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Western Notes: Zuccarello, Chiasson, Binnington, Karlsson

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The Dallas Stars traded for Mats Zuccarello Saturday evening and brought him to Dallas early Sunday. The team traded two conditional picks for the veteran winger, including a conditional third-round pick in 2020 that could turn into a first-rounder if Zuccarello re-signs with the Stars.

However, Zuccarello was non-committal when asked about his thoughts of his impending UFA status, according to The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro. The veteran said he isn’t thinking about it right now and his goal in Dallas is to help the team get into the playoffs and beyond.

  • On a negative note, Zuccarello, who fared well in his debut with Dallas with a goal and an assist, left Sunday’s game against Chicago as the Stars announced that he would not come back after suffering an upper-body injury. Zuccarello was hit in the arm or hand while blocking a shot by Chicago’s Ryan Murphy late in the second period (video link here). Forward Jamie Benn was also declared out with a lower-body injury as the team suddenly lost several players in their newly-enhanced lineup. No word on the severity of either injury.
  • TSN’s Ryan Rishaug writes that the Edmonton Oilers might still make a move at the deadline with forward Alex Chiasson being the most viable trade chip the team has. The team would be looking for a pick and Rishaug believes that if a team is willing to offer up a third-rounder for Chiasson, the team will pull the trigger on a deal. Chiasson has 17 goals this season and has been one of the few bright spots during a dismal season in Edmonton.
  • Fox Sports Andy Strickland writes that St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington will become a Group 2 restricted free agent this summer once the goaltender hits 26 games this season. The standard number is 28 games, but Binnington signed his entry-level contract in the 2012-13 season, which had a reduced schedule due to the lockout and the number of games was reduced. The 25-year-old goaltender, who spent a good portion of his career in the AHL, has a 14-2-1 record to go with a 1.70 GAA and a .934 save percentage. He is in line to get a significant pay raise.
  • The San Jose Sharks were without star defenseman Erik Karlsson once again Sunday after he left Saturday’s game after re-tweaking his strained groin, which kept him out of nine games recently, and there is no word on how long he’s be out, according to Mercury News’ Paul Gackle. Head coach Peter DeBoer expressed optimism that it wouldn’t be long. Of course, DeBoer said the same thing when Karlsson first was injured, which could be worrying. “We have MRIs and those types of things, but you get put in spots, you can re-tweak, you can overextend it,” DeBoer said. “Everybody thinks it’s healthy and then you get hit a certain way. It’s a contact sport. You can’t control that stuff.”

Trade Rumors: Hart, Elliott, Tolvanen, Rangers, Senators

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Some bad news on one player could turn out to be a blessing in disguise in regards to another. The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that rookie sensation Carter Hart will be out at least ten days with a lower-body injury. Hart has been playing phenomenally this season and his absence could end what little hope the Flyers had of reaching the postseason this year. However, it will force the team to start Brian Elliott tonight in their Stadium Series game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philly’s final game before the deadline. Recent acquisition Cam Talbot is still new to the team and unable to jump in net just yet. However, Talbot’s presence makes Elliott expendable and the Flyers are known to be shopping him. The team tried to move Elliott to the Edmonton Oilers as part of the Talbot return, but ended up trading away the younger Anthony Stolarz. However, with playoff-bound teams like the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights in need of reinforcements in net, Elliott is very much still in play. A strong performance on a grand stage tonight could be enough to convince those kicking the tires to take a shot on Elliott. Moreso, the injury news on Hart could be the final straw for new GM Chuck Fletcher, as he is still allegedly unsure of whether to sell or not at the deadline. With Elliott, Wayne Simmonds, Michael Raffl, and several others drawing interest, Fletcher should be more encouraged to part with those pieces now that his stud goaltender is out for what could be weeks.

