Minor Transactions: 01/21/19
The NHL has just four games on the schedule for today as bye weeks are about to start, including an afternoon matchup between the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche are trying desperately to stay within striking distance of the Predators in the Central Division, something that seems to be slipping away even as Nashville goes through some struggles of their own. As those teams and the rest of the league prepare for some time off for the All-Star break, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- The Los Angeles Kings have returned Matt Luff to the Ontario Reign, given that today is their last game until February 2nd. Luff has ten points in 30 games for the Kings this season, but can spend the break playing big minutes for the Reign and continuing his offensive explosion at the minor league level.
- The Edmonton Oilers similarly have just a single game left before the break, meaning they can send Caleb Jones down to get some more playing time in the minor leagues. Jones has shown himself to be a capable NHL player this season, recording six points in 17 games for the Oilers and logging big minutes of late. He’ll almost assuredly be back up at some point, though several injured defensemen are set to return shortly meaning his minor league stint may be longer than expected.
Oscar Fantenberg Close To A Return
- Kings defenseman Oscar Fantenberg missed last game with a lower-body injury but head coach Willie Desjardins told Curtis Zupke of the Los Angeles Times that the blueliner is close to returning. The 27-year-old has held down a regular spot on their third pairing for most of the season while logging nearly 15 minutes a night.
Los Angeles Kings In “Listening Mode” On Jake Muzzin
The Los Angeles Kings have had a season to forget in 2018-19, sitting last in the entire NHL with just 40 points in their first 47 games. A lot of that failure is due to a lack of scoring as the Kings have only recorded 107 goals in those games, meaning any pieces they sell off at the deadline could very well come from the blue line instead. Of the available players, Jake Muzzin and Alec Martinez stand out as potential top-four options that the team could give away to the highest bidder.
We learned earlier this month that Martinez could likely be had for a second-round pick and a good prospect, but it wasn’t clear exactly what the Kings were after in exchange for Muzzin outside of a first-round pick. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) now reports that the Kings are in “listening mode” on Muzzin and that the asking price is that first-round pick and an additional prospect. LeBrun is quick to point out that the Kings don’t have to move Muzzin, as he’s on a good contract for next season at just $4MM and has put together a successful season.
Still, for teams looking for an upgrade on defense there certainly seems to be a deal to be made in Los Angeles. The idea of adding even both of Martinez and Muzzin for a couple of draft picks and two prospects seems more than reasonable, especially considering that the duo only cost $8MM combined for next season (Martinez’ deal extends through 2020-21). It’s also important to note that neither has any trade protection, and can’t stop the team from dealing them.
Muzzin especially is a bargain at his $4MM cap hit. The 29-year old is logging more than 21 minutes once again for the Kings and comes in right behind Drew Doughty in scoring from the blue line with 20 points on the year. He leads in both blocked shots (85) and hits (108) while regularly contributing on both the powerplay and penalty kill. That kind of versatility and impact is incredibly difficult to find in today’s game, meaning there will be plenty of interest in Muzzin when the deadline rolls around.
Schedule For Upcoming NHL “Bye Weeks”
For the third year in a row, the NHL has scheduled a mandated multi-day break for each team in the middle part of the season. Meant to give each team a rest, much like the bye week in the National Football League, this break also includes limits on practice, including several days in which all team activities are prohibited. A seven-day break this season, on paper an increase from the original five-day break, the “bye week” is actually less intrusive this season than it has been in the past despite the longer length. All 31 teams will take their break either right before or right after the upcoming All-Star Weekend, with those two days counting toward the seven and simply extending what has always been a short break for non-participants. Below are the lists of teams who will take leave on one side of All-Star festivities or the other:
Before All-Star Weekend (January 20 – 24)
Boston Bruins
Buffalo Sabres
Columbus Blue Jackets
Dallas Stars
New Jersey Devils
New York Rangers
Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Tampa Bay Lightning
Winnipeg Jets
After All-Star Weekend (January 27 – 31)
Anaheim Ducks
Arizona Coyotes
Calgary Flames
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
Los Angeles Kings
Minnesota Wild
Montreal Canadiens
Nashville Predators
New York Islanders
Ottawa Senators
San Jose Sharks
St. Louis Blues
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Vegas Golden Knights
Washington Capitals
How each team feels about taking an extended break in the middle of the season generally varies based on situational factors. While many players would enjoy getting to spend some time away with their families, others would rather keep the pedal to the metal mid-season. More specifically, a team that is playing well and stringing together wins would rather keep playing and not lose out on that momentum. Another team may be in a slump or struggling with injuries and desperately in need of a break. Either way, not every team will be in favor of the bye week each season.
