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Eric Staal Would Prefer To Not Be Traded

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Wild center Eric Staal is expected to be on the move in the next 48 hours but it appears that’s not his preference.  Speaking with Sarah McLellan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the veteran indicated that he’d like to remain with Minnesota and even had his agent communicate that preference earlier in the season:

The 34-year-old has had an up-and-down season and just snapped an 11-game goalless drought on Friday night against Detroit.  However, he has already reached the 40-point mark and would be an interesting addition for a team looking for a middle-six upgrade down the middle.  The Wild appear now to be sellers so there’s a good chance he’ll be on the move.  Staal has a ten-team no-trade clause and has a $3.5MM cap hit.

Minor Transactions: 02/21/19

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The NHL has a full slate of action on tap tonight, with 11 matches taking place including a rematch of the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals. The Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks face off in an important game for both clubs as they try to secure playoff berths in their respective conferences. As the league prepares for tonight’s play, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • The Minnesota Wild have recalled J.T. Brown from the minor leagues, though Ryan Donato is expected to enter the lineup. Brown has just four points in 35 games for the Wild this season and was sent down to the AHL earlier this month.
  • The Washington Capitals have officially sent Devante Smith-Pelly to the minor leagues after he cleared waivers, meaning he will play his first AHL game since the 2013-14 season. Even with the recent addition of Carl Hagelin, the Capitals could very well bring up Smith-Pelly at some point down the stretch for his playoff experience.
  • Jonny Brodzinski has been activated from injured reserve, and could help replace Hagelin in the Los Angeles Kings lineup. Brodzinski hasn’t played a game for the Kings this season but recorded one goal in a three-game conditioning stint with the Ontario Reign.
  • Landon Bow has been returned to the AHL by the Dallas Stars, which should signal a return to action for Ben Bishop. Bishop hasn’t played a game since February 4th, but will have to play a big role for the Stars down the stretch if they’re to make the playoffs.

Minnesota Wild Trade Charlie Coyle

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Though their head coach made a playoff guarantee just six days ago, the Minnesota Wild have traded away another one of their key forwards. Charlie Coyle has been traded to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Ryan Donato and a conditional 2019 fifth-round pick. The pick would become a fourth-round selection if the Bruins advance past the first round of the playoffs this season.

Coyle, 26, has been involved in trade rumors every time the Wild have hit a rough patch over the last few years thanks to his positional flexibility and consistent production, but this move comes after a particularly defeating loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Minnesota is still technically in a playoff spot at the moment but after losing 4-0 to the Ducks they are now 1-6-3 in their last ten and just a point ahead of four different teams in the Western Conference race. Having already sent Nino Niederreiter to the Carolina Hurricanes, Coyle’s departure may be just the start of a culture change in Minnesota in which they try to start again with a different core group.

Versatility has become Coyle’s calling card over the years as the Wild regularly move him around the lineup, including long stretches at both right wing and center. He hit his offensive peak in 2016-17 when he recorded 56 points, but has just 28 this year through 60 games and has struggled to find the consistency that previously stood out through his career. Still, the big-bodied forward can play in a variety of situations and comes with just a $3.2MM cap hit this year and next. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season.

One of the biggest questions regarding Coyle is where his offense has gone in the playoffs each year. The Wild have faced perennial first-round exits thanks to a struggling postseason offense, and Coyle has been part of those failures. The forward has scored just 15 points in 44 career playoff games, and just six in his last 28.

For the Bruins, Coyle represents an upgrade for their middle-six down the stretch and through next season. Boston has had trouble finding any sort of secondary scoring outside of their top four forwards, and will now add a relatively young option that does have a history of success. It doesn’t hurt that Coyle is a Massachusetts-born Boston University alum and plays a perfect style of game for how head coach Bruce Cassidy likes to run his teams.

Still, giving up on Donato is a somewhat surprising move for the Bruins given his outstanding start just last season. After scoring 43 points in 29 games during his junior season at Harvard and being named a finalist for the Hobey Baker as one of the country’s best collegiate players, Donato burst onto the NHL scene with three points and almost 20 minutes of ice time in his debut. Things haven’t gone quite as well for him since, with just 15 points in his next 45 games but there is still a lot to be excited about with the 22-year old forward.

The Wild are obviously trying to get younger this season and change their core, but on first blush the returns for both Niederreiter and Coyle may seem underwhelming. They’ll hope for more success for Donato than Victor Rask has experienced since his journey from Carolina, which has resulted in two points in ten games and a trip to injured reserve.

Focus now turns to the next moves for both of these teams, as it seems unlikely either is finished. The Wild still have pending free agent Eric Staal and others to deal if they want to blow things up, while the Bruins could still use some more scoring for the middle part of their lineup. Boston has been expected to be involved in the trade market as the deadline approaches, but after this deal it is not clear if they will want to give up the excessive assets required to land some of the bigger names. At least if they do go after the likes of Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene or Mark Stone they are still holding their first-round pick, something that wasn’t needed to land their newest forward.

