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Luke Glendening Drawing Trade Interest

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The Detroit Red Wings are one of the expected sellers at this year’s trade deadline, with Mike Green leading the way in terms of players they could move. Another name, Luke Glendening, may be getting some interest as Frank Seravalli of TSN reports that both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars have asked about the forward.

Luke GlendeningGlendening, 28, would represent the depth center that we listed recently as a potential need for the Maple Leafs and Stars, and could give both teams another penalty kill option. Signed to a four-year contract extension in 2016, he has three years left on the deal that carries a cap hit of $1.8MM per season. That number is more than reasonable for a fourth-line option, even if Glendening doesn’t offer much in terms of offense.

In 337 career games—many of which came under Toronto coach Mike Babcock when he was still with Detroit—Glendening has just 74 points. It’s his impact in the faceoff circle that is more impressive, as he’s won 53.1% of his draws throughout his career, including 57.8% this season.

Toronto has had a revolving door of sorts at the fourth-line center position for the last few years, with Dominic Moore staking the latest claim. Though Moore has done relatively well in that role lately, he’s an unrestricted free agent in the summer and will turn 38 in the summer. Frederik Gauthier, the heir apparent to the role, has struggled at times in his short NHL stints, and could be falling out of favor with the organization.

Dallas has had similar problems with their center depth this season, uncertain of the consistency Jason Spezza can provide and dealing with injuries to Martin Hanzal. Though Radek Faksa has emerged as a quality checking center, the team could still use an addition to strengthen their group for a potential playoff run. Glendening doesn’t come with a ton of playoff experience, but could likely fit into Ken Hitchcock’s system with ease.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 02/16/18

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The trade book got another couple of entries yesterday, as the Toronto Maple Leafs sent Nikita Soshnikov away and the Ottawa Senators took a risk on Ville Pokka. Today could bring much of the same, but for now we’ll just focus on the minor transactions teams make around the league.

Snapshots: Carter, Stars, Kamenev

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The Los Angeles Kings changed the look of their defense corps with the acquisition of Dion Phaneuf, but are reportedly still interested in bringing in a forward to help them increase their offense. That offense has struggled for much of the season, and sits 17th in the league in terms of goals for. Luckily, that all could change very soon even without an outside addition.

According to Josh Cooper of LA Kings Insider (temporarily at least) Jeff Carter is hopeful to return to practice after the Kings’ current road trip, which ends after their Tuesday matchup in Winnipeg. If Carter is able to get back in the lineup soon after that, he will give the team a huge offensive boost up the middle. The 33-year old center is coming off three straight 60+ point seasons, including leading the team with 32 goals in 2016-17. He’s played just six games this year, and is probably the best trade deadline acquisition the Kings could make.

  • The Dallas Stars’ AHL affiliate has announced extensions for both head coach Derek Laxdal and assistant coach Karl Taylor, guaranteeing them another year with the Texas Stars. The team is 25-18-7 this season, but has graduated several players to the NHL in the past few years. Laxdal, a former NHL forward, has coached teams at both the ECHL and WHL levels to championships and won a Calder Cup as a player.
  • Adrian Dater of BSN Denver reports that Vladislav Kamenev has been activated and will head to the San Antonio Rampage to start playing again. Kamenev broke his arm in his first game with the Colorado Avalanche after being acquired in the Matt Duchene deal, but is a good two-way forward prospect for the team that could help down the stretch. With Colorado still fighting for a playoff spot, a player like Kamenev could make a name for himself with some big contributions over the next few months.

Trade Candidates: Nick Holden

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With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.

The New York Rangers are selling. That much is well-established. While the main focus of the media is on big names like Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello, the reality is the only deals that are more likely than not include the team’s impending unrestricted free agents. One such player, and the only Rangers defenseman that fits that description, is Nick Holden. While Holden is not the swift, puck-moving defenseman emphasized by today’s NHL, he still holds value in many facets of the game. In fact, it’s fair to say that Holden has been routinely under-rated throughout his career (at least Patrick Roy thought so). New York knows this too, after acquiring him from Colorado for just a fourth-round pick back in the 2016 off-season only to watch him play a key role on the blue line the past two seasons. Now that they’re on the other side of the table looking to trade him away, they’ll try not to make the same mistake. However, with a “fire sale” potentially about to begin for the Rangers, Holden seems destined to be shipped out for the best offer.

