PHR Mailbag: Penguins, Avalanche, Wild, Bad Contracts, Sandstrom, Deadline Struggle
With the trade deadline now less than a week away, the focus of the mailbag this weekend will be questions pertaining to trades and the upcoming deadline. With so many deadline questions submitted, we’ve split this weekend’s mailbag in two so be sure to check back in yesterday’s column if you don’t see yours submitted here. Next week, the focus will primarily be on the non-deadline queries (with a couple of trade ones in there as well).
One More JAGR: Do the Pens finally realize they aren’t gonna crack the playoffs this year with how competitive the Metro is, how uncompetitive the Pens are, and how they have pretty much no cap to address any of the multiple issues plaguing the team? Do they instead look towards the offseason and will the plan be to let the UFA’s walk and try to trade some cap out in hopes that the closing window on the big three can be better next season? Also is it finally Sully’s time to be out and try to go get Trotz?
I think it’s too early to say the Penguins aren’t going to make it. A divisional seed isn’t happening but they can catch and pass the Islanders in the Wild Card race if they win their games in hand. Granted, their recent performances aren’t exactly inspiring much hope that they can win those games, tonight being a notable exception.
I touched on this earlier this month but there is no good option here. They can’t truly rebuild with their veteran core locked up long-term. They can’t fall far enough down to really tank for a high draft pick. But they’re not good enough to contend either. I still think that if there’s a low-risk upgrade they can make (clearing Kasperi Kapanen’s cap hit off the books gives them some flexibility), they’ll do it over the next few days even though there’s a case to make that doing so defies logic.
Among their pending UFAs, I suspect that they want to re-sign Tristan Jarry. Brian Dumoulin’s value isn’t great at this point so they wouldn’t get much for him. There might be some interest in Jason Zucker but it’s not going to be a top return. And their other expirings are depth guys where the interest is going to be limited at best. There’s not enough to really restock the cupboard.
As for the coaching situation, I think we can rule out Trotz taking over behind the bench in Pittsburgh with him poised to become the next GM in Nashville. (Obviously, this question came well before the Trotz news broke.)
@iwtfwc: WHAT are @Avalanche going 2 do? Many “LINKED” players off the board & still injured, also Landeskog’s return timeline unsure, your thoughts? And, at this point in time, thoughts on this list?
M.Domi
N. Bjugstad
J. Puljujarvi
J. McCabe
L. Schenn
Chris MacFarland’s hands are tied right now until he has a better understanding of when (or if) Gabriel Landeskog and Erik Johnson can return. If both can’t come back, they’ll have a ton of cap space to work with and can shop at the high end of the market. If one can’t come back, they’ll still be able to add a smaller piece or two. If both are likely to be back though, then they’re looking at more or less having to match money. Right now, they’re going to wait as a few more days might give them the clarity they need to know which way they’re going to proceed. I expect them to try to be a buyer either way, it’s just a matter of knowing which part of the market they’ll be shopping in.
As for your list, I’d take off Jake McCabe. With two years left and Chicago wanting a first-round pick if they’re going to retain money, that one doesn’t work. I’m not sure Jesse Puljujarvi is worth getting either unless it’s a deal right before the buzzer sounds and they have extra room to burn. Luke Schenn makes a lot of sense on paper but without a second-rounder or a third-rounder in the next two seasons, will they be able to be the top bidder? Would they move a 2025 second-rounder to get him? If other teams are offering thirds this season or next, they’ll have to go up a round to cover the longer wait.
I like Max Domi as a secondary option. He can play center and the wing and while I’m not sure he’d be able to produce at a similar rate as he is with Chicago (46 points in 57 games), he’d give them some more options in their middle six. But again, without seconds and thirds in the next two years, that move might be tricky to make as I assume their first-rounder isn’t in play. Nick Bjugstad could help in the bottom six and if Arizona is okay with a 2024 fourth-round pick for him, sure, that would make sense. I think they might get more than that though with his contract and the year he’s having.
