Extensive Power Forward Trade Market Forming
If the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline is deep at any one type of player, it is power forward. As the February 25th deadline grows closer and teams begin to make tough decisions about who goes and who stays, it is becoming clear that many big, physical scoring forwards are about to be up for grabs before they hit free agency. Just this past week, it was reported that the Philadelphia Flyers’ Wayne Simmonds was likely to be moved and inferred that the Carolina Hurricanes and Micheal Ferland were unlikely to come to terms ahead of the deadline. And that’s just the beginning.
Outside of the 6’2″ Simmonds and 220-lb. Ferland, there are plenty of other names out there that fit the power forward mold. Since this summer, the New York Rangers’ Kevin Hayes has been earmarked for a deadline trade. If they cannot agree to an extension, the Ottawa Senators may be forced to move star Mark Stone. Should the New York Islanders or Colorado Avalanche fall out of the playoff race, Brock Nelson and Colin Wilson – neither of whom look like long-term fits on their respective teams – should be on the block. To some surprise, Patrick Maroon‘s time with his hometown St. Louis Blues appears to be already running out. Even role player power forwards like New Jersey’s Brian Boyle and Florida’s Troy Brouwer should draw interest.
Many of these players feature on the trade bait lists from both The Athletic and TSN, as well as some non-UFA power forwards like the Blues’ Brayden Schenn, the Rangers’ Chris Kreider, the Wild’s Nino Niederreiter, and even young Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers. While it may seem like too many names for too few teams – and it is a buyer’s market this year for sure – The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun mentioned a number of suitors for a power forward who could make a move for one or more of these trade candidates in the coming weeks. At the top, LeBrun sees some of the biggest contenders as likely landing spots, naming the Tampa Bay Lightning, Nashville Predators, Winnipeg Jets, and Calgary Flames as good fits for Simmonds, Ferland, and the like. He also adds the Boston Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights into that group. Of course, the Bruins and Jets also have needs down the middle and could be more ideal fits for Hayes or Nelson, while the wingers would appeal more to Tampa Bay and Nashville. While LeBrun casts doubt on the Toronto Maple Leafs being interested, if an arms race begins the team could feel pressured to add to their forward corps as well. The Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, both in need of secondary scoring, could also jump in on the action, while the Patric Hornqvist injury could prompt the Pittsburgh Penguins to make another move.
With so many power forwards potentially available and prices expected to be low, it could be that the majority of playoff-bound teams decide to add a hired gun up front this season. You can never have too much size and grit in the postseason, not to mention scoring touch, and the 2019 deadline could be defined by many players possessing those exact traits heading to new teams. With plenty of talent available, one of the aforementioned players might just end up being the x-factor for the eventual Stanley Cup champions this year.
Minor Transactions: 01/10/19
It’s another busy day in the NHL with 24 teams in action, including the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks who are battling for position in the Pacific Division. As teams prepare for tonight we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo once again, who will serve as backup for Michael Hutchinson tonight. Frederik Andersen is close to returning for Toronto but will be held out of at least one more contest as he continues to rehab from a groin injury. Kaskisuo played yesterday for the Toronto Marlies, and has still not received a single start in the NHL.
- Mackenzie MacEachern scored twice for the San Antonio Rampage last night and today he’s headed to the NHL. The St. Louis Blues have recalled the 24-year old forward for the first time this season. MacEachern is still waiting for his NHL debut, but has 15 points in 31 games for the Rampage this season.
- With Mike Green returning to the Detroit Red Wings lineup, the team has sent Brian Lashoff back to the minor leagues. Lashoff has been bouncing up and down, but is still waiting for his first chance to actually play in an NHL game this season.
- Brandon Pirri was returned to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. However, hours later, he was recalled to Vegas, per the AHL’s Transactions Page. Pirri has scored seven goals and ten points in his eight appearances for the Golden Knights, but is in a tough situation as one of the only waiver-exempt players on the roster. Should Pirri play two more games with the Golden Knights he would become waiver eligible again.
- Troy Grosenick has been recalled under emergency conditions by the Nashville Predators. He’s taking the place of Juuse Saros who is day-to-day due to illness.
Scott Wilson, Miroslav Svoboda Placed On Waivers
Wednesday: Both Wilson and Svoboda have cleared waivers according to Friedman. The latter will see his contract terminated, while the former has been assigned to Rochester.