Contract

Holden is in the final season of a three-year, 4.95MM contract extension signed with the Colorado Avalanche in 2014. His cap hit in 2017-18 is $1.65MM, but will count for under $500K at the deadline.

2017-18

Nothing that Holden does on the ice jumps out, though for a defenseman, that can be a good thing. In no way does Holden play a flashy, offensive possession game and his numbers this season prove that. He has just a few goals and a handful of assists on the year, below average Corsi numbers, and almost no role on the power play. Perhaps the most telling detail of his playing style is that the casual hockey fan likely has never heard of him, as his play rarely garners attention. Why then is he playing top-four minutes for the Rangers this year and playing top-pair minutes last year? Holden simply has a solid, no-nonsense game. He plays a safe, dependable style in his own end and can thus be relied on for major minutes without risking a breakdown on defense. Holden is also a physical, but clean player. He has led the Rangers in hits in back-to-back seasons, but does so while taking few detrimental penalties. When given the chance, Holden also has quite the shot and led all Blueshirt blue liners in goal-scoring in 2016-17. It’s easy to say that Holden has taken a step back this season. His offensive totals are way off his pace set last year and his plus/minus and ice time are down as a result. However, as for the hallmarks of his game, Holden is playing just as physical, is blocking more shots, and has improved greatly in turnovers, with fewer giveaways and more takeaways. Holden’s 2017-18 season would give no team any reason to think that he is a game-changer or the answer to all of their problems, but could he be a reliable asset to a contender? Absolutely.

Season Stats

51 GP, 3 goals, 7 assists, 10 points, +4 rating, 12 PIM, 48 shots, 19:00 ATOI, 45.0 CF%

Potential Suitors

Holden fits the bill of a player who gets traded every deadline season –  a responsible depth defenseman who can play reliable hockey when called upon. Every season contenders seems to add a player like this simply out of convenience rather than necessity. Holden is not the type of player who will radically change the fortunes of a contender, but – especially at that cap hit – he is one worth the asset investment as he can provide reliable defense if necessary. Look for the top teams in the league to take a look at Holden in the next two weeks. The Atlantic trio of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs could all use depth on the blue line and while at times they have all been connected to bigger targets, surely one or more will decide to settle for a lesser addition. In the Metro, the Washington Capitals could really use some defensive depth and experience and the New Jersey Devils could particularly use a more safe, reliable defender given their current goal-tending crisis. In the Pacific, the Los Angeles Kings would make a nice fit, so long as their playoff position is a little firmer by the deadline.

However, the best fit for Holden seems to be the Central’s Dallas Stars. The Stars have little cap space to work with and have admitted that they won’t be major buyers, but the affordable contract of Holden paired with the responsible, hard-nosed game that head coach Ken Hitchcock appreciates makes for a nice match. Dallas is in good position to at least clinch a wild card spot this season and perhaps play spoiler in the postseason, but regardless of the status of Marc Methot, the team is known to be looking for a defenseman and Holden fits the bill for the type of guy they want and can afford to acquire.

Likelihood of a Trade

If the Rangers are serious about their fire sale, then a Holden trade is nearly a certainty. There has been no word on any extension talks, meaning Holden’s days in New York are numbered; no point in keeping him around just to fade away into free agency at the end of the season. The Rangers got Holden for a fourth-rounder in the off-season two years ago and now, two solid campaigns later and at deadline prices, they should be able to get at least that back. If the fire sale is on, they should take what they can get and move on.

Toronto Maple Leafs On Rick Nash Approved Trade List

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The New York Rangers have a group of 12 teams that they could send Rick Nash without his approval, after they asked him recently to submit his 18-team no-trade list. It isn’t clear who most of those 12 teams are, but Frank Seravalli of TSN confirms that the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of them. Nash recently said he had included Canadian contenders in his approved group, of which really there are only three: the Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets. It’s unclear if the latter two are among the dozen teams, though Seravalli writes the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars are both “believed to be” among the approved destinations.