If they do have LTIR money to spend, I could see them being interested in a player like Gustav Nyquist who’s out for the season but should be back for the playoffs. Sean Monahan, if he’s in that situation, would be another option on that front. Lars Eller is another possible target with Washington now selling. If Johnson is going to be out for a while, Nick Jensen might be a target for a replacement on the right side of the back end as well.
Zakis: With the Wild in NHL purgatory and having a solid set of prospects, would it be better to sell or buy at the trade deadline? What direction do you see them going?
Follow-up question: what would Hartman get in a trade?
I’ve flip-flopped on this one a few times in recent weeks. Considering they’re in a playoff spot at the moment, it’s hard to make a case to sell, especially as their dead cap costs go up next year from the increases to the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise buyouts. This might be their best shot for a little bit. On the other hand, they’re pretty much certain that they won’t be able to re-sign Matt Dumba and the idea of losing him for nothing isn’t ideal.
I keep coming back to them doing a bit of both. In a perfect world, they find a spot for Dumba and then turn around and get a capable replacement, perhaps using part of the return for Dumba with the net gain being an upgraded draft pick or something like that. His performance this season makes that a challenge though so admittedly, I don’t expect that to happen; I think he stays put. I think they’d like to open up money for next season so if there’s a move to be made to do that, it’d be hard not to but that also potentially qualifies as a seller move.
However, with them having plenty of cap space, they can absorb some pricey expiring contracts and add to their depth. I could see them sniffing around in the final hour before the deadline looking to simply relieve some teams of a player for a late-round pick or equivalent return that ultimately sees them upgrade a depth spot or two without really giving up much value. Doing both is a tough needle to thread though but I think it’s what they should do if they can. I don’t think they’re good enough to truly contend but when you’re a handful of points out of the division lead, it’s hard to only subtract from your roster.
Moving Ryan Hartman is an interesting idea. His value isn’t as high as it was last year when he had a career season but he’s still a pretty good bargain at $1.7MM through next season. I could see that being worth a first-round pick but in doing so, they’d be taking a key piece off their roster, one that would be pretty difficult to replace, even with more financial flexibility than other teams have. Unless they’re a straight seller, I don’t expect them to consider that.
Pawtucket: Who is the worst player on an expiring deal on a playoff team? And then who should they trade him to for what return?
My immediate thought was Milan Lucic but Calgary isn’t in the postseason. Let’s call them playoff-adjacent so they’re out. My second thought was Jonathan Quick of the Kings. $5.8MM for a save percentage of .879 isn’t good value at all. Clearing that contract would give them plenty of flexibility. It’d also open up a hole between the pipes and I’m not sure the optics are great for trading a 16-year King who seems like a candidate to retire at the year. He’s probably out as well as a result.
My next (and last) thought was to look to the minors for the negative-value deals there. That would be Anton Khudobin, a player that legitimately is an NHLer but his contract was easy to bury. I don’t think he’s likely to be dealt with an incentive (which is what I assume you were expecting to see) but would rather be a throw-in in a deal like Craig Smith was to match money.
I will say this, however. If you’re looking for teams that a buyer might need to dump money onto, I’d go with Minnesota, Anaheim, and Chicago. The Wild could do a move like that to add a depth piece, The Ducks have indicated before that they’re open to such a move, and the Blackhawks have done it enough times already that there’s no reason to think they wouldn’t again.
New Jersey Devils Acquire Timo Meier
The New Jersey Devils have completed what many expected them to do for months as they have made a big addition up front. They have acquired forwards Timo Meier and Timur Ibragimov, defensemen Scott Harrington and Santeri Hatakka, goaltender Zacharie Emond, and Colorado’s 2024 fifth-round pick from the San Jose Sharks. In return, the Sharks receive prospect defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotyuk, forwards Andreas Johnsson and Fabian Zetterlund, a 2023 first-round pick (top-two protected), a conditional 2024 second-round selection, and a 2024 seventh-round selection.
