Libor Hajek, Linus Hogberg Clear Waivers
Feb 10: Both players have cleared waivers. That means Hajek can be sent to the minor leagues, and Hogberg is free to pursue other opportunities overseas.
Feb 9: As we await the official announcement of Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers, the team has started clearing some space. Libor Hajek has been placed on waivers, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets. The Philadelphia Flyers have also placed Linus Hogberg on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a contract termination.
Hajek, 25, came into the Rangers organization with high hopes as part of the return for Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller, but never lived up to expectations. The 2016 second-round pick has 110 games played over parts of five seasons (all with New York), and has produced just 12 points, averaging fewer than 15 minutes in his appearances.
While he was never supposed to be a big offensive threat, the 6’2″ defenseman hasn’t been effective in his own end, either, At this point, he was a potential candidate to go unqualified in the summer. That doesn’t guarantee he’ll pass through, though, as teams often give high draft picks (especially defensemen) extra chances to prove their worth at the NHL level. On a one-year, $800K contract, it might be worthwhile for a rebuilding club.
Hogberg, meanwhile, played just five games for the Flyers last season and had been buried in the organizational depth chart this year, sitting in the press box even at the AHL level. The 24-year-old will likely return to Sweden to continue his career overseas after the short stint in North America.
Snapshots: Tarasenko, Anderson, Puljujarvi
Hitting the ice today as a member of the New York Rangers, Vladimir Tarasenko was skating beside Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, as many expected. The former St. Louis Blues star spoke with the media, including Mollie Walker of the New York Post after practice, and confirmed what had been reported over the last few months:
There was no chance I was staying in St. Louis. No deal was offered, so I knew I was going to be moved. I talked with Artemi and they want me here. I want to be here, too…it’s a chance to win a Cup again.
The good vibes were clear when Panarin explained how happy he was to have a long-time friend join the team. Tarasenko, of course, is only signed through the end of this season at the moment. A pending unrestricted free agent, it will be interesting to see if the Rangers will offer him the extension that never came in St. Louis.
- The Montreal Canadiens are sort of flying under the radar as a potential seller at this year’s deadline, mostly because of their lack of expiring contracts. Arpon Basu of The Athletic argues that if Josh Anderson is drawing interest, though, the team has to investigate what they could get in return. The 28-year-old is signed through the 2026-27 season and carries a cap hit of $5.5MM. It hasn’t worked out exactly as planned, with Anderson’s offensive game never really materializing past his individual power and speed. He has 25 assists in 170 games with the team, but still is so intriguing because of his heavy, made-for-the-playoffs style.
- With the Edmonton Oilers approaching something of a cap crunch, as Kailer Yamamoto gets healthy enough to return from LTIR, Chris Johnston openly wondered on TSN’s Insider Trading about whether Jesse Puljujarvi would end up on waivers. As Jason Gregor of TSN points out, if Yamamoto is coming back this weekend, today is probably the day Edmonton uses waivers.
Latest On Timo Meier
The Timo Meier-to-New Jersey train has been gathering speed for the last few weeks. It seems like a perfect fit, and now with the New York Islanders and New York Rangers both loading up with Bo Horvat and Vladimir Tarasenko respectively, the Devils might have to keep pace.
Today, though, on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman suggested that two other teams could be involved in Meier trade talks. The first, which shouldn’t surprise many, is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Friedman noted that Kyle Dubas’ recent comments about not spending high picks and prospects were contingent on the term “rentals,” which, technically, Meier isn’t. The San Jose Sharks forward has a $10MM qualifying offer this offseason and has reportedly been open to potentially signing an extension wherever he lands, should it make sense.
One guy said to me that there are teams out there thinking that Toronto, at the very least have considered: ‘do we go get Meier for this run, and then sort it out later.’ Basically punt the decision to the summer.
Toronto isn’t the only one, though. Friedman notes there are a number of Eastern Conference teams after Meier and at least a few from the West. One of those is the Winnipeg Jets, apparently, who Friedman has also heard about in regard to Meier. With a new coaching staff the Jets look like a lock for the playoffs again and could even still compete for the Central Division crown with a good stretch run. With Blake Wheeler coming off the cap after the 2023-24 season, they’ll also have some flexibility in terms of a long-term extension if they were to land the star winger.
Almost everything surrounding Meier right now is speculative, though. The Sharks appear ready to wait out the market and make sure they get the biggest haul possible, and for a good reason. The 26-year-old Meier is a legitimate difference-maker, who already has 30 goals this season and can drive a line by himself. You don’t always have a chance to acquire in-their-prime assets at the deadline, especially not forwards that can play 20 minutes a night.