It doesn’t seem like the Maple Leafs have much use for the winger as they continue to deal with a roster crunch of their own, but there is a connection to head coach Mike Babcock from international competition. Nash was on two gold-medal winning clubs with Babcock, exquisitely playing a checking role alongside Jonathan Toews at times.

Nash will almost certainly be dealt by the February 26th trade deadline, and could even set the market for rental forwards by landing the Rangers a hefty package. There have been reports that New York is looking for as many as three assets for the 33-year old forward, a big ask for someone who can only give you a few months of production. While Toronto is now confirmed to be on the list, they don’t seem like a match to enter the bidding, even if the price does drop to a reasonable amount.

Deadline Primer: Dallas Stars

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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 Dallas Stars.

The 2016-17 season didn’t go as planned for the Dallas Stars, finishing 30 points behind their pace from the previous year and missing the playoffs entirely. Now, with a new coach and important offseason additions, the club is back in the playoff race and looking to buy at the deadline.

Record

33-20-4, fourth in Central Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$4.1MM full-season cap hit, 0/3 retained salary transactions, 41/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: DAL 1st, DAL 2nd, DAL 3rd, DAL 4th, CHI 4th, DAL 5th, DAL 6th, DAL 7th
2019: DAL 1st, DAL 2nd, DAL 3rd, DAL 4th, PIT/MIN 4th*, DAL 5th, DAL 6th, DAL 7th

*Dallas will receive the earlier of the two picks

Jason SpezzaTrade Chips

Even after acquiring players like Ben Bishop and Marc Methot last offseason, the Stars head into the trade deadline with a full cupboard of draft picks. That, paired with a very interesting prospect group headlined by third-overall selection Miro Heiskanen, sets the Stars up well to be one of the preeminent buyers over the next few weeks and again in June.

It seems unlikely that the team would dangle Heiskanen or other top prospects like Riley Tufte, Jason Robertson or Jake Oettinger in trade for a piece at the deadline, but there could be some names off the roster that would be interesting for teams looking for NHL options. Brett Ritchie hasn’t been able to find the same level of play he showed last season when he scored 16 goals, but is still a big body on a reasonable contract. Second-round pick Remi Elie hasn’t quite found his form in professional hockey, but is still just 22 and has shown flashes of the hard-working, puck-protecting winger he was in junior.

There is also the case of Jason Spezza, who has had an extremely up-and-down season. At one point made a healthy scratch by new head coach Ken Hitchcock, Spezza is still an excellent faceoff man and has 24 points on the year. He comes with another year at $7.5MM and a ten team no-trade list, but if Dallas decided to retain some salary they could perhaps move him to open up some ice time for their younger players.

Five Players To Watch For: F Brett Ritchie, F Devin Shore, F Jason Spezza, F Jason Dickinson, F Remi Elie

Team Needs

1) Middle-Six Winger: The Stars have built a solid defensive core with their top two pairings, and Methot is expected back in the lineup soon. Instead of looking at the defense, they’re after another wing option that can contribute offensively. Linked to Rick Nash recently, they could look for a less expensive option if the rental prices get out of control.

2) Depth Center: If the team doesn’t believe Spezza can handle a matchup role in the playoffs, they could look to add another option down the middle. Martin Hanzal hasn’t been the offensive performer they’d hoped even when he’s been healthy, and despite Radek Faksa’s emergence he’s still relatively unproven. Adding a bottom-six center with playoff experience could be helpful as the Stars try to make and then contend in the Stanley Cup chase.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 02/12/18

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Just two weeks remain until the NHL trade deadline, and the rumor mill is starting to heat up. To make room for trades, teams often make minor moves to open up a roster spot or change the make up of the team. We’ll keep track of all those minor transactions right here.