The conditions on the 2024 selection are as follows:
Should New Jersey reach the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals (and Meier plays in at least 50% of Meier’s Club’s Playoff games in 2023) or the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals, New Jersey will transfer its own first-round pick in 2024 NHL Draft to San Jose (top 10 protected), instead of its own second-round pick in 2024 NHL Draft. If New Jersey’s first-round pick in 2024 NHL Draft is a top 10 selection, New Jersey will have the option to instead transfer its own first-round pick in 2025 NHL Draft to San Jose. Should New Jersey transfer its first-round pick in 2024 NHL Draft per the original condition (top-two above in Condition A), New Jersey will instead transfer its own first-round pick in 2025 NHL Draft should they reach the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals.
At the NHL trade deadline, veteran players on expiring contracts are often dealt to contenders for a package of future assets. Usually, those rentals are nearing or over 30, sometimes even in the twilight of their careers. That’s not the case with Meier, who won’t turn 27 until October and is a legitimate first-line star in the prime of his career.
The big winger already has 31 goals this season through 57 games, after scoring 35 last season, and averages 20 minutes a night for the Sharks. He instantly upgrades the Devils’ attack, making them an even bigger contender in the treacherous Eastern Division playoff race. Whether he plays with Swiss countryman Nico Hischier or superstar center Jack Hughes, Meier always seemed like the perfect fit for a New Jersey team finally ready to push some chips to the middle of the table.
After years of rebuilding, stockpiling prospects and draft picks, the Devils are a dangerous group despite being one of the youngest in the NHL. Meier’s status as a pending restricted free agent only makes him more valuable to an acquiring team like New Jersey, which could legitimately afford to sign him to a long-term extension.
That extension will be pricey, though. The winger is due a $10MM qualifying offer this summer because of how his current contract is structured and he will have plenty of leverage in negotiations. If he desires to test the open market, he could agree to the qualifying offer for a one-year deal, and hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024.
While there were reports for some time that the Devils wouldn’t agree to a deal without an extension in place, it’s still a reasonable bet to grab Meier now and worry about a contract later. The Metropolitan Division has already seen plenty of incoming star power, with Vladimir Tarasenko and Bo Horvat joining the New York Rangers and New York Islanders, respectively, and could see Patrick Kane join the bright lights of Broadway this week. To keep up in the arms race, New Jersey has landed their own difference-making forward—one who could be the best of the bunch, at least right now.
Of their other additions, Harrington gives them an experienced depth defender that has spent most of the season in a depth role with San Jose. He’s on a two-way deal and is an unrestricted free agent this summer. Hatakka got into nine games with the Sharks last season but has missed most of this season due to injury, suiting up just eight times for the AHL’s Barracuda. He has one year left on his entry-level deal. Ibragimov has spent the entire season with ECHL Wichita, picking up 32 points in 52 games and will be a restricted free agent this summer. Emond has played in just four games for the Thunder and will also be a restricted free agent this summer. Ibragimov and Emond’s inclusion are likely just for contract matching purposes to keep both teams compliant with the 50-contract limit.
As for the Sharks, they add some important pieces for the future with the high draft picks along with Mukhamadullin, the 20th pick in 2020. The 21-year-old is having a strong season in the KHL with 25 points in 67 games and is expected to come to North America as soon as Salavat Yulaev’s season comes to an end so it’s possible San Jose will be able to get him into their system late in the season. Okhotyuk has split the season between New Jersey and AHL Utica. He has played in ten contests with the Devils plus 20 more for the Comets and could fill the depth defender role that Harrington is vacating. The 22-year-old has one year left on his entry-level deal.
