Flyers Waive Boyd Gordon
The Philadelphia Flyers have placed center Boyd Gordon on waivers, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link).
Gordon is in his first season in Philadelphia after signing a one year, $950K contract on the first day of free agency. However, he has struggled with the Flyers and has played in just 13 games this year due to an upper body injury that cost him 18 games while he also spent considerable time as a healthy scratch. This season, he has just a single goal while averaging only 8:11 of ice time per night.
The 33 year old is in his 13th NHL campaign, having spent time previously with the Capitals, Coyotes (twice), and Oilers. He has 161 career points under his belt (56-105-161).
While those offensive numbers don’t stand out, Gordon has carved out a niche for himself as a faceoff specialist. He has a career 56.9% success rate at the dot and there are typically teams who are comfortable with carrying a high end faceoff player on their fourth line.
The Flyers needed to clear up some cap space in order to activate defenseman Mark Streit off LTIR. GM Ron Hextall confirmed to CSN Philly’s Tim Panaccio (Twitter link) that Streit has been activated and that removing Gordon off the roster (either by a waiver claim tomorrow or being sent to the minors) is the only roster move required to get back into compliance on the salary cap.
Predators Acquire Cody McLeod From Avalanche
The Nashville Predators have added some grit up front, announcing the acquisition of winger Cody McLeod from Colorado in exchange for prospect center Felix Girard.
McLeod had seen his role with the Avalanche diminish considerably under new head coach Jared Bednar this season. He has played in just 28 games this year, scoring once while adding 52 penalty minutes. His average ice time had also been cut nearly in half from 2015-16, dropping to just 5:53 per game.
In his career, McLeod has played in 659 NHL games, all with Colorado after signing with the team as an undrafted free agent back in 2006. He has 66 goals, 51 assists, and 1,359 penalty minutes in that span. He has one season remaining after this one on his contract with a cap hit of $1.33MM. The Avalanche will retain 40% of that, per ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun (Twitter link).
With the Preds, McLeod will likely contend for a spot on the fourth line. With the team battling injuries up front, long-time AHL player Harry Zolnierczyk is currently in the lineup so McLeod should be able to step in and play right away. As for the Avs, they had been carrying 14 forwards lately so it’s unlikely they’ll bring someone up from the AHL to take their place. Instead, one of John Mitchell or Joe Colborne should get back into the lineup on a more regular basis.
As for Girard, he was Nashville’s fourth round pick (95th overall) back in 2013 and he has yet to play at the NHL level. He has played in 35 games this season with AHL Milwaukee, scoring eight points (3-5-8). The Avalanche have already assigned him to their minor league affiliate in San Antonio. Girard is in the final year of his entry-level contract and carries an NHL cap hit of $631,667.
Interestingly enough, McLeod may not have to wait too long to face his former team as the Predators will be in Colorado tomorrow afternoon.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Alex Ovechkin Registers His 1,000th Point
Alex Ovechkin continues his march to the Hall of Fame. It’s yet another highlight in what has been an impressive career for the 31-year-old forward. Ovechkin scored just 35 seconds into the game, notching his 1,000th point and being the second fastest player to do so in just 880 games . The player to achieve it faster? Jaromir Jagr. Stephen Whyno writes that he’s the 84th player in NHL history to reach the 1000 point plateau.
It also happened to be Ovechkin’s 545th goal, which is the second most in NHL history through 1,000 points. First belongs to Brett Hull.
Of course it would come against the Penguins, a team that has tortured Ovechkin throughout his career, especially in the playoffs. Not only did the momentous occasion come against a bitter rival, but it also happened on home ice for all of the Capitals’ fans to share in.
It wasn’t the only milestone celebrated in Washington, either. During a stoppage in play, Washington fans gave Nicklas Backstrom a standing ovation for recording his 500th assist against Ottawa last Saturday.
Predators Claim Derek Grant Off Waivers
The Nashville Predators have added to their forward depth, claiming center Derek Grant off waivers from the Buffalo Sabres.
The Sabres waived Grant on Tuesday morning. Grant has just three assists in 35 NHL games this season. That marks a career-high for NHL games played, as Grant is a tremendous minor league forward but a fringe NHLer. Grant scored 27 goals and 45 points in just 36 games in the AHL last year. Overall, he has six assists in 75 NHL games.
