Minor Transactions: 03/06/23
As the NHL looks forward to the playoffs, transactions are still happening across the league and internationally as well. Here are some of the minor transactions and news pieces so far today.
- The Colorado Avalanche has announced that goaltender Jonas Johansson has been recalled from the AHL affiliate Colorado Eagles. On the heels of incredibly shaky starts from Justus Annunen and Alexandar Georgiev, the Avalanche will now employ a different option in the net. Recent acquisition Keith Kinkaid was sent down earlier this morning after coming in as backup during the blowout game against the Dallas Stars Saturday night. The Avalanche will enter play tomorrow night against the San Jose Sharks as they look to stop their three-game losing streak.
- Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports that defensemen Nick Jensen and Martin Fehervary were seen in non-contact jerseys during this morning’s practice. Neither of the two has played since the Capitals’ game against the Anaheim Ducks last Wednesday. Jensen recently signed a 3-year, $12.15MM contract extension with the Capitals; coupled with the deal sending Dmitry Orlov to the Boston Bruins, Jensen figures to be an important part of Washington’s blue line moving forward.
- Outside of the NHL, veteran forward Patrik Lundh is in agreement on a 1-year extension with Färjestad BK of the Swedish Hockey League. Now in his second tenure with the Swedish club, Lundh has previously played in several of Europe’s most popular hockey leagues. After spending time in both the Kontinental Hockey League and the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, Lundh made the switch back to the SHL last season.
Examining The Vancouver Canucks’ Salary Cap Situation
After one of the most eventful trade deadlines in the last decade, there became a strong line contrasting buyers and sellers. Many of the top teams in the league added more talent to their roster, and some teams outside the playoff picture went down a clear direction of selling. However, one of the most popular questions arising from the deadline was: ‘What exactly are the Vancouver Canucks doing?’.
Since their trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011, the Canucks haven’t been a serious playoff threat in over a decade. After acquiring Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland during the 2021 NHL Draft, there was legitimate hope that this team could return to the playoffs and make some noise. Instead, the team finished with a 40-30-12 record, fifth place in the Pacific Division, and 10th in the Western Conference, falling short of the playoffs again. They did sell off a few pieces at last year’s deadline but also chose to sign forward J.T. Miller to an 8-year, $64MM contract extension, thus indicating that they were still hoping to compete with this core.
This year, it’s been much of the same. Currently standing at 25-32-5, the Canucks are once again well outside the playoff picture. Many believed that the fire sale had begun after dishing longtime captain Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a first-round pick in 2023. This deal was made four days after signing pending unrestricted free agent Andrei Kuzmenko to a 2-year, $11MM contract extension. Kuzmenko was thought to be a trade chip available before the deadline, but an argument can be made that Kuzmenko, 27, could fit around the timeline of building blocks Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes.
About a month later, the Canucks continued to look toward the future. Acquiring young forward Vitali Kravtsov from the New York Rangers, and also selling off pieces such as Riley Stillman, Luke Schenn, and Curtis Lazar. However, in one of the more stunning moves from deadline week, they sent the first-round pick acquired from the Islanders for Horvat as well as their own second-round pick from this season to the Detroit Red Wings for defenseman Filip Hronek. Similarly to Kuzmenko, an argument can be made that Hronek fits into the timeline as he is only 25 years old. He has two years remaining on his contract, he will be a restricted free agent at the end of his deal, and Tyler Myers‘ contract will be up at the same time if he is not moved beforehand.
Although it is reasonable to suggest that Hronek and Kuzmenko fit the supposed timeline, this has quickly become a team that just can’t get it done. Their head coaching situation has been a carousel for some time, and the front office is investing a lot of money and assets into players that are not good enough to help this team go on a run in the playoffs. It’s not all doom and gloom in Vancouver, they have two of the best young talents in the league in Pettersson and Hughes, but the supporting staff must be changed quickly. There were rumors swirling around on the deadline day that the Canucks had a deal in place with the Pittsburgh Penguins to unload Miller, but it was nixed at the goal line by the Canucks because they were not receiving a young center in return. With the team in the position that they are, not receiving a young center in return is not a defensible excuse to not make that trade.
