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Minor Transactions: 2/24/18

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Though the expectation is to see less “minor” transactions and more fireworks over the next 48 hours, the day-to-day operations of NHL teams don’t stop just because of the trade deadline. With a busy slate of 12 games coming up today, teams continue to tweak their rosters in preparation, though some moves could also signal an impending trade. Follow along to find out.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have reversed the decision they made yesterday, announcing an identical swap of Joonas Korpisalo and Markus Hannikainen for Jeff Zatkoff. Zatkoff heads back to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters after just one day, while Korpisalo and Hannikainen re-join the Jackets. The veteran goalie Zatkoff has yet to make an NHL appearance this season, but Korpisalo hasn’t had much better luck, struggling through 12 games, including just two dismal performances in February.
  • Blake Pietila is on his way back to the minors, as the New Jersey Devils have also changed their mind on a recent call-up, sending the young forward back to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL. Pietila played in his first two NHL games of the 2017-18 campaign on this call-up, but failed to record a point in under 20 minutes of total ice time.
  • St. Louis Blues beat writer Lou Korac notes that the AHL lists defenseman Jordan Schmaltz and forward Tage Thompson headed to St. Louis and defenseman Chris Butler and forward Sammy Blais reassigned to the San Antonio Rampage. More likely than not, the Blues are swapping out some in-between players for others to shake up a lineup that has been ineffective of late, but there’s also a good chance that they would like to showcase all of their young pro talent ahead of the deadline. St. Louis has just three wins in their past ten games and risk missing the playoffs if their play doesn’t improve one way or another.
  • According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the New York Rangers have placed Peter Holland on waivers today. Holland is no stranger to having an uncertain future; the 27-year-old has been with four different NHL organizations in the past two years and wouldn’t be surprised to join a fifth on this go-round through the waiver wire. However, the 2009 first-rounder is on pace for the fewest NHL games and points of his career this season and may not hold much value for other teams.
  • After clearing waivers himself, newly-acquired L.A. goaltender Scott Wedgewood is heading to the AHL, per Kings beat writer Josh Cooper. Joining Wedgewood on the trip to the AHL’s Ontario Reign is forward Jonny Brodzinski, while defenseman Paul LaDue has been recalled. LaDue has played in only seven games with the Kings this season after 22 in his 2016-17 rookie campaign and again looks to be just a depth option for Los Angeles on this call-up.
  • The Arizona Coyotes announced they have recalled prospect Laurent Dauphin from the Tucson Roadrunners of the AHL. The 22-year-old center was re-acquired by Arizona on Jan. 10 after he had been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks during the offseason. Dauphin was originally traded in June with Connor Murphy for defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson. The prospect was then reacquired when Arizona traded forward Anthony Duclair to Chicago with Richard Panik. Dauphin had 17 goals last year for the Roadrunners and was expected to take that next step. However, he struggled with the Rockford IceHogs early on, scoring just four goals to go with 10 assists in 33 games. He seems to have found his game since then as he has five goals and 10 assists in just 16 games and might be ready to take on a role with Arizona now that the team moved Tobias Rieder recently to Los Angeles.
  • The Edmonton Oilers announced they recalled winger Ty Rattie and activated Andrej Sekera from injured reserve today. The 25-year-old Rattie has 20 goals and 19 assists with the Bakersfield Condors of the AHL, but has struggled to break into the NHL over the years. He signed with Edmonton in the offseason. Sekera, who was struck in the face with a puck back on Feb. 9, has struggled this year after tearing his ACL last season. He has no goals and one assist in 18 games for Edmonton with a minus-10 rating. The team did need some defensive depth after they traded away Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders earlier today.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights have assigned forwards Tomas Hyka and Stefan Matteau to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL today, according to the Chicago Wolves. Hyka scored his first NHL goal Friday and had played well, but the team is likely making space for recently acquired Ryan Reaves and the impending return of James Neal to the lineup. Both were likely expected to be returned to Chicago by Monday anyway, as if the Golden Knights want them to play in the AHL playoffs, they must not be with the NHL club at the trade deadline.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Kalle Kossila from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 24-year-old averages more than a point a game as he has 13 goals and 25 assists in 35 games for the Gulls. For the Ducks, he has one goal and one assist in 10 games.

Edmonton Trades Brandon Davidson To Islanders

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The Edmonton Oilers announced they have traded defenseman Brandon Davidson to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick, a move that might be considered a win-win move for both teams.

For the Oilers, the team really cashed in on Davidson’s success this season considering he was untradeable just a couple of months ago. He was picked up in the middle of the year when Edmonton claimed him from the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 3. The Canadiens, who tried to trade him off could find no takers at the time and forced them into placing the blueliner on waivers. However, he fared well in Edmonton as a bottom-tier defenseman. The fact the team was able to get a third-rounder for him is an excellent move from Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli. Many people assumed the Oilers might keep the 26-year-old defenseman around for next season. Ironically, it marks the second time in two years the Oilers have traded Davidson at the trade deadline. They sent him last year to Montreal in exchange for forward David Desharnais.