The Predators are currently without forwards James Neal and Colin Wilson, and could use some depth up front. It’s also a good chance for Grant to make an impression, as he could find regular NHL work next season with 23 more jobs available due to the Vegas expansion.
As mentioned, Grant has just three assists this season so it’s not a big loss for the Sabres. As our Zach Leach wrote yesterday when Grant was placed on waivers, Buffalo is better served playing their own home-grown young talent rather than mediocre veterans.
Grant signed a one-year, $575K contract with the Sabres on July 2, 2016. He’ll be a UFA at the end of this season.
Maple Leafs Trade Jhonas Enroth To Anaheim
The rebuild of the Toronto Maple Leafs never sleeps, not even on the team’s bye-week.
Just after midnight, the Maple Leafs traded Jhonas Enroth to the Anaheim Ducks for a 7th-round pick in 2018. Unlike the Jonathan Bernier trade, there is no conditional nature to the pick, according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. The deal comes just hours after the Maple Leafs claimed Curtis McElhinney on waivers.
McElhinney is considered a big upgrade over Enroth, at least by this season’s numbers. In seven games this season, McElhinney has a 0.924 save percentage, much better than Enroth’s 0.872 SV% in six appearances. However, six or seven games is not much to judge a goaltender by, as Enroth’s career SV% is slightly higher (0.909 vs 0.905). Enroth failed to gain the confidence of head coach Mike Babcock, and that’s not a good sign for any player on the rebuilding Leafs.
The trade is relatively small but a win-win overall. The Maple Leafs are able to move on from Enroth and move a contract from their 50-man list, while Enroth will give the Ducks some insurance as both of their AHL goaltenders, Dustin Tokarski and Matt Hackett, are currently battling injuries. Enroth and his $750K contract will report to the San Diego Gulls.
Back in Toronto, their minor-league goaltenders will get a chance to develop further. Antoine Bibeau has been solid in his two NHL starts with a 0.927 SV% and a GAA below two, but he’s better served by playing games in the AHL instead of sitting on the bench. Garret Sparks has yet to be given a chance at the NHL level this season.
The Leafs had previously explored the possibility of signing Karri Ramo, but he suffered a setback in his recovery and was forced to undergo another surgery last month. He’s expected to be ready to go in February, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.
Maple Leafs Claim Curtis McElhinney Off Waivers
As expected, veteran goaltender Curtis McElhinney did not survive his trip to waivers. When it was reported that the Columbus Blue Jackets’ long-time backup had been replaced by young Anton Forsberg, it was immediately clear that there would be some interest in his services. To no surprise, the goalie-needy Toronto Maple Leafs scooped up the 33-year-old backstop, who will assume the role of backup to Frederik Andersen in Toronto, likely for the remainder of the season.
In nine NHL seasons, spent mostly as a backup for the Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes, and Columbus Blue Jackets, McElhinney has had his ups and downs. Ironically, 2016-17 has been the journeyman’s best season to date. In seven appearances, McElhinney has a .924 save percentage and 2.39 goals against average, well above his career marks of .905 and 2.96 and career-highs for a season in which he’s played in more than two games. It’s been a nice bounce-back season for Sergei Bobrovsky‘s understudy, as McElhinney struggled last season, posting an .890 SV% and 3.31 GAA in 18 games. However, with the NHL’s best record and another remarkable season from Bobrovsky, the Blue Jackets felt they could risk losing McElhinney, despite his return to success, if it meant they could give more ice time to NHL-ready prospects Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo.
Columbus’ loss is Toronto’s gain, as the upstart Maple Leafs may have found the backup goalie they’ve desperately needed. Their newly-acquired starter Andersen has been solid thus far, but fellow summer acquisition Jhonas Enroth was a bust, posting a dismal .872 SV% and 3.94 GAA in six appearances before losing his job. His replacement, rookie Antoine Bibeau, has been spectacular in his two starts with a .927 SV% and 1.98 GAA, but sitting on the bench for the Leafs is detrimental to the development of the Marlies starter. Toronto’s other 22-year-old, Garret Sparks, has not been given a chance this season after stuggling as the Leafs’ backup in 2015-16. The acquisition of a seasoned veteran like McElhinney, especially when it’s at no cost to the team, is exactly what Toronto needed.