Michael Russo of The Athletic was first to report that Coyle had been traded.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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.

Minor Transactions: 02/19/19

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The NHL is busy tonight with nine games on the schedule, including a Central Division battle between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars. With the St. Louis Blues on a ten game winning streak, the Stars are just trying to keep pace in the playoff race while the Predators try to hold onto second spot. As teams prepare for that action we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.

  • The Winnipeg Jets have recalled Tucker Poolman as Dustin Byfuglien deals with another injury. Byfuglien will miss the next few games, meaning Poolman is up to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman. The 25-year old has played 30 games for the Manitoba Moose this year, but is still waiting to make his season debut in the NHL.
  • Ashton Sautner has been recalled by the Vancouver Canucks as they deal with several injuries to their defense corps. Sautner, 24, played in five games for the Canucks last year but has spent this entire season in the minor leagues.
  • With Victor Rask moved to injured reserve, the Minnesota Wild have recalled Cal O’Reilly from the AHL. O’Reilly has 38 points in 43 games with the Iowa Wild this season and has long been an exceptional minor league player. The 32-year old has yet to make his season debut for Minnesota. UPDATE: O’Reilly has been sent back to the minor leagues already.
  • Dale Weise is on his way back to the minor leagues, this time to make room on the roster for Paul Byron. The Montreal Canadiens have activated Byron from injured reserve, a huge boost to their team as they search for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
  • Blake Coleman has been activated from injured reserve by the New Jersey Devils, meaning the end of the run for Nick Lappin. The Devils sent Lappin back to the AHL today after just three games in the NHL.
  • Jan Rutta has been recalled by the Tampa Bay Lightning as Victor Hedman deals with a minor injury. Mathieu Joseph has been returned to the AHL to make room on the roster for another defenseman. Hedman is not expected to be out long.

Minor Transactions: 02/18/19

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The NHL is back with six games tonight including a inter-conference matchup between the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks. Both teams are in the hunt for second place in the league—though still well behind the leading Tampa Bay Lightning—and are trying to secure home ice advantage in the playoffs. Boston especially has been playing well, unbeaten in regulation through their previous ten games. As teams prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league.

  • Though the transaction appears to have technically happened this weekend, Ryan Spooner is now listed on the Vancouver Canucks roster and will report to the NHL club. The forward was acquired on Saturday from the Edmonton Oilers organization where he had been playing in the minor leagues. Spooner will try to show that he can still compete at the highest level and find a fit in Vancouver’s top nine.
  • Christian Dvorak has been officially added to the Tucson Roadrunners roster in order to begin his conditioning loan. The young forward has been out all season with injury but is attempting a late-season return to the Arizona Coyotes lineup. He’ll have to prove his health at the minor league level first while getting in some game action.
  • Meanwhile Steven Kampfer’s conditioning loan has come to an end after the Bruins recalled the defenseman today. Kampfer has played in just 25 games with the Bruins this year and none since before Christmas.
  • Dylan Gambrell has been sent back to the minor leagues by the San Jose Sharks, something they often do between games to save a bit of cap space. The 22-year old has played just six games with the Sharks this season, and is still looking for his first NHL point.
  • The Minnesota Wild have send Kyle Rau down to the AHL, assigning him to the Iowa Wild for the time being. Rau played in six games on his recent recall, recording one point. The 26-year old forward is a big part of Iowa’s offensive attack, sitting third on the team in scoring with 30 points in 45 games.  The team announced that veteran center Cal O’Reilly has been recalld to take his place.

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.

Trade Candidate: Charlie Coyle

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 25th.

Minnesota forward Charlie Coyle has been in trade speculation for several years now and every time it looks like a deal could be close, it doesn’t come to fruition.  However, now that ownership has given the green light to make some bigger moves even if it results in the team taking a step back short-term, Coyle’s name will once again be at the forefront of talks with several teams.

Contract

Coyle is signed through 2019-20 with an AAV of $3.2MM.  However, the actual dollar cost is higher in both years.  He’s making $3.75MM in salary this season and $4.25MM next year.  Coyle will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the deal which does not hold any trade protection.

2018-19

Coyle’s season has been a lot like his 2017-18 which is a bit of a mixed bag.  There are times where he has been an impact producer but there have been long stretches where he has been quiet as well.  He has primarily been used in a top-six role and has shifted between playing the right wing and center depending on Minnesota’s injury situation.  That versatility will be intriguing to teams but at the same time, going back and forth between the two likely hasn’t helped Coyle either.  Coming into the season, the 26-year-old was looked at as a potential bounce-back candidate but the way it has gone so far, he may need a change of scenery for that to actually come to fruition.

