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Philadelphia Flyers Trade Cooper Marody To Edmonton Oilers

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The Philadelphia Flyers have traded the rights to prospect Cooper Marody to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a third-round pick. The pick will be New Jersey’s third-round selection in 2019, previously acquired for Patrick Maroon. Marody is a junior at the University of Michigan, and would need to be signed still.

Remember that the NHL trade deadline is only for playoff eligibility, and trades like this can happen at any time. Marody and Michigan are headed for the NCAA tournament, where he will lead them against Northeastern on Saturday afternoon. Marody led the Big-10 in scoring this season with 46 points in 37 games, and was a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award (though he was not named a top-10 finalist).

The strong skating center was selected in the sixth round three years ago, but has progressed enough that the Oilers decided he was worth a third-round pick today. As they attempt to bring talent to the NHL as quickly as possible, trading a future pick for a player who could potentially contribute as soon as next season could be a transaction we see Edmonton use more often over the next few months.

Minor Transactions: 03/21/18

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It was a busy night in the NHL yesterday, as we saw Alex Ovechkin score another patented goal and Winnipeg fans experience small heart attacks when Patrik Laine blocked a shot.  As always, while the league prepares for another night of action we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Ottawa Senators have sent Jim O’Brien back to the minor leagues, after playing just 9:18 in their loss last night. O’Brien has just ten games under his belt this season, recording just a single assist.
  • Dillon Simpson is on his way back to the Bakersfield Condors, as the Edmonton Oilers have re-assigned him while recalling Brad Malone under emergency conditions. Malone has played just seven games in the NHL this season, instead spending most of the year with the Condors, registering 31 points in 50 games.
  • The San Jose Sharks continue their movement of Tim Heed, bringing him back up to the NHL today. Heed has been involved in 14 transactions since the beginning of February, as he continues to pop up and down for the club. Heed has 11 points in 29 games for the Sharks this season, while playing just three contests in the AHL.

East Notes: Holland, Okposo, Girgensons, Kuznetsov, Orpik

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Regardless of whether or not he is back with Detroit next season, GM Ken Holland intends to be working in the NHL and isn’t presently concerned with his contractual situation, writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.  Holland’s contract is up following the season and St. James notes that he is expected to meet with owner Christopher Ilitch shortly after the season comes to an end to discuss his future with the team.  It’s possible that the 62-year-old could stay on in his current role but the Red Wings may prefer to do what the Devils tried to do with Lou Lamoriello a few years ago and move him into a president/advisory position.  If they do make a change in general managers, Kris Draper, a long-time Detroit player and current assistant to Holland, would appear to be a candidate to take over.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • The Sabres are set to get winger Kyle Okposo back in their lineup on Monday night, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. Although he was diagnosed with a concussion, he will only wind up missing three games as a result.  However, the news isn’t all good for Buffalo.  While Okposo will be returning, they are expected to be without winger Zemgus Girgensons who has been listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
  • Although the Capitals are without center Evgeny Kuznetsov today against Philadelphia due to an undisclosed upper-body issue, the injury shouldn’t keep him out for too long. Head coach Barry Trotz told reporters, including Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post, that he “for sure” expects the pivot to be ready in time for the postseason.  While the team is listing him as day-to-day for now, more information should be known about the exact issue on Monday.  Also listed as day-to-day is blueliner Brooks Orpik as he is dealing with a lower-body injury.

Minor Transactions: 03/16/18

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Arizona probably ruined your bracket anyway, so why bother with March Madness anymore? There’s still hockey going on, and like always we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league right here. Check back throughout the day to stay up to date (or head to Hoops Rumors if you somehow picked Buffalo, and are still in a basketball mindset).

