Chris Kreider Medically Cleared To Play
After a scary incident with a blood clot, and subsequent surgery to relieve the pressure, Chris Kreider has been medically cleared to return to the New York Rangers lineup. Though he won’t travel with the team for their game tomorrow, he could join the lineup this weekend.
Kreider will be returning to a club that has made it clear big changes are on the horizon, and could watch several teammates traded in the next few days. Even he could be moved, though his injury likely wards off potential buyers until they can see that he’s completely recovered. Kreider has two years remaining on his contract at a cap hit of $4.6MM, and would be an interesting option for teams looking for a big scoring winger
The Rangers are now six points out of a playoff spot and falling fast in the Eastern Conference, winners of just two of their last ten games. While Kreider’s return will give them a boost offensively, the writing is on the wall for the rebuilding club. Barring a huge turnaround, they won’t be back in the playoffs in 2018.
Boston Bruins Acquire Nick Holden From New York Rangers
The Boston Bruins have found their defensive depth, acquiring Nick Holden from the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2018 third-round pick and minor league defenseman Rob O’Gara. There is no salary retention in the trade. Boston had been sniffing around for a defensive addition, even linked to fellow Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh at one point.
In Holden, the Bruins add a legitimate NHL defender for a relatively low price. Scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, the 30-year old carries just a $1.65MM cap hit and has shown an ability to log big minutes in the past. Coming off his career-high of 34 points last season, Holden has just 12 this year while starting to show the beginning of a decline. A solid puck-mover, he nevertheless gets his team in trouble sometimes due to bad turnovers and like the rest of the Rangers defense has had trouble with defensive zone coverage this year.
Boston may be a perfect fit for the undrafted defenseman, as he’ll be able to play less significant minutes and face easier competition. The Bruins defense corps is already a good one, and just needed some depth for what looks to be a long playoff run. Where Holden will fit in is unclear, but Boston now has plenty of options on the blue line.
Getting a third-round pick for Holden is another good return for the Rangers, as it was unlikely they would retain his services in free agency. The team now has seven picks in the 2018 draft, and will likely add to that over the coming days. Rick Nash and Michael Grabner are the other big rental pieces the Rangers hold, and both are expected to be on the move before Monday’s deadline.
New York though has said that they’re looking for players, not just draft picks at the deadline. O’Gara is an interesting addition even if he hasn’t made much of an NHL impact just yet. The 24-year old has played 11 games with the Bruins over the last two years, but has shown an excellent shutdown ability in the minor leagues. The 6’4″ defenseman has a good active stick and is willing to engage physically. Whether he gets a chance in New York right away will likely depend on how active they are over the next few days, but as a restricted free agent he can stay in the organizations plans going forward.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
How Flyers Can Deal With Injuries In Net
Things have been going well for the Philadelphia Flyers. The team has won six of their past ten games and are firmly engaged in a battle for a Metropolitan Division playoff spot. However, the one shortcoming of the Flyers for years now has again reared its ugly head: goaltending. Philly’s goalies have performed well this season, with starter Brian Elliott holding 21 wins and backup Michal Neuvirth performing statistically even better as Elliott’s understudy. For the first time in years, goalie performance has not been a defining issue for the Flyers. However, Elliott is now out of the picture for the time being after suffering a core muscle injury earlier in the month which required surgery and could keep him sidelined through the end of March. Meanwhile, Neuvirth succumbed to a lower-body injury earlier today and had to leave the Flyers’ match-up with the rival New York Rangers. While young Alex Lyon performed admirably in relief, allowing only one goal en route to his first NHL win, the Flyers face a real possibility of being without their top two goalies for some time. So what do they do?
1) Stand Pat
It’s too early to know how long Neuvirth will be out, so the Flyers could let cooler heads prevail and wait to see what the prognosis is on his injury. If Neuvirth will simply miss a few games, the team could rely on Lyon and veteran journeyman Dustin Tokarski, acquired in October for this exact emergency situation, for the time being. Lyon, a former phenom at Yale University, has struggled in limited NHL action this season, but has been good for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms in each of the last two seasons. Now could be a good time to see what the 25-year-old brings to the table.
