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Jussi Olkinuora Clears Unconditional Waivers

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Feb 1: Olkinuora has cleared waivers according to CapFriendly, and will have his contract terminated.

Jan 31: As the trade deadline approaches, teams will be trying to open up additional contract slots just to give themselves some flexibility. After one player hit unconditional waivers yesterday, another finds himself there today. Jussi Olkinuora has been waived by the Detroit Red Wings for the purpose of a contract termination, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets.

Olkinuora, 32, was signed by the Red Wings last summer to a one-year, two-way contract to try his hand in North America once again. The Finnish goaltender had played several years in the minor leagues earlier in his career, after suiting up for the Sioux Falls Stampede and the University of Denver.

After just 15 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, a contract termination suggests he’s on his way back overseas. He went 6-8 with the minor league club, posting an .868 save percentage. That’s a far cry from the numbers he was registering in the KHL the last few years, and an understandable catalyst for this termination.

For a veteran player like Olkinuora, struggling in the AHL isn’t always the most rewarding hockey career. Given the depth in net for Detroit, with Alex Nedeljkovic heading to the AHL, he wasn’t even going to play very much moving forward.

The move will open an extra contract slot for the Red Wings, giving them four to work with under the limit of 50.

Latest On Dylan Larkin

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Last weekend, it was reported that the Red Wings had presented a new offer to center Dylan Larkin as they look to lock up their captain to a long-term extension.  Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports (subscription link) that the offer was for the maximum of eight years and carried an AAV of $8MM.  Considering there hasn’t been an announcement of an extension at this point, it’s safe to say that the offer was declined.

The proposal represented a fair-sized jump on the $6.1MM Larkin is currently getting on his deal that’s set to expire in June.  However, St. James points to the eight-year, $73.2MM extension ($9.15MM AAV) that Mathew Barzal signed with the Islanders as a logical comparable from Larkin’s camp.  If that’s the case, the two sides are likely trying to bridge somewhere in the range of a $1.15MM gap per season.  While a deal isn’t done yet, the 26-year-old doesn’t believe there’s any sort of strain in negotiations:

It doesn’t seem like there are any hard feelings, it is just the way it is going.  With Steve, I don’t really expect anything else. It’s been very professional and we’ve had a lot of conversations about the team and certain things that come up during a season with guys or whatever it may be. It’s been pretty status quo.

Larkin put up his second career 30-goal campaign last season and is averaging just shy of a point per game this season with 43 in 47 contests.  If he stays at that pace, it’ll be the third time he averages at least 0.9 points per game.  Those are certainly strong numbers but how much more of a ceiling does he still have offensively?  While Larkin is deployed as a number one center, there’s typically an expectation that the player in that role can help carry an offense and get past the point-per-game threshold.

That’s likely a big factor in negotiations.  A $9M-plus AAV would put Larkin in the top-25 in cap hit among NHL forwards but is he a top-25 forward?  Could he still become one as some of Detroit’s young talent continues to develop and improve, bolstering the scoring power for the Red Wings over time?  These are the questions that GM Steve Yzerman is certainly pondering at the moment.

It’s certainly not an ideal spot for Detroit to be in.  Larkin has made it clear that his desire is to stay with his hometown team.  Many expected an extension to be in place by now.  But while upping the offer for Larkin may not be ideal from a spending perspective, the alternative isn’t any better as trying to find a new top pivot on the open market comes with its own risks and would likely cost more than they’re offering here.

The Red Wings are a team that’s now in the process of trying to build back into being a playoff contender.  That’s a lot tougher task to do without a top center which means Larkin walking in free agency would be a tough blow.  Accordingly, even though there’s a sizable gap to be bridged financially, Detroit fans should still have some optimism that they’ll be able to find common ground on a new deal.  It’s just going to cost more than Yzerman and the Red Wings would like.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Red Wings Notes: Zadina, Bertuzzi, Johansson

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Filip Zadina’s return to the ice has had some ups and downs as the winger has dealt with various setbacks that have delayed his return.  However, he told team reporter Jonathan Mills that at this point, all he’s waiting for is the sign-off from team doctors to return to the lineup with the hopes of getting in before next week’s All-Star break.  Zadina has missed a bit more than ten weeks due to a lower-body injury, one that was initially supposed to sideline him for six to eight weeks.  He has been limited to just nine games this season and is still looking for his first point which isn’t the type of bounce-back anyone was hoping for in the first year of his three-year bridge deal