  • The New York Rangers are one of the most talked-about teams as the deadline approaches, as rentals Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello, and Adam McQuaid and even term players like Chris Kreider and Vladislav Namestnikov are drawing considerable interest. The New York Post’s Larry Brooks writes that the Nashville Predators are one of the teams in talks with the Rangers, but it appears that one of their best assets may be off the table. Brooks reports that the Predators will not trade 2017 first-round pick Eeli Tolvanen for a rental this season. Nashville does not have interest in Hayes, but has looked into Zuccarello, however they won’t offer up Tolvanen to land him. Brooks believes Tolvanen would only be available to the Rangers in a deal for Kreider. The talented Finnish forward has only seen limited NHL action thus far, but is still coveted by sellers – not only the Rangers – for his potential. In this scenario, it’s the sellers who may have to ante up with a signed player to get the prized prospect. As for the Rangers, they may have better luck getting a top return for Zuccarello elsewhere. Brooks states that the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins are among the teams pursuing the veteran winger, while a report yesterday stated some contenders are willing to pay the price to package Zucarello and Hayes together.
  • Meanwhile, the price for McQuaid has gone up significantly today following the trade of Ben Lovejoy to the Dallas Stars. McQuaid is arguably the top rental defenseman left on the market, currently ranked No. 21 overall on TSN’s Trade Bait List. With the trade statuses of Alex Edler, Niklas Kronwall, Cody Ceci, and others still unclear, McQuaid looks like the top target for defense-needy teams versus the likes of Michael Del Zotto and Bogdan Kiselevich. McQuaid is by no means a star or season-changing acquisition, but he is likely the best available defenseman even as just a physical, stay-at-home defender. If the New Jersey Devils can draw a third-round pick and young roster player for Lovejoy, the Rangers are suddenly looking at second-round territory with McQuaid. To protect their top trade assets, New York will not play McQuaid, Zuccarello, or Hayes today, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
  • Many have felt that the allure of the free agent market for Matt Duchene and Mark Stone and the caliber of return the Ottawa Senators could get for trading them left Ryan Dzingel as the most likely of the trio to re-sign with the team. That certainly isn’t going to be the case. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Dzingel recently turned down a five-year extension offer worth more than $20MM, a significant pay raise over his current $1.8MM cap hit. After that, the team made the definitive decision to trade him before the deadline. Garrioch adds that Stone also rejected the Senators’ last offer, and eight-year pact of unknown value, but the team has not yet completely closed the door on a new deal. They continue to take offers on the star winger though, as Garrioch writes that the Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning are the team’s most involved in Stone talks. He believes the Bruins are also interested in Dzingel. It remains to be seen who ends up with Stone or Dzingel and how the returns compare to that of Duchene, but one way or another the Senators are walking away from the deadline with a complete lack of star power on the roster, but a massive influx of picks and prospects to show for it.

Oilers Seeking A Second-Round Pick For Alex Chiasson

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Alex Chiasson has been one of the more pleasant surprises in Edmonton this season.  After only getting a tryout for training camp, he has turned that into a career year with 17 goals in just 51 games.  Accordingly, the Oilers have set a fairly high price for him as TSN’s Darren Dreger reported in a segment on TSN 1260 (audio link) that they’re seeking a second-round pick or comparable prospect to part with the 28-year-old.  The fact that he has a league-minimum salary and cap hit may make him appealing to some cap-strapped teams but the fact remains that he has been more of a complementary player over his career which may make this asking price too high for teams to agree to.

Connor McDavid Suspended Two Games

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The Department of Player Safety has made their ruling, and one of the game’s best players will have to sit out. Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid has been issued a two-game suspension for his high check last night on New York Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy. As the accompanying video explains:

It is important to note that both factors of the illegal check to the head rule are met on this hit. First, the head is the main point of contact. While McDavid makes some contact with Leddy’s far shoulder, the brunt of the impact of this hit is delivered by McDavid’s shoulder to Leddy’s head. Second, the head contact on this play is avoidable. While Leddy is making a play on the puck as McDavid approaches, he does not materially change the position of his head or body in a way that significantly contributes to the head being the main point of contact. 

Even without being a repeat offender of any kind, the two-game suspension will cost McDavid more than $134K. It will also put a target on him for any actions in the future that may require supplementary discipline. While McDavid obviously already draws plenty of attention, the league will now keep a closer eye on his physical play and could assess stiffer penalties in the future.

The Oilers play the Anaheim Ducks tomorrow in a crucial game for the team’s playoff chances, and the Nashville Predators on Monday in another Western Conference matchup. McDavid will be able to return to the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Jesse Puljujarvi Seeing Specialist, Expected To Be Out Long Term

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The Edmonton Oilers’ dreadful season continues, as today head coach Ken Hitchcock and GM Keith Gretzky told reporters including Ryan Rishaug of TSN that Jesse Puljujarvi will go Tuesday to see a specialist about the lower-body injury he recently suffered. Hitchcock referred to the injury as “long term” to Rishaug, though no recovery timeline has been presented so far. Puljujarvi’s agent Markus Lehto told Mark Spector of Sportsnet that if surgery is needed it would “more than likely” mean the end of the young forward’s season.

