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Morning Transactions: Panthers, Islanders, Capitals

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Assorted transactions from around the league this morning…

  • The Panthers have recalled forward Denis Malgin from the AHL, tweets Harvey Fialkov of the Sun Sentinel. The 2015 fourth-round pick made his NHL debut earlier this season. The 20-year-old ultimately played in 39 games for the Panthers, collecting four goals and four assists. In 15 games with Springfield, Malgin compiled three goals and nine assists.
  • Islanders winger Bracken Kearns has been returned on loan to the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the team announced (via Twitter). The veteran was called up to the NHL last week, and he didn’t collect a single point in two games. In 51 games with Bridgeport this season, the 35-year-old has 18 goals and 22 assists. Kearns joined the organization last season following several years with San Jose and Florida.
  • The Capitals have re-assigned forward Riley Barber and defenseman Aaron Ness to the Hershey Bears of the AHL, the team announced. Barber made his NHL debut the other night, and he finished with zero points in two games. In 18 games with the Bears, the 23-year-old collected seven goals and four assists. Meanwhile, Ness has played 10 career games for the Capitals, registering a pair of assists. The 2008 second-round pick has five career points in 39 games with the Islanders and Capitals.

Atlantic Division Notes: Sens, Franson, Panthers

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The Ottawa Senators have been in the market for a top-six forward for much of the season and that need has only grown with the recent news that Bobby Ryan would be on the shelf for three to six weeks due. Ryan, with just 24 points in 50 games, hasn’t been as effective this season as in years past but still brings the track record of a proven scoring forward. However, despite the team’s need, Senators GM Pierre Dorion is not willing to give up too much in any deal, as Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes.

As the scribe notes, the Senators are one of several clubs that have been linked to Colorado center Matt Duchene at various times this season but the asking price, a young NHL defenseman, a prospect and a first-round pick, is too rich for Dorion’s blood. Cody Ceci, Thomas Chabot and Colin White, players Colorado would certainly demand as part of a package in any trade talks, are considered off limits according to Garrioch. That leaves Ottawa shopping in the second tier rental market in all likelihood, with Garrioch suggesting the team has or may have interest in pending free agents Jiri Hudler, Thomas Vanek and/or Drew Stafford. While those names may not be particularly awe-inspiring to Sens fans, as long as Dorion chooses to hoard the team’s best young assets then that’s more than likely the best they can do ahead of the trade deadline.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • There has been no shortage of teams with reported interest in St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, the top offensive defenseman believed to be on the trade market. Every year contenders burn up the phone lines looking for quality blue line depth ahead of the deadline to bolster their chances of making a deep postseason run. Of course only one team will end up with Shattenkirk, which will leave plenty of disappointed teams looking for alternatives. One option for some of those clubs may well be Cody Franson, according to Bill Hoppe in a piece on Buffalo Hockey Beat. Earlier in his career, the right-shot blue liner was a solid point producer capable of playing in all situations. Since signing with the Sabres ahead of the 2015-16 campaign, the 29-year-old’s offensive game has regressed with Franson posting just 16 points in 53 games this season. However, given the high demand for defensemen capable of playing the right side, it’s likely the Sabres could flip Franson for a solid return to one of the teams either unwilling or unable to meet the high price tag the Blues have set for Shattenkirk.
  • Since Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau returned from injury nine games ago, the Florida Panthers more closely resemble a viable playoff contender even if they’ve actually drawn no closer to a postseason spot. The recent surge has possibly shifted GM Dale Tallon’s deadline position from potential seller to potential buyer. In the event they go the latter route, the Panthers could be in the market for a depth winger, as Tallon tells TSN’s Frank Seravalli in a recent interview. The longtime NHL executive tells Seravalli that he feels the team is “strong up the middle,” and that “either wing some place would work.” He also says that while the team has a couple of talented young wingers in the system, he doesn’t feel that “they’re ready to take the next step yet.” Tallon was extremely aggressive at last year’s trade deadline, adding forwards Teddy Purcell and Jiri Hudler to improve the club’s scoring depth. With plenty of veteran wingers reportedly available, there’s little reason to believe he won’t be just as aggressive this year, assuming he can find a deal or two to his liking.

