Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Brett Connolly
The deadline is now just a few days away and the trade action is heating up. The Chicago Blackhawks have worked out a deal that will bring in Brett Connolly, Henrik Borgstrom, and Riley Stillman from the Florida Panthers. The Blackhawks will also receive a seventh-round pick, while the Panthers get Lucas Carlsson and Lucas Wallmark in return.
Chicago has been open with their willingness to take on bad money at the deadline, and Connolly would certainly qualify. The 28-year-old forward signed a four-year, $14MM contract with the Panthers in 2019 after his career-best 46-point season in Washington but has been a huge disappointment in 2020-21. Through 21 games, Connolly has just two goals and four points for the contending Panthers and has been pushed out of the lineup by several newcomers. At the end of February, his $3.5MM cap hit even got him through waivers.
It’s not like Connolly has struggled his entire time in Florida. During the 2019-20 season, he recorded 19 goals and 33 points in 69 games but was invisible in the Panthers’ four postseason contests and hasn’t found his game at all this year. A move to Chicago could potentially get him back on track, but for Florida, it is more about getting some salary off the books.
It may feel like Stillman has been around for years, but the young defenseman only turned 23 last month. Selected in the fourth round in 2016, he didn’t even go a full AHL season before making his NHL debut in 2018-19, and now has 43 games under his belt. Still, as a pending restricted free agent that hasn’t been able to establish himself yet, Stillman isn’t a huge prize for the Blackhawks.
The focus for Blackhawks fans should be Borgstrom, who was a first-round pick in 2016 and has 58 games under his belt at the NHL level. While he hasn’t made the immediate impact that some expected after dominating at the University of Denver, the 23-year-old center still has a lot of upside. That potential does come with risk though, as Borgstrom currently isn’t signed to an NHL contract. Instead, he spent this season playing for HIFK in Finland while remaining a restricted free agent here in North America. The Blackhawks would need to sign him to a new contract if he’s to make an impact next season.
Though the Panthers’ goal here was clearing cap space, Carlsson and Wallmark shouldn’t be completely overlooked. The former is a 23-year-old defenseman who has played in 12 games this season for the Blackhawks, and though he doesn’t have a lot of experience, could likely fill the same injury-replacement role that Stillman held.
Wallmark meanwhile is very familiar with the Panthers organization, having spent the end of last season with the team after a trade from Carolina. The 25-year-old forward had two strong seasons with the Hurricanes as a lineup regular, but hadn’t really found his place in Chicago. His $950K contract will expire at the end of this season, leaving Wallmark a restricted free agent. Of course, the Panthers didn’t qualify him last year, which means he might actually be heading for unrestricted free agency once again unless he can impress the front office down the stretch.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic was first to break the trade on Twitter.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Hall, Schedule, Kolyachonok
The Buffalo Sabres could be getting closer to a trade of Taylor Hall, as Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that “there’s a sense talks have escalated.” Dreger doesn’t believe a move is “imminent” but after the New Jersey Devils pulled Kyle Palmieri over the weekend, the precautionary pull is something to watch for.
Hall is one of the top rental targets on the open market and the Sabres need to make sure they get the best package possible before the deadline. Risking him to injury in a lost season doesn’t seem to make much sense.
- The NHL has issued a schedule update, but it will likely be followed by a further announcement this evening. The change has the Calgary Flames playing against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday April 10, when they are still technically scheduled to meet the Vancouver Canucks. With so many positive test results for the Canucks over the past week—a 17th player was added to the COVID Protocol today—their games on Thursday and Saturday were always unlikely to be played.
- The Florida Panthers have reassigned Vladislav Kolyachonok from the KHL to the AHL for the rest of the season. The 19-year-old defenseman was a second-round pick in 2019 and became a regular for Dynamo Minsk this season, recording six points in 46 games. He’ll get his first chance of pro hockey in North America, but isn’t a stranger to these parts; Kolyachonok played two years in the OHL for the Flint Firebirds before returning to the KHL this season.