If Toronto and Winnipeg do get involved, it won’t be an easy bidding war. Things are set up to be quite beneficial for the Sharks, even if they are selling off a beloved homegrown star.
Montreal Canadiens Extend Jordan Harris
The Montreal Canadiens may be out of the race, but they’re not on vacation. Today they announced a two-year extension for Jordan Harris, locking him up through the 2024-25 season. The contract carries an average annual value of $1.4MM.
Signed less than a year ago out of Northeastern University, it was always going to be a quick turnaround for Harris. His entry-level contract was limited to two seasons because of his age, and the first year was burned with his ten-game stretch run. Now, after spending the entire season with Montreal, he would have gone into the summer as a restricted free agent.
To avoid any complications there, the team has handed him a pretty hefty contract for a player with just 57 games under his belt. The hope is that his upward progression continues, and he quickly becomes a bargain for the Canadiens.
It’s easy to bet on Harris. The 22-year-old has averaged over 18 minutes this season and has 11 points, playing mostly in a defensive role despite his relatively small stature. He isn’t the big, bruising behemoth that most imagine when thinking of a shutdown defender, but Harris is effective in his own end, will throw his weight around, and is improving on the penalty kill.
If the Canadiens are going to say goodbye to Joel Edmundson at the deadline, a player like Harris will likely get even more opportunity to play in that shutdown role – even if there does appear to be a little more offensive upside yet untapped.
Trade Deadline Primer: Carolina Hurricanes
With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is less than a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Carolina Hurricanes.
After narrowly losing in the second round of the playoffs to the Rangers last season, the Hurricanes made a pair of key veteran additions over the summer to look to cement themselves as a contender. One of those players (Max Pacioretty) is now out for the season but that actually opens up some different opportunities for them to consider from a salary cap perspective with the veteran’s $7MM AAV now on LTIR.
Heading into action tonight, Carolina sits first in the Metropolitan Division and second in the Eastern Conference. Accordingly, it’s not a matter of if they make a move but rather when they make it.
Record
34-9-8, 1st in the Metropolitan
Deadline Status
Buyer
Deadline Cap Space
$10.16MM in LTIR relief, 1/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2023: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, CAR/PHI 3rd*, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, VAN 5th, CAR 6th, CHI 6th, CAR 7th
2024: CAR 1st, CAR 2nd, PHI 2nd, CAR 3rd, CAR 4th, CAR 5th, CAR 6th, CAR 7th
*-Carolina will keep the lower pick between the two
Trade Chips
While they’ll be a buyer, that isn’t to say that Carolina can’t sell as well. With Frederik Andersen returning to the lineup just before the All-Star break and Pyotr Kochetkov back in the minors, it’s possible that they could look to move Antti Raanta and take advantage of what could be a light goalie trade market. The pending unrestricted free agent has a very manageable cap hit of $2MM and has a nice 2.46 GAA in 19 games this season, almost identical to his output from 2021-22. Such a move would come with some risk given Andersen’s injury history but if they’re able to get a decent asset for the veteran netminder, it might make it easier to part with one of their other trade chips.
One other roster player that seems like a reasonable candidate to move is Dylan Coghlan. The defenseman was the sweetener that Vegas attached for them to take on Pacioretty’s contract and after playing in 59 games with the Golden Knights the year before, it felt like he’d be a useful depth piece. However, the 24-year-old has only played in 16 games and has been a healthy scratch the rest of the way. A pending restricted free agent, Coghlan’s $762.5K cap hit is easy for just about any team to absorb and chances are that some selling squads might want to take a look at him for the stretch run.
From there, they’ll turn to their futures pool of picks and prospects. On the latter front, Jack Drury is likely to be of some interest. The center has gotten his feet wet with Carolina this season, suiting up in 21 games and while he hasn’t produced much (just two assists), he’s only a year removed from putting up 52 points with AHL Chicago. There’s some offensive upside to work with potentially. 2019 first-round pick Ryan Suzuki has yet to see NHL action and is in the midst of another injury-shortened season, playing in just 20 games with the Wolves so far. Noel Gunler slid a bit further than expected in the 2021 draft, lasting into the second round. His first full season in North America has gone well and his stock should be fairly high as a result.
Defensively, Scott Morrow will get some attention. The 21-year-old is having another strong season at UMass and is getting relatively close to being NHL-ready. That type of profile is always enticing to sellers. Dominick Fensore is certainly an undersized blueliner (5’7) but he has had some success at Boston University. He’s in his senior year and isn’t a lock to get a contract from Carolina. If another team wants him, Fensore could be a secondary part of a swap. Joey Keane’s rights might also be of small interest; after a decent showing on his entry-level deal, he somewhat surprisingly opted to play in the KHL this season where he has done relatively well.
