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Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire Chris Wideman

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Defenseman Chris Wideman is on the move for the third time this season. The impending free agent has been traded by the Florida Panthers to the Pittsburgh Penguins, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. TSN’s Bob McKenzie adds that forward Jean-Sebastien Dea heads the other way to Florida.

Wideman began the season with the Ottawa Senators, but was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in November for a sixth-round pick. After he wasn’t a fit in Edmonton, Wideman was sent to the Florida Panthers as part of the package for Alexander Petrovic. He now joins his fourth team of the season in Pittsburgh, but it may be his best opportunity yet at play time. Having played just six games combined since leaving Ottawa, Wideman now joins a team that is currently without Kris Letang, Brian Dumoulin, and Olli Maatta and will ask he and another new acquisition, Erik Gudbranson, to help make up for their absences. For now, Wideman will report to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton but will likely be recalled if Letang and Dumoulin remain sidelined.

Meanwhile, Dea has also been on the move frequently this year. The 25-year-old forward played 20 games with the New Jersey Devils after being claimed on waivers earlier this season, but returned to Pittsburgh via waivers afterward. Dea has spent the majority of the season in the AHL, only playing three games for the Penguins. He now heads to Florida where he will try to prove he is worthy of regular play time. Dea is currently a candidate for Group 6 free agency at the end of the season, so his time with the Panthers could be short-lived.

Vegas Golden Knights Acquire, Extend Mark Stone

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The Vegas Golden Knights have made their big deadline splash, acquiring Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators according to several reports including Bob McKenzie of TSN. The Senators will receive prospect Erik Brannstrom, forward Oscar Lindberg and a 2020 second-round selection (DAL). Tobias Lindberg will also go to Vegas in order to even out the contract slots. Stone himself told TSN that he is close to an extension with the Golden Knights. The deal is expected to be an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $9.5MM. The extension will not be officially signed until March 1st due to the tagging rule.

Stone, 26, is one of the most dynamic two-way wingers in the entire league and is having another excellent season. With 62 points in 59 games he is on track to blow by his previous career-high of 64, and will pass the 30-goal threshold for the first time in his career. Not only is he an effective offensive player, but Stone has repeatedly proven to be an elite defensive winger and routinely creates turnovers by stripping opposing players of the puck. He has received Selke Trophy votes for the last four seasons, even finishing sixth in 2017 despite the award usually going to centers.

That kind of all-around talent is why Stone was so coveted at the deadline, and why the Senators tried desperately to sign him to an extension. Apparently that couldn’t be worked out for whatever reason so the team cashed in for the best package available. Brannstrom, the 15th-overall pick from 2017, is having an excellent season as a 19-year old in the AHL and has impressed every step of the way. With 28 points in 41 games for the Chicago Wolves there are few defensemen in the minor leagues that can carry the puck as well as the new Senators prospect, and he has been repeatedly compared to Erik Karlsson over the last few years. Obviously that will put huge expectations on the young defenseman, but Ottawa did well to land a prospect of his stature.

Still, it is surprising that the team did not secure a first-round pick along with Brannstrom given the reported ask in recent days. The Senators do now have a huge number of picks in the next few drafts but watched their top three scorers walk out the door in the last few days. They’ll have to build quickly as the 2021 timeline that owner Eugene Melnyk suggested for contention is coming fast.

Calgary Flames Came Close To Mark Stone Deal

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The Calgary Flames have been checking in on several players around the league, and according to Hockey Operations VP Don Maloney were close to “something big” last night. That’s what Maloney told Ryan Leslie of Sportsnet, which immediately sparked speculation about who that deal could have been for. Sportsnet colleague Chris Johnston tweets that Maloney was talking about Mark Stone, meaning the market for the Ottawa Senators winger has gotten even smaller.

That market likely already took a hit when the Jets struck a deal earlier today for Kevin Hayes, using their first-round pick and Brendan Lemieux to get it done. The Senators are expected to want several high end assets for Stone and Calgary apparently balked at that ask. If that’s true the Flames may turn their attention somewhere else, though several big names are already off the board.

Calgary is in prime position to compete for the Stanley Cup this season, and should be considered a contender on any forward left on the market. The fact that they were close on Stone means they are willing to at least entertain deals surrounding rentals, though will hold strong on the idea that they’re not going to sell the whole farm. Eric Francis of Sportsnet believes the prices might even be too high all around, leading the Flames to miss out on the “impact forward” they’ve been trying to acquire.