2) Acquire a stopgap
Perhaps if Lyon had more than three NHL appearances or Tokarski had more than 10 minutes of NHL action in the past two years, the Flyers would be willing to stick with this tandem, even if Neuvirth remains out for a week or two. Maybe if Anthony Stolarz, shut down for the season after knee surgery in September, was available they would be fine with waiting for Elliott and Neuvirth to return to health. However, the Flyers are in the middle of a playoff race and cannot afford to stick with such inexperienced options for more than a handful of games nor wait on injury timelines with the NHL Trade Deadline a week away. Instead, they could turn to the trade market and look for a short-term option. There isn’t much goalie talk on the rumor mill right now, other than the fact that the Flyers turned down a recent offer from the Detroit Red Wings of Petr Mrazek for a third-round pick. They could certainly revisit bringing in the impending restricted free agent for a tryout down the stretch. The team could also look at trading for San Jose Sharks backup Aaron Dell, who’s having a breakout year and comes with a cheap price tag for the remainder of the season. However, the Sharks are a fellow playoff-chaser and might be hesitant to move their backup unless they were getting another in return, either Neuvirth or Elliott. Other options could include Michael Hutchinson from the Winnipeg Jets (though they too have injury issues in net), Andrew Hammond from the Colorado Avalanche, or one of the many minor league keepers from Toronto or Calgary, if those teams are willing to deal.
3) Acquire a starter
Of course, the Flyers could also take this opportunity to bring in a starting-caliber goalie; one who could eliminate the worry of whether Elliott will be healthy by playoff time. Philadelphia could look at short-term starter, such as impending free agents Antti Raanta from Arizona or Robin Lehner (RFA) from Buffalo. However, more interestingly, they could also look for a long-term fit. Both Elliott and Neuvirth are only signed through next season. If they could send one or the other back in a trade, they could look to acquire a starter with term on his contract. That could be as easy as bringing in Lehner or Mrazek with the intention of extending them. Either one could do the job for a few years, bridging the gap to star prospect Carter Hart. It could also open the door to Detroit’s other goalie, Jimmy Howard, who could benefit from a change of scenery with one year left on his deal. The Vancouver Canucks could entertain moving Jacob Markstrom during a down year, though he may not be much of an upgrade over Philly’s current stable and is signed for two more seasons. One possible dark horse candidate would be Colorado starter Semyon Varlamov, who has been outplayed by backup Jonathan Bernier this season and is signed through 2018-19 at an expensive $5.9MM cap hit. For those of you thinking Carey Price though, think again.
Minor Transactions: 2/18/18
With a full slate of games last night, the Vegas Golden Knights continued their winning ways. With their victory over the Montreal Canadiens, the first-year expansion team has become the NHL points leader once again as the team now has 82 points so far this season. With a seven-game matchup today, many NHL teams will be making moves today. Check back in as those moves are made throughout the day.
- The New York Rangers announced they have assigned goaltender Brandon Halverson to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. He was recalled Saturday to serve as backup to starter Henrik Lundqvist against the Ottawa Senators. However, due to Lundqvist’s struggles against Ottawa, Halverson did manage to make his NHL debut last night, allowing one goal and saving five shots in 12:33 of action. Halverson was a second-round pick in 2014. With backup Ondrej Pavelec out with a strained MCL, the team had called up Alexander Georgiev from Hartford, but he was out Saturday with the flu. Halverson’s assignment would suggest that Georgiev should be ready for the team’s next game on Thursday.
- The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz tweets that the San Jose Sharks have recalled forward Daniel O’Regan from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL for today’s game. The scribe suggests that Tomas Hertl might not be ready to play yet after leaving Tuesday’s game with an undisclosed injury when he crashed into the boards. He already missed one game. O’Regan has been up and down for much of the season. He has played 17 games for the Sharks this year and has four assists. O’Regan has seven goals and 18 assists in 30 games with the Barracuda.