More from Detroit:

  • Winger Tyler Bertuzzi is also nearing a return as MLive’s Ansar Khan reports (Twitter link) that the veteran is expected to return on Thursday against Montreal. The 27-year-old suffered a lower-body injury back last Thursday and has missed the last two games.  This season hasn’t gone anywhere near the way Bertuzzi had hoped as he has missed time with three separate injuries and has just a goal and four assists in 15 games.  That’s hardly the type of production he was hoping for heading into the final year of his contract with his first crack at unrestricted free agency to follow.
  • Prospect Anton Johansson has signed an upgraded contract, per an announcement from SHL Leksand. The 18-year-old defenseman was a fourth-round pick last summer (105th overall) and started the year at the junior level but has played in 13 games with Leksand at the top level.  That playing time necessitated an adjusted contract but it still only runs through this season.  However, it’s likely that Johansson will remain in the SHL for the foreseeable future which will be a good test development-wise.

Detroit Red Wings Activate, Reassign Matt Luff

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In November, Juraj Slafkovsky was given a two-game suspension for boarding. Unfortunately, the player he hit, Matt Luff of the Detroit Red Wings, was out much longer.

Luff needed wrist surgery and hasn’t played since. Today, he was activated by the Red Wings from injured reserve and loaned to the AHL. Despite playing seven games in the NHL, he remains waiver-exempt for the time being.

Through seven games this season, the depth forward was averaging just over eight minutes a game and had scored one goal. In the AHL, where he has always been excellent, he had seven points in five contests.

The Grand Rapids Griffins could certainly use his help. They sit 15-19-4 on the year and have only scored 103 goals in 38 games.

Red Wings Recently Presented New Extension Offer To Dylan Larkin

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The Red Wings recently presented a new extension offer to pending UFA center Dylan Larkin, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.  However, it does not appear to have moved the needle much as Pagnotta notes that there remains a sizable gap to bridge in discussions.  Larkin has made it clear that he wants to remain in Detroit and it seems likely that both sides are looking for a long-term agreement which means money would be the gap they’re trying to work through.  After finishing just under a point per game last season, the 26-year-old is on a similar pace this season and his camp could point to Mathew Barzal’s extension that carries a $9.15MM AAV as a possible comparable in negotiations.  If something can’t be worked out in the next six weeks leading up to the trade deadline, Larkin could become a trade candidate if they don’t want to run the risk of losing him for nothing this summer.

Tyler Bertuzzi Out Tonight, Not Believed To Be Long-Term Injury

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  • While the Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that winger Tyler Bertuzzi won’t be available tonight due to injury, it’s not expected to be a long-term issue, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan. It has been a year to forget so far for the 27-year-old who has been limited to just 15 appearances thus far after breaking both hands this season.  Bertuzzi has just a goal and four assists when he has been in the lineup, hardly the type of year he was hoping for as he becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer.

Detroit Red Wings Acquire Jasper Weatherby

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2:25pm: In a separate (but connected) AHL deal, Patrick McGrath is also going to the Griffins. The 29-year-old is signed to a minor league contract and couldn’t be included in the NHL portion of the trade. McGrath is an agitator, with just a handful of points to his name over a long minorleague career.

2:05pm: The San Jose Sharks have made a minor move, sending Jasper Weatherby to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Kyle Criscuolo. The trade swaps two players that were in the minor leagues for their respective organizations, with neither one seeing any NHL action this year.

Weatherby, 24, played 50 games for the Sharks last season after signing out of the University of North Dakota and scored 11 points. The 6’4″ center showed a little promise, even if his offense was rather limited. Surprisingly, he hasn’t seen so much as a recall this season, and is struggling in the AHL. Weatherby has just six points in 39 games for the San Jose Barracuda and was trending toward being unqualified in the summer. While there still may be a bit of potential there, his status as a restricted free agent and sudden drop down the depth chart suggested his time with San Jose was nearing an end.

