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Trade Deadline Recap: Eastern Conference

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After a month of lead up, a sprinkling of trades over the last week or so, and a wild deadline day today, NHL teams are done with transactions for the 2017-18 NHL season. Here are the deals that improved contenders in the Eastern Conference:

Deadline Day

Tampa Bay Lightning receive:
D Ryan McDonagh
F J.T. Miller

New York Rangers receive:
F Vladislav Namestnikov
F Brett Howden
D Libor Hajek
2018 first-round pick
Conditional 2019 second-round pick

 

Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
F Thomas Vanek

Vancouver Canucks receive:
F Tyler Motte
F Jussi Jokinen

 

Columbus Blue Jackets receive:
D Ian Cole

Ottawa Senators receive:
F Nick Moutrey
2020 third-round pick

 

New Jersey Devils receive:
F Patrick Maroon

Edmonton Oilers receive:
F J.D. Dudek
2019 third-round pick

 

New York Islanders receive:
F Chris Wagner

Anaheim Ducks receive:
F Jason Chimera

 

Boston Bruins receive:
F Tommy Wingels

Chicago Blackhawks receive:
Conditional 2019 fifth-round pick

 

Pittsburgh Penguins receive:
F Josh Jooris

Carolina Hurricanes receive:
F Greg McKegg

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Deadline Primer: Carolina Hurricanes

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With the trade deadline less than 24 hours away, we continue our 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 Carolina Hurricanes.

The NHL Trade Deadline is tomorrow at 2:00PM CT. Not only have the Carolina Hurricanes yet to make a move, but there have hardly been any whispers of GM Ron Francis and company talking to to other teams. The Hurricanes are in a tough position with the deadline growing closer and closer. Carolina is in the thick of the Eastern Conference wild card race, three points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final postseason spot, grappling for position with the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers. They also have an NHL-worst eight-year postseason drought to think about when considering their deadline position. At the same time, few would call the ’Canes lineup a true contender this season. Carolina is a bottom-ten team in both goals for and goals against with a -25 goal differential that ranks last among any team remaining relevant in postseason contention. So while the team is desperate to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs, they may be lucky to still even be in contention and could question giving up assets at the deadline without a real chance at a title run. The fact that the Hurricanes have had no presence on the trade market thus far speaks volumes about their own indecision on how to handle the 2018 trade deadline.

Record

27-25-10, seventh in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Standing pat

Deadline Cap Space

$72,699,714 in deadline cap space
49/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th, VGK 7th
2019: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, CAR 6th, CGY 6th

Trade Chips

If the Hurricanes are sellers, then they have a few impending free agents with value to contenders. The main target would likely be Derek Ryan, who has had yet another strong season in Raleigh after breaking into the NHL seemingly out of nowhere. A versatile, two-way forward with strong possession abilities, Ryan is an ideal pickup for any team looking to add depth and fill out their bottom-six. Veteran Lee Stempniak is also a serviceable bottom-six forward who is no stranger to being dealt at the deadline and finding a role for himself on a new team. Of course, the big name that could move from the Hurricanes would be career keeper Cam Ward, the hero of Carolina’s magical Stanley Cup run in 2006. Ward is an impending free agent and, although he has taken the starting job back from newcomer Scott Darling, is not likely to stay with the ’Canes for much longer. There are one or two teams out there looking for relief in net and Ward could be an attractive target if made available. For anyone expecting the Hurricanes to “sell” players like Justin Faulk and Jeff Skinner, don’t hold your breath, at least at this deadline.

If the Hurricanes are buyers, they offer several promising young prospects and a near-full collection of draft picks to sellers. Blocked by a deep top-six with staying power, young defenseman Roland McKeown is becoming more expendable as the days go on. The highly-regarded 2014 second-rounder could use a change of scenery to somewhere with more opportunity and Francis would be willing to deal him for the right return. Similarly, forward prospects like Valentin Zykov and Lucas Wallmark have been kicking around the AHL for long enough, without a real chance to showcase their NHL ability, that the value of their recent draft positions is beginning to wear off. The Hurricanes would be wise to move on from them if the right deal presents itself.