As for the Islanders, the team adds some much needed defensive depth for a team that is struggling with injuries on the blueline. Davidson immediately fills in as a bottom-pairing defenseman where the team needs the most help. The Islanders, who have the No. 4-ranked offense in the NHL, need help on defense as they have allowed more goals per game than any other team in the league at 3.56 per game. Nevertheless, the Islanders are still fighting for a playoff spot, which if they can secure a spot, might aid them in their bid to re-sign center John Tavares at  the end of the season. Davidson, who makes $1.425MM this year will be a restricted free agent for the Islanders when the offseason hits. He is unlikely to make much more than that next season, making him a solid, inexpensive player who might fill the shoes of one of their potential defensive free agents like Calvin de Haan or Thomas Hickey.

Davidson played 13 games for the Canadiens earlier this year and had just one assist in limited playing time. He had played 23 games for the Oilers since being acquired and has had three goals and an assist and is averaging now 16:29 of ice time combined between both teams as the Oilers have used him quite a bit. While not a great puck-moving defenseman, Davidson is a solid defenseman who can hit hard.

The Islanders may still have a bigger move planned in the upcoming days before the deadline as they have moved a 2019 third-rounder instead of moving one of the multiple picks they have for this year’s draft. New York has two first-rounders, two second-rounders as well as their third, fourth and fifth round picks for 2018, most of which they picked up in the Travis Hamonic trade in the offseason with the Calgary Flames.

Edmonton Oilers Will Not “Blow It Up”

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Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli scheduled a press conference today where he took questions from several media members, and the overriding theme of the day was that the team would not “blow it up.”  Chiarelli is not looking to dump players for draft picks just to start the development process again, but instead make tweaks to the roster to try and get back to the level of success found in 2016-17. The team is prioritizing speed in any acquisitions they make, and admitted that they had looked at a couple “hockey deals” recently.

Chiarelli also said that there had been interest in both Patrick Maroon and Mark Letestu, though wouldn’t go into specifics on either player. He also said they’d looked into extensions with some of their pending free agents.

The Oilers have struggled through a very disappointing season, but aren’t going to push the eject button just yet on this group. Though there is work to be done, a Connor McDavid-led team could jump right to the top of the league next season with some adjustments, just as it did a year ago. Chiarelli says he’s not involved in some bigger things going on around the league, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Edmonton is one of the quietest teams at the deadline, outside of perhaps selling off a few rentals. Any big changes are more likely to happen in the summer.

Trade Candidates: Mark Letestu

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With the trade deadline just days away, we continue to profile several players that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.

Mark Letestu has not had a good season. In fact, in many ways this is the worst season of his NHL career. However, when Trade Deadline season rolls around each year, experienced, versatile depth forwards on expiring contracts are consistently the most common type of player dealt. Letestu fits the bill, hence the rampant speculation that he will be traded. Like Letestu, the Edmonton Oilers have not had the 2017-18 campaign they expected and have no reason to keep Letestu and, based on his play this season, are likely eager to trade him to the highest bidder. This is not a question of if Letestu will be dealt, but when and to whom.

Contract

Letestu is in the final season of a three-year, $5.4MM contract signed with the Oilers in 2015. The deal holds a $1.8MM cap hit and no trade protections.

2017-18

The 32-year-old Letestu is coming off a career-high 35 points in 2016-17. While he may not be an offensive juggernaut, Letestu has been the definition of reliable in his nine-year NHL career. He can play on the power play and penalty kill, excels at the face-off dot, and is hardly ever found taking a bad penalty. In 2017-18, he has continued to dominate the dot and play clean hockey; that’s about all he’s done right. Letestu has seen his offense disappear this season and, with it, his play time. He is currently on pace for 25 points this season, 10 fewer than last year and tied for the second-least of his career. Even worse, most of that production came earlier in the season. Letestu recorded 16 of his 18 points prior to the new year and is currently on a 24-game goal-less streak, with just two assists to show for the last two months. To qualify that lack of impact on the score sheet, consider that Letestu is still averaging more than two minutes per night on the power play as well. Between his significant power play and penalty kill time – despite no offense and a team-worst plus/minus – Letestu is left with under nine minutes a night of five-on-five time this season.