NHL All-Star Rosters Announced
The NHL has announced the rosters for All-Star weekend, coming up at the end of the month in Los Angeles. For the second year in a row, the league will return to its 3-on-3 tournament format. A team from each division – Atlantic and Metropolitan in the East and Central and Pacific in the West – will field an 11-man roster to take part in the skills competition and tournament. The captains for each team were announced previously, with arguably the three best players in the NHL leading their respective divisions in Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and Carey Price, and fan-favorite P.K. Subban heading the Central squad, if healthy. The remainder of the selections are as follows:
Atlantic – F Nikita Kucherov, TB; F Brad Marchand, BOS; F Auston Matthews, TOR; F Frans Nielsen, DET; F Kyle Okposo, BUF; F Vincent Trocheck, FLA; D Victor Hedman, TB; D Erik Karlsson, OTT; D Shea Weber, MTL; G Tuukka Rask, BOS
Metropolitan – F Taylor Hall, NJ; F Evgeni Malkin, PIT; F Alex Ovechkin, WAS; F Wayne Simmonds, PHI; F John Tavares, NYI; D Justin Faulk, CAR; D Seth Jones, CLB; D Ryan McDonagh, NYR; G Sergei Bobrovsky, CLB; G Braden Holtby, WAS
Central – F Patrick Kane, CHI; F Patrik Laine, WPG; F Nathan MacKinnon, COL; F Tyler Seguin, DAL; F Vladimir Tarasenko, STL; F Jonathan Toews, CHI; D Duncan Keith, CHI; D Ryan Suter, MIN; G Corey Crawford, CHI; G Devan Dubnyk, MIN
Pacific – F Jeff Carter, LA; F Johnny Gaudreau, CGY; F Bo Horvat, VAN; F Ryan Kesler, ANA; F Joe Pavelski, SJ; D Brent Burns, SJ; D Drew Doughty, LA; D Cam Fowler, ANA; G Martin Jones, SJ; G Mike Smith, ARI
As is with most All-Star games, the majority of the selections are not surprises. However, while there isn’t quite a John Scott in the 2016-17 group, there are still some names that stand out from the crowd. Rookies Matthews and Laine, although subject to much fanfare as they’ve enjoyed excellent NHL starts, still jump out as being All-Stars in their first pro seasons. With each team required to have a representative, Vancouver’s Horvat and Florida’s Trocheck pop as guys who aren’t quite superstars yet, but are deserving as standout performers on their respective teams. Another interesting story line, though likely more sickening for fans of the struggling franchise, is that the New York Islanders have just one player headed to L.A. in Tavares, but also see 2016 free agent departures Okposo and Nielsen joining him.
Some notable absences, due to tight roster restrictions, include Chicago’s Artemi Panarin (though the Blackhawks are already the only team with four representatives), Boston’s David Pastrnak, Columbus’ Cam Atkinson, Montreal’s Max Pacioretty, Philadelphia’s Jakub Voracek, Buffalo’s Rasmus Ristolainen, and Edmonton’s Cam Talbot. However, all things considered the rosters seem fair and balanced and All-Star weekend is shaping up to be the great event it always is.
Oilers Waive Gustavsson, Demote Puljujärvi
On the heels of a tough loss in Ottawa, the Edmonton Oilers have made a few widely expected roster moves.
Backup goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has been placed on waivers after another poor performance that cost the Oilers a win. Fourth-overall pick Jesse Puljujärvi has been sent to Bakersfield of the AHL and winger Anton Slepyshev has been called up after a strong couple weeks with the Condors.
The Oilers coach, Todd McLellan clearly does not trust Gustavsson, as Cam Talbot is on pace to play 74 games, which would rank in the top-20 all-time for games-played by a goaltender in a single season. Gustavsson has a 1-3-1 record in seven appearances with a 0.878 SV % and a 3.10 GAA. His last two appearances have come exactly a month apart, with him allowing six goals on 31 shots in a tough 6-5 to the Flyers on December 8, and then allowing four goals on 17 shots in last night’s 5-3 loss in Ottawa.
