Nashville Predators Acquire Cody McLeod
Deja vu all over again. The Nashville Predators have acquired Cody McLeod from the New York Rangers for a 2020 seventh-round pick. It was just over two years ago that the Predators acquired McLeod from the Colorado Avalanche for a late-season push and playoff run that got them all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. The team also announced that Zac Rinaldo will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, explaining perhaps the need for McLeod.
McLeod, 34, certainly isn’t being acquired for his goal scoring ability. The veteran forward has carved out a 769-game NHL career but has just 72 tallies to his name, including just a single goal in 56 games with the Rangers since being claimed off waivers last year. Instead, his leadership and toughness will be welcomed into the Predators locker room as they look towards another long playoff run.
Speaking with the media today, Predators GM David Poile indicated that the team has suffered from the loss of leaders like McLeod, Mike Fisher and Scott Hartnell over the last year. That was part of the reason the team has brought in veteran names like McLeod and Boyle, but there is also obviously a need to be filled after Rinaldo’s injury and Austin Watson‘s suspension. You can bet McLeod will be put into the playoff lineup if the team feels as though they’re being pushed around, and a distant seventh-round pick is just about the smallest asset you can give up.
Still, for the Rangers this looks like a pretty handsome reward when compared to what McLeod has actually done for them. The team snagged him for free off waivers last season and has now turned him into an asset, however small. The Rangers are still stockpiling for the future, and they’ll happily take another lottery ticket to add to that prospect cupboard. After all, they have a seventh-round pick on the roster that has put up quite the career.
Nashville Predators Acquire Brian Boyle
The Nashville Predators have added some depth and size to their bottom-six, as Bob McKenzie of TSN reports they have finalized a deal to bring in Brian Boyle from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2019 second-round pick. Boyle is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and carries a $2.55MM cap hit.
At first blush, the cost of Boyle seems incredibly high given he has routinely played on the fourth line in New Jersey and is no longer a full-time center. Like he was for the Toronto Maple Leafs two years ago—when he also fetched a second-round pick as rental addition—Boyle is more than just a depth option. The 6’6″ forward is one of the most well-respected players in the entire league and has a wealth of playoff experience, suiting up 111 times in the postseason over his career. His versatility to play either center or left wing and ability on the penalty kill makes him a perfect fit for the Predators who have looked to add size since Austin Watson‘s recent suspension.
There’s also the factor of Boyle’s experience in front of the net on the powerplay, where his huge frame can give goaltenders fits when trying to track the puck. The Predators powerplay has been their biggest weakness of late, and they desperately need someone who can clean things up in front. While Boyle is by no means a dynamic goal scoring threat, he does bring a certain consistency offensively and has recorded at least 13 goals in five consecutive seasons.
Still, the Devils have done well to acquire another reasonably high draft pick for of their pending free agent. With the team unlikely to make the playoffs this season, selling off expiring assets for futures will only help strengthen what is already a formidable young core in their attempt to compete in the future. While Nashville’s pick is likely to be near the end of the round, it’s still more valuable to the Devils than another few months of Boyle suiting up this season.
While this deal may seem to change the market for rental forwards, there are few players out there that bring the same mix of skills and experience. It certainly doesn’t mean that every other forward with more points than Boyle will draw a better return.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Austin Watson Suspended Indefinitely
Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson has been placed in Stage Two of the league’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program, and will be suspended indefinitely. The placement is “related exclusively to his ongoing issues with alcohol abuse.” The Predators have released a statement:
The Nashville Predators are saddened and disappointed for Austin Watson and his family as he enters the NHL/NHLPA Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program for alcohol-related treatment. We are grateful for the NHL and NHLPA’s program and will cooperate in any way necessary as we continue to support Austin and his family as they go through this difficult time. Because of the personal nature of the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program and our exclusive focus on Austin and his family’s well-being, there will be no further comment on this matter.
Watson already served an 18-game suspension earlier this season for a domestic violence arrest in the summer, one that was reduced from an original sentence of 27 games by a neutral arbitrator. It’s not apparent what has happened to force this second suspension, but the Predators are instantly without one of their most versatile forwards for the time being and perhaps the rest of the season.
After returning to the lineup on November 15th, Watson had collected seven goals and 13 points in 34 games while playing the most minutes of his short career. The big, physical forward had already collected 99 hits in those 34 games, which actually leads the Predators entire roster despite the missed time from suspension. For a team that is loading up for another long playoff run, losing a player of his nature is a tough blow.
