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Trade Candidate: Jonathan Bernier

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue our closer look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and April 12th.

It has been a rough ride for players in Detroit in recent years but one of the few exceptions has been goaltender Jonathan Bernier.  The 32-year-old netminder put up respectable numbers in his first two seasons with the Red Wings but has played quite well this season, putting up a winning record on a team that has lost 26 of 38 games so far.  While the goalie market is usually soft around the trade deadline, Bernier’s performance has been good enough to make him a viable trade candidate over the next week and a half.

Contract

Bernier is in the final year of a three-year, $9MM contract with a $3MM AAV and a $2.5MM salary.  The deal does not contain any form of trade protection.  He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

2020-21

When Detroit signed Thomas Greiss to a two-year deal last fall, the intention seemed to be to platoon him and Bernier with Greiss expected to do better than Jimmy Howard’s poor showing a year ago.  Greiss has done that but not by much.  As a result, Bernier – when healthy – has been the clear-cut number one in terms of performance although the veterans have still largely alternated starts when both are available.

Among goalies with at least 10 starts this season, Bernier is 17th in save percentage.  That may not seem impressive but when you consider the quality of the team in front of him, being in the top-20 is certainly notable.  Considering that potentially interested teams aren’t likely to view Bernier as a starter but rather an upgrade on their backup position, having a second option performing that well becomes quite intriguing.

It’s worth noting that Bernier was placed on IR earlier this week due to a leg injury that has kept him out for the past two weeks.  That was more of a procedural move for roster space than a sign of his recovery as he has returned to practice and is expected to be back soon.  It’s the second time that he has missed time due to injury this season.

Season Stats

17 GP, 8-6-0 record, 2.78 GAA, .918 SV%, 0 SO

Potential Suitors

There are two types of teams that look for goalie help around the deadline.  The first is those that have had an injury and need a replacement (or at least someone to get them through the time until the injured goalie gets back) and the other is a team with playoff aspirations that is in the mix in spite of poor goaltending.  This year, there are teams in both categories.

Among the teams with injuries, Colorado stands out.  Pavel Francouz has missed the entire season and while Philipp Grubauer has been nothing short of outstanding, they can’t keep playing him at the rate they have been if they want to keep him somewhat fresh for the playoffs.  Hunter Miska wasn’t the solution and neither is the recently-acquired Jonas Johansson.  With there being no real update on Francouz’s situation, a proven backup is certainly needed and the Avs are certainly familiar with Bernier from his time with them in 2017-18.

Tristan Jarry’s injury in Pittsburgh and Frederik Andersen’s issue in Toronto also have to be monitored.  Both teams would undoubtedly like to focus their limited cap space to try to fill another need but if the prognosis isn’t good for them, those teams may have to pivot.  Jarry has resumed light skating although Andersen hasn’t.  Arizona is viewed as a possible seller but they are hanging around the playoff race despite being without both Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta.  If they decide not to sell, they could be an outside suitor for him as well.

Then there are the teams that are in the mix but could use an upgrade despite their goalies being healthy.  The Flyers have already been linked to Bernier and have both Carter Hart and Brian Elliott scuffling as of late; it has become a situation where Bernier could potentially come in and start.  I’d also put Chicago in this situation.  Kevin Lankinen has done well but Malcolm Subban has been a bit erratic in his limited action and can’t really be relied upon in a playoff race.  Bernier would give Lankinen a capable veteran to work with while Chicago would get much more consistent backup play.  St. Louis and Washington could also use a veteran backup but their cap situations complicate things.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Assuming Bernier is able to return from his injury as planned, there are still two ifs at play.  The first is Detroit’s willingness to retain money.  Considering they have plenty of cap room and no retained salary slots on the books, that one seems like a yes.  However, the second is entirely out of their control.  If Florida decides to make Chris Driedger available with Spencer Knight now signed, Driedger immediately jumps to the top of the wish list for any team looking for a goalie and at $850K, he’s much more affordable than Bernier even with maximum retention.

