Boston, New Jersey Complete Minor Trade
The Boston Bruins announced that they have made their second trade of the day as they have sent forward Shane Bowers to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for defenseman Reilly Walsh. The news comes on the heels of the Taylor Hall trade that the Bruins completed earlier this afternoon. Boston has a great deal of salary cap maneuvering to complete as they hope to retain much of the core that won the President’s Trophy this season.
The trade sees the swap of a couple of 2017 draft picks who have both played just one game in the NHL in their respective careers. Bowers was a late first-round pick by the Ottawa Senators and was dealt a few months later as part of the ill-fated Matt Duchene three-team trade that also saw Kyle Turris go to Nashville, and Bowers end up with the Colorado Avalanche. Bowers spent five seasons in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles before he was traded to Boston this past February for Keith Kincaid. He’s never been regarded as much of an offensive player as his career high in the AHL came in 2018-19 when he put up 27 points in 48 games. He was always a stretch to be selected in the first round and at 23 years old it appears he will likely be a career minor leaguer barring a turnaround in his play. This past year in 57 games split between the Eagles and Providence Bowers put up just 21 points.
Walsh on the other hand was a third-round selection by the Devils and has spent his entire professional career in their organization. He’s been a very solid offensive defenseman in the AHL putting up 23 goals and 76 assists in 174 career games. Walsh could potentially compete for a spot as the Bruins seventh defender depending on how their salary cap maneuvering plays out, but at this point it looks like an AHL shuffling of the furniture for both teams.
One must wonder what Bruins general manager has in store for his group. With his second trade of the day, it appears that he is setting up for something. Boston has several key free agents to sign and limited cap space to do it. Bowers was going to be eligible for arbitration but it’s unlikely he would have received much of an award given how little he has contributed at the NHL level. Reilly is also an RFA on July 1st so Boston will need to sign him to a new contract.
Chicago Blackhawks Acquire Taylor Hall
The Boston Bruins needed to clear some cap space and found a willing participant in the Chicago Blackhawks. The two have agreed on a four-player trade that includes Taylor Hall. The full deal is as follows:
- To Chicago: Taylor Hall, Nick Foligno (UFA)
- To Boston: Ian Mitchell (RFA), Alec Regula (RFA)
The Bruins will not retain any salary in the deal.
Hall, 31, signed a four-year $24MM contract with the Bruins in 2021 but will last just two seasons before joining the sixth NHL team of his career. The deal does include a 16-team no-trade clause (that drops to 10 teams in a few days) but Chris Johnston of North Star Bets reports that Chicago was not one of the blocked destinations, meaning Boston did not need his approval.
Hall’s $6MM cap hit is not a huge overpayment, as he is still a fine middle-six winger, but the Bruins found themselves in a precarious situation with just a few days before free agency opens. They are interested in bringing back trade deadline acquisition Tyler Bertuzzi, but needed to clear cap before working out any deal. It will be interesting to see if they can close the gap and keep Bertuzzi in the fold once Hall is officially off the books.
After being a part of the best regular season team in history, moving to Chicago is a significant downgrade for Hall. He isn’t joining an organization completely bereft of talent, though—he may even get to play with Connor Bedard, depending on how things shake out.
There is, of course, the possibility that the Blackhawks flip the 2018 Hart Trophy winner as they continue their rebuild. Two years of Hall isn’t going to do a ton for their Stanley Cup chances, and perhaps retaining some salary could mean even more assets for the Bedard-led club a few years from now.
Foligno’s inclusion is interesting, given he is a pending unrestricted free agent. Perhaps he will join the Blackhawks on a new deal to help lend some veteran leadership to the young group. The veteran forward is set to turn 36 in October but had a bounce-back season this year with 26 points in 60 games.
In terms of return for the Bruins, it’s really about the cap space. Mitchell and Regula are both fringe NHLers, who may have missed their window of real potential. Perhaps the Bruins see enough in one or both of them to make them a roster regular next season, but the young defensemen may again be destined for the minor leagues.
Mitchell, 24, played 35 games for the Blackhawks this season, registering one goal and eight points. The 2017 second-round pick has just 82 NHL games under his belt to this point, and is arbitration eligible as an RFA this summer. Interestingly, he does have a connection to Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery, who recruited and coached Mitchell at the University of Denver for one season.