Included in the Miller extension, he will have a complete no-movement clause until the 2027-28 season. Ekman-Larsson is the only other Canuck on the roster with that same attachment included in his contract. Aside from that, Myers, Ilya Mikheyev, Micheal Ferland, and Tanner Pearson all have modified no-trade clauses in their respective contracts. They will receive salary relief at the end of this year as Ferland’s contract is up, but he has not factored much into their in-season movement due to his stay on the LTIR. Although it will be hard for many teams to acquire such high-priced contracts from the Canucks’, the Nashville Predators showed exactly how to get it done. After trading away Mattias Ekholm, Mikael Granlund, and Nino Niederreiter, the Predators were able to clear a total of $10.5MM, as well as pick up a total of four draft picks, along with prospects. Sticking with their core of Roman Josi, Filip Forsberg, and Juuse Saros, the Predators cleared cap space, acquired future assets, and are now able to retool around their core players.
This isn’t to say that every draft pick is going to work out wonderfully for the Predators, but at the very least they are now a team with options. If the Canucks continue to shy away from a full-on teardown, the most important pieces of their roster that need to be addressed are defense and goaltending. As they have a GF/G of 3.32, and a team powerplay percentage of 23.1%, the Canucks offense seems to be manageable as they rank higher than some playoff teams in those respective categories. Despite the above-average offense, this team can’t stop letting the puck go into their net. Ranking 31st in the NHL, the Canucks sport a GA/G of 3.89, and a league-worst save percentage of 87.6%.
With their top defenseman Hughes taking a much more offensive approach to the game, it would make more sense to acquire defensemen that play a similar style to Brandon Carlo from the Boston Bruins and Erik Cernak of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Although they do not score the highlight reel goals, they are some of the very best defensive defensemen in the NHL. Back in November, it was reported that the Canucks and Ottawa Senators held discussions involving Myers, meaning talks could be revisited at the conclusion of the season.
The defense has also impacted the goaltending in Vancouver as well. Many fans have soured on the idea of Thatcher Demko being the long-term answer in the net, but injuries aside, he has been above average throughout his young career. With a cumulative stat line of 91.0% save percentage, 2.93 goals against average, and 6.4 goals saved above average, those numbers show that there should still be hope for Demko.
Once the offseason rolls around, Vancouver needs to be shopping high-price veterans such as Miller, Garland, Myers, and Brock Boeser. Instead of trading away draft capital in hopes of still competing, the Canucks should be stockpiling it. Because of the dollar value of these contracts, they may not receive much in return, but having the luxury of cap space in today’s NHL is an asset in and of itself. Residing in a Canadian market is always going to include added pressure, but with the ability to build around Pettersson and Hughes, the Canucks shouldn’t be as far away as they currently are. Vancouver shouldn’t entertain moving those two, but they need a much harder reset than what they are attempting now.
As they still retain their first-round selection in the upcoming draft, Canucks currently are projected to have the sixth overall pick. Although that is a good draft ranking for a team in this position, because of previous moves, they only have five picks in the first three rounds of the next two drafts. If they are able to acquire more, as they should, the Canucks will now have more options at their disposal. Mismanagement has governed this team for too long, and the Canucks need to pick a more sensible direction.
Tony Granato Fired As Wisconsin Badgers Head Coach
The Wisconsin Badgers announced via a press release this afternoon that head coach Tony Granato has been relieved of his duties. After taking over as head coach of the Big 10 team during the 2016-17 season, Granato will finish his tenure as head coach with a cumulative 103-129-16 record. The 2021-22 season was by far the most successful of them all, as the team finished first in their division, ultimately losing to Bemidji State in the regional semifinals.
Aside from coaching, Granato is well known for being a part of the Los Angeles Kings during their run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1993. In the best statistical season of his career, the 5’10” forward scored a career-high 37 goals and 45 assists. Unfortunately, the next season, Granato’s career was permanently altered after receiving a hard hit to the head in a game against the Hartford Whalers. There was bleeding in his brain detected, and Granato went out for a time due to surgery as many wondered if he would ever play again. Defeating the odds, Granato returned to the NHL, playing for the San Jose Sharks to finish his career.
