Lias Andersson Practicing With Swedish Club
There hasn’t been much communication between the New York Rangers and prospect Lias Andersson since he left the organization and was subsequently suspended, but that has started to change according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Brooks reports that the young forward has been communicating directly with team president John Davidson for the last ten days. That report comes after one earlier today that indicated Andersson has started skating with a low level team in Sweden as he works toward whatever future his playing career holds.
Andersson played 17 games for the Rangers and 13 games for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL this season but hasn’t yet lived up to the top billing he received as the seventh-overall selection in 2017. The 21-year old center made an incredible impression in his first training camp with the team after being drafted, but has since been in a sort of limbo, switching leagues and roles often.
Through 66 games at the NHL level Andersson has scored just nine points, meaning any trade out of the Rangers organization would be giving up an asset at its lowest value. Brooks notes that the Rangers have given their approval to get him skating again, though he does not suggest what the next step would be at this point.
Andersson’s entry-level contract extends through the 2020-21 season, after which he would become a restricted free agent.
Bruins Eyeing Chris Kreider As Their Top Deadline Target
For the past several seasons, the Bruins have headed into the trade deadline with an eye on upgrading their situation on the wing and it appears this year will be no exception. With that in mind, NBC Sports Boston’s Joe Haggerty mentions that Rangers winger Chris Kreider appears to be their top target between now and next month’s deadline.
While the interest certainly makes sense on the surface – a contending team looking at an impact power forward – the fit could be a bit tricky. Boston’s weakness up front is on the right wing while Kreider is a natural left winger where the team has some depth at that position in Brad Marchand, Jake DeBrusk, Anders Bjork, and Danton Heinen. The latter two have shifted to the right side in the past and acquiring someone like Kreider could certainly have one of them making that switch again.
The Bruins also find themselves with limited cap space. They’re currently using LTIR on defenseman Kevan Miller but he has resumed skating and is expected back this season so they’ll already need to ensure that they’re in cap compliance when he returns. Per CapFriendly, the team is projected to have $712 in cap room; even with a player getting sent down when Miller comes back, that’s far from enough space to add Kreider and his $4.625MM AAV, even if they were to retain the maximum 50% in any deal.
GM Don Sweeney will also have to be mindful of the potential for a bonus overage. Zdeno Chara has already reached $1.25MM of his bonuses while he’ll earn another $250K if the team makes the playoffs which is a safe assumption at this point. Making a move for Kreider (or a similarly-priced player) will basically guarantee an overage which will carry over onto the 2020-21 cap.
The Rangers aren’t entirely out of the playoff picture themselves and it’s quite possible that if they go on a run themselves, they could opt to hold onto Kreider. Having said that, it doesn’t appear as if they’ve had any discussions about an extension as of yet so a trade at this time still seems like the likelier scenario. Of course, there will be plenty of other teams vying for his services as he may wind up being the top rental player that’s moved over the next month.
It was only two seasons ago that the Bruins and Rangers made a rental deal of significance just before the trade deadline, one that saw Rick Nash go to Boston for a collection of picks, prospects, and players to help make the finances work. They may have to make a similarly-structured deal in order for Boston to land their top target this time around.
Latest On Alexandar Georgiev
All season long, fans and media members have speculated that the New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs could be potential trade partners when it came to the backup goaltending position. The Maple Leafs have struggled with it all year, while the Rangers have young Alexandar Georgiev seemingly being pushed out by top prospect Igor Shesterkin. Last night, Darren Dreger of TSN tweeted that the Maple Leafs were one of the teams that inquired about Georgiev and this morning James Mirtle of The Athletic takes it even further.
Mirtle writes (subscription required) that the Maple Leafs have made “multiple” inquiries into the availability of Georgiev, but that the Rangers have been asking for a young NHL player in return.
Interestingly, after the Rangers’ win last night against the New York Islanders, Dreger threw some cold water on the whirlwind rumors by tweeting that the team may be changing their mind about selling off pieces. The Rangers are after all just six points out of a playoff spot and now hold a positive goal differential.
But Georgiev’s situation doesn’t have a ton to do with the immediate success of the team. It is obvious that Shesterkin is the heir apparent at this point to Henrik Lundqvist‘s crown, meaning there are too many mouths to feed for next season. Add in the fact that Georgiev is a restricted free agent at season’s end and will require a reasonable raise, and it makes sense why the team would be looking to leverage his value right now.