Shattenkirk “More And More Likely” To Be Dealt As A Rental

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We’ve now seen four trades made in the past week as the trade market picks up before next Wednesday’s trade deadline. On the latest edition of Insider Trading, TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Darren Dreger, and Pierre LeBrun dropped some tidbits about potential trade activity.

The main topic of discussion was the consensus best player available in St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. McKenzie believes that the likelihood of Shattenkirk being dealt as a rental is becoming “more and more likely” as the days pass. Beginning with the Edmonton Oilers last June, three teams have had trades fall through because Shattenkirk wasn’t willing to sign long-term. The most recent team to have a deal in place was offering a seven-year, $42MM contract, according to McKenzie.

That’s a hefty price to pay for Shattenkirk, taking into account the acquisition cost. Blues GM Doug Armstrong is not wavering on his asking price of a first round pick, a top prospect, plus “something else.” While some teams may balk at that cost, Dreger reports that teams will continue to kick tires until the deadline. Dreger believes the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Tampa Bay Lightning have already been in touch but have concerns about the price.

While Shattenkirk may view himself as a rental, that’s not to say a team couldn’t acquire Shattenkirk with the intention of pitching him on staying beyond this year. As we reported earlier today, TSN’s Frank Seravalli believes that Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli should be confident in his ability to pitch his team to Shattenkirk, as they appear poised to be a top-ten team in the NHL for the next decade.

In other notes from the TSN insiders, the Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, and Chicago Blackhawks are all interested in bolstering their forward cores before the trade deadline. Minnesota and Chicago are likely pretty happy with their rosters as they sit atop the Western Conference. While neither team will be looking at making a big splash, both would like to add a depth forward. Specifically, the Blackhawks would like a player with a low cap hit who could be acquired with just a draft pick. That’s not likely to be a high draft pick, however, as Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman wants to keep picks for the upcoming draft, which will be held in Chicago. The suddenly hot Panthers aren’t necessarily buyers, despite winning eight of their last 10 games. If they do make a move, LeBrun believe they would be interested in adding a top nine forward in a rental capacity.

Those three teams will likely have interest in Dallas Stars winger Patrick Eaves. With 21 goals in 59 games and a $1MM cap hit, Eaves is drawing plenty of interest from around the NHL. There are as many as 10-12 teams inquiring about the gritty winger according to Dreger.

[Related: PHR’s profile of Patrick Eaves]

Another forward likely on the move is Martin Hanzal; LeBrun reports that most of the teams inquiring about the 6’6 center are from the Western Conference, but Montreal is one of the most interested clubs. Despite missing nine games this season, Hanzal already has 15 goals, which is one off his career-high from 2010-11. The Coyotes would like to move Hanzal by the end of the weekend, according to LeBrun. Of course, that’s depending of the offers available to rookie GM John Chayka.

[Related: PHR’s profile of Martin Hanzal]

The Vancouver Canucks are among the growing group of sellers, but the player drawing the most interest from rival teams is not a rental. Jannik Hansen has one year left at $2.5MM and has lots of teams interested in acquiring him. However, the Canucks aren’t looking for a draft pick in return; GM Jim Benning is asking for a top prospect or young NHLer in return for the long-time Canuck. That’s a steep price for a middle-six player who’s never scored more than 39 points in a season.

Florida Panthers May Add Powerplay Help At Deadline

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On Sportsnet 590 in Toronto this afternoon, Florida Panthers executive Dale Tallon—who is involved in the day-to-day operations of the Panthers—spoke about the trade deadline and how they will address any weaknesses. He mentioned that the team may look at short-term help, including something that could spark a struggling powerplay. The Panthers rank 27th in the league on the PP at just 15%.