There also remains some scheduling flaws with the mandated break, as most teams will only get the actual seven days or an eighth day off for travel, but others are set to go ten or eleven days without a contest. The “bye week” seems to be a move by the NHL that has enough support to continue in future seasons, but the league could work on sharpening the schedule so as to give teams as close to an even break as their competition as possible.
Pacific Notes: Talbot, Quick, Donskoi, Merrill
With rumors that the Edmonton Oilers are looking to add a quality top-six forward at the trade deadline, there is one question that keeps coming up, which is where is the money going to come from to pay that winger. The team only has $2.2MM in available cap space, which won’t be enough to acquire the type of forward they want to add. Even if a team retains some salary, the Oilers are going to be forced to move a significant salary.
However, the Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins suggests that the team should look into trading goaltender Cam Talbot, whose $4.17MM salary could open up the money to acquire a top-six forward. With both of Edmonton’s goaltenders expected to hit unrestricted free agency next summer, it’s not likely the team will keep both and considering that Mikko Koskinen has a no-movement clause, Talbot would make the most sense to move to a contender who needs goaltending help. Unfortunately, Talbot’s numbers aren’t that impressive this year as he has a 3.17 GAA and a .896 save percentage – not likely to bring a significant return back.
- The Athletic’s Lisa Dillman and Josh Cooper (subscription required) debate the merits of whether the Los Angeles Kings should trade long-time goaltender Jonathan Quick at the trade deadline. With the impressive play of both Jack Campbell and Calvin Petersen, the team does have the luxury of moving Quick who could bring the team a significant return. The fact that he lacks a no-trade clause also is beneficial. However, each scribe also points out that with so many struggling teams this season, this might not be the best time to move a goaltender as there are so many of them out there. Plus, Quick’s leadership and ability to mentor both Campbell and Petersen might be invaluable to both players as well.
- Paul Gackle of the Mercury News report that the San Jose Sharks could be without forward Joonas Donskoi after he left Saturday’s game against Ottawa with an apparent head injury after taking a hit from defenseman Mark Borowiecki during the first period. While he returned not too long after the hit, he left immediately after that and didn’t play the final two periods. “He tried to come back. He couldn’t come back,” said head coach Peter DeBoer. Since the Sharks are off today, there will be no official update until Monday, but if the Sharks are without Donskoi for a significant amount of time, the team’s depth will be surely challenged.
- The Vegas Golden Knights chose Jonathon Merrill in the expansion draft last year and he has been used sparingly as an emergency defenseman in the past year and a half, yet Steve Carp of Sinbin.vegas writes that the play of the 26-year-old blueliner has improved dramitcally recently while the team has been without defenseman Colin Miller as he has averaged more than 17 minutes a game and he has a three-game point streak. Although Miller is expected back within the week, Carp writes that his play might get him more opportunities down the road with the team potentially resting players like Nick Holden and Deryk Engelland more often.
Pacific Notes: Pettersson, Hagelin, Braun
The Vancouver Canucks got some good news Saturday when star center Elias Pettersson, who has been out with a sprained knee for the past nine days, took to the ice. Unfortunately, he skated only with skills coach Glen Carnegie, however, it’s an important part in Pettersson’s recovery, according to Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre.
The 20-year old suffered a first-degree sprain when he was pulled to the ice by Montreal’s Jesperi Kotkaniemi on Jan. 3. However, Pettersson is getting closer to a return as he managed to twist and turn through drills during a 25-minute skate, much longer than his skate on Friday. However, head coach Travis Green said that while Pettersson wants to return to the lineup as soon as possible, he must still get through a full practice with the team, meaning he will not return for Sunday’s game against Florida.