- The Dallas Stars announced that they have sent forward Jason Dickinson to Texas of the AHL. He has played in 13 games with Dallas this season, averaging 9:19 per night while being held off the scoresheet. He has been more productive at the minor league level though, recording 22 points in 33 contests.
New York Rangers More Interested In Adding Players Than Picks
When the New York Rangers openly admitted to fans that the team would undergo large changes as they look to tear down and then rebuild their roster, they made it quite clear what they were after. In a letter from Glen Sather and Jeff Gorton, the team claimed to be “focused on adding young, competitive players that combine speed, skill and character.”
Today, Andy Strickland of Fox Sports tweets that he has heard the Rangers are more interested in acquiring prospects and roster players than draft picks as they start their rebuild, one that could include dealing key players like Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello. While obviously the team will likely add at least a few draft picks over the next few weeks, a focus on bringing in young players who can compete in the NHL sooner rather than later gives us an insight into how long they believe the rebuild will take.
The Rangers selected twice in the first round last year, selecting Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson to beef up their prospect pool significantly, and still have a young core to build around in players like Brady Skjei (23), J.T. Miller (24) and Mika Zibanejad (24). If their trade deadline and subsequent summer sell-off results in several other high-profile prospects or young roster players, perhaps a rebuild won’t take as long as many have expected.
That’s good news for Henrik Lundqvist, who isn’t getting any younger and is still looking for that elusive Stanley Cup. The 35-year old goaltender has posted a .922 save percentage through 128 career playoff games, including 10 shutouts, but somehow has still not been able to get his team over the hump. With three more years remaining on his current contract, maybe the Rangers will be ready to compete before he sails off into the Swedish sunset.
Interest In Rick Nash From Several Teams
TSN’s Frank Seravalli released an update to his Trade Bait board, and Rick Nash has taken over the top spot. Evander Kane had been there for the entire season, but with the New York Rangers obvious position as sellers, Nash has become the prize of the trade deadline. Seravalli reports that more than ten teams have spoken to the Rangers about Nash since they published their letter to fans about a rebuild, including Nashville, Dallas, Winnipeg, Boston and San Jose. While obviously a passing interest doesn’t mean a deal is incoming, it’s important to note that Nash’s market doesn’t seem limited as we stand just over a week until the deadline.
The Rangers have other rental options in Michael Grabner, Nick Holden and David Desharnais, but Nash remains the jewel of their pending free agents. Even with his declining offensive numbers, teams likely still see him as a valuable addition to their middle-six that can help on both the powerplay and penalty kill. Nashville has been reported as the leaders in the pursuit, though it is still yet to be seen whether they’ll meet the Rangers high asking price. If the acquiring cost drops in the coming days to a point where the Predators are comfortable, you can bet other teams will jump into the fray with their own offers.
At 33 years old, Nash isn’t the 40-goal man of his youth. With just 27 points on the season he is currently putting up the lowest per-game offensive output of his career, but still has 17 goals and is a positive possession player. Though his cap hit is hefty, the Rangers are likely willing to retain some of it to facilitate a trade, and maximize their return. Seravalli reports that no team he’s talked to is willing to include a first-round pick in a package for Kane, which could greatly reduce the market for Nash. The two players’ future could be tied together over the next few weeks, as teams try to match acquisitions made by their rivals.
Deadline Primer: New York Rangers
With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team. 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 Rangers.
The New York Rangers still sit just a few points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but have made it clear to fans that they’re ready to build towards the future. Changes are coming, and they could extremely alter the composition of the team for the remainder of the season. Everyone seems available in New York, including most of the leadership group.
Record
27-24-5, eighth in Metropolitan Division
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$3.63MM full-season cap hit, 0/3 retained salary transactions, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly
Draft Picks
2018: NYR 1st, NYR 2nd, NYR 3rd, NYR 4th, NYR 5th, NYR 6th
2019: NYR 1st, NYR 2nd, NYR 3rd, NYR 4th, NYR 5th, NYR 6th, NYR 7th
Trade Chips
The Rangers are selling off everything that’s not tied down, and that starts first and foremost with Rick Nash and Michael Grabner. Both forwards are unrestricted free agents at the end of the year, and should bring back a pretty penny for New York at the deadline. Nash is reportedly being pursued by the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars among others, while Grabner’s low cap hit could make him a target for virtually any playoff contender.
