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New Jersey Devils Acquire Ryan Murray

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The Columbus Blue Jackets continue to shed salary from their defense corps. After trading Markus Nutivaara earlier today, the team has now traded away former top prospect Ryan Murray. The Blue Jackets have announced that Murray has been dealt to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round pick.

Murray, 27, is a productive two-way defenseman… when healthy. The 2012 No. 2 overall pick has not been able to live up to expectations due to his inability to stay on the ice. Murray played in just 27 games for Columbus this season and has played in just 187 of a possible 316 games over the past four years combined.

Murray’s career per-game scoring rate projects 30+ point upside over a full season, even if he’s never hit that mark. However, his $4.6MM AAV implies an expectation that he will reach that point total every year. New Jersey has now taken on the financial risk for the final year of Murray’s final deal in hopes that he finally lives up to the deal. If he does, the Devils will have landed the talented blue liner at a rock bottom price.

The Blue Jackets did not trade Murray because he has fallen short of expectations though. By moving Murray and Nutivaara, as well as buying out Alexander Wennberg and knowing that they have a Brandon Dubinsky LTIR placement in their back pocket, Columbus now has roughly $20MM in salary cap space. They suddenly look like one of the top players on the free agent market and with a defense group that is still solid despite shipping out two starters and a great duo in net, the Blue Jackets can devote those funds to making major additions up front. A team whose 2019-20 season was defined by the elite talent they lost to free agency could begin next year with the opposite label, with names like Taylor Hall, Mike Hoffman, or Tyler Toffoli possibly joining the roster.

New Jersey Devils To Buy Out Cory Schneider

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The New Jersey Devils will the last day of the window to buy out goaltender Cory Schneider, according to several reports including Brian Lawton of NHL Network. Because Schneider has two years remaining on his current contract, the Devils will incur a cap charge of $2MM in each of the next four seasons. Schneider was carrying a $6MM cap hit.

Schneider, 34, wants to keep playing according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, but it might be a tough sell at this point. The 34-year-old hasn’t been an effective goaltender in several years, posting save percentages below .910 in every season since the 2015-16 campaign. He spent more time in the AHL than the NHL this past year, recording just an .887 in 13 appearances for New Jersey.

If he’s healthy and can somehow prove there is still game left, Schneider may be able to fit in as a backup around the league thanks to a long history of success in the past. But at this point it’s hard to see any team bringing him in to compete for a starting role or even guaranteeing him an NHL paycheck. With more goaltenders available than most years, this may be extremely poor timing for the veteran.

New Jersey meanwhile will move on quickly with Mackenzie Blackwood, who proved to be quite the up-and-coming netminder last season. They need to get him signed to a new contract however and will now be on the lookout for another NHL option to serve as the backup or second part of a tandem.

New Jersey Devils Issue Qualifying Offers

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The New Jersey Devils have issued qualifying offers to Mackenzie Blackwood, Jesper Bratt, Joey Anderson, Nick Merkley and Colton White, keeping them in the organization. The team did not qualify John Hayden or Mirco Mueller, meaning both players will become unrestricted free agents on Friday.

The five that were qualified don’t come as much of a surprise, but figuring out contract extensions with Blackwood and Bratt should be a priority for GM Tom Fitzgerald this offseason. The 23-year-old Blackwood has established himself as the team’s starting goaltender after posting a .916 save percentage across his first 70 appearances. Bratt meanwhile scored 16 goals this season, trailing only Kyle Palmieri and the departed Blake Coleman for the team lead.

It’s Hayden and Mueller that may raise some eyebrows, as both were regulars for the Devils this year. Hayden, a third-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013, suited up 43 times for the Devils this year but scored just three goals. He was arbitration-eligible and could have secured a bigger deal than his qualifying offer, but with only 11 goals and 26 points in 156 games it is not like he was going to break the bank.

Mueller meanwhile was a first-round pick back in 2013 by the San Jose Sharks and has spent the last three seasons with the Devils. In 2019-20 he played 50 games for the team on a one-year $1.4MM contract, meaning his qualifying offer would have cost them the same amount.

