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Cole Bardreau, Taylor Leier Clear Waivers

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Both Cole Bardreau and Taylor Leier have cleared waivers, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. The New York Islanders had placed Bardreau on waivers after acquiring Andy Greene over the weekend, while Leier had to clear in order to stay in the minor leagues after signing an NHL contract with the Buffalo Sabres.

Bardreau, 26, made his NHL debut this season after toiling in the minor leagues for several years. The Cornell grad had two points in ten games for the Islanders, but was never expected to spend the rest of the season on the active roster. After clearing waivers in September, he needed to clear again to be sent back to the minor leagues.

Leier meanwhile is just celebrating a new NHL contract, signed yesterday with the Sabres after settling for an AHL deal in the summer. He became a group VI unrestricted free agent in July after failing to get a full-time opportunity with the Philadelphia Flyers, suiting up just 55 times in the NHL through his first four professional seasons. The fourth-round pick can be called up at any point by the Sabres, but will stay in Rochester for the moment.

Ottawa Senators Claim Jayce Hawryluk Off Waivers

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There seemed to be a fair amount of anticipation that now-former Florida Panthers forward Jayce Hawryluk would be claimed off waivers today. The 24-year-old has struggled with injury setbacks this season and has been unable to carve out a role for himself in Florida, but was a point-per-game player in the AHL last season before being called up an playing at a 24-point pace in the second half of the season with the Panthers. It seems that the expectations that teams would look beyond this season and grab Hawryluk for his previous displays of potential were well-founded. The young forward only lasted until the No. 3 waiver priority, as the Ottawa Senators announced that they have claimed Hawryluk.

The Senators are again heading toward a trade deadline in which they are expected to move a number of roster players. By claiming Hawryluk, the team adds a young player who can move into a regular role in the place of some of those absences. An increase in ice time should also give Ottawa a better idea of Hawryluk’s identity at the NHL level. A dynamic scorer in his junior days, Hawryluk has flashed that ability briefly in the minors but it has yet to show at the top level. Perhaps an expanded role could help him to re-discover that scoring touch. On the other hand, Ottawa may also be looking toward next year as the true test for Hawryluk, as he is an impending restricted free agent with arbitration rights and the cost-sensitive Senators may be hoping to re-sign him at a low cost before trying to inflate his stats.

Joining the waiver wire today are the Sabre’s Taylor Leier, who just signed a two-way NHL contract with the team today, and the Islanders’ Cole Bardreau, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Neither is expected to be claimed, but Bardreau has at least seen NHL action this year. The 26-year-old has skated in ten games with New York and another 29 with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but has five points combined and is not likely a threat to be claimed. His waiving does indicate that the Islanders are opening up a roster spot for some other corresponding move, however.

Five Key Stories: 02/10/20 – 02/16/20

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Can you really pick just five? In a news cycle in which superstar Erik Karlsson being ruled out for the season doesn’t even crack the top ten headlines, here are the five most important stories (admittedly with some other notes sprinkled in) of the week that was:

Bouwmeester Suffers Cardiac Incident: The hockey world stood still on Tuesday night, after the game between the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks was suspended under very scary circumstances. Veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suffered a “cardiac event” while on the bench during the first period of the contest, collapsing onto the ground. Bouwmeester required resuscitation by the teams’ training staffs to re-start his heart before he was rushed to the hospital. While awaiting word on his condition, there was an outpouring of support from teams and players in all corners of the hockey world for the well-respected veteran. Fortunately, the team issued a statement that Bouwmeester was in stable condition, followed by a report on Friday that he had undergone successful heart surgery. While questions remain about Bouwmeester’s availability to the reigning Stanley Cup champs this season, as well as the future of the impending free agent’s career, the focus will be on rest and rehabilitation for a while still to come.

Minnesota Fires Boudreau: In 13 seasons as an NHL head coach, Bruce Boudreau has only missed the playoffs twice and those seasons occurred seven years apart. However, one of those seasons was 2018-19 and things were not looking good for a return to the postseason in Minnesota this year. New GM Bill Guerin opted to cut ties with his veteran coach on Friday before he could miss consecutive postseasons for the first time in his career. Assistant Dean Evason was named the interim replacement, while Boudreau will begin looking for a new home – a process that historically has not taken him very long.

