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Philippe Myers Loaned To Toronto Marlies

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When the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Alex Biega to the Nashville Predators on deadline day, the return was listed as future considerations. It seems now that those considerations may have revolved around Philippe Myers, the big defenseman who cleared waivers over the weekend.

Myers has been loaned from the Nashville Predators to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, where he will apparently continue his season instead of joining the Milwaukee Admirals, the AHL affiliate of the Predators.

The 25-year-old Myers, who once looked like he would be a long-term pillar in the Philadelphia Flyers defense corps, was traded to the Predators as a major part of the deal that sent Ryan Ellis out of town. His time in Nashville hasn’t gone smoothly though, registering just four points in 27 games while seeing his playing time trend endlessly downward. While he led of his season with 21 minutes against the Seattle Kraken in October, Myers was averaging just over 12 minutes by the end of his run earlier this month. After clearing waivers, it is not clear where exactly his future lies.

With a back-loaded contract that carries a $2.55MM cap hit through next season, Myers actually is an interesting buyout candidate for the Predators. Because of his age, the team would only need to cover one-third of the remaining salary, and it would actually result in a $616,666 cap bonus in 2022-23, before a $633,334 penalty in 2023-24. That is to say, the Predators could clear his entire hit off the books for next season and even create a little bit extra room, if they were to, for instance, be trying to fit in an expensive extension for a goal-scoring winger.

At any rate, it’s unclear how long his stay in Toronto will be, but the Marlies have for now added a player that was once a dominant presence at the AHL level. In 2018-19, before he burst onto the NHL scene, the undrafted Myers had 33 points in 53 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms while being a physical defensive force in his own end.

Jachym Kondelik Signs With Nashville Predators

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The Nashville Predators have been active in the last 24 hours, and that continues right now. The team announced the signing of 2018 draft pick Jachym Kondelik to his two-year entry-level contract today, set to begin next season.

Kondelik, a Czech citizen born in Germany, was drafted 111th overall in the fourth round in 2018. He’s spent all four seasons post-draft at the University of Connecticut, where he was named captain for the 2021-22 season. Largely a playmaker, Kondelik notched his first season with double-digit goals this year, potting 12 goals and 21 assists for 33 points in 36 games. He’s been consistent throughout his college career, netting at least 20 points in each season.

He’ll undoubtedly head to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals next year but will likely see some decent ice time and opportunity there considering Nashville’s somewhat thin prospect pool. He could absolutely emerge as a strong call-up candidate, though, and it’s not out of the question that he sees at least a game of NHL action in 2022-23.

Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators Complete Minor Trade

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Amid a flurry of moves containing NHL-caliber players, the Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings have finalized a swap of two players with one game of NHL experience between them. The Kings have acquired defenseman Frederic Allard from the Predators in exchange for forward Brayden Burke. This is a swap of AHL players right as both teams’ AHL affiliate squads look set to qualify for the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs. The Kings’ affiliate, the Ontario Reign, are second in the AHL’s Pacific Division. The Milwaukee Admirals, the Predators’ affiliate, are third in the AHL’s Central Division, so this trade was likely done with their seasons in mind.

The Kings, in getting Allard, get the player in the deal that has made it to the NHL before. Allard has played in one game, in 2020-2021, and was one of the Predators’ two 2016 third-round picks, along with Rem Pitlick. The 24-year-old defender has five points in 36 AHL games and spent time playing in Austria in 2020-2021. The Kings’ defense is currently ravaged by injuries, and a whole host of players including Drew Doughty, Sean Walker, Matt Roy, Tobias Bjornfot, and Mikey Anderson have been unavailable. They recently traded a seventh-rounder to Detroit for defenseman Troy Stecher, and now make this deal as another move to help shore up that beaten-up blueline. Allard is also a pending restricted free agent, which means that the Predators will have the opportunity to retain him should they deem him a good fit in their organization.