Ottawa Senators Acquire Brian Gibbons

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After sending out several forwards over the last few days, the Ottawa Senators have brought another back in. The team has acquired Brian Gibbons from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for minor league defenseman Patrick Sieloff. Gibbons is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and carries a $1MM full-season cap hit.

Gibbons, 30, experienced some unprecedented success with the New Jersey Devils last season, recorded 12 goals and 26 points in just 59 games. That kind of offensive production wasn’t expected given that he had just 22 NHL points to his name previously, and he hasn’t been able to replicate it this year. In 44 games for the Ducks, Gibbons has recorded just five points while averaging just over ten minutes of ice time per game. He cleared waivers earlier this month and was assigned to the minor leagues just a few days ago, though the Senators have already announced he will be joining their NHL squad in time for Tuesday’s game against the Washington Capitals.

With Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel already gone, the Senators are also expected to move Mark Stone and Mikkel Boedker before tomorrow’s deadline and will need some bodies to fill the roster card for the rest of the year. Gibbons is a versatile forward, though he isn’t expected to make a huge impact down the stretch.

Sieloff meanwhile is a 24-year old defenseman just waiting for a chance at the NHL level. Originally selected in the second round by the Calgary Flames in 2014, the physical defender has suited up just twice at the highest level. Amazingly he scored in each of those games for the Flames and Senators respectively, leading to an interesting stat that he alone holds. There is little reason to believe that he will be an impact player at the NHL level for the Ducks. Sieloff is under contract through next season, after which he would become a Group VI unrestricted free agent if he does not play in 78 more NHL games.

Ottawa Senators Scratch Ceci, Boedker As Team Tries To Move Them

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The Ottawa Senators still have Mark Stone left to trade before the deadline on Monday, but the team may be looking to make even more moves. According to Darren Dreger, the Senators have made defenseman Cody Ceci and forward Mikkel Boedker both healthy scratches for precautionary reasons, suggesting that the Senators are attempting to trade those two players before the deadline. In fact, Dreger adds there is quite a bit of interest in Ceci. The team even announced that it recalled defenseman Cody Goloubef from the Belleville Senators of the AHL.

Ceci is no surprise and has been talked about in the past as the 25-year-old has been a constant in Ottawa’s lineup for more than five years. Ceci has five goals and 20 points in 57 games this season, which is just six points away from a career-high. He averages 22:34 of ATOI per game, which is second on the team behind Thomas Chabot. With several teams looking for a right-shot defenseman, Ceci might be a valuable commodity for a team looking for a complete rebuild.

Boedker came over to Ottawa in the Mike Hoffman trade this summer, but the 29-year-old has struggled offensively as he has just six goals and 29 points in 54 games with the Senators after having a 15-goal campaign last season in San Jose. Regardless, he could provide a team with a solid bottom-six depth option who has some special teams skills as well. Boedker, however, still has one more year on his contract at $4MM, which some teams might not be that interested in picking up unless Ottawa is willing to retain some salary.

Eastern Notes: Dzingel, Babcock, Hurricanes, Howard

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The Columbus Blue Jackets most recent trade Saturday, when they acquired Ryan Dzingel from the Ottawa Senators, may not just fall into the “win now” category. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Sunday that the team hopes that Dzingel will be more than just a rental. That may be possible as the 26-year-old is quite familiar with state of Ohio, having played three years at Ohio State University.

“He is definitely one of those players that we have identified as a candidate to stay here into the future,” Kekalainen said. “We did not just acquire him to be a rental.”

When asked about potentially re-signing with Columbus, Dzingel was open to the possibility, according to NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. “There’s a very high chance of that if they want me,” Dzingel said.

  • While it’s still early and there is plenty of time to get a deal done, Toronto Maple Leafs’ head coach Mike Babcock believes the team is good as it is, according to The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel. “The bottom line is … we got (Jake Muzzin), we’ve got some players who aren’t available to us right now, we’ve got a couple in the minors that we think are ready to play on our team and they’ve been there long enough,” Babcock said. “And so we feel we have good depth, so let’s get at ’er.”
  • News & Observer’s Luke DeCock writes that he believes the Carolina Hurricanes are looking to add at the trade deadline as he believes the Hurricanes want to add another forward and could see the team moving a defensive player for a potential forward. Carolina has a plethora of solid blueliners on their roster and have Jake Bean sitting in the AHL. The team has been rumored to be willing to move several defensemen all season, including Dougie Hamilton, Justin Faulk and Brett Pesce for the right price. The scribe also writes that it’s very unlikely the team moves Michael Ferland before the deadline.
  • The Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan writes that it’s unlikely the Detroit Red Wings will trade goaltender Jimmy Howard. However, if a team was going to make an offer for a Howard, it would be the San Jose Sharks, who may need a goaltender if they want to compete with Calgary for the top of the Pacific Division. Martin Jones has been struggling with a 2.92 GAA and a .897 save percentage in 47 games.