Zetterlund has been a regular most nights for the Devils and has been a good depth scorer, notching 20 points in 45 games despite averaging less than 13 minutes a night. The 23-year-old should get a bigger opportunity with the Sharks following the move which could boost his value heading into restricted free agency this summer where he’ll be eligible for salary arbitration for the first time. Johnsson’s inclusion is mostly for salary purposes as he’s in the final season of a deal that carries a $3.4MM AAV. That cap hit has kept him in the minors for most of the season where he has 29 points in 36 games with Utica. However, he has 113 points in 248 career NHL contests and could get a shot at regular playing time down the stretch with San Jose to rebuild his value heading into unrestricted free agency for the first time this summer.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic was the first to report that Meier was going to New Jersey. TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie was the first to mention San Jose’s 50% retention. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli first reported Harrington’s inclusion. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first with Johnsson being in the deal along with Okhotyuk. Shayna Goldman of The Athletic first had Zetterlund’s involvement with the 2023 first-round pick. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta was first with Hatakka’s inclusion.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Flyers Receiving Interest In James Van Riemsdyk
As more trade targets come off the board, others now are shifting to the forefront. That appears to be the case for Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that there are now several teams showing interest in the veteran. Michael Russo of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the Wild are among those teams.
The 33-year-old has been a quality scorer throughout his career, averaging 26.5 goals per 82 games. Notably, van Riemsdyk has been a strong producer on the power play, potting 21 goals with the man advantage since the 2020-21 campaign. This would certainly be appealing to playoff-bound teams who could use him in a middle-six role at even strength while deploying him in a more prominent spot on the power play.
Despite his track record, van Riemsdyk is in the middle of a bit of a down season as he has just nine goals and 14 assists in 40 games while also missing 20 contests due to a hand injury. He also carries a sizable price tag with a $7MM AAV in the final season of a five-year, $35MM pact signed back in 2018. Notably, that deal does not carry any form of trade protection.
Philadelphia has all three of its salary retention slots remaining so it seems quite likely that they’ll retain up to the maximum of 50% ($3.5MM) to help facilitate a move and help secure a better return. It’s unlikely that van Riemsdyk will command a first-round pick in return even with a strong market but the Flyers will have a chance to add at least a decent piece for the future by flipping him elsewhere in the coming days.
Predators Scratch Tanner Jeannot For Trade-Related Reasons
Saturday’s trade of Nino Niederreiter to Winnipeg indicated that the Predators were set to be sellers at the trade deadline. One name that appears to be in play now is winger Tanner Jeannot as the team announced (Twitter link) that he won’t play tonight against Arizona for trade-related reasons.
Of course, as we’ve seen with how things have played out with Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun, Blue Jackets blueliner Vladislav Gavrikov, and even Canucks rearguard Luke Schenn, receiving this designation does not mean that a trade is imminent. Instead, it could be merely protecting against the risk of him being injured with the deadline now just a few days away. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicates (Twitter link) that the Lightning have made a pitch for Jeannot although it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s where he’ll wind up.
Just a few months ago, the idea of Nashville even considering the possibility of moving Jeannot would have been unthinkable. Here’s a 25-year-old player whose rookie season was quite impressive as he picked up 24 goals and 17 assists in 2021-22 along with 318 hits, becoming a legitimate power forward in the process. That enabled him to finish seventh in Calder Trophy voting and it appears that the Preds had another part of their long-term core in place.
However, things haven’t gone anywhere near as well this time around. This season, Jeannot has just five goals and nine assists in 56 games even though his playing time (15:05 per game) is pretty close to where it was a year ago (15:58). The physicality is still there (213 hits) but instead of being a top-six producer, Jeannot’s stats are closer to that of an energetic fourth liner.
Earlier this month, the Predators had started discussions on a contract extension but clearly, those haven’t led anywhere just yet. Now, it appears that they’re circling back to teams that showed interest in him previously with the idea of moving him while his value should still be high. He’ll be affordable on just about everyone’s salary cap as he carries an AAV of just $800K this season. He’ll be owed a qualifying offer of just under $900K but with salary arbitration eligibility this summer, he’s in line for a significant raise even with his struggles this season. In the meantime, it appears as if there’s a chance that someone will be adding an intriguing power forward to their squad in the coming days.
Colorado Avalanche Acquire Jack Johnson
The Colorado Avalanche are bringing back a piece of their Stanley Cup roster, re-acquiring Jack Johnson from the Chicago Blackhawks. Andreas Englund will be the player going back to Chicago.
Johnson, 36, certainly isn’t the player that went third overall in 2005, or even the one that scored 40 points in 2014-15 with the Columbus Blue Jackets. But given his familiarity with the Avalanche organization and success last year, it is a nice reunion for the veteran defenseman.