Players To Watch: F Derek Ryan, F Lee Stempniak, F Josh Jooris, D Klas Dahlbeck, G Cam Ward

Team Needs

1) A Star and A Starting Goalie

The main reason that the Carolina Hurricanes are most likely to stand pat at this deadline is because the two things they need to take the next step are the two things that are most difficult to find in hockey: a game-changing player and a top goaltender. It’s not unreasonable to think they can acquire these players somehow, but at the deadline it’s next to impossible. More than anything, the ’Canes need a legitimate first-line power center and that player simply isn’t available at this deadline. Maybe this summer, but not right now. The Darling experiment has been a failure, but there’s no one on the market who is a lock to outplay him long-term in net. Carolina’s two biggest needs are much easier to address in the off-season. Expect their efforts – and top trade assets – to be put to use then, rather than during the next 24 hours.

2) A Scoring Forward 

If, and it’s a big if, the Hurricanes decide to go for it this year and make a deal that significantly increases their odds of making the playoffs, they need to improve their scoring. The team is solid on the back end and the situation in net is what it is, but up front they have many nice complementary players, but lack that one player who can transform them into a cohesive unit (hence the need for a star forward). A player who can improve the team’s ability to put the puck in the net, not specifically a shooter or play-maker but simply a player with great offensive instincts, would be of interest to Carolina. An impending free agent or a player with term could be sought out; they certainly have the cap space to afford a long-term, expensive contract if need be. With a horrid playoff drought and a new, proactive owner, it’s definitely possible that Carolina could jump into the conversation for a Mike Hoffman or Max Pacioretty, but more likely than not, they save the assets needed to acquire either one for the summer trade market.

KHL’s Kovalchuk Intends To Sign With NHL After This Season

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It looks like the free agent market is expanding as KHL insider Aivis Kalnins tweeted that Russian winger Ilya Kovalchuk has confirmed that he intends to leave the KHL and sign with an NHL team after this season.

Kovalchuk, who said a similar thing a year ago and then changed his mind, is in a much different situation this year. Last year, Kovalchuk was still considered to be property of the New Jersey Devils and was relient on the Devils trading his rights to another team. However, Kovalchuk will now be an unrestricted free agent, according to Pierre LeBrun.

Kovalchuk helped the Olympic Athletes from Russia capture the gold medal Saturday’s exciting victory over Germany and was named the MVP of the tournament. The 34-year-old might be getting old, but isn’t slowing down as his last two season in the KHL have been among his best. He scored 32 goals for St. Petersburg SKA last year and has 31 goals this season despite taking a break to play in the Olympics.

As an unrestricted free agent, Kovalchuk can pick his own destination as last year, he wanted to either play in New York or in Florida. While it was well-known he wanted to play for the New York Rangers last year, that may not be the case this year as the Rangers have been selling off many of their assets, which might not attract the veteran.

Multiple Players Placed On Waivers

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With today being the last day to place players on waivers, many teams have placed players on waivers in hopes of adding some roster flexibility for the remainder of the season. According to Bob McKenzie, many players have been placed on waivers, including defensemen Christopher Breen and Paul Postma of the Boston Bruins, forward Jussi Jokinen of the Columbus Blue Jackets, defenseman Cody Goloubef of the Calgary Flames, forward Lance Bouma of the Chicago Blackhawks, forward Chris Stewart of the Minnesota Wild, forwards Alexandre Burrows and Jim O’Brien and defenseman Johnny Oduya of the Ottawa Senators, defenseman Mark Alt and goaltender John Muse of the Philadelphia Flyers and forward Chris Thorburn of the St. Louis Blues.

McKenzie adds that New York Rangers forward cleared waivers today.

Of teams that are still in the playoff race, the New York Islanders will likely get the first shot on many of these players if the team is looking to add more depth after trading for defenseman Brandon Davidson Saturday.

While several of these players are AHL players who aren’t seeing time, there are several veteran players who are affected by the moves. Two of the most obvious are Burrows and Oduya. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that the team failed to find anyone interested in trading for either players, so the hope is a team might be willing to claim them without having to give anything up.