Meanwhile, Regula is still just 22 but barely has any NHL experience. He saw just four games with the Blackhawks this season and has suited up 22 times in his career, registering a single point. Selected in the second round of the 2018 draft by the Detroit Red Wings, he is not yet eligible for arbitration.
At the very worst, the defenders could stretch out the depth chart for the Bruins, giving them valuable options to turn to in case of injury or poor performance next season.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet first broke the news that Hall was headed to the Blackhawks. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported the full deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Dubois, Lucic, Galchenyuk
The Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets appeared close to a Pierre-Luc Dubois trade over the weekend, but things haven’t progressed as quickly as expected. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that there is “still work to be done” and that the Jets haven’t even given Los Angeles permission to discuss an extension with the center.
Arpon Basu of The Athletic, meanwhile, tweets that the Montreal Canadiens are still open to finding a way to make it work, if the Kings aren’t able to close the deal. Darren Dreger of TSN adds that the Canadiens have re-engaged, making it unclear where Dubois will actually end up.
- One landing spot has been ruled out for Milan Lucic, as Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV reports that the Vancouver Canucks are no longer in the mix. The Canucks had reportedly expressed interest in the pending free agent forward, who will be leaving the Calgary Flames after three seasons. Now 35, there is no longer much offensive upside in the veteran forward, but he can still be an imposing physical presence on the ice.
- Alex Galchenyuk, the player acquired by the Nashville Predators in yesterday’s Ryan Johansen deal, will not be re-signed by the team according to LeBrun. His inclusion was simply to clear a contract slot off the books for the Colorado Avalanche. The 29-year-old Galchenyuk played just 11 games in the NHL this season, failing to record a single point.
Nashville Predators Hire Pekka Rinne
The Nashville Predators aren’t really the Predators without Pekka Rinne in the mix. The team’s legendary goaltender is back in the organization, named a European Development Coach and Scout today. Rinne will work out of Finland, but collaborate with goaltending coach Ben Vanderklok to help develop the club’s goalie prospects. He’ll also be back in Nashville to help with development camps this summer.
Arguably the greatest Predator of all time, and the only one to have his number retired by the club, Rinne retired after the 2020-21 season. In his 15-year career, which was spent entirely with Nashville, he posted a 369-213-75 record in 666 starts. Rinne won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender in 2018, and was a finalist on three other occasions. In 2011, after posting a .930 save percentage in 64 games, he finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting.
Rinne is 17th all-time in NHL save percentage and tied with Tom Barrasso for 20th on the all-time win list. He’s now starting the next chapter in his hockey life, serving as a goaltending coach for Team Finland at the recent World Juniors and joining Nashville to see what the other side of the sport is like.
Even the press release indicates that part of this appointment is to “learn and observe,” suggesting there may be more responsibility coming his way at some point if he desires it. Regardless of role, Nashville fans will happily welcome back their franchise goalie.
Henderson Silver Knights Hire Ryan Craig
The Henderson Silver Knights are getting some Stanley Cup experience. Vegas Golden Knights assistant Ryan Craig, fresh off a championship, will transfer to a new role in the organization, moving to head coach of the Silver Knights for the 2022-23 season.
Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon released the following:
I have tremendous respect for Ryan Craig as both a person and a professional and believe we have an ideal coach to lead our team in Henderson. He is a proven leader who has learned from some of the game’s best coaches. He understands the importance of the AHL level both in terms of developing our NHL prospects and creating a winning environment.
While serving as an assistant in the NHL is a great start to any coaching resume, for Craig to take the next step, he likely needs some head coaching experience. He’ll get that opportunity after six years on the Vegas bench.
An eighth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning back in 2002 (after a successful junior career under McCrimmon with the Brandon Wheat Kings), Craig carved out a long professional career, bouncing between the AHL and NHL. In 198 games at the highest level, he scored 32 goals and 63 points.
Now, he’ll be in charge of developing the next wave of Golden Knights prospects while getting that much-needed headed coaching experience. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Craig’s name floated around as a potential NHL head coach in a few years, should the AHL experience go well.
Henrik Borgstrom Signs In Sweden
June 26: Finally official, Borgstrom has signed a two-year deal with HV71, meaning he’ll be an unrestricted free agent by the time any NHL team has another shot at him.