  • The Dallas Stars have sent Jason Dickinson and Dillon Heatherington back to the AHL, at least for the next few days. The Stars don’t play again until February 16th, and can save some cap space by sending the pair down. The Texas Stars don’t play until the 17th, so they won’t be needed during that time. We’ll have to wait and see if they are recalled in a few days.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs plan on recalling Nikita Soshnikov from his conditioning stint later today, but will keep him on injured reserve for the time being. Though there has been some confusion over a “deadline” of sorts to activate Soshnikov, players on long-term injury conditioning loans do not have to be activated when such a loan ends. Instead, Toronto will take their time to decide how to fit Soshnikov back into their roster picture.
  • The Calgary Flames have recalled Jon Gillies from the AHL under emergency conditions, thanks to Mike Smith’s injury last night. The team also moved Troy Brouwer to injured reserve retroactive to February 8th. Gillies and David Rittich will have to hold the net while Smith recovers from an injury that isn’t as bad as expected.
  • Cory Schneider is finally on injured reserve for the New Jersey Devils, retroactive to his last game on January 23rd. In the meantime, the club has used the roster spot to recall forward Nick Lappin from the minor leagues. The 25-year old Lappin has 29 points in 42 games for the Binghamton Devils this season.
  • Paul Thompson has been returned to the Chicago Wolves after just one day up with the Vegas Golden Knights, and will have to wait for another opportunity to make his 2017-18 NHL debut. The 29-year old forward has 24 games of NHL experience, but has been a solid AHL offensive player for years.

Eastern Notes: Hurricanes, Nash, McDonagh, Van Riemsdyk

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The Carolina Hurricanes are by no means out of the playoff hunt. Afterall, they have won two in a row and currently are clinging to the second and final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. However, the team might end up being sellers at the trade deadline as the young team have quite a few trade chips that could help this team down the road, according to The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek (subscription required).

The scribe writes that the Hurricanes have quite a bit of depth on the blueline and it should get deeper soon. The team already has captain Justin Faulk leading the defense and although he’s not having as good of a campaign as a year ago, he might make for a good trade chip especially as the defensive salary cap will rise for the team next season. Carolina already have Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce under contract and both their extensions will kick in next year at a combined $9.325MM. Defenseman Noah Hanifin will be a restricted free agent next year and should get a solid raise. The team has rookie Haydn Fleury back next year and likely will have 2016 first-rounder Jake Bean coming in. This might be the right time to make a move for a scoring forward.

Duhatschek also notes that the team, who recently waived Marcus Kruger and Josh Jooris, could also look to move another pair of veterans at the deadline including Derek Ryan and Lee Stempniak. Ryan is an excellent face-off specialist and would make a solid bottom-six center and is an excellent story, while Stempniak, is starting to find his groove after missing much of the season. Ryan has 11 goals and 26 points this season, while Stempniak has played in just 14 games, but has one goal and five assists so far.

  • The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that New York Rangers winger Rick Nash has set his 12-team trade approved list and the veteran revealed that he chose teams based on their chances to win the Stanley Cup this season. “I included the teams that I think have the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup and are also places I think would be good for my family,” the 33-year-old father of two young children said. “And, yes, that does include teams in Canada. I’m not excluding that as a possibility.” Nash says he would consider changing the list if a certain team not on the list shows interest in him. Brooks adds that several teams have shown interest including the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, Tampa Bay Lightning and possibly the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • Brooks also notes that the Tampa Bay Lightning have quite a bit of interest in adding defenseman Ryan McDonagh at the trade deadline. They believe that with Victor Hedman and McDonagh at the blueline, the chances Tampa Bay could win a Stanley Cup would increase heavily. However, the scribe notes that the Rangers should demand 19-year-old defensive rookie Mikhail Sergachev as the asking price for the veteran defenseman.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have gotten some interest in veteran forward James van Riemsdyk recently, Sportsnet’s Mike Johnston said during Saturday’s Headlines’ segment on Hockey Night in Canada. Johnston said two teams were told they have no plans to trade van Riemsdyk before the deadline. The 28-year-old goal scorer, who has 22 goals so far this year, will be an unrestricted free agent this year, but according to Johnston, has not received any contract extension offers yet. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos added on the segment that the main reason is because van Riemsdyk refuses to take a hometown discount.

Snapshots: Johnson, Nash, Green

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The Columbus Blue Jackets are looking for a landing spot for Jack Johnson, after he requested a trade earlier this season and wants a chance to play a bigger role somewhere before hitting free agency. In tonight’s edition of Insider Trading on TSN with panel members Pierre LeBrun, Darren Dreger and Bob McKenzie, they discuss where Johnson could land.