Tuesday: According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Buffalo Sabres have placed depth forward Scott Wilson on waivers. Wilson is currently on injured reserve. In addition, the Nashville Predators have placed another player on unconditional waivers, this time heading towards a contract termination with goaltender Miroslav Svoboda who has spent the early part of the season in the ECHL.
Because of his injury status Wilson actually could have gone to the minor leagues on a short-term conditioning stint, but the Sabres are hoping he’ll slip through and provide them with even more flexibility going forward. Should he clear waivers tomorrow he can be assigned to the Rochester Americans for a longer period of time, and be recalled when necessary. Given the expected return of Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart within the next few games, the depth forward wasn’t needed at the current time.
Wilson, who played for three different organizations last season, found a home in Buffalo in the second half. Registering 14 points in 49 games he showed that he could be a reasonably valuable bottom-six player for the club. He’s still waiting for his first opportunity of 2018-19, but there’s certainly no reason to think the Sabres have given up on him. After all, they did sign him to a two-year $2.1MM contract last July. That contract is cheap enough to be buried in the minor leagues if necessary, but also represents a commitment to Wilson that should not have disappeared at this point.
Minor Transactions: 01/08/19
If you wanted to see some NHL hockey tonight’s the night, as 22 teams are in action across the league. Most notably perhaps is a clash between the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets, two teams separated by just six points in the Central Division standings. These two teams could very well be on a collision course in the first round of the playoffs. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves around the league as teams prepare for the busy night.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs lead off the moves once again by sending both Kasimir Kaskisuo and Trevor Moore back to the minor leagues, given they don’t play until Thursday. The Maple Leafs are hoping to save cap space with these daily moves while also giving Kaskisuo a chance to stay fresh playing for the Marlies.
- Yesterday the Florida Panthers recalled Ian McCoshen for the first time this season, after suiting up 35 times in the minor leagues. The former Boston College standout was considered “NHL-ready” when he left the NCAA in 2016, but failed to establish himself as a full-time player for the Panthers. He’ll get another chance soon, after recording nine points in those 35 AHL games this season.
- Dan Renouf has been recalled by the Carolina Hurricanes, an interesting move given their depth at defense. The team has several other options in the minors like Haydn Fleury, Jake Bean and Roland McKeown, but decided to reward Renouf for his solid play all year.
- The New York Islanders have sent Joshua Ho-Sang back to the minor leagues, making room to activate Valtteri Filppula. That move certainly won’t come with much fan support, given Ho-Sang’s obvious offensive talent and potential as a prospect. Still, the 22-year old has just two points in ten games for the Islanders this season.
- Days after clearing unconditional waivers and having his contract terminated by the New York Rangers, Vince Pedrie is on to a new team. The Milwaukee Admirals, affiliate of the Nashville Predators, have signed the 24-year-old defenseman to a contract, the AHL announced. Pedrie, a former Penn State University standout, left school early to sign with the Rangers as an undrafted free agent in the spring of 2017. However, that proved to not be the opportunity that he had hoped, as Pedrie did not get his shot at the NHL during the tail end of that season or any of last season. Instead, Pedrie remained with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, where he failed to impress. Early this season, Pedrie has split his time between Hartford and the ECHL’s Maine Mariners before negotiating his release. While he is unlikely to earn an NHL contract this season, Pedrie could return to his college form with Milwaukee and try his hand at the free agent market this off-season.
Filip Forsberg Activated From Injured Reserve
The Nashville Predators have been waiting for this day for over a month. Filip Forsberg has been activated from injured reserve according to Adam Vingan of The Athletic, and could make his return to the lineup tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Miikka Salomaki has been moved to injured reserve to make room. Forsberg hasn’t played in a game since November 29th, but is still on the ballot for the fan-voted “Last Man In” All-Star appearance.
Forsberg, 24, has turned into an offensive dynamo for the Predators and was off to the best start of his career before suffering an upper-body injury. With 22 points in his first 26 games he was on pace to set career-highs in goals and points, while still registering excellent possession statistics. It’s not like Nashville has really struggled without him, but getting him back once again makes them one of the most dangerous teams in the league and quite capable of overtaking the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Central Division.