It’s hard to know exactly what the outcome will be in this siutation. Joe Rexrode of the Tennessean believes that this is the end of Watson’s career in Nashville, and tells readers to simply root for the 27-year old’s survival at this point. Watson has one year remaining on his contract after this season, but there is no guarantee he ever suits up again for the Predators. For now, the team will support him and his family as they try to battle through the alcohol issues.
Winnipeg, Nashville May Have “Arms Race” For Rental Players
In a competitive Central Division, the rivalry between the Winnipeg Jets and the Nashville Predators may head directly into the trade deadline as TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the two teams may go into an “arms race” over acquiring deadline rentals. Not only are both teams expected to be active at the trade deadline, both teams could find themselves competing for similar targets.
Both teams battled each other right through the playoffs last season as Winnipeg came out the victor, knocking off Nashville in the Central Division Finals before being eliminated by Vegas. However, that rivalry has continued as they both are the top two teams in the Central, deadlocked with 64 points at the All-Star break. Winnipeg sits with a 31-15-2 record, while Nashville has a 30-18-4 record. Both teams struggled with injuries in the first half, but both teams are looking more and more healthy and both teams should continue to battle for the top spot in the division for the remainder of the season. However, LeBrun reports both are ready to give up prime assets to acquire quality rental players.
One of the players that is often mentioned that both teams have shown interest in is center Derick Brassard, who Winnipeg tried to acquire last season at the trade deadline from Ottawa before the Penguins stepped in and acquired the veteran forward. However, other names that have come up recently suggest that both teams may also be interested in Wayne Simmonds, Kevin Hayes, Gustav Nyquist and Marcus Johansson.
Western Notes: Edler, Fiala, Jets Injuries, Berube
Many people expected to see the Vancouver Canucks sitting at the bottom of the Pacific Division this year. Instead, they are fighting for a playoff spot and suddenly the team has to decide whether they intend to be sellers like many anticipated. Of course, it wasn’t like the team had a lot of obvious trade candidates as the team only has one significant player who will be an unrestricted free agent — Alexander Edler, who is finishing up a six-year, $30MM deal he signed in 2013.
However suddenly, the team must decide whether they want to move the veteran defenseman or keep him around to help the team win a few extra games, and according to The Province’s Patrick Johnson, that’s a big dilemma in Vancouver right now. In the end, whether the Canucks move Edler will come down to three factors.
First, Edler must be willing to waive his no-trade clause. If he isn’t there will be no trade. Second, teams must show interest in him, which you assume they would. Finally, does Vancouver really want to trade him. After all, he is the team’s No. 1 defenseman, who plays good defense and plays on both the power play as well as the penalty kill. On top of that, he is a leader and is very good with helping the team’s younger players.
General manager Jim Benning said he will meet with Edler and his agent next week to figure out what Edler is interested in doing.
- With many recent complaints to the play of Nashville Predators’ winger Kevin Fiala, The Athletic’s Adam Vingan (subscription required) writes that while he can understand that fans are frustrated by Fiala’s play, most especially his high rate of turnovers (3.45 giveaways in 60 minutes), he’s only 22 years old, is still learning and is a very creative player. Fiala, who tallied 23 goals last season has just eight so far in 2018-19. Vingan suggests the team hold onto Fiala, rather than sell low on the forward and suggests the team re-sign the soon-to-be restricted free agent to a bridge deal, which could force him to prove his value to the team.
- Ted Wyman of the Winnipeg Sun writes the Winnipeg Jets should get healthier very quickly. Defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, who has been out since Dec. 29 with an ankle injury, is expected to be back soon after the break, while Ben Chiarot, who missed the team’s last three games, is expected to be ready for the team’s next game against Philadelphia. Wyman adds that winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who has been out for a month, is expected to return within a week after their break ends. The additions of Byfuglien and Ehlers should bring a huge boost to the team.
- In a recent mailbag, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that interim head coach Craig Berube may have a hard time getting his title changed to a permanent position. The scribe writes that just making the playoffs won’t be enough for the team to hand him the coaching reigns. The team would need to go on a real run and show they have momentum, then Berube might be able to keep his job.
Poll: Which Team Is Under The Most Pressure To Make The Playoffs?
When the NHL’s unofficial second half kicks off this week, there will be substantially fewer teams with playoff hopes than when the first half began back in October. Of course, no team has been statistically eliminated yet, but a quick look at the standings can help to rule out more than a handful of the league’s bottom-dwellers. In fact, The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn had seven teams with less than a 5% chance of reaching the playoffs in his latest model: the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Chicago Blackhawks, and Philadelphia Flyers.