Florida Panthers Extend Mason Marchment
The Florida Panthers have signed Mason Marchment to a one-year extension for the 2021-22 season, keeping him in the organization. Marchment would have become a Group VI unrestricted free agent at the end of the season given how few NHL games he has played to this point. Chris Johnston of Sportsnet reports the deal is worth $800K. Florida GM Bill Zito released a short statement explaining why the team has re-signed Marchment:
Mason has taken full advantage of his opportunity this season and we are pleased to have signed him to a contract extension. In his first full NHL season, he has proven himself to be a versatile forward who provides our team with a combination of size, skill, and character. We are excited for Mason to take the next step in his career with our organization.
The 25-year-old seemed like an afterthought when he was acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs last year, arriving in Florida in exchange for Denis Malgin. He had played just four NHL games to that point and spent the rest of the 2019-20 season in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds, failing to register a goal in six games. The Panthers brought him back on a one-year two-way contract though, and Marchment seized an opportunity to establish himself as an NHL player. In 22 games this season he has seven points, even skating beside Aleksander Barkov on the top line for short periods.
Undrafted, Marchment was a development project by Maple Leafs organization and spent time in the ECHL before becoming a regular for the Toronto Marlies. Eventually, he learned how to use his 6’4″ frame and natural antagonizing abilities—inherited from his dad, Bryan Marchment—to carve out a versatile role for the AHL club. It’s that same in-your-face role that has made Marchment a favorite of the Florida organization and now led to a new deal.
Aleksander Barkov And Patric Hornqvist Set To Return
- Florida is getting some good news on the injury front today. Jameson Olive of the Panthers’ team site notes that center Aleksander Barkov and winger Patric Hornqvist are set to return tonight against Columbus. Barkov had missed the last six games with a lower-body injury while Hornqvist had missed five in a row with an undisclosed injury. Despite missing those contests, they sit second and fourth respectively in team scoring.
Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Vinnie Hinostroza
The Chicago Blackhawks have brought back a familiar face, reacquiring Vinnie Hinostroza from the Florida Panthers. In return, the Panthers will receive minor-league forward Brad Morrison.
Hinostroza, 26, was drafted by the Blackhawks in 2012 and played his first 106 NHL games for the club before a trade took him to the Arizona Coyotes. He returns to the club in the midst of a brutal season for the Panthers, where he has dressed just nine times and doesn’t have a point. The undersized forward reached a career-high of 16 goals and 39 points in the 2018-19 season for the Coyotes but hasn’t been the same player since. Now on just a one-year, $1MM contract, he is a low-risk, low-reward play for the Blackhawks ten days before the deadline.
It’s low-risk because Morrison isn’t much of a prospect, despite his five points in six games so far this season for the Rockford Icehogs. He’s been up and down between the ECHL and AHL since turning pro and is a non-tender candidate when his entry-level contract expires at the end of this season.
If Hinostroza wasn’t going to play for the Panthers, they didn’t need to be carrying his $1MM cap hit on the books any longer. While Florida isn’t in desperate need of cap space and they could have freed up this amount simply by putting him on waivers and then the taxi squad, this at least gets them a closer look at Morrison down the stretch. Really, this is a deal about getting Hinostroza–a Chicago native–back where he feels most comfortable and with the management group that drafted and developed him.
He still may find himself on waivers at some point, but perhaps Hinostroza can refresh his career and find the level he had in the past. For a team still on the playoff bubble, adding some NHL-level depth is never a bad thing.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Negotiation Notes: Nugent-Hopkins, Driedger, Luongo
The Edmonton Oilers and impending free agent forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins continue to talk extension, but thus far to no avail. Frank Seravalli reports on TSN’s latest “Insider Trading” that the Oilers’ latest contract offer was “not flattering”. He believes that the extension proposal contained just a five-year term, as well as an AAV that did not serve to counteract the short term. Unsurprisingly, Nugent-Hopkins’ camp was quick to move on from the offer. However, the two sides are committed to continuing talks and there does not yet seem to be any resentment growing despite the lack of progress on a new deal. Seravalli notes that, as of now, there is no desire on the Oilers’ part to trade RNH before the impending trade deadline. Should the two sides fail to come to terms on an extension, Nugent-Hopkins will be one of, if not the most sought-after free agent. It has previously been speculated that the Seattle Kraken, who will have plenty of cap space but could be short on center talent, would be a major suitor for the 2011 No. 1 overall pick if he were to hit the open market this off-season.