Season Stats

58 GP, 8 goals, 10 assists, 18 points, -16 rating, 10 PIM, 91 shots, 12:57 ATOI, 50.7 CF%

Potential Suitors

Despite a miserable season, there continues to be immense interest in Letestu. That is not to say that the Oilers will receive an immense return when they trade him, but there will be some competition driving up the price for a player that otherwise would be worth very little. Some teams may consider Letestu’s personal struggles a function of Edmonton’s poor season and hope for a bounce back to his 2016-17 level of play with a change of scenery. Others may just see him as a specialist and continue to use him as Edmonton does – power plays, penalty kills, face-offs, and little else.

Among the teams rumored to be interested in Letestu are the Winnipeg Jets, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Toronto Maple Leafs. He would fit well as an energy line or 13th forward on any of those teams. Other squads who could use another body up front include the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, and Boston Bruins, while several others are sure to do their due diligence on his availability as well. However, as The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline alluded to, the perfect fit for Letestu is likely back with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Letestu spent parts of four seasons in Columbus before signing with Edmonton, including arguably his best season in 2013-14. Not only that, but Portzline points out that Letestu and his family still call Ohio home. While too much stock is often put into familiarity when it comes to transactions and Letestu likely won’t have a say in his destination, the landing spot makes sense for other reasons as well. The Jackets are still fighting hard for a playoff spot and may not be willing to pay for a premium player with their playoff future still uncertain. Letestu will likely be more affordable and, as an added bonus, can jump right into the lineup, rejoining some past teammates and lending his experience to the many younger, newer Jackets forwards. More specifically, Columbus has also struggled greatly with special teams this season, sporting the league’s worst power play and a bottom-five penalty kill. They may have a better chance than anyone at giving Letestu an environment where he can rediscover his even strength game and scoring touch, but even if he doesn’t, he can at least help to rejuvenate the special teams.

Likelihood of a Trade

The likelihood of Letestu being traded is as close to 100% as any player on the block. The Oilers have absolutely no reason to keep him and there is high interest in his services. At some point over the next few days, Letestu will have a new home for the remaining months of the 2017-18 season.

Minor Transactions: 02/21/18

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After a busy night in the NHL, the league has just three games on tap for today. Instead, teams might use their time off to cement their status for the trade deadline and make inquiries around the league. All the minor moves we’ll keep track of right here. Refresh the page throughout the day to make sure you stay up to date on all the comings and goings.

Goalie Interference Frustrations Boiling Over

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The NHL’s issues with inconsistency in goalie interference calls are getting out of hand. Complaints from players, coaches, and executives have been flooding in since last season. Discussions were promised over this past off-season, but seemingly nothing came of it, as the problem has only grown larger in 2017-18. Last month, coaches and league executives met to discuss the rule and Commissioner Gary Bettman promised to work with officials to back off the call. Weeks later, there has been no ascertainable change. In fact, there were several incidents of inconsistent calls on one night earlier this month, stirring up frustrations. Bettman said in January that “Overall, the system works,”, but most around the league would probably disagree at this time.

So when will things change? The NHL’s goalie interference call has become somewhat of a joke like the NFL’s “what is a catch?” problem, but in a game where every goal, scored or called back, carries so much weight, this issue is no laughing matter. Perhaps one of their own players lashing out at the rule will cause the league to take action. That’s what happened tonight following the Edmonton Oilers 1-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes after the ’Yotes scored the game-winning goal while bumping into the goalie, but won a goalie interference challenge when their own keeper, Antti Raanta was interfered with on the erased game-tying goal. The opposing goalie, Cam Talbot, stood at the other end of the ice seething. The Edmonton Sun’s Rob Tychkowski caught up with Talbot after the game and got an honest reaction:

“There’s no consistency and I’m f*****g sick of it. It’s f*****g ridiculous. You can quote me, they can fine me, I don’t give a f**k anymore.”

Talbot also spoke on more of a case-by-case basis about the rule, illustrating its inconsistency (video). For Talbot, generally a mild-mannered and polite person, as well as the NHL wins leader in 2016-17, to speak out publicly and be so clearly emotional about the topic, one would think the league would take notice. A respected goaltender unable to contain his frustrations should indicate to the league that this is a major problem. It may not be possible for a clear goalie interference rule to be firmly decided on and implemented by officials this season, but Bettman and the NHL’s leadership need to step up and put some effort into fixing this problem, starting by publicly addressing Talbot’s comments and again reiterating that changes will be made. If they don’t, goalie interference inconsistency will only continue to be a mark on the 2017-18 season.

Oilers Recall Laurent Brossoit On Emergency Basis, Assign Keegan Lowe To AHL

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  • Edmonton announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled goaltender Laurent Brossoit from Bakersfield (AHL) on an emergency basis.  The move was necessary after Al Montoya left practice early on Friday after taking a shot up high.  To make room for him on the roster, the Oilers sent defenseman Keegan Lowe back to Bakersfield.