Burrows is one of those the team would like to close the book on. Acquired at the trade deadline a year ago for prized prospect Jonathan Dahlen, the team then made it worse by signing him to a two-year extension, worth $2.5MM per season. While he scored 15 goals between Vancouver and Ottawa last year, Burrows has struggled, having tallied just three goals in 51 games. Oduya was signed in the offseason and the veteran could be a solid candidate to be claimed by a team that needs some defensive depth.

Another player who is likely to be claimed is Stewart, who the Minnesota Wild placed on waivers as the team wants to make room for adding 2016 first-rounder Luke Kunin or if the team signs Boston University star Jordan Greenway. The veteran is an excellent locker room presence, has quite a bit of experience and can score as he has nine goals in 47 games this year. Jokinen who has already been on waivers this year returns to it and could be claimed if a team wants some depth to their forward line. Chicago’s Bouma is another who could be claimed as he has fallen out of the Blackhawks lineup, but provides forward depth that could be useful for a team making a playoff run. He’s played in 53 games this year, totaling three goals, six assists and +1 plus/minus ratio.

Other players like Alt and Postma are likely just heading to the AHL to join their playoff rosters. Alt has played just eight games in Philadelphia, spending most of his season in Lehigh Valley. Postma has been with the Bruins all year and might be heading to the Providence Bruins to help the team with their playoff push. He has appeared in just 12 games all season for Boston.

Both Breen, O’Brien, Muse and Goloubef each signed two-way contracts in the last 24 hours and had to be passed through waivers in order to assign them to their respective NHL teams. O’Brien signed a two-way contract today, while Goloubef signed yesterday. FlamesNation’s Ryan Pike reports that Muse signed a two-way deal today.

 

 

Eastern Notes: Karlsson, Nash, Lindblom, Rosen

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Did Erik Karlsson play his last game as a member of the Ottawa Senators?

Just a few weeks ago, there was no way Karlsson would be traded. Just a few days ago, there was nothing more than a rumor that general manager Pierre Dorion might consider a trade if he was blown away. Now suddenly, it seems like everyone is in on a potential trade and there is a good chance Karlsson will be dealt.

The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch writes that while he believes there is a better chance than not that Karlsson will remain with the Senators after the trade deadline, it seems that teams are lining up to make offers. The scribe writes that three teams, in particular, have all been mentioned as trade partners for Karlsson, including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights and the Nashville Predators. Tampa Bay would love to add Karlsson to their stable of defensemen and have a 1-2 combination of Victor Hedman and Karlsson. Vegas wouldn’t mind acquiring the star and making him the face of their franchise and would be easily able to take the contract of Ryan off Ottawa’s hands as well.

The San Jose Sharks have also been mentioned as having checked in with Ottawa about Karlsson and also have the cap room to take on Ryan, but seem an unlikely option.

All three clubs would like to have Karlsson for the next two postseasons, but Garrioch writes that unless the Senators are blown away by an offer, the team should hold onto the star defenseman and move him before the draft. That’s the more likely time the team will see the best offers. The Senators have made it clear to anyone calling that they are looking for about five to six pieces to help the team both immediately and in the future.

  • Pierre LeBrun tweets that the New York Rangers that trade talks surrounding winger Rick Nash are progressing. While there is no mention of what teams are attempting to make a deal for the veteran, LeBrun writes the Rangers got an offer they are considering, but then adds that other teams remain in the mix. A deal within the next 24 hours is not out of the question. Elliotte Friedman just added that the Boston Bruins may be the leading candidate in the Nash sweepstakes.
  • Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that for Philadelphia Flyers prospect forward Oskar Lindblom to remain with the Flyers once Wayne Simmonds returns from injury, he would have to knock one player off one of the top three lines. Lindblom, who had 16 goals with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL this year has played in just two games since being recalled after Simmonds went down. While he hasn’t put up any points yet, O’Connor writes that Lindblom would need to show that he can produce at the NHL level better than either Michael Raffl or Jordan Weal. Both could easily move to the fourth line to make room for him. The question is whether he can produce.
  • Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that one asset the Toronto Maple Leafs have is their AHL franchise, the Toronto Marlies, which seems to have one of the deepest rosters in the league. While that is great, the team has too many players and once playoff time rolls around, the Marlies will have some real issues. If the Maple Leafs are eliminated from the playoffs before the Marlies are, the Maple Leafs will also likely send some players down, causing an even bigger roster jam. Wheeler writes the Maple Leafs should consider moving some of their AHL players such as defenseman Calle Rosen to lighten their load, but some of those pieces could also be used to acquire another piece for the Maple Leafs.