May 3: After seeing action in just one NHL game this season, it seemed like there was a good chance that Capitals center Henrik Borgstrom would be looking to go elsewhere for 2023-24. Rather than wait to see if he’d be tendered by Washington, it appears that Borgstrom has found his next team as SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson reports that the middleman is expected to play for HV71 in Sweden next season.
The 25-year-old returned to North America in 2021-22, signing a two-year deal with Chicago. However, after struggling in 52 contests with them, the Blackhawks opted to buy out the final year of that deal, making him an unrestricted free agent. Borgstrom quickly signed with the Capitals, hoping to push for a spot at the bottom of their roster.
That didn’t exactly happen. Instead, Borgstrom cleared waivers before the start of the season and spent almost the entire year with AHL Hershey. He wasn’t overly productive with them either, picking up eight goals and 13 assists in 55 games, hardly the type of impact he was hoping to have. That resulted in him getting just a single recall at the end of the season, playing in Washington’s penultimate contest where he was limited to just over eight minutes of playing time.
Borgstrom, who has 111 career NHL appearances under his belt, is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer and Washington could have his rights for two more years if they qualify him. At this point, the term of the agreement will likely dictate what the Capitals do. If it’s a multi-year pact, he’ll be an NHL free agent by the time it expires, meaning there’s little point in qualifying him. But if it’s a one-year agreement, it would make some sense to tender that offer just in case he has a breakout year that would get him back on the NHL radar.
St. Louis Blues Hire Alexander Steen
The St. Louis Blues are bringing back a familiar face, hiring Alexander Steen as a European Player Development Consultant. He will normally work overseas but will be back in town to help with the upcoming prospect camp.
Steen, 39, retired from the NHL in 2020 after 1,018 regular season games, 765 of which came with the Blues. Never a star player, he was one of the most consistent, versatile members of the St. Louis roster for a decade, setting a career-high with 33 goals in 2013-14. He played in all 26 games of the club’s 2019 Stanley Cup run, providing his usual strong defensive play even in a limited role.
Selected 24th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2002, Steen knows how the process goes for exciting European prospects. It took him three full seasons in Sweden before he was ready to come to North America, but that development time was well worth it.
He scored 18 goals and 45 points as a rookie and would never look back. Steen never played a single game in the minor leagues—the epitome of NHL-ready.
He’ll now try to help get the Blues’ new prospects to that point, assisting European players in developing the habits they need to succeed in North America.
Syracuse Crunch Hire Joel Bouchard
The Tampa Bay Lightning have found their new AHL bench boss, hiring Joel Bouchard to be the next head coach of the Syracuse Crunch. The team has also brought in Daniel Jacob as assistant coach.
General manager Julien BriseBois released the following statement:
The head coach position for our AHL affiliate is one of paramount importance with regards to our player development program. Joel brings a contagious enthusiasm to everything he undertakes. He is a strong leader with a proven track record in helping players and teams reach their full potential.
With him overseeing the pipeline of future Lightning players on a day-to-day basis, we expect Joel to be an important contributor to the overall mission of the Tampa Bay Lightning for years to come.
Bouchard replaces the outgoing Benoit Groulx, though his time with the organization does not appear to be up. The announcement explains that Groulx will be offered another coaching position within the Lightning, though there are no further details. Former assistants Gilles Bouchard and Eric Veilleux will not return.
The Tampa Bay development model is one to emulate, with huge emphasis put on their minor league programs. The Crunch have been one of the most consistent teams in the AHL for years now, churning out NHL-ready talents like Yanni Gourde (undrafted), Carter Verhaeghe (3rd round), Mathieu Joseph (4th round), Anthony Cirelli (3rd round), Ross Colton (4th round), and many others during Groulx’s tenure.
Bouchard will now be tasked with continuing that development and continuing to grow talent to backfill the Tampa Bay roster.
Latest On Tony DeAngelo
Two days later and no trade in sight. The Philadelphia Flyers were closing in on a deal that would send Tony DeAngelo back to the Carolina Hurricanes over the weekend, but things have hit a snag.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that it is likely because of some hesitation from the NHL, over potential cap circumvention. DeAngelo was meant to go to Carolina with the Flyers retaining some salary, but since he was traded from the Hurricanes less than a year ago, it raised some red flags.