No Extension Talks Yet Between Rangers And Chris Kreider
Rangers winger Chris Kreider is believed to be one of the top rental players in play between now and next month’s trade deadline. However, there’s always the possibility that New York turns around and tries to sign him to an extension. While it would seem like this is the time to get those discussions going, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that there have yet to be any substantive talks with Kreider’s representatives about a new deal.
While the 28-year-old isn’t a top scorer, he’s on pace for his third season of more than 50 points over the last four years. (The season he didn’t get there was in 2017-18 where he missed 24 games due to injury but produced at a 52-point pace.) That type of consistency is always going to be attractive to teams, as is his physicality which becomes even more important in the postseason. With that in mind, virtually every contender with cap room to work with should have interest in acquiring him. TSN’s Darren Dreger reported in the latest Insider Trading (video link) that GM Jeff Gorton is willing to retain up to the maximum 50% of Kreider’s cap hit if they do wind up going that route which opens up plenty of options.
However, with New York coming out of their rebuilding cycle, he’s also the type of player that makes sense to keep around. Finding the money to do so will be tricky though.
Kreider is certain to land a sizable raise on his current $4.625MM AAV. On the surface, a jump of $2MM or so shouldn’t be that difficult to make room for but there other factors at play. The buyout cap charge of Kevin Shattenkirk jumps from $1.483MM this season to $6.083MM in 2020-21, adding $4.6MM to next year’s cap already. Defenseman Anthony DeAngelo is in line for a substantial raise as a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration eligibility while forward Ryan Strome and Alexandar Georgiev are in need of new deals as well. With nearly $66MM in payroll commitments for next season already, that doesn’t leave a whole lot left to work with to re-sign everyone and round out the roster.
It’s reasonable to think that this could be playing a factor in the lack of discussions. There isn’t much point in getting into serious talks until they know for certain that they can actually afford to re-sign Kreider. Presumably, Gorton will want to get a sense of what it will cost for an extension – if for no other reason to answer the inquiry from other general managers as to what the asking price is – which will likely stall any trade discussions for a while yet. Things can change quite quickly as the deadline approaches but as things stand, it certainly seems like Kreider will be in another uniform no more than six weeks from now.
Minor Transactions: 01/14/20
11 games are on tap for tonight in a busy evening for the NHL, including the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche clashing in an important Central Division match. The two teams are battling for home ice advantage in what would be a first round playoff series, with the Stars currently one point ahead of the Avalanche in the standings. The two teams have arrived there in very different ways, with Dallas allowing the fewest goals against in the league while Colorado ranks among the highest-scoring. As they and the rest of the NHL prepares for tonight, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Timothy Liljegren after losing Morgan Rielly to a broken foot. The young defenseman will likely not play tonight, but now sits as the team’s seventh option as they insert Rasmus Sandin back into the lineup.
- The Maple Leafs have also sent Mason Marchment back to the minors, an expected move after recently activating Andreas Johnsson from injured reserve. The team is still waiting on the return of Trevor Moore, while Ilya Mikheyev is not expected to play again this season.
- Joseph Blandisi has been assigned to the AHL a few days after clearing waivers for the third time. The 25-year old forward has split his season between the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring five points at the NHL level.
- The New York Rangers have sent Libor Hajek to the minor leagues, likely to get in some more game action before returning to the lineup. The 21-year old defenseman returned for the Rangers on Saturday night in St. Louis, but played just 15 minutes and was relatively ineffective. In 28 games this season Hajek has five points.
Eastern Notes: Trouba, Panik, Palmieri, Hughes, Johnsson
The Department of Player Safety announced that New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for slashing St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn Saturday. The incident happened during the third period when Dunn circled around the Rangers’ net with Trouba following who proceeded to slash at Dunn. That started a shoving match, which eventually led to a fight.
Trouba received a five-minute penalty for slashing and a 10-game misconduct, while Dunn received a two-minute penalty for roughing. Trouba has been in trouble before as he received a two-game suspension back in 2017 after a hit to the head of Mark Stone.
- No lost time on the ice for Washington Capitals forward Richard Panik. The forward was back at practice Sunday with a full face shield after being cut in the lower lip by the stick of New Jersey Devils forward Miles Wood, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. In fact, Panik said that his lower lip was separated from his gums and required 20 stitches. Fortunately, his teeth are fine.
