Coyotes Scratch Nick Bjugstad, Recall Laurent Dauphin
The Coyotes announced (Twitter link) that they’ve scratched center Nick Bjugstad tonight for trade-related reasons, joining defenseman Jakob Chychrun on that front. Taking Bjugstad’s place on the roster will be center Laurent Dauphin who has been recalled from AHL Tucson.
Bjugstad opted to sign a one-year, $900K contract with Arizona last summer in the hopes of playing a regular role and rebuilding some value after three straight quiet, injury-riddled seasons. The move has turned out to be a good one for the 30-year-old who has posted 13 goals and 10 assists so far in 59 games while winning just over 47% of his faceoffs. He also is averaging two hits per game. With a low price tag, Bjugstad is the type of fourth liner that teams will certainly be looking to add to shore up their depth between now and Friday’s trade deadline and the Coyotes are making sure he’ll be available to be traded over risking him getting injured in tonight’s game against Chicago.
That decision gives Dauphin his third opportunity with the Coyotes this season. The 27-year-old signed a one-year, two-way deal with Arizona in the summer but has only gotten into three NHL contests so far after suiting up in 38 with Montreal in 2021-22. However, Dauphin has been productive in the minors with the Roadrunners, tallying 16 goals along with 25 assists in 48 games so far.
New York Rangers Acquire Patrick Kane
Though it has been evident for a while that Chicago Blackhawks legend Patrick Kane would be joining the New York Rangers, what wasn’t so clear is the price they would be forced to pay for him. That price is now known as the trade has been finalized with Kane and defenseman Cooper Zech heading to the Rangers as part of a three-team trade that also involves Arizona. Chicago receives a 2023 conditional second-round pick and a fourth-round pick along with defenseman Andy Welinski from New York along with the rights to blueliner Vili Saarijarvi from Arizona while the Coyotes receive a 2025 third-round pick from the Rangers for brokering the deal by retaining 25% of Kane’s contract after Chicago held back the maximum 50% of his $10.5MM AAV.
The 2023 second-rounder can become a first-round selection if the Rangers make it to the Conference Finals. It would then be conveyed in either 2024 (top-10 protected) or 2025. The third-rounder going to Arizona will either be the Rangers’ own pick or the better of theirs and Dallas’ if defenseman Nils Lundkvist has 55 points combined this season and next which would transfer the Stars’ 2025 selection to New York.
Just as it played out with Claude Giroux last season, a franchise icon with full no-movement protection essentially dictated his destination, resulting in an underwhelming return. The Blackhawks were not able to land a guaranteed first-round pick in the deal, but will send Kane to his preferred team and still recoup some value.
When it became clear that the Blackhawks were tearing it down to rebuild through the draft, it made little sense for them to re-sign Kane in the offseason. If he was going to leave anyway, getting a second (or first) before he walked out the door only helps the efforts of general manager Kyle Davidson. Kane wasn’t forced out the door, but will now get another chance at the Stanley Cup this season with a loaded Rangers club.
After New York acquired Vladimir Tarasenko earlier this month, it appeared they were out of the running for Kane. They had a tight cap situation and had made their significant acquisition. Even Kane seemed to know he wouldn’t be headed to New York, telling reporters that it seemed like they had “filled their void” with the deal.
But now, with the help of some creative cap gymnastics, the Rangers have made enough room to land both star wingers, giving them a forward group that looks like an All-Star roster.
He also leaves Chicago with a legacy that will be hard to beat. While Kane sits second on the all-time Blackhawks scoring list, many will remember him as the most talented player in franchise history. His 1,225 regular season points came in just 1,161 games, numbers that will have him in the Hall of Fame one day.
Now 34, Kane will be an unrestricted free agent this summer unless he signs an extension with the Rangers. That certainly seems possible, though it will be difficult for New York to fit everyone in, giving some raises they own to some other players. For now, the focus will be on winning the Stanley Cup after loading up as much as they can.
Should they reach the third round, and fork over a first-rounder to Chicago, the Blackhawks would then own seven first-round selections over the next three years. After picking three players at the top of the 2022 draft, their system will quickly be loaded with talent that can mature together. Perhaps they’ll find the next star in that bunch, but simple probability suggests they won’t find another Kane.
Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli was the first to report the draft picks while ESPN’s Emily Kaplan was the first to report the conditional element on the second-rounder. PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan was the first with the return for Arizona’s involvement.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Devils Recall Graeme Clarke
Graeme Clarke has played his way into becoming one of New Jersey’s more intriguing prospects and he was rewarded for his efforts as the team announced (Twitter link) that he has been recalled from Utica of the AHL.
The 21-year-old was a third-round pick by the Devils back in 2019 (80th overall) but has outperformed his draft stock since then. He’s actually in his third season of professional hockey already – a rarity for a major junior-drafted player – and has shown steady improvement. After putting up 24 points in 52 games last season, Clarke has been considerably more productive this year with 20 goals and 24 assists in 51 contests; his 44 points place him first on the Comets in scoring.
This will be Clarke’s first opportunity at the NHL level and it’s possible that it will be a short-lived one. Recently acquired winger Timo Meier isn’t yet ready to play as he continues to battle an upper-body injury and Clarke may simply be up until Meier is ready to make his debut. New Jersey had an open spot on their roster thanks to them losing Scott Harrington on waivers to Anaheim earlier today so no further moves needed to be made to bring Clarke up.
Snapshots: Brossoit, Fines, Annunen
The Vegas Golden Knights have placed Laurent Brossoit on injured reserve, meaning he is out for at least the next week. The 29-year-old goaltender only just returned a week ago, and flashed one of the best saves of the year on Saturday against the Dallas Stars.
An injury to Brossoit is certainly not what the Golden Knights need right now, but they at least don’t have a back-to-back situation for the next little while. Logan Thompson can carry the load, with Michael Hutchinson up serving as his backup.
- The Department of Player Safety handed out a pair of fines from the Vancouver-Dallas game last night. First is a $5,000 penalty to Colin Miller for elbowing, and second is a $2,027.03 fine to Christian Wolanin for slashing. The fines are based on player salary, and are each the maximum allowable under the CBA.
- The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Justus Annunen again, as they prepare for a back-to-back this weekend against Dallas and Seattle. The 22-year-old netminder has appeared just once this season, stopping 19 of 20 shots to secure a victory over the St. Louis Blues earlier this month.
Minnesota Wild Acquire Gustav Nyquist
The Minnesota Wild are acquiring forward Gustav Nyquist from the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets. The Blue Jackets later announced they would be acquiring a 2023 fifth-round pick from Minnesota in return, originally belonging to the Boston Bruins.
Nyquist is still out long-term as he remains week-to-week after recovering from shoulder surgery. However, per Michael Russo, Nyquist expects to be back before the end of the regular season.
That’s especially important considering this morning’s news that the NHL will closely scrutinize any trade deadline transaction involving players on long-term injured reserve for the remainder of the season. Additionally, as PuckPedia notes, the Wild have enough cap space to avoid placing Nyquist on LTIR, making this a legally sound move under NHL rules.
Nyquist, 33, is in the final season of a four-year contract with a $5.5MM cap hit signed with Columbus in 2019. His tenure there didn’t work out as hoped, with him missing significant time, including the entire 2020-21 season, due to injuries. He had 10 goals and 22 points in 48 games this season before sustaining his latest injury.
Minnesota receives, if healthy, a capable middle-six winger to add to the acquisition of Marcus Johansson earlier today. It’s an added offensive boost over players in top-nine roles like Jordan Greenway and Brandon Duhaime, who haven’t produced at a top-nine pace this season.
The Athletic’s Michael Russo was first to report Minnesota’s interest in Nyquist.
New York Rangers Make Multiple Roster Moves
The New York Rangers have announced a few moves today ahead of their anticipation acquisition of Patrick Kane. They’ve recalled defenseman Braden Schneider from the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, re-assigning forward Ryan Carpenter in his place. In addition, the Rangers have traded forward Austin Rueschhoff to the Nashville Predators in exchange for future considerations, per the team.