Perhaps the team is just ready to move on, or perhaps this is another example of finances playing a part in the team’s decisions this offseason. Most have expected a few extra names to go unqualified, adding to a big free agent pool.

Devils Loan Jesper Boqvist To Timra

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While most European leagues are already underway, player loans from NHL teams continue.  This tie, it’s the Devils getting involved as they announced that they’ve loaned winger Jesper Boqvist to Timra of HockeyAllsvenskan, the second division in Sweden.  He will be recalled when NHL training camp begins.

The 21-year-old made his NHL debut this season with New Jersey, getting into 35 games.  He played a very limited role during that stint with the majority of his ice time coming on the fourth line and he was limited to just four points (all goals) as a result.  Boqvist was more productive with AHL Binghamton, however, as he chipped in with eight goals and three assists in just 19 contests there.

While Boqvist played in the SHL with Brynas as recently as the 2018-19 campaign, that league isn’t taking partial-season loans of players so he had to dip down to the lower level to have a chance to play at home.  The opportunity to play what should be a sizable role should be a positive for his development and could give him the upper hand at a regular spot with the Devils once next season gets underway.

Snapshots: Dillon, Jankowski, Devils

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According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet the Washington Capitals are trying to move some money in order to free up enough space to keep Brenden Dillon from hitting unrestricted free agency, but if he does hit the open market a return home would be of interest to him. Dillon told TSN radio today that “any Surrey kid would love to play in Vancouver” and that he would be interested in signing with the Canucks should it fall that way.

While there is still so much to happen in the next few days that could complicate a move like that, the Canucks are obviously interested in adding a defenseman given the work they’ve done to try and acquire Oliver Ekman-Larsson so far. Perhaps Dillon, who is coming off a five-year deal that carried a $3.27MM cap hit, could be a potential fallback option through free agency.

  • Not only do they have a draft and free agency to navigate, but the Arizona Coyotes are still busy building out their front office again after hiring GM Bill Armstrong to change the direction of the franchise. Yesterday they added Darryl Plandowski from the Tampa Bay Lightning and today the Coyotes have hired Ryan Jankowski as the new associate director of amateur scouting. Jankowski has worked with the Buffalo Sabres for the past two seasons after a lengthy stint with Hockey Canada.
  • Speaking of filling out a staff, the New Jersey Devils are still looking for a goaltending coach and third assistant coach, according to GM Tom Fitzgerald who spoke to reporters including Corey Masisak of The Athletic today. Mike Grier was given a chance to return but declined, while Alain Nasreddine will be returning to his position as an assistant coach.

New Jersey Devils Re-Sign Three Players

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The New Jersey Devils have re-signed a trio of minor leaguer players, inking Brett Seney, Ben Street and Joshua Jacobs to new deals. Seney and Jacobs will each be back on one-year, two-way contracts worth $700K at the NHL level, while Street has managed to secure a one-year, two-way deal that pays $750K in the NHL.

Seney, 24, played 51 games for the Devils in 2018-19 but was back to logging big minutes in the minor league this season. A sixth-round pick of the Devils in 2015, he has 53 NHL games under his belt and will likely be used as an injury replacement once again. The undersized forward has good skill, scoring 44 points in 61 games for the Binghamton Devils.

Street, the captain of those AHL Devils, has the most NHL experience of the three. A true journeyman, he went undrafted and has bounced around the professional ranks for the last decade, suiting up for the Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, Wheeling Nailers, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Abbotsford Heat, Lake Erie Monsters, San Antonio Rampage, Grand Rapids Griffins and San Diego Gulls before arriving in the Devils organization in 2019-20. He scored 42 points in 49 games for Binghamton and played just three games for New Jersey.

Jacobs, the only defender of the three, was actually a second-round pick of the Devils back in 2014 but has played just three NHL games so far in his career. Instead he has spent the last several years in the minor leagues manning an AHL blue line, the same place he’ll likely play next season.