- With the Florida Panthers signing star goalie prospect Spencer Knight on Wednesday, the pressure is on to decide the future of current backup Chris Driedger. Driedger has been one of the best stories of the 2020-21 season. A veteran minor leaguer, with more ECHL games than NHL games in his career, Driedger has broken out at the age of 26. After an excellent showing in limited action last season, Driedger has continued his stellar play into the current campaign, stealing starts from $10MM lead netminder Sergei Bobrovsky. However, the Panthers stand to lose him for nothing this off-season as an unrestricted free agent. The two sides had been in communication about an extension, but with Knight now joining the fold alongside Bobrovsky, leaving Boston College after just two seasons, there doesn’t seem to be a place for Driedger beyond this season – and other teams realize this. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that as soon as Knight’s contract was announced, a number of rival GM’s reached out to Florida’s Bill Zito to inquire on Driedger. In fact, LeBrun notes that multiple trade offers have already been made. However, to this point Zito has told all suitors that he has not decided what to do with Driedger just yet. The Panthers are not only in a playoff spot, but have a real chance at a Central Division title, especially if their goaltending holds up. Removing Driedger from the equation means losing the better of Florida’s two goalies this season and replacing him with a prospect who has no pro experience. Keeping Driedger would be better for the Panthers’ Stanley Cup hopes this season, but at the cost of what could be a considerable trade return. At the end of the day, this could all come back to contract talks. If Zito and company can convince Driedger that he has a role in Florida for another year or two even with Knight in the mix, then they have all the more reason to keep him. If the goalie is unconvinced and eyeing opportunity elsewhere this season, the team might opt to move him and lean on their well-paid current starter and highly-regarded future starter.
- Normally, playing for your country’s national team is an honor. However, given the continued threat of COVID-19 as well as the wear and tear that this condensed 2020-21 season has had on players, recruiting for the 2021 World Championship in Latvia this spring is going to be a major challenge. For Team Canada, that responsibility will fall to Roberto Luongo, who will be named the team’s GM according to TSN’s Darren Dreger. This will be the first time that Luongo has served in such a major role on the international stage, but he very likely will not have the normal assortment of stars to choose from for his Worlds roster. Dreger believes that Canada’s roster – and many others – is likely to skew young, with players still looking to make a name for themselves more willing to go play in Latvia rather than established stars. Luongo may have the tall task of picking through some inexperience and unrealized potential, or else convincing veterans to join the squad, if he wants to build a winner.
Florida Panthers Sign Matt Kiersted
The Florida Panthers have inked one of the top undrafted college free agents, signing Matt Kiersted to a two-year entry-level contract. Kiersted has spent the last four years at the University of North Dakota, becoming one of the most effective two-way defensemen in the country. Panthers GM Bill Zito released this statement on his newest player:
Matt is an exciting defenseman who plays the game with great speed and vision. His steady progression and development from an undrafted player to one of the NCAA’s top defensemen is a display of his resiliency and motivation to succeed. We are pleased to have agreed to a contract with Matt and look forward to his future with our organization.
Still just 22, Kiersted is joining the Panthers organization after recording 22 points in 29 games as a senior for UND. He wore an “A” as an alternate captain and was named to the NCHC First All-Star Team at the end of the year. Corey Pronman of The Athletic ranked Kiersted as the best undrafted free agent available from the college ranks, noting his very high hockey IQ and projecting him as a third-pairing defenseman in the NHL.
Like with any college free agent, there are warts in Kiersted’s game, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be a valuable addition to the Panthers. Bringing in an NHL-ready defenseman for nothing more than an entry-level contract is always a win. Now it’s up to the young defenseman to prove he’s more than just that depth option and continue his development in an organization where everything is suddenly going right.
Florida Panthers Sign Spencer Knight
The Florida Panthers’ goaltending position is about to get even more interesting. The Panthers have agreed to terms with top prospect Spencer Knight to his three-year entry-level contract. That will end Knight’s collegiate career after just two (outstanding) seasons at Boston College. GM Bill Zito released a short statement on his newest goaltender:
We are thrilled to have agreed to terms on a contract with Spencer. He is an immensely talented and dynamic young goaltender who has been an elite player at every level that he has played. From the collegiate ranks to international tournaments, Spencer has consistently elevated his game, a testament to his work ethic, compete and character. We are excited for him to take the next step in his career with the Panthers and look forward to his future with our club.