The Predators deal Allard for Burke, who has been an AHL player since 2018-19. He has been a decent scorer at that level, with his best season coming in 2019-20, when he had 52 points in 51 games. He now has 17 points in 31 games for the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners this season and figures to help as a secondary scorer for the Admirals. Given that he is a pending group-six unrestricted free agent, it is unlikely that the Predators have Burke in their long-term plans. But he should be able to reinforce Milwaukee for their playoff chase, and the Predators have historically been interested in having success at the AHL level, which is where Burke has been for the entirety of his professional career.

Nashville Predators Acquire Alex Biega

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The Nashville Predators are adding a bit of defensive depth, as Darren Dreger of TSN reports that they have acquired Alex Biega from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kevin Weekes of ESPN adds that the deal is for future considerations.

Biega, 33, has spent almost the entire season in the minor leagues, playing 31 games for the Toronto Marlies and just two for the Maple Leafs. A right-handed option with nearly 250 games of NHL experience, he shouldn’t be expected to hold a regular role in Nashville but does provide the kind of depth that many teams need during a playoff push.

Signed to a one-year, two-way contract with a cap hit of just $750K, the key here is that Biega has already cleared waivers and can be stashed in the minor leagues until needed.

For Toronto, the key is clearing out a contract slot ahead of today’s deadline. Before the deal they had already used 49 of 50 slots, meaning they would have been restricted if they wanted to make any more trades. Even with Rasmus Sandin dealing with an injury and Jake Muzzin still working his way back from a concussion, the Maple Leafs were very unlikely to use Biega at any point, making him completely expendable.

AHL Shuffle: 03/21/22

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It’s certainly a busy day in the NHL today with the trade deadline just hours away plus four games on the schedule.  There will be considerable roster movement on the trade front while there will be plenty of paper moves made prior to the 2 PM CT deadline made to give players eligibility to play in the minors down the stretch.  We’ll keep track of those moves here.

Atlantic Division

 

Metropolitan Division

  • The Penguins announced (Twitter link) that they’ve sent winger Radim Zohorna to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. The 25-year-old has three points in a dozen games this season with Pittsburgh while adding 15 points in 31 minor league contests.
  • The Washington Capitals re-assigned forward Brett Leason to the Hershey Bears of the AHL (link). Leason had just been recalled by the Capitals yesterday, but the re-assignment could be to simply keep Leason’s AHL eligibility for the remainder of the season intact.

Central Division

  • The Predators have sent defenseman Jeremy Davies back to Milwaukee, per the AHL’s transactions log. Davies was brought up on Saturday but with Nashville adding Jeremy Lauzon from Seattle late on Sunday, the 25-year-old can head back to the minors.
  • The Dallas Stars have sent goaltender Adam Scheel back to the AHL after acquiring Scott Wedgewood yesterday. Scheel, 22, has up as an emergency backup and never actually saw any NHL action. The young netminder is in his first full season of professional hockey.
  • The Winnipeg Jets have reassigned Ville Heinola, Jeff Malott, and Kristian Reichel have all been reassigned to the minor leagues, making them eligible. Notably, Cole Perfetti is not with this group, suggesting that his time in the minor leagues is over after impressing so far.
  • After making several trades in the past 24 hours, the Arizona Coyotes have recalled two players from the Tuscon Roadrunners of the AHL: forward Michael Carcone and goaltender Josef Korenar. Carcone has played just two games at the NHL level, both coming this season, however he has been a productive AHL player, tallying 24 goals and 17 assists in 48 games with Tuscon this season. Korenar has not played in the NHL yet this season, but did play in 10 games for the San Jose Sharks in 2020-21 and was moved to Arizona this offseason as part of the Adin Hill trade.
  • Having traded goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Minnesota Wild, the Chicago Blackhawks have recalled goaltender Collin Delia from the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. Delia has had a solid season playing for Rockford, but has only appeared in two NHL games thus far in 2021-22.