Elsewhere in the division, Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice received the opposite treatment, despite similar struggles this season. Already one of the longest-tenured coaches in the NHL, Maurice received a three-year contract extension from the Jets.

Penguins Acquire Zucker: Firing Boudreau was not the only major shake-up in Minnesota this week. Long-time Wild star Jason Zucker was finally traded on Monday after more than a year of speculation, even through front office changes. In the end, he winds up with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the same team that nearly acquired him this summer for Phil Kessel. Former Pittsburgh executive Bill Guerin made good on his major trade as Minnesota GM, landing a 2020 first-round pick, top prospect defenseman Calen Addison, and a capable forward and potential extension candidate in Alex Galchenyuk. Meanwhile, the Penguins add the forward they have been seeking – especially in light of Jake Guentzel’s season-ending injury – in Zucker, a veteran with the speed and skill to keep up with Sidney Crosby and three more years remaining on his contract at a reasonable rate. Zucker scored two goals in just his second game with the Penguins on Friday.

Devils Deal Two Key Players: The trades kept rolling on Sunday with the New Jersey Devils as the center of attention. Another new GM, Tom Fitzgerald, is making good on his promise to maximize the return on tradable assets from the rebuilding club. In two separate deals, the Devils added a first-round pick and second-round pick in 2020, promising forward prospect Nolan Foote, and minor leaguer David Quenneville. Of course, it came at a cost, as long-time captain Andy Greene was dealt to the rival New York Islanders and fan-favorite forward Blake Coleman was moved to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Still, with such strong returns and pieces like Sami Vatanen, Wayne Simmonds, and more expected to go as well, this is the beginning of potentially franchise-altering deadline for New Jersey.

Oilers Extend Nurse: The Edmonton Oilers needed some good news this week, with superstar Connor McDavid out two-to-three weeks with an injury and fellow forward Zack Kassian suspended for seven games. They got it with news of a contract extension for young defenseman Darnell Nurse. Nurse, 25, signed a two-year, $11.2MM deal prior to restricted free agency and a potential arbitration battle this summer. The new AAV for Nurse represents a sizeable salary bump, but for good reason, as he has established himself as a dependable top-pair defender and a point-producer. While the relationship between Nurse and the Oilers was once a concern, it now seems to be in good order, with expectations already that the two sides will negotiate a more long-term extension after next season.

New Jersey Devils Trade Andy Greene

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The New Jersey Devils have decided to trade captain Andy Greene, sending him to the New York Islanders in exchange for David Quenneville and a 2021 second-round pick. Greene waived his no-trade clause to go to the Islanders, where he will be reunited with GM Lou Lamoriello who originally signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2006.

Greene, 37, has spent his entire career to this point with the Devils and was named captain in 2015. The minute-munching defenseman is in the final season of a five-year, $25MM deal negotiated in 2014 and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Even as the end of his career creeps closer, Greene has still been a reliable option on the back end, logging more than 20 minutes a night for the Devils and leading their penalty killing efforts.

That’s exactly the type of addition the Islanders were looking for after losing Adam Pelech for the rest of the season. Greene can slide right into their structured defensive system and give head coach Barry Trotz another veteran option to deploy in their playoff hunt.

The Devils have been forced to move on from some of the team’s most recognizable faces after a disastrous first half, trading Greene and Taylor Hall, while firing John Hynes and Ray Shero. It’s tough to watch the team be dismantled, but a second-round pick is a solid return to help the rebuild efforts.

Quenneville, 21, is essentially just a throw in to balance the number of contracts, given that he has found little success in professional hockey to this point. The brother of former Devils prospect John Quenneville, he has split the season between the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL and Worcester Railers of the ECHL. The seventh-round pick has another year remaining on his entry-level contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

 

Trade Deadline Primer: New York Islanders

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With the trade deadline now less than two weeks away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the New York Islanders.