The rental goalie market is often tricky to predict as returns have often been lower than expected in recent years on the rare occasions that one does move.  There are definitely a few teams that could benefit from his services and even if Detroit wants to re-sign Bernier, they can still take a run at that this summer in free agency.  This feels like a situation where the actual odds of him moving are lower than they should be.  If GM Steve Yzerman can get a reasonable offer, Bernier should move but a lot will depend on Florida as to whether or not that happens.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/30/21

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There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:

West Division

  • Late Monday, the Vegas Golden Knights made a number of roster moves, according to CapFriendly, which includes recalling forward Cody Glass and defenseman Dylan Coughlan, while also calling up goaltender Oskar Dansk on an emergency loan. Dansk was just filling in for Marc-Andre Fleury who got the day off. The team also called up forward Dylan Sikura, defenseman Carl Dahlstrom and goaltender Logan Thompson to the taxi squad.
  • Vegas also announced it has assigned center Cody Glass to the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, which is somewhat surprising after the forward put up an impressive performance Monday against Los Angeles. Of course, that doesn’t mean he will play a game for Henderson, but something to keep an eye on as Vegas works the salary cap before the trade deadline.

North Division

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have reassigned three players to the taxi squad, including forwards Adam Brooks and Scott Sabourin as well as defenseman Timothy Liljegren. All three played in the Toronto Marlies victory over Stockton Monday with Brooks and Liljegren each picking up goals, while Sabourin picked up a five-minute major. The team also assigned forward Nicholas Robertson and defenseman Calle Rosen to the Marlies.

Central Division

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have recalled three players from the taxi squad to the NHL club, including forwards Zac Dalpe and Liam Foudy as well as recalling goaltender Cam Johnson on emergency conditions. That likely means that goaltender Joonas Korpisalo may not be ready to step into backup duties. After clearing waivers, the team has also assigned defenseman Scott Harrington to the taxi squad.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forwards Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov and Frans Nielson from the taxi squad, their standard roster moves before a game.
  • With a need of defensive help, the Florida Panthers announced the recall of veteran Anton Stralman to the NHL squad. The 34-year-old has three goals and nine points in 29 games this season.
  • Another day, another shuffle of forwards in Dallas. The team announced that Ty Dellandrea, Justin Dowling, and Tanner Kero have all been activated from the taxi squad, while Joel L’Esperance has been reassigned to the taxi squad. All four have been transaction fixtures this season.

East Division

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have recalled goaltender Maxime Lagace to the taxi squad from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. After an undisclosed injury to Tristan Jarry, the team may need Lagace closer to home. To make room on the taxi squad, the team has send forward Jonathan Gruden to the WBS Penguins.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Bobby Ryan Expects To Be Dealt By Trade Deadline

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  • Everyone knows the Red Wings will be selling between now and the April 12th trade deadline and Bobby Ryan is certainly in that group. He told MLive’s Ansar Khan that he knows that he will likely be on the move by then and that it’s the first time in his career that he’s approaching the deadline with that feeling.  Ryan’s first season in Detroit hasn’t been overly productive but he has still managed seven goals and seven assists in 31 games.  With just a $1MM cap hit and salary, he’s certainly affordable for cap-strapped teams and while he won’t yield much of a return, Detroit would be wise to pick up any future asset they can get for him.

Detroit Red Wings Sign Seth Barton

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The Detroit Red Wings have inked one of their collegiate prospects, signing Seth Barton to a two-year entry-level contract. The deal will begin with the 2021-22 season, meaning Barton cannot play for Detroit down the stretch this year.

Coming off his junior season with UMass-Lowell, the 21-year-old Barton is ready to take the next step into professional hockey. Originally selected 81st overall in 2018 he has been a competent two-way defender for the River Hawks for some time now and scored 11 points in 20 games this season.

As the release notes, Barton was selected with the third-round pick the Red Wings received in a trade for Petr Mrazek. That’s a trade the Philadelphia Flyers would certainly not do again, given how poor Mrazek played for them down the stretch in 2017-18. The Flyers actually let the goaltender go without a qualifying offer, meaning that draft pick was spent on almost nothing. Now, as he enters the Red Wings development system, Barton has a chance to show exactly what the Flyers and every other team missed by letting him fall to the end of the third round.