As LeBrun explains, this isn’t exactly a regular situation. The Hurricanes traded him as an RFA, meaning they didn’t sign this contract, and Daniel Briere, the Flyers’ GM, wasn’t in place yet when Philadelphia inked this deal. There’s no real circumvention here, just a player that has worn out his welcome and a team looking to create cap space.
The league is expected to meet with both teams in Nashville this week for the draft, where they will have to decide. Either sign off on it early, or force the teams to wait until July 9, when the calendar year since last summer’s trade would be up.
It does still seem like things are headed in that direction, though a two-week delay can change things considerably at this time of year.
Five Key Stories: 6/19/23 – 6/25/23
With the draft and free agency almost upon us, activity around the league has started to pick up with an expectation of plenty more to come, including resolutions to trades that are reportedly in the works. Here’s a rundown of the top stories from the past seven days.
Middlemen Off The Market: This isn’t the greatest free agent crop for centers and the crop got considerably thinner over the past week with four players coming off the market. First, Montreal re-signed Sean Monahan to a one-year contract that’s worth $2MM if he meets his games played bonus, giving the veteran a chance to prove he has recovered from his injuries this past season. Then it was Buffalo’s turn as they inked long-time Sabre Zemgus Girgensons to a one-year, $2.5MM deal to keep him as a fixture in their bottom six. Erik Haula made it known that he wanted to remain with New Jersey and he got his wish, signing a three-year contract that carries a $3.15MM AAV. Then, following reports that contract talks were stalling out, Carolina and Jordan Staal were able to reach a new four-year contract, one that carries an AAV of $2.9MM and has a full no-move clause for the first three seasons.
Coyotes Make Moves: In recent years, the Coyotes have willingly taken on unwanted contracts in exchange for future assets with those players either staying on the roster or landing on injured reserve. Now, the team is changing course as they’ve parted ways with a pair of those unwanted deals, buying out defenseman Patrik Nemeth and winger Zack Kassian. The moves result in $1.833MM in dead cap for next season and $1.983MM in 2024-25. Then, Arizona opted to trade away one of their surplus selections, sending Montreal’s 2024 second-round pick to Los Angeles to acquire defenseman Sean Durzi. The 24-year-old had 38 points in his sophomore year for the Kings and could be part of the back end for the Coyotes for several years. After that, they re-upped goaltender Connor Ingram to a new three-year deal with a cap hit of $1.95MM. In 17 appearances in 2023, the 26-year-old put up a .922 SV% and if he can stay even close to that level, it could wind up being a club-friendly deal.
Johansen To Colorado: The Avalanche decided to get a head start on their center shopping as they acquired Ryan Johansen from Nashville in exchange for the rights to pending UFA forward Alex Galchenyuk. As part of the move, the Predators are retaining half of Johansen’s $8MM for the final two seasons of his contract. The 30-year-old is coming off a down season that saw him put up just 28 points in 55 games before missing the last couple of months after undergoing emergency leg surgery. However, he’s just a year removed from a 63-point campaign so Colorado is hoping that a change of scenery could give him a spark. In a move that basically amounts to acquiring him for future considerations, it’s certainly a worthwhile chance to take for them while Nashville settles for simply clearing half of his contract off their books.
Hall Of Famers: Away from the rink, the next group of Hockey Hall of Famers was announced. A total of seven people will enter the Hall next season, including builders Ken Hitchcock and Pierre Lacroix (posthumously), goaltenders Mike Vernon, Tom Barrasso, and Henrik Lundqvist, plus forwards Pierre Turgeon and Caroline Ouellette. Of the seven inductees, only Lundqvist was named in his first year of eligibility. Meanwhile, it’s the second Hall of Fame honor of the year for Ouellette who was also named to the IIHF Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Departures In Calgary? Last week, there was a belief that defenseman Noah Hanifin would be on the way out in Calgary. He might not be the only one. First, reports emerged that center Elias Lindholm hasn’t accepted a long-term extension offer from the Flames while fellow middleman Mikael Backlund may also be leaning toward leaving the team. Then, another report suggested that Tyler Toffoli isn’t likely to re-sign either. All four players are eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer but if they’re not willing to stick around, GM Craig Conroy could be busy in the coming days and weeks by sending those players to teams that they might be willing to ink new deals with.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.