The New York Islanders have posted almost exactly the same numbers that they had at this point a year ago. However, the difference this year that the competition in the Eastern Conference is quite a bit more challenging and leaves the Islanders barely holding onto a playoff spot at the moment. However, perhaps the most challenging issue facing the Islanders was the injury to defenseman Adam Pelech. The blueliner never got much attention when healthy, but the top-pairing defenseman is being sorely missed and with Barry Trotz’ lack of faith in rookie Noah Dobson, the other five defenseman have been assuming extra minutes to fill in for Pelech, suggesting the team needs to add some help at that position in the next few days.

Record

33-18-6, third in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$23.849MM in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: NYI 1st, NYI 2nd, NYI 3rd, NYI 4th, NYI 5th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th
2021: NYI 1st, NYI 2nd, NYI 3rd, NYI 4th, NYI 5th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th

Trade Chips

With the team looking to make an impact in the playoffs, it’s unlikely that general manager Lou Lamoriello would consider moving any of his pending unrestricted free agents, which include forwards Matt Martin, Derick Brassard, Tom Kuhnhackl and goaltender Thomas Greiss. That doesn’t leave too many trade chips for the veteran GM to play with.

The team does have all of its draft picks for the next two years and might be willing to move a first or second-rounder to get a deal done and bring over some needed depth. Another key asset is the team’s cap space. They have more than $28MM in cap space, if they need it, and could use that to take on a significant contract from a cap-starved team for a price.

The team also has a large number of prospects coming up the system with many of them already in the AHL. While it’s unlikely that the team moves a top prospect, Trotz as well as Lamoriello, are well known for preferring veterans, which means they might not mind moving a prospect for a significant piece now and with the challenges of recruiting free agents to Long Island, they may have to include a young piece to acquire a player with term. A player like Kieffer Bellows, who was brought up recently likely to showcase his talents, could be an option if the price is right.

Another option would be finding a partner for embattled forward Joshua Ho-Sang. After demanding a trade and sitting out for two and a half months, the 24-year-old forward has played well since returning to the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers, scoring two goals and eight points in 12 games. Teams weren’t interested in H0-Sang when the team placed him on waivers, due to his well-known attitude issues, but a team might be willing to take a chance on him now just to see what he has left.

Five Players To Watch For: F Kieffer Bellows, F Michael Dal Colle, F Joshua Ho-Sang, F Tom Kuhnhackl, F Andrew Ladd

Team Needs

1) Veteran defense: With Pelech out and Dobson struggling in his rookie campaign, the Islanders are in desperate need of some veteran depth on their blueline and are extremely likely to add to that position before the trade deadline. While there are quite a few options available to Lamoriello, there are some obvious options, including a player that he is familiar with in Ottawa defenseman Ron Hainsey. With a group of young blueliners ready to step into their NHL lineup, Ottawa may be ready to move Hainsey.

2) Upgrade To Top-Six: While the team is well known for its defense, the Islanders could use an upgrade to their offense. New York has six solid players there, but adding some offense could allow the team to move some of those players to the third line, which hasn’t been that effective this season with the exception of Brassard. Again Lamoriello is quite familiar with Ilya Kovalchuk, who Montreal is considering moving, which might be a perfect fit with the Islanders. The team may also want to bring in a quality top-six player with term left who can be a significant long-term upgrade as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Casey Cizikas Out 3-4 Weeks With Leg Laceration

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If the New York Islanders had any trade deadline plans figured out, they might have just been complicated a touch. Casey Cizikas will miss the next three to four weeks with a leg laceration, weakening the Islanders’ depth up front even more. As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic points out on Twitter, the team had already been searching for a top-nine forward on the trade market. The team has recalled Cole Bardreau from the AHL to take Cizikas’ roster spot after moving him to injured reserve.

The Islanders currently sit third in the Metropolitan Division but have scored just 166 goals in 55 games, fewer than every other Eastern Conference playoff team save for the Columbus Blue Jackets. While Cizikas doesn’t offer a ton of offense, he did score 20 goals last season while thriving under new head coach Barry Trotz. In fact, his ten goals this season ties him with both Derick Brassard and Jordan Eberle, neither of which provide the other sorts of things Cizikas has been known for throughout his career.

The 28-year old is now on his eighth full season with the Islanders and was on track to obliterate his previous career-high in hits with 133 through his first 48 games. He is also winning faceoffs at the best rate of his career and trails only linemate Cal Clutterbuck among forwards in short-handed ice time. Those attributes are exactly the kind that Trotz and GM Lou Lamoriello value in their bottom-six, meaning his absence will be considerable over the next several weeks.