Injury Notes: Bertuzzi, Brown, Sundqvist

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The prognosis is not good for Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi and a potential return this season. Bertuzzi, who got off to a hot start early this season and looked like he could be in for a breakout campaign, was instead injured before January was even over and has not played since. According to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Bertuzzi has not been making consistent progress toward a return in the past six weeks either. Head coach Jeff Blashill has stated that Bertuzzi’s rehab of his undisclosed upper-body injury has been “back-and-forth” and at the current time he is not skating. Blashill believes that Bertuzzi is not “close at all” to a return. The coach says that they are taking the situation day-by-day and that all options are on the table, including season-ending surgery. While the Red Wings are not playing for a playoff spot this season, there is still reason to avoid sending Bertuzzi under the knife if he is able to get back to full strength without it. Blashill did acknowledge that they will not rush Bertuzzi back before he is ready and that they need to see him skating over a longer period of time before they will even consider a return this year. Everything seems to be pointing toward Bertuzzi likely being done for the year in this shortened season.

  • Another player who has not yet returned to skating is young Ottawa Senators forward Logan Brown. Brown, whose usage (or lack thereof) by the Senators has been a hot topic in Ottawa, suffered an undisclosed injury in practice earlier this month. Though not initially believed to be a long-term absence, Brown’s injury still lingers. AHL Belleville head coach Troy Mann tells The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch that Brown has yet to return to the ice since his injury occurred and “isn’t close”. Mann does not expect the prospect center to be back in action any time soon. This was intended to be a make-or-break year for Brown; the No. 11 overall pick from 2016 had been used sparingly through his first two pro seasons, playing in just 29 total NHL games, but this year was supposed to see him earn a regular role. Instead, he has yet to suit up for Ottawa at all in 2020-21. Prior to his injury, GM Pierre Dorion shared that there were plans to give Brown his shot later this season, but that is now in doubt given the apparent severity of his injury and a possible prolonged absence. Brown will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, with little to show for his entry-level contract.
  • The St. Louis Blues continue to have tough luck with injuries this season. Whenever a player returns to the lineup, it seems another is forced out. This time, Oskar Sundqvist is the victim. The veteran forward suffered an injury on Friday night in a collision with teammate Kyle Clifford and had to leave the game. The team has announced that the lower-body injury will sideline Sundqvist indefinitely, but that more information will be known following an MRI next week. Sundqvist is one of eleven Blues currently out with an injury or ailment.

Trade Deadline Primer: Detroit Red Wings

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Although we’re now just two months into the season, the trade deadline is less than a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Detroit Red Wings.

A new division hasn’t yielded new results for the Red Wings as a year after finishing last in the Atlantic Division, they sit last in the Central with no real hope at a playoff spot.  It has been a tough rebuild for Detroit over the past few years and coming into next month’s deadline, GM Steve Yzerman’s focus will undoubtedly be on adding more future assets to the organization.  Their time to return to postseason contention will come but it won’t be this season.

Record

9-17-4, 8th in Central Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$19.59MM in full-season space ($39.19MM at the trade deadline), 0/3 retention slots used, 46/50 contracts used per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2021: DET 1st, DET 2nd, EDM 2nd, NYR 2nd, DET 3rd, VGK 3rd, DET 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th
2022: DET 1st, DET 2nd, DET 3rd, DET 4th, VGK 4th, DET 5th, DET 6th, DET 7th

Trade Chips

Jonathan Bernier has been a decent goaltender for Detroit over the past few seasons.  While the overall defensive numbers haven’t been pretty, the 32-year-old has more than held his own between the pipes and actually had a save percentage above the league average heading into play on Thursday.  Goaltenders don’t typically move at this time of year but there are a handful of teams that could certainly benefit from an upgraded second option and Bernier may very well be at the top of the wish list.  His $3MM cap hit may be a bit tricky to navigate for some of those teams but with no retention slots used yet, Yzerman could pay the contract down to facilitate a move.  This is, of course, assuming his lower-body injury sustained in tonight’s game against Dallas isn’t too serious.

While goalies aren’t often in demand, one position that teams always look to upgrade on is the fourth line center.  The goal is to get someone who can help the penalty kill and win faceoffs.  That’s the basic description of Luke Glendening right there; he doesn’t bring much more than those two elements but is good enough at what he does (including leading the league in faceoff percentage) to carve out a lineup spot.  He’s a bit pricey for that role at $1.8MM but again, Detroit can pay up to half of that and there should be several teams interested in his services.