Knight, 19, has been embroiled in controversy since nearly the day he was drafted by the Panthers, selected 13th overall in 2019. At the time it seemed like an obvious choice, given the vacancy in Florida’s net, but a few weeks later the team would raise eyebrows all across the league by handing Sergei Bobrovsky a seven-year, $70MM contract on the first day of free agency. Immediately speculation went up over whether Knight would ever play for the Panthers, given how his path to the NHL was now blocked. College draftees do have a bit of leverage, as they can elect to stay in school for four years and become unrestricted free agents. It would be quite unusual for a player drafted as high as Knight to do something like that, but Bobrovsky’s contract immediately put that scenario (or a trade) into the realm of possibilities.
The worry was for nought, however, as Knight will sign his entry-level deal with the Panthers on schedule and enter the organization after just two seasons at BC. In his time there, the 19-year-old goaltender posted an incredible .931 save percentage across 54 appearances. He was named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team in 2020, named Goaltender of the Year this season and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award. Squeezed into that college career were two appearances at the World Juniors for Team USA, including a gold medal performance earlier this year. Knight actually went to three of the U20 tournaments, winning silver in 2019 as the extra goaltender.
There are very few goaltending prospects as hyped, but Knight has basically never wavered in his performance so far. Whether he can step to the next level immediately will soon be determined, but all the skills are there to make him an elite starting goaltender at the NHL level.
What that means for Bobrovsky isn’t at all clear. The $10MM goaltender has been outplayed this season by Chris Driedger, a minor league journeyman who was playing in the ECHL as recently as 2018-19. Driedger has earned his opportunity, posting a .930 through 30 NHL appearances so far, but will be a hard player to keep around given he is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. With Bobrovsky earning so much and now Knight joining the organization, there may not be much of a place for the 26-year-old, especially if he’s looking for a substantial raise.
The question now becomes whether that’s a good thing for the Panthers, given Bobrovsky’s struggles and Knight’s youth. The veteran has posted just a .907 this season and was even worse last year, making his contract look like one of the worst in the entire league. He’ll carry that $10MM cap hit through 2025-26. As for Knight, his deal breaks down as follows, per CapFriendly:
2020-21: $925K salary (including signing bonus), $1MM in performance bonuses
2021-22: $925K salary (including signing bonus), $1.85MM in performance bonuses
2022-23: $925K salary (including signing bonus), $1.85MM in performance bonuses
Of those bonuses, Knight will receive $1MM if he wins the Conn Smythe Trophy. The other bonuses are Schedule A ones.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic was first to report that a deal was close.
Trade Rumors: Hall, Flyers, Panthers
While he stopped short of stating that there is a lot of interest in Buffalo Sabres winger Taylor Hall, TSN’s Darren Dreger noted on “Insider Trading” this evening that the team is receiving different varieties of offers for the former MVP. While some teams see Hall strictly as a rental, Dreger reports that GM Kevyn Adams has also received calls from teams with interest in a trade-and-sign potential. Despite Hall’s struggles this season, it seems that there are clubs who still believe in his long-term value once he escapes Buffalo. Normally, these teams would not necessarily need to inform the opposing GM of their post-trade intentions. However, given Hall’s No-Movement Clause there seems to be more transparency from suitors in hopes that Hall would waive to come to their team. Dreger relays that Adams and Hall’s agent, Darren Ferris, recently met to discuss these offers as well as those from teams who have not yet expressed interest in an extended relationship with Hall.
GM, agent, and player will all need to be on the same page for a deal to get done, but Hall has already stated that he is open to waiving his NMC for the right move, so it seems likely that he will end up traded. Yet, don’t be surprised if the deal doesn’t happen until deadline day. Dreger believes that Adams could hold on to Hall as long as he can, allowing Hall’s pro-rated cap hit to decrease as much as possible, as a tactic to improve or at least maintain his trade value. With so many team’s facing a salary cap crunch, a cheaper Hall is a more valuable Hall. To this point, it seems teams have balked at Buffalo’s first-round price tag for Hall, but their best chance of netting that return will likely be on deadline day.