Deadline Primer: Colorado Avalanche

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With the trade deadline now just a few days away, we continue our 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 Colorado Avalanche.

Well, it’s been a great run for the Colorado Avalanche this season. Really, who could have expected that the worst team in the NHL in 2016-17 would have still been competing for a playoff spot in February? The team has nothing to be disappointed in: they got a great return for Matt Duchene earlier this year, watched Nathan MacKinnon embrace his superstar role, and exceeded expectations as a group all year long. However, they were never supposed to be a playoff team this quickly and, barring a miraculous stretch run, they won’t be. Colorado has quickly fallen behind in the Western Conference playoff race in recent weeks. Since their ten-game win streak ended in January, the Avs are 5-7-2 and just barely sticking around the conversation for a playoff spot. They are sixth in the Central Division, with teams ahead of them like the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars getting hot at the right time, making it difficult to see Colorado winning a divisional berth. Over in the Pacific, the resurgence of the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings, on top of the Stars, Wild and St. Louis Blues, also puts a wild card spot nearly out of reach. While it may not be the storybook ending some hoped for, it’s time for the Avalanche to cut ties with their rental players, if the right deal comes along, and move on, with eyes towards taking another step forward next year.

Record

32-23-5, sixth in the Central Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$37,680,931 in deadline cap space
44/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Draft Picks

2018: COL 1st, COL 2nd, NSH 2nd, COL 3rd, COL 4th, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th
2019: OTT 1st, COL 1st, COL 2nd, OTT 3rd, COL 3rd, COL 5th, COL 6th, COL 7th

Trade Chips

Even if GM Joe Sakic and company decided they still wanted to keep pushing for a playoff spot, their deadline plans would be more or less the same. Colorado does not have a firm enough seat in the Western playoff race to warrant buying, but there is little difference between standing pat and “selling”. The team has only a few impending unrestricted free agents and Sakic will move them if the right deal comes along. If not, he will likely be happy to keep them as the Avs’ own “rentals” and, in some case, may even have extension talks. Headlining the group of available Avs are goaltenders Jonathan Bernier and Andrew Hammond, either of which could be expendable whether Colorado is a traditional “seller” or not. Bernier, who is currently sidelined with an injury but expected back soon, has been a great value addition to the team this season, outplaying incumbent starter Semyon Varlamov and forcing a near-even split in net. Bernier, if healthy, could be an attractive addition for a team in need of a more reliable backup goalie for the postseason. He could always re-sign in Colorado even if he is dealt. Hammond, on the other hand, has not seen any NHL action this season, but could be affordable added insurance for a playoff-bound squad. Blake Comeau, a former 20-goal scorer and consistent bottom-six contributor, will likely get the most attention as the deadline draws closer. Comeau would be a nice depth addition for any number of contenders. To a much lesser extent, Gabriel Bourque and Joe Colborne could also draw some interest. Colin Wilson has been a huge disappointment in Denver, but if the team is willing to eat some of his near-$4MM salary in 2019, they could easily trade the veteran forward away less than a year after acquiring him from Nashville.

Players to Watch: RW Blake Comeau, G Jonathan Bernier, D Mark Barberio, LW Gabriel Bourque, G Andrew Hammond

Team Needs

1) Picks and prospects

Again, the success that this team has achieved is a total surprise. They are still very much in a rebuild and, like all rebuilding teams, simply need to stock up on draft picks and prospects. The team got a great return for Duchene earlier this year, including a first-round pick and player selected with a first-round pick last year, and simply want to continue to accumulate those franchise building blocks. Given the pieces they’re willing to move, the Avs won’t be getting much back outside of mid-round picks and middling prospects anyway. If the Avalanche walk away from the trade deadline with some combination of third- and fourth-round picks and a prospect scoring winger or two, it will be a major success.