On the other hand, there are also quite a few teams whose first-half success has given them near certainty of playing beyond the regular season this year. Luszczszyn’s projections give eleven teams an 85% chance or better of qualifying for the postseason: the Tampa Bay Lightning, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Islanders.
This leaves 13 clubs remaining – the “fringe” teams – who are vying for a possible five playoff spots. Eight of these teams will miss out. Who least wants to be part of that group?
Well, the team who has been a member of the early off-season club the longest would certainly like to change things up. The Carolina Hurricanes have gone nine seasons since making a postseason appearance and have come close the last few years but fallen short. The team could crack 90 points this season for the first time in eight years, but it might not be enough in the tight Eastern Conference wild card race. The two other teams who are desperate to get back to the playoffs are the Buffalo Sabres, who are on a seven-year drought, and the Arizona Coyotes, who are six years out from a postseason appearance. The Sabres got off to a hot start this season and looked to be a surprise playoff team, but have regressed recently, with three wins in their past then games, and are now tied with Carolina for ninth place in the East. The Coyotes have been resilient in the deep Western Conference wild card race, battling injuries and inconsistency to stay in the mix, but Arizona has their work cut out for them the rest of the way.
Then there are the teams who have made the playoffs recently but not performed. The Blue Jackets – who have never won a playoff series in franchise history – will almost certainly have another shot this year, but what about the Florida Panthers? Many have dismissed the team this season, but the Panthers have plenty of talent and have fallen short of expectations until recently. They face an uphill battle to make the postseason but if they do, the team would have a chance to snap the league’s longest streak without a playoff series win. Florida has not won a round since 1996, a whopping 21 seasons without postseason success and longer than the Blue Jackets have even existed. That’s a substantial mark on the franchise. It’s been a decade now since the Colorado Avalanche have won a postseason series as well and now that they are armed with one of the league’s best forward lines, have a chance against anyone if they can win a spot. The Avs looked like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender early this season and with some trade deadline reinforcements could be a factor this spring. However, recent struggles have plummeted them into the thick of the wild card race in the West and they are in danger of missing the playoffs entirely.
Then, there are teams that simply entered the 2018-19 campaign with high expectations and need to meet them. The defending champion Washington Capitals are of course part of this group. Among the most likely fringe teams to make the postseason, it is nevertheless hard to ignore the disastrous play of the Capitals of late. Three wins in their past ten games, including a number of blowout losses, has begun “Stanley Cup hangover” talk and has legitimately injured Washington’s playoff odds. The team needs to right the ship soon or risk falling out of the current playoff picture. A team on the opposite trajectory are the Minnesota Wild, who have improved their play of late and have pulled away in the race for the final Central Division berth. Minnesota is another team that entered the season with high expectations and are still searching for the franchise’s first ever Stanley Cup final appearance. With hopes reaching new highs this season, a collapse for the Wild would be devastating.
Unlike the Capitals and Wild, there are also teams with high expectations who don’t have promising playoff outlooks right now. The Edmonton Oilers and the league’s best player, Connor McDavid, sit atop that list. Edmonton is currently in 13th in the Western Conference and in danger of dropping out of the playoff conversation sooner than any fringe team. The organization has already fired their head coach and general manager this season amid another year of disappointing results and face slim odds that this campaign will end any differently. McDavid and company maintain that the Oilers are a playoff-caliber team, but something has to change with this team down the stretch for that that hypothesis to be tested this postseason. The St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars certainly look like playoff teams on paper, but both have been mediocre at best this season. The Blues, a popular dark horse Stanley Cup pick before the season, have been disappointing in every regard and there has been talk that the team could blow it up this season. A recent improvement paired with the struggles of others in the Western Conference playoff race have revived postseason hopes, but few expected that making the playoffs would be this difficult for St. Louis this season. The same goes for Dallas, who has had highly-publicized feuds between ownership, coaches, and players alike this year as the team continues to fall short of expectations. The Stars currently hold the top spot in the wild card race, but a recent history of late season collapses casts doubt over their ability to hold on to that spot.
There are still many teams whose playoff futures this season remain in question. These franchises all have varying degrees of desperation based on history and expectations. Of the 13 “fringe” teams, which team is under the most pressure to make the playoffs?
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NHL Announces Winter Classic, Stadium Series Matchups
Some new blood will be taking part in the 2020 NHL outdoor games next season. The league officially announces the matchups and host cities for next season’s Winter Classic and Stadium Series games, which will include two teams that have never before played a regular season game outside. The Dallas Stars will host the Nashville Predators at Cotton Bowl Stadium on January 1st for the Winter Classic, while the Los Angeles Kings will take on the Colorado Avalanche at the US Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium on February 15th.