LeBrun even reports that Columbus is “comfortable they can go out and get a low first-round draft pick,” but that they’d still rather get a forward back for a playoff run of their own. That at least seems to increase the likelihood of Johnson being dealt by the deadline, as even a late first is very valuable for clubs on draft day.

  • Rick Nash is clearly on the market, now that the New York Rangers have effectively signaled a rebuild and asked for his no-trade list. Dreger lists the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars as the top two contenders for Nash, but that as many as ten teams have been in contact with his representatives. Nash is likely going to be one of the top prizes on deadline day, if he even lasts the next few weeks.
  • McKenzie chimes in with some news on Mike Green of the Detroit Red Wings, once again linking him to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are after a defenseman for their Stanley Cup run, but McKenzie reports that the Red Wings are after a return somewhere between the one they received for Brendan Smith last season (2018 second-round pick, 2017 third-round pick) and the one St. Louis received for Kevin Shattenkirk (effectively 2017 first-round pick, prospect Zach Sanford). Whether Tampa Bay wants to pay that much is unclear, but they do have quite the prospect pipeline already built up if they do start to sacrifice futures.

Minor Transactions: 2/4/18

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After a full slate of games Saturday, the NHL only has a three-game schedule on Super Bowl Sunday, the most interesting of which is the early game which matches up the Vegas Golden Knights with the Washington Capitals. With most teams having played last night, there may be quite a few roster moves made today to get ready for the new week.

  • The New Jersey Devils announced they have assigned goaltender goaltender Ken Appleby to the Binghamton Devils and recalled goaltender Eddie Lack. Appleby was recalled back on Jan. 20 on emergency loan after backup goalie Keith Kinkaid went on injured reserve and starter Cory Schneider went down with a groin injury. Appleby played well in his three appearances as he had a 1.45 GAA and a .945 save percentage in that time. While Kinkaid has been activated, Schneider is still not skating yet. Lack, who has been injured recently, finally returned to Binghamton’s lineup and stopped 28 of 30 shots, and might be the preferred backup until Schneider returns to the team.
  • NHL.com’s Brian Hedger writes that the Columbus Blue Jackets have assigned defenseman Cameron Gaunce to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL after having been recalled Saturday. He did not play in last night’s game and still hasn’t made his NHL debut this season. The 27-year-old blueliner has two goals and 10 assists in 36 games for Cleveland. The assignment suggests that defenseman Ryan Murray might be ready to return for Columbus.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins swapped goaltenders today as the team has recalled Tristan Jarry from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette’s Jason Mackey. The team also assigned Casey DeSmith to their AHL team. Jarry has played 18 games for Pittsburgh this year, backing up Matt Murray. The 22-year-old has a 2.44 GAA and a .919 save percentage. DeSmith has also fared well in just seven appearances for the NHL club. He owns a 2.24 GAA and a .926 save percentage.
  • The New York Rangers announced that they have recalled forward Vinni Lettieri from the Hartford Wolf Pack. Lettieri was assigned to Hartford on Jan. 26. In 10 games for the Rangers, he has one goal and three assists. He has fared well in Hartford as he has 14 goals and 23 points in 35 AHL games. Lettieri should fill the roster spot for forward Jimmy Vesey, who isn’t expected to play Monday after taking a hit from Nashville’s Filip Forsberg.
  • The Boston Bruins announced they have assigned forward Austin Czarnik to the Providence Bruins Sunday. The 25-year-old forward was recalled on emergency loan Saturday. The diminutive forward did play in last night’s game, picking up an assist in 9:07 of playing time in the Bruins 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have assigned goaltender Adin Hill to the Tucson Roadrunners Sunday. He was recalled as an emergency replacement on Friday after starter Antti Raanta was in a car accident. Raanta wasn’t hurt, but was held out for precautionary reasons. Hill didn’t see any time. He has played in three games for Arizona, but has struggled with a 3.76 GAA. The 21-year-old has fared better with Tucson as he has 2.59 in 20 appearances.
  • NHL.com’s Alex Stepneski tweets the Dallas Stars have assigned goaltender Landon Bow to the Texas Stars of the AHL. Bow was recalled Saturday after starter Ben Bishop took a puck to the head. A concussion had been ruled out, but the team removed him for precautionary reasons. Bow’s assignment suggests Bishop will be ready for their next game.

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