Edmonton Prefers Prospect Over Pick For Maroon; Sekera May Have Concussion

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The Oilers are expected to speak with Allain Roy, the agent for pending unrestricted free agent winger Patrick Maroon in the next 24-48 hours to discuss a contract extension, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (video link).  However, given Edmonton’s salary cap constraints, a trade is still the likelier outcome.  With that in mind, LeBrun notes that a late first-round pick is a possibility for a return but GM Peter Chiarelli would prefer a prospect that is close to making an NHL impact.  The Bruins are known to have interest in the 29-year-old and have several youngsters that are on the cusp of being ready to be recalled so they may be a team to watch for here.  Darren Dreger of TSN adds Winnipeg as a team that is interested in Maroon.

  • While the Oilers are only saying that defenseman Andrej Sekera has a facial injury after taking a puck to the face on Wednesday versus Anaheim, Postmedia’s Jim Matheson suggests that the blueliner might be dealing with a concussion as well. Edmonton has already shifted him to injured reserve.  This has been a rough season for the 31-year-old who missed the first few months after tearing his ACL back in May and he has struggled considerably when he has been in the lineup.

Bruins Interested In Patrick Maroon

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The Bruins are looking to add some help on the wing between now and the trade deadline and have shown interest in Oilers winger Patrick Maroon, reports NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty.  He notes that Boston has been scouting Edmonton for the last couple of games while Oilers VP of Hockey Operations Craig MacTavish was keeping tabs on the Bruins on Saturday night.

Nov 24, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; Edmonton Oilers left wing Patrick Maroon (19) against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. Buffalo beats Edmonton 3 to 1. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY SportsMaroon is positioned to be one of the more sought-after rental players between now and the trade deadline.  He has shown that he can do well in a scoring role with Edmonton but before his time there, he had success in a crash-and-bang role, something the Bruins may be looking to add to the equation.

[Related: Maroon’s Trade Candidate Profile]

This season, the 29-year-old has 13 goals and 14 assists through 52 games while averaging a career-high 17:01 in ice time per game.  He’s also no stranger to the postseason having played in 42 playoff contests where he has thrived, tallying 26 points (12-14-26) in that span.

There is mutual interest between Maroon and the Oilers in terms of working out a contract extension but with Connor McDavid’s new $12.5MM deal set to kick in next season, Edmonton’s payroll flexibility may be too limited to get something done.  He will undoubtedly be looking for a considerable raise on the $2.1MM salary ($2.0MM cap hit; Anaheim is paying 25% of that this season) he is currently getting and that may be too rich for them to afford.

From Boston’s perspective, they have several quality young wingers in their system that will be pushing for NHL jobs soon so they would likely view Maroon as a pure rental and not someone that they would look to re-sign after the season.  While they don’t have a ton of cap room to work with – just shy of $3.4MM in full-season salary on trade deadline day per CapFriendly, that’s still enough to absorb Maroon’s deal and still have enough left over to try to add another piece to their roster.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Blues, Thornton, Lewis, Lightning

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In a mailbag column, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford writes (subscription required) that while the Blues have been linked with a number of high-profile teams such as the Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers, it’s unlikely the team will make a big move for a big name forward with years on his contract like a Max Pacioretty or a Mike Hoffman despite recent rumors to the contrary.

Due to the high trade demands being made for these players, Rutherford believes that trading a top prospect for a player who has a large contract to fit into their salary cap space doesn’t make a lot of sense as the team wants to have as much flexibility when free agency arrives this summer. Instead, the scribe believes the team needs to go the rental route and acquire a player (for a much cheaper price) so the team can make their run.

The team already is without their 2018 first-round pick which they traded for Brayden Schenn, so moving a top prospect could set the team back long-term. The team should look into a player such as Rick Nash, Michael Grabner or Patrick Maroon as options as they likely won’t cost them one of their top prospects in Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas or Klim Kostin.

  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz (subscription required) writes that alarms should sound after San Jose Sharks center Joe Thornton refused to say that he will definitely be back this season. That’s a surprise considering he is a player who last year played through torn MCL and ACL injuries during the playoffs. Historically, he’s been a player who goes out on the ice no matter how hurt he is, so the idea that he might not be back this season suggests the injury is worse than people think. Could he have already played his last game as a San Jose Shark?
  • Fox Sports West Patrick O’Neal tweets that Los Angeles Kings forward Trevor Lewis was sent back to Los Angeles to be re-evaluated after being injured in Friday’s game against the Florida Panthers. While indications are that the injury isn’t serious, head coach John Stevens wanted to have him evaluated after he sustained a serious crash against the boards.
  • Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith writes that the rumors of a potential Ottawa Senators-Tampa Bay Lightning deadline deal refuses to go away. He writes that there have been a number of rumors, including talk of Erik Karlsson, and points out that Ottawa’s chief scout is expected to be at the Tampa Bay game tonight.

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