Islanders, Panthers, Sabres Sign Minor League Goaltenders

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Several teams have fortified their depth in net before the NHL Trade Deadline, which also acts as a deadline for players to sign and be postseason-eligible. The New York Islanders have signed Jeremy Smith, the Florida Panthers have signed Chris Driedger, and the Buffalo Sabres have signed Adam Wilcox. All three deals are identical: two-way contracts worth the minimum $650K at the NHL level for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. The trio of keepers will need to clear waivers today.

Smith’s signing is the most significant, as the Islanders have all but clinched a playoff spot this season. The 29-year-old journeyman played in ten games for the Colorado Avalanche just two years ago and previous stops also include the Nashville Predators, Columbus Blue Jackets, Boston Bruins, and Carolina Hurricanes. Smith has had several strong seasons in the AHL, including a two-year stretch with the Providence Bruins a few years back in which he was among the best keepers in the league. While the Islanders have hit the jackpot this season with outstanding performances from Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner, there was a significant lack of depth in net with third-string goalie Christopher Gibson struggling immensely this season in the AHL and having a poor track record in the NHL. With Smith signed, he is likely the new third-string should anything happen to Greiss or Lehner.

Driedger, 24, spent several years with the Ottawa Senators before signing an AHL contract with the Springfield Thunderbirds this off-season. Before the Panthers traded Michael Hutchinson away, Driedger was relegated to the ECHL with Hutchinson and Samuel Montembeault taking the AHL starts. However, he has gotten into 16 games with the Thunderbirds since and has outperformed Montembeault. The promising prospect likely remains Florida’s next man up in net, but given the injury histories of Roberto Luongo and James Reimer, it is certainly possible that both Montembeault and Driedger could see NHL action this season.

The Sabres’ signing of Wilcox is likely in response to a recent rash of injuries in net. Both Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark have had injury scares lately, while young Jonas Johansson recently underwent season-ending surgery. While their postseason hopes are dwindling, it still remains a possibility for Buffalo and adding Wilcox gives them depth behind Hutton, Ullmark, and Scott Wedgewood. Wilcox, 26, is no stranger to being an emergency option; the Sabres were forced to call him up last season – again as the fourth-string option – and were pleased by a shutout performance in his lone appearance.

Minor Transactions: 02/24/2019

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Tomorrow is the NHL Trade Deadline and, if yesterday is any indication, more deals are on the way today. Meanwhile, it’s also the last chance that GM’s have to take a look at their teams in game action and decide what, if anything, needs to be addressed via trade. A dozen teams will hit the ice today, including several top contenders who have yet to make a move. It’s all leading up to a busy day of dealing tomorrow. For now, teams will still need to keep an eye on the day-to-day operations, so keep up with all of the minor transactions here:

  • The Colorado Avalanche announced that they have recalled forward Sheldon Dries from the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. Dries has been back and forth frequently this season, logging 36 games with the Avs and 13 with the Eagles. Dries is not much of an offensive force, but continues to get the call due to his solid two-way game. Colorado has suddenly re-discovered their offense of late, outscoring opponents 20-4 on their current four-game winning streak, so they can afford to bring in the stable defensive forward now that they’re not as desperate for secondary scoring.
  • With their roster in disarray following two major trades, it is no wonder that the Ottawa Senators are having to make additional moves. The team has announced that defenseman Christian Wolanin has been promoted from AHL Belleville. Wolanin, in his first full pro season out of the University of North Dakota, has played in 12 games with Ottawa versus 35 games with Belleville. He has been very productive at the AHL level and looks to have the makings of an NHL regular. The Senators hope he can display that potential down the stretch.
  • With Mats Zuccarello set to join the team, the Dallas Stars have opened up a roster spot by sending Joel L’Esperance back to AHL Texas, beat writer Mark Stepneski reports. L’Esperance has been enjoying strong production with the Texas Stars in his first pro season, recording 42 points through 49 games thus far. However, the Michigan Tech product was held scoreless in four games with Dallas on his first recall. Regardless, L’Esperance likely remains the next man up for the Stars this season.
  • The St. Louis Blues have announced that forward Brayden Schenn has been placed on the injured reserve and top prospect Jordan Kyrou has been recalled to replace him. Although Schenn’s upper-body injury is not expected to be serious, he has missed the Blues’ past two games so this placement lets St. Louis replace his roster spot in case he has to miss a few more games. Kyrou, 20, has played in 16 games with the Blues in his first pro season, registering three points, and has been a point-per-game player through 36 games with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage. The promising forward is expected to be a full-time player in St. Louis sooner rather than later, so this call-up is a preview of what’s to come for the Blues.
  • The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled goaltender Harri Sateri from the Grand Rapids Griffins under emergency conditions. Sateri was sent down Saturday, but with goaltender Jimmy Howard under the weather still, Sateri will backup Jonathan Bernier for one more game.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets activated winger Markus Hannikainen from injured reserve. The 25-year-old was placed on IR last Tuesday with an illness and is now ready to return. Hannikainen has four goals and seven points in 42 games this season. Unless another move is forthcoming, that will give the Blue Jackets 15 forwards and just six defenseman on their current depth chart, an unusual number.
  • The Anaheim Ducks swapped defensemen, according to CapFriendly. The team promoted Korbinian Holzer from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, while assigning Andy Welinski to San Diego. The 31-year-old Holzer has played in just two games with Anaheim, while Welinski has appeared in 19 games with the Ducks.
  • The New Jersey Devils have moved four players as they announced they have assigned forwards Joey Anderson and Brett Seney to the Binghamton Devils of the AHL and have recalled forwards Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastian from the AHL. Anderson, who signed with New Jersey out of Minnesota-Duluth last season had two goals in 19 games with New Jersey, while Seney has had five goals in 50 games. McLeod, the team’s first-round pick in 2016, is in his first season of professional hockey and has six goals and 31 points in 52 games. Bastian, a 2016 second-rounder, has 17 goals in 56 games with Binghamton.

Minor Transactions: 02/23/2019

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With the NHL Trade Deadline just two days away, some key match-ups took place last night as several teams jockeyed for playoff position. The Columbus Blue Jackets – and new addition Matt Duchene – Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Calgary Flames, and Winnipeg Jets all picked up important wins, while the Vegas Golden Knights and Chicago Blackhawks suffered frustrating losses. Every result is amplified with the deadline this close and teams trying to figure out what do do before it passes. There are 22 teams in action tonight and each will be trying to gauge their team’s needs and playoff chances and how to address them before Monday afternoon. In that same vein, it will be all hands on deck for every club this weekend, which means several minor transactions are on the way. Track them all here:

  • Heading to Columbus alongside Duchene yesterday was AHL defenseman Julius Bergman. However, he never actually landed in Columbus and may never suit up for the Blue Jackets. The team announced that Bergman has been reassigned to their affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, where he can reasonably expect to play out the season. Then, Bergman is expected to return to his native Sweden next season. His move to the Blue Jackets was simply a way for the Ottawa Senators to open up an additional contract slot for the organization as they continue to deal at the deadline and hope to add multiple pieces in return.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have recalled a pair of forwards and may have some ulterior motive for doing so. The Sabres announced that Danny O’Regan and Scott Wilson have been promoted from the AHL’s Rochester Americans.  O’Regan, 25, has not played in the NHL all season and as a result is headed for Group 6 unrestricted free agency this summer. Wilson, 26, also has yet to make his NHL debut this season and has been buried in the minors of late. He has an additional year remaining on his contract at $1.05MM, but doesn’t appear to have a place in Buffalo’s long-term plans. Without any attachment to either player moving forward, it seems likely this call-up could be used to showcase the capable forwards. Whether the Sabres choose to buy or sell, there’s reason to believe both O’Regan and Wilson could have value to a variety of teams.
  • In a corresponding move, CapFriendly reports that the Sabres have reassigned defenseman Lawrence Pilut to the AHL. The return of Casey Nelson has pushed Pilut to the No. 8 spot on the Buffalo blue line and the team clearly prefers he get some play time in the minors instead. The 23-year-old has shown some flashes of brilliance at times this season, but overall has yet to prove he is an everyday NHLer.  Meanwhile, the team announced that winger C.J. Smith has also been sent to Rochester.  He has played in 11 games with Buffalo so far this season but has been a point-per-game player in 41 contests with the Americans.
  • Henri Jokiharju’s latest stint with the Blackhawks was short-lived as the team announced that he has been returned to Rockford of the AHL.  He was recalled just yesterday but suited up when Carl Dahlstrom (flu) was unable to play.  However, the 19-year-old played just 9:14.  Jokiharju was a regular for Chicago early on but has not had the trust of head coach Jeremy Colliton to the point where they’ve decided he’s better off in the minors for the time being.
  • The Senators have assigned defenseman Maxime Lajoie to Belleville of the AHL, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie.  The 21-year-old rookie surprised many with a strong start to his season with seven points in his first six games.  However, he has cooled off considerably since then with only eight points over his last 49 contests while his ice time has dropped a lot as of late.  A chance to go back to the minors and log some more minutes would certainly be beneficial for his development.
  • The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled forward Corban Knight from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, according to Sam Carchidi of Philly.com. Knight, who has missed most of the season with a broken collarbone, was placed on waivers two weeks ago and sent down to get him some playing time. The 28-year-old has fared well in four games with the Phantoms, posting two goals and six points.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled star prospect Sam Steel from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL and have assigned forward Brian Gibbons there instead, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic. Steel, the team’s first-round pick in the 2016 draft, had 15 goals and 32 points for the Gulls, but has struggled in Anaheim’s lineup in 13 games this season. The team hopes that after a significant time in San Diego, Steel can contribute the offense the team needs to turn around their season. Gibbons had just two goals and five points in 44 games for Anaheim this season.
  • To make room for Ryan Dzingel on the roster, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced they have assigned defenseman Adam Clendening to the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL. The 26-year-old was faring well with Cleveland with three goals and 28 points in 33 games. However, he has appeared in just four games for Columbus this year with no points.

Columbus Blue Jackets Acquire Ryan Dzingel

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The Columbus Blue Jackets aren’t done adding. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the Blue Jackets have finalized a deal to acquire forward Ryan Dzingel from the Ottawa Senators. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Senators will trade Dzingel and the Calgary Flames 2019 seventh-round pick to Columbus for Anthony Duclair and two second-round picks, ones in 2020 and 2021.

For Columbus, general managers Jarmo Kekalainen continues to add to a team that has decided to go all-in and try to win a Stanley Cup, so far getting all his additions from Ottawa after the team acquired Matt Duchene from the Senators Friday. This almost guarantees that the team will hold onto forward Artemi Panarin and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky as own-rentals instead of trading them both away. This time, Columbus moves a pair of second-rounders to get Dzingel, who should add another key element to the team’s top-six and continue to move the rest of their team to strengthen the third and fourth lines.

Dzingel, who was one of three pending unrestricted free agents in Ottawa who didn’t want to commit to the Senators’ long-term, returns to Ohio where he played three years of college hockey at Ohio State University (and was a Hobey Baker award finalist), making him a legitimate candidate to potentially re-sign with the Blue Jackets this summer. There has been no discussion as of yet of an extension, however. The 26-year-old has 22 goals and a career-high 44 points and should make an instant impact next to Duchene.

For Ottawa, the team gets back forward Anthony Duclair, who Columbus’ head coach John Tortorella said on Tuesday, “I don’t think he knows how to play.” The 23-year-old Duclair is considered to be a talented scorer, but is now on his fifth team in his young career and there were rumors that he was a locker room distraction. He will get a final chance to develop into the player that many teams have thought they could get when they traded for him. Duclair posted a 20-goal season with Arizona in his rookie season back in the 2015-16 season, but tallied five goals after that and combined for 11 between Arizona and Chicago last year. He was not handed a qualifying offer and eventually signed a minimum-salaried deal with Columbus this summer. Duclair started off strong this season as he scored eight goals in his first 19 games of the season, but has seen his playing time drop considerably due to his lack of defense. With the available playing time that Ottawa will have after moving their top three players, the Senators should have the playing time to see if they can get Duclair to figure things out in the NHL.

The key to the deal is the two second-round picks. While it is often said that second-round picks pan out at a significantly less rate than first-rounders, the Senators managed to snag two of them, not including the 2019 first-round pick that Columbus gave Ottawa in the Duchene trade as well as a conditional first-rounder in 2020. With their recent trades (not including those including Mike Hoffman and Erik Karlsson) last summer, Ottawa could have as many as 16 picks in the first three rounds of the draft in the next three drafts, including five first-round picks, seven second-rounders and four third-round picks.

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