  • Last night the Edmonton Oilers recalled Ty Rattie from the minor leagues, where he had been the Bakersfield Condors’ best player for much of the season. With 43 points in 53 games, Rattie has once again shown that he can dominate the lower levels. His opportunities in the NHL have been short lived, as he’s suited up just 37 times across parts of five seasons.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights also used last night to send a pair of players back to the AHL, assigning Maxime Lagace and Tomas Hyka to the minors. Malcolm Subban is ready to make his return, as the Golden Knights continue to stroll towards the playoffs.
  • After calling them up to cover for some minor injuries, the Boston Bruins have sent both Anton Blidh and Paul Postma back down to the AHL. The Bruins are set to take on Tampa Bay Lightning in a game with huge playoff ramifications tomorrow, and will hopefully get back some of their injured players.
  • Adin Hill is on his way back to the minor leagues, meaning Antti Raanta is close to returning for the Arizona Coyotes. Raanta hasn’t played in two weeks, but is expected back in the Arizona crease before long. The 21-year old Hill has played four NHL games this season, recording an .891 save percentage.

Edmonton Oilers Sign Kirill Maksimov To Entry-Level Contract

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The Edmonton Oilers have inked another one of their 2017 draft picks, signing Kirill Maksimov to a three-year entry-level contract. Maksimov was selected in the fifth round and is currently playing for the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL.

The definition of a project pick, Maksimov has always shown talent but not always results. A dual citizen (Canada/Russia) that has been back in Canada for years, Maksimov joined the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL after going in the second round of the midget draft. In his first two seasons in the OHL, there was clear skill but only moderate production, scoring 59 points in 120 games. This year has been different though, as the 18-year old has put up 73 points for Niagara trailing only Akil Thomas (a potential first-round pick in 2018) for the team lead, despite playing only 59 games.

Though he’s certainly not ready to jump right to the NHL, Maksimov continues to show off an improved game and will try to carry that into the professional ranks at some point. Next year he’ll have to return to the OHL if he doesn’t crack the Oilers, but could play some games for the Bakersfield Condors down the stretch if signed to an amateur tryout.

Pacific Notes: Arizona Ownership, Klefbom, Pettersson, Gaudette, Hague

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With the state of the franchise constantly in question, Arizona Coyotes chairman and governor Andrew Barroway is looking for potential partnerships for his ownership of the franchise and has spoken to several interested investors, according to Arizona Sports Craig Morgan.

While it’s too early to know what role or control the other investors would have over the Coyotes, Morgan writes that there is no timetable on when or if there will be a new ownership structure in Arizona. The idea of adding investors to its ownership group would be able to infuse the struggling franchise with more money, but it could also help the team to tackle bigger needs, such as building a new arena or even a new practice facility.

Ironically, Barroway has only been the team’s sole owner for less than a year. He bought out the previous ownership group, IceArizona, that bought the team back in 2013. He did say when he completed the buyout that he’d be open to adding investors.

  • The Edmonton Oilers could find themselves looking hard to find a puck-moving defenseman this offseason in hopes of replacing Oscar Klefbom, who has been struggling after being their No. 1 guy a year ago during their playoff run. The Athletic’s Allan Mitchell (subscription required) writes that the Oilers must decide whether injuries have slowed Klefbom’s success or whether he isn’t the player they thought he was. The 24-year-old put up 12 goals and 36 points last year, but his numbers have dropped to just four goals and 19 points this season. Mitchell writes the team will look at several options to add to their defense, including potentially trading for Carolina’s Justin Faulk, Colorado’s Tyson Barrie and Boston’s Torey Krug. If Klefbom can regain his form from the 2016-17 season, he does have a affordable contract which will count $4.17MM per year until the 2022-23 season. However, if he continues to play like he did this season, Klefbom’s contract doesn’t look nearly as good.
  • Sportsnet’s Rick Dhaliwal spoke to Vancouver Canucks scout Lars Lindgren about the impressive play of the team’s 2017 first-round pick Elias Pettersson, who won the SHL scoring title Saturday. A rookie in the SHL, the 19-year-old put up 24 goals and 56 points this season, but the question is when will he be ready to join Vancouver? “Tough question, impossible to say,” Lindgren said. “When you look at him he still needs to build power but he is such a smart, smart player. Hopefully he becomes a franchise player. He does not collect all his points on the power play and his plus minus is great and that is a very good sign for me. He has a little Nicklas Backstrom in him and I like that. It is a big summer for him to get to the next level.”
  • Another top Canucks prospect, center Adam Gaudette, broke the 30-goal barrier this year with Northeastern University, according to Dhaliwal. He is just the seventh player in the NCAA to reach the 30-goal plateau since 2012-13. Vancouver hopes to convince the college junior to sign with the team after his season is over. The former fifth-round pick in 2015 has put up 68 goals in three seasons with the Huskies.
  • Vegas Golden Knights defensive prospect Nicholas Hague has been making a name for himself, according to David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The 2017 second-round pick broke the 30-goal mark last month with his OHL team, the Mississauga Steelheads, and became the first OHL defenseman since 2000 to reach that plateau. Already signed to an entry-level deal back in September, the 6-foot-6, 215 pound defender is another significant asset for the Golden Knights.