Now with a team mostly healthy, Florida has launched themselves back into the playoff race with a solid last few weeks. While obviously the big names like Kevin Shattenkirk would help any team’s powerplay, smaller targets are likely more on the Panthers’ radar. In fact, Tallon said that they would not deal off their roster to improve, meaning the big ticket players aren’t on the menu. He said that the term is important because they don’t want to block any players that are in their system.

Forwards like Patrick Eaves and Radim Vrbata have plenty of powerplay experience, and aren’t expected to cost more than a few draft picks at the deadline. The Panthers do have an extra third round pick this season that looks like it’ll be pretty valuable—it’s from the Coyotes. The interesting thing is that their weak powerplay is probably just a byproduct of having Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov out for so long this season, and could easily be expected to get back on track now that both have returned. Either way, it’s clear that the Panthers will be buyers at the deadline despite not being involved in any of the big names.

Atlantic Notes: Panthers, Ryan, Lehner, Green

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With the Panthers now healthy up front and making their way up the Atlantic Division, the team now plans to be a buyer at the trade deadline, team president of hockey operations Dale Tallon told NHL.com’s Arpon Basu.  In particular, the team is hoping to add to what has become a more potent attack recently with the returns of Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov to the lineup.

While many teams appear to be hesitant to part with quality prospects, Florida finds themselves in a nice situation with a younger core, many of which are already signed long-term.  Accordingly, they may have the ability to move some of their picks or prospects if the right fit happens to present itself trade-wise in the next week and a half.

Another thing that the Panthers have that a lot of buying teams don’t is plenty of cap space.  They’re currently pegged to have the ability to take on nearly $43MM in salary on deadline day per CapFriendly which is clearly more than enough to fit in any acquisitions they have in mind.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Senators winger Bobby Ryan suffered a hand injury last night against the Maple Leafs and is out indefinitely, reports Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun (Twitter link). He notes that if Ryan’s hand is broken, he could be out of the lineup for the next three to six weeks.  Although he has underachieved this year (he has just 24 points in 50 games, not the type of production they’re expecting for someone with a $7.25MM cap hit), his absence will create a void in Ottawa’s middle six moving forward.  If he winds up being out for an extended period of time, it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Pierre Dorion look to add another winger via the trade market.
  • Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner has quietly become one of the top goalies in the league and is doing so at the perfect time, writes Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News. He quietly sits tied for third overall in save percentage by a starting goalie this year (.926) and teammates have noted he has taken on more of a leadership role in the dressing room as well.  The timing for this is great for Lehner and the Sabres – not only are they making a late push for a playoff spot, the 25 year old is set to become a restricted free agent this summer and is positioning himself for a sizable raise from the $2.25MM cap hit he currently carries.  (He will be owed a qualifying offer of $3.15MM in June, his actual salary for this season.)
  • Red Wings defenseman Mike Green has now missed the last two games due to an illness and remains day-to-day, notes MLive’s Ansar Khan. The 31 year old has been Detroit’s top offensive threat from the back end by far, recording 26 points (10-16-26) in 49 games.  By comparison, their next highest point getter from the back end is Xavier Ouellet who checks in with ten points.  In the meantime, rookie Ryan Sproul will continue to play while Green is out of the lineup.

McKenzie’s Latest: Coaching Vacancies, Coyotes Rentals

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In a series of tweets after appearing on NBCSN, Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that both the Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers will likely seek permission from the Boston Bruins to interview Claude Julien for their coaching vacancies. Though Julien is just couple of days removed from the job in Boston, many people feel like he’ll immediately bounce back and helm one of the open teams.

McKenzie adds that the New York Islanders, who fired Jack Capuano last month will not talk to Julien about their vacancy, instead happy with Doug Weight for the time being. Julien would be an interesting option for the Golden Knights, who have made it known that they want a big name for their first coach. Ken Hitchcock and Gerard Gallant are also available, though McKenzie reported this week that Hitchcock is currently just enjoying his time off.