Beyond that, Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller will all bring their fair number of interested parties, while Ryan McDonagh could be the best defenseman available in the next two weeks. The Rangers captain has one year left on his deal after this season, and can legitimately be pushed into a top pairing without issue.
Trading rentals is one thing, but there could be an appetite from the Rangers front office to wait on any potential McDonagh deal until the summer when almost all the teams in the league could show interest. If he isn’t traded in the next two weeks, he’ll be a player to keep an eye on in June as we head towards the draft.
Five Players To Watch For: F Rick Nash, F Michael Grabner, D Nick Holden, F David Desharnais, D Ryan McDonagh
Team Needs
1) Draft Picks: For four straight years between 2013-2016, the Rangers table waited patiently while the first round of the NHL draft took place. In two of those years they didn’t make a pick until the third round, and it has shown in their prospect development. Last year, all that turned around when they kept their own pick and traded Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta for the seventh-overall selection. Now, they’ll look to select another few times in the first 60 picks if they can, and really kick-start the rebuild. All of the trades will likely include some kind of draft capital, as the Rangers aren’t looking for a quick flip to contention next season but a real rebuild.
2) Quickness: Second, the team has made it clear that they want to get fast. As the NHL moves further and further away from lumbering, physical players and towards smaller, skilled talents, the Rangers believe they can find success with a faster lineup. It’s not that they don’t already have some speed in their group, but mobility will be at the top of the list in any young talent acquired, both on offense and defense.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Nashville Predators “All In” On Rick Nash
In his latest 31 Thoughts column for Sportsnet, venerable hockey insider Elliotte Friedman confirms what has been rumored for the last few weeks: the Nashville Predators are going hard after Rick Nash. Friedman states that the Predators are “all in” on the New York Rangers forward, but wonders if they’ll eventually be able to outbid the field to land him before the trade deadline.
According to other reports, the Rangers are looking for a three-piece return for Nash, similar to the ask for Buffalo’s Evander Kane. That might seem like a lot to give up for the Predators, who have already traded two good young players in Samuel Girard and Vladislav Kamenev and don’t have their 2018 second-round pick or 2019 third-round pick.
Nash has been tenuously linked to the Dallas Stars as well, while the Toronto Maple Leafs are known to be among his approved trade list. While there are surely others, the Predators seem to be the front-runners for the time being. New York has made it clear they’re going to sell off their expiring assets this season, and Nash could be the jewel of the rental market.
Trade Candidates: Nick Holden
With the trade deadline approaching, we will be profiling several players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 26th.
The New York Rangers are selling. That much is well-established. While the main focus of the media is on big names like Ryan McDonagh and Mats Zuccarello, the reality is the only deals that are more likely than not include the team’s impending unrestricted free agents. One such player, and the only Rangers defenseman that fits that description, is Nick Holden. While Holden is not the swift, puck-moving defenseman emphasized by today’s NHL, he still holds value in many facets of the game. In fact, it’s fair to say that Holden has been routinely under-rated throughout his career (at least Patrick Roy thought so). New York knows this too, after acquiring him from Colorado for just a fourth-round pick back in the 2016 off-season only to watch him play a key role on the blue line the past two seasons. Now that they’re on the other side of the table looking to trade him away, they’ll try not to make the same mistake. However, with a “fire sale” potentially about to begin for the Rangers, Holden seems destined to be shipped out for the best offer.
Contract
Holden is in the final season of a three-year, 4.95MM contract extension signed with the Colorado Avalanche in 2014. His cap hit in 2017-18 is $1.65MM, but will count for under $500K at the deadline.