- As young Carter Hart continues to struggle this season, it is becoming more and more likely that the Philadelphia Flyers will have to add another goalie if they want to compete for a playoff spot down the stretch. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that they are certainly considering a move, but have not made a decision yet. While the numbers for Hart as well as Brian Elliott are not appealing so far this season, bringing in a third netminder is not a simple decision. The Flyers would need to have the cap flexibility to carry three goalies and would also need to consider the mental status of Hart if they were to essentially bump the season-opening starter to a third-string role. LeBrun believes that Philadelphia will wait as long as possible to make a deal, hoping that their current tandem improves but also in order to take a realistic look at their playoff chances at the deadline and weigh whether a move in worth it. If the Flyers do opt to seek another goalie, LeBrun notes that the name they are being linked to is Detroit Red Wings veteran Jonathan Bernier.
- It would surprise no one to hear that the Florida Panthers are looking for a defenseman in light of the season-ending injury suffered by stalwart Aaron Ekblad. However, Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards reports that the team was actually scouring the market for a top-four blue liner even before Ekblad’s injury, which only served to up their efforts. The Panthers had enjoyed strong seasons from Ekblad, MacKenzie Weegar, and Keith Yandle and had not hesitated to give considerable play time to Anton Stralman, Gustav Forsling, and Radko Gudas as well. However, the team recently waived Stralman, which just goes to show how much they value his contribution so far this season. And while Yandle and Gudas have played well, the two are somewhat of specialists, only excelling at one end of the ice. With Ekblad gone, the Panthers will have to rely on Weegar and Forsling as their most complete defensemen and neither has the experience needed to lead a contender on a deep playoff run. It is likely this concern that prompted a search even before Ekblad went down.
Taxi Squad Shuffle: 03/30/21
There has been plenty of roster movement between NHL teams and the taxi squad on a daily basis this season. Although some major names may be highlighted in separate articles, this is where you’ll find the majority of that shuffle news each day:
West Division
- Late Monday, the Vegas Golden Knights made a number of roster moves, according to CapFriendly, which includes recalling forward Cody Glass and defenseman Dylan Coughlan, while also calling up goaltender Oskar Dansk on an emergency loan. Dansk was just filling in for Marc-Andre Fleury who got the day off. The team also called up forward Dylan Sikura, defenseman Carl Dahlstrom and goaltender Logan Thompson to the taxi squad.
- Vegas also announced it has assigned center Cody Glass to the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL, which is somewhat surprising after the forward put up an impressive performance Monday against Los Angeles. Of course, that doesn’t mean he will play a game for Henderson, but something to keep an eye on as Vegas works the salary cap before the trade deadline.
North Division
- The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have reassigned three players to the taxi squad, including forwards Adam Brooks and Scott Sabourin as well as defenseman Timothy Liljegren. All three played in the Toronto Marlies victory over Stockton Monday with Brooks and Liljegren each picking up goals, while Sabourin picked up a five-minute major. The team also assigned forward Nicholas Robertson and defenseman Calle Rosen to the Marlies.
Central Division
- The Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have recalled three players from the taxi squad to the NHL club, including forwards Zac Dalpe and Liam Foudy as well as recalling goaltender Cam Johnson on emergency conditions. That likely means that goaltender Joonas Korpisalo may not be ready to step into backup duties. After clearing waivers, the team has also assigned defenseman Scott Harrington to the taxi squad.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled forwards Givani Smith, Evgeny Svechnikov and Frans Nielson from the taxi squad, their standard roster moves before a game.
- With a need of defensive help, the Florida Panthers announced the recall of veteran Anton Stralman to the NHL squad. The 34-year-old has three goals and nine points in 29 games this season.
- Another day, another shuffle of forwards in Dallas. The team announced that Ty Dellandrea, Justin Dowling, and Tanner Kero have all been activated from the taxi squad, while Joel L’Esperance has been reassigned to the taxi squad. All four have been transaction fixtures this season.
East Division
- The Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have recalled goaltender Maxime Lagace to the taxi squad from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. After an undisclosed injury to Tristan Jarry, the team may need Lagace closer to home. To make room on the taxi squad, the team has send forward Jonathan Gruden to the WBS Penguins.
This page will be updated throughout the day.