Other Potential Trade Chips: F Dominik Bokk, F Patrik Puistola, F Justin Robidas
Team Needs
1) Top-Six Forward: While Pacioretty’s injury opens up some LTIR room, it also opened up a sizable hole in their top six to try to fill. Carolina generally hasn’t favored going the rental route so it shouldn’t come as much surprise that Pierre LeBrun linked them to San Jose’s Timo Meier in TSN’s latest Insider Trading segment (video link). That forward could also be a center with Martin Necas being more of a winger and the trio of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jordan Staal, and Paul Stastny not really being suited for top-six duty.
2) Playable Defensive Depth: It seems evident that there isn’t much faith in Coghlan when the team is fully healthy. Finding a defender (or even two) that they’d be more comfortable using when injuries arise or to spell Calvin de Haan or Jalen Chatfield would be worthwhile.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Toronto’s Trade Chips, Senators, Paul
The Maple Leafs are certainly going to be looking to buy heading into next month’s trade deadline but as a result of the team making some splashes in recent years, their prospect pool and collection of draft picks isn’t the deepest to deal from. Speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Kyle Dubas indicated that he can’t see the team dealing away their top chips, either their first-round pick or top prospect Matthew Knies. He wouldn’t entirely rule out the idea of one of those pieces moving but for the time being, it appears that they’re not going to be in play. Toronto has three other guaranteed selections plus potentially their own third-round pick depending on if Arizona opts to take it or a 2025 second-rounder as part of a previous swap.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Still with the Maple Leafs, while Knies has been speculated to be turning pro at the conclusion of his college season, he told TSN’s Mark Masters that he hasn’t decided which route to take yet and will wait until after Minnesota’s campaign comes to an end before considering his decision. The 20-year-old averaged a point per game in his rookie year last season and is ahead of that pace in 2022-23 with 17 goals and 13 assists in 28 contests.
- Senators defenseman Artem Zub is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). He has been out for a little under a month with a lower-body injury, his third extended absence of the season which has limited him to just 21 games so far. Meanwhile, Garrioch tweets that while goalie Cam Talbot also skated today, he won’t play this weekend. The veteran is dealing with a lower-body issue of his own and with Ottawa potentially wanting to move him by next month’s deadline, they’ll want to be cautious and make sure he’s fully healthy before bringing him back. Talbot has retroactively been moved to injured reserve but can be activated as soon as he’s ready to return.
- Lightning winger Nick Paul was a late scratch before tonight’s game against Colorado with the team announcing (Twitter link) that he’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old has been a capable secondary scorer in his first season with the team, notching 16 goals with 10 assists in 50 games. Notably, with less than $720K in LTIR room per CapFriendly, Tampa Bay does not have enough space to call up a replacement for him on the roster.
Central Notes: Hynes, Toews, Coyotes
Even though the Predators find themselves outside the playoff picture and have been one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league this season, don’t expect a coaching change for the stretch run. GM David Poile told Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean that John Hynes’ job is “absolutely not” in jeopardy and that he feels the coaching staff is doing a great job. Nashville had quite a few players have career years in 2021-22 but that hasn’t been the case through the first two-thirds of this season. They’ll need a few players to catch fire if they want to stay in the mix down the stretch; they sit four points out of both third place in the Central Division and the Western Wild Card race.
More from the Central:
- The Blackhawks will likely be without center Jonathan Toews for their next two games, relays Scott Powers of The Athletic (Twitter link). Chicago’s captain missed Tuesday’s game due to illness and while he returned to the gym today, head coach Luke Richardson indicated that the veteran likely won’t be recovered enough to play through the weekend. Toews, a speculative candidate to be moved by March 3rd if he’s willing to waive his trade protection, sits third on the team in scoring with 14 goals and 14 assists in 46 games so far this season.
- There was a Coyotes-related element to today’s trade that sent Vladimir Tarasenko to the Rangers. In order for the conditional third-round pick to be included, it first had to be made available to New York to move as Arizona held that selection as part of the Patrik Nemeth swap last summer. That trade gave Arizona the option to take the 2024 pick or New York’s 2026 selection. CapFriendly confirms (Twitter link) that the Coyotes have opted for the 2026 choice, which ultimately helped pave the way for Tarasenko to be swapped.
Injury Notes: Matthews, Thompson, Jets
It’s been over two weeks since Auston Matthews last suited up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, missing the last three games before the All-Star break with a knee sprain. Matthews told reporters today that he doesn’t know when he’ll be back in the lineup but will “take it day to day” as he rejoins his team for practice.