PuckPedia notes these transactions won’t be registered until tomorrow for cap reasons related to the Kane trade.
Schneider, New York’s first-round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, has solidified his role full-time in the NHL this season after splitting last year between the Rangers and Wolf Pack. He was sent down yesterday in a brief cap-related move. Still just 21, the right-shot D-man has five goals and 15 points in 59 games this year, along with solid defensive play.
Carpenter, on the other hand, has seen about equal time with the Rangers and Wolf Pack this year after multiple consecutive seasons as a full-time NHLer. The 32-year-old forward has a goal and two assists in 22 games with the Rangers this season, but he’s been in Hartford since the middle of January. Like Schneider, he was moved between leagues yesterday for cap-related reasons.
With the Rueschhoff trade, the Rangers move out a contract as they prepare to make a big add. In the midst of his third season with the Wolf Pack, the 25-year-old undrafted free agent will likely report to the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals. The former Western Michigan University standout had 20 goals, 23 assists, and 43 points in 113 games with Hartford across three seasons and has yet to make his NHL debut.
Columbus Blue Jackets To Scratch Joonas Korpisalo
Much like their protection of Vladislav Gavrikov, the Columbus Blue Jackets announce that goaltender Joonas Korpisalo will be scratched for trade-related protections. In a corresponding move, recent call-up Billy Sweezey will be returned to their AHL affiliate Cleveland Monsters, and goaltender Jet Greaves will be recalled for tonight’s matchup against the Buffalo Sabres.
Easily becoming the number one option in net this season for the Blue Jackets, Korpisalo is set to hit the open market this summer after his current 1-year, $1.3MM contract comes to end. After signing Elvis Merzlikins to a 5-year, $27MM contract before the start of this season, many wouldn’t have expected Korpisalo to be the clear starter in the net. However, Merzlikins has produced a dismal .876 SV% coupled with a -22.0 GSAA, so Columbus had no choice but to turn to their backup netminder. Although not earth-shattering numbers, Korpisalo has put up a .911 SV% and a 5.7 GSAA.
At the beginning of the year, the Blue Jackets may not have envisioned themselves being in this position at the deadline. Signing the top free agent on the market Johnny Gaudreau this past summer, the feelings surrounding Columbus were that of excitement. In a stacked division, it would have been an extremely difficult road ahead to be in the playoff picture, however; expectations were much higher than being in last place in the NHL coming into the trade deadline. As they look to move out expiring contracts, Korpisalo will be another player on the chopping block. As he is not a bonafide number-one option on a contending team, a steady backup goalie will have value for teams as they look to make the playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers Acquire Mattias Ekholm
5:37 pm: The Oilers have made the trade official, also acquiring a 2024 sixth-round pick along with Ekholm.
4:28 pm: The Edmonton Oilers have made their deadline splash, set to acquire veteran defenseman Mattias Ekholm and a sixth-round pick from the Nashville Predators, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. A few moments later, Friedman reported on the return, announcing that the Predators will acquire Tyson Barrie, Reid Schaefer, a first-round pick in 2023, and a fourth-round pick in 2024. Later on, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports that the Predators will also retain 4% ($250K) of Ekholm’s remaining contract.
Frequently the focus of trade rumors for the last several seasons, Ekholm will try to become the missing piece of the Oilers’ defense. After spending the last 12 years as a main piece on the Predators, Ekholm will look to transfer his two-way play to the Oilers’ back end. Since the 2015-16 season, Ekholm has always averaged over 20 minutes a game, spending time on both the power-play and penalty kill. He has the ability to block shots and create a lot of them himself, he should be the significant defense piece the Oilers have been searching for all season long.
In a surprise to many, Barrie is one of the main pieces headed back to Nashville. Benefiting by being on the same powerplay as Connor McDavid, Barrie’s playmaking abilities on the backend had a resurgence after his one year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After signing a 1-year contract with the Oilers before the 2020-21 season, his play impressed enough to earn him a 3-year, $13.5MM contract extension. In the second year of that deal, Barrie will look to transfer his passing ability to a new-look team in Nashville. Although Barrie is most known for his offensive abilities, his possession numbers are quite good as well, earning a CF% of 54.9 throughout his career.