Before coaching at Wisconsin, Granato previously coached in the NHL. His most recent coaching position was as an assistant for the Detroit Red Wings from 2014-16. Before that Granato held the same role for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 2009-2014, helping the team win their first Stanley Cup since 1992. The only head coaching position he’s ever had in the NHL was with the Colorado Avalanche from 2002-2004; 2008-2009, finishing with a 104-78-17-16 record.
As with any upcoming offseason, there will be head coaching changes made in the NHL. Although he has not coached at that level since the 2008-09 season, Granato could be of interest to teams looking to make a change behind the bench. Since the news of his dismissal is recent, Granato has not yet commented on his future. Whether he continues in the NCAA, or if he moves back into professional hockey, Granato should be a popular name heading into the offseason.
Minnesota Wild Sign David Spacek
According to The Athletic’s Michael Russo, the Minnesota Wild have signed defenseman David Spacek to an entry-level contract. The length and financials of the contract are unknown, but it will start in 2023-24.
Spacek, the son of longtime NHL defender Jaroslav Spacek, was a Minnesota fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft. The 20-year-old has 46 points in 49 games (and a staggering +43 rating) with the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the QMJHL this season. He also had a standout performance at this year’s World Junior Championship, guiding Czechia to a silver medal with eight points in seven games.
Spacek went undrafted in 2021 after playing just 10 games between the second-tier Czech professional league and the top junior league, but it’s been a quick ascension up the ranks since. He adds to an already incredibly formidable group of Wild prospects on defense and is already outperforming expectations based on his draft spot.
Given his age, it’s almost certain that Spacek will turn pro next season and join the AHL’s Iowa Wild. He’ll join a team ripe with young talent on defense, including Ryan O’Rourke, Daemon Hunt, and potentially University of Minnesota captain Brock Faber.
St. Louis Blues Sign Anton Malmstrom
The St. Louis Blues announced Monday that the team signed defenseman Anton Malmstrom to a two-year entry-level contract. The contract will begin in the 2023-24 season, making Malmstrom a restricted free agent in 2025. Per CapFriendly, the deal carries a cap hit of $910K, and the full structure is as follows:
2023-24: $775K base salary, $95K signing bonus, $80K games played bonus
2024-25: $855K base salary, $95K signing bonus
The Blues said Malmstrom, 22, will join the team’s AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, on an amateur tryout for the remainder of 2022-23.
The hulking 6’4″ defenseman from Österhaninge, Sweden, is an undrafted free agent signing out of Bowling Green State University, one of the first college signings of the 2023 season. Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest reported last month that Malmstrom was drawing some NHL interest and named the Blues as the frontrunner to sign him after he attended their development camp in 2022.
This season with Bowling Green, Malmstrom served as an alternate captain and registered three goals and six points in 33 contests, along with a -8 rating. Those both were career-highs for Malmstrom at Bowling Green, and even considering his junior production in Sweden, his point production has never been where you’d expect an NHL-level prospect to be. Even if his defensive game is the appeal behind his signing, Malmstrom must work on his offensive awareness in Springfield for a shot at the NHL.
Toronto Maple Leafs To Place Ryan O’Reilly On LTIR, Recall Two
12:57 p.m.: It’s the worst-case scenario for the Maple Leafs. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters today that O’Reilly will be placed on long-term injured reserve with a broken finger, with no timeline for his return. However, TSN’s Mark Masters notes the team expects him back before the playoffs. O’Reilly had three goals and five points in eight games with Toronto since he was acquired from the St. Louis Blues in advance of the trade deadline.
Tavares, on the other hand, will not play tomorrow as a precaution, as he’s “not feeling himself.” Keefe told reporters the team is “mindful” that Tavares received some hard hits in the Canucks game, but attributes his absence to a flu bug going around the room and a tough travel schedule. He noted Tavares felt good after practice and that he’s on track to return to the lineup this weekend against the Edmonton Oilers.
12:20 p.m.: With injuries beginning to mount, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced the recalls of forwards Alex Steeves and Pontus Holmberg from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on Monday.