He may not be on his earth-shattering 60-plus goal pace from last season, but he’s still an elite number-one center on one of the best teams in the NHL. With 25 goals, 28 assists, and 53 points in 47 games, Matthews is on pace to have more assists than goals for the first time in his career, which he mentioned as a personal goal some seasons back. Matthews revealed the injury was sustained in warmups before a January 25 game against the New York Rangers, which he played. He said the injury “got worse throughout the game,” calling it “kind of fluky.”
- There’s good news for Buffalo Sabres fans, who will need everything to go right for the rest of the season to maintain their position in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race. Head coach Don Granato said center Tage Thompson was “pretty much back to normal” today at practice, signaling a potential end to a brief injury absence that caused him to miss the 2023 All-Star Game last weekend. He could be ready to go on Saturday when Buffalo returns to play against the Calgary Flames. Thompson is just four goals shy of tying last season’s goal total of 38, which he set in 78 games.
- Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness issued a variety of injury updates to reporters today, but most notably said that forward Mason Appleton is on track to play Saturday. The 27-year-old played 14 games this season before sustaining a wrist injury that has cost him much of the 2022-23 campaign. Appleton was off to a strong start with six points and elevated ice time before going down with the injury. Bowness also mentioned that forward David Gustafsson and defenseman Dylan DeMelo, who are both day-to-day, aren’t ready to rejoin full practice.
Blues Notes: O’Reilly, Buchnevich, Perunovich, Tucker
The St. Louis Blues stole today’s thunder by dealing Vladimir Tarasenko to the New York Rangers, but there’s even more Blues news to discuss on the injury front. Head coach Craig Berube said today that another trade chip, Ryan O’Reilly, is possible for Saturday night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes but has yet to be cleared.
O’Reilly added to his coach’s comments, saying he has to be 100 percent sure his injured foot is healed before returning to avoid re-injury. A 12-year NHL veteran, O’Reilly last played in their New Year’s Eve matchup against the Minnesota Wild. He’s missed the following 14 games with the injury. The winner of the 2019 Selke and Conn Smythe Trophies, O’Reilly is in a down season with a -28 rating and just 16 points in 37 games. He’s in the final season of a seven-year, $7.5MM average annual value contract.
Per The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford, O’Reilly resumed skating on Tuesday, and NHL.com’s Lou Korac said the Blues captain practiced in full equipment today.
- Berube also told reporters Pavel Buchnevich is possible for Saturday after missing the past two weeks with an ankle injury. Buchnevich, with 38 points in 38 games, is the team’s leader in points per game, just ahead of Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. If he’s cleared to return, along with O’Reilly, they’ll likely skate together on the second line alongside Brandon Saad.
- In a very positive development, top defense prospect Scott Perunovich has been cleared for contact and, per Berube, is “ready to do everything.” Perunovich, 24, hasn’t played in all in 2022-23 after sustaining a preseason shoulder injury. After missing the entirety of 2020-21 and most of 2021-22 with injuries, a strong finish to the season could salvage Perunovich’s stunted development. He showed true flashes of stardom in the minors last season, recording 22 points in just 17 games with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds.
- Defenseman Tyler Tucker is coming up from Springfield to replace Niko Mikkola‘s now-vacant spot on the roster, as he was included in the trade to New York earlier today. Tucker, a seventh-round pick in 2018, has shot up the Blues’ depth chart to play in 12 games this season, recording one assist.
Ottawa Senators Recall Ridly Greig, Mads Sogaard
The Ottawa Senators recalled forward Ridly Greig and goaltender Mads Sogaard from the AHL’s Belleville Senators on Thursday, per the team’s communications department.
The moves come as Ottawa gears up for their first game after the All-Star break, Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers. Ottawa sent down Greig and Sogaard, along with forward Mark Kastelic, following their last game on January 31 to get the trio playing time in the AHL.
Greig, 20, earns reinstatement on the NHL roster after a strong four games to begin his NHL career. Scrambling for an answer at the second-line center position with Joshua Norris out of the lineup, Greig has two assists and a +4 rating in four games between Alex DeBrincat and veteran Claude Giroux. Advanced numbers also applaud the line’s play, as MoneyPuck has the trio with an expected goals share of 67%.
Sogaard returns to the Sens as Cam Talbot remains sidelined with a lower-body injury. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reported last week that Talbot was expected to resume skating today, but it’s unclear whether Talbot is still on track to return next week.
The 37th overall selection in 2019, Sogaard’s AHL play has taken a step back this season. After 35 appearances and a .908 save percentage in Belleville last season, which also saw him make his first two NHL appearances in a brief call-up, his save percentage has dipped below the .900 mark in 2022-23. He’s yet to make an appearance in the NHL this year but could be forced into action if Talbot’s absence is more long-term.