- The New Jersey Devils have lost one forward and gained another. NHL.com’s Amanda Stein reports that forward Kyle Palmieri is out Sunday for their game against Tampa Bay. The forward suffered a lower-body injury during Saturday’s game against Washington. He did block a shot off his foot and was reportedly hurting on the bench, but didn’t leave the game. No indication on how serious the injury is, however. The 28-year-old has 16 goals this season. However, the team announced it is expecting to get center Jack Hughes back in the lineup. The 18-year-old has missed five games with an upper-body injury.
- Toronto Maple Leafs head coach said that the team will be activating forward Andreas Johnsson off of injured reserve and he is expected to take warm-ups before today’s game against Florida and will be a game-time decision, according to TSN’s Mark Masters. The has been out since Dec. 4 with a leg injury and should be able to provide the Maple Leafs with some offensive depth as he has six goals and 16 points through 30 games. The Maple Leafs added that the team has placed defenseman Jake Muzzin on IR to make room for Johnsson. Muzzin has been out with a broken foot since Dec. 27.
Minor Transactions: 01/12/20
The Dallas Stars dropped their first game of 2020 with a loss on Joe Pavelski‘s return to San Jose, but the team still owns a one-point lead over the Colorado Avalanche for second place in the Central Division. As we get close to the upcoming all-star break, several teams will be making roster moves to get that extra advantage. Check in throughout the day to see what moves teams are making today:
- The Chicago Blackhawks announced they have assigned forward John Quenneville to the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL. The forward’s first stint with the Blackhawks wasn’t a great one as he went scoreless in nine games, while spending some of that time on the first line. The 23-year-old will return to Rockford where he already has eight goals in 19 games.
- The Philadelphia Flyers have announced they have swapped forwards. The team has recalled forward Connor Bunnaman from Lehigh Valley of the AHL, while assigning David Kase to the Phantoms. Bunnaman has already appeared in four games for the Flyers, but hasn’t registered a point.
- While not an NHL transaction, the Buffalo Sabres promoted one of their top propsects as goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has been assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL from the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones, according to Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News. While the team did promise the 20-year-old netminder some playing time in the AHL, it looks like he’s earned it as Luukkonen was named and ECHL All-Star with a .917 save percentage in 20 appearances. The goalie has been impressive, especially considering he spent all summer and the start of this season recovering from hip surgery.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled goaltender Calvin Pickard under emergency conditions from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. No word yet on which netminder might be forced to sit out Sunday’s game against Buffalo.
- CapFriendly reports that after recalling forward Lukas Radil Saturday, the team has re-assigned the forward to the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. He did not play last night.
- The Florida Panthers announced they have recalled goaltender Sam Montembeault from the Springfield Thunderbird of the AHL on an emergency basis. It looks like he will step into a backup role with Chris Driedger getting the start against Toronto after starter Sergei Bobrovsky left practice early on Saturday. Montembeault was originally the backup for the Panthers, but struggled in seven appearances with a 3.31 GAA and a .891 save percentage. He is currently boasting a .917 save percentage in Springfield through nine games. Due to their limited cap space, Florida also was forced to place defenseman Mackenzie Weegar on LTIR, according to CapFriendly.
- The Calgary Flames announced they have recalled defenseman Alexander Yelesin from the Stockton Heat of the AHL. The 23-year-old was signed in the offseason out of the KHL where he was used as a shutdown defender. No word on whether a Flames’ defender is injured after Saturday’s game against Edmonton, but it’s likely Yelesin will serve as the team’s seventh defenseman. He has one goal and four points in 29 games.
- The New York Rangers announced they have recalled forward Phillip Di Giuseppe from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. The 26-year-old Di Giuseppe has plenty of NHL experience as he has already appeared in 150 NHL, mostly with the Carolina Hurricanes, but has not appeared in a game with the Rangers yet. He has 11 goals and 22 points in 39 games in Hartford. The team also assigned Steven Fogarty to Hartford as well. The 26-year-old Fogarty has no points in six games with New York.