Bode Wilde Returned To OHL

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The New York Islanders have decided that the AHL is no longer the best place for Bode Wilde to continue his development. The team has returned Wilde to the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL for the remainder of the season.

Selected 41st overall in 2018, Wilde started this season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers despite being just 19 years old. That’s normally too young for a CHL player, but since he was actually selected out of the USNTDP there was no issue. In 20 AHL contests however, Wilde had recorded just two points and routinely looked out of place against the more experienced competition.

Wilde may still be out of place in the OHL, but only because he can dominate the competition. As a rookie last season for Saginaw, the smooth-skating defenseman recorded 70 points in 62 games, only trailing Cole Perfetti for the team lead. His 19 goals were incredibly impressive from the back end and he will only improve what is already a strong team this season.

Matt Martin Not Concerned About Pending UFA Status

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  • Islanders winger Matt Martin told Newsday’s Andrew Gross that he isn’t concerned about his pending free agent status and is solely focusing on the stretch run for now. He admitted that when he was first set to test free agency four years ago, he fully expected to remain with New York but instead signed a four-year, $10MM deal with Toronto with then-GM Lou Lamoriello.  Lamoriello is now the GM of the Islanders and the only trade he has made since joining them was to acquire Martin.  Clearly, Martin has a backer in Lamoriello which should bode well for the potential of an extension this time around.

Minor Transactions: 02/06/20

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After the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings completes a late-night trade yesterday, eyes are now peeled for the next move around the NHL. With 12 games on the schedule for this evening there will be plenty of minor moves as teams prepare, and we’ll keep track of them right here.

  • The Kings have recalled Cal Petersen after moving Jack Campbell to Toronto, giving them a second goaltender for the remainder of the season. Petersen should get a look down the stretch to find out if they really have a potential starter, as Jonathan Quick has struggled mightily this season.
  • Similarly, the Maple Leafs have demoted Kasimir Kaskisuo after acquiring Campbell. The trade gave Toronto 24 men on the roster and reassigning the now third-string goalie was the obvious solution to get them back down to 23.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Matiss Kivlenieks, Andrew Peeke and Kevin Stenlund, the former two returning after just one day in the minor leagues. The Blue Jackets will take on the Detroit Red Wings tomorrow night and are still dealing with various injuries.
  • Sebastian Aho is headed back to the New York Islanders, recalled once again. The young defenseman has been up and down all season, but still hasn’t worked his way into the NHL lineup.
  • Andy Andreoff has been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers, as they prepare for a divisional matchup against the New Jersey Devils tonight. Andreoff has played in 13 games for Philadelphia this season, but has just one assist.
  • The Minnesota Wild have recalled Matt Bartkowski to the NHL while Carson Soucy deals with an illness. The Wild are facing the Vancouver Canucks this evening.
  • Robbie Russo is up with the Arizona Coyotes as Jason Demers deals with another injury. Demers has been placed on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least a little bit of time.

New York Islanders Recall Kieffer Bellows

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For the first time in his young career, Kieffer Bellows is headed to the NHL. The New York Islanders have recalled Bellows, though it is not clear yet if or when the young forward will make his debut.

Bellows, 21, was originally selected 19th overall by the Islanders in 2016 out of the USHL but has had an odd development path to this point. After struggling in a single season with Boston University following his draft, he left the NCAA and headed to the CHL. Suiting up with the Portland Winterhawks, he dazzled offensively—especially when lined up beside Cody Glass—and then dominated the World Juniors with his powerful stride and nose for the net.

Last year in his first taste of professional hockey, Bellows scored just 19 points for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in 73 games. It was underwhelming and didn’t earn him a chance at the NHL level, though hope remained. This season has been better with 16 goals and 24 points in 45 games to easily pace the struggling Sound Tigers in both categories.

Whether he can do damage at the NHL level is still unclear, but it is not like the Islanders have a huge number of stud offensive talents blocking his way. The team, while strictly adhering to Barry Trotz’ defensive mindset, has scored just 146 goals in 50 games this season, putting them 23rd in goals for.

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