Oilers Made Jesse Puljujarvi Unavailable At Trade Deadline

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Edmonton’s team needs are well known and chief among them is a winger that can play with Connor McDavid.  The Oilers were hoping that 2016 fourth-overall selection Jesse Puljujarvi would fit into that role but he has yet to establish himself in his first two seasons in North America.  Accordingly, some wondered if the team might have been willing to part with him before the trade deadline in an effort to get someone who is a better fit (or fits another area of need).  However, TSN’s Darren Dreger noted in an appearance on TSN 1260 (audio link) that the team is far from ready to give up on him and made him unavailable for the deadline but wonders if they may have to re-evaluate that thought in the summer.  The Finnish winger has 18 points (11-7-18) in 50 games this season and will be eligible to sign a contract extension on July 1st.

Injury Notes: Marchand, Duclair, Vatrano, Klefbom, Smith, Avalanche, Seeler

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Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand could miss some time — not due to injury — but after another incident in which the forward collided with Chicago Blackhawks winger Anthony Duclair in Saturday’s game. You can see the video here. While on the surface it does look as if Marchand was attempting to avoid Duclair, one has to wonder how the Department of Player Safety will treat the incident after numerous incidents this season. A repeat offender, Marchand served a five-game suspension back in January for concussing New Jersey Devils forward Marcus Johansson.

Marchand was given a two-minute interference penalty on the play, but Duclair was forced to exit the game as he suffered a knee injury. The Blackhawks later announced that he will not return for the rest of the game and Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that he will miss one-to-two weeks.

  • Matthew DeFranks of the SunSentinel writes the Florida Panthers have activated forward Frank Vatrano and will make his Panthers debut Saturday night. Vatrano, who was acquired a week before the trade deadline from the Boston Bruins for a third-round pick, will attempt to find his game with the rising Panthers despite missing some time with a high ankle sprain. He is slated to appear on the team’s second line alongside Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau as the team hopes Vatrano could be a valuable addition to their core. After putting up 39 goals in 45 career AHL games, he has struggled in the NHL. With Boston, the 23-year-old had just two goals in 25 games this year and often found himself scratched.
  • Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd MacLellan said defenseman Oscar Klefbom will miss the next two games to undergo a “minor procedure.” With rumors that Klefbom was been playing injured for much of the year, the eventual question will be whether the team should shut him down in the near future.
  • Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Steve Carp writes that center Reilly Smith was sent back to Las Vegas after he sustained an upper body injury during Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is not playing today and is not expected to be ready for Monday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Smith is having a career year with 22 goals and 38 assists in his first year with Vegas.
  • Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Post writes that the team intends to start Jonathan Bernier today after Bernier has missed the past 10 games with a head injury. Starter Semyon Varlamov has struggled recently having allowed 11 goals in the past three games. The scribe also writes that defenseman Erik Johnson skated Friday in a non-contact jersey. He hasn’t played in a game since Feb. 18. There is no timeline for Johnson, according to head coach Jared Bednar. Forward Vladislav Kamenev, who broke his arm in November after being acquired from Nashville, practiced Friday and is likely to be sent to the AHL for a couple of games on a conditioning stint.
  • Sarah McLellan of the StarTribune writes that defenseman Nick Seeler, who has been dealing with a right bicep strain and the flu, is improving, but did not travel with the team to Vancouver and would only join the team in Edmonton if there is an injury on defense before then.