2017-18
Nothing that Holden does on the ice jumps out, though for a defenseman, that can be a good thing. In no way does Holden play a flashy, offensive possession game and his numbers this season prove that. He has just a few goals and a handful of assists on the year, below average Corsi numbers, and almost no role on the power play. Perhaps the most telling detail of his playing style is that the casual hockey fan likely has never heard of him, as his play rarely garners attention. Why then is he playing top-four minutes for the Rangers this year and playing top-pair minutes last year? Holden simply has a solid, no-nonsense game. He plays a safe, dependable style in his own end and can thus be relied on for major minutes without risking a breakdown on defense. Holden is also a physical, but clean player. He has led the Rangers in hits in back-to-back seasons, but does so while taking few detrimental penalties. When given the chance, Holden also has quite the shot and led all Blueshirt blue liners in goal-scoring in 2016-17. It’s easy to say that Holden has taken a step back this season. His offensive totals are way off his pace set last year and his plus/minus and ice time are down as a result. However, as for the hallmarks of his game, Holden is playing just as physical, is blocking more shots, and has improved greatly in turnovers, with fewer giveaways and more takeaways. Holden’s 2017-18 season would give no team any reason to think that he is a game-changer or the answer to all of their problems, but could he be a reliable asset to a contender? Absolutely.
Season Stats
51 GP, 3 goals, 7 assists, 10 points, +4 rating, 12 PIM, 48 shots, 19:00 ATOI, 45.0 CF%
Potential Suitors
Holden fits the bill of a player who gets traded every deadline season – a responsible depth defenseman who can play reliable hockey when called upon. Every season contenders seems to add a player like this simply out of convenience rather than necessity. Holden is not the type of player who will radically change the fortunes of a contender, but – especially at that cap hit – he is one worth the asset investment as he can provide reliable defense if necessary. Look for the top teams in the league to take a look at Holden in the next two weeks. The Atlantic trio of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs could all use depth on the blue line and while at times they have all been connected to bigger targets, surely one or more will decide to settle for a lesser addition. In the Metro, the Washington Capitals could really use some defensive depth and experience and the New Jersey Devils could particularly use a more safe, reliable defender given their current goal-tending crisis. In the Pacific, the Los Angeles Kings would make a nice fit, so long as their playoff position is a little firmer by the deadline.
However, the best fit for Holden seems to be the Central’s Dallas Stars. The Stars have little cap space to work with and have admitted that they won’t be major buyers, but the affordable contract of Holden paired with the responsible, hard-nosed game that head coach Ken Hitchcock appreciates makes for a nice match. Dallas is in good position to at least clinch a wild card spot this season and perhaps play spoiler in the postseason, but regardless of the status of Marc Methot, the team is known to be looking for a defenseman and Holden fits the bill for the type of guy they want and can afford to acquire.
Likelihood of a Trade
If the Rangers are serious about their fire sale, then a Holden trade is nearly a certainty. There has been no word on any extension talks, meaning Holden’s days in New York are numbered; no point in keeping him around just to fade away into free agency at the end of the season. The Rangers got Holden for a fourth-rounder in the off-season two years ago and now, two solid campaigns later and at deadline prices, they should be able to get at least that back. If the fire sale is on, they should take what they can get and move on.
Steven Kampfer Out Four To Six Weeks With Broken Hand
The hits keep coming for the New York Rangers, as the team announced today that Steven Kampfer would be out four to six weeks with a broken hand. Kampfer had recently been given more responsibility on the blue line for New York, logging a season-high 22:39 of ice time last night against the Winnipeg Jets. The team has recalled defenseman Ryan Sproul to fill the roster spot.
Kampfer, 29, was acquired by the Rangers last season in exchange for failed top prospect Dylan McIlrath. The team finally moved on from McIlrath, the 10th-overall pick from 2010, after recording just four points in 38 career NHL games. In Kampfer the team acquired a journeyman of sorts, that has now played 166 NHL games split between four franchises. Though he doesn’t offer much offensively, the team was just looking for anyone who could handle himself in the defensive end.
The Rangers are trying to add speed and youth to their team, and this will certainly give them another opportunity. While Brady Skjei has already proven himself at the NHL level, Neal Pionk and John Gilmour are still trying to show they have what it takes to be part of the future in New York. With Kampfer out for a good chunk of the rest of the season, there is even more ice time to go around.