The league also suggested that they would be going back to China next season at some point though no specifics have been released at this point. Another outdoor game—the Heritage Classic—will be played between the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets on October 26th.
It will be great to see some new teams in the events, especially in what has been considered a non-traditional market in the past. The Stars are slowly changing that perception about Texas, and Nashville is always followed by a good contingent of travelling fans. The atmosphere at the Cotton Bowl will certainly be one to remember, and one that should help expand the NHL’s brand even further in the southern US.
Minnesota Wild Claim Anthony Bitetto
The Minnesota Wild have added another depth defenseman in their search to change their fortunes this season, claiming Anthony Bitetto off waivers from the Nashville Predators according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Bitetto obviously has ties to Minnesota GM Paul Fenton, who was with Nashville when the defenseman was drafted in 2010.
Claiming Bitetto actually may have a real impact on some of the other players vying for spots on the Wild, given how full their roster will now be. The team is expected to activate Eric Fehr within the next few days, meaning that there isn’t any room for the recently demoted Luke Kunin and Joel Eriksson Ek. Someone else would have to go, and likely face waivers themselves.
Bitetto’s claim also is a bit of a head-scratcher given the depth the Wild already have on defense after trading for Brad Hunt recently. The team is now carrying eight defenders with Matt Dumba on injured reserve, but have others like Louis Belpedio and Ryan Murphy in the minor leagues who could fill in if necessary. The claim doesn’t cost them much of anything though given Bitetto’s minimum salary contract, and perhaps they can sneak him through waivers themselves in a few days. Nashville at that point would have a chance to reclaim him.
Nashville Predators Place Anthony Bitetto On Waivers
Even as the NHL breaks for the All-Star festitivies, front offices are hard at work. Today according to CapFriendly, the Nashville Predators have placed Anthony Bitetto on waivers.
The Predators are carrying eight defensemen at the moment and none of them are waiver-exempt, so if someone was going to go down it makes sense that it would be Bitetto. The 28-year old has played just 18 games this season and is averaging fewer than 11 minutes in those appearances. It seems unlikely that he would be claimed, meaning that he can be at the ready for the team in the minor leagues or just give them a little more last minute flexibility in the NHL.
Bitetto is on a one-year minimum salary contract and will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer. His NHL career consists 114 games and 19 points, while possession statistics reflect very poorly on the veteran minor league defenseman.
Minor Transactions: 01/24/19
The league is has gone dark as they prepare for the All-Star festivities to start tomorrow, and with it teams will be sending their eligible players down to the minor leagues. This is done to save a few days of cap space and give young players a chance to continue their development. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.
- Along with Jordan Kyrou and Jordan Nolan who were sent down yesterday, the St. Louis Blues have assigned Mackenzie MacEachern and Sammy Blais to the minor leagues over the break. The Blues don’t play again until February 2nd, meaning the set of forwards can get some extra ice time in for the San Antonio Rampage.
- Colin Blackwell has been sent down by the Nashville Predators, returning the 25-year old center to the Milwaukee Admirals after three games in the NHL. Blackwell is still waiting to register his first NHL point, and could get that chance later on in the year.
- After bringing up Ryan Graves for last night’s game, the Colorado Avalanche have returned him to the minor leagues. Graves will be accompanied by both Dominic Toninato and Sheldon Dries, two other waiver-exempt players that can spend the break in the AHL.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have returned Alex Nedeljkovic to the minors where he’ll resume starting for the Charlotte Checkers, and Haydn Fleury has also been sent down to get some more ice time. Fleury has been a regular scratch in the NHL this season as the odd man out among the Carolina defense corps.
- Trevor Moore played again for the Toronto Maple Leafs last night but is now on his way back down to the AHL to participate in that league’s All-Star game. The speedy forward has made quite the impact this season with 19 goals in 32 AHL contests.
- Joel Eriksson Ek spent some time in the minor leagues earlier this year to get his game right, and now he’ll get another chance to hone his skills in the AHL. Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin have both been sent down for the time being, though one or both could see a recall immediately after the break.
- The Vegas Golden Knights have flipped backup goaltenders, sending Maxime Lagace back down and recalled Oscar Dansk. Dansk won’t be starting anytime soon for the Golden Knights, but will receive a bigger paycheck while the team lets Lagace get back on the ice.