Pacific Division

  • The Kraken announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled winger Kole Lind from AHL Charlotte. Lind has played in seven games with Seattle this season after being their pick in expansion from Vancouver but has spent most of the year in the minors.  Seattle has also activated winger Joonas Donskoi off injured reserve.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have recalled Brad Malone from the AHL after he played a game with the Bakersfield Condors over the weekend. The 32-year-old is actually the captain of the minor league club, but after converting his contract to an NHL deal has played six games for the Oilers.
  • Jake Leschyshyn and Brayden Pachal are heading back up to the Vegas Golden Knights. Leschyshyn’s seen a lot of NHL opportunities this year, getting into 27 games this year and notching his first five NHL points. Pachal made his NHL debut recently before immediately getting sent back down, but he may get another chance here in some NHL games.
  • The San Jose Sharks announced they have re-assigned goaltender Zach Sawchenko to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. In addition to this, the team recalled forward Sasha Chmelevski and defenseman Ryan Merkley from the Barracuda, and activated Radim Simek off of injured-reserve.
  • After placing Michael Amadio and Zach Whitecloud in COVID protocol and trading away Evgenii Dadonov, the Vegas Golden Knights announced they have called up four players: forwards Paul Cotter and Jonas Rondbjerg and defensemen Daniil Miromanov and Zack Hayes. Of this group, only Hayes does not have any NHL playing experience, spending this season and last in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights, and the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL before that.
  • The Vancouver Canucks also made a flurry of AHL assignments, primarily for the purpose of keeping players’ AHL ability alive. The organization announced it assigned forwards Sheldon Rempal, Vasily Podkolzin, and Nic Petan, as well as defenseman Noah Juulsen to the Abbotsford Canucks. Podkolzin and Petan were immediately recalled back to Vancouver.
  • The Anaheim Ducks announced they have recalled forward Danny O’Regan from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. O’Regan, 28, has played parts of four seasons dating back to 2016-17, including four games this season with Anaheim.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Nashville Predators Acquire Jeremy Lauzon

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The Nashville Predators have made a move to shore up their defense. The Predators have acquired defenseman Jeremy Lauzon from the Seattle Kraken. The Predators have traded the Kraken a 2022 second-round pick in exchange for Lauzon. Both teams have announced the trade. Lauzon was one of the Kraken’s picks from their Expansion Draft, and he now moves to the third team of his NHL career, having played a total of 53 games as a member of the Kraken.

As was written in our recent trade deadline primer, the priority for the Predators approaching the deadline was likely to be their defense, specifically their bottom pairing. The team just waived defenseman Philippe Myers and is giving NHL minutes on their bottom pairing to Matt Tennyson, a 31-year-old AHL/NHL tweener, and Jeremy Davies, who has a total of 18 NHL games to his name. For a team that has designs on making the playoffs and potentially going on a run, that was a glaring weakness on their roster, and it seemed as though with every passing hour until the deadline, with players like Mark Giordano, Ben Chiarot, Hampus Lindholm, and more already being dealt, GM David Poile would be harder pressed to find a fit to improve his team. It seems as though that pressure may have motivated Poile, as a second-round pick is a steep price to pay for Lauzon. Lauzon is still only 24 years old and was a well-regarded prospect from his days in Boston, but since arriving in the NHL he has been unable to truly impress in any specific area of the game. He brings physicality and size, which are two admirable traits to have as a blueliner, but has struggled to be a well-rounded defensive defenseman and found particular trouble in the Bruins’ playoff exit against the Islanders last season. He has virtually no offensive element to his game as well, with only 17 career points in 129 games. In all honesty, it seems as though this trade is the clearest reflection of how expensive defensemen have been at this deadline, given the prices Boston and Florida paid for Lindholm and Chiarot, respectively. Lauzon for a second-rounder may be the price giving fans the most sticker shock of them all. Poile is a highly accomplished GM with a long track record of success in building the many Predators’ bluelines he has overseen, so he has earned a lot of credibility when it comes to his evaluation of defensemen. But it is difficult to fully rationalize the second-round price tag he paid for Lauzon. Lauzon is young, and theoretically has room to grow, but his play in the NHL so far in his career leaves more questions than answers.