Julien has been the coach of the Bruins since 2007-08, and won the Stanley Cup with the club in 2011. After back to back seasons out of the playoffs, and an up and down 2016-17 the team decided to move on. He’s been to the playoffs in 9 of his 14 seasons (though some have been partial) and is generally regarded as one of the best coaches in the league.

McKenzie also responded to a report that three Arizona Coyotes officials (including GM John Chayka) are in attendance at tonight’s Chicago Blackhawks-Minnesota Wild game saying that the Coyotes are trying to market their rentals. A matchup between two Western Conference contenders would be a great place to do that, though Chicago GM Stan Bowman has said multiple times that they will likely be very quiet at the deadline do to cap issues.

The Coyotes have a number of expiring contracts, including Shane Doan, Radim Vrbata, Martin Hanzal and Michael Stone. Several of those if not all, are likely to move before the deadline. Stone is an interesting case though, as his relative youth (26) could still fit in with the rebuild of the Coyotes. His health is a concern, as is the inconsistent play this season but he should still command a hefty price on the free agent market and would be a solid addition for many teams around the league at deadline time.

Atlantic Notes: Lightning Woes, Maple Leafs, Viola

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The Tampa Bay are in unfamiliar territory writes the Tampa Times’ Joe Smith. Sitting in the basement of the Eastern Conference, the Lightning have lost six of their last seven games and are sorting out exactly what is wrong. Veteran Brian Boyle says that it’s driving everyone “crazy” on the team, while Smith writes that the Bolts are playing like a team without confidence. Keep in mind, this is the 2014-15 Stanley Cup runner up and a squad that came within a game of returning to the Stanley Cup Final last season. Lauded for his ability to keep the roster together, Smith adds that general manager Steve Yzerman will not make a panic trade to turn the team’s fortunes. But Smith believes a change is necessary somewhere.

  • Mike Babcock only wants to look ahead, and not dwell on the Maple Leafs’ recent struggles writes The Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan. The Leafs slipped out of the playoff hunt by three points in both the division and the Wild Card race, but Babcock believes it’s a moment of accountability for each of the players. Koshan writes that Auston Matthews has just one point in his last seven games, while Frederik Andersen’s struggles haven’t helped the team’s fortunes at all. After posting back-to-back shutouts last week, Andersen gave up three against Dallas and five in St. Louis. Andersen “owns” his struggles, Koshan reports, and the veteran netminder knows he has to be better–along with the rest of the team.
  • Florida Panthers owner Vincent Viola has declined President Donald Trump’s offer to be secretary of the Army reports the Sun-Sentinel’s Harvey Fialkov. In a statement, Viola said the following:

“I am deeply honored to have been considered for this post, and appreciate the confidence President Trump showed in me,” Viola said in the statement. “I offer my continued support for President Trump and his administration, and look forward to re-doubling my efforts to support the Army and its veterans as a private citizen.”

Fialkov adds that Viola was struggling to separate himself from his business affiliations. Minority owner Doug Cifu would have taken over had Viola chosen to accept the post.

Panthers Activate Barkov And Huberdeau

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After a trying first half, the Panthers are finally getting some claws.

Florida has activated Sasha Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau from Injured Reserve. Both men are expected to return to the lineup for tonight’s game versus Anaheim, according to TSN.

Barkov has been out of the lineup since the end of December with a back injury. In 36 games played, he has nine goals and 18 assists for 27 points. His return will be a big boost for the Panthers. While he was out of action, Vincent Trocheck filled in admirably as the top-line center, leading the Panthers in scoring, but below him either left winger Jussi Jokinen filled in or injury-plagued Nick Bjugstad moved up. Jokinen has 13 points in 41 games while Bjugstad has just one goal and three points in 23 games this season. Barkov is in the first year of a six-year, $35.4MM contract.