It’s been a tough start to Puljujarvi’s career, which hasn’t gone nearly as expected since the Oilers used the fourth overall selection on him in 2017. While other players from later in that draft like Matthew Tkachuk (6th overall) and Clayton Keller (7th) have found early success, Puljujarvi has struggled to find a consistent role on the Oilers even with the team’s lack of offensive winger options. In 139 NHL games the 20-year old has just 37 points, but has also suited up only 53 times in the minor leagues over the last three years.

Notably, this injury means that Puljujarvi will not be able to participate in the AHL playoffs regardless of what the specialist says. Since Puljujarvi is on injured reserve and can’t be on the minor league active roster by Monday even as a paper transaction, he’ll miss the deadline for AHL playoff eligibility—unless some new information surfaces between now and then to allow the Oilers to make a move. With the Bakersfield Condors in first place in the Pacific Division, many Oilers fans had hoped Puljujarvi could be part of a long Calder Cup run to continue his development. Now, they’ll just hope he can return to full health as soon as possible.

Trade Rumors: Johansson, Canucks, Sharks, McQuaid

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The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun writes that New Jersey Devils center Marcus Johansson could prove to be one of the best bargains at the trade deadline. LeBrun notes that Johansson’s stock has dropped due to his recent injury history, but has been back on the rise due to his recent production. Johansson has seven points in his past six games and buyers have taken notice. LeBrun reports that Johansson’s five-team no-trade list should not hinder a deal and Devils GM Ray Shero will pull the trigger, sooner rather than later, if he gets a fair offer. However, LeBrun believes there is a chance Shero will keep Johansson and try to re-sign him if he receives only low-ball offers. Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman echoes that Johansson is for sale, but that Shero will be aggressive in the sale as he was with Brian Boyle. Friedman names the Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, San Jose Sharks, and Vancouver Canucks as teams that have already checked in on Johansson, but that will hardly be the extent of the interest by the time the deadline rolls around.

  • Friedman believes that the Canucks, who seem like an outlier among the buyers interested in Johansson, are looking to replace the production of the injured Sven Baertschi as they try to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race. Although few expect Vancouver to be major buyers, they are still just one point out of the final wild card spot and could make some minor tweaks to stay involved. Friedman adds that Washington Capitals forward Andre Burakovsky is another forward that the Canucks have looked into. Burakovsky makes for an interesting fit in Vancouver, as the Capitals seek a replacement forward in return and the Canucks have their own talented, but underwhelming young forward on the block in Nikolay Goldobin. A deal centered around the duo seems like a possibility.
  • As for the Sharks, Friedman believes that they intend to add forward depth before the deadline. While Johansson seems to be of interest, Friedman notes that a very different style of player could also be in their sights. He believes that a reunion with Eric Fehr, currently with the Minnesota Wild, could be in store. The Wild appear to be sellers now and Fehr, who fit in well as a deadline addition for the team last year, is a logical target for both the team’s cap situation and need to strengthen their defensive play up front. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz feels that San Jose needs to target a goaltender before the deadline. The Sharks have received poor results from Martin Jones and Aaron Dell this season – the team has the worst even strength save percentage in the league – and last nights’s game, in which Jones allowed six goals on 20 shots against the Boston Bruins could be the last straw. While Kurz comes to the conclusion that an addition in net is unlikely, he hopes the team considers all of their options.
  • Appearing on TSN 1050 in Toronto yesterday, Bob McKenzie stated that New York Rangers defenseman Adam McQuaid is very likely to be moved before the deadline. The impending UFA defender was acquired from the Boston Bruins this off-season for a fourth-round and seventh-round pick, as well as fellow blue liner Steven Kampfer, and McKenzie feels that the Rangers will move him for any package wherein they can recoup those picks or better. Friedman says similar, writing that there has been “traction” on McQuaid move. The Toronto Maple Leafs have been frequently linked to McQuaid, but the tough, stay-at-home righty should have a significant market.

Edmonton Oilers Place Brandon Manning On Waivers

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Tuesday: Manning has cleared waivers and is on his way to the Bakersfield Condors.

Monday: The Edmonton Oilers have placed defenseman Brandon Manning on waivers today for the purpose of a minor league assignment. Manning will head to the Bakersfield Condors if he clears tomorrow. This move will help the Oilers clear enough cap space to activate Andrej Sekera, who is close to returning from injury.