For the Kraken, this trade is a strong one for GM Ron Francis and one that signals their intention to fully enter a long-term “rebuilding” plan for the team. Some may have expected this Kraken squad to find immediate success, especially given the success of the Vegas Golden Knights in their expansion season. The Pacific Division was viewed to be among the NHL’s weakest, and some observers even believed that the Kraken could come close to hitting the all-important 100 point mark in the standings. But that success did not come for the Kraken, and as a result, it seems as though they are fully pivoting to a more long-term strategy to build their team. They have already traded Calle Jarnkrok, and tonight also shipped Mason Appleton for another draft pick. Francis clearly believes the road to his team being a contender runs through the draft, and the Kraken are quickly building a strong stable of draft picks. In 2022, they now have four second-rounders and are set to pick at the top of the first round. This may be disappointing for the Kraken fanbase that likely wanted to see competitive hockey a bit sooner, but at least tonight the fanbase should rest easy. Getting a second-round pick for Lauzon is a strong return for a team in need of some good news.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic was the first to report Lauzon’s trade. Kevin Weekes of ESPN was first on the compensation returning to Seattle.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Trade Deadline Primer: Nashville Predators

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As we stand on the eve of the trade deadline, moves are coming in faster and faster. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We finish our look around the league with the Nashville Predators. 

In 2020-21, after their season started disappointingly, many observers were clamoring for the Nashville Predators to begin a rebuild. But they went on an impressive stretch run and made the playoffs. Then, the Predators put up a valiant fight against the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round before falling in six games, and this season they have built on that momentum. Coach Jon Hynes’ squad has battled hard since the start of this year’s campaign and is now in the thick of the Western Conference’s playoff race. Anchored by resurgent performances from the $8MM men in Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen, along with an otherwordly season from captain Roman Josi, the Predators are firmly in the Western Conference’s playoff race and set to steer clear of the “seller” status GM David Poile has worked so hard to avoid. But with Filip Forsberg (who is now the franchise’s all-time leading goal scorer) a pending unrestricted free agent, the team has an intriguing trade deadline to navigate.

Record

36-22-4, 4th in the Central

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$49.65MM today, $50.8MM in full-season space, 0/3 retention slots used, 42/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: NSH 1st, NSH 2nd, NSH 3rd, LAK 3rd, NSH 4th, NSH 5th, NSH 7th

2023: NSH 1st, NSH 2nd, NSH 3rd, NSH 4th, NSH 5th, NSH 6th

Trade Chips

Given his importance to the team and his status as a pending unrestricted free agent, much of the conversation around the Predators’ trade deadline approach has centered around Forsberg. Many expect the team to pursue an extension with their talented winger, but the two camps are “not close” on extension talks, as a source told David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. As mentioned earlier, Forsberg has been brilliant this season. He’s been an offensive engine for the team and is one of the major reasons for their success. He has 58 points in 49 games, including 33 goals this year. Forsberg has been inconsistent in the past and also somewhat injury-prone, so it makes sense that there could be a divide between Poile and Forsberg. Forsberg could very well want to be compensated with a contract fitting for a player producing as he has been producing, and Poile could respond by pointing to Forsberg’s inability to have a season like this one in the past. It’s a very tricky situation, and it’s unlikely that Forsberg receives an extension he deems acceptable before the deadline. As a result, one has to wonder if Forsberg ends up traded. It would be a catastrophic blow to the Predators’ season, and a move that would be highly polarizing, but Poile has made bold moves before. If he’s sure that he cannot get Forsberg on a reasonable contract, and he isn’t confident that his team is a true Stanley Cup contender, could he move Forsberg for what would inevitably be a significant return package? It’s something to consider.

If the Predators choose to take a different approach to the deadline and decide to add a significant player to bolster their roster, one trade chip they could move to facilitate a deal is winger Eeli Tolvanen. Tolvanen, 22, is currently slotted in as the left winger on Mikael Granlund and Luke Kunin’s line, which is a prominent role, but his production this season has not been up to the level one would expect for a top-six winger, and especially one who was as touted of a prospect as Tolvanen was. He has nine goals and 20 points this season in 59 games and is on pace to finish with 13 goals and 28 points in 82 games. Tolvanen’s calling card is his shot, but his offensive tools have yet to translate into consistent production. If the Predators want to make a big trade before tomorrow’s deadline but don’t want to part with top prospects such as Yaroslav Askarov, Fedor Svechkov, or Luke Evangelista, maybe Tolvanen is the one that goes the other way. For an acquiring team, Tolvanen represents an NHL-ready upside play whose raw talent could finally be fully realized with a change of scenery.