Menawhile, Friday’s game versus Anaheim will be the season debut for Huberdeau. He suffered an achilles injury in a pre-season game (Twitter link via @myregularface). Huberdeau was part of a very successful first line last season, alongside Barkov and the legendary Jaromir Jagr. Huberdeau set career highs with 20 goals and 59 points as the Panthers finished first in the Atlantic Division. In his absence, Jon Marchessault and Jokinen filled in.

Despite missing two-thirds of their top line for much of the year and the turmoil surrounding their front office, Florida sits just four points back of Philadelphia for the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. The 22-19-10 Panthers have a game in hand on the Flyers, and will need Barkov and Huberdeau to make hay as they try to get back in the playoff race.

Minor Transactions: 2/1/2017

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Here’s where we will track the day’s less significant roster transactions:

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets reassigned defenseman Dean Kukan to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL, according to The Columbus Dispatch’s Aaron Portzline (via Twitter). The 23-year-old blue liner was recalled Sunday but did not appear in the Jackets wild 6 – 4 win over the New York Rangers last night. He appeared in eight games last season, his first in the NHL, but failed to register a point. The Swiss-born Kukan signed a deal with Columbus prior to the 2015-16 season after a lengthy pro career playing in his home country. In 37 games this year with Cleveland, Kukan has 13 points.
  • Joe Haggerty of CSNNE has relayed that Zane McIntyre has been recalled by the Boston Bruins to replace Anton Khudobin as the team’s backup netminder. The Bruins are desperate for quality play in goal behind starter Tuukka Rask. McIntyre and Khudobin have combined to post a woeful record of 1 – 8 – 2 in 15 appearances with a GAA of 3.42 and a S% of 0.875. Boston has just two back-to-backs scheduled this month, suggesting they won’t have to rely on their backup much, provided Rask remains healthy.
  • Defenseman Dylan McIlrath and forward Paul Thompson, each of whom was placed on waivers by Florida yesterday, went unclaimed and will remain in the Florida Panthers organization, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. George Richards, who covers the Panthers for the Miami Herald, later added that McIlrath was reassigned to Springfield, along with forward Jared McCann.  McIlrath, acquired earlier this season from the New York Rangers, has seen action in just five games for Florida this season. The former first-round draft pick has had trouble earning regular playing time. Thompson, 28, has played in 21 games for the Panthers, registering three assists while averaging less than eight minutes per game.
  • The Washington Capitals returned blue liner Christian Djoos to Hershey of the AHL, reports Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic. Djoos was Washington’s seventh-round selection in the 2012 entry draft and has yet to debut in the NHL. He’s in the midst of a solid season for Hershey, tallying 26 points in 35 AHL contests.

 

Barberio And Gilbert Placed On Waivers

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The Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens are making waiver moves on Wednesday morning. Defensemen Tom Gilbert and Mark Barberio are both on waivers, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Gilbert has five points in 18 games with the Kings so far this season, his first in Los Angeles. He has been in and out of the lineup all season. Gilbert spent the previous two seasons in Montreal, after bouncing around between Minnesota and Florida. He’s perhaps best known for his time in Edmonton, where he developed into a solid top-four defenseman. Gilbert has 223 points in 655 games in the NHL, including a career-high 45-point season with Edmonton in 2008-09, before being traded to the Wild at the 2012 trade deadline for Nick Schultz. Gilbert missed the end of last season with knee-surgery. He’s a bottom-pairing defenseman at this point, and may have to go to the AHL and work his way back to the NHL.

Barberio has four assists in 26 games this season with the Canadiens. This is his second season in Montreal; he had two goals and 10 points in 30 games with the Canadiens last season. Barberio was a free agent signing from the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he had 17 points in 103 games over three seasons. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and ESPN called Barberio a sixth or seventh defenseman who can skate and move the puck; LeBrun wouldn’t be surprised to see a team take a flyer on Barberio. The Canadiens recently acquired defenseman Nikita Nesterov from the Lightning, making Barberio expendable. If he clears, Barberio will be assigned to the St. John’s of the AHL.

In other waiver news, Florida Panthers Dylan McIlrath and Paul Thompson both cleared waivers.

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