Waiving Manning is just the latest move to seemingly undo one of former GM Peter Chiarelli’s recent transactions, as the defenseman was only acquired by the Oilers at the end of December. Edmonton gave up Drake Caggiula in order to bring in Manning and his $2.25MM average salary that runs through next season, but have decided he’s the easiest player to part with to make room for Sekera. The 28-year old defenseman played in just 12 games for the Oilers and recorded a single point.

Even though some have speculated that a claim is possible, it seems unlikely that anyone will have interest in assuming Manning’s entire remaining contract. The Blackhawks had tried for weeks to move Manning with no luck before finding the desperate Oilers, and Edmonton too has attempted to find a buyer. More probable is that Manning will go to the minor leagues for the time being in order for the team to clear a prorated $1.025MM from their cap, giving them some additional flexibility to activate Sekera.

Like the move on Sunday to trade away Ryan Spooner, Manning’s demotion will be seen as the latest failure of an organization that made many under Chiarelli. Keith Gretzky has taken over as interim GM but the team is still searching for a permanent solution. After dealing with the Spooner, Manning and Cam Talbot situations—the latter was sent to the Philadelphia Flyers over the weekend—the team must now decide what to do with young forward Jesse Puljujarvi.

Oilers Activate Andrej Sekera, Place Two On Injured Reserve

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The Edmonton Oilers have officially activated Andrej Sekera from long-term injured reserve after clearing enough cap space with this weekend’s Cam Talbot trade. In order to fit him on the roster though, the team has moved Jujhar Khaira and Jesse Puljujarvi to injured reserve. Josh Currie, who has been dominating of late in the AHL, has also been recalled.

Edmonton has also waived Brandon Manning with the intent of burying his cap hit in the minor leagues, giving them some additional flexibility as they head into the upcoming trade deadline. Sekera’s return should strengthen the blue line, though there is no guarantee the 32-year old defenseman will be able to bring his former level of production. It’s been more than ten months since Sekera last played in an NHL game, and his similar comeback in the second half of last season was not exceptional. There was a time when he could be relied upon as one of the team’s most consistent two-way defenders, but the team will hope they can squeeze out even a fraction of that effectiveness down the stretch.

This was the first time the team had even suggested that Puljujarvi is dealing with an injury, and it comes at perhaps the most inopportune time given the recent reports about his availability in trade. The young forward has still not been able to establish himself as a full-time NHL presence, and would likely benefit from some more development time in the AHL. That can’t happen for at least a few days, as even backdating the injured reserve period to his last game—Puljujarvi played 9:31 in Friday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes—would keep him out for this week. Interestingly, Mark Spector of Sportsnet reported that Puljujarvi was a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders, apparently not knowing about any injury either. Spector has been told now, as he tweets that the young forward has a lower-body injury that shouldn’t keep him out too long.

While it will be overshadowed by the other news, this is a huge step for Currie who has not yet played an NHL game. The 26-year old forward went undrafted out of the QMJHL but battled his way through minor league contracts and eventually landed an NHL deal with Edmonton last summer. Playing on three ECHL teams across three seasons, he eventually found success in the AHL and is now the Bakersfield Condor’s leading goal scorer with 24 in 49 games this year including 15 in his last 17 contests.

Five Key Stories: 2/11/19 – 2/17/19

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With the trade deadline now just over a week away, activity has started to pick up around the NHL.  Rumors of major trades continue, but so far just a few deals have been completed.

Lafreniere To Stay In CHL: Potential 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafreniere set the record straight after rumors were circulating that the 17-year-old may opt to sign a contract overseas and follow the footsteps of Auston Matthews who played his draft year in the Swiss NLA. Lafreniere’s agent, Momentum Hockey Agency, released a statement making it clear that while the young talent did look into playing overseas, he and his family decided to stay in the CHL with Rimouski Oceanic of the QMJHL where he’s played the last two years, having totaled 74 goals and 172 points in 110 games. At 6-foot-1, he already has the size and proven ability to play in a professional league, but he will stay put for one more year.

Pastrnak, Maatta Injured: The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins each took a hit to their team when each team lost a significant player to injury. The Boston Bruins lost David Pastrnak for a minimum of two weeks after he underwent thumb surgery on Feb. 12 after he fell at a team function. The Bruins, who are fighting with the Toronto Maple Leafs for the second spot in the Atlantic Division won’t be helped even if its for a few weeks without Pastrnak, who is the team’s leading scorer with 31 goals as well as 66 points, second on the team. The Penguins also took a hit on their blueline when they placed Olli Maatta on injured reserve with an upper-body injury that would sideline him indefinitely. The team was getting back Justin Schultz from injury at the time, but the team was looking forward to getting back a fully healthy defense, which now they won’t have for some time. To make matters worse, the team had recently dealt away Jamie Oleksiak to make room for Schultz, leaving the team with a lack of depth all of the sudden.