In Detroit, he’ll join a Grand Rapids Griffins team that is struggling to get much of anything going. The team has been outscored by 40 goals this season and has a 14-19-3 record so far. Perhaps he finds a new level in his game and earns a contract in the offseason, but that is no guarantee. Given the fact that Weatherby is arbitration-eligible, many teams would likely be moving on if his performance continues.

Criscuolo, meanwhile, is at the other end of the spectrum. A 30-year-old undersized, undrafted forward, he has spent nearly his entire professional career in the minor leagues. With just 15 NHL appearances, he’s purely an AHL depth piece at this point. Criscuolo is also a free agent at the end of the year, though he’ll be unrestricted, and at least offers a bit more experience for the Barracuda. In 335 AHL contests, he has recorded 187 points and won the Calder Cup in 2017.

Fans waiting for big trade news will have to wait, as neither of these players project to make much of an impact at the NHL level.

Detroit Red Wings Activate Robert Hagg

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With Alex Nedeljkovic clearing waivers today, the Detroit Red Wings were able to clear a roster spot by sending him to the Grand Rapids Griffins. While some expected that spot to go to Filip Zadina, it is a different injured player who will be activated. Robert Hagg is coming off injured reserve to take Nedeljkovic’s spot, after missing more than a month.

Hagg, 27, has played just 13 games this season, with his only appearance in two months coming on December 8. The depth defender was brought in as part of a physical overhaul on the back end, but hasn’t been able to stay healthy or in the lineup so far.

His activation gives the team eight healthy defensemen, meaning someone may end up getting moved out when Zadina is ready. If that’s Hagg, he would require waivers to go to the AHL.

While Steve Yzerman and company have now slid two big names through waivers in Nedeljkovic and Jakub Vrana, it might not be so safe to expose Hagg, even if he has struggled this year. Signed to just $800K, there may be a defense-needy team on the lookout for someone like him. Remember, less than a year ago the Florida Panthers sent a sixth-round pick for Hagg to bring him in at the deadline – and that was when he had a cap hit of $1.6MM.

The Red Wings can likely make a similar move, if they can prove he is healthy enough to contribute. In 313 career games, the big-hitting Hagg has 58 points.

Alex Nedeljkovic, Nicholas Caamano Clear Waivers

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Jan 16: Both have cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.

Jan 15: A pair of players are on the waiver wire today. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Detroit Red Wings have waived former rookie sensation Alex Nedeljkovic, while the Dallas Stars have waived forward Nicholas Caamano.

Nedeljkovic’s storybook run in 2020-21 with the Carolina Hurricanes seems like a distant memory now. As a 25-year-old rookie, the 37th overall selection in 2014 led the league with a .932 save percentage and 1.90 goals-against average as Carolina starter Petr Mrazek missed most of the season with an injury.

He was then dealt to Detroit, where while his numbers dropped last season, they were still quite respectable as he neared 60 starts behind a team with many holes. It hasn’t been the same results this year, though, as a .880 save percentage and 2-4-2 record in just eight starts have caused him to slip to third on the team’s goalie depth chart behind Ville Husso and waiver claim Magnus Hellberg.

Nedeljkovic has already spent six games in the minors this season on conditioning stints, but he will now need to clear waivers to continue playing there. Even as a pending unrestricted free agent, his $3MM cap hit is likely prohibitive for any team needing goalie help making a claim. He has strong numbers with the Grand Rapids Griffins, posting a shutout, a .920 save percentage, and 3-2-2 record. An extended stay in the minors could help Nedeljkovic regain confidence long-term.

Regarding Caamano, the 24-year-old has yet to play this season and was just activated from season-opening injured reserve. A 2016 fifth-round pick, Caamano had just 14 points in 47 AHL games last season with the Texas Stars. He was a taxi squad fixture for Dallas during the shortened 2020-21 season, recording an assist in 24 games in the NHL.

AHL Veteran Rule Keeping Jakub Vrana Out Of The Lineup

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  • In the AHL, there is a rule that prohibits teams from loading up on veterans as it is a developmental league. That rule is proving to be a problem for Red Wings winger Jakub Vrana as it was relayed in the preview of their game last night (Twitter link) that the rule was going to keep him out of the lineup for the second time.  The 26-year-old has struggled since joining Grand Rapids as he has just an assist in six games and now that he’s part of a veteran rotation, it will be even more difficult for him to rediscover his scoring touch.

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