“He wants to play,” Green said after Saturday’s practice. “We want him to play, but we’re not going to rush him back and have him play where he’s at risk because he’s not moving around well enough. We’re going to do right by him, but we want him back as fast as he can. He’s a competitive kid; he wants to play. He’s not happy not playing.”
- Fox Sports’ Jon Rosen writes that despite only having acquired him in November, the Los Angeles Kings are likely going to shop veteran Carl Hagelin at the trade deadline and move on from him. The 30-year-old has only appeared in eight games with the Kings since being acquired from Pittsburgh for Tanner Pearson due to injuries, but the team will likely want to get something for Hagelin, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. The main purpose of moving Pearson was to free themselves of his contract which still had another two years remaining at $3.75MM. If they can flip Hagelin for future assets, then the team should help themselves in multiple ways.
- Kevin Kurz of The Athletic writes that the San Jose Sharks have activated defenseman Justin Braun off of injured reserve for tonight’s game against Ottawa. Braun has been out since Jan. 2 with a knee injury, but should immediately provide the defensive depth the team needs on the Sharks’ third line. Braun has been averaging just under 20 minutes a game for the Sharks this season despite not providing much offense this season. He has one goal and nine points in 42 games.
Alec Martinez Activated From Injured Reserve
The Los Angeles Kings will have one of their normal defenders back on the ice tonight after a month absence, one that very well could be moved before the February trade deadline. Alec Martinez has been activated from injured reserve and will play in his first game since December 8th while his name is continually bandied about in trade speculation.
Martinez, 31, has 11 points in 30 games this season has proved over the years to be one of the most reliable defenders in Los Angeles. That reliability is extremely attractive when paired with a reasonable $4MM cap hit for the next two seasons, and should draw plenty of interest over the next six weeks. Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) recently listed Martinez on his trade bait board, reporting that the expected asking price for Martinez is a second-round pick and a good prospect. The Kings are heading into a quick retool mode and need to get some youth and speed into the lineup, including opening up some minutes on the back end.
Eating up those tough minutes is what Martinez is known for, once again being a part of the Kings penalty killing group and starting a good amount of his shifts in the defensive end. To get any sort of return at the deadline though, Martinez will need to prove he’s healthy enough to contribute down the stretch and get back to logging 20+ minutes a game, a threshold he had failed to crack for the four games before being taken out of the lineup due to injury. Any team willing to part with a good prospect and high draft pick will be expecting top-four contributions, something he’ll have to prove he can still provide.
Snapshots: Trade Bait, Three Stars, Dobson
The NHL trade season is upon us with only seven weeks until the deadline and teams falling out of the playoff race. With that, Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required) broke down his list of 20 players who could be on the move before February 25th. At the top of the list is Artemi Panarin, who is still without a contract extension as we head into the second half of the season. The Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to make a deep Stanley Cup run and have perhaps the toughest decisions in the league with Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky set to hit unrestricted free agency.
Deeper down the list though Custance provides some details on asking prices, explaining that a deal to acquire Jake Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings would need to start with a first-round pick while Alec Martinez might cost just a second-round pick and a good prospect. The Kings still sit at the bottom of the Pacific Division and are the only NHL team to have scored fewer than 100 goals this season. There are changes coming for Los Angeles, but in a “strong buyers market” it will be interesting to see how much they really get back for some of their trade assets.
- Last week’s Three Stars have been revealed by the NHL, with Johnny Gaudreau taking home the top honors. Gaudreau recorded 11 points in four games and has led the Calgary Flames all season. Brent Burns takes home the second star, but most interesting might be Robin Lehner in the third position. Lehner looked to be on the brink of losing his NHL career when he went unqualified by the Buffalo Sabres, but has turned things around dramatically this season with the New York Islanders. With a .927 save percentage there is good reason to believe that Lehner could be one of the top goaltending options on the market this summer after his one-year deal expires, unless the Islanders can lock him up over the next few months.
- Noah Dobson might be best known to many hockey fans for his stick exploding in overtime for Canada in the recent World Junior Championship, but he’s also a dominant defenseman and leader in the QMJHL. The Islanders prospect is on the move thanks to a junior deadline deal that will send him to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies for the remainder of the season. The Huskies sent three first-round picks and a second-round pick for the right to acquire Dobson, who will give them another huge weapon on their quest for a Memorial Cup berth. The trade deadline for the OHL and WHL meanwhile passes on Thursday, meaning many more top prospects will be on the move.