Colorado is missing Erik Johnson and Cale Makar, considerably limiting their defensive depth. Jack Johnson will slide into the depth chart in a similar role as he did last year, playing limited minutes whenever needed but not making much of an impact one way or another.
Giving up Englund means almost nothing for the Avalanche, and shows there wasn’t really a market for Johnson around the league. The 27-year-old has played 36 NHL games this year and 69 in his career, but is still looking for his first goal. As a pending unrestricted free agent, Englund doesn’t represent much of anything for the Blackhawks moving forward.
This effectively boils down to doing Johnson a favor, sending him back to a great team that he is comfortable with after logging some difficult minutes this year. The veteran defender was playing nearly 20 minutes a night for Chicago, more than he has since 2017. He won’t get anywhere near that much playing time in Colorado, but now has the chance to go for another long playoff run before his career winds down.
Kevin Weekes of ESPN broke the deal on Twitter.
Snapshots: Bear, Stalock, Sanford
The Vancouver Canucks will be without Ethan Bear for the next little while, after he suffered an injury last night. Bear was moved to injured reserve today, with Noah Juulsen recalled in his place.
Vancouver is quickly running out of options for a team that is expected to move at least one defenseman at the deadline. Bear joins eight other players on IR (regular or long-term) for the Canucks, including Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Travis Dermott, and Tucker Poolman.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have activated Alex Stalock from injured reserve, according to Mark Lazerus of The Athletic. That is encouraging news after he was ruled out with ocular dysfunction from multiple head injuries for a while. His return means Jaxson Stauber is being sent back to the AHL, despite a pretty impressive performance from the rookie netminder. Stauber went 5-1 in six games with a .911 save percentage.
- With Nino Niederreiter gone, the Nashville Predators have recalled Zach Sanford from the minor leagues. The big forward has nine goals and 19 points in 32 games with the Milwaukee Admirals but just two points in eight NHL contests so far this season.
Ryan Carpenter, Braden Schneider Dressed, Not Playing For New York Rangers
As the New York Rangers carefully manage their cap in preparation for the expected addition of Patrick Kane later this week, some interesting decisions must be made. Tonight Ryan Carpenter and Braden Schneider are dressed for the game but are not expected to actually play a shift, according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic.
The reason is that these players will be sent down to the minor leagues in the coming days, allowing the Rangers to bank enough cap space to add Kane before the trade deadline. If either one suffered an injury, the plan—one with very little room for error—would be impossible, and the Rangers would be forced to make a different transaction to accommodate an incoming cap hit.
It does not mean that Carpenter or Schneider are involved in the potential trade (though it doesn’t rule that out, either), only that the team needs to protect their health as the few waiver-exempt players on the roster. Because they will still be dressed, the Rangers won’t get the bonus emergency exception that playing shorthanded usually affords a team.
Playing with just 16 skaters is difficult, but it’s a small price to pay for potentially adding a future Hall of Famer later this week. The Rangers don’t play again until Wednesday. As if taunting the hockey gods, though, K’Andre Miller has taken a match penalty in the first period for spitting at Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, which means the Rangers are effectively playing with just four defensemen. It also will mean an automatic review of the situation by the league and a potential suspension for Miller this week.
Barry Trotz Will Replace David Poile As Predators GM
The Nashville Predators will soon have a new general manager for the first time in franchise history, but it will be a very familiar face. David Poile will retire as GM and president of hockey operations effective June 30th, staying in a consulting role afterward. Barry Trotz is expected to be hired immediately and officially take over the position this summer.
Poile, 73, has led the Nashville franchise since 1997 before they were even known as the Predators. He navigated the expansion process, bringing hockey to a market where few believed it would be successful. The team, even without a Stanley Cup championship, has become one of the league’s most stable organizations, drawing strong crowds and reaching the playoffs in 15 of the last 18 seasons.
This season, he became the first executive in NHL history to serve as general manager of a franchise for 3,000 games, combining his time in Nashville with years leading the Washington Capitals previously. This is his 41st consecutive season as an NHL GM.