The Predators will take on the Maple Leafs tonight in the third game of a six-game road trip through the Eastern Conference (with one game against the Chicago Blackhawks sprinkled in) and currently sit second in the Central with a 25-15-3 record. It’s hard to imagine they drop much further than that through the second half of the season, especially if they can avoid the major injuries they’ve dealt with so far. Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson and P.K. Subban have all missed long stretches but are expected to be in the lineup together tonight.
Minor Transactions: 1/1/19
With the new year ringing in and the 2019 Winter Classic between the Boston Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks just minutes away, teams are continuing to shape up their rosters for the new year. Keep tabs on roster moves throughout the day as the NHL schedule begins to get really busy over the next week:
- The Colorado Avalanche announced they have recalled goaltender Pavel Francouz from the Colorado Eagles of the AHL. Head coach Jared Bednar said that Semyon Varlamov was a little banged up and Francouz was recalled as a precaution. The 28-year-old was up earlier this month and was impressive in a relief stint on Dec. 22 when he saved 21 of 22 shots against Arizona in 29 minutes of work. Francouz, who signed as a free agent with Colorado in the offseason out of the KHL has performed well in the AHL as well, posting a 13-7-1 record and a .919 save percentage. With Varlamov expected to hit free agency at the end of the season, Francouz could be a strong candidate to fill the backup role next season.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned forward Janne Kuokkanen to the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. The 20-year-old prospect has had trouble finding a positive role with the Hurricanes, despite being dominant in the AHL. Kuokkanen has yet to score in seven games and has seen his playing time dwindle to under 10 minutes in the past three games. He will return to Charlotte where he has already equaled his goal output from last year and can continue working on his game. The team followed that up announcing the promotion of Saku Maenalanen from Charlotte to fill Kuokkanen’s shoes. Maenalanen has appeared in just one game for the Hurricanes, but has scored seven goals and 14 points in 31 games for the Checkers.
- While it’s already been reported that the Chicago Blackhawks’ recent trade acquisition Jason Garrison cleared waivers earlier today, NBC Sports Charlie Roumeliotis reports that Blackhawks’ general manager Stan Bowman said Garrison will be assigned to the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL. Garrison, picked up in Sunday’s trade with Drake Caggulia for Brandon Manning, has played in 17 games with the Oilers this year. He did play 58 games with the Chicago Wolves last season when playing for the Vegas franchise.
- After two years in the Swiss League, former NHLer Bobby Sanguinetti has returned to North America, as the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL announced they have signed the 30-year-old veteran to an AHL deal. The defenseman, who played 45 games with the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes, played with the Checkers for three years before spending the last two years in Switzerland. Sanguinetti, a former first-round pick in 2006, will hope to resurrect his career there.
- The Nashville Predators announced they have assigned Nicholas Baptiste to the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL. The team recalled him Monday to serve as an emergency player for their game against Washington, but now have returned the 23-year-old without getting him into a game. Baptiste has played 34 games for Milwaukee and has six goals and 14 points.
- The Minnesota Wild have recalled defenseman Ryan Murphy from AHL Iowa per a team release. This will be the 25-year-old’s first stint in the NHL this season but he has 172 games of NHL experience between Carolina and Minnesota over the past six seasons. Murphy has played in 27 games in the minors this season with three goals and 10 assists.
Nashville Predators Claim Phillip Di Giuseppe Off Waivers
With injuries mounting, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Nashville Predators claimed forward Phillip Di Giuseppe off of waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes and to make room for the young forward, the team placed center Kyle Turris on injured reserve once again with a lower-body injury, according to The Athletic’s Adam Vingan.
In Di Giuseppe, the Predators gets themselves a 25-year-old forward with 147 NHL games under his belt, but the winger hasn’t been able to lock down a full-time role in all the years he’s been with Carolina. He has one goal and four assists in 21 games this season with the Hurricanes. However, with the Hurricanes struggling themselves and Di Giuseppe being a healthy scratch for four straight games, Carolina opted to risk losing him by putting him on waivers. The team already lost Valentin Zykov on waivers to Edmonton (and then Vegas), so it’s another key loss for their minor league team.