The recalls come as injuries have affected two of Toronto’s top centers, although their severity is unknown at the time of writing. Ryan O’Reilly was absent from practice this morning after he took a puck to the hand in Toronto’s Saturday loss to the Vancouver Canucks, while John Tavares was an extra after he was the recipient of a hard hit from Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers in the same game.
A corresponding transaction will need to be made before 4 p.m. CT today, as the two recalls would put Toronto more than $800K over the salary cap.
For Holmberg, it’s a chance to build on a strong start to his NHL career earlier in the season. Although he was pushed down the depth chart with Toronto’s trade deadline acquisitions, he’d been an effective depth piece for the Leafs, recording five goals and 13 points in 36 games while providing solid defensive play. The 2018 sixth-round pick is in his first season in North America after back-to-back standout campaigns with the SHL’s Växjö Lakers HC.
Steeves, 23, is second on the Marlies in scoring, with 44 points in 53 games, and earns his second recall of the season after an emergency call-up in February. The undrafted free agent signing out of Notre Dame has five appearances with the Maple Leafs over the past two seasons, recording his first NHL assist in the process.
AHL Shuffle: 03/06/23
The following players were either recalled or sent down between their NHL clubs and their respective AHL affiliates.
- Goalie Matt Murray was an emergency recall by the Dallas Stars from the Texas Stars, according to CapFriendly Murray was signed as an undrafted free agent last summer, and has appeared in one game for Dallas this season, his first NHL action.
- Forward Fredrik Olofsson was also an emergency recall by the Dallas Stars, according to CapFriendly. Oloffson was a fourth-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2014, and has recorded one goal and three assists in 20 games this season, his first in the NHL.
- The Colorado Avalanche have sent veteran goaltender Keith Kinkaid to the Colorado Eagles, according to CapFriendly. Kinkaid, 33, has appeared in two games this season, one each for the Boston Bruins and Avalanche. He has been shuffled between the NHL and AHL since arriving in Colorado.
- Per TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, the Montreal Canadiens have reassigned defenseman Frederic Allard to the AHL’s Laval Rocket. Montreal acquired Allard in a minor trade with the Los Angeles Kings on deadline day, and the 25-year-old played in just the second game of his NHL career yesterday against Vegas, as Montreal’s defense is depleted with injuries. Allard heads back to the minors, where he had seven points in 35 games with the Ontario Reign before the trade to the Canadiens organization.
- The Vancouver Canucks have recalled goalie Arturs Silovs from the Abbotsford Canucks under emergency conditions, per the team. He’ll start tonight’s game instead of Collin Delia, who’s unavailable with a non-COVID illness. Silovs has a .908 save percentage and a 2-2-0 record in four NHL appearances, all coming this season.
This post will be updated throughout the day.
Injury Notes: Sabres, Penguins, Bruins, Islanders, Jets
Mattias Samuelsson and Riley Stillman will not play tonight for the Buffalo Sabres against the Edmonton Oilers as both are out with upper-body injuries, according to Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.
Both played for Buffalo in the win over Tampa Bay on Saturday. Samuelsson has recorded one goal and seven assists for eight points this season. The Sabres hope he becomes a secondary anchor of their blueline behind Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, as next season he will enter the first year of a seven-year contract paying him an AAV of $4.285MM. Stillman is a depth piece who is already a bit of a journeyman at 24, having suited up for four different franchises over parts of the past five seasons, and has played two games for Buffalo since being acquired from Vancouver Feb. 27.
Other notes from around the NHL this morning:
- Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry, who didn’t play on Saturday against the Florida Panthers, was back on the ice for practice Monday morning, according to Rob Rossi of The Athletic. Jarry has been strong this season for the Pens, with a .916 save percentage and 2.77 GAA in 32 games played. Pittsburgh next plays on Tuesday as they host the Columbus Blue Jackets.
- Veteran centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci did not practice Monday morning, according to Matt Porter of the Boston Globe. Bergeron scored in each of the past two games, both Bruins wins, and has 23 goals and 25 assists for 48 points this season. Krejci has 50 points in 57 games this season in his return to the NHL. The Bruins play next on Thursday as the host the Edmonton Oilers.