Marc Staal had been viewed as a contract that would be tough to get out of; the Rangers had to part with their second-rounder this year to get the Red Wings to take him on.  But he is still a decent defender in his own end and is someone that would fit much better on a contender on the third pairing than he does with Detroit.  At $5.7MM, no one will bite but if they retain and/or take a sizable expiring contract back, there should be some interest.  Patrik Nemeth ($3MM) also falls into this category for teams that don’t have as much financial wiggle room to work with.

It hasn’t quite been the offensive resurgence that he was hoping for but Bobby Ryan has showed some good moments this season while playing in Detroit’s top six.  With 13 points in 27 games, he’d represent an upgrade for some teams in their bottom six and at a $1MM price tag, he’s certainly affordable as well; this isn’t a contract that they should need to provide some sort of salary offset for.

Others to Watch For: F Adam Erne (997K, RFA), F Sam Gagner ($850K, UFA), F Vladislav Namestnikov ($2MM through 2021-22)

Team Needs

1) Picks and Prospects – Yzerman doesn’t necessarily need to overthink things here.  The Red Wings have several veteran players who can fill small roles on contenders but none of the players mentioned above are going to bring back significant assets.  Instead, they can simply stockpile draft picks and prospects.  With this year’s draft not being moved and being such a wild card in terms of some prospects hardly playing, 2021 selections represent intriguing lottery chips; later selections (which is what most of the veterans would bring back) might be a bit more valuable as a result.

2) Core Players – There are some building blocks in place (though some of those have struggled considerably this season) but for a team that isn’t going anywhere, it’s a bit of an older group.  Some of those veterans will be replaced by prospects but with the cap room that Detroit has, there’s room to try to add a couple of core players that can be around long enough to help shepherd them through the tough times and into the playoffs.  The time for those types of moves may very well be the offseason but given the financial pressures some teams have now, Yzerman would be wise to see if there’s an opportunity to pounce before then.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Canadiens Have Shown Interest In Luke Glendening

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Red Wings center Luke Glendening is no stranger to being involved in trade deadline speculation.  Veteran role players like him are always in demand at this time of year but no move ever came to fruition.  However, now that he’s in the final year of his contract and Detroit already way out of playoff contention, this feels like a case of when and not if he’s dealt and there should be quite a few suitors for his services.

One of those suitors is Montreal, reports Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.  The Canadiens have struggled at the faceoff dot this season and Glendening is the best in the league among qualifying centers in that regard, winning 65.7 of his draws which is well above his career 55% average.  He also leads all Detroit forwards in shorthanded ice time per game and the Canadiens find their penalty kill in the bottom ten in the league.

While the 31-year-old isn’t known for his offensive contributions, he has already equalled his point production from last season with three goals and six assists through 27 games; his 0.33 point per game average is also a career best.

As is the case with many teams that are looking to buy, the salary cap will be a challenge.  While Glendening’s cap hit of $1.8MM isn’t particularly exorbitant, it’s more than they can afford right now.  Detroit could retain up to half of that to make a deal more affordable but that would only up the asking price.  Of course, there is also the two-week quarantine period to consider from Montreal’s perspective (or any other Canadian-based team interested in acquiring him).

As things stand, it may not be a trade deadline that sees plenty of top-end talent changing hands with role players that are more affordable on the cap becoming a higher priority.  For the Red Wings, they hold one of the more interesting ones in Glendening and Montreal certainly won’t be the only team calling about him in the coming weeks.

Red Wings Sign Donovan Sebrango

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The Red Wings have inked one of their 2020 draft picks, announcing the signing of defenseman Donovan Sebrango to a three-year, entry-level contract which begins next season.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

It has been an interesting season for the 19-year-old who was selected in the third round (63rd overall) back in October.  A strong sophomore season with OHL Kitchener helped get him drafted but with that league still on pause due to the pandemic, he had to look elsewhere for playing time.

As a result, Sebrango’s 2020-21 campaign started on loan with HK Levice in Slovakia’s second division.  He fared relatively well in his five games there, picking up a goal and two assists along with a whopping 50 penalty minutes which still puts him third on the team despite playing less than 15% of the season.  Once AHL training camps began, he returned to North America and he has spent the last two months with AHL Grand Rapids where he has played in all but one of their first ten games.