Three Players Placed On Waivers
Monday: All three players have cleared waivers and can be assigned to the minor leagues.
Sunday: The Los Angeles Kings have come to the same decision that the Montreal Canadiens made earlier this season, and have placed young forward Nikita Scherbak on waivers. He’ll be joined by Jordan Schmaltz of the St. Louis Blues and Chris Wideman of the Florida Panthers according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Scherbak was claimed by the Kings in an attempt to add some more speed and youth to their lineup in a hope that it would create more offense, but the 23-year old winger failed to do so through his eight games in Los Angeles. Scoring just a single goal, Scherbak struggled to adjust to his new team and will now be available for the entire league once again. If he clears, Los Angeles would be able to send Scherbak to the Ontario Reign and keep him in the organization.
St. Louis too is hoping to sneak Schmaltz through and send him to the minor leagues, given the fact that he hasn’t played in an NHL game since December 14th. The 25-year old defenseman just can’t seem to crack the Blues lineup on a full-time basis, playing in 20 games this season but earning an average of just 11:29 minutes of ice time. Schmaltz was a first-round pick of the Blues in 2012, but has just five points in 42 NHL games and could very well be on his way to another organization to get a fresh start.
Wideman, meanwhile has seemed to get a fresh start every few days this season. After being involved in the infamous Ottawa Senators Uber video earlier this year, he was eventually traded to the Edmonton Oilers in late November. After just five games as an Oiler, the team decided to ship him out to Florida as part of the package that acquired Alex Petrovic. Wideman made his Florida debut last night recording two shots in just under 12 minutes of ice time, but apparently did not do enough to impress Bob Boughner‘s coaching staff. If assigned to the minor leagues, Wideman’s entire $1MM salary would be buried and not count towards the cap for the Panthers.
Snapshots: Jones, Martinez, Kravtsov, Comtois
The San Jose Sharks have won four of their last five games and seem to be trending in the right direction. They stand in third place in the Pacific Division with a 23-13-7 worth 53 points, but one thing that could hold the team up is the play of their goaltending.
Paul Gackle of The Mercury News writes that the Sharks rank 31st in the league in even-strength save percentage (89.85 percent) even though the defense seems to have found their game in the month of December. The root of the problem has been the play of starter Martin Jones, who just started a six-year, $34.5MM contract, who has a 2.88 GAA and a .897 save percentage in 31 appearances this year. Head coach Peter DeBoer has put more responsibility on backup Aaron Dell lately, but Gackle writes the team might start to worry whether they can count on Jones for the playoffs.
While a trade is a possibility, Gackle writes that the team’s other option would be to give some playing time to one of their AHL goaltenders in Antoine Bibeau and Josef Korenar, who was just named to the AHL All-Star game. The team could also consider trade rentals such as Brian Elliott, Michal Neuvirth, Keith Kinkaid and Petr Mrazek, but with Jones’ contract, the team is quite limited.
- Despite being rumored to be ready to return, Los Angeles Kings head coach Willie Desjardins said that defenseman Alec Martinez is “not quite there yet,” according to Los Angeles Times’ Curtiz Zupke. Martinez has been out with an upper-body injury since Dec. 8.
- New York Rangers prospect Vitali Kravtsov had two things going against him at the World Juniors, according to NHL.com’s Igor Eronko. The Rangers’ 2018 first-round pick played through a torn triceps during the WJC playoffs for Russia, which finished with a bronze medal. The scribe also points out that Kravtsov moved to the center position in November with his KHL team, Chelyabinsk Traktor, despite never having played that position before in his career. Despite that, he centered Russia’s first line despite just 12 games of center experience.
- Speaking of injuries at the WJC, Anaheim Ducks announced that prospect Max Comtois will miss the next two weeks due to the fact that he played throughout the tournament with a separated shoulder. Comtois, who scored five goals and an assist in five games for Team Canada, played for the Ducks for 10 games earlier this season, but was returned to the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL. The 2017 second-round pick will return there after he recovers from his injury.