It remains to be seen who will replace Gustavsson: the Oilers top goaltending prospect, Laurent Brossoit, has been struggling this year but has a great track record in the AHL. The Oilers could also make a claim on Curtis McElhinney, who was waived by the Blue Jackets earlier today. Postmedia’s Jim Matheson suggested Jaroslav Halak and Michal Neuvirth, among others, as possible replacements for Gustavsson. Halak recently cleared waivers, but Matheson suggests a deal could be made if the Islanders are willing to take back money (Mark Fayne, perhaps?). Neuvirth is a fringe starter who is a pending UFA, both positive qualities in a backup.
Meanwhile, Puljujärvi has struggled to break into the NHL, with one goal and eight points in 28 games, mostly in the bottom six. His only goal came in the season opener. It’s a curious decision by the Oilers, as Puljujärvi has been on the roster for 42 games, meaning the Oilers have burned a year of RFA eligibility to keep him on the roster in order to keep him in the NHL as a healthy scratch or playing less-than 10 minutes per night (the deadline is 40 games on the roster). He was scratched for the Oilers last two games, and played just three minutes in his last appearance. While, there’s something to be said for getting him acclimated to North America (Puljujärvi only speaks around 100 words of English), it’s not clear why Peter Chiarelli waited until just past the second important deadline to send him down. It’s akin to a team waiting until a rookie has played 10 games then sending him back to junior. The Oilers hope Puljujärvi will regain his offensive confidence by spending some time playing big minutes with the Condors.
The player replacing Puljujärvi has benefitted from a brief stint in the AHL. Slepyshev has been much improved this season; he scored one assist in 11 NHL games and 21 points in 49 AHL games in 2015-16. This season, he has two goals and four points in 15 NHL games and 10 points in nine games with the Condors. Look for him to get a chance in the Oilers top-nine to make a difference with Puljujärvi demoted and Tyler Pitlick done for the season.
Predators Extend Matt Irwin
During their game against Florida last night, the Nashville Predators announced that they have inked defenseman Matt Irwin to a one year contract extension. The deal will carry a cap hit of $650K, which represents a raise of $75K over his current salary. However, it’s also the new league minimum salary beginning next season.
Irwin is in his first year with the Predators and after clearing waivers and starting the year in the minors, he has become a regular on their third pairing. In 33 games this season, he has three goals and five assists to go along with a team-best +14 rating while averaging 16:42 of ice time per night.
The contract also carries some importance from an expansion draft standpoint. If the team decides to protect four defensemen (P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, and Mattias Ekholm), this deal allows the Predators to meet the exposure requirement for the draft, assuming Irwin plays in seven more games this season. Every team must expose one defender who is signed for 2017-18 and played in at least 40 games in 2016-17 (or 70 games in the past two seasons combined) and their other signed blueliners (Petter Granberg and Anthony Bitetto), are much further away from reaching that.
Brendan Gallagher To Miss Eight Weeks
The Montreal Canadiens will be without one of their top forwards for at least the next two months.
Feisty winger Brendan Gallagher underwent surgery in Montreal last night to repair a fracture in his left hand. The Canadiens announced that Gallagher will miss a minimum of eight weeks. The injury occurred when Gallagher was hit by a Shea Weber slapshot during Wednesday night’s game in Dallas (GIF of the injury). Gallagher left the ice quickly.
It’s the same hand that Gallagher broke last year, missing 17 games after being hit by a Johnny Boychuk slapshot. Unfortunately for Gallagher, Weber can shoot the puck a little harder than Boychuk. As one Twitter user dryly observed, being hit in the hand by a Weber slapshot is “like trying to catch a meteor with a baseball mitt.”
Gallagher’s injury is a tough loss for the Canadiens, as he’s one of their better forwards. He has 18 points in 39 games so far this year, which represents a down year for him. His 37-point-pace is the lowest of his NHL career, and would be his lowest point total since his rookie year, which was the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
Gallagher’s injury is the latest in a long list of injured Canadiens. Forwards Alex Galchenyuk, Andrew Shaw, David Desharnais, and Paul Byron are all injured. On defense, the club is missing Andrei Markov and Greg Pateryn. If you’re keeping track at home, that’s five top-nine forwards and a top-four defenseman missing. Despite all the injuries, the Canadiens are in first place in the NHL’s Atlantic Division with 54 points, which is 10 points above the second-place Boston Bruins and third-place Ottawa Senators.