Nashville has been plagued with injuries as the team is currently without forwards Filip Forsberg and Colton Sissons. Turris has also missed a game and was expected to be out Monday before the team returned him to IR and with Eeli Tolvanen playing at the World Junior Championships, the team opted to bring in Di Giuseppe to provide some added depth. The team also recalled Nicholas Baptiste to help fill in as well. There is no word whether Turris’ trip to injured reserve will be a long one. It’s very likely the Predators used Turris’ injury to open up a roster spot so they could take Di Giuseppe. Turris last played on Dec. 27, so assuming the trip to the IR is retroactive to that game, he won’t be eligible to return until their game on Friday at Detroit. He already spent almost three weeks on IR in late November and early December.
Minor Transactions: 12/31/18
On the last day of 2018, 26 of the league’s 31 teams will be in action. The day starts with an epic matchup between the Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals, and ends with a pair of Western Conference battles that could have a big impact on the playoffs. While teams prepare for 2019, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves they make today.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Eric Robinson from the minor leagues, after a great start from the former Princeton University standout. Signed last spring as an undrafted college free agent, Robinson played in one game down the stretch for the Blue Jackets but was held scoreless. That hasn’t been the case very often in the minor leagues, where the 23-year old forward has recorded 19 points in 33 games and is tied for second on the team in goals with 10.
- C.J. Smith is on his way up to the Buffalo Sabres, recalled from the AHL today. Smith has followed up an outstanding first professional season with 29 points in 33 games this year, and is tied with Victor Olofsson for the Rochester Americans scoring lead. The 24-year old has two NHL games under his belt, but is still waiting to score his first goal at the highest level.
- The Washington Capitals are preparing for the return of Brooks Orpik by assigning Tyler Lewington to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, his NHL stint over for now. Lewington played two games for the Capitals and actually recorded two points, also getting into a fight to kick off his NHL career.
- Nicholas Baptiste is on his way up to the Nashville Predators, the first time he’ll be part of an NHL locker room that doesn’t belong to the Buffalo Sabres. Baptiste, 23, has 14 points with the Milwaukee Admirals this season after being acquired from the Sabres in early October.
- While they deal with a lengthy injury to Dustin Byfuglien, the Winnipeg Jets will rely on their defensive depth to keep them afloat in the Central Division. Relying on that depth means Sami Niku is headed back to the NHL, where he could see some additional playing time. Niku played in five games earlier this season for the Jets but is still looking for his first point of the year.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Trevor Moore under emergency conditions once again, and the young forward will continue to fill in for the injured Zach Hyman and Tyler Ennis. Moore has two points in his first three NHL games and has injected some more speed into the Maple Leafs’ fourth line.
- Egor Yakovlev has played 11 games with the New Jersey Devils this season, but for now he is heading back to the minor leagues. The team sent Yakovlev down before their afternoon tilt against the Vancouver Canucks.
- The Ottawa Senators have officially placed Christian Jaros on injured reserve, according to CapFriendly. Jaros broke his finger while in a fight with Islanders’ Ross Johnston Friday and will be out for a month. The team already placed Thomas Chabot on IR further weakening the team’s defense.
- He’s already playing, but before the game today, the New York Rangers activated defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, according to CapFriendly. The 29-year-old was expected to miss two to four weeks with a separated shoulder, but has returned closer to the two-week mark. The veteran has struggled with injuries since signing with New York in the summer of 2017. Shattenkirk has appeared in 29 games this season, but has clashed at times with new head coach David Quinn, and is playing a career-low 18:23 of ATOI this season. He will attempt to boost those numbers again now that he’s healthy.
- The Minnesota Wild announced they have assigned veteran defenseman Matt Bartkowski to the Iowa Wild of the AHL after their 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh today. That could suggest that defenseman Nick Seeler will be ready to return to the team for Thursday’s game at Toronto. Bartkowski played in two games filling in, scoring a goal Saturday.
Winnipeg’s Dustin Byfuglien Out Until At Least All-Star Break
2:52: The Winnipeg Jets announced they have placed Byfuglien on injured reserve. The team is expected to recall a defenseman from the Manitoba Moose, most likely Sami Niku.
2:06: Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice said that Dustin Byfuglien, who was forced to leave Saturday in the third period against the Minnesota Wild with a left leg injury, will be out “a while,” until at least the all-star break if not longer, according to Winnipeg Sun’s Ted Wyman. Maurice added that the next update will be at the all-star break, but the 6-foot-5, 260-pound defenseman could be out even longer.