Trade Rumors: Georgiev, Sharks, Canadiens
On Sportsnet’s “Saturday Headlines” segment last night, Elliotte Friedman made it very clear that trade talks are heating up and teams have begun issuing league-wide statements on where they stand ahead of next month’s trade deadline. The top story belongs to the New York Rangers, who have informed their competitors that they are willing to listen to offers for young goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. The team’s stance has changed in just a matter of days since recalling top goalie prospect Igor Shesterkin from the AHL, who proceeded to win his first two starts, including a 46-save performance on Thursday. Shesterkin, though an older prospect at 24, was actually an established superstar in the KHL before coming over this season and looks like the heir apparent to Henrik Lundqvist. Georgiev, still only 23, has performed well in three seasons with the Rangers, but doesn’t project to be the type of player that Shesterkin is, making him expendable. Both Lundqvist and Shesterkin are under contract through next season and the team cannot continuing carrying three goalies that whole time. Additionally, the Rangers have Adam Huska playing well in the AHL in his first pro season, Tyler Wall dominating the NCAA in his senior year at UMass Lowell, and 2018 second-round pick Olof Lindbom waiting in the wings in Sweden. It’s an embarrassment of riches in net for the Rangers’ organization and Georgiev looks like the odd man out.
With that said, New York will not give him away. Friedman reports that the asking price for Georgiev is a young roster forward or a pro-ready forward prospect. The Rangers are looking to add young building blocks up front and feel they can land one young asset by trading away another. Friedman stressed that the Rangers are just listening right now and will wait for a deal to their liking before moving Georgiev. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, and San Jose Sharks are the teams rumored to be most interested in Georgiev, but are they willing to pay the asking price?
- When it comes to the Sharks, the answer may be no. Friedman reports that the Sharks have let it be known that they are not willing to move any core pieces this season. Friedman cites the 2014-15 campaign, when San Jose last missed the playoffs, as management resisted a tear-down in that year as well and ended up going to the Stanley Cup Final the next season. The Sharks have many good pieces in place and believe they can be contenders again in 2020-21, so they will only entertain trade offers for impending free agents this season. Defenseman Brenden Dillon is a name that is very much in the rumor mill, while fellow blue liners Tim Heed and Radim Simek and forward Melker Karlsson will also be for sale. It remains to be seen whether the Sharks would be willing to move future Hall of Famers Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau or backup goalie Aaron Dell. Moving forward, the Sharks will have to address their issues in net, so perhaps the one exception to their rule about only moving rentals this season could be a deal a top prospect for a new goalie, but they could wait until the off-season to make a move.
- Fans of the Montreal Canadiens don’t want their team to wait any longer to make a trade. The Habs are 2-7-1 in their past ten games and currently in 13th in the Eastern Conference, seven points back of a playoff spot with more games played than all but one of the teams ahead of them in the wild card chase. It seems like all hope is lost for this season, but Friedman reports that the team won’t be making a move any time soon. GM Marc Bergevin is being careful with his next steps, especially when his job could be on the line. He has told potential trade partners that he will wait until after the team’s pre-All-Star break meetings to make a move. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are about to play four games in six nights, during which suitors can see more from potential trade chips, but with those players exposed to the risk of potential injury as well. Montreal will have their “bye week” leading up All-Star weekend, giving Bergevin and company plenty of time to discuss their options, but there is no telling how the trade market could change in the meantime. Eventually, the team will make a decision on their direction in the coming weeks, but there is no expectation as to what that might be. Some have speculated that they could play it safe, opting to deal expiring contracts like grinders Nate Thompson, Dale Weise, and Matthew Peca and recent additions Ilya Kovalchuk and Marco Scandella. Others believe that the team is eyeing a complete rebuild and could move Tomas Tatar, Jonathan Drouin, or Jeff Petry or even ask Carey Price and Shea Weber if they would like to move on. Only time will tell, but that time will come a little bit later than some have hoped.
Metropolitan Notes: Andersson, Crosby, Devils Injuries, Farabee
New York Rangers team president John Davidson emphasized to reporters Friday that the team has not begun divorce proceedings with prospect Lias Andersson, who has been suspended after requesting a trade on Dec. 21 and leaving the team, and now is sitting in Sweden. In fact Davidson said he wants to speak to him one-on-one to see what the real issue is that he opted to leave the team, according to Newsday’s Denis Gorman.
“It’s a really hard one to figure out until you really end up talking to Lias,” Davidson said before practice at the MSG Training Facility on Friday. “I’ve gone and done a lot of research. I can’t figure out exactly what the issue is other than disappointment.”