- Pierre-Luc Dubois and Mason Appleton participated in the morning skate for the Winnipeg Jets, according to John Lu of TSN. Dubois hasn’t played since Feb. 26, and Lu reports the lower-body injury that kept him out of the past three games wasn’t too bothersome and just needed to heal. Dubois has 55 points (24G, 31A) in 60 games for the Jets this season. Appleton also hasn’t played since Feb. 26, and has nine points in 22 games this season. Both will play tonight against the San Jose Sharks.
- Center Jean-Gabriel Pageau returned to ice for the New York Islanders practice Monday morning, according to Neil Best of Newsday. Pageau hasn’t played since Feb. 11, and has 29 points in 56 games for the Islanders this season. The Islanders are set to take on the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night.
Morning Notes: Lindholm, Deadline Market, Expansion
The Carolina Hurricanes largely stayed quiet at the trade deadline, at least compared to most of their Eastern Conference counterparts. However, as The Athletic’s Michael Russo notes, that wasn’t for a lack of trying.
Russo wrote in a behind-the-scenes look at the Hurricanes’ trade deadline process that the team was, as reported, in it near the very end to acquire now-New Jersey Devil Timo Meier. But another interesting name had also popped up in trade discussions with the Calgary Flames: former Hurricane Elias Lindholm. Ultimately, the Flames opted to stay the course at the deadline as well, but Russo reported that a deal with Calgary centered around Lindholm could have been “a possibility at one point.” Lindholm, along with Noah Hanifin, was traded to Calgary nearly five years ago in a trade that sent Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland, and the rights to then-prospect Adam Fox to the Hurricanes.
More from the NHL wire on this Monday morning:
- This year’s deadline rhythm bucked a trend, with a flurry of star-power-laced trades in the weeks leading up to March 3 yielding an unusually quiet Trade Deadline day. NHL general managers are conflicted on whether that trend will continue, says Pierre LeBrun in a piece for The Athletic. Many GMs opted to attribute the increase in pre-deadline action to the clear disparity between buyers and sellers and a saturated market, giving buyers more options to choose from to increase their championship odds. However, Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland predicted that the number of teams still in rebuild mode and a very slight salary cap increase next season could lead to more pre-deadline moves again next season.
- Rumors have been bubbling up in recent weeks surrounding NHL expansion, with cryptic tweets from multiple NHL insiders generating some smoke about an NHL return to Atlanta, as well as a team in Houston. Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland says not so fast, however, relaying a report from a league source that they weren’t sure “these two cities are even at top of our list” when it comes to potential expansion. ESPN’s John Buccigross had alluded to an Atlanta-Houston double expansion late last week.
Edmonton Oilers Reportedly Made Offer For Timo Meier
The Edmonton Oilers did make a splash at the Trade Deadline, acquiring defenseman Mattias Ekholm from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a hefty package that included Tyson Barrie and a first-round draft pick. However, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted in today’s edition of the “32 Thoughts” podcast, the team was also more seriously involved in discussions for another big-name target than previously thought.
That player is Timo Meier, who had been mainly linked to the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes during trade rumor season. Friedman reports that the Oilers made a “legit offer” to the Sharks in exchange for the star forward’s services and didn’t just engage in preliminary discussions.
He also noted that a possible plan on the Oilers’ radar was to acquire Meier for the stretch run and playoffs and boost his stock by playing him alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, giving Edmonton the potential to flip Meier at the 2023 NHL Draft for more than they originally paid. Meier, a pending restricted free agent, is due a qualifying offer of $10MM, something Edmonton wouldn’t have been able to accommodate with just $8.5MM in projected cap space for next season and multiple players to re-sign, per CapFriendly.
It was a strategy multiple other teams in talks with the Sharks considered, Friedman said, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, who were also rumored to be in the Meier sweepstakes at times.
While Edmonton’s depth scoring could remain their Achilles’ heel in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, they arguably made better use of their limited financial resources by acquiring Ekholm. Edmonton’s 3.31 goals against per game is the second-worst number among teams currently in playoff position, coming in just a hair under a divisional rival – the Los Angeles Kings. While Meier may have created the highest-octane top-six forward group in decades, Ekholm filled a need and carried financial certainty, something the Oilers desperately needed.