“That would be the very earliest part of the window. I don’t know what it’s going to look like in the next two or three weeks,” said Maurice, adding the injury didn’t require surgery.
Byfuglien suffered a injury to his left leg when he collided with Minnesota’s Luke Kunin during the third period Saturday and was forced to leave the game. He needed help to get off the ice. Maurice didn’t specify whether the injury was to his ankle or his knee.
The 2019 NHL All-Star Game is to take place on Jan. 26, so expect Byfuglien to be out almost a month before an update will be provided. It’s a big blow to the Jets’ defense, who was looking to continue to hold off the Nashville Predators from taking their spot as the top team in the Central Division. The loss of Byfuglien means the team will lean more heavily on Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and Josh Morrissey. However, the team believes they have the depth to succeed without him. Coincidentally, the team hasn’t lost a game without their star defenseman this year as the team is 5-0-1 this year. Byfuglien has already missed six games this season. He missed two games with an upper-body injury in mid-October and then missed another four games with a concussion from Nov. 27 through Dec. 7.
“You have Tyler Myers and Jacob Trouba who would very much like to play 25 minutes a night. They’re going to get an opportunity,” Maurice said. “When Dustin went down earlier, we had Morrissey and Trouba playing 28 minutes a night. We have players that can handle it and can take it.”
It’s expected the team will get back Joseph Morrow today and that Myers is expected to be ready for the New Year’s Eve game in Edmonton.
Overseas Notes: KHL Trade Deadline, Holmstrom, Toivonen
The deadline for teams in the KHL to trade and sign players came and went yesterday, but not without some intriguing moves involving several former NHLers. Outside of the previously reported Michal Cajkovsky signing, several other notable names changed hands. After trading former Nashville Predators top prospect Taylor Beck to Avangard Omsk, the Kunlun Red Star were quick to replace him. Kunlun inked Drew Shore, who played briefly with the Vancouver Canucks just two years ago, to a contract for the remainder of the season. While Beck had been the team’s leading scorer with 22 points through 39 games, Shore is no slouch either. With the ZSC Lions of the NLA, Shore had ten points in 16 games before departing for the Red Star. He was also one of the top scorers in Switzerland in 2016-17 at nearly a point per game. Martin St. Pierre, who played eight seasons in North America with five different organizations, also signed with Kunlun ahead of the deadline. Elsewhere, former Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Geoff Kinrade signed on with Severstal Cherepovets, as arguably the worst team in the league looks for answers on the blue line.
- As it pertains to the current NHL, perhaps the most intriguing move at the KHL deadline was the return for the aforementioned Beck. In exchange for sending their leading scorer to Avangard Omsk, the top team in their own division, Kunlun received the rights to Swedish forward Axel Holmstrom. However, Holmstrom is currently under contract with the Detroit Red Wings. A seventh-round pick back in 2017, Holmstrom is in just his second full pro season in North America, played entirely with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. While there is no concrete indication yet that the young forward is thinking of retreating back to Europe, there tends to be fire where there is smoke when it comes to these transactions in the KHL, just as there was when Cajkovksy’s rights were acquired by Dynamo Moscow earlier this season. Especially considering the fact that the Red Star surrendered their leading scorer to acquire just one piece, and an abstract piece at that, there would seem to be at least some optimism that Holmstrom is considering a jump to the KHL. While Holmstrom, 22, has been productive in the minor leagues, he has yet to get a sniff of opportunity in Detroit and may be cherishing the though of a lead role in Kunlun next season.
- A familiar name is back in North America for the first time in five years. The ECHL’s Maine Mariners announced today that they have signed 34-year-old Hannu Toivonen to a contract for the remainder of the season. Toivonen was a first-round pick of the Boston Bruins back in 2002 and spent four years with the organization. He was then traded to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Carl Soderberg and went on to start a career-high 23 NHL games with the team in 2007-08. Toivonen also suited up briefly for the Chicago Blackhawks and various AHL and ECHL squads before returning to Europe in 2014. Before the nostalgic get too excited about a potential NHL comeback, Toivonen was a stable option in his native Finland for several years after heading back across the Atlantic, but struggled at stops in Austria and Denmark last season and has had difficulty finding work this year. While his name alone brings some intrigue and perhaps some added ticket revenue for the Mariners, this is likely just one of the final stops in a long career of a well-traveled goaltender.