As long as the OHL doesn’t start, he can remain with the Griffins but if the league does get up and running, he will be forced to return to junior at that time.  In the meantime, he clearly has shown enough to impress management to earn this deal more than a year before his draft rights would have expired.

Central Notes: Seabrook, Red Wings, Radulov, Gardiner

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Brent Seabrook’s announcement that he doesn’t intend to return to professional hockey has other implications as well, particularly the upcoming expansion draft. Up until now, the team had Seabrook inked in as a player the team had to protect due to his no-movement clause. Now, with Seabrook being moved to LTIR and effectively retiring allows the Chicago Blackhawks some much-needed flexibility, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Jimmy Greenfield.

The team no longer needs to protect Seabrook from the Seattle Kraken and expansion draft, which will allow them to retain an extra defenseman they weren’t originally expecting to be able to keep. Assuming the team goes with the 7-3-1 format, the team can now protect Duncan Keith and Connor Murphy like they had originally planned. However, now the team has the option of protecting Nikita Zadorov or Calvin de Haan, with Zadorov being the more likely of the two to be protected. de Haan and his $4.55 AAV are more likely to be traded at the trade deadline or exposed to Seattle.

  • The Detroit Red Wings continue to be without top-line winger Tyler Bertuzzi, who has been out since Jan. 30th with an upper-body injury. Head coach Jeff Blashill said that the forward still isn’t able to practice, according to the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. The news is a little more promising for Dylan Larkin, who has missed four games with an upper-body injury. MLive’s Ansar Khan reports that Larkin could be ready to go on Tuesday, but Blashill said much of that determination will be based on practice Sunday and Monday. For now, he’s considered day-to-day.
  • Despite taking the ice Saturday in Dallas’ morning skate, forward Alexander Radulov is not expected to return to the team for another week, according to Dallas Morning News’ Matthew DeFranks. Radulov has been out with a lower-body injury and has not played since Feb. 4. Radulov has appeared in only eight games for the Stars this season, but does have an impressive three goals and 11 points.
  • NHL.com’s Michael Smith reports that Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jake Gardiner is ready to return to the lineup Sunday. The 30-year-old has been out since Feb. 24 and has missed five games with an upper-body injury. Gardiner has seven assists in 16 games this season and could return to his role on the power-play as well.

Three Players Clear Waivers

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March 4: All three players have cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the taxi squad or minor leagues.

March 3: The waiver wire is busy again today, with three players up for grabs. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports that Dominik Simon (Calgary Flames), Valtteri Filppula (Detroit Red Wings), and Mason Geertsen (New York Rangers) have all been placed on waivers today.

Geertsen’s presence on the list means that he has signed a new NHL contract with the Rangers, since he had previously been on an AHL deal with the Hartford Wolf Pack. He last had an NHL deal during the 2018-19 season but has never actually made it to the highest level. A fourth-round pick of the Colorado avalanche in 2013, he has spent several years in the minor leagues racking up penalty minutes, never afraid to drop his gloves to defend a teammate. This year he has 11 PIM and one point in four games for Hartford.

Filppula is the latest veteran Detroit has passed through waivers, following Danny DeKeyser and Frans Nielsen earlier in the year. The 36-year-old forward has registered just five points in 20 games and is nearing the end of what has actually been quite a successful career. A third-round pick by Detroit back in 2002, Filpulla has 520 points in 1,038 career games. He took home the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008 and has been an excellent playoff performer, racking up 86 points in 166 postseason games.

Waivers then might actually increase Filppula’s trade value, considering he’s on an expiring contract. If a team wanted to add some more experience for a playoff run, but didn’t have an immediate spot in the lineup, the ability to move Filppula to the taxi squad would come in handy.

Simon, 26, hasn’t been a perfect fit in Calgary this season, failing to record a point in his nine appearances. The depth forward was supposed to add a little scoring punch at the bottom of the lineup after recording 50 points over the last two seasons, but that hasn’t happened. Still, for the league minimum of $700K and Simon’s RFA rights, perhaps a team will take a swing and bring him in on waivers. If not, he’ll likely be another candidate to rotate through the taxi squad in Calgary, helping them bank cap space.

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