He has posted a S% of 0.906 with a GAA of more than three in 23 appearances in 2016-17. At this point it seems unlikely that the Vegas Golden Knights would gamble on Varlamov and his cap hit but it’s too early to dismiss the possibility altogether.

 

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top