Minor Transactions: 02/21/18

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After a busy night in the NHL, the league has just three games on tap for today. Instead, teams might use their time off to cement their status for the trade deadline and make inquiries around the league. All the minor moves we’ll keep track of right here. Refresh the page throughout the day to make sure you stay up to date on all the comings and goings.

How Flyers Can Deal With Injuries In Net

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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.

Detroit’s Holland “At Top Of List” To Run Seattle Franchise

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With the likelihood that Seattle will end up with their own expansion franchise in the coming years, the importance of hiring a top general manager will be surfacing quicker than ever. The Vegas Golden Knights have proved that running an expansion franchise might just be one of the top job in the NHL as George McPhee has showed. Now that Seattle has officially filed an expansion application recently, the team might be looking for their own GM, if/when it gets approved.

Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland might be “at the top of the list,” of candidates to fill that role in Seattle in the near future.

“Let’s make no mistake about it, Kenny Holland is out there,” Kypreos said during the Headlines segment Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada. “His contract is going to expire at the end of the year. No talks at all scheduled. It appears it might go all the way to the end of the season before it gets addressed. You’ve got to put him at the top of the list.”

Some might consider that surprising. While Holland has put together an impressive resume with the Detroit Red Wings, who have won four Stanley Cups under his tenure, he has struggled to stabilize the franchise over the last few years, refusing to rebuild the franchise and signing multiple players to over-inflated deals with no-movement clauses which has set back the franchise.

Others mentioned as potential early candidates include John Ferguson, Jr., the executive director of player personnel of the Boston Bruins and former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Pittsburgh Penguins assistant GM Bill Guerin. The Athletic’s Craig Custance adds Vegas Golden Knights’ assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon to the list of potential candidates as well.

Goalie Interference Frustrations Boiling Over

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The NHL’s issues with inconsistency in goalie interference calls are getting out of hand. Complaints from players, coaches, and executives have been flooding in since last season. Discussions were promised over this past off-season, but seemingly nothing came of it, as the problem has only grown larger in 2017-18. Last month, coaches and league executives met to discuss the rule and Commissioner Gary Bettman promised to work with officials to back off the call. Weeks later, there has been no ascertainable change. In fact, there were several incidents of inconsistent calls on one night earlier this month, stirring up frustrations. Bettman said in January that “Overall, the system works,”, but most around the league would probably disagree at this time.

So when will things change? The NHL’s goalie interference call has become somewhat of a joke like the NFL’s “what is a catch?” problem, but in a game where every goal, scored or called back, carries so much weight, this issue is no laughing matter. Perhaps one of their own players lashing out at the rule will cause the league to take action. That’s what happened tonight following the Edmonton Oilers 1-0 loss to the Arizona Coyotes after the ’Yotes scored the game-winning goal while bumping into the goalie, but won a goalie interference challenge when their own keeper, Antti Raanta was interfered with on the erased game-tying goal. The opposing goalie, Cam Talbot, stood at the other end of the ice seething. The Edmonton Sun’s Rob Tychkowski caught up with Talbot after the game and got an honest reaction:

“There’s no consistency and I’m f*****g sick of it. It’s f*****g ridiculous. You can quote me, they can fine me, I don’t give a f**k anymore.”

Talbot also spoke on more of a case-by-case basis about the rule, illustrating its inconsistency (video). For Talbot, generally a mild-mannered and polite person, as well as the NHL wins leader in 2016-17, to speak out publicly and be so clearly emotional about the topic, one would think the league would take notice. A respected goaltender unable to contain his frustrations should indicate to the league that this is a major problem. It may not be possible for a clear goalie interference rule to be firmly decided on and implemented by officials this season, but Bettman and the NHL’s leadership need to step up and put some effort into fixing this problem, starting by publicly addressing Talbot’s comments and again reiterating that changes will be made. If they don’t, goalie interference inconsistency will only continue to be a mark on the 2017-18 season.

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