A now-former first-round selection of Edmonton in the 2022 NHL Draft, Schaefer will become a nice prospect the Predators will add to their system. After scoring 58 points in 66 games for the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Oilers used the 32nd overall pick to select him. Continuing to grow in the Western Hockey League, Schaefer has scored 47 points in 44 games so far this season. As the Predators have also acquired Edmonton’s first-round pick in the upcoming 2023 NHL Draft, they are guaranteed two young first-round talents if they hold on to the pick. As current GM David Poile transitions the reigns over to Predators legend Barry Trotz, Poile has left now left Trotz with 11 picks in the first three rounds of the next two NHL drafts.
In a corresponding move, the Predators announced that forward Mark Jankowski has been recalled to replace Ekholm on the active roster.
Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Luke Schenn
The Toronto Maple Leafs are making their third trade of the past few hours, acquiring a former player in the process. The team announced Tuesday afternoon that they’d acquired defenseman Luke Schenn from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2023 third-round pick.
The move, which comes after the team already shipped out Rasmus Sandin and Pierre Engvall earlier today, is a clear effort by the Leafs to add more defensive depth, even after acquiring Erik Gustafsson in the Sandin trade.
Schenn is a veteran defenseman who was originally drafted by Toronto, taken fifth overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. After spending four inconsistent seasons in Toronto, which saw him oscillate between top pairing and depth minutes, he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for James van Riemsdyk. After later career stops with the Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks, Canucks, and Tampa Bay Lightning, Schenn returned to Vancouver as a free agent in the summer of 2021 after two Stanley Cup championships with Tampa.
He’ll now look to defeat his former team and help another former team get over a first-round series hump that’s lasted for nearly two decades. While never living up to his top-ten potential, Schenn has had some strong defensive seasons in the past and has penalty-killing experience. In 55 games with the Canucks this season, Schenn has three goals, 18 assists, 21 points, and averaged just over 17 minutes per game.
While interest in Schenn had been high throughout the trade season, the Leafs were able to acquire him without surrounding a prospect or a pick in the first two rounds of the draft. While Schenn may not immediately hold a place in Toronto’s top six on defense, he’ll be immediately called upon to enter the lineup in case of injury.
Schenn, 33, is in the final season of a two-year contract with an average annual value of $850,000. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli was first to report that Schenn was heading to Toronto, while Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the return.
New York Islanders Acquire Pierre Engvall
The Toronto Maple Leafs confirmed that the team has traded forward Pierre Engvall to the New York Islanders for a third-round selection in 2024. After already trading away defenseman Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals earlier this afternoon, the Maple Leafs send another player out the door. Headed for unrestricted free agency at the conclusion of this season, Engvall adds another large and imposing forward to the mix for the Islanders. Standing at 6’5″, Engvall becomes a valuable player that the Islanders will now have on their roster.
As likely the team and fan base with the most desperation for Lord Stanley’s glory, GM Kyle Dubas continues to cultivate the Maple Leafs into an even more legitimate Stanley Cup threat. After having already acquired players such as Ryan O’Reilly, Jake McCabe, and Erik Gustafsson in various moves, Dubas was able to create even more flexibility for the Maple Leafs with this move. Set to become a free agent at season’s end, Engvall was on a one-year, $2.25MM contract this year. Drafted in the seventh round by the Maple Leafs in the 2014 NHL Draft, Engvall became one of the better depth forwards for the team over the course of the last several seasons. Scoring a career-high 35 points last year, Engvall will have the ability to show off his skill with another team in the playoff hunt.
Immediately becoming one of the tallest forwards on the team, Engvall will allow the Islanders to employ an even more imposing offense. Having already supplemented their goal-scoring issues with the acquisition of Bo Horvat earlier this year, Engvall takes more of a defensive approach to the game. With a Corsi-for above 50% in the last two seasons, Engvall’s team was controlling the puck more with him on the ice. One of the more defensively sound teams in the game, the Islanders will benefit from adding another forward who fits their mold and style of play.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was the first to report that Pierre Engvall was headed to the Islanders.