Overseas Notes: Sorensen, Chlapik, Maltsev

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Marcus Sorensen has signed a contract with HC Vita Hasten in Sweden’s second league, according to the team. The San Jose Sharks forward is still under contract in the NHL, meaning this is almost certainly a loan agreement for the next few months until NHL training camps open again. The 28-year-old forward is set to earn $1.5MM on the final season of his two-year contract with San Jose.

With just 197 regular season games under his belt, Sorensen is on track to be quite an interesting free agent case next offseason. He scored just 18 points in 60 games during the 2019-20 campaign, but did put up 17 goals a year before that. At some point this year the Sharks could look to extend the Swedish forward, but for now he’ll be suiting up overseas to stay in shape.

  • Filip Chlapik doesn’t have a contract with the Ottawa Senators, but playing overseas won’t stop him from getting one. The young Ottawa Senators forward will be playing for HC Sparta Praha for free while he continues to negotiate his next NHL deal. Just 23, Chlapik is coming off his entry-level contract and scored six points in 31 games for the Senators this season. He is not arbitration-eligible, meaning the Senators could just issue him a qualifying offer and wait to see if he takes it.
  • The New Jersey Devils have sent Mikhail Maltsev back to the KHL for the time being. Loaned to SKA St. Petersburg, Maltsev will join a crowded roster for the next few months and then be recalled in time for NHL training camps. The 22-year-old forward scored 21 points in 49 games for the Binghamton Devils this season, his first in North America.

Minor Transactions: 09/28/20

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As the two surviving teams prepare for Game Six of the Stanley Cup Final tonight, the other 29 teams are busy preparing for the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency. Not only that, minor league affiliates, junior teams, college programs, and countless European clubs are getting ready for the 2020-21 season, as are the many players who still don’t know where they are playing next season. As a result, there are a number of minor moves being made every day:

  • AHL veteran Ryan Olsen is on his way to Germany. The 26-year-old center has signed with the EC Kassel Huskies of the second-tier DEL2, the club has announced. Although Kassel is not among the elite clubs in Germany, it has attracted a fair amount of North American pros over the years, including James Wisniewski. Olsen, a Winnipeg Jets draft pick, has spent the past two seasons with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. Olsen has been a useful player in the minors over the years, setting a career high with 34 points just two seasons ago, but has not been able to earn an NHL contract since his entry-level deal expired in 2017 and is ready for a fresh start.
  • Rod Pelley, a name not heard in NHL circles in quite some time, has decided to call it a career. Ohio State University, where Pelley starred for four years, announced that their alum has officially retired. Pelley is best remembered for being a regular for the New Jersey Devils for six years after college. Even after he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in 2011-12, he returned to the Devils to captain AHL Albany for several more years once his contract expired. Pelley last played in North America for the AHL’s Stockton Heat in 2017-18 and has spent the past two seasons in Denmark and Romania respectively. He retires with over 250 NHL games and over 550 AHL games to his credit.
  • Curtis Brown, who retired back in 2011, was back in the headlines recently with the news that his son, Garrett Brown, had committed to the University of Denver. This would be a major accomplishment for any young player, as the Pioneers are an elite NCAA program, but even more so for a California-grown product. In fact, it was the San Jose Jr. Sharks who initially announced the commitment for the standout. Curtis played his final season in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks in 2007-08, but returned to the area after three seasons of playing in Switzerland and Garrett has grown up in the area. Now 16, the younger Brown looks like he is developing the skill to challenge his dad, a long-time Buffalo Sabres star, and should be an interesting prospect to follow once he arrives at Denver in a few years.

Draft Notes: Perfetti, Sanderson, Rossi

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Several of the top-rated prospects for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, coming up on October 6-7, spoke to the media today and there was no shortage of interesting quotes, courtesy of OHL insider Mark Scheig. Saginaw forward Cole Perfetti was certainly confident and didn’t mince his words when discussing his ideal NHL landing spot. “If I was under a head coach where I had to dump the puck in every time I go out over the red line and get on the forecheck, it would be frustrating and I wouldn’t be able to express how I really am as a player,” Perfetti stated. While many NHL teams have abandoned the dump-and-chase offense, it might not have been the best idea for the young forward to state so emphatically that he could have issues in a system different from the one he is used to. NHL GM’s probably would have preferred to hear him say that he is willing to work at fitting in to any offensive structure and that his ability can adapt to new systems. Although Perfetti’s talent will be the final determinant of his draft slot, he may have rubbed some interested executives the wrong way with his bold statement. We will find out for sure come draft day if the potential top-five pick falls down the draft board.