Snapshots: Coaching Changes, Marchand Fine, McDonagh Debut

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Buried in the news of Ron Francis being replaced as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes was the fact that it was the first major personnel decision of the 2017-18 season. It’s March, well beyond the three-quarter mark of the season, and there has been just one general manager fired (but promoted) and still no coaches. It’s rare to see so much inactivity, but it can likely be linked to the fact that the league’s worst teams – Arizona, Buffalo, Ottawa, Vancouver, and Montreal – all have first- or second-year coaches: Rick Tocchet, Phil Housley, Guy Boucher, Travis Green, and Claude Julien respectively. Unsurprisingly, USA Today’s Kevin Allen lists the head coaches of four of the next five worst teams as being on the hot seat as the end of the season approaches. That includes the Edmonton Oilers’ Todd McLellan, the Detroit Red Wings’ Jeff Blashill, the New York Rangers’ Alain Vigneault, the Chicago Blackhawks’ Joel Quenneville, and the Carolina Hurricanes’ Bill Peters. The most obvious inclusion on this list is Peters, who has an owner looking to make changes and soon a new GM, and has also struggled to get the most out of his talented roster. Quenneville would be the biggest news, should he be removed, as the longest-tenured coach in the NHL, since 2008, and a three-time Stanley Cup champion. The last name on the list who doesn’t quite fit the pattern is the Washington Capitals’ Barry Trotz. Trotz has yet to be offered a contract extension and his future could depend on the Caps’ playoff success this season. However, as Allen states, Trotz would be the prime coaching candidate this summer if he isn’t retained by Washington. As of right now, all of these coaches are safe, but things could change quickly with the season coming to a close. In the meantime, if you would like to apply for the open Hurricanes GM position, here you go.

  • One thing that there has been plenty of in the league this season has been punishment handed down by the NHL Department of Player Safety, as the league has focused on cracking down on certain penalties. A player who has gained plenty of attention, fair or not, has been Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand. Marchand has finally spoken out after his most recent hit, a $2,000 fine for diving. Marchand spoke to the media, saying things like “it’s a small amount of money”, “it’s a joke”, “it’s pretty stupid” and “I don’t care about this.” He did go a step further though, adding “how are they (Player Safety) to tell …they go from being players to management and running the league pretty quickly and forget how to play the game.” While Marchand doesn’t seem to care much about a very minor fine, he is making a point that any fine for diving, the most subjective call in the game, is somewhat unreasonable, especially when the call comes from those who were not even present at the game.
  • While the Bruins are continuing to win behind three straight game-winners from Marchand, their rivals in the Atlantic Division and the President’s Trophy race, the Tampa Bay Lightning, continue to win as well. They’ll get even better starting tonight, as their huge trade deadline acquisition, Ryan McDonagh, is set to make his debut with the team tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. Head coach Jon Cooper told beat writer Bryan Burns that McDonagh is ready to go, after dealing with an upper-body injury for more than a month. McDonagh’s addition to the Bolts blue line makes them a scary team for anyone to go up against and that includes the Bruins, who play Tampa three more times this season and could very well meet them in the second round of the playoffs.

Ostap Safin Signs Entry-Level Contract With Edmonton Oilers

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The Edmonton Oilers continue to lock up prospects, this time signing Ostap Safin to a three-year entry-level contract. Safin is currently playing in the QMJHL with the Saint John Sea Dogs, but could see some time on an amateur tryout with the Bakersfield Condors before the end of the year.

Safin, selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, came over to North America after growing up in the Czech Republic and has found immediate success in the CHL. With 53 points in 56 games, he has excellent potential as a power forward for the Oilers, one who can skate exceptionally well for a player of his size. Now listed at 6’5″ 191-lbs, Safin protects the puck well in the offensive zone and tries to create chances for teammates.

While he may not project as a top line player in the NHL, Safin has already shown more than expected from his fourth-round draft status. His size, speed and deceptive offensive talent has transferred well to Saint John where he leads the team in points, and will soon be tested at the professional level. Since he was drafted out of Europe, he could potentially go to the AHL next season despite being only 19 years old. Otherwise, a return to Saint John could bring about huge offensive numbers as one of the more advanced players in the QMJHL.

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