One potential player who could be moved to help the Predators facilitate a trade is Philippe Myers. Nashville has mountains of cap space to work with at the deadline, so they aren’t in a situation where cap necessarily needs to move out if they want to make a deal. That being said, should Poile have designs on making big moves this offseason, trading Myers may become a priority, so they may get ahead of that now. Myers recently went unclaimed on waivers, so the Predators could need to attach a sweetener asset, maybe a draft pick or a prospect to be able to move him. Myers, 25, has a $2.55MM cap hit that extends into next season, and he has struggled to fit in on the Predators’ team after arriving in the Ryan Ellis trade this past offseason. Myers was a promising, smooth-skating young defenseman in his Philadelphia days, so maybe a team is willing to bet on that version of him re-appearing if Nashville is willing to retain some salary. Either way, it seems that Myers’ days in Nashville could be coming to an end before they ever really had a chance to get going.

Others to Watch For: D Ben Harpur, F Rocco Grimaldi, D Matt Benning

Team Needs:

1) Defensive Help

The Predators’ top pairing of Josi and Dante Fabbro has worked out very well for them this season, so no issues there. Their second pairing is anchored by Mattias Ekholm and features Alexandre Carrier who has had a bit of a breakout season. Their third pairing has been where they’ve had more trouble. As Mark Borowiecki and  Benning have battled injuries, players like Harpur, Jeremy Davies, and Matt Tennyson have all seen time on the bottom pairing. That’s not a group that inspires confidence, especially for a team currently looking like a playoff contender. If the Predators decide they want to buy some reinforcements at the deadline, expect adding a defenseman to be their top priority.

2) More Scoring

The engine of the Predators’ offensive attack is their Forsberg-Johansen-Duchene line. Forsberg and Duchene are above point-per-game and Johansen is close to that pace. Granlund has had a strong year as the team’s second-line center, but after him, the scoring gets thinner. Tanner Jeannot, Yakov Trenin, and Colton Sissons form the heart-and-soul line that the team relies on, but this is a team with two clearly defined lines to drive them, and then Granlund with some question marks surrounding him. They could use some more scoring punch to help Granlund out, but it’s not an absolute priority. The defense should be the focus, but if possible, adding a proven scoring winger to help reinforce Granlund’s line would ease the pressure on the two lines the team is currently heavily reliant on.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

 

Philippe Myers Placed On Waivers

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March 19: With there being just two days before the trade deadline, there should be an uptick of waiver activity before then.  That started today as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that Philippe Myers (Predators), Gerry Mayhew (Flyers), and Phillipe Desrosiers (Jets) are all on waivers.

Extension Talks Ongoing With Forsberg

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  • Last night on Hockey Night in Canada, Friedman touched on Filip Forsberg’s contract-extension status and potential trade market. He says that the two sides are not close and that talks have not gone well, and that he believes Nashville Predators’ GM David Poile haas tested the market on Forsberg. Despite this, Friedman says he does not believe that Forsberg is going to be traded at the deadline. While nobody knows for certain where the two sides are in their negotiation, the general expectation is that the Predators do not want to go beyond Roman Josi’s $9.059MM cap hit, however Forsberg may believe he can get at least $10MM per year on the open market. Even without an extension in place, it makes sense that Nashville would hold onto Forsberg. With the team in playoff position, Forsberg could act as a sort-of rental for the Predators.

Matt Tennyson And Jeremy Davies Recalled, Mark Borowiecki And Matt Benning On IR

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  • The Predators have recalled defensemen Matt Tennyson and Jeremy Davies from AHL Milwaukee, per a team release. Tennyson has three points in four games with the Preds this season while Davies has only made one NHL appearance this season back in late January.  The recalls were needed with the team placing Mark Borowiecki (lower body) and Matt Benning (upper body) on injured reserve.

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