Season Stats

58 GP, 10 goals, 18 assists, 28 points, +2 rating, 16 PIMS, 110 shots, 17:06 ATOI, 50.7 CF%

Potential Suitors

Unlike the many players with expiring contracts that will be limited to just playoff-contending teams as suitors, the fact that Coyle is still fairly young and locked up for another year really opens up more options for Minnesota to pursue.

In the East, Boston was linked to him back in November and they still haven’t addressed their vacancies up front so it’s quite probable that they remain in the mix.  They also have several young forwards that could be of interest to Wild GM Paul Fenton in return.  Montreal has been tossed around as a potential suitor for Coyle for years so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them involved as well.  Buffalo has three first-round picks at their disposal and while they may not want to deal one for a rental, they may be willing to do so given that he’s signed for another year at a pretty good rate.  Carolina and Minnesota discussed other players at the time of their Nino Niederreiter–Victor Rask swap and with the Hurricanes still looking for forward help, Coyle was likely in those talks back then and the two sides could circle back to those now.  Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher opted to hold onto Coyle when he was GM in Minnesota which is a sign that he is a fan so he may try to work out a deal for him as well.

Out West, Nashville and Calgary have been looking for forward upgrades and have the long-term salary cap space to fit in his salary for next season.  (Winnipeg doesn’t so they’re not likely a fit here.)  Colorado is a team that appears to be hesitant to make a move for a rental but having Coyle for another year should pique their interest.  Edmonton could use all sorts of help on the wing but they’d need to find a way to move out some salary the other way in order to get a deal done while Anaheim, who could also use some new blood on the wing, is in a similar situation.  Dallas is in dire need of offensive help so they will undoubtedly inquire as well.  Between the two conferences, there are plenty of potential fits for a trade.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Considering the number of times that a Coyle trade looked likely but didn’t actually happen, a deal is far from a guarantee.  However, the odds are probably higher now than they’ve been for quite some time.  Fenton has the green light to shake things up and with Coyle’s cheap cap hit and the extra year of control, he’ll be one of the more sought after players in the coming days.  If the Wild can get a bidding war going, they could wind up with a very strong return.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Brad Hunt To Be Used As A Winger At Times Moving Forward

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  • Minnesota plans to deploy defenseman Brad Hunt as a right winger at times moving forward, notes Brian Murphy of the Pioneer Press. The Wild have been hit hard with injuries as of late and while playing a blueliner up front is a strategy that doesn’t typically work long-term, it will allow them to keep using him on the power play, an area that he has specialized in.  Out of the 28 points he has put up since last season, 18 of those have come with the man advantage.

Injury Notes: Koivu, Wilson, Tanev

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Mikko Koivu’s season is over and it’s already had a massive impact on his team. However, the Minnesota Wild captain wants everyone to know that next year is not in doubt. The Associate Press report on Koivu’s major knee injury was actually overwhelmingly positive. Less than a week after reconstructive surgery to repair a torn ACL, Koivu said the following yesterday about his potential return for 2019-20 training camp:

 I’m totally confident… I think it’s about your effort, the way you take care of yourself on and off the ice, and at the end, it’s going to be a battle. But if you’re strong enough, you’re going to be able to do it… It’s a fact that this knee will be stronger than I’ve ever experienced. The rest of it is up to me.

The typical recovery time for this injury is six to nine months and especially for a soon-to-be-36-year-old, the latter end of that timeline seems more likely. However, Koivu has never given anyone a reason to doubt his dedication and work ethic, so his own optimism means a lot. Some thought that this could be a career-ending injury for the respected veteran; he merely sees it as a minor setback.

  • The Colorado Avalanche have all but confirmed that they won’t be major buyers at the trade deadline, but they might have a hard time being sellers too. The young team is not looking to move their long-term investments nor the players needed to win down the stretch and few good other rental options exist on the roster. The one player that does stand out as a valuable rental target is forward Colin Wilson, who has redeemed himself this season after an abysmal first year in Colorado. Wilson is a versatile, veteran forward who can be a major boost to a contender’s bottom-six. However, he’s also now on the injured reserve. CapFriendly reports that Wilson has been moved to the IR by the Avs with an undisclosed upper-body injury. The requisite ten days on the IR will give Wilson at most two games to show that he is healthy, if he is even ready to play by then. This could make it hard to the Avalanche to shop their most prized impending free agent.
  • The injuries continue to pile on for the Vancouver Canucks, as Chris Tanev has also joined the injured reserve. While the Canucks were happy to get starting goalie Jacob Markstrom back last night, Tanev is the latest in a long list of injuries, including Sven Baertschi, Alexander Edler, Thatcher Demko, Brandon Sutter, and Jake Virtanen. Of that group, only Virtanen has managed to stay off the IR.

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