Davidson said he has already tried to reach out to Andersson personally, but the prospect has chosen to allow his agents to handle things and he has failed to speak to him up until now. He hopes to get an opportunity to talk to him soon, but also noted that a trip to Sweden won’t be happening any time soon.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins may be playing well, but the team might be getting a big boost as star Sidney Crosby could be ready to go on Sunday against Arizona, although it still remains up in the air, according to TribLive’s Seth Rorabaugh. Crosby practiced Saturday without limitations and participated in line rushes alongside right wing Patric Hornqvist and both Jared McCann and Dominik Simon on the left wing. He also practiced on the top power play unit. Crosby, however, was noncommittal about returning on Sunday. “I haven’t ruled out anything,” Crosby said. “But I haven’t really discussed it that much. I just got off the ice here.” Crosby has been out since Nov. 9 after having core muscle surgery.
- NJ.com’s Chris Ryan reports that goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood, who isn’t starting Saturday due to an upper-body injury, shouldn’t be out long-term, according to head coach Alain Nasreddine. “We don’t have a concern that it will be long term,” Nasreddine said. “So it’s just precautionary and is getting evaluated.” The team also hopes that rookie Jack Hughes is skating again, but isn’t just ready to return, meaning he will miss his fifth-straight game Saturday with an upper-body injury. However, Ryan adds that forward Jesper Bratt, who has missed three games after blocking a shot with his foot, is ready to return Saturday.
- Sam Carchidi of Philly.com writes that Philadelphia Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said that while rookie forward Joel Farabee has struggled for a while now, it doesn’t look like the team intends to return the 19-year-old to the AHL any time soon. Farabee, who has tallied just one goal in his last 27 games and has been demoted to the fourth line, will likely stay due to his penalty killing abilities. “I’d like him to score [more] and get a little more confidence, but he’s got a lot of attributes,” Vigneault said. “There are a lot of things he does with the puck and without the puck that we like, so we’re going to stick with him.”
Trade Rumors: Andersson, Islanders, Avalanche
As if it wasn’t complicated enough when Lias Andersson, the New York Rangers first-round pick at No. 7 overall in 2017, demanded a trade from the team last month, TSN’s Darren Dreger states that as the situation continues to unravel, things are getting “messy”. Andersson, who was suspended by the Rangers after leaving the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, has returned to his native Sweden for the time being. In the meantime, rumors have swirled that the 21-year-old is dealing with mental health issues, a sentiment that Andersson’s camp is now fighting back against. Where there is some documented injury is in his foot, and Andersson is set to undergo surgery shortly that will keep him sidelined for multiple weeks.
Yet, teams are still not shying away from kicking the tires on the young forward. Despite his discontent with his role in the Rangers organization and his lack of production in the NHL and AHL, Andersson’s history of strong work ethic, good teamwork, and immense skill persists, and NHL clubs will continue to keep tabs on him. Dreger’s colleague Bob McKenzie believes that the Rangers are ready to move on and preparing to trade Andersson before the NHL Trade Deadline if they can get “the right prospect” in return. McKenzie does warn though that New York is cognizant of the message that this could send to other prospects in their system and want to be careful with how they deal with the Andersson situation.
- When the New York Islanders lost stalwart defenseman Adam Pelech for the season due to injury, GM Lou Lamoriello was quick to note that “You don’t replace an Adam Pelech at the trade deadline”. The shutdown defender is relied upon for big minutes and competent defensive play that is not easy to replicate. The Islanders’ plan is to handle the loss internally for the time being, mixing their defensive pairs until they find the right fit. Thus far, the results on the back end are “encouraging”, writes The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. However, that doesn’t mean that the Islanders won’t be on the lookout for defensive help ahead of the trade deadline. Yet, Staple believes that the team’s current scoring doubt shows that offense is still a greater concern than defense, even with the absence of Pelech, and that the team should devote more of their trade capital to improving up front rather than on the blue line.
- For much of the season, the Colorado Avalanche have been talked about as one of the biggest suitors on the trade market. A legitimate Stanley Cup contender with considerable cap space, it makes sense that the Avs could choose this year to load up for a run. However, Colorado did not land Taylor Hall despite rumored interest and now Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater reports that they are no longer pursuing another top option. Dater writes that Los Angeles Kings forward Tyler Toffoli will likely not be landing in Denver this season, as the Avs have apparently falling out of the running for the two-way winger. Dater is beginning to doubt if Colorado makes any big moves this season in an uninspiring trade market.