  • Defenseman Jake Sanderson has flown up draft boards since the start of this season to the point that he is now considered a consensus top-10 or at least top-15 pick. That of course means that the U.S. National Team Development Program product has slipped past the realm of possibility for the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 21 overall. Jake’s father, Geoff Sanderson, was an inaugural member of the Blue Jackets and played four seasons with the team, during which time Jake was born. Sanderson told the media today that he has indeed met with  Columbus and there is a lot of familiarity still with the organization and the city. To make this pairing a reality, the Blue Jackets would absolutely need to trade up in the first round. However, they will likely wait until the draft has begun to see if such a move is even worth it. Sanderson revealed that he has also met with the New Jersey Devils twice and the cost for Columbus to move ahead of them at No. 7 is likely too high. If he does slip by the Devils, the race could be on for Columbus to move up the draft board.
  • Have the Detroit Red Wings tipped their hand as to their selection at No. 4 overall? With Alexis Lafreniere locked in as the No. 1 pick to the New York Rangers and Quinton Byfield and Tim Stutzle going in some order at No. 2 and No. 3, the first real draft order question comes with Detroit’s pick. However, it seems like the mystery may have already been solved. Amidst existing rumors that the Red Wings had keyed in on OHL forward Marco Rossi as their selection, the Red Wings loaned one of their top prospects, Michael Rasmussen, to the Graz 99ers, the same team that Rossi is currently training with. Then today, Rossi reported that he has talked with the Red Wings not once or twice but three times. And while other prospects have noted that Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has merely been listening in on video calls with his computer screen off, Rossi stated that he has had several “good” chats directly with Yzerman. This is far from an absolute confirmation that the Red Wings will go Rossi at fourth overall, there is certainly enough evidence to make a strong case.

New Jersey Loans Janne Kuokkanen To Karpat

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When Janne Kuokkanen arrives at New Jersey Devils training camp later this year looking to earn a full-time NHL role for the first time in his career, he will have the advantage of being in game shape. The Devils have announced that Kuokkanen has been loaned to Karpat of the Finnish Liiga for the time being and will be recalled from the loan when New Jersey opens training camp.

Kuokkanen, 22, has just a dozen NHL games under his belt to this point in his career, but did make his Devils debut in one game following the deadline deal that brought him to New Jersey in February and prior to league’s pause in March, which served as the end of the Devils’ season. Kuokkanen was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes alongside Fredrik Claesson and a conditional draft pick at the trade deadline in exchange for veteran defenseman Sami Vatanen. Kuokkanen, a second-round pick in 2016, was undoubtedly the prize of the return for the Devils, as the young forward has racked up points in the AHL over the past few years and appears ready to take the next step. Kuokkanen recorded 48 points in 56 games this year, including six in four with AHL Binghamton, and has totaled 126 points in 164 AHL games in his career. A player with two-way ability and positional versatility. Kukkanen should be a useful piece for New Jersey as he breaks into the NHL.

There is no better place for Kuokkanen to prepare for the 2020-21 season than with Karpat. The team plays in his hometown of Oulu and rosters several former and current NHLers. Karpat notably also owns a number of top 2020 and 2021 draft prospects, as well as some previously drafted prospects. Perhaps the Devils will turn to Kuokkanen for some advice ahead of the draft next month or as they evaluate trade offers this summer (Jesse Puljujarvi perhaps?). Regardless, Karpat is a great place for Kuokkanen to play, as he will have a major role to begin the Liiga season, which he hopes will give him a leg up when it comes to securing a meaningful role with New Jersey down the road as well.

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