Trotz, 60, was a big part of bringing hockey to Nashville as well. The team’s first head coach, he was behind the bench for the first 15 years of Predators hockey, leading them to a 557-479-60-100 record. He would then, coincidentally, head to Washington, where he won a Jack Adams and Stanley Cup with the Capitals, and then to the New York Islanders, where he would take home his second Coach of the Year award.
After leaving the Islanders, Trotz has spoken publicly about his desire to get into an NHL front office. The Predators are the perfect fit, given his ties to the organization and the need for something of a new voice in the front office.
Poile’s direction has been questioned in recent years, as the Predators struggled to stay among the league’s elite after reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2017. The books are filled with long, expensive contracts for veteran players, and a potential teardown may be in the cards at some point.
That was signaled with this weekend’s trade of Nino Niederreiter, but there is a lot more surgery to be performed on this roster if Trotz is to lead them to a championship. The Predators are expected to be serious players in the next few days, and the incoming executive will likely be involved in many of those decisions, even if his title won’t be official for a few months.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the news on Twitter.
Snapshots: Dumba, Olofsson, Boqvist
The Minnesota Wild have acted as a banker the last few weeks, retaining salary in two transactions to grab some extra draft capital. Given their place in the standings, though, many assume they will do something more significant at the deadline. General manager Bill Guerin spoke candidly about his team today, once again answering specific questions on Matt Dumba:
Look. If someone comes through and offers a boatload for him we’ll think about it, but as of right now, Matt’s playing his best hockey of the year. I would bet that he’s here through the end of the year. I can’t make that promise, but he’s playing pretty good hockey right now.
Dumba, 28, is on an expiring contract, and despite Guerin’s comments that he’ll be in Minnesota through the end of the season, he once again implied that the team wouldn’t be able to (or wouldn’t even try to) re-sign him in the summer. Minnesota is in fourth in the Central but just four points behind the division-leading Dallas Stars.
- Speaking of Dallas, they have once again loaned Fredrik Olofsson to the minor leagues, as they do on almost every off-day. The Stars have been banking cap space all season, and today’s addition of Evgenii Dadonov opened up even more room, due to the salary retention by the Montreal Canadiens. The team now has plenty of flexibility going into this week’s negotiations and could add another significant player.
- Adam Boqvist was scratched from today’s Columbus Blue Jackets game due to a lower-body injury but is only out day-to-day, according to the team. The young defenseman was playing arguably his best hockey of the season lately, registering points in five of his last six games. He was replaced in the lineup by Billy Sweezey, who is making his NHL debut while Vladislav Gavrikov continues to sit out.
Jake Leschyshyn Clears Waivers
Feb 26: Along with the other two players on waivers, Leschyshyn has cleared without issue. He has been sent to the minor leagues in favor of Ryan Carpenter, who was recalled because the Rangers need 18 skaters if they are cap compliant. Carpenter’s $750K cap hit is slightly lower, though, allowing the team to bank a tiny bit of extra space today.
Feb 25: With the Rangers expected to be trying to clear up some salary to make another move to add to their roster, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that Jake Leschyshyn is expected to be on waivers at the top of the hour.
It will be the second time that the 23-year-old is on waivers this season as Vegas put him on the wire back in January when New York picked him up. Leschyshyn has yet to put up a single point in 35 games in 2022-23 between the two teams (22 with the Golden Knights, 13 with the Rangers) although he does have 55 hits and has won a little over 50% of his faceoffs so far. Last season was his first taste of NHL action when he had four goals and two assists in 41 appearances with Vegas.
Notably, Leschyshyn is in the first season of a three-year, one-way deal that carries a cap hit of $766.7K. Teams may be hesitant to commit two years of guaranteed salary to a player whose place on an NHL roster is very much in flux even though starting next season, his AAV will be below the league minimum. If Vegas elects to put in a claim and no one else does, they would be permitted to send Leschyshyn to the minors but if anyone else opted to, he would need to stay on the NHL roster.