Wild Owner Approves Selling: Just hours after Minnesota Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau guaranteed that the Wild would make the playoffs, Wild owner Craig Leipold announced that he has given general manager Paul Fenton the green light to sell off some of the team’s players in advance of the upcoming trade deadline. With the team dropping four straight and having a 2-5-3 record in their last 10 games, it might be time for Fenton to make his mark on this team after being hired this summer to fix the team’s inability to advance deep into the playoffs. Among the numerous players who could be shipped off include pending unrestricted free agent Eric Staal as well as Charlie Coyle, who still has one more year on his deal. There are also a number of bottom six players who could be moved as well, including Eric Fehr, Matt Hendricks, Brad Hunt, Matt Bartkowski and Anthony Bitetto.

Philadelphia’s Hart Gets A Mentor: The Philadelphia Flyers finally consummated a rumored trade in which it acquired Edmonton Oilers goaltender Cam Talbot for Anthony Stolarz. While Edmonton freed themselves some much needed cap room as Talbot was making $4.17MM, the Flyers got themselves what they hope will be a long-term veteran who can mentor their prized rookie Carter Hart for the next few years. Talbot, who was already familiar with Hart before, waived his no-movement clause to come to Philadelphia and made it clear that he was open to signing a new contract before July 1 to remain with the team.

Ottawa Intends To Trade Duchene: The Ottawa Senators have stopped in their attempts to sign Matt Duchene to an extension and have indicated to all teams that they intend to trade the 26-year-old center. According to reports, the Senators have shifted their focus of signing Duchene to making a full effort to locking up Mark Stone to an extension. Stone may have a day or two to make up his mind on whether he is willing to sign an extension or he too, will be made available to the league with the intention of selling them off at the trade deadline. Already there has been rumors that the Nashville Predators, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders have expressed serious interest in acquiring the center with more suitors likely to join in before the upcoming trade deadline on Feb. 25.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Eastern Notes: Talbot, Skinner, Mittelstadt, Gagner

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The Philadelphia Flyers made a big trade late Friday when they sent current backup Anthony Stolarz to Edmonton in exchange for veteran goaltender Cam Talbot. The team hopes that Talbot can provide rookie Carter Hart with some guidance and help Hart’s transition to the NHL. The only problem is that Talbot will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and the team has to decide make sure they can lock up Talbot for the future.

Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that he spoke to Talbot who said that he choose to come to Philadelphia for a chance of a long-term stay and is open to signing an extension with the Flyers before July 1. Carchidi adds that Talbot said  it was a “tough season” in Edmonton and is looking for a fresh start with the Flyers and wants to take on the mentor role for Hart, who he is already familiar with.

  • Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News cautions fans to be patient when it comes to the Buffalo Sabres re-signing winger Jeff Skinner. The 26-year-old is one goal shy of his career-high of 37 goals and looks to have taken his game to another level. Unfortunately for Buffalo, Skinner has yet to sign an extension, which worries fans, especially now that the team is struggling. However, Harrington writes that the fact that Buffalo is falling out of the playoff picture will have no impact on Skinner’s decision. He wants to be in Buffalo and has told his agent that as well. He’s two hours from his home in Toronto and loves it in Buffalo next to Jack Eichel.
  • Sticking with Buffalo, Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News reports that rookie center Casey Mittelstadt is expected to return to the lineup Sunday after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury. The 20-year-old Mittelstadt has eight goals and 19 points so far this season, but has been holding down the second-line center position for much of the season. although a pending return of Kyle Okposo could bump him to the third line.
  • One loser of the Ryan Spooner for Sam Gagner trade earlier today between the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers are the Toronto Marlies, according to the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran. The AHL franchise, who is coming off a Calder Cup Championship last year, is trying hard to repeat and had the good fortune that Vancouver was willing to accommodate Gagner, who wanted to stay close to home in Toronto if he wasn’t going to play in the NHL. Vancouver opted to loan Gagner to the Marlies where he was the team’s second-line center. The trade takes a way a key veteran player for their run, who had posted 12 goals and 37 points in 43 games.

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